ALAN Pardew has his “iconic players” back for Newcastle – and they’re champing at the bit to face Wolves on Saturday, writes MILES STARFORTH.

EASINGTON Colliery produced the shock result of the season in the STL Northern League Second Division when they held second-top Gillford Park to a draw in Carlisle last night, writes MALCOLM PRATT.

WASHINGTON B are leading the way in the Second Division of the Westoe Removals Sunderland Snooker League.

SUNDERLAND Harriers will be involved in a part of cross-country history when they compete in the Saucony National Championships at London on Saturday.

TONY Mowbray hailed Marvin Emnes’s return to goalscoring form after the Dutch striker’s double fired Middlesbrough back into the Championship play-off places.

SEVERAL players from the Sunderland and District Table Tennis league helped Hartlepool win their division in the Senior British League.

WHEN the end of the season arrives and the time comes along to hand out the awards, Robin van Persie will be right up there with contenders for Player of the Year.

I WAS shocked and a bit disappointed by the news this week that Niall Quinn had left Sunderland for good.

CRAIG GARDNER holds no grudges against Martin O’Neill for selling him while manager of Aston Villa.

STEPHANE Sessegnon faces a return trip to Africa just days before next week’s Tyne-Wear derby.

WEST BROM midfielder Paul Scharner is expected to miss Saturday’s Premier League clash with Sunderland after failing to recover from a rib injury.

SUNDERLAND’S international ambitions won’t be derailed by the departure of Niall Quinn.

AL-AIN coach Cosmin Olaroiu is confident Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan will convert his loan deal into a permanent move during the summer.

ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger is chasing Ghana defender Daniel Opare, who has impressed at Standard Liege this season – the Sun

RHYS Williams has handed Middlesbrough a welcome boost heading into tonight’s game at Millwall after committing his long-term future to the club.

SUNDERLAND RCA are gearing up to make a push for the STL Northern League championsip and promotion to the Evo-Stik League Division One North.

SUNDERLAND defender Marcos Angeleri is continuing his recovery from a second knee operation.

NIALL Quinn’s leaving of the club yesterday could hardly have been in greater contrast to that of his arrival as new Sunderland chairman in 2006.

TITUS BRAMBLE faces at least another month on the sidelines as Sunderland attempt to bring a conclusion to the defender’s injury woes.

MAN-OF-THE-MOMENT James McClean is relishing life in the fast lane after establishing himself as a first-team regular at Sunderland and yesterday breaking into Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland squad for the first time.