Benwell Lad

Class yesterday like. Looked like the player we were all hoping for when we signed him.

is that not jumping on the red top media bandwagon by convicting the lad before he has been tried at court.I don't know anyone that was at any of the mentioned incidents all i know is what i have read and i know it is hard not to think that there is no smoke without fire but regardless of who he plays for ,surely he deserves a fair trial. every time i read about the lad it mentions the fact that one of his family is in the clink for a racist murder, this gives a preconception of joey barton whether we like it or not.The fact is that he is, and should be innocent until proven guilty.I bet if everyone on here was perfectly honest there would be a hell of a lot of people admitting to crimes just as bad if not worse than what joey barton is now facing the difference is they havent been caught.i think KK will bring out the best in JB and that can only be beneficial to us. jesus - i fuckin hope that very few on here can admit to crimes as bad or worse than the ones barton is charged with Theres a certain amount of tabloid sensationalism/ Joey Barton hysteria built in to the above stories I'm sure. Well as a respectable middle aged citizen let me be the first to hold my hand up and say yes my "crimes" were as bad as those allegedly commited by Barton. I have D&D in the Bigg Market, ejected from a stadium (for no reason) and a couple of scraps against my name when I was young, believe me I haven't turned out too bad. The courts will decide, but I also know Kevin Keegan is a very fair and astute man, and had Barton really been a bad 'un, Keegan would have dropped him like a brick.

I get the same feeling Coach and I normally try to stay level headed. Two wins in itself means little, it's the manner in which Keegan has gone about it which is so impressive. He is still the supreme motivator, instils high standards and knows a player when he sees one. With Keegan as manager, Ashley pulling the strings and 50,000 of us baying for success I think we have reason to be optimistic.

If Kenny had a go at Foster he would have had good backup, his older brother was a canny boxer (obviously not the 4 legged kind). Kenny was no slouch himself, would probably have made a decent flyweight !

"Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play" Sorry ! Was it really only 20 years ago, seems like a lot longer. Was in the Gallowgate corner directly behind Wharton basking in the sunshine. (Roger Tames probably commentating from the bog roof - we knew how to treat the press in them days) I once saw Wharton dish out a "Blakelaw kiss" and despite the size difference I'd have backed him against Foster if it had started.

I posted this somewhere else but it's probably relevant to this thread now. Rather than health warnings and government sponsored campaigns to make young people aware of the long term consequences of binge drinking, they should just look and listen to Jimmy Greaves. That would scare anyone to moderation.

Don't know about you but I'm more bothered than anything about what our players do on the pitch, clearly their lifestyles off the pitch mean more to you. So dragging the good name of the club through the crap and being the worst of role models means nothing to you then? I always laugh when people try to hold footballers, rock stars etc. up as role models. No wonder people bang on about moral decline if that's the case. Not that I'm happy with the way Barton has behaved of course. So true footballers, rock stars etc as role models. What a laugh. Let's be honest Barton hasn't really done anything worse than half the people who watch Newcastle will have done at some time in their lives. It's easy to sound sanctimonious but we've all done stupid things in our early twenties that we'd be ashamed of later. Unfortunately Barton's profile has meant he's paid a higher price. It would be nice to expect exemplary behaviour from these highly paid young men but in the real world it isn't going to happen. Although it's debatable whether he should have been in that burger place in Liverpool in the first place, he was seriously wound up and (allegedly) defending a friend. The kid was set up to some extent. Barton comes across as quite lucid and intelligent ( by footballer standards ) when he speaks, and what he said about Newcastle fans earlier this season was very accurate and well put.

Credit to Barton for the level of performance he's turned in recently. Against the backdrop of his circumstances, having to play in stadiums where opposition fans have had it in for him and playing for a club with some of the worst and least supportive fans in football who have also had it in for him, he has shown a lot of courage to play through it. Although performances indicated that things were wrong with him, he never lacked commitment or hid. Credit also to Keegan for once again showing the type of supreme man management he is known for and supporting the kid when so many others wanted to kick him when he was down.

Rather than health warnings and government sponsored campaigns to make young people aware of the long term consequences of binge drinking, they should just look and listen to Jimmy Greaves. That would scare anyone to moderation.

Is it just a coincidence that today feels like the first day of Spring ?

