Matt

Make your mind up!

If about a quarter of our team was too good for the CC, we'd not be in it.

"Well we've got a young squad, you can't expect too much. Butty isn't even 40 yet"

Gregory absolutely boned Newcastle, he was always trying to angle for a job when commentating or doing an interview. He's probably on the phone to Ashley already!

Well, Hoddle thinks he's the Messiah so I guess it's a start.

I've really enjoyed reading so many articles systematically writing off Shearer as a manager while labasting us for our impatience with previous incumbents. So what if he's got no experience? Where is he going to get it? Paul Ince did a decent job at Macclesfield and MK Dons and that didn't help him in the slightest as he was dumped by Blackburn in double quick time. Shearer could be a terrible manager for us- but I don't see anyone else out there who I could say 'he'd be nailed on to do well'. It's a calculated gamble with any untried manager. It grates that the outside world generally reckons the support for Shearer is because we are being led by a Messainic figure. Could it just be that he is the best man for the job? I don't see the great and the good lining up and chomping at the bit to take the job- otherwise we'd never have ended up with Joe fucking Kinnear. Shearer will be in touch with the attitudes of the players and it didn't take him long to suggest something was up. All these articles claiming appointing Shearer would be a mistake- where are the alternatives? I've heard very few suggestions from these writers who think they have a clear grasp of what needs to be done at SJP. Of course there are no names. All they can do is snipe. Syed should stick to writing about ping pong.

Be very interested to see the renewal rate. What else are people going to do on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of winter?

Swindon mate of mine reckons he is actually pretty good and that there is zero chance of him staying at Swindon next season.

Pretty sure that's not the case.

Nigel Farage = Austin Tasseltine

Before and after and see no reason why a bite should be out of the question- though I guess it does depend on how folks are feeling. What time you in Ritchie?

Mick Tait took over as Manager of Blyth on Saturday. Finger on the pulse there KD

Sure the websites are of value, but would they be of sufficient value above what is being provided for free? Would you have to pay for each newspaper title, or would there be multi-title subscriptions available? It'll make money, but it's not going to revolutionise the market. Making existing content available for a fee will only create a space in which collaborative works can be published. A pure online offering would not need to subsidise the overheads of the print division. My point wasnt saying their wouldn't be mergers, stragglers are likely to be snapped up, but the revenue generating power they once held is clearly diminishing.

WSJ subscribers pay on their expenses anyway. Still think the media industry has to get a return from its output. The issue is that if print media outlets cant, they will go out of business. Which means consolidation and mergers, which returns greater power to the remaining giants. Like Murdoch. I'd say the opposite is true. The ability to publish and disseminate content electronically has removed the barriers that kept the big media operations in power. Papers are printed and distributed through the same channels anyway- I can't see how there would be huge savings- the only difference would be fewer journo staff- and that's already kicking in. Their current online offerings cannibalise their print sales undoubtedly, but it's ambitious to think they can make up the difference by charging to visit their website. The overall quality is too low with many alternatives available. What would stop someone constructing the bit-torrent equivalent for news sites? And with most content being just text, it would be rapid.

Not sure that many people would sign up. It's not just the delivery medium of news that's moved on, but the content itself. Keeping yourself informed is a doddle, while discussion and debate are permanent occurances over the internet. Comparing it to the WSJ is daft- I suspect their site also contains a lot of market information and company reports (as FT.com does).

I'd be amazed if anyone could get planning permission, design work and building done in 2 years. A lot of non-league chairman have grand plans about grounds, not that many ever come to fruition. Bradford Park Avenue is run by a wealthy mentalist who has already bought the land for a 10,000 all-seater. Will never be built though.

Reports yesterday suggested that Bob Morton was due to step down as chairman of Blue Star- without his external funding then the club will disappear entirely. Playing in a ghost stadium with 90 fans while paying very decent money to players like McClen and Brayson is unsustainable. Gateshead will do Southport in the playoffs but Telford in the final could be tricky. Durham also had a good season, winning the Unibond North at the first attempt.

