Pardew has eyes on Champions League spot

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew firmly believes qualifying for the Champions League this season would eclipse even Bobby Robson’s feat.

Robson dragged the Magpies from 11th at the end of the 2000-01 campaign into fourth place 12 months later and, having safely negotiated a way past Bosnian outfit FK Zeljeznicar in the qualifiers, guided them into the second group stage of the competition.

That proved to be the club’s last flirtation with Europe’s elite after they lost on penalties to Partizan Belgrade in the final qualifying round the following season, having finished third.