Sure it's debatable, but I think Owen's goal was absolutely huge. Defeat at Birmingham would have left us in a seriously bad position and I'm not sure the next two results would have followed without that lift. That being the case we would be right in the mire now. It's all conjecture though. Aye, it probably doesn't seem as big now, because of what's happened since and the number of matches left before the end of the season, and I don't think it was as big as Kelly's but it was very important. I can't remember a half time as long as that one at St. Andrews. Everyone knew the potential consequences of a defeat - I wouldn't have wanted to go into the Fulham match on the back of a loss, then playing Spurs away, with the likes of the mackems and Birmingham picking up points at the same time... pressure would have mounted, the media would be cranking it up and the whole situation could have got very sticky. When Owen missed the first chance we all looked at eachother and were thinking exactly the same thing - "that was THE chance". As its turned out we've kicked on since that goal, and Bolton look dead and buried. But who knows what effect it could have had on Bolton's mentality if we'd lost our last 3 matches? They could well have got the bit between their teeth and fancied the fight. It's all hypothetical and I would still probably have backed us to stay up (just, mind), but Owen's goal has gone a long way to stopping that nightmare situation from developing. Thanks. I think you have put very eloquently what I was trying to say about THAT goal.

Yeah I hope it is quickly forgotten, as we return to the level we got used to and regular European football. I just can't help feeling that Owens goal was an absolutely massive for us, but there again I had become convinced, at one stage, that we WERE going down.

Sure it's debatable, but I think Owen's goal was absolutely huge. Defeat at Birmingham would have left us in a seriously bad position and I'm not sure the next two results would have followed without that lift. That being the case we would be right in the mire now. It's all conjecture though.

I wonder if Michael Owen's goal against Birmingham will be remembered in the same legendary way as David Kelly's strike against Portsmouth in KK's first stint as manager. In both cases they seemed to find something extra to score the goal, Owen somehow managing to beat the defenders to what should have been their ball. The feel good factor in town after that draw was similar to the the feeling after Kelly's winner. We can of course only speculate on what may have happened if those goals had not been scored at the respective times in the club's history, but the lift everyone ( fans, players and management ) got from Owen's equaliser has to be largely responsible for the performances which have followed. We can debate the importance of each strike but I think we are equally indebted to both those strikers who found something extra in our dire times of need. I for one think Michael Owen paid back a huge chunk of his massive fee and salary that night, and look forward to him continuing to do so in the next few years.

Apparently Keen has called the bus company and cancelled it.

Arsenal are not 'naturally' from North London, they are from Woolwich, South London. WHU's bitterest rivals are Leyton Orient Yeah, like we're not really Newcastle United but Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End.

Without getting involved in the 'big club' thing again, West Ham and Chelsea historically (70'/80's) viewed themselves as being a big club like Spurs but jealous that Spurs were successful in domestic and european cup competition. Since the formation of the Premier League Chelsea motored ahead and even more so when Abramovich took over. With West Ham, they still haven't moved on so they hang on to the old belief that they are rivals to Spurs and Chelsea. Personally, whilst there are a lot of London derbies each season, the only ones that really matter to me are against the scum, how I view West Ham is no different to how Chelsea view Fulham. Chelsea are a bigger club on the field than Spurs on the field, even if that success was bought, but I view them as the level to aspire to, not rivals, because quitely clearly at the present time we're not. Got it. Arsenal Spurs is like Newcastle Sunderland, but West Ham hating you is a bit like Boro hating us whereas we regard Boro as no different to any other team we play. It's clear.

Very confusing your London tribal things. Why do West Ham see you as the "enemy", I think Chelsea feel the same. Your natural rivals in north London are Arsenal, so why do the pride of east and west London also hate you so much ?

Did you buy any? Nah. I like value for money and frankly I reckon even the free ones they give away are overpriced.

Uh ?

A legend in the 'not really a legend' sense then? Legend in the Sibierski sense I reckon. So, not really a legend then? Maybe in the Robin Hood sense? So what you're saying is he robs from the rich? Aka our directors by getting paid vast amounts for not being a world beater, and steals from the poor? Aka the fans by us paying our money to see him not do it all of the time. Nah, I've seen him riding around Walkergate late at night on a horse, wearing a green cape and shooting charvas with his bow and arrow! Well that, if nothing else, fully deserves the title LEGEND !

