Gutierrez earned his nickname after donning a Spiderman mask in a madcap goal celebration when he scored for Real Mallorca against Osasuna.

But Newcastle United's new signing, it seems, isn't the only superhero on the club's books.

Steve Harper has now been dubbed Batman by his team-mates after an incident at Son Vida, the team's five-star hotel on the hills overlooking Palma.

Harper was among those having a massage when a lone bat flew into the room.

The players and staff all bolted for the door, except a couple. Between them, Harper and masseur Micky Holland managed to get the bat out of the window.

And I get the feeling United will need all the superheroes they can get this season.


I'D love to know who was in charge of the stereo in Newcastle United's dressing room before last night's game.

The playlists of most Premier League clubs revolve around R&B and hip hop.

But the mystery player who was banging out the tunes before the Real Mallorca match at the ONO Estadi had a slightly more eclectic taste.

As manager Kevin Keegan and his old Liverpool strike partner John Toshack spoke in a corridor outside, the hits – including Africa by Toto, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths, and I'm On Fire by Bruce Springsteen – boomed out of the dressing room.

Just who in Keegan's team owns a record collection like that?


THE ONO Estadi only truly came to life once during the Mallorca Summer Cup.

Bizarrely, it took a powercut at the 23,000-capacity stadium to get some noise from the fans scattered around the ground.

Just as referee Sebastian Ripoli Solano called time on Hannover's 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin, the lights went out.

Newcastle United's fans instantly started singing "Black and white army" and banging the advertising hoardings at the front of the away end in the complete darkness.

However, the power came back on in time for the lights to go out on United's hopes of ending the tournament on a high.