Stoke v Newcastle - Live!

Preamble: Hello everyone and welcome to the third installment of GU's FA Cup triple-bill. This one has the potential to be the pick of the bunch, with Sam Allardyce under increasing pressure at St James' Park. Defeat for Newcastle and it could be curtains for Big Sam.

Rumors of in-house unrest - probably nothing to do with Allardyce's apparent monopoly on dug-out drinks - have been rife in the north-east over the past month or so and there's also been something of a split at GU Towers this week between those who think Stoke's rough-and-ready style will play into the hands (or, more accurately, onto the heads) of Newcastle's burly back four and those who feel the men from the Potteries are just the team to hammer what could be the final nail into Allardyce's black and white coffin.

Yes, Tony Pulis is Stoke manager, which means, yes, they play fairly direct up-and-at-'em stuff. But City don't always get the credit they deserve, even from themselves and aren't averse to putting the boot in when a club is down (what do you mean, shameless self-promotion?). That said, Allardyce's precarious position surely precludes him from putting out a weakened team and it should ensure that the Magpies are fully fired-up. Either way, this could be a tense couple of hours at the not-at-all-soulless Brittania Stadium.