Benwell Lad

Erm, what about Bolton? Or Villa? When the f*** will we stop pretending that we can ognore the beatings off bigger teams, whilst making up other excuses for our peers - and inferiors - also humbling us?? We took 4 points off Bolton monkey. You must have missed that. Still despite having our worst ever premiership season we're still above that rabble down the road eh ? If it wasn't for them breaking all kinds of records (again) we could be in the s***. That should cheer you up, does it ? Did you see the Bolton home game? Was that good enough for you? Oh, aye, i'm over the moon that we are JUST above SUnderland in the league table. Thats exactly what I expect from a club with our support, resources, infrastructure etc. If you're not happy with the present situation Monkey - then imagine how most us us on here must feel !

Quite. What is he good at? Conning a lot of punters with his badge kissing spin I think. Allardyce showed good management by not falling for the sentimental crap and standing up to his dad's ridiculous newspaper outburst. Imagine if we had given the huge contract his father thinks he's worth - to someone who quite frankly is no better than Ben Clark at Hartlepool and realistically should be nowhere near our first team.

Erm, what about Bolton? Or Villa? When the f*** will we stop pretending that we can ognore the beatings off bigger teams, whilst making up other excuses for our peers - and inferiors - also humbling us?? We took 4 points off Bolton monkey. You must have missed that. Still despite having our worst ever premiership season we're still above that rabble down the road eh ? If it wasn't for them breaking all kinds of records (again) we could be in the shit. That should cheer you up, does it ?

Steven Taylor is more mistake prone and not as good a natural defender as Dabizas, Bramble, O'Brien, Rozenhal and a few others who were heavily (often unfairly) criticised and eventually offloaded as not being good enough for Newcastle. Bramble bore the brunt of the criticism and blame when we lost in Alkmaar last year although watching the game Taylor looked to be the worst offender. I think the criticism being levelled at him now is just people waking up and finally seeing beyond the local lad rhetoric and badge kissing stuff. He is simply not a top level defender. In fact from what I've seen this season he doesn't defend at all. Saddens me to say it, as I would genuinely have loved to see this homegrown product at the heart of our defence, but he really needs to step down a level or two to make his living in the game.

Well said mate. We really need to stick together now.

A championship standard defender - nothing more. He has become a serious liability in the Premier league - it must be the "badge kissing" stuff which endears him to many because it certainly isn't his ability to defend.

Probably because there was nothing he could have done about any of those 3 goals. The only goal yesterday where the keeper could have done better was the first, most keepers would have cut out Ronald's cross, Given once again, seemed rooted and just watched it sail by.

God bless you Gazza. You gave pleasure to millions with your special talent. A genuinely nice kid in a sport with a lot of phoneys. Hope it all works out OK.

Only an idiot would question your's or anyone else's loyalty because of where they live SM.

Good post Oldtype. I was born into a Newcastle family and who to support was never an option. In no way does that make me better than any other supporter, wherever he or she comes from. In fact perhaps those who did have a choice are better fans. I think local users of this forum really admire you foreign guys who support NUFC, it has been said earlier that there is no way you can be accused of being glory seekers ifor supporting us. The one or two who make comments about "outsiders" are the usual agitators, and I don't think they actually support Newcastle, but masqerade as NUFC fans so they can make negative comments which are detrimental to the club and it's supporters.

Who said evil gloryhunter, or are you just the kind of f****** cretin who likes to pretend people have said things when they haven't? IMHO, you support the team from where you come (or have strong familial ties to). Thats how i was brought up, thats how things should be IN MY OPINION. If you choose to SELECT someone else to support other than your local team, thats up to you. But don't expect everyone else to think you're f****** ace to do so. I guess if your local team was the macums, i.e. ugly, always letting you down and getting screwed by Irish crooks then you'd be entitled to seek a divorce and support someone else.

I think he has more promise than Chopra, who was the last local forward to almost break through. Certainly looks more suited physically to top level football. I reckon Keegan will keep him and next season he could figure occasionally.

We've always been a club with a lot of soul Stephen, still are. Not many trophies but plenty of soul. The opposite of the team we play on Saturday I guess ?

Absolute bullshit. Where you come from is irrelevant as long as your reasons are genuine.

Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich etc that is. Supporting these teams, as glory seekers in their respective countries do, must be akin to seeking fulfilment from the services of a paid escort and never feeling the happiness or pain and the ups and downs of a genuine relationship. Those who "choose" these teams know they'll always look good, deliver the goods and provide instant satisfaction, never having to suffer the anguish and tribulations of a long term marriage to a real football team. I hope we get behind our team like never before on Saturday, showing what true support is about, and come what may we know it's better to be in a relationship like ours than the one those in the away end have with their team.

Might be wrong, but wasn't our best spell when we had Harper in goal, Enrique left-back, and Faye & Cacapa centre-backs? It certainly was. Shay's form this season doesn't merit the "Shearer like" automatic choice status he seems to enjoy, especially with an arguably better keeper on the bench.

