Newcastle United Football Club is a professional football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the first level of the English football league system, as of the 2023–24 season. Since the formation of the club in 1892, when Newcastle East End absorbed the assets of Newcastle West End to become Newcastle United, the club has played its home matches at St James' Park. Located in the centre of Newcastle, it currently has a capacity of 52,305.

The club has been a member of the Premier League for all but three years of the competition's history, spending 91 seasons in the top flight as of May 2023, and has never dropped below English football's second tier since joining the Football League in 1893. Newcastle have won four League titles, six FA Cups and an FA Charity Shield, as well as the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the ninth-highest total of trophies won by an English club. The club's most successful period was between 1904 and 1910, when they won an FA Cup and three of their League titles. Their last major domestic trophy was in 1955. More recently the club have been League or FA Cup runners-up on four occasions in the 1990s. Newcastle were relegated in 2009, and again in 2016. The club won promotion at the first time of asking each time, returning to the Premier League, as Championship winners, in 2010 and 2017. In October 2021, a consortium led by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, became the owners of Newcastle United.

The team's traditional kit colours are black-and-white striped shirts, black shorts and black or white socks. Their crest has elements of the city coat of arms, which features two grey hippocamps. Before each home game, the team enters the field to "Going Home", with "Blaydon Races" also being sung during games. The 2005 film Goal! featured Newcastle United, and many signings mentioned the influence the film had on them.

History

1881–1903: formation and early history

The first record of football being played on Tyneside dates from 3 March 1877 at Elswick Rugby Club. Later that year, Newcastle's first football club, Tyne Association, was formed. The origins of Newcastle United Football Club itself can be traced back to the formation of a football club by the Stanley Cricket Club of Byker in November 1881. This team was renamed Newcastle East End F.C. in October 1882, to avoid confusion with the cricket club in Stanley, County Durham. Rosewood F.C. of Byker merged with Newcastle East End a short time later. In 1886, Newcastle East End moved from Byker to Heaton. In August 1882, Newcastle West End F.C. formed from West End Cricket Club, and in May 1886 moved into St James' Park. The two clubs became rivals in the Northern League. In 1889, Newcastle East End became a professional team, before becoming a limited company the following March. Newcastle West End, on the other hand, was in serious financial trouble and approached East End with a view to a takeover. Newcastle West End was eventually dissolved, and a number of its players and backroom staff joined Newcastle East End, effectively merging the two clubs, with Newcastle East End taking over the lease on St James' Park in May 1892.

With only one senior club in the city for fans to support, development of the club was much more rapid. Despite being refused entry to the Football League's First Division at the start of the 1892–93 season, they were invited to play in their new Second Division. However, with no big names playing in the Second Division, they turned down the offer and remained in the Northern League, stating "gates would not meet the heavy expenses incurred for travelling". In a bid to start drawing larger crowds, Newcastle East End decided to adopt a new name in recognition of the merger. Suggested names included 1892 Newcastle, Newcastle Rangers, Newcastle City and City of Newcastle, but Newcastle United was decided upon on 9 December 1892, to signify the unification of the two teams. The name change was accepted by the Football Association on 22 December, but the club was not legally constituted as Newcastle United Football Club Co. Ltd. until 6 September 1895. At the start of the 1893–94 season, Newcastle United were once again refused entry to the First Division and so joined the Second Division, along with Liverpool and Woolwich Arsenal. They played their first competitive match in the division that September against Woolwich Arsenal, with a score of 2–2.

Turnstile numbers were still low, and the club published a statement stating, "The Newcastle public do not deserve to be catered for as far as professional football is concerned". However, eventually figures picked up by 1895–96, when 14,000 fans watched the team play Bury. That season Frank Watt became secretary of the club, and he was instrumental in promotion to the First Division for the 1898–99 season. However, they lost their first game 4–2 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers and finished their first season in 13th place.

1903–1937: first glory years and war years

In 1903–04, the club built up a promising squad of players, and went on to dominate English football for almost a decade, the team known for their "artistic play, combining team-work and quick, short passing". Long after his retirement, Peter McWilliam, the team's defender at the time, said, "The Newcastle team of the 1900s would give any modern side a two goal start and beat them, and furthermore, beat them at a trot". Newcastle United went on to win the League on three occasions during the 1900s; 1904–05, 1906–07 and 1908–09. In 1904–05, they nearly did the double, losing to Aston Villa in the 1905 FA Cup Final. They were beaten again the following year by Everton in the 1906 FA Cup Final. They reached the final again in 1908 where they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers. They finally won the FA Cup in 1910 when they beat Barnsley in the final. They lost again the following year in the final against Bradford City.

The team returned to the FA Cup final in 1924, in the second final held at the then new Wembley Stadium. They beat Aston Villa, winning the club's second FA Cup. Three years later, they won the First Division championship a fourth time in 1926–27, with Hughie Gallacher, one of the most prolific goal scorers in the club's history, captaining the team. Other key players in this period were Neil Harris, Stan Seymour and Frank Hudspeth. In 1930, Newcastle United came close to relegation, and at the end of the season Gallacher left the club for Chelsea, and at the same time Andy Cunningham became the club's first team manager. In 1931–32, the club won the FA Cup a third time. However, a couple of years later, at the end of the 1933–34 season, the team were relegated to the Second Division after 35 seasons in the top. Cunningham left as manager and Tom Mather took over.

1937–1969: post-war success

The club found it difficult to adjust to the Second Division and were nearly further relegated in the 1937–38 season, when they were spared on goal average. However, when World War II broke out in 1939, Newcastle had a chance to regroup, and in the War period, they brought in Jackie Milburn, Tommy Walker and Bobby Cowell. They were finally promoted back to the First Division at the end of the 1947–48 season. During the 1950s, Newcastle won the FA Cup three times in five years, beating Blackpool in 1951, Arsenal in 1952 and Manchester City in 1955. However, after this last FA Cup victory the club fell back into decline and were relegated to the Second Division once again at the end of the 1960–61 season under the management of Charlie Mitten. Mitten left after one season in the Second Division and was replaced by former player Joe Harvey. Newcastle returned to the First Division at the end of the 1964–65 season after winning the Second Division title. Under Harvey, the club qualified for European competition for the first time after a good run in the 1967–68 season and the following year won the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, triumphing 6–2 over two legs against Hungary's Újpest in the final.

1969–1992: bouncing between divisions
Harvey bought striker Malcolm Macdonald in the summer of 1971, for a club record transfer fee of £180,000 (equivalent to £2,265,000 in 2021). He was an impressive goal scorer, who led United's attack to Wembley in their 1974 FA Cup Final defeat at the hands of Liverpool. The club also had back to back triumphs in the Texaco Cup in 1974 and 1975. Harvey left the club in 1975, with Gordon Lee brought in to replace him. Lee took the team to the 1976 Football League Cup Final against Manchester City, but failed to bring the trophy back to Tyneside. However, he sold Macdonald to Arsenal at the end of the season, a decision of which Macdonald later said "I loved Newcastle, until Gordon Lee took over". Lee left for Everton in 1977, and was replaced by Richard Dinnis.

United dropped once again to the Second Division at the end of the 1977–78 season. Dinnis was replaced by Bill McGarry, and then he was replaced by Arthur Cox. Cox steered Newcastle back to the First Division at the end of the 1983–84 season, with players such as Peter Beardsley, Chris Waddle and ex-England captain Kevin Keegan the fulcrum of the team. However, with a lack of funds, Cox left for Derby County and Keegan retired. With managers such as Jack Charlton and then Willie McFaul, Newcastle remained in the top-flight, until key players such as Waddle, Beardsley and Paul Gascoigne were sold, and the team was relegated once more in the 1988–89 season. McFaul left the managerial post, and was replaced by Jim Smith. Smith left at the start of the 1991–92 season and the board appointed Osvaldo Ardiles his replacement.

John Hall became the club's chairman in 1992, and replaced Ardiles with Keegan, who managed to save the team from relegation to the Third Division. Keegan was given more money for players, buying Rob Lee, Paul Bracewell and Barry Venison. The club won the First Division championship at the end of the 1992–93 season, earning promotion to the Premier League.

1993–2007: into the Premier League

At the end of their first year, 1993–94 season, back in the top flight they finished in third, their highest league finish since 1927. The attacking philosophy of Keegan led to the team being labelled "The Entertainers" by Sky Sports.

Keegan took Newcastle to two consecutive runners-up finishes in the league in 1995–96 and 1996–97, coming very close to winning the title in the former season which included a 4–3 game against Liverpool at Anfield – often considered the greatest game in Premier League history – which ended with a defining image of the Premier League with Keegan slumped over the advertising hoarding. The success of the team was in part due to the attacking talent of players like David Ginola, Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer, who was signed on 30 July 1996 for a then world record fee of £15 million.

Keegan left Newcastle in January 1997 and was replaced by Kenny Dalglish, however the club endured a largely unsuccessful season with a 13th-place finish in the 1997–98 FA Premier League, failure to progress beyond the group stages of the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League despite beating Barcelona and group winners Dynamo Kyiv at home as well as coming from 2–0 down to draw 2–2 with Valeriy Lobanovskyi's team in Ukraine and defeat in the 1998 FA Cup Final. Dalglish was replaced as manager early in the following season by Ruud Gullit. The club once again finished 13th in the league and lost the 1999 FA Cup Final. Gullit fell into disagreements with the squad and chairman Freddy Shepherd, and quit the club five games into the 1999–2000 season with the team bottom of the table to be replaced by Bobby Robson. In 1999 Newcastle was 5th-highest revenue producing club in the world; second in England behind Manchester United.

A title challenge emerged during the 2001–02 season, and Newcastle's fourth-place finish saw them qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The following season, Robson guided the team to another title challenge and finished third in the League, and the second group stage of the Champions League, after being the first team to have progressed past the first group stage after losing their first three games. Newcastle finished fifth in the league at the end of the 2003–04 season, and exited the Champions League in the qualifying rounds, but despite this Robson was sacked in August 2004 following a series of disagreements with the club.

