It was a shock appointment which heralded the start of a four-year rollercoaster ride at Newcastle United. And by the end of it, even Alan Pardew wanted to get off.
Three days after the sacking of Chris Hughton, with the Magpies a solid 11th place in the promised land of the Premier League that Hughton had led them back to just seven months earlier, Pardew walked into St James’ Park.
Just two days after that, his new team claimed a memorable 3-1 home win over Liverpool in his first game in charge. Friday marks the 12-year anniversary of Pardew’s arrival on Tyneside, and the man himself is now in warmer winter climes, taking charge of Greek Super League club Aris Thessaloniki.
