Big Onion

Nicked it off f365. Some kid said they look like a '70s back four

Some typical dippers Very similar to mackems actually.

If there's any truth in those reports about what Barton said to Shearer after the dippers game I'd be amazed if he ever plays for us again. Far more trouble than he's worth and not as good as he thinks he is. Get him out of the club.

I really, really don't Harsh I really like Steve Harper myself and think he's a decent 'keeper, although he's not looked as convincing this season as he did when Given had his injury problems. If we've got a better one in Krul though, and we might have, get the cunt played. Given was getting first-team football at about the same age.

Good positive stuff. You'd have to feel sorry for Harper if he got demoted back to second choice by Krul but it's not out of the question. Just hope the kid can stay fit.

Got me like

Syed's got form for writing trash like this. He knows precisely fuck all about football and is no more than a glorified WUM. Everyone's well aware that any manager given his first job is a gamble; he writes as though this has escaped the notice of the whole of Newcastle, which only underlines what a fuckwit he is.

Newcastle should fund Wallsend Boy's Club football so we get first shout on Shearer II

If Shearer takes the job I suspect he'll be keen on improving things in the youth department. You get the impression he's very interested in getting the backroom staff and set-up right, and he's an old Wallsend Boys Club lad himself after all. Bringing in Dowie and Ferris from day one suggests thoroughness to me, and there's already strong rumours about Carver and Rob Lee. It's not too much of a stretch to suppose he's looking to improve all areas at the club, so I'd be quite hopeful he'll pay due attention to developing young players.

I've done Man Utd 3 Barcelona 1 18/1, and Ronaldo first 11/2. Well my football bets have been shit lately so you're probably on the right lines I seem to do better on football the odd time I bet in play, but this is far too good an excuse to go to the pub to be missed so that's out.

I'm not bothered who wins like. I'll watch it but avoid all the build-up and post-match bollocks. For a betting interest I'm backing Barcelona to win outright, and doing 3-1 and 3-2 correct scores. So it'll probably be nowts each.

Spot on that bit. Fucking words - we've had loads of them, all bullshit. Buying Newcastle was a no-brainer, I bought one of the Crown Jewels of the PL, Kevin will have final say on players, what price we qualify for Europe, Dennis is just here to buy six kids per season, I have 100% confidence in my management structure, we'll be challenging for everything within five years - just reams and reams of flannel. Meanwhile we got relegated. Now it's I'm sorry, I accept we've made mistakes (fuck me that's big of you Mike ) and Shearer's the best decision I've ever made. More shit from the shit factory. I hate the cunt and I don't trust him whatsoever.

I read the August and September analysis and stopped there. What a fucking spacker.

Not a game for an untested junior for me. Or a lump of turd like Ameobi. Likely to be Viduka's last game for us. I want to see him play the full game unless he's cabbaged. Our best chance of getting a result is through him, plus one or both of Owen and Martins regardless of recent form. They've all got goals in them so just play the fuckers and hope they can score on the day.

Little bit of good news on the ref front (Dotcom)

That, along with the Given sale, has to be the ultimate definition of false economy. False economies have become something of an Ashley trademark. He thought taking the buying of players out of the manager's hands would prevent money being wasted; one way and another it's ended up costing him untold millions. He'll know exactly how many by about five-to-six this Sunday. How I wish his own losses weren't inextricably linked to our club's decline. I'd have a fucking party to celebrate them.

Milner's a lot more useful on a football pitch than an unspent £12mil at any rate.

Geremi's definitely a miles better footballer than Ryan Taylor like. Taylor hardly gives you anything more in terms of mobility either as he's slow as fuck, and Guthrie's set pieces are better than Taylor's as well so he adds nothing at all. What a shit signing.

A good horror I half agree with you.

Aye, especially the last bit. Grim as fuck. Not to say I don't enjoy the craic or whatever, same as you I'd guess. Aye I'm not suggesting I come out feeling suicidal or owt, just temporarily sick as a cunt fairly frequently. Pubs and craic exist to make these feelings go away though, and drinking beer always makes me happy. Thank absolute fuck for beer

The odd game aside, I haven't enjoyed this season at all. Whilst still wanting to give Ashley the benefit of the doubt, I was increasingly worried as the summer wore on and the end of the window confirmed my worst fears about this regime. Since then it's been garbage on the pitch and a shambles off it. A season from hell. I don't see that as a reason to question why I go at all. I'm not going to stop supporting them because we're going through a shit period but at the same time I'm not going to pretend it's been something it hasn't. It's been fucking shit in every respect. But your allegiance to your local football club can be something that runs so deep that not going is simply not an option. This club was dragged up from the brink of extinction a couple of decades ago; witnessing it being sent headlong back towards the place it was rescued from has been horrible.

I know what you mean by there being nothing to look forward to like. When I think about the future of the club everything just goes dark. Whatever 'hope' there is resides in uncertain speculations about Ashley selling, and then to an owner or owners with the brains and money to sort the club out. There must be someone out there who fits the bill, surely? There's still a huge pile of potential here sitting waiting to be realised. Where's the bastard Sultan of Brunei when you need him?

I didn't realise 'naivety' was a synonym for rank incompetence and neglect.

No idea. I can identify the fruit stall in the bottom left of the greenmarket pic though. Bobby Balmbra's pitch (Hutton & Oliver, still going in the Grainger Market). I was on the barrows for them one summer when I was a skint student. £15 a day for 7-5.30, and old Bobby was a right cunt to work for. A load of us used to get in Bourgoynes after graft for a pint, when you'd regularly see that poor knacker Fanny Magnet having to do daft dances and shit to get pints bought for him I once saw young Robert the son and a big Newcastle fan refuse to serve a kid wearing a mackem top unless he took it off, which he did, then still couldn't get served

1988/89 squad Downside is the list of players names appears to be incomplete. I haven't a clue myself.