Tom_NUFC

They're certainly not completely random, because they have to make sure certain clubs don't have home fixture clashes (eg Newcastle and Sunderland, Liverpool and Everton, Man City and Man U etc).

Away on Boxing Day - AGAIN! When was the last time we were at home on Boxing Day? F*CKING HELL! And of all places to go, we get bleak, dismal Wigan.

Apparently there are lots of questions over the whole fixtures copyright issue - shakey ground, due the fixtures being facts. But for now, it's not worth putting them up 'illegally'. Presumably, a link to a site listing them legally is OK though?

Well done for the work you put in on it. It's been an informative - if uncomfortable read. Finances and economics isn't particularly my forte (I think that goes for the majority of people) well done on bringing that side of things out in the open. Good stuff.

Aye, I remember that one. Brilliant. It wasn't Mick Lowes though. John Cairns was the NUFC commentator Radio Newcastle back then.

I don't buy the 'it's only a game' attitude. It's a f*cking important game, and lets face it, he didn't drop a b0llock during a casual kick around, he dropped a b0llock during a match in the World Cup finals, and it was an inexcusible mistake. Now, I agree that some of the abuse directed his way went a bit OTT, but there was a bit of self-pity in there and ultimately it was his fault, and to use the 'it's only a game' excuse, when as a Football referee at the highest level, he should know damned well the game's importance amongst the teams, players and their fans is extremely poor. I don't wish ill on the bloke, and anyone threatening him or any referee with violence or revenge for their actions - even if they are wrong, is just a pr!ck. But he made a massive mistake and he was inevitably going to be scrutinised and have any future decisions criticised.

eh???

look at Kenyon - Man U fan, but he was happy to go to Chelsea. Dein would be a good choice, he knows how to run a club properly.

Clive ALLEN, Duncan SHEARER John TERRY, Terry VENABLES Ian ST JOHN - the - Julio BAPTISTa Ledley KING, Gary CHARLES Trevor STEVEn, Gordon McQUEEN Walter SAMUEL - L - Matt JACKSON

bugger, beat me to it

Stern JOHN, Neil LENNON Tim HOWARD, Aaron HUGHES

Sheffield United have my symapthy on this. Under normal circumstances, they didn't do enough to stay up, but another club has cheated and broken the rules, and yet is staying up at their expense. Ten years ago, Middlesbrough had points deducted, resulting in relegation for a stupid, but lesser offence. West Ham know they have done wrong and said that they would accept any decision. If they felt that they had already been fairly punished, they would not come out with such a statement, they would be fighting tooth and nail, shouting about how they've already been punished. They know they've got off very lightly and should have got a hell of a lot more.

I think that highlighted part says it all. Sir John Hall pretty much saved this club, f*ck knows what would have happened without him - we may not even be here, or if we were, we may be a reformed club that had to start over from scratch way down the league system like say AFC Wimbledon or FC United of Manchester.

Aye, Gudjonsson will do. I'll be happy if this comes off, but as ever, its just paper talk right now, so I'm not going to think about it too much.

a lad who works as a steward, but don't know how reliable the info is, which is why I said it was a rumour.

I should hope not. Text speak is dreadful.

good stuff. It makes me angry/jealous how some clubs are ran and welcome fan involvement with open arms, and then I think of the clueless gobshite we have.

just a rumour I've heard - not confirmed yet. Boumsong is returning to Newcastle as part of the Juventus team we're apparently playing at St James' on July 29. Nothing confirmed yet though.

Butt should be captain

Aye, nice one. Pity Carr wasn't amongst them, but there's plenty of time yet.

That's awful. Just by the normal version of that shirt which TOFFS do, without the terrible Brown Ale ad on.

Whoever wants Bramble can have him

I'd say it's either http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/supergeordie/maradonatoon.jpg or http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/supergeordie/platinitoon.jpg

You've got it the wrong way round there man. Inter were always designed to provide a platform for foreign talent, hence their name. Also, apparently, according to wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter_Milan Aye. 'Inrenazionale' was regarded by the Fascists as having Communist conotations so they became renamed Ambrosiana after the Milanese saint, Ambrosio. Other Italian teams also underwent name changes in the Fascist period. Furthermore, before Mussolini came to power, the Italians called the sport "Football" taking the name directly from English. The Fascists then set about 'Italianising' the game, seeing it as a direct successor to the Medieval Italian game of Calcio Storico (still played in Florence each summer). Therefore the sport in Italy was renamed Calcio, and obviously this has stuck. Milan and Genoa were forced to switch from their English names to the Italian, Milano and Genova These sort of things occurred in other dictatorships. In Spain, Franco went about marginalising all signs of non Castillian cultures. Regions with their own languages, such as Catalonia and the Basque provinces were regarded as Anti-Spanish, and had been bastions of the Republican forces until the end of the Spanish Civil War. Their languages and Cultures were prohibited and the two clubs, seen as focal points of these two areas underwent name changes. Athletic Bilbao became Atletico Bilbao. Barcelona's name change was more subtle. The Catalan, FC Barcelona (Futbol Club Barcelona) was replaced by the Castillian CF Barcelona (Club de Futbol Barcelona). Franco also attempted to change the name of the sport. Futbol, being just a Hispancised spelling of Football. He prefered (though didn't invent) the Spanish Balompie (Balon/Balom = Ball, Pie = Foot). Balompie is used instead of Futbol in the title of some Spanish teams, such as Real Betis.

I'm not convinced. He plays crap football. Maybe that will change with a bigger budget, but there's no evidence. On the other hand Shepherd might look at what he's done at Bolton and think he'll be able to do OK on the cheap, and we'll end up with a team of mediocre Greeks.