BOBBY ROBSON has rejected John Beresford's capital idea to send the Newcastle players out on the town in an attempt to beat their London hoodoo.

Former United full-back Beresford revealed it worked at Barnsley, when then-manager Allan Clarke took the players for a drink the night before a game in a bid to end a bad run.

"I think he modelled his managerial style a bit on Brian Clough," said Beresford, who spent three seasons with Barnsley in the late Eighties.

"We were having a torrid time and he just said: 'Let's go for a drink.' It worked because we won the next match. Perhaps Bobby should try it."

But Robson yesterday joked: "I thought we did that anyway - maybe I'll have to stop it!"

Newcastle visit The Valley today to face Charlton, with a run of 27 matches without a win in London stretching back over four years.

If that wasn't bad enough, the Magpies must return to the capital in less than a fortnight to meet bogey team Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Worthington Cup.

But Robson insists he won't resort of gimmicks in a bid to crack one of football's long-playing records.

Newcastle have switched from their usual London hotel, but Robson stressed that was more to do with geography than superstition.

"I'm not superstitious and I'm not one for gimmicks," he said. "Charlton were the only team to beat us home and away in the Premiership last season, and that should be enough incentive for us to end this run.

"I don't want the players thinking: 'We're in London.' I want them thinking: 'We're fourth in the table, can we stay there?' That's all the motivation we need.

"We should be angry that Charlton took six points off us last season and we have to be keen to undo that and make sure it doesn't happen again.

"We've just won two games at home and we have to be confident, not superstitious.

"As for the cup draw, it's unkind but we have to get on with it. Whoever gets through will have an even better chance of winning the competition because three other Premiership sides will be out."

Alan Shearer, who notched his 100th goal for Newcastle in the 4-1 Worthington Cup fourth-round win over Ipswich on Tuesday, would give "anything" to score the winner today.

The United skipper said: "I may have 100 goals but I'd love my 101st to be the winner against Charlton. I don't just want to score, I want to score the one that matters.

"I don't understand why we haven't won in London for so long. I've wracked my brains but I've come up with no answers.

"Certainly it's not down to preparation, because we do that thoroughly.

"But it's got to end sometime, so let's get it over with."

Robson has fitness doubts about full-backs Aaron Hughes and Robbie Elliott, who are both recovering from a virus.

But ten-goal top scorer Craig Bellamy, who missed the Ipswich clash with a similar complaint, has recovered and will resume his partnership with Shearer.

Defender Warren Barton, meanwhile, has asked to stay behind to train instead of travelling with the squad.

Barton hasn't played for two months, but Robson denied he had fallen out with his former England international.

"He has behaved impeccably and he's not bitching," he said. "He has found it difficult to get back, but he is still a Premiership player and he is just waiting for a chance."

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