Manchester United v Newcastle United: Alan Pardew denies players were screaming after 'hairy' plane landing in 100mph winds

Reports claimed that a couple of the Magpies' players were heard screaming upon landing after their away trip to Swansea

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has admitted he is trying his best to keep the traditions set by Sir Bobby Robson alive (GETTY IMAGES)

Newcastle United players were said to be screaming upon their hair-raising plane landing in Thursday as 100mph winds hit the north-east.

The Magpies squad were returning from their away defeat at Swansea, with the club flying to all away games bar the short trip to Sunderland. Having suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to the Swans, the trip worsened when the squad returned to Tyneside with two players said to be heard screaming as they landed at the city airport.

Manager Alan Pardew denied that he heard any screaming on the flight, but admitted that a few were looking a little pale in the face following the uncomfortable landing.

“We’ve had some hairy journeys in the past, a couple of fly-bys, as you do in the modern game,” revealed Pardew.

“All the clubs fly to most away games because you want to get the players back into their beds as soon as possible to get that rest, particularly when you’ve got a game on Saturday.

“It was a little bit hairy last night and there was a bit of applause at the back of the plane when we landed. But I didn’t hear any screaming from the players.

“John Carver had a little bit of a wobble, he wasn’t so brave and looked a bit white when we got off.

“I remember at West Ham, Paolo Di Canio wouldn’t fly, I don’t know how he got on last year as a manager but he wouldn’t fly when he was at West Ham at certain times and Yossi Benayoun didn’t like flights. But some people don’t.

“We can always lay on the bus. Ours didn’t get back from Swansea until nine in the morning, so I don’t think there would be many who would volunteer for that.”

Newcastle will need to recover quickly, as they face the testing trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United in Saturday’s early kick-off. Pardew is likely to be without striker Papiss Cisse with the Senegalese struggling with a heel injury, although he is confident that Hatem Ben Arfa will be fit to feature.