PaddockLad

Cant compare different era's, its pointless tbh. Youve got to be 50 to remember the Brazilians of 1970 and it has to be pointed out that was the first world cup to be telelvised world wide, and the first major world event of any kind to be broadcast in colour. Some will tell you thats why it sticks in the mind so vividly of those who saw it on the box. Earlier era's had different tactics, poorer fitness levels and medical care, and heavy,cumbersome equipment....the boots and balls pre the 1970s hadnt changed much in a century and apparently it was like kicking a cannonball in pit boots, compared with a balloon and carpet slippers nowadays. The great players of previous era's would no doubt be great players in any era, for me its difficult to say that of some of the fancy dans of today, but thing is we'll never know. Anyone saying Spain are the best ever can't really justify it iyam. But theres no doubt Spain are among the best sides in history, theyre playing football from a different planet. Christ knows how theyve got such a crop of brilliant players all coming through together. Either by accident or design its pretty much unprecedented the amount of talent they have at their disposal, and all of it seemingly keen on winning trophies, rather than falling into the pitfalls that can distract young players, especially in this country.

Mrs PL has just said "there's more red ones than blue ones..." no one was saying they were boring when they were twatting Ireland either.....best team in the competition by country mile, regardless of formation.

A couple of sources on newsnow say we're in for Junior Hoillet and he's going to sign.....does this lad play on the right or left?...

Equity?.....aye,negative equity sums up Ashley's financial situation at NUFC perfectly. The club isn't worth the value of the loans he has to pay off on it.

The old man, at the age of 76, has decided that he'd like to become a "silver surfer" Hes got a lot of stuff to shift on and at the moment various grandchildren are employed in getting his old junk on to ebay. Hes seen that yorkshire broadband ad though and thinks if its that cheap then he might as well get a laptop himself....which is where I appear to come in...when the new season starts am going to start paying for skysports and will probably use the "sky go" feature for watching the football quite a lot...and I want a laptop which is going to make it worthwhile viewing...the old man will inherit my old Dell gizmo so he can sell smoothing planes and bee keeping equipment to his hearts content So went to Currys earlier where this caught my eye.... http://www.yorkshirestyle.co.uk/store/sony-vaio-laptops/vpc-ej3t1e-vaio-640gb-hard-drive-sony-vaio Is that a good price?...same in Currys, who said they were going for a grand at Christmas. Is it good bit of kit?...is there something around the same price thats better?...cheers in advance...

Idiotheque will be having a bit of this later...enjoy mate http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18656304

So its pretty much as I said?....and Derek saying we're "debt free" is, being charitable, a load of fuckin wank? I understand we're in a better posistion then we were before relegation, and I understand completly the financial model the owner is working to, its pretty much the only game in town available to him and the club, and he's proving to be a canny player, but I just hate being fuckin lied to and this issue for me is a cloud hanging over the whole club that will not go away.

So Ashley has paid all the debts ran up by the previous regime and there is no trace of them on the latest (or previous) balance sheet/set of accounts, apart from perhaps a copy of the receipts or other proof of payment?.....or does it not work like that? Bottom line is the club isn't worth what he's ploughed into it, and I can't see a successful businessman like him just taking the hit on it. Doesn't make sense to my obviously non financially-savvy mind.

According to a peculiar logic, much has also been made of what Ashley’s alleged financial “backing” of the club in terms of making a £140 million loan to himself, which is repayable on demand by the club, to save himself from paying high interest rates on his own Newcastle United debts. The term “clearing” the club’s debts has been used so often that many fans are still oblivious to the fact that the club is now actually far more in debt than it was when Ashley assumed control of the club in 2007. I thought this was the interesting bit..... if this is right, and I've no reason to beleive its anything other than the author's own take/spin on things, should Ashley come to sell the club, is there still likely to be a huge residual debt that the club will be left with?...obviously a lot of that was accrued by the previous regime, but still.....its not exactly being "debt free" is it, as is being bandied about by Derek in particular....revenues and turnover aren't what they were, so what sort of ability will we have to service a possibly huge debt, should Mike not fancy paying for the previous regime's extravagance, as well as some of his own. We may well now, as the business stands, "wipe our own mouth" as Derek is fond of saying, but what is actually lying in wait for us? I know its very unlikely that hes going to get a decent offer anyway, but I just dont like the feeling thst theyre continuing to bullshit us.... I know Gemmil is fond of saying the SD branding is a sort of "quit pro quo" for Ashley taking the debt on himself to prevent the club from laying out huge fees to banks in interest, but if the debt is still there the club is only gaining anything while he is in charge.