Graeme Souness was brought in to manage by the start of the 2004–05 season. In his time at the helm, he broke the club's transfer record by signing Michael Owen for £16.8 million. Souness also took Newcastle to the quarter-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup with Alan Shearer winning the tournament's golden boot as well. However, he was sacked in February 2006 after a bad start to the club's 2005–06 season. Glenn Roeder took over, initially on a temporary basis, before being appointed full-time manager at the end of the season. Shearer retired at the end of the 2005–06 season as the club's all-time record goal scorer, with 206 goals.

In 2006, Newcastle won the Intertoto Cup for the first time in their history, and their first European trophy since 1973.

Despite finishing the 2005–06 season in seventh, Roeder's fortunes changed in the 2006–07 season, with a terrible injury run to the senior squad, and he left the club by mutual consent on 6 May 2007. After the 2006–07 season, and inside the Premier League era, Newcastle United were now the fifth most successful Premiership club in terms of points gained.

Sam Allardyce was appointed Roeder's replacement as manager on 15 May 2007.

2007–2021: Mike Ashley era
On 7 June, Freddy Shepherd's final shares in the club were sold to Mike Ashley and Shepherd was replaced as chairman by Chris Mort on 25 July. Ashley then announced he would be delisting the club from the London Stock Exchange upon completion of the takeover. The club officially ceased trading on the Stock Exchange as of 8am on 18 July 2007 at 5p a share.

Allardyce departed the club on in January 2008 by mutual consent after a bad start to the 2007–08 season, and Kevin Keegan was reappointed as Newcastle manager. Mort stepped down as chairman in June and was replaced by Derek Llambias, a long-term associate of Ashley. Newcastle finished the 2007–08 season in 12th place, but as the season drew to a close, Keegan publicly criticised the board, stating they were not providing the team enough financial support.

In September 2008, Keegan resigned as manager, stating: "It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want". Former Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear was appointed as his replacement, but in February 2009, due to his heart surgery, Alan Shearer was appointed interim manager in his absence. Under Shearer, the club were relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2008–09 season, the first time the club had left the Premier League since joining it in 1993.

Following their relegation, the club was put up for sale in June 2009, with an asking price of £100 million. Chris Hughton was given the manager job on a caretaker basis before taking over full-time on 27 October 2009. On the same day, Ashley announced that the club was no longer for sale.

Hughton led Newcastle to win the 2009–10 Championship, securing automatic promotion on 5 April 2010 with five games remaining, and securing the title on 19 April; Newcastle were promoted back to the Premier League after just one season away.

Under Hughton, Newcastle enjoyed a strong start to the 2010–11 season, but he was sacked on 6 December 2010. The club's board stated that they felt "an individual with more managerial experience [was] needed to take the club forward." Three days later, Alan Pardew was appointed as manager with a five-and-a-half-year contract. Despite some turbulence, Newcastle were able to finish 12th at the end of the season, with one particular highlight being a 4–4 home draw against Arsenal that saw Newcastle come back from four goals down to claim a point.

The start of the 2011–12 season was very successful as they went on to enjoy one of their strongest openings to a season, playing 11 consecutive games unbeaten. Newcastle eventually secured a place in the 2012–13 Europa League with a fifth-place finish, their highest league position since the Bobby Robson days. Further honours were to come as Pardew won both the Premier League Manager of the Season and the LMA Manager of the Year awards.

In the following season Newcastle made few acquisitions in the summer and suffered injuries over the season. As a result, the first half of the season was marred by a run of 10 losses in 13 games, which saw the club sink near the relegation zone. The Europa League campaign was largely successful with the team making the quarter-finals before bowing out to eventual finalists Benfica. Domestically, Newcastle struggled, and stayed up after a 2–1 victory over already-relegated Queens Park Rangers on the penultimate game of the season.

The 2014–15 season saw Newcastle fail to win any of their first seven games, prompting fans to start a campaign to get Pardew sacked as manager before an upturn in form saw them climb to fifth in the table. Pardew left for Crystal Palace in December. On 26 January 2015, his assistant John Carver was put in charge for the remainder of the season but came close to relegation, staying up on the final day with a 2–0 home win against West Ham, with Jonás Gutiérrez, who beat testicular cancer earlier in the season, scoring the team's second goal.

On 9 June 2015, Carver was sacked and replaced by Steve McClaren the following day. On 11 March 2016, McClaren was sacked after nine months as manager, with Newcastle in 19th place in the Premier League and the club having won just six of 28 Premier League games during his time at the club. He was replaced by Spaniard Rafael Benítez on the same day, who signed a three-year deal, but was not able to prevent the club from being relegated for the second time under Ashley's ownership.

Newcastle returned to the Premier League at the first attempt, winning the Championship title in May 2017. In October, Mike Ashley put Newcastle United up for sale for the second time. The team finished the season with a 3–0 win over the previous year's champions Chelsea, finishing tenth in the league, their highest finish in four years. The following season saw a 13th-place finish, despite being in the relegation zone in January. Ashley came under increased scrutiny for his lack of investment in the squad and apparent focus on other business ventures. Benitez left his position on 30 June 2019 after rejecting a new contract.

On 17 July 2019, former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce was appointed as manager on a three-year contract. Bruce oversaw 13th and 12th-placed finishes during his first two seasons in charge, both of which were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021–present: PIF era
On 7 October 2021, after 14 years as owner, Ashley sold the club to a new consortium for a reported £305 million. The consortium was made up of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, RB Sports & Media and PCP Capital Partners. On 20 October, Bruce left his position by mutual consent, after receiving a reported £8 million payout. Eddie Howe was appointed as Bruce's replacement on 8 November. Howe guided the club to an 11th-place finish after a run of 12 wins in their final 18 games, and Newcastle became the first team in Premier League history to avoid relegation after failing to win any of their first 14 games.

On 21 August 2022, Newcastle United Women moved into the club's ownership for the first time, after a formal restructuring. On 22 May 2023, the club sealed qualification for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, after a 0–0 home draw with Leicester City. The season was the subject of the Amazon Prime Video documentary We Are Newcastle United.

Club identity

The club's home colours are a black and white striped shirt. Shorts and socks are usually black with white trim, though white socks are sometimes worn. Newcastle's colours at the outset were generally the home kit of Newcastle East End, comprising plain red shirts with white shorts and red socks. In 1894, the club adopted the black and white striped shirts, which had been used as the reserve team's colours. These colours were chosen for the senior team because they were not associated with either of the two teams United were merged from. They played in grey shorts until 1897, and between 1897 and 1921, they played in blue shorts before adopting the black shorts they play in now.

United's away colours have changed a number of times over the years. They played in white shirts and black shorts from 1914 until 1961, and then white shorts until 1966. They then played in yellow shirts and blue shorts for the 1967–68 season, but from 1969 to 1974 played in all red with an all blue third kit. In 1974, they returned to a yellow shirt, which they played with various coloured shorts until 1983. They played in all grey from 1983 to 1988, before once again returning to the yellow kit until 1993. Since 1995, the away kit has changed frequently and has not been the same for more than a single season.

The current club crest was first used in the 1988–89 season. The crest includes elements from the coat of arms of the city of Newcastle upon Tynethe two sea horses representing Tyneside's strong connections with the sea, the castle representing the city's keep. The city's coat of arms were first embroidered on the team's shirts in 1969 and worn as standard until 1976. A scroll at the bottom featured the city's motto in Latin; fortiter defendit triumphans which translates into English as "triumphing by brave defence". From 1976 until 1983, the club wore a specific badge which was developed to wear in place of the city's coat of arms. The design was of a circular shape, which featured the club's name in full, it contained a magpie standing in front of the River Tyne with the historic keep of Newcastle in the background. A more simplistic design followed in 1983, featuring the initials of the club's name, NUFC with the small magpie used in the previous crest within the horizontally laid "C," this logo was relatively short lived and was discontinued after 1988.

In May 2013, Newcastle announced a sponsorship which featured the Wonga.com logo on kits. This attracted criticism from many Newcastle supporters. In July 2013, it was reported that Newcastle striker and practising Muslim Papiss Cissé refused to wear any official kit or training wear with reference to Wonga.com as it did not align with his religious beliefs. The matter was later resolved. Wonga collapsed in administration in 2018.

On 15 May 2017, the home shirt for the 2017–18 season was revealed, featuring the logo of new sponsors Fun88. The shirt was shown to include a gold and silver commemorative crest to mark the club's 125th football season, based on the city's coat of arms. It was also announced that the kit would feature red numbers for the first time since the 1992–93 season.

Newcastle United's current kit sponsor is Sela, a deal that started in 2023. Previous kit sponsors include Newcastle Breweries (1980–1986), Greenall's Beers (1986–1990), McEwan's Lager and Newcastle Brown Ale (1990–2000), NTL (2000–2003), Northern Rock (2003–2012), Virgin Money (2012–2013), Wonga.com (2013–2017), and Fun88 (2017–2023).

Newcastle United's current kit manufacturer is Castore, in a deal that started in 2021. Previous kit manufacturers include Bukta (1974–1975, 1976–1980), Umbro (1975–1976, 1980–1993), Asics (1993–1995), Adidas (1995–2010), and Puma (2010–2021).

Newcastle United's current sleeve sponsor is noon.com, in a deal that started in 2022. Previous sleeve sponsors include MRF Tyres (2017–2018), StormGain (2019–2020), ICM.com (2020–2021), and Kayak (2021–2022).

Other current team sponsors include Fun88, Parimatch, Carling, Monster Energy, eToro, BoyleSports, Dr. Cinik Hair Hospital, TOMKET, Pulman, Cybit and Energy Impact Limited.

Stadium

Throughout Newcastle United's history, their home venue has been St James' Park, the oldest and largest football stadium in North East England, as well as the seventh-largest football stadium in the Premier League. It has hosted 10 international football matches at senior level, the first in 1901 and the most recent in 2005. It was used as a venue for both the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2015 Rugby World Cup and has been a regular venue for Rugby League's Magic Weekend, attracting record crowds.