The article states "the financial sector". Banks are just a bit of that. So the story that making out that huge sums of government money are being paid out in bonuses- that's obviously not the case. However we can be certain that around 30-50% of that cash- wherever it's come from- will be headed back to Treasury coffers- espeically from those lucky enough to take their overall wedge past the mythical £150k mark. I'm sure Vince Cable won't be too bothered about that tax rate from employees of companies from all over the world, who seem to have offended him by locating an office in London and providing some employment. Certainly the UKFI-linked banks are not handing out cheques- they're sacking people left right and centre while expecting everyone else to somehow ensure everything still works. Still, don't let any of that nonsense get in the way of the Vince Cable crusade. He'll hop on any story to get himself talked about. A bit like Fop.

Any sale would clear out the shareholder loans, otherwise you'd have bought a club but Ashley would still have a gun to your head. Even debt free I think £120m is on the high side.

50% on over £150k is more bark than bite. What does it actually raise, considering it impacts only a few people all of whom probably get tax advice and will find ways of protecting their income from the additional tax anyway. In a recession we need to target small companies who are better at responding to new opportunities than lumbering multinationals. Cut corporation tax for small businesses and improve the income tax regime for owner-managers. In time like this few are willing to make the jump from a safe job into a new venture. I don't think it will send high earners running to the hills- ultimately people who really want to avoid paying tax will shack up in Monaco or Switzerland. Those who enjoy their life in the UK will mostly feel it's still worth it. It's not a super tax- yet.

It's ultimately cheaper to retain players for whom we don't attract a sufficient bid than it is to sell at any price. Clubs have done this under financial stress and done more harm than good. It would probably mean a loss for the year but less than you'd be suffering in the long term if you didn't have a single player worth his salt and watched the parachute payments run out. If a player really wants to go, they can always put in a transfer request.

I've just got that. TBF Wacky you come across as someone who will take it where you can get it. Animal vegetable or mineral. Put it this way, I wouldn't leave my kids with you....or me grandma. Your grandma is a paedophile?

The Emirates is a superb bit of construction and some of the facilities are first-class, but it's a soulless place to watch football. If every PL experience was like that, I seriously doubt I'd get as far as out of the pub (and that's not just because we get stuffed 3-0 every time we play there).

Dangerously close to that round my way. The smell up the road is disgusting.

Dear me Danny, you must be losing an argument when toys come out of the pram like that. The poster known as Billy Whitehurst is a known expert on hostelries in the local vicinity and checks each one for beer quality at least every fortnight. Hamilton Hall is what you'd expect from a stationside 'Spoons and if you would prefer to wander a little further there are better boozers. However, if all you care about if throwing a crap lager down your neck, then fine. Obviously some of you may wish to have a slightly more adventurous awayday experience than our good friend here. With it being a Sunday, the bulk of city pubs round these will be shut, however the White Hart (unlucky perhaps) is not too bad. The Shooting Star and The Magpie will do a better pint but I suspect off the top of my head that these will both be closed. Not sure about Williams, which is tucked away on Artillery Lane. Chez' shout is decent, but if it's a sunny day it will be packed to the rafters and being on a street corner there isn't much space to drink outside. The Water Poet (Folgate Street) does great food but get there early, while the Commercial Tavern (Commercial St) will do for any abstract arty types. The Light Bar (top of Bishopsgate) is atmospheric, but stick to bottles if you go in there, the draught is awful. Very near Liv St: http://www.citypubs.co.uk/pubs/whitehart.html http://www.citypubs.co.uk/pubs/themagpie.html http://www.citypubs.co.uk/pubs/theshootingstar.html http://www.citypubs.co.uk/pubs/williamswineandalehouse.html 5 Minutes walk: http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub1564.html (Water Poet) http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub1653.html (Commercial Tavern) http://www.thelighte1.com/ (Light Bar)