Benwell Lad

However at this level, it's enough. More than enough. Smith is offering a lot more than just big tackles right now. As a senior player I think his determination and attitude is rubbing off on others in the team and that is arguably more important than a defence splitting pass or superb cross. He looks like a true captain.

He did go a bit mental with the celebrations when Guthrie scored, maybe he's just enjoying playing for us? As odd as that seems. I think anyone would enjoy playing for us right now, despite the ongoing issues there seems to be a common sense of purpose amongst the players that has not been seen for a while. The atmosphere in the ground is also better than it has been for seasons, perhaps being relegated and the resulting drop in attendance has cleared a lot of the "fashion fans" and moaners. Good riddance. Although there is a noticeable difference in quality from the PL, the actual matches somehow seem more exciting and less predictable. Still want to be straight back up though.

Reading were a perfect example of a team full of promising youngsters. They just couldn't compete with the experience in the Newcastle side. One or two at a time is the best way and get them off the bench when we're 2 or 3 up and the game is in the bag. Both Ranger and Geremi contributed to last night's win in their own way. One with a lot of eager running and no short measure of potential class, and the other with years of international and big game experience as we played the game out.

Once again the violence will be defended/condoned by their chairman and club. Isn't he the only club official ever to pay for for hooligans to fly home ? Their club virtually encourage and certainly turn a blind eye to violent pitch invasions whenever they have a big game. They really should address the problem.

Here's a longer article about the mackems kicking off at Central, complete with mobile video http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-evening-chronicle/2009/08/11/sunderland-yobs-run-amok-at-central-station-72703-24370748/ Once again the violence will be defended/condoned by their chairman and club. Isn't he the only club official ever to pay for for hooligans to fly home ? Their club virtually encourage and certainly turn a blind eye to violent pitch invasions whenever they have a big game. The FA should act but never seem to when it's them. Leadbitter = Liar. Simple as and once again a rich footballer has made a mockery of the justice system.

You're in the wrong city, on the wrong website, talking about the wrong club. Why not just get frantic and fill your post full of expletives like everyone else ?

A very sad day for football, the North East of England and Newcastle United. R.I.P. Sir Robert William Robson.

It is total rubbish. However, word is that a deal will be completed next week when a group headed by Freddie Shepherd and Max Mosley take control. Their plan was to install Michael Schumacker as manager but now that he's chosen to return to F1 they'll install Boris Becker as first team coach with Tony Blair assuming the role of DOF.

Didn't Barton sit on top of someone whilst beating the s*** out of them? Gerrard was out of order but not in the same league. Not what he got sent down for Also Barton was with his female cousin and another lad wasnt he? Gerrard had about 6 blokes to remove him. Based on what you see do you really think Gerrard was going to stop on his own accord? Ps Barton is clearly beyond Gerrard in terms of being scum. Their on pitch violence is similar, this incident is fairly similar but lets not forget Barton has a back catologue to make him far worse. I think Gerrard is a far dirtier player than Barton as many including our erstwhile midfield legend Nobby Solano would testify. In fact before Barton's silly tackle at Liverpool last season I can't think of much which was different to what any combatative midfielder would display. He certainly doesn't stand out as a dirty player. A fool yes, but a dirty player I don't think so.

The regular, pathetic and irrelevant digs that the local BBC make about Newcastle instead of reporting actual "news" would seem to indicate that someone in management at BBC Newcastle has a rather bitter chip on their shoulder about the club and city. I think he should be named.

Forgot to mention the bigger stadium............ Bob Murray's not working on their bid is he ?

