CONSIDER this sequence of fixtures: Leicester City at home, Rochdale at home, Southampton away.

No big guns there, no tricky trip to a doughty lower-division cup fighter.

OK, so Southampton isn't the easiest place to go, but Wolverhampton Wanderers exposed the Saints' vulnerability yesterday.

And that is why, even as he plots Internazionale's Champions League downfall today, Newcastle United's FA Cup exit must still hurt Sir Bobby Robson.

A run of games against Leicester, Rochdale and Southampton is the footballing equivalent of a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

Those are the matches that the FA Cup draw has given Newcastle's conquerors since their third round collapse at Molineux.

And as the rounds have passed, so it has emerged that Newcastle did not just pass up a place in the last 32 on that miserable first Sunday in January.

Instead, they effectively missed out on a last four spot in the competition that Robson - who was a Wembley winner in 1978 - cherishes so much.

For all the improvement that Newcastle have indisputably made since Robson replaced Ruud Gullit, there is no trophy that would represent a tangible sign of their progress.

So, when the semi-final draw is made today, substitute the name Southampton for Newcastle, and consider just how glorious a season this could have been on Tyneside.

Sunderland, of course, were similarly profligate by reserving one of their most inept performances during their Winter of Discontent for Watford's visit last month.

A home tie with Burnley sounds pretty tasty, too, though the Clarets would justifiably have fancied their chances of beating a Sunderland side that has not won a game in normal time since December 15.

Middlesbrough, of course, were handed the poisoned chalice of a third round engagement at Stamford Bridge - and their season seemed over before the Christmas decorations had come down.

So, the campaign is drawing to a close, and barring more Magpies miracles it will be yet another trophy-less one for the North-East's big three.

The region's clubs have yet to have the opportunity of playing at the Millennium Stadium, and try to improve on their wretched Wembley finals record that saw Sunderland's 1973 FA Cup win the last by a team from this area under the Twin Towers.

And they have only themselves to blame. Certainly, the draws have been so favourable that maybe we ought to have been contemplating the prospect of a Newcastle-Sunderland semi or even final today.

Instead, the Magpies had a blank weekend - perfect preparation for tomorrow's Italian Job, perhaps - while Sunderland continued to get accustomed to their new training ground.

Of course, had either club been in the sixth round, they would have no doubt had a ridiculous kick-off time forced upon them.

Surely the threat of crowd trouble at Sheffield United v Leeds United could have been diffused without the match starting before some Steel City vicars had finished their Sunday morning sermon?

The days of games starting at 3pm on Saturday are long gone, but has there ever been a more bizarre scheduling of fixtures than this weekend?