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Jan 23 2006

By Craig Hope, Jamie Diffley And Amy Hunt, The Evening Chronicle

 

Furious Newcastle fans today called on boss Graeme Souness to go. Pressure is mounting on the Scot who was meeting chairman Freddy Shepherd for crunch talks today.

 

Hundreds gathered outside St James' Park following Saturday's defeat at home to Blackburn, calling for the manager to go.

 

The message was clear as supporters chanted "Souness out" and mounted police tried but failed to disperse the fans.

 

The protesters stayed there for nearly an hour after the final whistle of Saturday's 1-0 defeat.

 

Today fans said time has run out for Souness who has managed just one point from the last 15 in the league.

 

Frank Gilmour, chairman of the Newcastle United Independent Supporters Association, said: "I heard the protest and I certainly agree with it.

 

"We have got massive problems. If Souness doesn't go today then he will definitely go after next weekend.

 

"The team are not playing the way they should and Saturday's performance was lacklustre.

 

"I have always said that he was the wrong man for the job. He has turned what was a good team under Sir Bobby Robson into the mediocre outfit that it is now.

 

"I'm glad the protest happened because Freddy Shepherd should know exactly what the fans feel."

 

John Oliver, 23, from Chapel House in Newcastle, was part of the angry group of supporters. He said: "I didn't boo at the end because I never would but I added my voice to the protest because I'm so angry with the situation.

 

"Anything has to be better than Souness.

 

"Too many people are prepared to put up with the rubbish that Souness puts out just because there are no obvious candidates to replace him.

 

"It's definitely the time for him to go. It's disheartening to see but most fans have given up.

 

"Questions have to be asked of Freddy Shepherd for appointing him in the first place."

 

Mark Jensen, editor of fanzine The Mag, said: "If Souness does go we must have a plan in place and not make the same mistake as last time when we sacked Robson.

 

"I walked through the protest and I think these fans have a right to voice their opinion because they are totally hacked off with the current situation.

 

"We are in such a mess and nobody can be happy with the way things are going at the moment."

 

Marion Williams, a member of the NUFC Fans' Forum, said: "I've never heard anything like the protest inside the ground and then again outside.

 

"It's definitely time for him to go but the fact he will walk away with a £3m payoff is a problem. As a liaison group we like to work together with the club but at the moment you get the feeling it's all falling apart."

 

Michael Clark, 48, a Newcastle fan from Dundalk in Ireland, said: "A group of 20 of us came over from Ireland to watch the game on Saturday but we left at half time because it was so bad.

 

"It's time for Souness to go. He has destroyed every club he's ever been at."

 

Dags Woolley, 43, a college lecturer from Newcastle, said: "I think Souness should go. The trouble is I don't think there's anyone to replace him. At the moment the team are playing to less than the sum of their parts and a good team should be more than the sum of their parts.

 

"I think we've been really patient with the manager. I'm surprised the fans' protest hasn't happened before now. It's been a long time coming."

 

Kevin Ryan, 51 from Denton Burn, a painter and decorator, said: "I'm disillusioned with the team at the moment. They should be doing much better and I wouldn't waste my money going to see them.

 

"They have not got the management right yet and the players aren't pulling their weight."

 

Neil Aplin, 39, a bank manager of Langley Park, Durham, said: "I don't rate Souness as a manager at all. As a player he was excellent but not as a manager.

 

"Some people say he's been unlucky with injuries but that's football. It's not an excuse.

 

"Ideally they need a replacement before they get rid of him but there's no-one that's going to do any better."

 

Peter Breckon, 20, a shop assistant from Jesmond in Newcastle, said: "I like Souness as a manager and I don't believe they should sack him in the middle of the season. I think we've got a decent set of players if they're all fit but they're the most unlucky team I know.

 

"Souness hasn't had any luck at all."

 

Writing on a fans' forum at newcastle-online.com, supporters urged the board to sack Souness and praised the efforts of those who protested after Saturday's game.

 

One wrote: "It seems the protest and loss today has put him on the brink. What can we do to push him overboard?"

 

Popular fans' website nufc.com said: "It's a fraction over 16 months since Graeme Souness walked into St James' Park as Newcastle manager-in-waiting to watch his former team soundly beaten 3-0 by a John Carver-marshalled Magpies side.

 

"On that day in September 2004 we called the Blackburn side led by caretaker boss Tony Parkes `a dispirited rag-bag of an outfit that slouched out to line up against us'.

 

"Now in January 2006 the boot is firmly on the other foot, as the fans who cheered the departure of our manager from Lancashire predicted his imminent exit from Tyneside."

 

I was about to commend them for getting their name in the Ronny Gill until I remembered that the name of one of the authors was familiar....

 

:(

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Michael Clark, 48, a Newcastle fan from Dundalk in Ireland, said: "A group of 20 of us came over from Ireland to watch the game on Saturday but we left at half time because it was so bad."

 

I'm sorry Mr Clark, I don't know you or owt, but you're a fucking muppet.

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Michael Clark, 48, a Newcastle fan from Dundalk in Ireland, said: "A group of 20 of us came over from Ireland to watch the game on Saturday but we left at half time because it was so bad."

 

I'm sorry Mr Clark, I don't know you or owt, but you're a fucking muppet.

83410[/snapback]

 

In my defence, I was gasping for a pint of the black stuff...

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Why the fuck has it got everyone's occupation? Kevin Ryan, 51 from Denton Burn, a painter and decorator - wtf?

83407[/snapback]

 

I noticed there was no mention of:

 

Gaz P

Writer

Newcastle-Online

 

Has he been fired? :(

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