Recently there seems to have been a great surge of psuedo intellectual mackems spouting in the press, local television and most worryingly on the BBC. As normal the main thrust of their diatribe are anti-Newcastle rantings rather than having anything positive to say about their club or "city". Words like "Scunthorpe" "premier" "Ashley" and "Niall" feature prominently. I think the joker who wrote the above needs to correct his error strewn piece and understand why "Scunthorpe" probably has a more valid claim to host a major sporting event than Sunderland. First the obvious errors. As far as stadiums are concerned, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Newcastle is consistently regarded as a favourite away venue for travelling fans. The Stadium of Meccano (an identikit of just about every other recent construction, Middlesbrough, Derby, Southampton, Leicester etc,etc) seldom features. Gateshead is joined to Newcastle both physically and culturally and has not been in County Durham in most people's lifetime. Not that there would be a problem if Gateshead was in County Durham as the vast majority of people in North Durham and many in other parts of the county regard Newcastle as their "home" cultural and entertainment venue. Indeed the north east's only real cities, Newcastle and Durham, have been strongly tied for centuries - long before both emerged as world class university venues. Middlesbrough DID host world cup games in 1966 - but there again it's not unlike Sunderland supporters to conveniently forget a few facts when it suits. Secondly, some points he's politically chosen to ignore or gloss over. Does a football club who celebrate a lousy 37 point season as the best in their history really deserve to be involved in a top international competition ? When Sunderland has hosted big games (England vs Turkey and derbies vs Newcastle and Middlesbrough) there are always serious crowd disturbances. (Terrible racist scenes at the international and regular pitch invasions and even opposition players being confronted by "fans" in the other games) Most vistors to Sunderland would not regard it as a "city". It feels like a small town and a pretty ugly, impoverished one at that. No member of the Sunderland management team or it's highly paid playing staff will live in the place (many preferring to live in Newcastle or it's outlying areas) so why should they ask foreign football fans to go there ? Even their recently installed (Geordie) manager seemed to find it very difficult and looked uncomfortable about endorsing their application. That's not to mention the old chestnuts of Sunderland having no airport or main line railway staion. Does it even have a 4 star hotel ? Expect the Sunderland propaganda machine to crank up the anti-Newcastle rhetoric amongst their sympathisers in the local media, and don't be surprised if more pictures of Bamburgh Castle, the Tees Barrage, Durham Cathedral or the Millenium Bridge (anywhere but Sunderland actually) are dragged out to support their application. However also expect those in the know to see right through their phoney bid and give the place a wide berth. Just as everyone connected to their club seems to do in private.

Is pretty much spot on. I've said all along we'll hear nothing substantial or credible until the deal is completed due to all interested (serious) parties being bound by the terms of NDA's. Much as we Newcastle fans like to have our daily dose of media coverage, in this case nothing can be disclosed and therefore the press and media can do little more than speculate and make things up to fill their columns. Like everyone I'll be glad when it's done but I can't understand the present levels of panic/anxiety. A deal will be concluded and Alan Shearer will almost certainly be installed as the new manager as long as his wage demands are sensible. I would be surprised if he is not working on things already but like all other serious parties is unable to say anything until the business is concluded. At this stage of pre season most clubs are working on little more than condition and fitness and most managers will have had little input so far - Cloughie probably wouldn't turn up until a few days before the season kicked off. The tension being created by the present situation could actually have a positive effect on our season, if the news is broken and the manager is confirmed close to the season starting rather than two months before- a bit like the lift a team and fans get from a new managerial appointment.

which is fair enough. but it doesn't change the fact that the opening post on this thread is a f***ing howler. You love defending Sunderland and seem to be irritated by what is just firing a few truths back at them. The point of the OP is that it's actually funny (embarrassing) to see them celebrating what seems to be the biggest event in their history i.e. finishing 2 points above a woeful and shambolic Newcastle. Added to that they've just hired a manager who is a Geordie and has spent the last decade telling the world he is a Newcastle fan - that's a lot funnier than a yellow change strip which caused such mirth amongst the inbreeds. Although it is quite funny. It has then led on to the discussion about their embarrassing bid to host World Cup football, which is promoted by images of .... well anywhere but Sunderland it seems. Personally I don't give a flying f@ck where world cup games are staged, England haven't even secured the tournament anyway, but the fraudulent manner in which they have gone about things is laughable - and even mackems must see that. I would imagine FIFA will not see any credibility in Sunderland's bid, and when your chaiman lives in Morpeth (Northumberland), your manager in Ponteland on the north edge of Newcastle and no one connected to Sunderland football club wants to live in the hovvel, why should they ask foreign fans to go there ?

Unbelievable how they've stolen images from other north east places which have nothing to do with Sunderland cos theres nowt in the hovvel worth showing. They don't even say where the Millenium Bridge is - maybe they hope people are stupid enough to believe it's over the Weary. What a bunch of phonies.