Beckham jumped through hoops to help get the gig in his old backyard because he knew it would get him attention on the world stage where he likes to be. If he was expecting a place in the squad on the back of it and therefore yet more time in the spotlight then all I can say is life is full of disappointments like this for us mere mortals so he'll just have to get on with it too. For me was at his peak in 2001/2ish, when England had to beat Greece at OT etc, fair enough Real Madrid but he was well into a decline when he left (for Hollywood,funny that...) UNICEF is a noble gig, and obviously they like a famous face because it gets them (and him funnily enough..) into the papers. Seb Coe's speech was a bit more inspiring than a handshake and a chat with a squeaky voiced metrosexual Essex boy I'd imagine and the Becks factor was lost on those in his own sport when we tried for the WC. I'm swimming against the tide here, I know that, but sorry like he's a bit of a joke iyam. If you want a sporting icon then Steve Redgrave springs to mind for me, I love football but a lot of footballers leave a lot to be desired and Beckham's one of them.

He is a national icon, the national icon some would say, Why though?....honestly, I cant see it. He cant even talk properly. He's attractive to members of the female gender and he was a good footballer a decade ago. He's a national icon in the way a reality tv show star is.

Very kind of you to say all that...you're a lovely man ...I was just on the gee up, someone on 5live said it earlier Its a massive commercial own goal, but if Pearce has done it for the reasons stated this morning theres no real argument iyam. I do think Beckham brings out the "in the closet" side of a lot of blokes...nowt wrong with that like but the way he's treated as some sort of national treasure leaves me a bit bemused tbh.

From nufcblog:

Is picking Beckham for the Olympic football not like picking Frank Bruno for the boxing?

Its a London urban colloquialism meaning "that's correct" used by those of an ethnic background other than Anglo Saxon, blud..brrrrrapppp etc etc

Thought Fergie might have wanted the gig...cant see many Scottish players appearing in the squad..Barry Bannon anyone Add Bale and Ramsey to the other two druids and its a good start...Kyle Walker a good shout,that Mchearn? kid from Chelsea....not bad..

"true dat" as I beleive the younger people say David :)The pressure that Pearce must've been under to pick him from the BOC doesn't bare thinking about....ticket sales not top of Psycho's agenda plainly....

Is rigging markets a federal offence in the states?...pity its not against the law here.

Its partially bollocks yeah, his attitude was great, but for me it was a means to an end. His life is about self promotion. I think a lot of the hoopla you get with him eg private security,chef etc was indulged by Erikkson and McLaren but Pearce is a different character to them, no bullshit, all in together etc and he just didnt want the bullshit sideshow that Beckham brings.

You can say what you want mate really, but sometimes it goes beyond good crack, and am sure theres huge amounts of sweaties who are the same. Do you not think people who are cunts in general (theres loads of them, I agree) are just that ; cunts? For me theres little to do with where youre from, if you're like that you're like that. Last season some of the mackems that I work with changed their attitude to me completley when the fixture list was announced and we were at their place 2nd game in. Bitter as fuck when we won as wll, some didnt as much as look in my direction for months, some still dont. But most of them took it on the chin and are great lads. Good and bad everywhere.

You cant say "everyone north of Stirling is an outrageously biggoted English hater", that is, whatever you want to say, demonising a whole area of the UK. Theyres some funny fuckers up there, granted. But there are everywhere.

You miss the point by a fuckin mile though.....its Scottish people with your attitude in Scotland who hate the English. And its English people with your attitude in England who hate the Scots. Its a self perpetuating thing, thinking "oh theyre all the same those fuckers" when the inverse is often the case; people are all the same because most people are ordinary and can get along with anyone. You just cant demonise a whole area of the UK, its ludicrous

"replace the word Scottish with black" I was eduacted in Scotland and can agree with topcat from experience. I was bullied to fuck in the early 80s as I spoke with an Englsih accent, but thats life. It happened and you get on with it. There are some ridiculous attitudes displayed on both sides (see this thread ) even in the tiny village where I was brought up, theres always some arsehole with a chip on his shoulder who wants to judge people as a whole and not as individuals. I got a right kicking when I was younger after a Newcastle match in the Leazes Park from Newcastle fans, I got caught in the cross fire of a fall out between our mob and the Hib's CCS mob (think there had previously been some link up?) they heard my and mates' accents and thought we Hibs. Thing is, even in my late teens at the time, I didnt judge all Geordies to be fuckin cunts because of it. I met one of our mob a while later and was told they felt bad when they found out I'd been going for the best part of a dcade even back then, and 18 monts later I ran into them again and we shook hands, no dramas. If people take offence at the Scots "hating" the English then they need to have a word with themselves. For most north of the border, its the biggest crack going. For a minority its a sad attitiude that spreads to other parts of their lives. Best ignored, although that for some seems difficult.

No, but under the selection criteria (Pearce isnt allowed to pick any players who appeared at the Euros, regardless of age) I wouldve thought he would be a useful player to have on the bench. He's good enough when you discount the whole England squad if you see what I mean. I agree with not taking him, hes a piss taking attention seeker who puts his own agenda over and above anything that may be good for the squad in general, but he's good enough to be picked for it on ability. If Bellamy and Giggs playing is a consolation prize for being Welsh, then the same can't be said for Richards, who has nationality and time on his side, and thats why if you're going to be consistant then Hughes captained N.I. for a decade and shouldve got a squad place iyam.

So he's got a British player who can deliver a better ball than Beckham? Righty-o...