Newcastle United returned to the English Premier League after a one-year absence for the 2010/11 season. With much of the team that was relegated at the end of the 2008/09 season still in its ranks, the Magpies secured their spot in the 2011/12 English Premier League with a 12th place finish in the recently concluded campaign.
The club will kick-off its pre-season tour of the USA on July 20th against Sporting KC. Matches against the Orlando City Lions and Columbus crew will follow. Newcastle will be without players Joey Barton and Nile Ranger for the tour because they were denied US visas due to past criminal convictions.