Allardyce slams fixture queue

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has slammed the fixture list that clubs end up demanding of their players. Allardyce claimed players are treated worse than racehorses after watching Newcastle draw 0-0 with Stoke City.

"This was our fifth game in two weeks and it's a ludicrous position to be in," he said.

"It's making too many demands of professional athletes which is very, very dangerous. It would be nice to finish this spell and have a two-week break but the game's bosses won’t allow us that courtesy. The foreign players we have who are new to our league cannot understand it. They think we're crazy.

"Somewhere along the line a player will suffer a serious injury due to fatigue and longer-term there will be young men at the end of their careers needing hip and knee operations," Allardyce added.

"We are talking about elite athletes. You wouldn't treat racehorses like we treat our professional footballers and it has to stop before someone is seriously hurt."