An extraordinary fight between Newcastle team-mates Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer set the seal on the north-east club's comprehensive 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa here at St James' Park here Saturday. Both players were sent-off for fighting with Newcastle already down to 10 men after Steven Taylor had earlier been red-carded for deliberate handball. Midfielders Bowyer and Dyer will now miss Newcastle's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United on April 17.
Both men appeared alongside manager Graeme Souness at a post-match press conference broadcast on Sky Sports with the Newcastle boss suggesting that as Dyer had not thrown a punch they would be appealing against any ban imposed on him.
"I would like to apologise to the fans, the chairman, the manager, all the players and everybody that's connected to me personally, my family and everybody that witnessed what went on today on the football pitch," Bowyer said afterwards. "I am sincerely sorry."
England international Dyer added: "I would like to apologise to my team-mates, the manager, the chairman, the fans and everyone connected with the club.
"We are team-mates, we have disagreements, but we shouldn't be fighting in front of 50,000 people especially as it's a crucial stage of the season."
A bemused Souness, a competitive midfielder in the trophy-winning Liverpool teams of the 1970s and 1980s, said: "It's a first for me. I've never witnessed that before. Hard words between players occur in every game of football but it's very unusual for it to lead to what happened today.
"Nobody said this job was easy. We were going along nicely but that's just made it even more difficult. We've got a very few hard weeks coming up but we have to remain focused.
He added: "I have been re-assured by Kieron Dyer he did not throw any punches, that he was on the receiving end and that's the road we will be going down.
"I think Lee Bowyer is indefensible, I think he is guilty - as the pictures show - of throwing more than one punch. He'll have to accept whatever punishment comes his way but Kieron, I think there's an argument there."
Souness, however, insisted both players had a future at St James' Park. "I can envisage both of them playing for Newcastle again. Players like them don't come along very often and they are both top-class players.
"But this is without speaking to the chairman, I hope he would see it like this. But if it ever happened again that would be it for the pair of them.
"That is something we cannot accept because the only people they've really hurt are the customers, the people who've saved up all week, who've gone without certain things to come to a football match today and they've seen that going on."
After Alan Shearer's decision this week to postpone his retirement, the former England striker was greeted rapturously at St James' Park. But celebrations among the home crowd were short-lived as Villa stunned their hosts just minutes after kick-off when Juan Pablo Angel scored from 12 yards. On the half hour Gareth Barry, who later scored two penalties, hit the post with a right-footed shot.
Newcastle were convinced they should have had a penalty early in the second half when JLloyd Samuel handled above his head when going up for a corner with Shearer.
At the other end, referee Barry Knight had no hesitation in red-carding Taylor for deliberate handball in the 73rd minute after Darius Vassell had rounded Shay Given.
And when Vassell and Stephen Carr tangled ten minutes from time, Knight awarded another penalty and Barry was on target again as Villa replaced Newcastle in 10th spot.
Trying to explain the origins of the Bowyer-Dyer dust-up, Souness said: "What I will say, and this in no way condones their actions, I think the referee had a very disappointing game today.
"When Samuel raised his arms above his head, that's a penalty for us. At 1-1 it's a different game. And their second penalty was outside the box."
Villa manager David O'Leary, whose side are now tenth, said: "Whatever the circumstances the best team won the game.
"Barry hit the post and we had two good goals where the referee has had to give stonewall penalties."
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