Magpies fans split over decision
Newcastle supporters are split over the decision to keep Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer at the club following their fight during the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
The midfielders grappled in the centre of the pitch at St James' Park and were subsequently sent off - Bowyer leaving the field with a ripped shirt.
Bowyer has been fined six weeks wages, believed to be in the region of £200,000, while the club are appealing against Dyer's dismissal.
And Toon fans on the 606 message boards have been reacting to the decision.
Patricia concedes that Newcastle "don't have a strong enough squad to lose them both". She continues: "They've both got a lot to prove to us fans, particularly Bowyer, but I hope the referee's report highlights some of his own failings too. "They were both playing their hearts out before the 'incident' - maybe they wanted to win too much and some of the refeering decisions on top of such passion lit the fuse - but it still shouldn't have happened.
However, Jon counters: "It is a very, very poor decision. When Bowyer was signed, many of us fans complained, given his previous record on and off the pitch. "At the time we were told 'everyone deserves a second chance'. "In Bowyer's case, he's blown it - he should be dismissed immediately. "Dyer too has been drinking in the last chance saloon for a long time now and should also be dismissed. "You have to draw a line somewhere - if we don't finally draw it now, what does one of these players actually have to do in order to get sacked?"
Soul meanwhile wonders where that line should be drawn if the duo were to be sacked? He reasons: "Why is only punching someone a sackable offence? Surely headbutting someone is just as bad? And people who do deliberate horrific tackles, we want them sacked too, right?
"For example, was Roy Keane's tackle on Alfie Haaland not worse than the Newcastle handbags?"
Paul added: "They got the punishment of Bowyer about right, but to defend Dyer in such a way sends messages to the rest of the team that he will keep getting away with such atrocious behaviour." "The mere fact that the way Dyer played, refusing to pass to Bowyer, was detrimental to Newcastle and should be unforgivable in itself."
Are Newcastle right to keep the duo?
Stew agrees with Paul about the lack of punishment for Dyer. He says: "Graeme Souness harps on about team spirit and fairness so where is the fairness here fining just one player and where is the fairness in shipping Craig Bellamy straight out of the door for his misdemeanour?"
Isaac believes Newcastle should have inflicted a harsher punishment on Bowyer and that Souness should make him "sit out the rest of the season".
Peter Martin calls for more draconian measures, suggesting that chairman Freddy Shepherd, manager Souness and a number of players including Bowyer and Dyer should all go. And he calls for Newcastle to make the duo, "stand on the pitch at the next home league game with a microphone and apologise properly to the fans and to each other".
Meanwhile, Steve wants the club to put the money raised by Bowyer's fine to good use. He suggests: "It should be used to reduce the ticket price for the home Uefa Cup game."
Nufcmismanagement view:
Money talks, sacking Bowyer might have got in the way of some of those wonderful dividends or the big fat bonus they pay themselves.
The only real shock is that Freddy didn't see this as an opportunity to get Dyer off the wage bill.