OzzieMandias

So what "fit and proper" criteria should/could be used to weed out an enormously successful British businessman who made his money in a related industry?

Harry Pearson's book about football in the north-east, The Far Corner, is a laugh, even though there's next to fuck all about us (he's a smoggie) and he generally tries just a little bit too hard to be funny. He has a good ear, though. One bit stuck with me so much it's become a shared joke with friends, a line that often surfaces in conversation... Pearson is in the "old codger's end" at Feetham's, watching some desperately boring Darlington game, and hears some old fucker complaining loudly about the players' lack of movement: "They're just standing there -- like grapes!"

I thought that one was excellent.

Nigeria miss flight to Brazil while squad argues about bonuses: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22895513

Indeed.

No man can step into the same river twice, for it is no longer the same river, and he is no longer the same man.

Newcastle 6—1 Tottenham (December 1999) Germany 1—5 England (September 2001)

http://www.retronaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Boxers.jpg

I don't think Brighton or Millwall are on the same carousel as Inter or PSG, like.

Or simply don't give a toss about it either way. It's laughable, the degree to which people on here get worked up about every last utterance in the press.

Made my lip proper wobble.

Saved by a couple of fluky Man City goals, ya cheap bastard.

Motives matter. I call bullshit. The money he's giving out is real money, not fake money. The staff that will be receiving this money are most likely people who are in the median income bracket, which is in the tens of thousands of pounds. If they're £4,000 better off today at 5, that'll be ten percent or more of their yearly salary. That is huge. They won't be giving a damn why he's giving this because he didn't have to. He could clearly not give this. Maybe he's giving it to provide extra motivation to the players, so fuck if he is. He doesn't have to. They're paid to play and win. Now they'll have to put some effort in to be able to look at the staff that serves them on a day to day basis in the eye. It doesn't matter that he's covered if we win because of the increased prize money in the league. He's smart and potentially many people will benefit from this when previously the only one affected was him. Good post, especially the bold bit.

Ashley worshipper!

Oh, a mean-spirited post pointlessly moaning about something that's happening at the club. What a surprise. Hey, Mike! Better not hand out any bonuses to the staff in case it embarrasses poor ickle Interpolic. Thanks!

Give Ashley a Chance he has been in the game for 4 years. He learning the ropes. Logically he has little to loose , he has the recruiting under control , the wages and the profits. All he needs is a muppet which could make the team play good football and stay our of his ass. Doesn't seem that hard compared to when he first bought the club.. 6 years actually, almost to the date. A period in which he appointed 5 managers, all of whom where English, cheap and mediocre, apart from Keegan who he decided to undermine. He has a proven track record of terrible management choices, and the things in which we seem to be improving as you suggest (correctly btw) are a direct result of penny pinching, not some ambition to make us a top club in England. Logic dictates our next managerial appointment will have to be cheap, willing to work in a system where he has no control over recruitment and quite probably English unfortunately. 2 of them were actually Irish to be pedantic. English, British, Irish, all the same to us continentals.. Aye, we think the same. Dutch, Deutsch – what's the difference?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/newcastle-preparing-shock-bid-for-manchester-united-striker-wayne-rooney-8617652.html

Have you considered self-immolation? A can of petrol and a book of matches are all it will take to end your pain forever. Do the deed outside St James' before the Arsenal game and your final act will make the papers, evoking public sympathy for the desperate plight of the Newcastle fan in his agonising struggle against managerial mediocrity.

Let's do it properly. I want to see self-immolation, people chaining themselves to railings, hunger strikes.

Hmm. Last time it took him nine games to get a win, like.

Tell that to your hero, he sounds like he needs cheering up. My hero's dead.

I think we'll beat them. Fuck all this wallowing in negativity.

Well, thank heaven Pardew did what the whingers wanted, abandoned his usual cautious approach, and went for an attacking approach.

3–0 (Ameobi 75, 84, Cisse 95)