We can see it coming...

courtesy of nufc.com

Let us transport you back to the heady days of 1998, when after a pre-season that including a trip to Bray, Newcastle opened their Premiership home programme with the visit of Charlton Athletic.

The London side had returned to top level football after winning the playoffs and were widely considered to be easy meat for a first success of the season, being well organised but lacking high-profile names.

Managed by a Scotsman, an inept United display frustrated home fans as we struggled to create anything positive - despite the dismissal of visiting defender Richard Rufus by.... you've guessed, Dermot Gallagher.

A week later we went to Chelsea and drew, before facing Liverpool in our next home game - by which time the axe had fallen on manager Kenny Dalglish.