Robson's rule remains as strong as ever

Bobby Robson has rightly earned his reputation as a disciplinarian.

Ever since the day he established his authority as a fledgling manager at Ipswich by going toe-to-toe with dressing room dissenters Tommy Carroll and Bill Baxter after Carroll ripped his team-sheet off the noticeboard and told him in no uncertain terms what he could do with it, he has been very much in charge wherever he has been.

At 70 years of age, he shows no signs of softening his stance against those who break his rules.

And it is for that reason that chairman Freddy Shepherd, who has spent much of the last five years trying to win back his club’s reputation after a series of unsavoury headlines – some of them down to him – has allowed him to recruit two men with more than their fair share of baggage.

Jonathan Woodgate arrived at St James’ Park in January with a conviction for affray and amid a hail of protests from people who believed his past would return to haunt him.

While United’s latest acquisition, Lee Bowyer, joined the club having been cleared over the incident which cost Woodgate his good name but with a poor track record.

With Welsh striker Craig Bellamy still creating headlines for the wrong reasons both on and off the pitch and Kieron Dyer having blotted his copybook on more than one occasion, Robson could have his hands full as he tries to establish the Magpies as genuine challengers to Manchester United and Arsenal.

Both the manager and his chairman have spelt out to every member of the squad that bad behaviour will not be tolerated and punishments have been and will continue to be handed out to offenders.

Indeed, Bellamy saw talks over a lucrative new contract stalled for a few days last season after losing his cool on the pitch and lashing out at Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi, a rush of blood which cost him a red card and a three-match European ban – his second of the campaign – and his team their chance of launching their Champions League second phase campaign with a win.

In addition, the Welshman is facing a court appearance in July after an incident at a Cardiff nightclub.

“I would not be doing my job if I did not try to clamp down on any incident which sees the name of the club dragged down,” said Shepherd as the news broke.

Robson has been in the game long enough to know that boys will be boys and has insisted that he does not want his players to “live like monks”.

However, he is equally well aware of the value of the ultra-professional approach adopted by the likes of senior players Alan Shearer and Gary Speed, and he is desperate for his young stars to follow their lead.

But it appears that the penny has finally dropped.

Woodgate was clearly shattered by the experience of having to twice go through a lurid court case, and he arrived at St James’ a chastened man.

His behaviour since has been exemplary, although he had a scare when it was alleged that he had been involved in an incident at a Teesside pub in which a teenager claimed to have been assaulted.

The drinker later withdrew his complaint and Cleveland Police took no action against the player.

Dyer too, has cleaned up his act after being ordered to move out of his apartment on Newcastle’s lively Quayside, while Bellamy has been left in little doubt as to the consequences of further misdemeanours.

But it is perhaps Bowyer who will find himself in the spotlight as he attempts to rebuild his career on Tyneside.

The 26-year-old has much to prove both on and off the pitch after a difficult two years in his life, and can expect to have his every move closely monitored in the goldfish bowl existence he can expect in the north-east.

Robson and Shepherd thought long and hard before deciding to give him a second - and perhaps final – chance, and he will have to reward their faith in him if his is to prove his critics wrong.

“Lee knows that he made an error, but he needs a second chance,” said Robson.

“He is obviously aware of what happened, but that’s in the past. We feel that we can support him and give him guidance.

“We have a lot of fine players at Newcastle, we have a good squad, we have a lot of good character and we just think that, once he settles into our situation, he’ll turn out to be a fine pro and a fine boy.”

Robson was prepared to stake his reputation on that belief, and while his main concern is what Bowyer can do for him on the pitch, he and his colleagues owe the manager and his chairman their best behaviour, and if they cannot manage that, they had better prepare for an uncomfortable ride.