Newcastle blow, Sunderland farewell & Middlesbrough goalkeeper message
The most important game of Newcastle’s season didn’t go the way of the Magpies on Saturday, with Manchester United beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup. What does missing out on European football mean for Eddie Howe’s side?
That’s discussed in this week’s North East notes, which also features a message for Boro’s returning goalkeeper and a Sunderland farewell.
Newcastle’s financial blow and fresh contract doubt
A testing season for Newcastle finished in frustration and disappointing fashion on Saturday when Manchester United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final, pushing the Magpies out of the European picture for next season.
The Europa Conference League isn’t what Newcastle were aiming for at the start of the campaign but it’s still a major blow to miss out – from a football and financial perspective.
This season, teams who qualified for the Conference League pocketed north of £2.5m for just making the group stages – and that figure rose with every win. Had Newcastle managed to go all the way in the competition next season, they’d have been between £12m and £15m better off, based on this term’s prize-money structure. That’s without taking into account the extra matchday income and commercial deals.
Chief commercial officer Peter Silverstone recently told of how European qualification is “really important” and makes a “big difference” when it comes to marketing and sponsorship.
For two Newcastle players in particular, missing out on Europe is likely to severely impact how their summer and future plays out. Eddie Howe admitted new contracts for Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie likely hinged on European qualification. On the back of Manchester United’s cup win, the pair could well have now played their last game for the Magpies.