True and that was the point of the OP. Like someone else said - despite the popular misconception thet the world in general is delighted by our demise - many fans (macums excluded) are disappointed we went down as Newcastle is such a popular away day. A few London fans I know said they'll miss the trip to Newcastle and absolutely hate visiting the bumpkins cos the place is so backward.

Well mackems certainly seem to think so anyway.

Once again the bumpkins have proved that their world revolves around Newcastle as they wallow in the glory of their greatest ever season having achieved two points more than a dreadful Newcastle side and their first home derby win for 30+ years. That, my friends, is the pinnacle of their ambitions. So while we face tirade of "humour" aimed at us by their jubilant fans, which some say is justified by the region's small club's "success" and the scorn we heaped on them over several seasons, when they sober up they'll realise that once again the joke will soon be on them. They got 36 points - roughly twice their normal Premiership total. They beat us at home for the first time in many fan's living memory. When we were ripping it out of them it was because we were challenging for Europe while they managed 15 points - not because we got 2 more points than them. Saint Niall's magic carpet blarney is once again conning them, after preaching that the future was Sbragia he's now pinning his hopes on a jouneyman manager who is a self confessed Newcastle fan. If we're no longer able to challenge at the top of the league and our agenda has sadly become merely surviving, then we may as well take a step back. They will have yet another season of being little other than cannon fodder to the big clubs and will once again cheat their fans by playing weakened teams in the only competitions they have the remotest chance of success in just to try and preserve their league status, so they can go through it all again the season after. Their proud club will move ever closer to the "franchise" concept as once again no member of their playing staff or management team will lower themselves to live in Sunderland. And who could really blame them ? Even in the lower league we'll still have a bigger attendance as Match of the Day once again shows the nation what appears to be a half empty Stadium of Light. And that's before they start rebelling against Geordie boy Bruce. No, despite the laughable way our club has been ran this season, once the present fiasco is sorted and we have a Geordie legend running the show the gratuitous mocking will quickly cease and the hicks down the road will resume gazing at their navels and looking for a scapegoat. I wouldn't have Bruce's job for one of the biggest salaries in football. But there again I might ..................................

Another down side to relegation from the London & Lancashire League.

Probably. Especially if we don't appoint a self-confessed Sunderland supporting makem as our next manager.

does anyone think personal terms are the problem ? I suspect £1.75 million is way in excess of the usual salary for a manager in the Championship, but I don't think it's the main issue. I think Shearer has made it known he's not happy to preside over a cost-cutting exercise, and that's what Ashley feels is needed. I may be wrong. Ashley may be thoroughly hacked off with an employee who has basically failed his probation period demanding a large salary and financial backing before he'll accept the job. Interesting debate. Although way over an average (or even successful) Championship manager's salary, Shearer's profile and stature probably put him into the £1.75M bracket in the employment market. His ability right now to boost ticket sales etc would probably entitle him to a commission around that figure too. However, on the other hand he is a total rookie at management and if his, albeit, short tenure of the job was considered probationary, then he didn't really do much to impress. The usual "Geordie" rallying cries we hear from them all but no marked improvement from the team and very little tactical nous. Anyway we can shout and scream as much as we want but with Ashley on his way out there is little chance of any senior managerial appointments being made until that part is sorted. Even Ashley wouldn't make that mistake.

Good to see certain publications are bigging up Shearer's case and casting him as the hard done by local hero. Exactly the same rags will be licking their lips if he is appointed, hardly able to contain themselves as they wait for him to fail. Expect levels of bias, ridicule and persecution from the national media against Shearer which will make the way they went for Keegan and then Ashley seem like kid's play in comparison.

That clip has been used so many times for so many different teams it may even have once been funny. Downfall is a great film though and the bloke who played Hitler was superb.

Banned a few weeks ago. But isn't he also Howaythelads who posted on the previous page ? I bet they've never been seen in the same room together.

Posted this in the Shearer thread but probably should have been here ! In amongst all the discussion about our financial position and needing bank facility agreements before decisions can be made etc etc here is more evidence of the imperious nature of banks relationships with football clubs today. In this case a club who, on the surface have everything we could wish for in terms of playing success and yet even for them it looks like trouble could be looming. What hope for a return to the days when football clubs were just that - clubs - and not billionaires toys or parts of of multi-national corporation's portfolios. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8055814.stm