I've been scanning this thread for the last few days and trying to bite my tongue. The article contrasting the differences between Cowgate and the "wine bars" could have been written about any major city in the developed world. In my opinion Newcastle's west end is a better place than it was decades ago. Tension between "locals" and ethnic groups are mentioned - just one of those human things I'm afraid - before there were any significant immigrant groups - there was plenty of aggro between rival parishes, schools - even streets. Sadly it happens. As a white working class Geordie born in the west end - I think a lot of the "new arrivals" have added something positive to the area and the city. Talking about "poverty" in Cowgate or other parts of the UK - there is NO poverty in the UK. We're a world leading economy which looks after all it's people and provides opportunity to all. Some are less well off than others BUT there is no poverty. Go to parts of Africa, Asia or S.America if you need to know what poverty is. The people I feel sorry for in Cowgate and other similarly "deprived" areas are the good honest decent people who's daily lives are made miserable by those who's behaviour is nothing more than malice or evil nastiness. Not poverty, not lack of opportunity, not political frustration - just old fashioned malice and evil. Newcastle as a city is doing good and show casing certain positive aspects helps build confidence, attracts investment and ultimately helps all. The west end is improving - albeit it still has big problems - but let's face it is never going to be Jesmond or Gosforth. The problems have not been caused by lack of money but in some cases by handing out too much, and mollycoddling fit able people who should be looking after themselves rather than spending their state handouts on tabs, booze, phones etc and then pleading poverty, at the same time spurning education and other opportunities while always looking for someone else to blame for what has happened to them.

?? They are far from incompetent. You're not mistaking them for St.Niall and the faceless Irish crooks down the road are you ?

Aah now I know. I saw Richard Branson and one of the Dubai sheikh's in the Diamond in Ponteland on Thursday night and I wondered what they were doing here. It's all obvious now !

Well written I'm sure it will upset his colleague Louise who displays such jaundiced and often vitriolic views on all things Newcastle. Undoubtedly Newcastle has been blessed with some courageous and dynamic civic planners over the last couple of decades. Nowt happens for nowt.

Wouldn't disagree with any of that mate. When i was at Chelsea, i saw the old lady from the backpage ( been going ever since i have and well before probably. ) She was trying to stand up and see but just couldn't. Felt really sorry for her, so in a way, elderly people should have a right to see. Not that i want to sit at away games, it's just a point against standing. You've hit the nail on the head Jamie. In this day and age there's no reason why a modern stadium should not be able to cater safely for people who want to sit and people who want to stand.

He's a championship standard player who will end up making aliving at that level. Just hope it's not with us.

On BBC Breakfast this morning Stuart Maconie, who has written a book about "the north" which dispels some of the stereotypical views and confirms others, said that it is now a widely held belief that Newcastle is "the best looking city in England". And that from a Manc (I think he is ?) Nowt to do with football, but UP YOURS all you southern, provincial and macum journalists who love to have a cowardly pop at us from behind the safety of your desk. Whats more despite the present goings on, with Messrs Ashley, Keegan etc commited to the cause we WILL have a football team to match the city.

A really old expression from the days when the river was not dredged and navigable as today. At low tide it was possible (allegedly) to plodge from one side to the other. That apart it is very noticeable how clustered all 20 outfield players are at goal kicks nowadays.

They can't help that they are successful. They felt pain when the Munich disaster happened. Alot of their away support is 'proper' support not prawn sarnie eating tourists and businessmen. Manchester City hate Manchester United more than us, yet they could put football rivalry aside for 10minutes, so why can't we when it is something we all want? Away games are all about going for a fun drink, song and dance. Standing up is part of matchday tradition, and more of the 'working class' attend away games, as well as young'uns. If you go to an away game and don't want to stand just don't go, only morons sit at away games. So you are speaking for all AWAY fans are you ? If I wish to sit I'm a moron. A bit fascist that mate. Read what I wrote. Standing is great in standing areas. Sit in seated areas. Get yourself a campaign going for standing areas not for standing in seated areas - you may be more successful. ManU was a completely different club 50 years ago, now they are a successful world corporate brand supported by people who like to be assciated with successful things but have no real allegiance. But they do have SOME real fans I concede. Their away support is probably one of the best in the country. Our campaign is for safe standing sections, not standing in seated areas. What's the point in going to an away game to sit? You might as well remain on the coach/train/plane or in the comfort of your armchair. If you had dodgy knees from playing football you may have a different opinion. I find your assertion that more of the "working class" attend away games a bit strange. Are there statistics to show that a particular socio-economic group is more likely to attend away games than home ones ? More dedicated fans probably, drunk more and louder certainly, but the costs involved in travelling and in some cases the price of tickets may actually mean the true "working class" fan doesn't get to travel as much as he or she would like. Thanks for clearing up that your campaign is for safe standing areas. Then I definitely support you. I just couldn't bring myself to walk alongside those plastic fans who taunted us mercilessly at Old Trafford recently. If they were Wigan or Hartlepool fans I'd probably consider it.