Scottish Mag

Newcastle United could have had the £20m-rated Spanish super striker Fernando Torres for next to nothing - if they had followed up a tip-off three years ago. United vice-president Malcolm Dix e-mailed United's chief scout Charlie Woods in January 2003 suggesting the club could do worse than have a look at young Torres. Dix alerted the club after after hearing about Torres, who lines up against France tonight for a place in the World Cup quarter-finals, from former leading Tyneside sports commentator George Bayley. Dix said today: "George Bayley had retired to his holiday home near Malaga and he was in touch with what was happening on the Spanish football front. "He rang me to tell me about a 19-year-old striker called Torres who was playing for Athletico Madrid. "George, who has unfortunately passed on now, said at the time that this kid reminded him a lot of Len Shackleton - and everybody knows how good Shack was. "I e-mailed Charlie Woods at the club but I don't know whether United watched him and did not fancy him or did not bother watching him. "But I do know that United could probably have got Torres at a fraction of what he would cost now." United have already been linked with Torres in recent weeks, but at £20m he is way out of their price range. My information is that Torres has agreed to join one of Spain 's big two - either Real Madrid or Barcelona - but that the announcement will not be made until after the World Cup.

Middlesbrough are reportedly waiting to see if a £5 million bid for Fulham’s Steed Malbranque has been accepted. Middlesbrough are believed to have made their offer on Monday. Malbranque had been tipped to join Newcastle in a £3.5million move with the opportunity to play UEFA Cup football on Tyneside - providing the Magpies negotiate a path through the Intertoto Cup. However if Middlesbrough are willing to pay £5 million for the midfielder then Newcastle United’s chances appear limited. Meanwhile Newcastle United boss Glenn Roeder has ruled out a swoop for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Newcastle United need more forwards after the injury to Michael Owen and the retirement of Alan Shearer. Hasselbaink is out of contract at Middlesbrough and reports have linked him to Newcastle. Roeder insisted however there was no foundation in the reports. “Contrary to the newspaper report about Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink signing for Newcastle United as a done deal, there is no truth in it whatsoever,” he said. “It disappoints me when stories like this come out with not even one per cent of truth and the people who write them don't take the trouble to ask the people at the club first. It is the time of year for speculation and Newcastle United being the club it is, it will often be used as a vehicle. But we have our own targets and a list of players that hopefully we will be able to move for shortly.”

Jimbos a doubt after his recent operations so I think we`ll need another. Saying that he`ll probably be as useful as me if he does play, my knees are fucked again and I will be hobbling about like a 90 year old.

Good stuff, I hope it goes through. Pennies being spent wisely and will leave us more money to buy "Shearers replacement"..

NEWCASTLE United will entertain Spanish outfit Villarreal CF at St. James' Park in a pre-season friendly. The La Liga outfit, who were knocked out of last season's Champions League competition by Arsenal at the semi-final stage, will be at Gallowgate on Saturday, August 5 (kick-off 5pm). Villarreal, who finished seventh in La Liga last term, can boast South American stars like Juan Pablo Sorin and Diego Forlan in their ranks. A further announcement on ticket details will be made in due course. Newcastle's summer schedule now reads like this: July 15/16 - Intertoto Cup Third Round First Leg: Keflavik or Lillestrom (H) Kick-off TBC July 22 - Intertoto Cup Third Round Second Leg: Keflavik or Lillestrom (A) Kick-off TBC July 26 - Craig Fleming Testimonial: Norwich City (A) Kick-off 7.45pm July 29 - Friendly Match: PSV Eindhoven (H) Kick-off 4pm August 5 - Friendly Match: Villarreal CF (H) Kick-off 5pm

Whilst he has looked a better player than he had in recent seasons, he only played 8 league games for us and in a team that as a whole was playing well..

The refs a fucking joke...another off.

http://www.getdshirts.com/index.html

Newcastle will send Alan Shearer on a scouting mission tonight - for a definitive verdict on striking target Dirk Kuyt. Shearer will be in Nuremberg at the request of Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd to watch Kuyt in Holland's World Cup clash with Portugal. The Feyenoord hitman is set to play in his favoured central striking role after struggling to impress out wide in the tournament so far. And that will give Shearer an opportunity to pass proper judgement on Kuyt's ability to replace him in the United front-line. Although the 25-year-old has been linked with several Premiership clubs, Newcastle believe they face little serious competition for a player who has scored 20-plus goals a season for the past four years. Shepherd and United boss Glenn Roeder have also discussed Tottenham's Jermain Defoe as they bid to plug the gap left by the injured Michael Owen. But the Sunday Sun understands Roeder is cool on Defoe, and budget moves for Wigan's Henri Camara and Middlesbrough's Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink are other options.

