WHEN the Magpies jog on to their home pitch they can usually expect to be bowled over by a roar from 52,000 fans.

Last night they could look every spectator in the eye.

For one night the Premiership title chasers swapped the bright lights of St James' Park for Bishop Auckland's more homely charms.

The contrast could not have been clearer.

Instead of the gleaming stands that tower above the Newcastle pitch, those wise enough to shelter from the wet February night were huddled under a corrugated tin roof, behind plywood hoardings.

And in place of the crush of fans that swarm round the fast food units at Newcastle, a polite queue formed to use the brown sauce bottle placed on the table by the snack stand.

But for most people there, it was these touches which made the night special.

Less than 1,000 people turned out to see the Kingsway ground's swan-song, as one of the country's most famous amateur clubs gave its crumbling stadium a last moment of glory.

Seasoned Bishops watchers were predicting a cricket score.

By the end the Magpies had notched up eight goals without reply, so the calculators weren't needed.

The few hundred thousand pounds that the Bishops will share with the town's cricket club and the Church Commissioners when Kingsway is eventually sold is peanuts, compared to the price tag of each Newcastle man on its muddy pitch last night.

The ground has to be sold to help finance the club's ambitious plans for a £1m new stadium two miles away at Tindale Crescent.

With hard standing on only two sides, directors realised years ago that it can never meet the increasingly strict standards required by the modern game.

Club bosses plan a gala weekend in April to give it one last send-off but last night it was new manager Alan Shoulder who persuaded old friend Tommy Craig to revive memories of past big games by bringing the reserve side he coaches for a run-out.

From the start Mr Craig gave the fans a treat, sending on star men like £6m Spanish misfit Marcelino, England Under-21 international Shola Ameobi and second choice goalkeeper Steve Harper.

Carl Cort started the game, raising hopes that he might be included in the squad for Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby following a long lay-off with a crippling knee ligament injury.

Mr Shoulder said: "The rain might have kept some fans away but the ones who came are having a good night."

One of those fans, Mick Meredith, from Newton Aycliffe, brought his Magpies mad-son Karl, 12, to see his heroes.

Mick said: "It's excellent that Newcastle have come here and it's good here because you're close to the pitch and Karl can see some of the players."

Lifelong Bishops fan Marjorie Briggs, 60, regularly travels to see her team play at home and away fixtures with her brother Colin Dixon, 53.

Marjorie said: "This crowd is brilliant. We're lucky to get 200 on a normal home game."

Bishops battled valiantly all the way through, keeping the black and white tide at bay, but in a late flourish Newcastle rattled in a hatful of goals and the end result was 8-0.

At the 11th hour Bishop Auckland scored a goal - much to the delight of the crowd - but that joy turned sour when it was disallowed.