With Newcastle United now taken over, the club are heading for a new era. 

While keeping in mind all the valid questions as to the morality of having owners from a country with such a poor human rights record, there is no doubt that fans are delighted about the fact Mike Ashley has finally left the club. 

For so long, the joy was sucked out of a club that means so much to so many. At times, you couldn't even describe them as a 'banter' club. There was no laughter. No emotion. No nothing. 

Indeed, the rot may well have set in before Ashley arrived in 2007 but at least, back then, it still meant something to supporters. 

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There was, at least, the feeling of enjoying going to games, even if what was on offer wasn't always convincing. 

One of the least convincing moments on the pitch at St James' Park actually came before the Ashley era. 

Indeed, during a meeting between Newcastle and Aston Villa in 2005, Steven Taylor produced one of the most ridiculous moments in Premier League history. 

Funnily enough, it came during the same game in which Kieran Dyer and Lee Bowyer launched into a fight on the pitch after a row between the two. With two players already sent off, Graeme Souness' team were already in damage limitation mode. 

Before the infamous Dyer-Bowyer incident, Taylor was sent off for one of the most deliberate handballs you're ever likely to see. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Newcastle academy graduate would then roll around the floor in such a performative manner that it's still talked about today. 

As you can imagine, the referee was not buying it in the slightest. 

You can watch the video below. 

There will be exciting times ahead for Newcastle. Whether or not they're quite as funny remains to be seen.