Newcastle have been urged to use computer-aided surgery to maximise the chances of Michael Owen's full recovery from his knee injury. Owen faces an operation to repair the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament which ended his World Cup and left him facing at least a six-month lay-off. But a top knee expert last night insisted that the England star's rehabilitation would be safeguarded by the use of new, cutting edge techniques. Mr Shameem Sampath has pioneered a method which maximises the accuracy of ligament surgery at his Bluespot Clinic, near Blackpool. Using a system akin to satellite navigation, Sampath attaches infra red probes to a patient's leg to produce computer readings that help him make incisions in precisely the right place to suit each individual case. The computer then produces a real-time image of the patient's knee, allowing the surgeon to see how tissue composition alters during the operation. Such accuracy can make the difference between a successful operation and a failure that will later require revision surgery. Mr Sampath, speaking from an international orthopaedic conference in Montreal, Canada, said: "Michael Owen's doctors should review the success rates of traditional hand- held surgery vis a vis those of computer-aided surgery, and attempt to place him with a surgeon skilled in this precise type of knee surgery. "At our clinic, where we have championed this type of surgery in Britain, we have the motto of `accuracy is our goal'. "This is an apt statement in relation to such a key sportsman as Michael Owen and I hope that his advisers will recognise the benefits of computer-aided surgery, and not take unnecessary risks with his career."

Newcastle United midfielder Emre has had his ban from international football cut from six competitive games to four. The Turkish intrnational's original suspension was handed down for his part in the ugly scenes which followed his country's World Cup play-off defeat against Switzerland in Istanbul last November. But Emre and Swiss star Benjamin Huggel - also sidelined for six games - appealed against their punishment. And FIFA yesterday announced that both players have had their suspensions cut by a third.

West Ham look to have beaten Manchester City to the signing of Fulham's Steed Malbranque. (News of the World) Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is lining up a £7m move for Ghana World Cup striker Sulley Muntari. (The People) Manchester City are set to sign Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell for £2m. (Daily Star Sunday) Manchester United and Chelsea are locked in a £25m battle to sign Spanish international Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid. (Sunday Mirror) Newcastle are preparing to bid £12m for Charlton striker Darren Bent. (News of the World) But £10m-rated Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt is also one of Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder's top targets. (Daily Mirror) Benfica have put a £14m price tag on winger Simao with Liverpool and Chelsea both interested in the player. (Daily Star Sunday) Reading are lining up a £2m swoop for Ghana defender John Mensah. (Daily Star Sunday) Real Madrid are set to offer Chelsea £13m for Dutch winger Arjen Robben. (Daily Star Sunday) Sheffield United want Ghana star Derek Boateng and will bid £1.5m for the ALK Stockholm player. (The Observer) Harry Redknapp hopes to end Jean-Alain Boumsong's unhappy spell at Newcastle by bringing the defender to Portsmouth. (The People) Spurs are ready to make a £7m bid to bring Chelsea winger Damien Duff to White Hart Lane. (Sunday Mirror) Blackburn's Lucas Neill is a target for European Cup holders Barcelona, after being recommended to the Spanish club by Australia coach Johan Neeskens. (News of the World)

ICELANDIC outfit IFK Keflavik edged closer to a dream date with Newcastle in the Intertoto Cup when they progressed from the first round at the expense of Northern Ireland's Dungannon Swifts following a goalless draw in Belfast. Keflavik were 4-1 up from the first leg in their own stadium last week, and any hopes the Swifts had of turning the tie around were effectively ended 10 minutes before the break when midfielder Darren Murphy was sent off after an off-the-ball incident. Neither side managed to break the deadlock in Belfast's Windsor Park, so it was the Icelandics who went through into the second round, where they will face Lillestrom of Norway. The first leg of that tie will be next Saturday, July 1, with the return a week later. Newcastle await the winners the following weekend at St. James' Park, with the away game taking place the weekend after (July 22).

Was absolute shite in the SPL...

