Big Sam: Who doesn’t get stick up there? Every Newcastle boss has had plenty.. Robson, Souness, Roeder, Bruce.. and me. The only one not to get it was probably Benitez

SAM ALLARDYCE reckons he and old pal Steve Bruce have never faced each other in a more important game.

West Brom boss Allardyce (above) and his Newcastle counterpart Bruce have been best buddies for 30 years.

Big Sam and his wife have even holidayed with Bruce and his missus.

But Allardyce admits their long-standing friendship will be ditched at the Hawthorns tomorrow.

The hosts badly need a win to give their survival hopes a huge boost.

But Newcastle are also fighting to avoid the drop, with Bruce’s Toon future on the line amid fan and player unrest.

Allardyce said: “We’ve had a lot of encounters.

“We both know that when we come to face each other we both want to win desperately, never more so than this one in the predicament we’re in.

“They’ve slipped down towards the bottom three and we’re in it.

“We’re both aware what a victory would mean, so while the game is going on we won’t be friends.

“If we beat Newcastle we’re only six points away from them, but if we lose we’re 12 points away, which would make it as big a task as anybody has achieved, to try and stay in the Premier League with the amount of games left. It could still be done mathematically but it would make life extremely difficult. That’s how big this one is.”

Allardyce had a brief spell in charge of Newcastle from May 2007–January 2008 before new owner Mike Ashley hired Kevin Keegan instead.

Bruce steered the Toon to 13th in his first year in charge but is now battling to keep them up, taking heavy flak from supporters in the process. And Allardyce said: “Who doesn’t get stick up there?

“The only manager I’ve seen manage up at Newcastle who hasn’t got any stick is probably Rafa Benitez (left).

“Everybody else, we’ve all had our fair share – Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness, myself, Glenn Roeder and Steve Bruce.

“You put Newcastle up in the top half or win a cup and you’ll be a hero, but if you put Newcastle down in the half where they don’t expect , then they’ll show their disapproval.

“When they pay their money they’re entitled to do that.”

Today’s visitors have won just twice in 15 league games and preparations have been rocked by a row between Bruce and winger Matt Ritchie, who has since apologised.

But Allardyce insisted: “I like disagreements. I like people to argue. It means they care.”