Scottish Mag

Me too. Well depends if I count tomorrow as working or not? Having to take some weans from "The Young Peoples Panel" to some lazer zap zone thing but should only be for a few hours and I get a full days holiday back for it.

I don't think Roeder really cares what Reading fans think tbh..

Shola Ameobi admits had he not had an operation on a hip injury that has ruled him out for the season, then it could have had major repercussions on the rest of his career. Earlier in the campaign and the Newcastle striker battled on through the pain to help ease the club's injury crisis but eventually had to go under the surgeon's knife in order to correct the problem. The powerful front man had looked likely to be granted the extended run in Glenn Roeder's first team that he has always craved, in place of the retired Alan Shearer, but injury has robbed him of the opportunity to establish himself as a first choice in black and white. While conceding he has cut a frustrated figure in the stands, Ameobi believes there was no alternative other than to relent to the problem and it is with renewed optimism that he is looking forward to making his comeback next season. "(It's been) very frustrating indeed, mainly because I knew I needed to step up and fill the hole left by Alan Shearer, so it was going to be a big season for me," said Ameobi, speaking exclusively in this week's Sport magazine. "But as I say, I saw it coming and all I can do is work on getting in perfect shape for next season. "At this level you can't be going into games fearing for what might happen, you have to go in and be fully focused on playing your game. "Obviously I couldn't play my normal game and the Newcastle fans weren't seeing the best of me. "It's been tough for me and for them, but having the operation was a relief because it got to the stage where if I had played on, it could have ended my career. "I have to think about life after football and being able to walk normally once I've hung up my boots." After a miserable start to the campaign Newcastle have picked up considerably and are now pushing for a European spot and Ameobi sees no reason why St James' Park will not be hosting top level football next season. "I think a place in the top six is definitely still within our reach. I'm confident we can get there. "We know we should be up there and we know we can bridge the gap and push the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal."

Albert Luque has been given a surprise call-up for United's UEFA Cup second-leg clash with Zulte-Waregem at St James' Park tonight. Glenn Roeder's plans to field the same side which beat Zulte 3-1 in Belgium last Thursday had to be abandoned when Antoine Sibierski failed a fitness test today on a hamstring injury. Roeder could have switched Kieron Dyer to play alongside Oba Martins, a role the England international has done so well in this season, but the United boss is likely to hand Luque his first start since the goalless draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany at the end of November. Luque will not need reminding that he was so poor that night in Germany that Roeder was forced to haul him off after an hour and replace him with Martins. And with young Andy Carroll champing at the bit on the bench tonight, the Spanish striker - he will be 29 early next month - knows that the same fate will probably happen to him again unless he pulls out all the stops. After seeing their side score three times in Belgium, United fans have every right to expect goals tonight - and this is the perfect opportunity for Luque to add to the goal he scored against Lillestrom at St James' Park in the first game in Europe this season, and also the winner he grabbed against Palermo in Sicily. This is United's 12th game in Europe this season - they are still unbeaten - and it will be the eighth time that Luque has been involved in either the InterToto or the UEFA Cup and, as they say, the ball is very much in his court. Meanwhile, Celestine Babayaro will play and then head to London for his brother's funeral tomorrow, and I hope the Nigerian international gets a good reception from the United fans tonight at what is a very sad time for him and his family. Babayaro will return to Tyneside later tomorrow and train on Saturday before leaving for Sunday's game with Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium. United knew they were always going to have a hard job attracting a big crowd at St James' Park after winning 3-1 in the first leg in Belgium, and the fact the game is again being beamed out live on Channel Five doesn't help. But when the box office opened today they had sold 25,000 tickets for tonight's game, which is a great effort by their fans, and United are hoping to push this up to as near 30,000 as possible with fans turning up on the night. Cash turnstiles will be open tonight, at £20 for adults and £10 for youngsters. The turnstiles are: Sir John Hall NW corner 9 and 13, SJH North East corner 35 and 36, South East corner 52 and 53, SW Corner 71 and 72. With that first-leg lead, United fans have every right to expect their team to go through to the round of the last 16 in the UEFA Cup, and they can be excused from hoping that their next opponents for a place in the quarter-finals will be AZ Alkmaar after the Dutch team played out a 3-3 draw with Fenerbahce in Turkey in their first leg. The return in the DSB Stadium in Holland starts a couple of hours before the St James' Park 7.45pm kick-off, meaning that United, or indeed Zulte, would know who they would play in the next round before a ball is kicked.

Just confirmed on Radio 1 that T in the Park will be a 3 day event this year..