Alan Shearer surveyed the wreckage of Newcastle United's strike force from his World Cup headquarters in Berlin today and insisted the only answer is the transfer market. Shearer is working closely with manager Glenn Roeder by phone to earmark United's targets. "There's no question we're terribly thin now with my retirement, the long-term injury to Michael Owen, and the departure of Michael Chopra," he told me in an exclusive interview. "There's only Shola Ameobi left and that means Newcastle will need to be active in the transfer market. "I'm devastated for Michael, for Newcastle, and for England. It's a terrible injury which I wouldn't wish on anybody - but he'll be back. "I'm seeing an awful lot of games out here and I'm speaking to Glenn on a regular basis over names of players who could do a job for Newcastle. As things stand there is a need to buy as soon as possible once the World Cup is over." Shearer has urged his close pal Owen to take hope from his own recovery when he suffered a similar cruciate ligament injury. And he scornfully dismissed rumours that Owen's career could be over at the age of 26 or at least severely affected with him being robbed of a crucial half-yard of pace. "Yes, the injury is a long one but Michael will recover all right," insisted Alan. "To say his career is threatened or he'll lose his pace is just scaremongering. "Michael need look no further than myself. I suffered a similar injury in 1993 when medical help wasn't so advanced as it is now and I played on for another 13 years. It took me seven months to get back, but I made it and so will he. "He'll be in the very best of hands, will have his operation, and then begin the long recovery. I've spoken to him a couple of times and of course he's down, but he's strong mentally and that will stand him in good stead." Shearer admits he feared the worst the moment he saw Owen's leg buckle in the very first minute of the 2-2 draw with Sweden. "I knew instinctively it was a bad one the way his leg went and the way the knee was wrenched," admitted England's former skipper. "It was such an innocuous situation - no one was near him - but they can be the worst. I was all by myself when I shattered my ankle and everything else at Everton. It was the worst injury of my career and this will be Michael's worst." Shearer, of course, is in Germany as a pundit for BBC TV and he'll be working at England's game against Ecuador in Stuttgart tomorrow. "England have to improve, there's no question about that," admitted Alan, who has shrugged off reports that he may be involved in the England coaching set-up under Steve McClaren. "There's certainly room for improvement - they have a long way to go. We've seen the brilliance of Argentina and Brazil produced glimpses of their usual form in beating Japan. So we're at the stage of the World Cup where it's getting tough. "England can get better - but they cannot afford injury to another striker. That's the biggest worry."

Wigan Athletic are bracing themselves for a raid on their striking department following Michael Owen's cruciate ligaments injury against Sweden this week. Glen Roeder, a manager without the necessary coaching badges to be a Premiership manager, has cast his eyes enviously at Henri Camara and reports suggest an imminent bid for the Senegalese international is very much on the cards. It is likely that Canara would jump at the chance to join Newcastle should any bid be made. Portsmouth have also been sniffing around Henri, who was Latics' top Premiership goal scorer last season, but it is believed that should a bidding war emerge for the striker that the Geordies will get their man.

"Anyone who owns a Nokia 7370 is inherently an arsehole.."

Happy Birthday Jill Hope you have a good one..

Tim Henman meets talented Swede Robin Soderling in the first round of Wimbledon, with Roger Federer a possible second-round opponent. And after the British men were handed a testing draw, Greg Rusedski faces an opening clash with Marat Safin. Wild card Alex Bogdanovic has the daunting prospect of playing world number two Rafael Nadal in round one. Andy Murray will be more optimistic against Olympic champion and 31st seed Nicolas Massu, a clay-court expert. And the reward for 20-year-old Joshua Goodall, who came through qualifying, is a tie with Melle van Gemerden of the Netherlands. Defending champion Federer has an extremely testing match to open his bid for a fourth straight title as he meets France's Richard Gasquet. The Swiss is seeded to meet David Nalbandian in the last four, although Lleyton Hewitt is in the same half and begins against Filippo Volandri. Andy Roddick is in the opposite half to Federer, and the American is up against Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic in round one. Andre Agassi starts what could be his last Wimbledon against Boris Pashanski of Serbia, with Nadal a possible third-round opponent. In the women's singles, defending champion Venus Williams opens against against fellow American Bethanie Mattek. Maria Sharapova is in the same half and will play Anna Smashnova in the first round, while world number one Amelie Mauresmo starts off against Croatian qualifier Ivana Abramovic. In the lower half, Justine Henin-Hardenne begins against China's Yuan Meng. Martina Hingis will take on Olga Savchuk of Ukraine and Kim Clijsters meets Vera Zvonareva, the winner at Edgbaston last week.

I'll be sure to tell my other half that shes an arsehole based on the car she drives... 152477[/snapback] Tell her she's going out with one an'all! 152485[/snapback] Fuck you fatboy

Providing we spend money on another younger, half decent striker. I think JFH would be a fantastic short term fix for our striking problems. After the money Souness was allowed to spend, we will have to be very careful on purchases this year and if to get numbers up we can get in a proven and experienced striker on a free i think it would not be bad business.

I'll be sure to tell my other half that shes an arsehole based on the car she drives...

Is this the final line up then?

MAGPIES supremo Freddy Shepherd has assured fans that he and manager Glenn Roeder will work hard to boost the strikeforce ahead of the new season. With Alan Shearer having retired and Michael Chopra moved onto Cardiff City, strengthening the team's attack was a priority even before Michael Owen's knee injury this week. And with the chairman admitting that his record signing will not figure again for "five or six months", he will sit down with manager Glenn Roeder next week to draw up an action plan. Facing the TV cameras at St. James' Park on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Shepherd said: "We have always delivered the goods in the past, so just leave it to us in the transfer market. "As everyone knows, Glenn is away on his Pro Licence course, but I'll be speaking to him later tonight, and when he's back at the weekend, we'll be sorting things out then. "It's not easy - how do you replace Shearer and Owen? It's very difficult. But they (strikers) are there somewhere - we just have to find them." When asked to reveal any targets, the chairman added: "There are plenty of names in the frame - but I'm not telling you."

This coming from the "Giant Geordie Boyo"........