Benwell Lad

Would prefer Forest to go up rather than WBA but we may well help consign them to the play offs tonight. We're just so much better than them and will have a full strength side out hopefully.

I miss naff European matches Was it Lillestrom that brought one fan who proceeded to do a conga on his lonesome for most of the game? Nah.... they brought loads (well quite a few anyway) including some of the best looking female fans ever to set foot inside SJP !

Eh? Boring is perhaps an exaggeration, but nothing beats the build up and tension of a derby game. This season hasn't been boring as we've been challenging for the league pretty much all season, but when you're in the Premiership and just scrapping round in the bottom half of the table it's a welcome distraction. Definitely preferred the seasons when Man Utd was our "big" game. Aahh they were the days..... Derbies just cause too much hassle nowadays and it always seems we have more to lose than them as we're expected to win.

Never understood why anyone would want to own 25% of anything unless it's earning a shed load of money - which it's obvious most football clubs aren't. 55% would be worthwhile.

But probably more worthy of a poll than the training ground spat.

got to be honest mate, i was about 18 at the time and non too supportive of the miners, mainly due to scargill stance on not having a ballot and his staunch refusal that even pits losing cash should be shut. however the way some turned against their own disgusted me and the police actions were insidious. in my wilder moments i'll still claim scargill was a thatcher stooge. he done everything she wanted. In fairness to the Notts miners, it's really too simplistic to say they opposed the strike. A lot of them did support the action and for that reason possibly showed more courage than strikers in other areas. There were pockets of pro and anti strikers in all regions. A vile time in the recent history of the UK when for a while we were a like a police state.

Dave, why don't you stick a straight yes or no poll on the question in the OP ? - Then maybe we can put it to bed .

While many journalists kind of enjoy cheap digs at Newcastle, the mackem minger takes it to another level. Even she must realise that her articles come across as nothing other than twisted and vitriolic rants against a football club she so clearly despises. Well done Chris Hughton and everyone else for keeping this sorry disciplinary episode "in house" - exactly where it should be kept - and in doing so helping to make us look like a slightly more serious football club than the one that loved doing it's dirty washing in public.

What a crock of simplistic rubbish. If you had said " some will never forgive Shepherd and will blame him for everything forever " you'd be on the right lines. Ashley could well turn it around, he just hasn't done so yet. He's done a crap job so far, simple as that. When/if he does turn it around and has done a good job I will admit it, which is a damn sight more than others manage regarding the efforts of the previous Board. I don't hate Ashley at all. I think he's an inept tosser who got lucky in business with his "blueprint" of cheap sports goods. Yeah whatever.

The best thing about AC lamping Taylor was it appeared to push this thread away. No such luck. The whole thing seems pretty pointless. Most people think that Ashley made bad football decisions but he has saved the club financially and most agree with the proposed new transfer and budget structures. So the club is heading in the right direction for most people, albeit from a lower standing. However some will never forgive him and will blame him for eveything forever. If he doesn't sell he's a t***, if he does want to sell he's a t***, if we're relegated it's all his fault so he's a t***, if we go up he's just doing it so he sells us for more so he's still a t***. Nobody is going to be convinced otherwise. Those who hate him REALLY hate him, so as I said before they should just assasinate him and get on with the rest of their lives. This thread is not going to change anyone's opinion.

Tank top, Oxford bags, DM's ?

Says it all really.

I am sure that if Everton had made a serious offer to Taylor he would have gone, the "loyalty" bit was a good fall back. Truth is Moyes just didn't fancy him at the end of the day.

There is no doubt that over the last few years S.Taylor has been the leading light of the club's academy and youth set ups and the biggest and strongest too. It's quite possible that being a couple of years younger A.Carroll may have been on the receiving end of some "treatment" from Taylor before. It happens in football. Maybe it was a bit like bumping into someone who was older and bigger than you at school - but is no longer - and this time when they tried it on you decided to teach them a lesson. This is of course based on no facts at all - but there again nor is anything else that has been said to date.

Agree with this, completely. It would certainly be an indication that we are moving in the direction of becoming a serious football club, rather than a joke club who have allowed the media to rape us for years.

