donaldstott

I am still holding out hope of this, but I reckon if he'd gone bat-shit and made up a story to entertain himself, we would have seen the obligatory NUFC statement.

“I’ve been with Graham for last three days,” said Kinnear. “We’ve discussed all the French players and contacts that Graham knows, the players he’s brought in and we’re very happy together. “I’m known Graham for something like 20 years. He was at Tottenham. “I know he’s got a good eye for a player and good contacts. “We’ll go and see as many of these players in action and we’ll get in as many games as we possibly can. “Once we see something that we think is in our budget, we’ll go for them. It’s as simple as that. “On the other side, if we see things that we believe are not Newcastle, and not good enough for Newcastle, then I’ll shift them. It’s as simple as that. “I don’t want anybody there that’s not good enough for Newcastle.” The line above is disturbing me. Suggests that we won't be buying anyone he hasn't seen. Given there isn't going to be any competitive football until three weeks before the window shuts that doesn't leave a lot of time.

Not a father's day wine induced hallucination then... Holy fuck. He will keep cabaye though, having presumably never spoken to either the player, his agent or his manager!!

The HR person at the call centre must have thick skin. So far we've witnessed/he has admitted to: Throwing stuff at employees Sacking someone for refusing to sing Dragging two people round the office to get them a date Hiring people without as much as looking at their application In truth though, it looks as though he's created the right environment for that type of business. Most in there are young enough to know no different.

If they're trying to buy Negredo though, they're making a statement!!

Wist Ham have bid £15m for Negredo, which suggests there bid for Wor Andy ain't gone well.

Me and the missus (and 6 month old) drove all the way from Reading to Carcasonne in two days. It was a hellish drive in retrospect and bloody expensive. I probably spent 200 Euros in tolls alone. Nevertheless I would love it if I was by myself with a lot of time, plenty of stops. A bike would be a great way to see it.

Guaranteed the 'budget' car I've booked will be an 800cc Fiat Punto. I expect to see some especially angry looking Maserati drivers in my rear view mirror.

I think refs make 'honest' decisions at the top level. It's their jobs to do so. Whether they are correct decisions is a different matter What's levelled most of the time is lack of consistency, a free kick early in the game when there aren't many tackles flying around, becomes a yellow card when the game heats up a bit, tackles are flying and the referee needs to calm it down. It's not consistent, but every situation is different. I like to try and keep cards to a minimum (not least because of the paperwork), More than 50% of my games last season were card free, I only gave one red (for denying a goal scoring oppo), but some games need stricter control. The refs main job is ensuring the safety of players, sometimes that can be done by player management alone, rather than throwing cards around.

Given me play one up front most of the time, I reckon a first team striker and centre half is about right. It's be happy for Williamson and/or Perch to be fourth choice CB - if we can upgrade them then fine. The big question is are we buying a colo replacement or a Williamson upgrade, cos they're not the same player.

Flying to Milan, got a couple of nights in a b+b near Ravenna, then down to a villa in La Marche for a week. Then up to Florence for 4 nights in an agrotourismo. I absolutely love Italy, can't wait. It's a lot of driving but I think I've broken it up pretty sensibly.

Can't gan wrong, apart from being in Malia.

I broke my arm falling off a kerb on my bike, if that wasn't stupid enough a week or so later I decided to cross the river Swale by jumping rock to rock. Fell in and had to spend three hours in catterick garrison hospital getting it removed and reset. I grew up on a new build estate, in their infinite wisdom the builders left a silo of diesel unsecured. Cue lots of very ferocious fires. I remember putting a deodorant canister in the fire. I hid behind a tree but had left my coat hanging on a branch. Difficult to explain to my mam why there was a burn hole the size of a ten pence piece in my new coat, from the flying molten shrapnel.

The most retarded thing I ever did was build a zip wire between two trees and I tested it out. Zipped straight in to a rather large oak tree. But add to the list: setting off rockets vertically along Hollywood Avenue setting off airbomb repeater 8s in the toilets of the six form block about 15 of us playing follow the leader on bikes which basically meant mashing up peoples lawns and fences (wherever the leader went), number 15 got caught by one disgruntled home owner who basically kept him against his will in his car I swallowed a 50p piece (when they were the size of a fist) - had it in my mouth (whilst playing football) cos I didn't have any pockets Smashed my sisters front teeth out with a plastic machine gun I could go on.

Just bought a hulk version. I hope you are on commission MF...

Difficult as a fan to look past NUFC games. I got pretty excited by: Man City vs QPR to win the title was a pretty amazing. Watford vs Leicester in the play off semi These are more great finishes than great games though.

8 out of 10.. More by luck than judgement. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/quiz/2013/may/29/football-quiz-name-stadiums-aerial-view

I have a mate who works for Wonga and he reckons the typical customer are young professionals looking for a pay day advance. I have suggested that this is probably what new members of staff are told to help them through the depression when they realise that society views them as one step up from a Colditz guard.

Cooked this bad lad on Saturday night. It was EPIC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beef_and_chorizo_with_86545 Went great with some dauphenoise potato.

Aye, 'twas me. I'm a lowly Sunday league ref, which means the players are moving slower than I am and they realise going in with studs showing is gonna cost them fifty quid, so tend to stay on their feet.

That's exactly what it is like nowadays. They don't get elite referees to do the line, that would ultimately mean worse people in the middle. Having said that the prem linesman will be grade one refs, capable of reffing at div one. There is a huge difference between rugby and football refereeing. As alluded to the pace is far higher, play invariably is not centred around one spot (a ruck or maul) so they are making decisions at much higher speeds at greater distances. That's going to mean more mistakes. The trial by referees by TV doesn't help, at super slow mo, from the best angle it's obvious that it hit a hand. When the ball is travelling at 60 mph and you get one look and you aren't 100% whether its chest or top or arm. That's not easy.

I haven't seen enough to know if he has the composure and leadership that Colo brings. Even with all the physical attributes, it's very difficult for any defender to come in from abroad and settle straight away.

He was outstanding again yesterday. Assuming he's off, I don't know how we replace him. I'm not sure we can adequately.

Whilst I agree, there was a piece on SSN that reckons they've won 43% with him and 58% without him.

It's got to the point that we no longer look a threat from corners even, I'd start playing it short, give it to HBA and get him to run in to the box.