Football had been played at St James' Park as early as 1880, the ground being occupied by Newcastle Rangers, before becoming the home of Newcastle West End in 1886. Its lease was then bought by Newcastle East End in 1892, before they changed their name to Newcastle United. At the turn of the 20th century, the ground's capacity was given as 30,000 before being redeveloped between 1900 and 1905, increasing the capacity to 60,000 and making it the biggest stadium in England for a time. For most of the 20th century, the stadium changed very little, despite various plans for development of the ground. The old West Stand was replaced with the Milburn Stand in 1987, the Sir John Hall Stand replacing the Leazes End in 1993, and the rest of the ground renovated making the ground a 37,000 capacity all-seater stadium. Between 1998 and 2000, double tiers were added to the Milburn and Sir John Hall stands to bring the venue up to its current capacity of 52,305.

In October 2009, Ashley announced that he planned to lease the name of the ground in a bid to increase revenue, and in November the stadium was temporarily renamed sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park Stadium. This name was only supposed to be used until the end of the 2009–10 season, but lasted until November 2011. On 10 November 2011, the club officially changed the name of the stadium to the Sports Direct Arena, although this was an interim name to showcase the sponsorship capabilities of the stadium. The company, owned by Ashley, was not paying anything for the deal. In October 2012, payday loan company Wonga.com became Newcastle United's main commercial sponsor and purchased the stadium naming rights but restored the St James' Park name.

Following the conclusion of the 22/23 season, a small allocation of seating in between the East stand and Gallowgate end were converted into Safe standing zones meaning that for the first time since 1993 St James' Park is no longer an all-seater stadium much like many other Premier League grounds.

In July 2023 it was confirmed that following the re-purchase of Strawberry Place, plans for a new fan zone outside the Gallowgate End had been submitted. It will be built in partnership with Stack and Sela (The clubs front of shirt sponsor).

Since 1982, the stadium has been served by St James Metro station on the Tyne and Wear Metro. The station is decorated in a black and white colour scheme, with archive photographs of the club's players.

The club's current training ground is the Newcastle United Training Centre, located at Darsley Park, which is north of the city at Benton. The facility was opened in July 2003.

Following the club's ownership takeover in 2021, the Training Centre was renovated extensively, with a new reception area, restaurant, players' lounge, presentation suite, offices, medical facility, dressing room and hydrotherapy unit all constructed.

Ownership
Newcastle United was set up as a private company limited by shares on 6 September 1895. The club traded in this way for much of the 20th century, dominated by McKeag, Westwood and Seymour family ownership, until April 1997, when John Hall, who bought 72.9% of the club for £3 million in 1991, floated the club on the stock exchange as a public limited company, with less than half the shares sold to the Hall family and the majority holding going to his business partner Freddy Shepherd. Later that year, Hall stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Shepherd, with the Hall family represented on the board by John's son Douglas. In December 1998, after buying a 6.3% stake in the club for £10 million, the media group NTL had considered a full takeover of the club. This was later dropped after the Competition Commission, established in April 1999, expressed concerns about football clubs being owned by media companies.

In 2007, businessman Mike Ashley purchased the combined stakes of both Douglas and John Hall, 41% share in the club, through a holding company St James Holdings, with a view to buy the rest. Upon purchasing this share, he appointed Chris Mort as chairman, while gaining more shares, owning 93.19% of the club by 29 June 2007. This figure reached 95% on 11 July 2007, forcing the remaining shareholders to sell their shares.

After completing the purchase of the club, Ashley had announced that he planned to sell the club on three occasions. The first occurred after fan protests over the resignation of Kevin Keegan in September 2008, when Ashley stated, "I have listened to you. You want me out. That is what I am now trying to do." However, he took it off the market on 28 December 2008 after being unable to find a buyer. On 31 May 2009, it was reported that Ashley was attempting to sell the club again. On 8 June 2009, Ashley confirmed that the club was up for sale at an asking price of £100 million. By the end of August 2009, the club was back off the market. On 16 October 2017, Newcastle United announced that Ashley had once again put the club up for sale, reporting that he hoped that a deal could be concluded by Christmas 2017.

Saudi-led takeover

In April 2020, it was widely reported that a consortium consisting of Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media, was finalising an offer to acquire Newcastle United. The proposed sale prompted concerns and criticism, such as arguments considering it sportwashing of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, as well as ongoing piracy of sports broadcasts in the region.

In May 2020, two Conservative MPs called upon the government to scrutinise aspects of the deal, with Karl McCartney calling for the sale to be blocked, and Giles Watling calling upon the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to hold an oral evidence session regarding sports piracy in Saudi Arabia. In May 2020, The Guardian reported that the Premier League had obtained a report from the World Trade Organization (published publicly the following month), which contained evidence that Saudi nationals had backed beoutQ – a pirate broadcaster carrying the beIN Sports networks in the region since the Qatar diplomatic crisis. In June 2020, The Guardian reported that Richard Masters, who appeared in front of the DCMS, had hinted the possible takeover of Newcastle United was close to completion. The MPs warned it would be humiliating to allow a Saudi Arabian consortium to take charge given the country's record on piracy and human rights.

In July 2020, The Guardian reported that Saudi Arabia's decision to ban beIN Sports broadcast from operating in the nation had further complicated the takeover of Newcastle United. On 30 July 2020, Saudi Arabia announced its withdrawal from the Newcastle deal, stating "with a deep appreciation for the Newcastle community and the significance of its football club, we have come to the decision to withdraw our interest in acquiring Newcastle United Football Club". The group also stated that the "prolonged process" was a major factor in them pulling out. The collapse of the takeover was met with widespread criticism from Newcastle fans, with Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah accusing the Premier League of treating fans of the club with "contempt" and subsequently wrote to Masters for an explanation.

Despite the consortium's withdrawal, disputes over the takeover continued. On 9 September 2020, Newcastle United released a statement claiming that the Premier League had officially rejected the takeover by the consortium and accused Masters and the Premier League board of "[not] acting appropriately in relation to [the takeover]", while stating that the club would be considering any relevant legal action. The Premier League strongly denied this in a statement released the next day, expressing "surprise" and "disappointment" at Newcastle's statement.

On 7 October 2021, the Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media confirmed that they had officially completed the acquisition of Newcastle United. An investigation in May 2022 by The Guardian claimed that the British government of Boris Johnson was involved in Saudi Arabia's takeover of Newcastle United. In April 2021, it was revealed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had warned Johnson in a text message, stating that the Premier League's decision would impact on UK-Saudi diplomatic relations. Following the warning, Johnson had appointed his special envoy for the Gulf, Edward Lister, to take up the case. It was later reported that Johnson's extensive efforts also involved the Minister of Investment Gerry Grimstone, who held discussions with the Premier League chairman Gary Hoffman and Saudi representatives well-connected with MBS' office. The UK Government and Johnson said they were not involved in the Saudi takeover. After Premier League's approval, Hoffman informed the 20 English Football clubs that there was extensive pressure from the government; he said the decision was not influenced by it. A separate report revealed that despite the US' conclusion that Jamal Khashoggi's assassination was ordered by Saudi's Prince Mohammed, he was able to avert the owners' and directors' test of the Premier League. Human Rights Watch (HRW), a campaign group, has accused the Saudi government of using football, motor racing, and golf for sportswashing. As reported by Josh Noble, a sports editor for the Financial Times, HRW defines sportswashing as "an effort to distract from its serious human rights abuses by taking over events that celebrate human achievement".

The Premier League had agreed to the Saudi PIF takeover of Newcastle, following "legally-binding assurances" that the Saudi state will have no control over the club. However, in February 2023, court documents published in the US claimed that the PIF is "a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", and that the PIF governor and Newcastle's chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is "a sitting minister of the Saudi government". Following that, Amnesty international, which already criticized Saudi of sportswashing, pushed Premier League to re-examine the Saudi PIF takeover of the club. In March 2023, Richard Masters expressed his doubts to a committee of lawmakers, stating that he wasn't sure if Premier League had launched the investigation.

Social responsibility
Newcastle United Foundation is an independent charity established by the club in summer 2008. It seeks to encourage learning and promote healthy living amongst disadvantaged children, young people and families in the North East region, as well as promoting equality and diversity. The charity moved into its state-of-the art 'NUCASTLE' building in the Arthur's Hill area of the city in 2021. Open seven days a week, NUCASTLE combines community space with education and wellness facilities, including activity and state-of-the-art cycling studios, specialist STEM room, esports room, four-court sports hall, accessible changing areas, event and meeting spaces, offices and more.

The Foundation's commitment, along with a similar foundation run by West Bromwich Albion, the unique relationship that Aston Villa has with Acorns Children's Hospice and Tottenham Hotspur has with SOS Children's Villages UK, are some leading examples of commitment in the highest level of football to responsibility and change in the communities in which they work and who enrich them through their support and ticket sales. The work of these clubs, and others, is changing the way professional sport interacts with their communities and supporters.

In December 2012, the club announced that it had become the world's first carbon positive football club.

Supporters and rivalries

Newcastle United's supporters are known for being some of the most passionate football fans in the world. In 2016, supporters founded the Wor Flags group, which continues to produce large and unique flag, banner and tifo displays at St James' Park. The group is entirely fan-funded.

The club's strongest supporter base is in the North East, but supporters' clubs can be found in many countries across the world. The club's nickname is The Magpies, while the club's supporters are also known as the Geordies or the Toon Army. The name Toon originates from the Geordie pronunciation of town. In a 2004 survey by Co-operative Financial Services, it was found that Newcastle United topped the league table for the cost incurred and distance travelled by Newcastle-based fans wishing to travel to every Premier League away game. The total distance travelled for a fan to attend every away game from Newcastle was found to be equivalent to a round-the-world trip. In the 2016–17 season, while in the second tier, Newcastle recorded an average attendance of 51,106.

The club's supporters publish a number of fanzines including True Faith and The Mag, along with NUFC.com, which was established in 1996. They set up Newcastle United Supporters Trust in September 2008, aiming to "represent the broad church of Newcastle United's support." In addition to the usual English football chants, Newcastle's supporters sing the traditional Tyneside song "Blaydon Races". Prior to each home game the team enters the field to "Going Home", the closing song of the 1983 film Local Hero, written by Newcastle supporter and Dire Straits founder Mark Knopfler. Traditionally, Newcastle's main rivals are Sunderland, against whom the Tyne–Wear derby is competed, along with Middlesbrough, with whom they compete in the Tyne-Tees derby.

