McFaul

Totally agree and how people perceived us in 2003, was generally we were a big club, people with short memories will forget that but that's a fact. We'd had three or four decent goes at the league, Cup Finals, world transfer record signings, fans and gloryhunters fucking everywhere, second best attendances by far, maybe not in Europe but in England we were seen as a big club. Newcastle v Man Utd was often build as a clash of the titans.

Nothing to do with the disparity in television and ticket income between Britain and the rest of Europe? Given that nine British teams made the top twenty. I'm not saying that Shepherd did a bad job commercially, he didn't. But on its own it doesn't equate to being a big club. There's still 8 or 9 English clubs in the top 20 now, so that kind of weakens your point. Financially we were one of the biggest clubs in Europe, support wise judged on people who go to the match every week around the world we still are, but we will never be classed as such till we win trophies and not just the odd one, five or six a decade.

No those figures prove that we were marketed brilliantly, gained vast media incomes due to our status then, the corporate side was booming, and people were paying bigger money for tickets than the vast majority of more successful clubs. Bigger club is a very ambiguous caveat (did I use that right Alex?), it's all very personal, but we're not a successful club no one can argue that we are. I'd say there were two truly big clubs in England (Arsenal and Man Utd), two in Spain, three in Italy and one in Germany. The rest regardless what anyone says about trophies and finance, can at any time usurp all of the others outside of the 8 big clubs. I think it's an absolute nonsense to claim that we are one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Quite clearly we are not one of the biggest clubs in Europe, my point remains you can argue all day if you like, but it's an absolute undisputable fact, financially there were times we were Britain's second biggest club, and one of the very largest in Europe. The rest is subjective, trophies/fans etc.. you can't argue with the size of a business though.

There's at least 4, from 1996 onward and we were top 13 virtually every season till relegation. Does that make us one of the biggest clubs in Europe? Which was the initial point. and my point was and is we WERE financially in terms of income one of Europe's biggest clubs, which in modern football says a lot about a clubs size because it's not something that can be debated, it's there in front of you. We weren't articially supported like Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool etc...we made our own money and we spent it, we were at times making more money than Milan and Barcelona two of the four biggest clubs in the world. That in itself for a club which hasn't won a trophy since 1969, is one of the most staggering things you will ever read, and absolutely magnifies the sheer potential and size of Newcastle, and also the great job The Halls and Shepherd did, certainly up to 2004.

There's at least 4, from 1996 onward and we were top 13 virtually every season till relegation.

No those figures prove that we were marketed brilliantly, gained vast media incomes due to our status then, the corporate side was booming, and people were paying bigger money for tickets than the vast majority of more successful clubs. Bigger club is a very ambiguous caveat (did I use that right Alex?), it's all very personal, but we're not a successful club no one can argue that we are. I'd say there were two truly big clubs in England (Arsenal and Man Utd), two in Spain, three in Italy and one in Germany. The rest regardless what anyone says about trophies and finance, can at any time usurp all of the others outside of the 8 big clubs.

Ranked according to 1997-98 turnover in pounds m 1 Manchester United (Eng) 87.9 2 Real Madrid (Sp) 72.2 3 Bayern Munich (Ger) 65.2 4 Juventus (It) 55.3 5 Newcastle United (Eng) 49.2 6 Barcelona (Sp) 48.6 7 Milan (It) 48.5 8 Internazionale (It) 48.2 9 Chelsea (Eng) 47.5 10 Liverpool (Eng) 45.5 11 Borussia Dortmund (Ger) 41.5 12 Lazio (It) 41.1 13 Arsenal (Eng) 40.4 14 Parma (It) 33.4 15 Paris Saint-Germain (Fr) 32.9 16 Rangers (Sco) 32.5 17 Aston Villa (Eng) 31.8 18 Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 31.2 19 Roma (It) 30.7 20 Leeds United (Eng) 28.3

8th biggest club in Europe financially as recently ago as 2003. 9th. And given that it was our only ever appearance in the top 10, I'm sure Leazes will agree that it was a 'blip'. We were 5th in 1998, and definitely 8th one of the years. So I have ABSOLUTELY no idea why you said we've been in the top 10 once. Four times to my mind.

8th biggest club in Europe financially as recently ago as 2003.

I'd rather have him up front than Shola or Best. I tell you how shit they are I scored a goal the neet that neither of them could have. Fact. It is a fact as well.

I started a similar rumour about myself on skunkers.

Sunday not Wednesday. Olte Enduz in the skoi yippy oi ay yippy oi ohh! A I said in the match thread, I think it could be a draw which is what Villa will be playing for. Not that I live or have ever lived anywhere near Birmingham. Rumours were you're a brummie, black country etc...

Sunday not Wednesday. Olte Enduz in the skoi yippy oi ay yippy oi ohh!

http://lockerz.com/s/179956999 after Shearer's testimonial. I wonder how many times he saw him in the flesh the fat doilum.

He's as good if not better than Puyol. He never dives in, and just picks forwards pockets all the time with ease. His usage is usually faultless too.

What's you thoughts about Newcastle against your local club on Wednesday?

What for?

I think anyone who watches it should be shot let alone any of the "stars".

So fuck. The next 5 games will be tough? We should win. 5 of the next 7. Sun 05 13:30 H Aston Villa PREM Sat 11 17:30 A Tottenham PREM Sat 25 15:00 H Wolves PREM March Sun 04 12:00 H Sunderland PREM Mon 12 20:00 A Arsenal PREM Sat 17 15:00 H Norwich City PREM Sun 25 16:00 A WBA PREM All of those home games I expect to win, we can win at WBA, Arsenal there's a point there for us maybe more, and Tottenham will be hard. Hardly Man Utd and Man City away followed by Chelsea home is it?

Aye. I think many kids seem to revel in being ignorant and thick. They'll have the intelligence to tell you something but it'll be "that fing, that daft fing".

Danny Simpson?

No fucking about, it won't be a risk, they're both match fit, Demba and Cisse to start without question = 3-0, a Blackburn draw at Arsenal, Tottenham win at Liverpool, Man Utd win at Chelsea and we're fuckin laughing. All those scenario's could happen.

Guthrie man of the match for me, very mature responsible performance, him and Coloccini the stand outs in a shit performance. Positionally Perch was quite good and stuck in there too. A fair score would've been 4-2 to Blackburn but football isn't fair as any toon fan knows.

I was one of the only people I know who hasn't lost support for him, he needs people to believe in him and he's young, and I'll never slag anyone off who works hard. Best and Shola on the other hand..... Good lad.