The Entertainers are held up as the poster boys of modern Newcastle United. They are part of what every individual connected to NUFC wants to become. With one exception - winning something instead of finishing Premier League runners-up two successive seasons brilliant though that was.

Eddie Howe would love to be the new Kevin Keegan, Anthony Gordon the swaggering left winger David Ginola was, Alexander Isak the goal machine once called Alan Shearer, Bruno our Rob Lee, Fabian Schar the ball playing central defender epitomised by Phillipe Albert.

For those of us lucky enough to witness the Entertainers during their pomp they remain a beacon of undiluted joy and pride so it will be terrific for me to host them at the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle on Friday night.

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It is the great coming together of stars travelling from all over the country to be with us. On parade will be the likes of Peter Beardsley, John Beresford, Steve Howey, Rob Lee, Keith Gillespie, Lee Clark, Steve Watson, Paul Bracewell, Mick Quinn, Killer Kilcline, Kevin Scott, Liam O'Brien, Darren Peacock, and Alan Thompson. How is that for a snapshot of United's finest years since the fifties?

We are covering a period from when Keegan saved United the indignity of dropping into the old Third Division, a relegation United have thankfully never experienced, to soaring through the Second Division and up to second in the PL.

Coincidentally there is a book, literally called The Entertainers and written by local author Will Scott, which is now on sale and includes fascinating interviews with key members of what was an exciting time in United's history. When there are no fewer than 35 telling their side of the story, all in the first person, covering literally everyone from Sir John Hall to KK, Big Al, Ginola and Tino Asprilla on to Warren Barton, Pavel Srnicek, Beardo and Scott Sellars, coach Derek Fazackerley, physios Derek Wright and Paul Ferris, and even Magpie Group member Malcolm Dix it really is value for money.

Tino, always value for money, reveals that he came to Newcastle because Fabio Capello had signed a pre-contract with his club Parma and one of the conditions was that Asprilla left "because he didn't like me". Ironically Capello shot off to Real Madrid instead, who had wanted our Colombian friend.

"Kevin Keegan sold the club to me," he said. "I loved his passion. When I stepped off the plane I thought I'd got the wrong plane. I thought I was in Siberia! It was freezing and I couldn't see 10 yards in front of me for the snow. Just as well I was wearing my fur coat."

It was early February, 1996 and before Asprilla could buy wellies to go with his fur coat he found himself in Middlesbrough for the Tyne-Tees derby.

"I'd quaffed a glass of wine with my lunch when Kevin asked whether I would be up for playing. I thought this is crazy but, hey, I like crazy so I agreed to go on the bench. With 20 minutes to go we were losing 1-0 and KK told me to go on. It was great fun. I wasn't match fit but I nutmegged one player and sent the Boro centre-half for an Evening Chronicle setting up super Stevie Watson to equalise. I also had a hand in Big Les's winner."

Ever the wild extrovert, Tino reveals that when he scored a hat-trick against Barcelona up here after KK sadly quit his preparation for the game was, well, slightly unprofessional.

"Kenny Dalglish wasn't going to play me because I had come back late from Colombia and he was angry. So I had sex with my girlfriend before the game which I never did because I thought it was unlucky. I never prepared properly. Goodness knows what would have happened if I had!"

So who amongst the galaxy of superstars United brought to SJP during those epic Entertainers years were Tino's favourites? Beardsley and Shearer is the answer. The book is a fun read, worthy of every Toon fan's attention for the Tino chapter alone though there is plenty more fascinating stuff.

The Entertainers by Will Scott costs £18.99 and is available on Amazon or from www.newcastlelegends.com