Source: Northern_Echo
Newcastle are victims of Britain’s flight shutdown
NEWCASTLE UNITED are hoping the rescheduling of the long trip to Plymouth has gained the extra hours required to hand them a timely double.[LNB] While title celebrations on Tyneside will start if West Brom fail to defeat Middlesbrough at the Hawthorns this evening, the Magpies squad are also hoping for air travel conditions to improve.[LNB] The Newcastle party are due to fly down to the southwest tomorrow lunch-time for Monday night's Championship match at Home Park, but they are having to draw up contingency plans in case the plume of ash from the Iceland volcano continues to ground airlines.[LNB] Eruptions are continuing from the volcano, and it remains far from certain when flights will be given the goahead to restart from Newcastle.[LNB] A number of fans are also booked on flights to Exeter within the next couple of days and Newcastle manager Chris Hughton, knowing the match has been put back two days for Sky Sports viewing, has started to look at alternatives.[LNB] The fact our game has been moved from Saturday to Monday night could benefit us, said Hughton. There would be great difficulties if we had been trying to travel Friday for a game on Saturday.[LNB] We're hoping it's going to be OK. All we can do is make provisions and organise how we will travel if the problems persist. We're hoping by the time we travel that everything will be OK.[LNB] It's in the lap of the gods really. The other options we have are train and the option we wouldn't want to take is to go by coach, which is probably a seven-hour journey, which we'd have to break up.[LNB] Regardless of how Newcastle travel to Plymouth, Argentine defender Fabricio Coloccini remains a doubt with a hamstring problem and will be assessed throughout today.[LNB] Hughton gave the squad the day off yesterday and will be an interested observer tonight when Middlesbrough try to close the gap to the playoffs by defeating West Brom.[LNB] If that happens Newcastle, nine points clear with nine points to play for, will be confirmed as champions.[LNB] Hughton, however, refuses to think like that.[LNB] He said: The most important thing is that we have to go into the game at Plymouth with the respect that it merits.[LNB] They are fighting at the other end of the table and will desperately want to get a result.[LNB] If we get the title before the match, with other results, then we'll take it as quickly as we can.[LNB] The best possibility for us is the first opportunity.[LNB] We've experienced that already this season, having gained promotion before our game with Sheffield United due to Nottingham Forest's result.[LNB] But it won't affect how we approach the game.[LNB] We have to give the game the respect it deserves.[LNB] Even if Newcastle are confirmed as Championship champions this weekend they will not be handed the trophy on Monday night. Instead it will be paraded at St James' Park after the visit of Ipswich a week today.[LNB] It's everything if we win the title, said Hughton.[LNB] The most important thing is that we've been able to do it first time.[LNB] We spoke about the difficulties of not doing it first time and going into a second season we've seen it before with other clubs, who have found it very difficult.[LNB] It gives this club the opportunity to play in the best league, where everybody in the city believes the club should be.[LNB] It gives us an opportunity to play against the best teams and I think, over a season, we have very much deserved to be where we are.[LNB]
