NJS

On different levels yes. I'm not threatened by a person's individual beliefs but I do feel threatened by the gang forming and the demand for power that often comes from it. I think provoking offence in the sense of challenging belief is a good thing - I don't agree with the old cliche of not mentioning religion as I think talking about it and asking questions is the only way forward. However as I said above I think "Jesus is a cunt" is going too far - I'd rather someone quoted some of his nastier alleged sayings like the ones about serving him by abandoning your family or him destroying non-believers.

Its the get-out clause for religion. "Causing offence" is applied in the main case in a very arbitrary way with no attempt to have a sense of humour which is obviously the intent of the message. Of course the "Jesus is a cunt" case is a deliberate attempt to cause offence which even I would shy away from doing deliberately to that level but I do support the right to do it. The Dispatches case involves the police wasting hours of time and no doubt money in the name of defending religion. It looks to me that there is a case that channel 4 did "embellish" some of the footage but the fact remains that the laws on incitement were in my view broken by some of the statements they recorded. There is no possible context that I can think of that negates the "We hate you" sentiments yet the "crime" seems to be the fact that it was recorded, not that it was said. Imagine if they had recorded Nick Griffin saying "We hate the pakis" would the police have bent over backwards to put into context?

But if a Muslim prayer leader is recorded saying "We hate the Kuffaars" and "kill the Kuffaars" then its out of context and okay. Dispatches

Traditional definition brings only one person to mind for me - Billy Bragg.

Finally got mine today.

There's a post in the match thread on N-O which sums up my feelings: "Okay Allardyce, who are you and what the fuck have you done with my football club" This air of competence can't last.

I thought Viduka did a lot of quiet dirty work - the striking equivalent of what Butt does/did. When they score I wanted to get to the end with the 3 points being able to feel positive about the character of the team - and thats what happened. Shola was shit though.

(Assuming a shred of truth) What the hell is it with these players who can't even be bothered to locate their families where they work? Thousands if not millions of people (especially from the NE) move lock, stock and barrel for work all the time but these people who earn enough money to not have to care about buying the best houses, schools and whatever else they think they need to be happy "choose" to base their families elsewhere. Its not exactly as if footballers partners are usually high-flyers career-wise is it? Fuck them I say.

Playing Devil's advocate if someone from the English FA dismissed a suggestion that the World cup would be held in the Caribbean and stated that the region had contributed nothing to the sport, it would be less than a second before the word "racist" would be used.

Reading between the lines there was something iffy about West Ham's attitude/behaviour because I don't believe "we decided he was undervalued" for one minute. I also think the cheating cockney twats should consider themselves lucky to still be in the premiership.

When I still lived in Shields I woke up once and looked out of the window to see a kid trying to break into my car. I made the mistake of waking my Mam and telling her to phone the coppers. I went out and couldn't see him but walked down the street into the back lane at the end just as he jumped back over a wall from the backyard he'd been in. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck (wasn't big - about 15/16) and was just about to drag him back to the street when a copper van turned up and when I turned to see them , the kid pulled away and did a runner. The coppers chased him but lost him. The copper told me "off the record" I should have lamped him to quieten him down but anything more is going too far. Having said this, this happened about 12 years ago and having read recent stories I'd probably think twice about doing it now bearing in mind kids carrying knives etc. Where I live now I'm not worried as its virtually crime free.

Carlisle in the 70s went 4>3>2>1>2>3>4 in one year more than the minimum I think - not sure which one they spent 2 in but it wasn't the first.

I have a feeling that they've gone back to get him after seeing a sense of frustration amongst the fans about the lack of quality signed. In a sense a Shepherd type "keep them happy" type signing As I said I know they wanted him earlier but I think if they had got Nugent and Baines for example then they wouldn't have upped their bid.

They had poor keepers last time but I think they had Sorenson the time before that who didn't make that much difference. I don't know how good Gordon is tbh.

Not directly but his general "a foreigner can't manage NUFC" always bugged me. Just thinking, despite being now fully behind Allardyce, that particular restriction is presumably now lifted with the demise of Shepherd. An honourable mention for "Geordie boy Lee Clark".

Yes - general air of competence. No - Pattison and Ramage etc too close to the bench for my liking - another couple in please Just a prevention of abysmal losses to Wigan, Fulham etc would see us top 7 imo 2/3 of players who would be in the tops 4s teams/ squads - though we have one "forgotten" one in Duff. A "flying" winger would be my priority.

I'm waiting for a "The captain should be a Geordie" article from Oliver with some shite about it being Shepherd's final wish. I'd be happy with Geremi - should always be a centre-half or CM imo.

Assuming this Serb bloke is another one that leaves one final target - perhaps the big one referred to here.

Not a horrible place for starters, and Leeds should be a prem team. I'd much rather have them than Wigan or Fulham or other equivalent no marks. Shame if you ask me, and could easily have happened to a few clubs, including us. I meant in terms of a football visit rather than the city - several visits there have been dodgy. I don't trust "shoulds" in football - we "should" have won more trophies than we have but it doesn't happen like that.

The problem is the premier league will sanction any deal that lets them off the hook. I'd relegate, West Ham, Man U and Liverpool (slight bias on the latter 2) for taking the piss. If I rented a car from Hertz would it be legal for me to rip up the hire agreement and sell the registration to someone else? No - thought not.

There seems to be a general sympathy wave for Leeds over this and their relegation - not from me - horrible place, horrible team and horrible fans - and thats without Bates, Wise and Poyet entering the equation. Long may they suffer.

Sweeping (and pissed) generalisation but I'd expect someone with bushy eyebrows, dodgy tash and a goatee to be a dirt cunt no? (Sorry Cath)

I think having a Smith to come in for injuries rather than a Pattison etc, etc is a large improvement but I still have a concern on numbers. I want Ramage and the rest to be so far from the first team they might as well not bother - this doesn't apply to "proper" youngsters which I don't count Ramage and Pattison as anymore.

Which then will get considered in a court case, I am pretty sure. Still better than Dabo just starting to hit Barton back imho... If someone I worked with punched me for any reason I wouldn't just stand there and say "ner ner, I'm going to get you done with assault" - I'd defend myself and then hit them back if they were continuing to attack me. It smacks to me of these shitbag papararzzi who hassle someone like Liam Gallacher and then whinge if he punches them - hit the manc twat back FFS.

As I've said before, I don't see why a fight between two men which doesn't involve serious injury should involve the law. If Dabo had got up and battered Barton who would they charge? - does it become like the playground and a question of "who started it"?