Jimbo

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,1...2958536,00.html Babayaro agrees Magpies pay-off Celestine Babayaro has left Newcastle after the Magpies reached an agreement to pay up the remaining months of his contract. The defender has not played for the Magpies since the 1-0 defeat at Manchester City on March 31 through a succession of hamstring and back problems, as well as a lack of form. The 29-year-old's contract was due to expire at the end of the season. That means manager Sam Allardyce, who replaced Glenn Roeder at the end of the last campaign, has never been able to call upon him and has had to field winger Charles N'Zogbia at left back for much of the current season with £6.5million summer signing Jose Enrique still adapting to life in the Premier League. However, with Damien Duff now nearing a return to full fitness as Allardyce plans for the January transfer window - he has has once again been linked with Manchester United's Wes Brown - his options on the left are starting to increase and Babayaro is simply surplus to requirements after a difficult three years on Tyneside. The Nigeria international, who played Champions League football for Anderlecht as a teenager, arrived at St James' Park in January 2005 in a £1million switch from Chelsea as Graeme Souness looked to strengthen his back four. However, he was rarely able to produce his best form on a consistent basis and never really won over the club's fans. But he earned their applause in February when he turned out for the club in their 2-1 league win over Liverpool, after which Roeder revealed that his younger brother David had died just hours earlier.

Happy Birthday Dudes

Bloody hell, now that was moving.

I think the deer wasn't wearing its seatbelt.

As above with regard to nursing homes, also couldn't work around slaughter, I was offered a job at a Bernard Matthews factory recently but there is no way I could work in the Killing room.

Maradona Baggio Zidane

Totally agree. The ref was far to fussy in those early rounds, breaking them up every other second. I can't remember ever seeing a referee interfere to that extent before. Class told in the end and Hatton was comprehensively out-boxed. If light-middleweights have never put a dint in Mayweather, Hatton had no chance. Agree with both of these. Cortez constantly in both fighters corners done the fight no good whatsoever imo and psychologically it would have done Hatton no favours constantly having him on his case but it's no more than I expected from the Yanks, shitting themselves in case their golden boy got beat. The point deduction was the turning point for me with Hatton losing the plot and wanting to fight like a drunken sailor whilst Mayweather playing it cool, showing his class and picking his punches at will. Just feel heartily sorry for Hatton getting knocked on his arse, points yes, KO no, pride well and truly battered. All in all a strange fight for me. Why wasn't Hatton going for body shots, had ample opportunity? Thats what I couldn't understand too, surely his bodyshots would have slowed down Mayweather down if he'd had gone to the body more, but I really think the ref had a lot to do with this, Hatton didn't get a chance to off load his bodyshots, but also Mayweather tied him up as soon as he got close.

Bolton 4-1 up now, Anelka

Go to bed.

Sam Allardyce’s Newcastle future will be thrown into doubt once again in the new year amid a £200millon takeover battle for the club. A mystery Singapore consortium is on the verge of launching a megabucks bid to buy out Newcastle’s current owner Mike Ashley. And if the deal goes ahead, manager Allardyce will be facing another uncertain time under his third set of owners since arriving at St James’ Park. Though Ashley insists he has no plans to sell the Premier League strugglers just six months after buying it for £170m, the signs are he is ready to listen to serious offers. And, after such a torrid start to his reign in the north east, the loaded retail sports magnate, worth £1.9billion, may well find the interest from Singapore too tempting. Our source said: “The talk is that £200m would be enough to buy Newcastle – and it could happen early in 2008.” If he cuts the deal, Ashley will walk away having banked a whopping £30m from his investment – or £100,000 for each day in charge. Nice work if you can get it – but the news from the Far East is a major blow for Allardyce, coming so soon after the Geordies’ draw with Arsenal and yesterday’s 2-1 win over Birmingham earned him crucial breathing space. That point against the league leaders resulted in chairman Ashley issuing his manager with a third vote of confidence in as many weeks. But, tellingly, he refused to give Allardyce any long-term security – admitting only that his position was not under ‘immediate’ threat.

What a fucking con ! Just went to set the SKY+ to record the 9am repeat and it wont let me because I've already watched it ! Thats the last time I pay for a fight with SKY, wankers.

agreed, I think it was the one thing he did get right.

Sad thing is it looks like a blot on his career, but come on, this was a brave fight! Fuckem. Its not a blot, he lost to an all-time great, and there are plenty of great fighters that got beaten, its no disgrace.

You will have been disapointed with the historical gaffs in that show then, that said, I enjoyed it.

Got that one wrong didn't I ! Thought the referee was appalling, he stopped the fight far too often when Hatton got close, was always on Hattons back, but that aside, Hatton didn't go to the body enough, he might have slowed Mayweather down later on if he'd gone to body, but he did himself justice against one of the best fighters the world has ever seen, he may be a horrible, arrogant cocky prick but he is one of the best boxers to lace on a pair of gloves in my opinion.

I'll stay out, you sound punch drunk already

I know what you mean, now that fight was a surprise !

You're right, its not him, I just think he's really steamed up for this fight like no other.

I know what you mean, there's something about I can't put my finger on.

Chuffed as fuck with the result but we are clutching at straws to find positives from that performance, when will the penny drop with Allardyce that N'Zogbia should play on the left wing and Milner on the right ? and that Geremi is fucking shite and when will he realise that Mark Viduka has the work ethic of a McDonlads trainee with M.E.

Fuck me, how impressive was Amir Khan !!!! A thoroughly decent opponent tonight too, I don't think Khan missed a shot !