ON THIS DAY

Newcastle United confirmed that they had finally signed Michael Owen from Real Madrid for a then £16.8 million club record transfer fee. The year Owen had spent in Spain after his move from Liverpool was not his most successful making 36 La Liga appearances - many as a sub - and scoring 13 goals in those matches. He had hoped for a return to Anfield but Liverpool weren't prepared to meet the transfer fee which saw Owen sign for Newcastle where he stayed for 4 injury-blighted years. August 30th was a notable date for Michael Owen and Newcastle - seven years earlier on August 30th 1998 a teenage Michael Owen had scored a 15-minute hat-trick for Liverpool in their 4-1 Premier League defeat of Newcastle at St James' Park. 31 st August

Despite Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd not wishing to be known as ‘the man who shot Bambi’ on this day in 2004 he sacked manager Sir Bobby Robson. The Magpies hadn’t won any of their first four Premier League matches of the new season.