Wullie

Does Pique count? Don't know if he will have made enough appearances but Man United definitely won the PL while he was there.

Henry Pedro

"But Sheffield United" is proper triggering me at the minute.

Look how much more positive Russia looked after holding a World Cup. That's without mentioning the 1936 Olympics.

Apropos of nothing Tiresias[/member] but I've just suddenly realised I've known you for like twenty years.

You all watched the 1936 Olympics and didn't complain then!

KI

First I've heard of that. They're owned by a prince aye, some cousin of MBS I think. They're not owned by the state though, they're owned by an individual. It's entirely different unless you're deliberately being disingenuous, which many are.

I just find the reaction wildly depressing. I have absolutely no problem with anyone who just wants to go and watch the football and stay entirely away from politics but what we're already seeing, Newcastle fans everywhere making vacuous points about petrol and Sheffield United because they're so eager to get straight to bat for mass murderers is almost too much for me to bear.

The amount of people I see saying "the press are only asking questions because they hate Newcastle!" is toe-curlingly embarrassing.

My Virgin has finally started working with the forum in the last ten minutes.

Sounds about right, probably the 19th home UEFA Cup tie of that season in mid-September, against some Israeli pig farmers, back when European football had become a bit of a regular chore rather than the impossible dream. Never missed a home game in any competition for many years, if you'd told me back then that I'd chuck it in within ten years I'd have said you must be off your fucking nut. September 2014 was the last time I set foot in there, the Pardew protest game against Hull, having sacked off the season ticket the previous May. I can't believe it's been that long actually, I'd have guessed 2015 or 2016, Jesus. I honestly don't know the answer tbh Yorkie, partly because the protective new owners make me uncomfortable and partly because at this point it feels a bit like a girl I was head over heels for has walked back into my life after ten years and said she wants me back but... I'm kinda over it? A lot of me feels like Alan Shearer himself could be putting all the money up and I'd still be shrugging my shoulders. Six years is a long time not to give a toss about something then turn the tap on.

It's not about being "pure", it's about this regime, and others, using football clubs to curry favour around the globe and get people to turn a blind eye to murder and war because it's associated with their favourite club/player. It seems many Newcastle fans are already well on the bandwagon that thousands of Man City fans have been on for years where they spend more time defending their owner against accusations of human rights abuses than they do talking about football. You can tolerate something without praising/defending it which is what we all do every day with the things we buy, I've never bought a cheap t-shirt then gone home and spent the evening arguing with journalists writing about cheap foreign labour. Shit like adding the Saudi Arabian flag to one's Twitter is just deeply unpleasant. For years we've said we "want the club back." As pleased as I will be to get rid of Ashley, can we really say that has been achieved if the club becomes a propaganda tool for a brutal regime?

Tiresias

BT on iPad. Same problem? Weird, I assumed it would be a Virgin problem.

Are you both on Virgin Media?

Greg[/member]'s just been on 5Live talking about this.

So did Weah.

Certainly not the last few pages. Depends whether you're interested in discussing the moral ramifications of the club that is supposed to represent you and your city being owned by these people. Personally I'm incredibly conflicted and I think it's more worth discussion than "#cans Announce Mbappe, when's the flight arriving?!" shite that makes me want to cringe myself into an early grave.

Or more likely they support teams that are feeling threatened by a resurgent NUFC. Is this how you think journalism works? Good grief man.

I don't give a shite about human rights abuses within the context of a sport Thanks bud. Good to get the moral depravity out in the open. You have no idea of my moral depravity. Keep virtue signalling though, you pure sainted man, sure that'll stop the bombs. You won't support the propaganda vehicle of a murderous, theocratic, terrorism-sponsoring regime? What a lily-livered virtue-signaller you are! Got anything made in China in your house? Got a car? Eat chicken? You turn a blind eye to abuses all the time, every day. Get tae fuck with this holier than thou bullshit. It's a football club. Politics is sorted at the ballot box, not on the pitch. That's a great cartoon.

Bump

Anelka won it at Arsenal.

Fuck's sake Disco, just came to me in a flash and you've pipped me.

It is very amusing to me to see Newcastle fans who've been raging for years and years about breaches of employment law at Shirebrook now fully on board with human rights abuses and executions.