Party Time in the Toon To'neet

As I'm typing this live on BBC2 Nottingham Forest are playing Cardiff and if Forest fails to win then Newcastle will be promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Even if Forest do win, Newcastle only need 1 point at home tonight to Sheffiled United.

Whatever the results tonight it is looking like the Toon Army will be back in the big time next season and having lived in Newcastle I can guarantee it will have been party time in the Toon all day. However one man who might be celebrating but certainly won't be out in his Newcastle shirt, will be Mike Ashley. (Y'aye pet, Ashley gets to know the locals back in 2007, left) The Toon may be going up but after the party tonight all eyes will be on Ashley and what he is going to do with the club.

After pulling the club form the market at the start of this season Newcastle United is now a much more attractive proposition with Premiership status guaranteed and a bumper TV package in place for all Premiership clubs. It remains to be seen what Ashley plans to do, the feeling among the fans is that they would be better off with new owners, but the market has changed and they need to be wary of the cowboy types, like the Americans and Sheiks who I'm sure would see a loyal, passionate, some might say crackers fan base with a 50,000 plus seater stadium a safe place to saddle £ millions of debt.

It will be good to see the Toon Army back in the top flight, for all the over sentimental bullshit that gets wrote about them, they do love their football and the league is all the more colourful for having them in it, I'm sure even Sunderland fans will be looking forward to the derby games again next season.