18 Biggest Newcastle United Villains

15. Craig Bellamy

Controversy tends to surround Craig Bellamy wherever he goes - and his time in the North East was no different. During Sir Bobby Robson€™s reign, reports surfaced that Bellamy had thrown a chair at then first-team coach John Carver while the club were travelling to face Real Mallorca in the UEFA Cup in 2004, and also that he refused to play on the wing, but it was the player€™s relationship with Graeme Souness that proved most explosive - and ruined his connection with the Geordie faithful for good. Souness and Bellamy did not see eye to eye from the moment the Scottish boss arrived at the club, and it was a match at Highbury against Arsenal in January 2005 that finally ended their relationship. With Bellamy omitted from the squad, Souness first claimed the player had a hamstring injury, before contradicting himself after the game and stating that the striker had refused to play on the wing. Bellamy immediately gave an interview in which he claimed he would play €œin any position€ for Newcastle, but then he admitted he had threatened to fake an injury if he was made to appear on the right wing. Souness was livid and insisted €œliars€ like Bellamy would never play for the Magpies again. After fining Bellamy two weeks€™ wages (£80,000), Souness sent the forward out on loan to Celtic - but the saga did not stop there. Bellamy allegedly sent abusive text messages to Newcastle legend Alan Shearer and chairman Freddy Shepherd€™s son Kenneth - with the Magpies€™ famous No 9 supposedly threatening to €œknock Bellamy€™s block off€ if the Welshman returned to St James€™ Park. Bellamy ensured he would be a controversial figure on Tyneside for eternity because he did two things Newcastle United players should never do: Refused to play, and then insulted a club legend. There's simply no coming back from that.