Latest from .com

The 32-year-old Peru winger saw £10million striker Obafemi Martins take on the role in Belgium last week when the Nigerian scored his side's second in a 3-1 victory over Zulte Waregem from the spot. Solano, who will make his 300th appearance for the Magpies against Francky Dury's side, had been appointed penalty-taker following Martins' miss at Everton in December and was on target in his side's 2-1 Premiership win over Liverpool. Manager Glenn Roeder has confirmed that 13-goal leading scorer Martins has been asked to stand down if Russian referee Nikolay Ivanov points to the spot on Thursday. Asked what would happen, he said: "It will be Nobby. He is our penalty-taker. "He took two very good penalties against West Ham and Liverpool. "He did not take the penalty last week. I have got great confidence in Oba taking penalties - I know he missed one at Everton, but he has taken three and scored two. "But at the moment, while Nobby Solano is on the pitch, he is our penalty-taker. "If we were to get a penalty, the boys absolutely know my feelings. Nobby will be taking that penalty. The players have to do what the manager wants." Newcastle's first-leg lead gives them an excellent chance of progressing to the last 16 for the third time in four seasons, reaching the semi-finals under Sir Bobby Robson and the quarter-finals under Graeme Souness. With players starting to return from injury - Shay Given, Craig Moore, Charles N'Zogbia and Emre are all back in training, while Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi could yet figure before the end of the campaign - hopes are high for a rousing finish in both the Premiership and the UEFA Cup. Roeder said: "We do not like being down to two competitions. I did not want, and my players did not want, a free weekend. We would have much preferred to be playing in the FA Cup, but that was not to be this year. "We have got through an amazing amount of games with an injury list which is as long as you would want it to be. "I do not think anyone in football has ever come across an injury list like we have had for five months, and we have come through it reasonably unscathed. "People who have a little bit of understanding about football and the difficulties of winning game understand we have done very, very well. "But now is the most important time of the season. What will make the difference is the players who are fit staying fit and those five, six or seven senior players who are getting close to full fitness arriving back in the squad in the next couple of weeks." Skipper Scott Parker could miss out once again with a tight hamstring, but Solano is expected to play despite being sent home with a sore throat on Wednesday.

Cannot wait for this week to be over as I am off for a week next week. Technically I do not finish up on Friday this week as I am helping out on Saturday. Not that I can really call it work, I am taking the weans from the Young Peoples Panel to a Laser Quest thing for the day then out for something to eat.

Happy Birthday Dude...

Slaps more women about than Bellamy...sign him up now!

Hes not asking you!

Here comes the resident Shola boo boy...

Canny season at Gretna with 23 goals this season. Never got a chance tbh.... maybe we should bring him back?

How long until we see the words "Scottish" and "fuckpig"...?? Anyone want to run a book...

It was a good pass but much like Andy Gray you are going way over the top as to how good it was.

Yossa the "dole dossa"

The only time the winter bothered me was if it was wet. What with the weight of the bags and you being on the go you do not really feel the cold. Some days I would still go out with just a short sleeved shirt on as the jackets you are issued with make you feel like you are in a sauna.

Exactly... especially Sevilla. Which is enough to mean we won't be lifting anything this May. Don't fancy playing Benfica either..

Newcastle United expect to have Charles N'Zogbia back in a black-and-white shirt by the time Middlesbrough come to St James' Park for the Tyne-Tees derby a week on Saturday. And Shola Ameobi is going so well in training after his hip operation that fears that the gangling striker would be out for the rest of the season may now not materialise. This is just the boost Glenn Roeder wanted as he prepares to take United into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup against Zulte-Waregem at St James' Park tomorrow night. But there was some more bad news on the injury front with United's ever-so-game defender Peter Ramage suffering a slight set-back with his hamstring injury. And while Craig Moore and Shay Given are both back on the training field, Emre's calf injury is showing no sign of clearing up. Roeder told me today: "The boys have been lively in training this week and I believe one of the reasons is that for the first time in a long while we have had plenty of senior players out there. "Charles N'Zogbia picked up what we can only describe as a nasty knee injury against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge just before Christmas which has needed a lot of rehabilitation work on it. "But Charles is now back with us and working with our rehab expert John Green, who is coming up again today from London. "And while Sunday's game at Wigan Athletic will come too early for him, we hope to have him in contention for Middlesbrough a week on Saturday. "Shola Ameobi won't be ready for then but, while we expected him to be out for the rest of the season, the goalposts have changed a bit. "He has worked so hard and has made so much progress that it is now possible he could play in our last couple of games." Neither United nor Michael Owen are putting any comeback date on their £17m man, but Roeder added: "He really is flying in training. "Stephen Carr will be back in training next week, and while Peter Ramage has had a bit of a set-back with his hamstring injury, it will only cost him another seven to 10 days."

Well I don't drink. And I don't think any jobs better than another job really. It's whats going to make you happy at the end of the day. As long as I've got a steady income coming in to support me and my lass who is in her third year of uni, than thats fine. I'm currently unhappy in the line of work I'm in, and I've always wanted to be a postie. Like a grown up version of a paperboy I guess. I like working outdoors, It will be good exercise, and the moneys not bad at all. You should be considering long term prospects though, mate. The money mightn't look so good 10 years from now if all you've had is inflationary payrises in the meantime. I'm not having a go btw, and I have no idea of the structure or scope for advancement, but I can't really see how there would be any as a postie? I'm not arsed Gemmil. My lass is 90% on her way to being a solicitor, and shes already got a job sorted out at her mothers firm. My only trouble was supporting the both of us, whilst she was studying, once she finishes, it'll be a joy having two incomes (and i can imagine wor lass will be a cracking wage). I just want a job where I don't have to feel bad whilst I'm doing it. My job now has all the doors open for management etc, but I just don't know if i can do it. So boring, so heartless. As long as I've got enough money for a mortgage, enough money for a season ticket, and enough money to go on a few holidays, I'll be a happy man. I think the decision is entirely upto you and I stated both good and bad points in my previous post regarding the job however one thing that I always asked myself was "Do I want to be carrying about heavy bags in the pissing rain for the next 40 years?". The thought of being in my 50s with a fucked back trying to still fo the job didn't appeal to me at all...

As would many of ours tbh...

Even now he is still a far better player than Lennon or SWP

He said he did..