In 1998, The Police founder and Newcastle fan Sting wrote a song in support of Newcastle, called "Black and White Army (Bringing The Pride Back Home)" (sang by Ryan Molloy). In 2015, some Newcastle fans boycotted games in protest of club management by Mike Ashley, and they were supported by famous club fans like Sting and Jimmy Nail.

Records and statistics

As of the 2022–23 season, Newcastle United have spent 91 seasons in the top-flight. They are eighth in the all-time Premier League table and have the ninth-highest total of major honours won by an English club with 11 wins. The holder of the record for the most appearances is Jimmy Lawrence, having made 496 first team appearances between 1904 and 1921. The club's top goalscorer is Alan Shearer, who scored 206 goals in all competitions between 1996 and 2006. Andy Cole holds the record for the most goals scored in a season: 41 in the 1993–94 season in the Premier League. Shay Given is the most capped international for the club, with 134 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.

The club's widest victory margin in the league was in the 13–0 win against Newport County in the Second Division in 1946. Their heaviest defeat in the league was 9–0 against Burton Wanderers in the Second Division in 1895. The club's longest number of consecutive seasons in the top flight of English football was 32 from 1898 to 1899 until 1933–34.

Newcastle's record home attendance is 68,386 for a First Division match against Chelsea on 3 September 1930. The club's highest attendance in the Premier League is 52,389, in a match against Manchester City on 6 May 2012. Newcastle lost the game 2–0. The highest transfer fee received for a Newcastle player is £35 million, from Liverpool for Andy Carroll in January 2011, while the most spent by the club on a player is £63 million, for Alexander Isak from La Liga side Real Sociedad in August 2022.

Players

First-team squad

Out on loan

Reserves and Academy

Notable players

Player of the Year
Source: Newcastle United F.C.

Club officials

Current backroom staff

Board of directors

Honours

Source:

League
First Division / Premier League (level 1)
Champions: 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–27
Runners-up: 1995–96, 1996–97

Second Division / First Division / Championship (level 2)
Champions: 1964–65, 1992–93, 2009–10, 2016–17
Runners-up: 1897–98, 1947–48

Cup
FA Cup
Winners: 1909–10, 1923–24, 1931–32, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55
Runners-up: 1904–05, 1905–06, 1907–08, 1910–11, 1973–74, 1997–98, 1998–99
Football League Cup / EFL Cup
Runners-up: 1975–76, 2022–23
FA Charity Shield
Winners: 1909
Runners-up: 1932, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1996
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Winners: 1968–69

Minor titles
Sheriff of London Charity Shield
Winners: 1907
Texaco Cup
Winners: 1973–74, 1974–75
UEFA Intertoto Cup
Winners: 2006
Anglo-Italian Cup
Winners: 1973

References

External links

 Newcastle United FC at Premier League
 Newcastle United FC at UEFA

Sport in Newcastle upon Tyne
Football clubs in England
Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange
Association football clubs established in 1892
English Football League clubs
FA Cup winners
Premier League clubs
Football clubs in Tyne and Wear
1892 establishments in England
Public Investment Fund
Reuben Brothers
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winning clubs
UEFA Intertoto Cup winning clubs

Newcastle United F.C.


Richard Upchurch (born May 20, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career with the Denver Broncos from 1975 to 1983. One of 29 individuals to be selected to multiple All-Decade teams, Upchurch is noted as one of the greatest return specialists of all time.

College career

Before his NFL career, he attended Springfield High School in Holland, Ohio, and then played for Centerville Community College in Centerville, Iowa before transferring to the University of Minnesota.  In his two seasons with the Gophers, Upchurch rushed for 1,783 yards, caught 18 passes for 242 yards, and scored 18 offensive touchdowns.  He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and also set a school record for return yards in a season with 305.  He was enshrined in Minnesota's athletic hall of fame in 2001.

Pro career
In his nine NFL seasons, Upchurch excelled as a receiver and a kick returner on special teams. In his rookie season, he rushed for 97 yards, caught eighteen passes for 436 yards, returned 27 punts for 312 yards, and added another 1,014 yards returning kickoffs.  In his second season, he set an NFL record by returning four punts for touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl. In the 1977 season, he led the NFL with 653 punt return yards and assisted his team to their first ever Super Bowl appearance. The Broncos lost Super Bowl XII to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10, but he had a good performance in the game. Upchurch amassed 125 total offensive yards (94 kickoff return, 22 punt return, nine receiving), including a Super Bowl record 67-yard kickoff return in the third quarter that set up Denver's only touchdown of the game.

Upchurch stayed with the Broncos until the 1983 season. He led the NFL in punt return average twice (1978 and 1982) and was selected to the Pro Bowl three more times (1978, 1979, 1982). He finished his nine-season career with 49 carries for 349 rushing yards, 267 receptions for 4,369 yards, 248 punt returns for 3,008 yards, and 95 kickoff returns for 2,355 yards.  Overall, Upchurch gained 10,081 total yards and scored 35 touchdowns: eight returning punts, 24 receiving, and three rushing. He was also selected All-Pro five times. At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL's career leader in punt return yards, and his eight punt returns for touchdowns tied the NFL record shared by Jack Christiansen. With his 12.1 yards per punt return, he is one of five players to record a career average of over twelve yards per punt return.

Post career
After his retirement, Upchurch coached football at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. In 2005, Upchurch became the head football coach at East High School in Pueblo, Colorado posting a 1-19 record in his two seasons as head coach. Upchurch currently resides in Mesquite, Nevada, and frequently visits nearby communities such as St. George, Utah, and Logandale, Nevada, to sign autographs for Broncos fans. Upchurch is ranked the sixth-greatest return specialist in NFL history on NFL Network's NFL Top 10 Return Aces.

Legacy
Upchurch holds eleven Broncos franchise records, including:
 Punt returns: career (248), season (51 in 1977), game (eight on 1978-10-22 @BAL; with Trindon Holliday)
 Punt return yards: career (3,008), season (653 in 1977)
 Punt return touchdowns: career (eight), season (four in 1976), game (two on 1976-09-26 CLE; with Darrien Gordon)
 Total return yards: career (5,363), playoffs (351), playoff season (222 in 1977)

Personal life
Upchurch dated and was briefly engaged to the former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the 1970s. She left him because, according to her biographer Marcus Mabry, "She knew the relationship wasn't going to work." He is currently married and has four children.

References

External links
 Profile at nfl.com
 Upchurch at databasefootball.com
 Upchurch at pro-football-reference.com

1952 births
African-American players of American football
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football return specialists
American football wide receivers
Denver Broncos players
High school football coaches in Colorado
Indian Hills Community College alumni
Living people
Centerville Golden Falcons football players
Minnesota Golden Gophers football players
Players of American football from Toledo, Ohio
University of Minnesota alumni
People from Mesquite, Nevada
High school football coaches in Kansas
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople

Rick Upchurch


John Apokaukos (, ca. 1155 – 1233) was a Byzantine churchman and theologian. Having studied at Constantinople, he became bishop of Naupaktos and played a major role in the rivalry between the Epirote Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, exiled in the Empire of Nicaea.

Life
John Apokaukos was born in ca. 1155. He studied in the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, where he was a fellow student with Manuel Sarantenos, later Patriarch of Constantinople. Appointed a deacon, he served under his uncle, Constantine Manasses, metropolitan bishop of Naupaktos in Greece.

By 1186, he had returned to Constantinople, where he served as a notary in the patriarchate, a post in which he is again attested in 1193. In 1199 or 1200 he was appointed as metropolitan of Naupaktos, a post he continued to hold until 1232, when he retired to a monastery at Kozyle near Arta, where he died the following year. During his tenure, he initially clashed with the local ruler Constantine Komnenos Doukas, the younger brother of the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, Theodore Komnenos Doukas. Apokaukos protested Constantine's authoritarian rule and extortionate tax demands from the populace. The clash led to the forcible deposition and exile of Apokaukos in 1220, and was resolved only in May 1221 after a synod including representatives from most of the senior sees in Greece and the Epirote domains. Indeed, the relations between Constantine and Apokaukos became cordial thereafter, and the bishop even composed an encomium in his honour. During the same period Apokaukos also emerged, along with Demetrios Chomatenos and George Bardanes, as one of the leading supporters of Epirote political and ecclesiastical independence from the Empire of Nicaea, where the exiled Patriarch of Constantinople resided after the city had fallen to the Crusaders. This conflict even led to a schism between the Epirote Church and the Patriarchate.

Writings
A considerable body of Apokaukos' correspondence and documents survive. According to Ruth Macrides, "[his] letters and decisions, like those of Chomatenos, are of central importance for the legal and social history of the period. His writings, which show him to be less knowledgeable in the law and less exacting in its application than his colleague, are remarkable for their clear and humorous portrayals of daily life and popular culture".

References

Sources

Further reading

1150s births
1233 deaths
13th-century Byzantine bishops
People from the Despotate of Epirus
Bishops of Nafpaktos
John

Year of birth uncertain

John Apokaukos


Boquillas del Carmen, frequently known simply as Boquillas (), is a village in northern Mexico on the banks of the Rio Grande. It is the northernmost populated place in the municipality of Ocampo, which lies within the Mexican state of Coahuila.

The village lies immediately west of the northern part of the Sierra del Carmen mountain range and at the south-west end of the Rio Grande's Boquillas Canyon.  Boquillas del Carmen was founded as a mining town in the late 19th-century, after valuable minerals were found in the nearby mountains.  Mining ceased in 1919 and the population rapidly declined.

