NEWCASTLE UNITED'S romantic FA Cup tie with Non-League Yeading is likely to be switched but not to St James' Park - ensuring there should be no repeat of a feud that occurred the last time the Magpies met similar opposition.

In 1998 there was a tremendous amount of ill-feeling when the Premiership club were handed a tricky test at Stevenage. The manager at the time Kenny Dalglish tried hard to have the game take place on Tyneside.

But the football minnows dug their heels in and actually embarrassed their more glamorous opponents by sending the game to a replay, which Newcastle narrowly won.

This time the option of Yeading, of the Ryman League Division One North, choosing to play at St James' is not even available to them and Graeme Souness will be forced to take his players south.

FA spokesman Andrin Cooper said last night: "The rule is that the game can only be switched for safety and security reasons. If the venue is not capable of holding such an event then it can be switched.

"But even if the venue is deemed not suitable the game can only be switched to the nearest suitable venue in that area."

Yeading spokesman Tim Fuel said: "We will ask the game to be moved to a neutral ground (possibly Brentford or QPR). We would have played the game at St James' Park but FA rules say that any income from gate receipts over what we would have received at home goes into their coffers and not those of both clubs."

The Warren is just eight miles from Wembley, has a capacity of just 3,500 and has previously been the location of football scenes in films Bend It Like Beckham and Mean Machine.

Newcastle's strikers on the day - whether they be Alan Shearer, Patrick Kluivert, Craig Bellamy or Shola Ameobi - will have to contend with Yeading defender Nevin Saroya, who had a part in Vinnie Jones' Mean Machine movie.

The 24-year-old signed from Brentford is one of only a few that have any Football League experience, while captain David Clarke, formerly of Notts County is another.

The former Middlesex Football League club were only formed 39 years ago and their finest hour was when they won the FA Vase in 1991.

Their fantastically named manager Johnson Hippolyte has guided Yeading a point clear of Eastleigh in the league this year and hopes are high of a second successive title.

Top-scorer Dudley 'DJ' Campbell, formerly of Chesham and Billericay, has scored 23 goals this campaign and finished as the league's leading marksman in May with 33. He scored two in Saturday's 3-1 win over Slough Town at Stag Meadow.

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, must wait to see who they face in round three. Swindon and Notts County replay their second round game at Meadow Lane on December 14 after Saturday's 1-1 draw.

Championship promotion hopefuls Sunderland, semi-finalists last season, will be looking to seek revenge for their play-off defeat to Crystal Palace in May when Iain Dowie takes his side to the Stadium of Light.

And the only other remaining North-East team, Hartlepool, have another home game with League Two side Boston United.

Pool boss Neale Cooper, whose side overcame Aldershot 5-1 on Saturday, said: "It's a home draw which is obviously what we were hoping for. Hopefully the lads can give a good account of themselves and progress further in the competition."

All third round ties must be played on the weekend of January 8/9. With Newcastle's date with Yeading likely to be shown on television on the Sunday.

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