After adding some stability to the club in the latter half of the previous season, manager Kevin Keegan guides Newcastle to an impressive 1-1 draw at Old Trafford at the start of the 2008/09 campaign
But just a few days after the close of the summer transfer window, Keegan resigns stating his frustration at new players being "imposed" on him
Newcastle fans protest in their thousands and blame the "Cockney mafia" for Keegan's departure, in particular executive director Dennis Wise and chairman Mike Ashley
Following further vitriolic protests during the 2-1 defeat to Hull, owner Ashley releases a heartfelt statement outlining his intention to sell the club
With the club having already grabbed enough headlines to fill a month's worth of backpages, they create another by appointing Joe Kinnear initially as the interim boss before asking him in November to handle team affairs until the end of the season
However, heart problems force Kinnear to take a break for surgery in February. Up to that point, the former Wimbledon boss managed to launch a foul-mouthed tirade at journalists, get himself sent off and anger one of his players by mispronouncing his name
On the pitch four wins and four draws from nine games lifted Kinnear's Newcastle into mid-table and four points above the drop-zone by Christmas, but losses to Wigan then a 5-1 drubbing by Liverpool puts the Magpies back in trouble
Ashley takes Newcastle off the market, prior to a poor period for the club after Christmas that sees them lose keeper Shay Given and fail to win a single game until a 3-2 win over West Brom on 7 February under caretaker boss Chris Hughton
But the result is one of the Magpies' many false dawns during the season - they plunge deep into relegation trouble after failing to win a single game in March
After witnessing his club's demise from the Match of the Day sofa, Newcastle legend Alan Shearer answers the SOS and takes charge for the final eight games of the season
Fans hoping for the 'Shearer effect' are made to wait until the crunch match against rivals Middlesbrough. A 3-1 win lifts Newcastle out of the relegation zone with two games remaining
But the euphoria from that win fades, as the Magpies suffer a home defeat to Fulham followed by an insipid performance and final day loss at Aston Villa when a draw would have sufficed. Newcastle end their 16-year stay in the top flight.
Owner Ashley puts the club up for sale again, for a cut-price �100m. Meanwhile, the Magpies suffer further ridicule following the release of their new kit, a humiliating 6-1 pre-season loss at Leyton Orient and a scuffle at Huddersfield
Going into the new season the club remains in turmoil, with no buyer found, no permanent manager, key players gone and no new signings. What will happen to Newcastle is anybody's guess.
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