Boquillas del Carmen lies adjacent to the Mexico–United States border and visitors on foot from the United States can enter the village via the Boquillas Port of Entry.  Situated just next to Big Bend National Park, tourism is the principal industry in Boquillas. After the September 11 attacks, the United States closed the border and the economy of Boquillas was severely affected and the population fell by nearly 50%.  In 2013, the border was re-opened and the economy and population subsequently rebounded.  From 2020 to 2021, the crossing was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

History

19th century
Silver was discovered in the Sierra del Carmen in the early 1890s. The arrival of miners led to the establishment of two border camps either side of the Rio Grande: Boquillas in Texas (now Rio Grande Village) and Boquillas del Carmen. In addition to the silver, lead and zinc were also discovered.  The mined ore containing these metals was smelted in a small furnace by the banks of the river near Boquillas del Carmen before being
transported by road to El Paso where it was further processed.  The local mining company operated a cable car across the Rio Grande between the two Boquillas.  At the height of mining operations, there were between 2,000 and 4,000 people living in Boquillas del Carmen.

20th century

Around the turn of the 20th century up to 2000 people lived in Boquillas.  The principal employment came from industries relating to the production of lead, silver and fluorite ore from nearby mines.  Mining ceased in 1919 and the town's population rapidly declined.

Efforts began in the 1930s to create a United States-Mexico International Peace Park in the area, joining Big Bend National Park with the Maderas del Carmen in Coahuila. Boquillas del Carmen would have been at the center of this proposed international peace park, but these efforts have not been realized.

Despite this, Boquillas del Carmen interacted with Big Bend in other ways. Tourism from across the Rio Grande became the main trade. Country music star Robert Earl Keen was known to have frequented Boquillas and released an album in 1994 entitled Gringo Honeymoon whose title track is said to be about a day he and a female companion visited the village. During the 2000 census, the town's population was calculated as comprising 191 people.

21st century

The events of September 11, 2001, dramatically affected Boquillas del Carmen's 20th-century way of life. In May 2002, the border crossing from Big Bend National Park to Boquillas was closed indefinitely. By October 2006, only 19 families comprising around 90 to 100 residents remained in Boquillas. Most of the town's residents had been forced to move away by the closure of the tourist crossing and destruction of the town's traditional economy.  At the time of the 2010 census, the town's population was recorded as comprising only 110 people.

On January 7, 2011, the US National Park Service announced plans to reopen the crossing using a ferry and a passport control center planned to open in the spring of 2012. After multiple delays, the new Boquillas Port of Entry was finally officially opened on 10 April 2013.  The then US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, played an instrumental role in getting the border crossing re-opened.

The hours of operation currently are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, subject to seasonal changes.  Since opening of the border crossing, the town of Boquillas del Carmen has seen substantial growth with the addition of electricity (from solar panels), a new medical care office, and enhancements at the public elementary school.  Visitors are allowed to bring one bottle of alcohol back to the U.S. via this entry point. One may not bring tobacco back to the U.S. via this entry point.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US authorities closed the Boquillas Port of Entry on March 17, 2020.  It was reopened in November 2021.

Economy
After the end of the mining industry, tourism developed in Boquillas in the 20th century with Jose Falcon's restaurant opening in 1973. In the late 1990s, Boquillas was a small town of around 300 residents primarily dependent on the Big Bend tourist trade with visitors crossing the Rio Grande to visit the village's bar, restaurant, and taco stands. Children posted adjacent to the village's Christian mission sold rocks collected in the desert or from nearby caves. Tourism options included pony and donkey rentals, drinks at Park Bar and overnight stays at a local bed and breakfast known as the Buzzard's Roost (since renamed as La Zappolita).

The village continues to generate its income from tourists visiting on foot and in 2018 over 11,000 entered Boquillas from the United States. Local guides offer walking tours of the small village and locally produced handicrafts are on sale. Tours to the Boquillas Canyon, hot springs, archaeological sites and caves in the surrounding area by foot, truck, horse/burro, and canoe are also available.

There are at least two restaurants/bars in the village and several curio shops selling mostly bead craft work.

Los Diablos, a firefighting team, lives in Boquillas. They work in the national park where they fight wildfires and sometimes support firefighting efforts in the United States.

Infrastructure
In 2015 a solar farm was brought into operation, providing electricity throughout the village.

Apart from the river crossing to Big Bend, Boquillas can be reached by road along Mexican Federal Highway 53.  The nearest settlement of any size is Santa Rosa de Múzquiz which is  away with a journey time of at least 4 hours on account of the poor road condition.

In 2013, it was noted that there was no mobile phone coverage or internet provision in Boquillas. A single telephone line now comes into the village.  When one calls that line, the operator states a specific time at which the caller should call back, promising that the operator will find the person being telephoned and ensure that he/she is at the phone in order to receive the call at the appointed time.

Demographics

From 1990 to 2010, the population has never been officially recorded as over 200 and it suffered over a 40% drop over the period.  By 2017 the population was estimated to have grown to around 300 people although the 2020 official census recorded a more modest growth to a population of 202 people.

The village has a Roman Catholic church and a small Baptist church (Boquillas Bautista Iglesia). In 2010 the religious breakdown of Boquillas del Carmen was:
Roman Catholic - 59 (53.6%)
Protestant/Evangelical/Biblical Christians - 44 (40.0%)
No religion/Atheist - 6 (5.4%)

In 2020 the religious breakdown of was:
Roman Catholic - 74 (37%)
Protestant/Evangelical - 84 (42%)
Other religion - 0 (0%)
No religion/No religious affiliation - 42 (21%)

Climate

References

External links

Virtual Reality Panorama Near Boquillas
Visit Boquillas Information and Tours
Mexican towns slowly recovering from closed borders
US to leave Mexican border crossing to rangers

Coahuila populated places on the Rio Grande
Populated places established in the 1890s
Mining communities in Mexico

Boquillas del Carmen


Dark Knights of Steel is an American comic book created by Tom Taylor and Yasmine Putri and published by DC Comics. The twelve-issue limited series—written by Taylor and illustrated primarily by Putri—began its monthly publication on November 2, 2021. Set in an alternate universe, the series is a high fantasy reimagining of the DC Universe starring Superman and Batman.

Publication
The Dark Knights of Steel comic book limited series was created by Tom Taylor and Yasmine Putri, with the former serving as writer and the latter as lead illustrator; the fourth and seventh issues of the comic book were respectively drawn by Bengal and Nathan Gooden rather than Putri. Dark Knights of Steel consists of twelve issues released by DC Comics at monthly intervals, the first being published on November 2, 2021. A special issue, Tales from the Three Kingdoms, featuring three stories set in the Dark Knights of Steel world prior to the main plot, was released on September 6, 2022, written by Taylor, Jay Kristoff and C.S. Pacat.

A six-issue spin-off titled Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter was announced at New York Comic Con in 2023. The miniseries will be written by Jay Kristoff with art by Tirso Cons. The series reimagines the assassin Deathstroke as a Norse Viking.

Specials

Plot

Main plot
Fleeing the destruction of Krypton, Jor-El and Lara crash-land on Earth and are confronted by a group of archers who arrive to investigate from a nearby castle. Jor-El destroys them with his heat vision just as his son, Kal-El is born. In the nearby Kingdom of Storms, a local peasant boy named Constantine has a vision of demons who will conquer the world while King Jefferson listens and orders the prophecy recorded.

Nineteen years later, Bruce, a knight of the Kingdom of El, his companion Alfred, and his squires Richard, Duke, Jason and Stephanie go on a quest to capture a banshee. Prince Kal-el asks to join them but is forbidden, due to his family's vulerability to magic. The party locate the banshee and Bruce accuses her of being an assassin sent by King Jefferson, based on knowledge he has gained from his spy in Jefferson's court. The banshee denies this and attacks, with her scream destroying the building they are in but leaving Bruce largely unharmed. She is then apprehended by Bruce and Kal-el and is taken back to the castle, where she is imprisoned in the dungeon along with other magical beings. Jor-El and Lara, now King and Queen, summon them to the throne room where Kal-el admits that he followed Bruce without his knowledge and questions why ordinary men should act on their behalf when he is invincible. Jor-El talks to Bruce on the battlements and Bruce explains that he thinks he is cursed after being able to survive the banshee's scream and should be exiled or imprisoned. Jor-El reveals to Bruce that he is his father and that when Bruce's mother, Queen Martha and her husband Thomas died, the Els took over as they knew the people would never accept Bruce as a bastard King. In a nearby forest, the Green Man enchants the arrow of Oliver, an outlaw, and it successfully kills Jor-El by piercing him in the eye.

While Lara and Kal-El grieve, Bruce, his powers seemingly activated by his anger, mounts his horse, finds Oliver in the forest and cuts off one of his arms. Alfred convinces Bruce not to kill him and they bring Oliver back to the castle for questioning. The Green Man visits King Jefferson and Constantine, now his advisor, in the Kingdom of Storms and informs them that Jor-El is dead. Constantine is unnerved, beginning to doubt his own prophecy and warning Jefferson that he has angered the Kingdom of El. General Waller calls for war against the Kingdom of Storms but royal jester and advisor Harley and Alfred counsel against this. Kal-El blames Bruce for failing to protect his father and confronts Oliver in the dungeon, though is determined to prove that his family are not the killers they have been made out to be. On the nearby island of Amazonia, Queen Hippolyta's advisor Lois Lane informs her of Jor-El's death. She goes to the sparring field to inform Jor-Els daughter Zala and her lover Diana. Zala flies off enraged, with Lois and Diana fearing that the war they have been trying to prevent is now inevitable. Zala goes to the Pierce's castle and murders Jefferson's son, Jacob in front of him.

Master Olsen sees a falling star and Bruce and Alfred are sent to investigate by Lara, as it may signify the beginning of the prophecy. The Metal Men arrive at the impact site first but are killed by Zala. King Jefferson and Constantine travel to Amazonia, where they meet with Queen Hippolyta, Diana, Lois and General Philippus and inform them of Jacob's death. He admits that he had Jor-El killed and stated that Zala was responsible for murdering his son, which Diana refuses to believe. Despite this, Hippolyta promises that, should the Kingdom of Storms go to war with the Els, she will support him, causing a disgusted Diana to leave. As Jefferson sails home, he reveals that having Diana removed from the Amazon court was a part of his plan due to her loyalty to the El family. Zala then attacks the ship and murders Jefferson who, in his dying moments, tells Constantine that Anissa is now Queen. Meanwhile, Bruce finds the kryptonite and it makes him weak. He confesses to Alfred that Jor-El was his father and Alfred tells him he already knows.

