1997-98 Season - May

With Premiership safety having been secured after a long and often painful season there is genuine hope that United - despite being the underdogs - will really give it a go at Wembley against the Premiership Champions.

But Kenny appeared to have other ideas.

Saturday 02 May 1998 - Prem - Newcastle 3 Chelsea 1

Dabizas scores his first for the club in a relatively comfortable victory over The Pensioners in a match which was more tetchy than flowing. It was only the second time United had scored more than twice in the League all season.

Wednesday 06 May 1998

The FA announce that Alan Shearer will be summonsed to appear before an enquiry with regards to the Lennon incident. Shearer expresses his disappointment but is "totally confident that I will eventually prove to everyone that the incident was not intentional."

Sunday 10 May 1998 - Prem - Blackburn 1 Newcastle 0

Just before the end Chris Sutton blasts in the winner from the only shot on target during the whole game.

Meanwhile Shearer plays down suggestions that he will consider quitting as England captain if found guilty by the FA.

Tuesday 12 May 1998

The Football Association find Shearer 'not guilty' of deliberately kicking Neil Lennon in the face. Al is indebted to PFA chief Gordon Taylor and Lennon himself who personally attends to support him

The verdict did not please everyone and their were to be lingering whispers that Shearer had forced the FA's hand my threatening to quit the England captaincy.

Saturday 16 May 1998 - FAC F - Arsenal 2 Newcastle 0

United's Entertainers tag is finally dead and buried after Dalglish's negative tactics fail miserably to thwart Arsene Wenger's enterprising team from clinching the double.

The first-half is all Arsenal as Shearer looks a disconsalate figure isolated up front. Growingly increasingly frustrated he is booked for a late challenge on Adams for which he later apologised.

The Geordie faithful plead with the team to "attack, attack, attack" and there is some response. Shearer hits a post, Dabizas hits the bar.

Anelka looks well offside when grabbing the second but nobody can doubt the Londoners superiority or doubt that they deserve their victory.

Tony Adams (bar one slip-up) snuffs out the one-man attack of Shearer and United have no answer to the pace of Overmars and Anelka with Pistone (playing out of position at right-back) in particular enduring a nightmare afternoon.

Wenger is full of praise for the Toon Army. "They stayed behind after the final whistle to support our players when I could have understood that they had wanted to leave. They just showed the quality of the English people."

Monday 18 May 1998

Director Alastair Wilson promises that Dalglish's job is safe and that funds will be released for him to buy new players.

Wednesday 20 May 1998

David Terrier and Ian Rush are released whilst Pavel Srnicek, Darren Peacock and Shaka Hislop are all out of contract

Thursday 21 May 1998

Sir John Hall is to meet with supporters representatives to give them a chance to air their feelings. He will talk to fanzine editors but not to members of the Independent Newcastle Supporters Association (INSA) who were the most outspoken during Toongate.

Wednesday 27 May 1998

Freddie Fletcher insists that Alan Shearer is not for sale at any price following rumours of interest from Juventus and Barcelona

Reports from Greece claim that United have signed Geogiadis; "a talented attacking player who has an eye for a goal" (allegedly)

Newcastle United Plc's board deny that chairman Sir Terence Harrison's resignation is the result of a major rift with club chairman Sir John Hall.

Sir Terence was the major player in demanding the resignation of Hall and Shepherd.