THERE was a time when a lunchtime visit to Chelsea meant just one thing to Newcastle centre-half Titus Bramble.

An early kick-off at Stamford Bridge would ensure an equally prompt start in the swankiest of West London bars - just another weekend for your average Premiership playboy.

But, last September, one such drinking spree ended in Bramble being questioned by police after a teenage girl claimed she had been gang-raped by a group of men in London's Grosvenor Hotel.

The case never got to court, but Bramble still found himself pilloried for a lavish lifestyle in which money was no object and restraint would all too often be lacking.

Off-field indiscretions were linked to match-day mistakes, and the 23-year-old became synonymous with the moral meltdown of a game consumed by its own wealth.

With his Newcastle career limping from one setback to the next - despite the unwavering support of former boss Sir Bobby Robson - August's thigh injury was yet another hurdle for Bramble to overcome.

It would have been easy for him to have sought solace in the pubs and clubs of the Quayside but, instead, the former England Under-21 international went back to basics in an attempt to rediscover his love of the game.

Out went the late nights on the town and in came early-morning swims before three punishing training sessions a day.

The result has been a leaner and keener Titus Bramble - an "England international in waiting" according to current United boss Graeme Souness.

Changes are not always permanent of course, and footballing history is littered with reformed characters who have quickly reverted to type when the going has got tough.

Bramble seems different though. After all he has been through, it is easy to detect a new-found resolve, borne as much out of a desire to prove his doubters wrong as any burning sense of professional pride.

Any return to London will inevitably stir the demons of the past but, when the final whistle blows at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, the bars of the West End will have one less customer to serve.

"I don't really go out at all any more," revealed Bramble, who cost United £5m when he moved from Portman Road in July 2002. "I'm concentrating on my football and that's coming first.

"I've realised that, other than my family, the most important thing in my life is football. That's what I'm concentrating on.

"The incident happened last year and, since then, I think I've become a much stronger person.

"At times the personal abuse has been hard to take. It's difficult, but you've just got to think about the position you're in and the position of the person hurling the abuse.

"It's helped me to focus on what my job is as a professional footballer. I just want to play football now. "It's not as if football is a long career. You're in the game for 15 or 20 years and then, after that, you've got the rest of your life to spend doing whatever you want.

"When you're playing football, I've come to realise that you can't have distractions. You've got to be focused on what you're doing in training and on the pitch.

"Some of us have been criticised for our lifestyles in the past and, while I think a lot of things were blown out of proportion, everything else is coming second to football now."

Bramble's love-hate relationship with the Newcastle fans hasn't just been confined to what has happened away from the field of play.

On the pitch, the imposing centre-half has made a habit of spoiling 89 minutes of disciplined defending with one moment of madness, such as the now infamous air-kick that presented Thierry Henry with Arsenal's opener in last season's 3-2 defeat at Highbury.

Maintaining his concentration has proved the toughest test of all but, after discussing his mental shortcomings with Souness, Bramble is happy with the progress he has made.

"I think there are times when it has been fair to criticise me for a lapse of concentration," he admitted. "And I know that's a part of my game that still needs a lot of work.

"There's not a lot the manager can say or do to bring about an improvement there - I know it's all down to me.

"It's something that's always been an issue with me, I don't know why. But, recently, I've been concentrating for the full 90 minutes and now I just need to keep that up.

"A lot of it comes down to experience I think. You don't see experienced players suffering from lapses of concentration."

Bramble's focus will be stretched to the limit this afternoon as Newcastle line up against a Chelsea side who have lost just once this season.

The Magpies finished on the wrong end of a 5-0 hiding in the same fixture last year, with Bramble mounting a desperate rearguard action in the wake of Andy O'Brien's first-half sending off.

Last month's Carling Cup defeat proved Newcastle could hold their own with Jose Mourinho's side but, after resting some of his leading lights on Tyneside, the Blues boss will be rolling out the big guns later today.

"We were 2-0 down early on last year," said Bramble. "Then Andy got sent off, and it was always going to be an uphill battle from there. They've probably got better since then, but we've improved as well, so it should be a good game.

"Chelsea are phenomenal at the moment - whatever team they play is going to be full of internationals.

"But we were the better side in the Carling Cup game until extra-time, so we can get a result."

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