Alfred explains to Bruce that, when the Els originally arrived on Earth, they hid so that their alien nature would not be revealed but that, when a nearby volcano threatened to destroy  the kingdom, they devised a way to prevent it and gave these plans to Luthor, King Thomas and Queen Martha's advisor, who disregarded them. The Els were subsequently forced to expose themselves to save the kingdom and became lifelong friends of the King and Queen. Though their respective relationships are strained when Jor-El and Martha sleep together, Bruce's birth brings the families back together again. Luthor, stripped of his titles and exiled, finds a magical ring, which manipulates him into the Joker, and he attacks the royal carriages, killing Thomas and Martha. Lara is told by Martha that she and Jo-El must rule the kingdom until Bruce becomes of age and the people are ready to accept a bastard King. Alfred then tells Bruce that they must avoid war with the Kingdom of Storms at any cost.

On the orders of Queen Lara, Harley goes to the Lady of the Forest and asks that she help defend the kingdom. Though critical of the El family, the Lady relents and says that she would do anything for Harley. She then apprehends Diana, who reveals that she needs to talk to Zala, who then arrives with Kal. Diana tells Zala that she has been accused of murdering Prince Jacob, which she denies, and explains that the Amazons will stand with the Kingdom of Storms in the war. Bruce and Alfred return to the castle and Bruce confesses the truth of his parentage to Kal-El. Kal then takes the kryptonite and stabs Bruce with it, claiming there can be no challengers to his family's rule. Bruce is later found, barely alive, by two peasants, Jonathan and Martha Kent, and is taken to their home.

At the Pierce's castle, Constantine uses alcohol to numb the death of King Jefferson, whom he loved. His assistant, Timothy tries to comfort him and Constantine states that he knows he is a spy for Bruce and that he deliberately fed him misinformation. Timothy questions why Constantine told him about the magical assassin and works out that, while he believes in his prophecy that the Els are dangerous, he does not want to start a war. Constantine attacks Timothy and exposes him to Princess Jennifer, though convinces her not to kill him. Jennifer tells Timothy to leave and warns him that war is coming. Timothy reports to the court and states that Jefferson was murdered by Zala, who denies this. When everyone is gone, General Waller tells Lara that, if Hippolyta were to die, Diana would become Queen of the Amazons and that her love for Zala would prevent the Amazon army from siding with the Kingdom of Storms. Constantine summons the demon Etrigan and asks to speak to his human host Ra's al Ghul in the hope that he can resurrect Jefferson. Ra's explains that the body is too damaged but that he will revive Prince Jacob in exchange for information on the Titans. Kal-El flies to Amazonia to try and clear his sister's name and prevent war but Hippolyta stabs him with a magical sword and imprisons him. Lois comes to his cell and tells him that, while she has always defended the Els, the Queen no longer listens to her and that the Amazon ships have already set sail.

Ra's brings the resurrects Prince Jacob to Constantine but they state that he cannot go home as he will be burned as an abomination. At the Kent farm, Bruce is plagues by nightmares of the El family destroying the world. Raven, one of the children being harbored by the Kents, uses her magic to remove the last of the kryptonite from Bruce's bloodstream, saving his life. Raven and her fellow Titans, Beast Boy, Victor and Kory state that they initially considered letting him die because of what he has done to people like them. Jonathan and Martha tell Bruce that they understand why he hates magic after what happened to his parents but that he must learn that not everyone who is different is dangerous. Ra's, his daughter and the League of Shades arrive to claim the Titans but they are fought off by Bruce, the Kents and the Titans. Richard tracks Bruce to the farm and tells him of King Jefferson's death, though Bruce refuses to return to the castle. Jonathan tells him that he has the power to prevent the war and must go back.

Queen Hippolyta pledges her unconditional support to Queen Anissa and Princess Jennifer. Lois tells Constantine that she feels as though the kingdoms are being manipulated and that Zala's actions to do match with the girl that she knows, though a vengeful Constantine does not listen. In the dungeons of Castle El, Oliver frees the banshee, Dinah, and promises to teach her to control her scream so they can escape. Luthor, the Green Man, watches the Kingdom of Storms and the Amazon army advance on the Els land. Harley and General Waller meet them at the entrance of the forest and attempt to negotiate a peaceful solution, though Hippolyta and Anissa state they will only stand down if the Els surrender. Constantine attempts to attack the emissaries but is prevented by the Lady of the Forest, who covers their escape. Luthor's ring tells him to intervene and he knocks her unconscious, telling the armies to take the castle. Lara reluctantly orders her soldiers to prepare for battle when a final attempt to avert the war by Diana and Zala fails. At Constantine's order, Prince Jacob uses his powers to fill Zala's lungs with water, though she is saved from death by Lara, who arrives on the battlefield and cuts Hippolyta in half with her heat vision.

Cassandra, Bruce's spy in the Amazonian court, frees Kal-El and gives him the Lasso of Truth to help stop the war. When he reaches the armies, a fleeing Lara knocks him out of the sky and, believing he is attacking them, a grief-stricken Diana orders the Amazons to kill him. The armies begin to fight, while Luthor attacks both sides indiscriminately. Bruce arrives, using Beast Boy's dragon fire to halt the battle, and confronts Kal-El, who is confused about Bruce's accusations against him. Lois is able to convince Constantine that they are being manipulated, as Lara's assassination of Hippolyta makes no sense. Lara enters the castle dungeon and begins killing the prisoners, though Dinah and Oliver are able to escape. She pursues them across the battlefield but is tackled by another Lara, causing the armies to stop fighting. Based on advice from Alfred, Oliver fires a flaming crossbow bolt into Lara's chest, revealing that she is a white-skinned monster, who uses her invisibility to flee. Alfred apologises to Bruce, stating he didn't know "they" were on Earth and transforms into a green-skinned alien.

A grieving Diana threatens Alfred, but is convinced by Kal-El and Bruce to question him using the lasso. Constaine's deception is revealed when Jacob approaches his sisters on the battlefield. The four Queens (Lara, Anissa, Diana and the Lady of the Forest) interrogate Alfred, who reveals his true identity as J'onn J'onzz and tells them how he came to Earth. He explains that Protex, a white martian, instigated a civil war which drove the green martians to near-extinction and destroyed their home planet and that he believes Protex has come to Earth to enslave its people. Anissa theorizes that he orchestrated the war to remove anyone who may be a threat to the invasion and Lara proposes that the kingdoms unite against him. Elsewhere, Protex kills Luthor and takes the power ring for himself. Bruce finally reveals to Kal-El that they are brothers and they reconcile. Protex attempts to kill Alfred but is defeated, though Alfred warns he will return. The Queens set up fire-based defenses around the Kingdom of El but are warned that a more permanent solution is needed. Lara takes Kal-El and Zala to the wreckage of their ship and recovers the Phantom Zone projector. Waller, enraged that Queen Lara has allied with the other kingdoms, visits Protex and promises to create another opening for him to attack.

Tales from the Three Kingdoms

Arkham Orphanage
Escaping from Arkham Orphange by being adopted by Perry White and his wife, young Jimmy Olsen develops an interest in astronomy and builds a friendship with Prince Kal-El. When Jimmy and several orphans go missing, Kal decides to look for them himself and reluctantly allows Bruce and Zala to accompany him. The three royals speak with two of the remaining orphans, Oswald and Harvey, who tell them that a winged creature took their friend Waylon and carried him into the mountains. They locate the creature and engage it in battle but are stopped by Jimmy, who reveals that it is his friend Kirk, who had taken the orphans in order to protect them from the experiments that were being performed on them by the orphanage's owner Elizabeth Arkham. Lara and Jor-El send General Waller to shut down the orphanage and take Elizabeth into custody, though Waller secretly recruits Elizabeth to work for her.

The Flock
In order to learn more about his people, Harley plans to take Prince Kal-El into the town during All Hallows Eve but are caught by Bruce, who warns of lawlessness in the city and goes with them, much to Harley's chagrin. A gang of street urchins known as the Robins steal Harley's necklace and scatter as the princes give chase. Bruce follows Richard, the ringleader, and is impressed with his acrobatic abilities and is able to capture him when he stops to save a small boy from being hit by a carriage, while Kal rounds up the others. Bruce warns that pickpockets eventually become bandits and killers but the Robins deny this, stating that they only steal from those who can afford it and only in order to survive and protect others. Instead of imprisoning them, Bruce recruits them as his protegees.

King's Bane
A young Bruce and his guards are attacked in the forest by a masked outlaw known as The King's Bane who then kneels before Bruce and hails him as the true King, claiming that the Els are monsters who have no right to the throne. Bane offers to teach Bruce how to kill a monster and invites him to a meeting of Wayne loyalists at a nearby inn. Bane begins training Bruce and teaches him how to use stealth and surprise in order to fight those he cannot match in strength and confesses that he was a former guard of the Waynes and was there when the Green Man killed them. He was crippled in the attack and was saved by a doctor who used dark magic to keep him alive, which Bane reluctantly accepts. Though he was unable to save the King and Queen, Bane vows to honor their memory by ensuring their heir takes the throne. Bruce smuggles Bane into the castle but double-crosses Bane, who planned to murder the Els with a magical mace, and throws him into the dungeon before pledging his loyalty to Lara and Jor-El.

Collected editions

Reception
Reviewing the first issue of Dark Knights of Steel, Henry Varona of Comic Book Resources stated, "Dark Knights of Steel #1 is an appropriately epic beginning to DC's latest Elseworlds epic. Tom Taylor proves yet again that he is a master of subverting expectations when crafting alternate DC Universes, while the gorgeous artwork of Yasmine Putri turns the concept into a fully realized fantasy".

See also
 Marvel 1602, a comic book series by Marvel Comics with a similar premise.

References

2021 comics debuts
American comics
Comics about revenge
Comics publications
DC Comics dimensions
DC Comics limited series
DC Comics titles
Elseworlds titles
Fantasy comics
Superhero comics

Dark Knights of Steel


The One was a video game magazine in the United Kingdom which covered 16-bit home gaming during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was first published by EMAP in October 1988 and initially covered computer games aimed at the Atari ST, Amiga, and IBM PC compatible markets.