Agreed. Just imagine if he'd been given a chance last season instead of Michael Superstar Owen a couple of goals from our own local hero might have kept us up. Although he had looked like a decent prospect before, it was when he scored that header away to Stoke City that I first thought the kid could make it in the PL. He really is not afraid to mix it with big players and big reputations.

Surprised at the criticism of Butt's selection when the team was announced although it was entirely predictable. With that back four (only one first choice in position), away to an in form side, a holding protective midfielder was a good call and with Smith out it had to be Butt. However when the one first choice defender is Colo then you still have every chance of defending well, that said TK looks like a very able stand in - he could become a great defender in time for us. Credit,again, to Carroll for a match winning goal despite what had preceded the match and great credit to Hughton and his backroom staff for a very good result. Sets Monday night up very nicely. A huge game.

So was it Jose who chinned Taylor after all ? I'm really disappointed in Taylor letting a Spaniard do him. Soft tw@t. Right. The '@' is an "at" sign. It means "at". If you're gonna avoid writing t*** for some inexplicable reason, then please do it properly for f***s sake. TW@T = TWATT = Hilarious surname. TW@ = t*** = Vicious insult. F*** off you f@ c***. Only kidding really.

Not round here mate, we have a lynch mob on permanant standby. Just wait until Sunday when Neil (sorry I can't be arsed to look for news, but here are even more of MY opinions) Farringdon lets loose to his Sunday Sun readers.

So was it Jose who chinned Taylor after all ? I'm really disappointed in Taylor letting a Spaniard do him. Soft tw@t.

Yer wha? I like to play the "media hate us" card as much as the next guy but Look North dedicate hours to us and seconds to the Mackems. Soooo... pretty much like your average Sunderland supporter then. Very astute observation that . They possibly do spend more time on us but seem ro revel in putting a negative slant on anything Newcastle. Let's see how they, and their ITV counterparts run this one tonight and how much, if any, of their "news" story is fact.

I suppose it's not surprising that a web forum quickly becomes a kangaroo court, but let's be honest - nobody has any hard facts or evidence as to what actually happened. IF a violent act took place it could be an unprovoked attack, a provoked attack or even self defence. No one knows, so it may be best to defer judgement until we all know a little bit more. Don't expect the local media to show any such restrain however, no doubt the mackem biased Look North will be giving it both barrels with an article full of conjecture and hearsay but NO facts, while making it seem as if Newcastle is the only club where such disagreements occur.

Careful or you could end up being more hated than Ashley

he had a chance to rectify his mistakes when he appointed KK again but didn't support him. I imagine quite a lot of people have supported Newcastle for many years, watch them every game home and away, and aren't about to stop So what mistakes had he made before appointing Keegan? what planet do you come from ? So you can't think of any, then? malandro listed some. Paying big wages and moaning about it later too. What do you think of him losing KK and what do you think of the quality of our recent signings, on long contracts Ashley's first big mistake was appointing Keegan manager. Recent signings weren't bad at all, given the circs, and none of them are on particularly long contracts. Allows them a chance in the PL, with a two years left on the contract if we want to sell them on at that point. No, Ashleys mistake was not in appointing Keegan, but in the shameful, deceitful way he treated him. How can anyone trust him or believe a word he says after that? I'd say Keegan was the one who it's difficult to trust. It's interesting that there doesn't seem to have been a stampede for his managerial services, since he left. Legendary player and great manager but I agree just a bit too "sugary sweet nice" to fully trust. Always loved wooing the masses with his emotional England/Scouser/Geordie thing but ultimately proved that like the rest of them he was only in it for himself and the money. You big cynic. What happened? Were you let down and hurt in the past? :'( You must love that thread the way you keep dragging it up, and usually quote bits out of context or miss a question mark or something to suit your purposes. Have you got it pinned up on your wall ? You really are a sad f*ck Kenneth. BTW that post was written to be controversial and stimulate debate, and although I can't remember what I actually wrote (I'm sure you'll be able to remind me) I seem to remember saying Ashley was the only owner/chairman in my time who had put money into the club rather than taking it out. Westwood was the first chairman I remember and a deeply unpopular one at that, Seymour, McKeag etc theresafter, SJH was probably the pick of the bunch - but lo and behold he went and facilitated the sell out to Ashley whom he thought was the right man to take Newcastle forward.