BBC Sport comments from ‘neutrals’ – Interesting on Newcastle United after 0-0 Bournemouth match | OneFootball

Interesting to read through these BBC Sport comments, following on from Newcastle United drawing 0-0 away at Bournemouth.

The comments from neutrals especially telling…

A lot of it different to what Newcastle United fans had come to expect from the BBC Sport ‘neutrals’.

The BBC Sport comments from neutrals in the past had been overwhelmingly a catalogue of abuse aimed at NUFC supporters.

Particularly stuff about the Newcastle United owners and the media-inspired pile-ons that NUFC fans have become used to, when blamed for who now owns their club.

On this occasion the politics entirely absent, concentrating instead on matters on the pitch, especially how rubbish the match was…

The BBC Sport readers comments from neutrals, not any Bournemouth fans from what I could see, but the odd Newcastle supporter (and Sunderland fans!) also contributing:

‘How was that not a penalty for Newcastle?

Jones the ref is trying to win the Lee Mason award for the most incompetent ref in the league.

Against stiff competition from Kavanagh, Hooper, Gillett to name three other useless refs.’

‘What about the handball decision for a Bournemouth free kick, that was border line corrupt.’

‘If that pull of the shirt on Nick Woltemade was against a Liverpool player in their game it would have been a pen all day.’

‘Has to be the dullest match of the season.’

‘Feel sorry for the Newcastle fans who travelled over 700 miles round trip to watch that garbage’

‘We’re not here to entertain you. You’d have lambasted us for losing, so what you have to say is of no concern.’

‘Good to get a clean sheet against quite a difficult Bournemouth side. Bournemouth doing very well this season. A well organised team.’

‘Poor from Newcastle, no fight from the players or the bench for that matter. Looks like Howe has lost the dressing room after all.’

‘You scraped a point against a poor Villa side at the Stadium of Sh….

You could only dream of having a manager of the calibre of Eddie.

We’re 5 games in on a 38-game season, not counting cups, and oh yes, the Champions League. You won’t ever experience those dizzy heights mate.’

‘I can’t work out why Newcastle don’t play with the same intensity they did against Liverpool.’

‘They had a clear week either side for that game, now they’re in the middle of a really packed schedule and have to rest and rotate players, they won’t be doing anything to risk further injuries.’

‘Bournemouth away always a tough game… always well setup and some very good players with a good team ethic.

I said before the game to 3 or 4 people, I’d take a draw…lots of changes, so always gonna be a transitional period and we only played a strong Barca less than 72 hours ago.’

‘Newcastle should have kept Isak.’

‘Wow, don’t think anyone thought of that.’

‘A 0-0 draw away at Bournemouth (who famously Eddie Howe has never beaten) isn’t a bad result. Any away point on the road, any clean sheet on the road is something to celebrate, unless you’re going to a bottom-of-the-table team or something.’

‘Could have any forward playing, wouldn’t make a difference if no supply to them.’

‘Every team seems to be taking a while for their new signings to settle in, even the ones that are winning aren’t exactly winning convincingly.’

‘Respect to the Newcastle fans. 660 mile round trip.’

‘I get that the ref might not have seen the prolonged shirt pull in the box as he was facing Woltemade straight on. But why in earth didn’t VAR intervene?’

‘He was definitely impeded and had a simple lay back to the man on the edge of the area, which would have been a goalscoring opportunity.’

‘How is yanking a player back, by the shirt, in the box, not a penalty?

Woltemade was clearly stopped.’

‘Poor game where teams cancelled each other but a good point for the much changed toon after a big effort midweek and who struggle on the south coast.’

‘All I’ll say is this: if it was Haaland, Gyokeres, Salah, Kane, Mbappe or Lewandowski the pen would have been given.’

‘Or if it was the last minute of stoppage time in a Champions League game…’

‘There wasn’t really any real danger of Newcastle losing that, and they might have nicked it with a bit more luck or inspiration. But overall a point away to Bournemouth isn’t something any team should be disappointed at.’

‘Another poor quality match from the PL

Can’t think of any really high quality games this weekend

And still people think the PL is great.’

Bournemouth 0 Newcastle 0 – Sunday 21 September 2025 2pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Bournemouth:

Possession was Newcastle 44% Bournemouth 56%

Total shots were Newcastle 4 Bournemouth 11

Shots on target were Newcastle 1 Bournemouth 2

Corners were Newcastle 2 Bournemouth 5

Touches in the box Newcastle 18 Bournemouth 16

Newcastle team v Bournemouth:

Pope, Livramento, Thiaw (Lascelles 84), Botman, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Miley, Willock (Barnes 62), Woltemade (Osula 84), Murphy (Elandga 62)

Unused subs:

Ramsdale, Trippier, Joelinton, Krafth, Bruno

(Bournemouth 0 Newcastle 0 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)

(Bournemouth 0 Newcastle 0 – A great point and (defensive!) performance from United – Read HERE)

Newcastle United fixtures definitely confirmed dates and times (All of the Champions League matches will also be available to watch on TV in the UK):

Wednesday 24 September – Newcastle v Bradford (7.45pm) Sky Sports+

Sunday 28 September– Newcastle v Arsenal (4.30pm) Sky Sports

Wednesday 1st October: Union SG vs Newcastle United (5.45pm)