Like many similar magazines, it contained sections of news, game reviews, previews, tips, help guides, columnist writings, readers' letters, and cover-mounted disks of game demos.

The magazine was sometimes criticised for including "filler" content such as articles on Arnold Schwarzenegger with the justification that an upcoming film had a computer game tie-in.

Readers also initially had trouble buying the magazine due to the name; The One lead to confusion among newsagents over exactly which magazine they meant.

History
In 1988 the 16-bit computer scene was beginning to emerge. With Commodore's Amiga and Atari's ST starting to gain more and more coverage in the multi format titles, EMAP decided it was time for a dedicated magazine aimed at the user of these 16-bit computers. The One for 16-Bit Games was launched and covered the Atari ST, Amiga, and PC games market. Produced by editor Gary Penn and a small team of contributors, the magazine went on to gain a circulation figures of over 40,000 readers.

The industry voted The One for 16-Bit Games "Magazine of the Year" in February 1990.

In June 1990, the magazine was extensively redesigned. Some regular features were dropped, the layout was changed, and the logo changed slightly to more emphasize ONE. The magazine was subtitled "For Amiga, Atari ST and PC Games".

Splits and reorganisation

The ST and Amiga had reached a larger market by 1991 and there were dozens of single format magazines catering to these users. Because of this EMAP, along with recently appointed editor Ciarán Brennan, made the decision to split the magazine into The One for Amiga Games starting May 1991 and The One for ST Games. PC games coverage was transferred to the recently launched PC Leisure.

1991 was the start of the high-water mark of 16-bit gaming. The 8-bit computers were fading away and gamers were moving over to the faster and more powerful 16-bit formats. Because many features fell into the general computing category, content remained similar between the two magazines. Because both magazines were produced by the same production team, the magazines resembled one another. However a few months later both titles would move in their own directions, catering for platform specific games.

In 1992 EMAP was reorganizing their games magazines. Mean Machines was split into two, The One for ST Games was incorporated into Europress's ST Action, and ACE magazine closed. ACE magazine closing meant that there was a well-respected team available. To give The One a new direction and look, the original staff were moved on (speculation suggests they were moved to assist with the launch of ST Review magazine) and the ACE writers took their place. The change of The One was evident with magazines' relaunch.  The new editor Jim Douglas and his team produced the new magazine from May 1992, with its shortened logo THE ONE, with the subtitle "Incorporating all the best of ACE". As the subtitle suggested, the magazine layout and content was essentially The One with some of the content of ACE, together producing an entirely new magazine.

Just months after the redesign, most of the staff moved on and David Upchurch took over editorship.  Again, the magazine put the word "Amiga" in its title starting October 1992. Now called The One Amiga, this would allow potential readers to recognise the magazine as an Amiga title. The staples were also replaced in favour of a spine bound magazine.

There were many significant changes to the Amiga market in 1993. More coverage was given to games that were A1200 specific and there was the launch of the 32-bit Amiga CD32. All formats were accommodated within the magazine by way of the details box which indicated what specification the game was designed for.

In March 1994, David Upchurch announced his departure in that issue. Deputy Editor, Simon Byron, stepped up to replace him. Just eight issues later and the cycle repeated itself, Simon Byron left, and Deputy Editor, Andy Nuttall replaced him. Despite the new editorship and optimism the magazine page count decreased to 84 - partially as a result of Commodore going into liquidation, making the Amiga market uncertain of what would happen next.

In July 1995 it was announced that EMAP was closing the magazine down. The One content was incorporated into EMAP's other Amiga title, CU Amiga, beginning in the August 1995 edition of the latter.

This was not the end of the original The One magazine however, as Maverick Magazines bought the title and launched their first edition in August 1995. This version, dubbed The One Amiga: Maverick Edition, had a different content. It looked like The One but it lacked the former writing style and spirit of the EMAP team. Beginning in early 1996, the magazine quickly decreased to a pamphlet style magazine of just 16 pages - mostly dedicated to the full game included on the coverdisk - before ending with the final issue of August 1996. Unlike previously, this time around no mention was made of the fact that the magazine was ceasing publication.

References

External links

 The Many Faces of The One - Amiga History Guide
 The One Magazine Issue Archive

Amiga magazines
Atari ST magazines
Defunct computer magazines published in the United Kingdom
Home computer magazines
Magazines established in 1988
Magazines disestablished in 1996
Mass media in Peterborough
Video game magazines published in the United Kingdom

The One (magazine)


Czesław Olech (May 22, 1931 – July 1, 2015) was a Polish mathematician. He was a representative of the Kraków school of mathematics, especially the differential equations school of Tadeusz Ważewski.

Some of his works
A talk on the occasion of receiving an honorary degree. (Polish) Wiadom. Mat. 42 (2006), 55—58.
On the Ważewski equation. Proceedings of the Conference Topological Methods in Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems (Kraków-Przegorzaƚy, 1996). Univ. Iagel. Acta Math. No. 36 (1998), 55—64.
My contacts with Professor Kuratowski, 1970--1980. (Polish) X School of the history of mathematics (Międzyzdroje, 1996). Zesz. Nauk. Uniw. Opol. Mat. 30 (1997), 109—114.
with Janas, J. ; Szafraniec, F. H. Wƚodzimierz Mlak (1931--1994). Volume dedicated to the memory of Wƚodzimierz Mlak. Ann. Polon. Math. 66 (1997), 1--9.
with Meisters, Gary H. Global stability, injectivity, and the Jacobian conjecture. World Congress of Nonlinear Analysts '92, Vol. I--IV (Tampa, FL, 1992), 1059—1072, de Gruyter, Berlin, 1996.
 with Meisters, Gary H. Power-exact, nilpotent, homogeneous matrices. Linear and Multilinear Algebra 35 (1993), no. 3-4, 225—236.
Introduction. New directions in differential equations and dynamical systems, viii—x, Royal Soc. Edinburgh, Edinburgh, 1991.
with Meisters, Gary H. Strong nilpotence holds in dimensions up to five only. Linear and Multilinear Algebra 30 (1991), no. 4, 231—255.
with Parthasarathy, T. ; Ravindran, G. Almost N-matrices and linear complementarity . Linear Algebra Appl. 145 (1991), 107—125.

1931 births
2015 deaths
Polish mathematicians

Czesław Olech


Magnetic logic is digital logic made using the non-linear properties of wound ferrite cores. Magnetic logic represents 0 and 1 by magnetising cores clockwise or anticlockwise.

Examples of magnetic logic include core memory. Also, AND, OR, NOT and clocked shift logic gates can be constructed using appropriate windings, and the use of diodes.

A complete computer called the ALWAC 800 was constructed using magnetic logic, but it was not commercially successful.
The Elliott 803 computer used a combination of magnetic cores (for logic function) and germanium transistors (as pulse amplifiers) for its CPU.  It was a commercial success.

William F Steagall of the Sperry-Rand corporation developed the technology in an effort to improve the reliability of computers. In his patent's application, he states
"Where, as here, reliability of operation is a factor of prime importance, vacuum tubes, even though acceptable for most present-day electronic applications, are faced with accuracy requirements of an entirely different order of magnitude. For example, if two devices each having 99.5% reliability response are both utilized in a combined relationship in a given device, that device will have an accuracy or reliability factor of .995 X995 =99%. If ten such devices are combined, the factor drops to 95.1%. If, however, 500 such units are combined, the reliability factor of the device drops to 8.1%, and for a thousand, to 0.67%. It will thus be seen that even though the reliability of operation of individual vacuum tubes may be very much above 99.95%, where many thousands of units are combined, as in the large computers, the reliability factor of each unit must be extremely high to combine to produce an error free device. In practice of course such an ideal can only be approached. Magnetic amplifiers of the type here described meet the necessary requirements of reliability of performance for the combinations discussed."

Magnetic logic was able to achieve switching speeds of about 1MHz but was overtaken by semiconductor based electronics which was able to switch much faster.

Solid state semiconductors were able to increase their density according to Moore's Law, and thus proved more effective as IC technology developed.

Magnetic logic has advantages in that it is not volatile, it may be powered down without losing its state.

See also
 Electropermanent magnet
 Magnetic amplifier
 Parametron
 Hewitt Crane

References

Magnetism
Logic gates
Magnetic logic computers

Magnetic logic


The Governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.

Established in the Constitution of California, the governor's responsibilities also include making the annual State of the State address to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced. The position was created in 1849, the year before California became a state.

The current governor of California is Democrat Gavin Newsom, who was inaugurated on January 7, 2019.

Gubernatorial elections, oath, and term of office

Qualifications
A candidate for governor must be a U.S. citizen and a registered voter within the state, must not have been convicted of a felony involving bribery, embezzlement, or extortion, and must not have served two terms since November 6, 1990.

Election and oath of office
Governors are elected by popular ballot and serve terms of four years, with a limit of two terms, if served after November 6, 1990. Governors take the following oath:

I (Governor) do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California, that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.Governors take office on the first Monday after January 1 after their election.

Gubernatorial removal

Two methods exist to remove a governor.

Impeachment and removal by the legislature
The governor can be impeached for "misconduct in office" by the State Assembly and removed by a two-thirds vote of the State Senate.

Recall by the voters
Petitions signed by California state voters equal to 12% of the last vote for the office of governor (with signatures from each of five counties equal to 1% of the last vote for governor in the county) can launch a gubernatorial recall election. The voters can then vote on whether or not to recall the incumbent governor, and on the same ballot can vote for a potential replacement. If a majority of the voters in the election vote to recall the governor, then the person who gains a plurality of the votes in the replacement race will become governor.

Only two governor recall attempts have ever gained enough signatures to make the ballot in California. The 2003 recall election began with a petition drive that forced Democratic governor Gray Davis into a recall election, which he lost. He was replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was the first time that a California governor was voted out of office.

In addition to the successful 2003 recall, current governor Gavin Newsom faced a recall election in 2021, which he defeated.