What about Shearer 97/98? Like Owen, had just came back from main injuries, like Owen, was playing in a sh*t Newcastle side, and scored 2 league goals in about 18-20 games. Don't remember Shearer getting the same criticism. Good point. Shearer scored about 30 the year after. And although I don't think he'll get that many (but he never has even at his peak), I'd predict Owen to get himself 20 in a Keegan team. I agree he will almost certainly get you 20 goals a season and to guarantee that nowadays you'd need to be spending wacky Drogba or Eto type money, so he may not be such bad value after all. The option would be to take a gamble, perhaps like our neighbours have in spending £12M on Jones and Chopra, and see how many goals that would buy you.............. He isn't almost certain to get you 20 goals at all and to suggest we'd have to spend on a Drogba or Eto'o type signing to replace him is living in a dreamland. A few good games against s**** teams and typical of people on here they go way over the top. First of all I'm neither typical of people on here, we all have our own minds, nor living in a dreamland. I don't know, nor for that matter particularly care if you actually watch Michael Owen, but in my opinion he is a cut above anything else at Newcastle, and that is based more on his special ability rather than anyone else's shortcomings. If you had watched him you'd have noticed how much of a team player he is, how well he uses the ball and his uncanny knack of getting in the right place before a defender against all teams. His goal ratio at Newcastle would indicate that injury free he IS ALMOST CERTAIN to get 20 goals in a season. And by the way, don't know how many matches you attend but trust me there are no "s**** teams" in today's Premiership. Which league are you watching where there are no s*** teams?! Do you not think Derby, Fulham, Birmingham, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Bolton, Reading and ourselves are s***? This is one of the worst leagues I can remember, bottom half are all poor. If not you clearly aren't setting your sights too highly. Every one of those teams you mention is full of international players, once upon a time only a few top English teams could boast several international players. Hypothetically some of the teams you mention would easily have made top six in the old first division of 20-30 years ago such has been the rise in standard of our league. No sorry,there are no s*** teams in the top tier of English football nowadays, just some teams that are worse than others.

Not sure if the macums still give loads of free tickets to school kids etc in an attempt to fill their ground but they have come up with a new scheme which sinks even lower than their previous attempts. Apparently they are now making nuisance phone calls in a desperate attempt to flog seats. As if it wasn't bad enough being disturbed by someone trying to flog you double glazing or a new kitchen you don't need, now they have a recorded message from Saint Nail Quin ( he of "magic carpet" fame ) pestering you just as you settle down to watch East Enders. How can a club sink so low ?

Agree West Ham are a better team but reckon it will be 3-0

what would premiership crowds be like if it was £10 to get in. it's far cheaper in germany to go to football and good on them for having it that way Agreed, but thats also the reason it doesnt have the talent of the premiership! Also, few premier league clubs can hold 50,000. Bring back standing and have a world cup here. and it might happen. I always use the size of the stadiums as an argument that average attendances in England would be much higher if some of the stadiums were bigger. But here in Germany attendances have been very high and increasing since the 90s. Safe standing surely does play a part in it, as do the much more affordable ticket prices. The whole football culture in Germany is much more geared towards the fan. The fan is generally made to feel part of the club and therefore closer to it. In the UK you're likely to be taken for a mug who subscribes to a corporate brand owned by some foreign investment company. In Germany it's still about beer, bratwurst and atmosphere. Our league is richer and more hyped than theirs and therefore attracts more "galacticos". Their football is equally exciting, better officiated and all in all a better day out at a fraction of the price imo. The grass is always greener somewhere else. Tbh I do find the atmosphere here in most Jorman stadiums rather dreary. Fake atmosphere created by "Ultras" who are all singing the same songs (most favourably You'll never walk alone). Goal jingles and annoying music blasted at you in full volume at every possible opportunity and stupid entertainment from PA guys. The football is a lot worse and less exciting as it is much slower with far more breaks because the officiating isn't better at all. I'd willingly pay a few quid more to get rid of all this stuff. You obviously see a lot more of it than I do, but in my limited experience the beer is better, the atmosphere is better and the fans seem closer to their clubs in terms of belonging to them. I stick by the officiating being better, but perhaps thats because I think the standard in England is abysmal. Maybe the pace of our game is the reason for that.