Can you name Newcastle United’s first XI of the Mike Ashley era, 2007?

The Mike Ashley era is something most Newcastle United fans have already tried to forget – but can you remember how it started? We’re asking you to name the starting XI that kicked things off on the opening day of the 2007-08 campaign.

Ashley took over in the summer of 2007 and his tenure got off to a good start as Newcastle went to the Reebok Stadium beat Bolton Wanderers 3-1 on the opening day of the season.

“I am delighted to have this opportunity to invest in Newcastle United,” said Ashley after completing the takeover.

“The club has a fantastic infrastructure, for which Sir John and the board must take much of the credit. I am pleased that Sir John has agreed to remain as life president of the club.

“Newcastle United has a wonderful heritage and the passion of its fans is legendary. I am sure that, like me, they are already excited about the prospects for next season under the new manager’s stewardship.”

Manager Sam Allardyce was sacked by Ashley a few months later, but we’re asking you to name the Xl that he picked for that game against his former club Bolton.

The team had four new summer signings in the line-up and is memorable for a particularly spectacular overhead kick from one of their two strikers. Nicolas Anelka scored on the break for Bolton but Allardyce’s Magpies were well worth their three points on the day.

Our time to beat for this one is 01:37. If you fancy another challenge after taking this one on, why not try and name their starting XI from their memorable 2-0 win away to Chelsea back in May 2012.

If you’ve not already, sign up for a Planet Sport account to access hints for those tricky answers, to reveal the ones you’ve missed, and to register your score on the leaderboard. 

Good luck and don’t forget to tweet us your scores @planetfutebol.

NEXT QUIZ: Can you name every player to score 10+ PL goals for Newcastle?