Relationship with the lieutenant governor

The lieutenant governor of California is separately elected during the same election, not jointly as the running mate of the gubernatorial candidate. As such, California had governors and  lieutenant governors of different parties for nearly 27 of the 33 years between 1978 and 2011, whereas previously, this had only occurred in 1875, 1887, 1895 and 1916–1917 due to the resignation or death of an incumbent governor or lieutenant governor.

This occasionally becomes significant, since the California Constitution provides that all the powers of the governor fall to the lieutenant governor whenever the governor is not in the state of California, with the lieutenant governor sometimes signing or vetoing legislation or making political appointments whenever the governor leaves the state.

In practice, there is a gentlemen's agreement for the lieutenant governor not to perform more than perfunctory duties while the governor is away from the state: this agreement was violated when Mike Curb was in office, as he signed several executive orders at odds with the Brown administration when Brown was out of the state. Court rulings have upheld the lieutenant governor's right to perform the duties and assume all of the prerogatives of governor while the governor is out of the state.

The lieutenant governor is also the president of the California State Senate.

Official residence and workplace

The official residence of the California governor is the California Governor's Mansion, in Sacramento. The mansion has served as the residence of 14 governors, while others have declined to reside in the mansion, preferring to arrange for private residential arrangements. It is also one of the official workplaces for the governor.

The governor's primary official workplace is located within the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

The Stanford Mansion, in Sacramento, serves as one of the official workplaces for the governor, as well as the official reception center for the California government.

See also

 List of governors of California
 List of governors of California before 1850
 List of governors of California by education
 Politics of California
 Politics of California before 1900
 First Ladies and Partners of California
 List of burial places of governors of California

References

External links

1849 establishments in California

Governor of California


Lambanóg is a traditional Filipino distilled palm liquor. It is commonly derived from tubâ made from coconut sap that has been aged for at least 48 hours. It originates from Luzon and the Visayas Islands (where it is known as dalisay de coco). During the Spanish colonial period, it was also known as vino de coco in Spanish. It is also commonly described as "coconut vodka" due to its clear to milky white color and high alcohol content. It is particularly potent, having a typical alcohol content of 80 to 90 proof (40 to 45% abv) after a single distillation; this may go as high as 166 proof (83% abv) after the second distillation.

A similar distilled drink made from nipa palm sap is known as laksoy.

History

Tubâ, a kind of palm wine, existed in the Philippines before colonisation. They were widely consumed for recreation and played an important role in various religious rituals. Heavy consumption of alcohol in the Philippine islands was described in several Spanish accounts. Social drinking (tagayan or inuman in Tagalog and Visayan languages) was and continues to be an important aspect of Filipino social interactions.

Tubâ could be further distilled in distinctive indigenous stills, resulting to the lambanóg, a palm liquor derived from tubâ. There were hundreds of local distilleries for lambanóg production, largely improvised. They varied from portable stills with around  capacity, to large stills that can process . They usually consisted of two large pans (kawa or karaha), a hollowed out log, and a bamboo tube. One pan was filled with the tubâ and set on the fire. The hollowed out log was placed in between, acting as the walls of the still. The second pan was then placed on top of the wooden cylinder and constantly filled with cold water to induce condensation. A bamboo tube was attached to the wooden cylinder to collect the distillate to containers. Larger stills were barrel-like and made from planks reinforced with rattan hoops. The joints of the still were sealed with clay or rags. The entire upper part of the apparatus was usually connected to a lever that allowed them to be swung aside to refill or clean the lower pan.

During the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines, lambanog was inaccurately called vino de coco ("coconut wine"). Around 1569, the conquistador Álvaro de Mendaña introduced the coconut palm to Colima, in New Spain, where he and other Spaniards established coconut plantations. By 1612, there were many imported workers and slaves from the Manila galleons working on the plantations and producing, among other things, vino de coco.

It quickly became highly popular in the region. It competed with the sales of imported spirits from Spain, leading Spanish colonial authorities and the Royal Audience in Spain to ban the production of vino de coco and issue an order for the destruction of coconut plantations. By the mid-1700s, vino de coco production in Mexico had ceased (though non-alcoholic variants of tubâ persisted). According to some scholars, the prohibition of vino de coco and the introduced distillation technologies from the Philippines helped lead to the development of mezcal and tequila.

During the American colonial period, the Food and Drugs Board of the Philippine Islands set up regulated distilleries for lambanóg with modern equipment. Home production of lambanóg was made illegal, as unregulated production can result in the retention of toxic levels of methanol due to improper procedures. They also standardized the trade name of lambanóg to "Philippine palm brandy" (also "Philippine coco palm brandy"). This was due to the fact that they were distilled (and thus not wines); as well as concerns about the local prejudice against "native drinks" (which are generally known as vino or bino) which could affect their marketability.

Description
Lambanóg has a very high alcohol content of 40%-45% abv (80 to 90 proof), in comparison to bahalina (10%-13% abv) and tubâ (2% - 4% abv). Lambanóg is usually served pure, though it can also be traditionally flavored with raisins. Modern lambanóg has recently been marketed in several flavours such as mango, blueberry, pineapple, bubblegum and cinnamon in an effort to appeal to all age groups.

Production

Lambanóg production was traditionally centered in the Southern Tagalog region. The current main producing areas are the provinces of Quezon, Laguna, and Batangas, where coconuts are a dominant agricultural crop. Not all lambanóg variants are from coconut. Lambanóg is also used as a generic term mostly in Southern Luzon, specifically in Quezon, for all alcoholic drinks from palm trees—whether they are from kaong, coconut, or nipa. In Mauban, lambanóg sa sasa is called nipanog. Most lambanóg producers are small-scale cottage industries with only around 4 to 25 employees. Quezon is the leading producer of lambanóg, hosting the three largest lambanóg distillers of the country: Mallari Distillery, Buncayo Distillery, and Capistrano Distillery. Lambanóg (as dalisay or dalisay de coco) were also produced in the Visayas Islands in the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines.

Safety
Unregistered lambanóg production is illegal in the Philippines under regulations by the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture. Consumers are warned to only purchase lambanóg that is properly sealed and made by companies registered with the FDA. Several deaths still occur each year from methanol poisoning after drinking lambanóg moonshine or adulterated lambanóg from retailers.

In December 2019, at least 11 people died and in excess of 300 treated after drinking home-brewed lambanog coconut wine in Laguna and Quezon, two provinces south of Manila.

See also
 Mezcal
Bahalina
 Basi
 Tapuy
 Nipa palm vinegar
 Kaong palm vinegar

References

Filipino distilled drinks
Philippine alcoholic drinks
Filipino cuisine

Lambanog


Charles Crossland (3 September 1844 – 9 December 1916) was an English mycologist.

Background and career
Charles Crossland was born in Halifax, Yorkshire. His parents ran a general store and Charles left school at 13 to help them run the business. He trained as a butcher and opened a shop in Wyke in 1864, the same year he married Mary Ann Cragg. The couple had four children, two dying in infancy, and Mary Ann herself died in 1869. Charles remarried in 1871 and had two children by his second wife, Clementina Foster. In 1873, the couple returned to Halifax, where they opened a butcher's shop which they continued to run till Charles largely retired from the trade (leaving the shop mostly in the hands of a managing partner) in 1890. He was treasurer of the Halifax Butchers' Association from 1881 to 1908 and often referred to himself as a "Knight of the Cleaver".

He spoke and was interested in the local Halifax dialect, publishing a number of papers on local place-names and surnames in the Transactions of the Yorkshire Dialect Society, of which he was a member, eventually becoming the society's president. In later years, he also compiled a bibliography of Halifax, parts of which were published in the Transactions of the Halifax Antiquarian Society, as well as a local guide book, Pleasant walks around Halifax (1910).

He died in Halifax on 9 December 1916.

Mycology
Crossland initially became interested in botany in 1880, whilst helping one of his daughters with a Sunday school wild flower project. He joined the Halifax Scientific Society to pursue his new-found enthusiasm, and subsequently the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. In 1888, at a YNU fungus foray, Crossland met George Edward Massee who encouraged him to take an interest in fungi. As a result, he developed an expertise in mycology, with a particular interest in the discomycetes, making extensive local collections, often in the company of Henry Thomas Soppitt and fellow mycologist and bryologist James Needham. Crossland produced many papers on Yorkshire fungi, including several describing species new to science. His two major works were the cryptogamic section of the Flora of the parish of Halifax, jointly authored with botanist W.B. Crump in 1904, and The Fungus Flora of Yorkshire, a substantial volume co-authored with Massee, in 1905. His collections of fungi, drawings, and notes are now in the mycological herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Charles Crossland became the first secretary of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Mycological Committee in 1892,  becoming president of the union itself in 1907. He was a founder member of the British Mycological Society, becoming its first treasurer in 1896. He was made a fellow of the Linnean Society in 1899.

Taxa
Crossland described several new species of fungi from Yorkshire, either individually or with Soppitt or Massee. These included several agarics, notably Lactarius glaucescens Crossl., but were mostly discomycetes, including Ascophanus globosopulvinatus (Crossl.) Boud. ex Ramsb., Niptera pilosa (Crossl.) Boud., Melastiza contorta (Massee & Crossl.) Spooner & Y.J. Yao, and Scutellinia citrina (Massee & Crossl.) Spooner & Y.J. Yao. A number of species were named in Crossland's honour, including Clavaria crosslandii Cotton, Ascobolus crosslandii Boud., and Octospora crosslandii (Dennis & Itzerott) Benkert.

Selected publications
Crossland, C. (1892). New and rare fungi near Halifax. The Naturalist 1892: 371-372
Crossland, C. (1899). Mollisia cinerea and its varieties. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 1: 106–109.
Crump, W.B. & Crossland, C. (1904). The flora of the parish of Halifax. Halifax Scientific Society https://archive.org/stream/floraofparishofh1904crum#page/n5/mode/2up
Massee. G. & Crossland, C. (1905). The fungus flora of Yorkshire. London: A. Brown https://archive.org/stream/fungusfloraofyor00mass#page/n0/mode/2up

References

External links

1844 births
1916 deaths
19th-century British biologists
British Mycological Society
English mycologists
Fellows of the Linnean Society of London
19th-century British botanists
20th-century British botanists
People from Halifax, West Yorkshire

Charles Crossland