Paully

More from Pirlo's book! Ha ha ha! Andrea Pirlo talks candidly about his career: On that 'panenka' penalty; on Roy Hodgson; on Zlatan Ibrahimovic; on Mario Balotelli; on winning the World Cup and on his PlayStation obsession 1 / 1 Andrea Pirlo has enjoyed a trophy-laden career for both club and country GETTY IMAGES In his amazing new book, Italy legend Andrea Pirlo talks about a remarkable career, Sam Wallace picks out the highlights Sam Wallace Tuesday 15 April 2014 • www.zalando-lounge.de More than that, Andrea Pirlo is one cool dude. The luxuriously bearded Italian has been one of the most cultured midfielders of his generation. He was also the man with the nerve to chip Joe Hart in the Euro 2012 penalty shoot-out. Now 34, he will face England again in their first World Cup game in Italy in Manaus on 14 June. His autobiography, I Think Therefore I Play, published in English by Back Page Press, is one of the best footballers’ memoirs of recent times. This is Pirlo, in his own words. On himself I don't feel pressure ... I don't give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, July 9, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup. On Milanello We met in the room used for team meals, halfway between the kitchen and the hall with the hearth where Berlusconi would pound away on the piano and tell various kinds of jokes. Equidistant between the most modest part of the complex and the richest. Between a symbol of humility and one of unabashed power. Between a place where people sweat buckets earning relatively little, and a spot where they earn a fortune sweating just the right amount. On denying transfer rumours You're then forced to tell the media a lot of crap; provided, of course, that they manage to ask you the right question. If they enquire whether it's right you'd practically signed for Madrid, you are duty-bound to respond hiding behind well worn clichés and half truths. You read a dull, lifeless script written by press officers with no talent or creative spark. “No, that's not the case. I'm perfectly happy in Milan.” F*** off! On his PlayStation obsession After the wheel, the PlayStation is the best invention of all time. And ever since it's existed, I've been Barcelona, apart from a brief spell way back at the start when I'd go Milan. The head to heads [with room-mate Alessandro Nesta, 'Sandro'] were pure adrenaline. I'd go Barcelona and so would Sandro. Barca v Barca. The first player I'd pick was the quickest one, Samuel Eto'o, but I'd still end up losing a lot of the time. I'd get pissed off and hurl away my controller before asking Sandro for a rematch. And then I'd lose again. It's not like I could use the excuse that his coach was better than mine: it was Pep Guardiola for him and Pep Guardiola for me. At least in terms of our manager we set out on a level footing. One day we thought about kidnapping him. The flesh and bones, real life version that is. It was August 25, 2010, and we were with Milan at the Nou Camp for the Gamper pre-season tournament. We thought better of our hostage-taking in the end. To avoid constantly falling out, we'd have needed to saw him in two when we got back to Italy, and that wouldn't have been a good idea. How the poor thing would have suffered. On meeting Guardiola about a move to Barca I wasn't really bothered about much else in the room besides the person who had summoned me. Guardiola was sitting in an armchair. He began to tell me about Barcelona, saying that it's a world apart, a perfect machine that pretty much invented itself. He wore a white shirt and a pair of dark trousers whose colour matched that of his tie. He was elegant in the extreme, much like his conversation. I immediately thought of Sandro – he'd die of jealousy when I told him [that Guardiola wanted to sign Pirlo]. I was taking away the 50% of Guardiola that belonged to him. On being given the first penalty in the 2006 World Cup final shootout Being first on the spot, kicking off that torture in the biggest, most incredible game that a player can play or imagine ... That's not necessarily good news. It means they think you're the best, but it also means that if you miss, you're first on the list of d********. On taking that penalty against France Caressing the ball was something I had to do. I lifted my eyes to the heavens and asked for help because if God exists, there's no way he's French. I took a long, intense breath. That breath was mine, but it could have been the manual worker who struggles to make it to the end of the month, the rich businessmen who is a bit of a shit, the teacher, the student, the Italian expats who never left our side during the tournament, the well-to-do Milanese signora, the hooker on the street corner. In that moment, I was all of them. You won't believe me, but it was right in that very moment I understood what a great thing it is to be Italian. It's a truly priceless privilege. On his ‘panenka’ penalty against Hart I made my decision right at the last second, when I saw Joe Hart, the England goalie, doing all sorts on his line. As I began my run up, I still hadn't decided what I was going to do. And then he moved and my mind was made up. It was all impromptu, not premeditated. The only way I could see pushing my chances of scoring close to 100%. There was absolutely no showboating about it - that's not my style. On the honour of playing for Italy Take someone like Antonio Cassano. He says he's slept with 700 women in his time, but he doesn't get picked for Italy any more. Deep down, can he really be happy? I certainly wouldn't be. On Rino Gattuso Rino's word was law at Milan, and anyone new to the club was aware that the first thing they had to do if they made a mistake was explain themselves to him. Just having that knowledge drastically reduced the chances of people f***ing up. On Marcello Lippi's approach during the 2006 World Cup It was a real team effort that made us world champions in Germany but, at one point, Lippi had this to say about the group: “You're all s***; you disgust me ... You talk to the journalists too much. You're spies who can't keep a single secret – those guys always know the team in real time. What's that all about? I can't even trust you.” On playing for Roy Hodgson at Inter Milan Hodgson mispronounced my name. He called me 'Pirla' (d*******), perhaps understanding my true nature more than the other managers. On agreeing to join Chelsea (Milan refused to sell) It was August 2009 and I had reached agreement with Chelsea, the club where Ancelotti had just come in as manager. Carlo was like a father and a teacher for me, a kind, friendly man who knew how to make things fun. On the legendary fight at Milanello between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Oguchi Onyewu I saw them laying into one another like two bullyboys from the roughest estate. They looked like they were trying to kill each other: there were definitely some broken ribs, despite silence and denials from the king's buglers who said it was just a 'lively confrontation'. Those of us who'd witnessed it were put in mind of a mafia-style settling of the scores. On losing the Champions League final to Liverpool in 2005 in Istanbul having led 3-0 When that torture of the game was finished, we sat like a bunch of half-wits in the dressing room ... we were bloodthirsty zombies faced with an unforeseen problem – the blood was ours and they'd drunk every last drop. We couldn't speak. We couldn't move. They'd mentally destroyed us. The damage was already evident even in those early moments, and it only got more stark and serious as the hours went on. Insomnia, rage, depression, a sense of nothingness. We'd invented a new disease with multiple symptoms: Istanbul syndrome. I no longer felt like a player, and that was devastating enough. Even worse, I no longer felt like a man. That's right: for f***'s sake. Double f***. The first words that come to my lips when I think of Istanbul. On Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to use Park Ji Sung to man-mark him, something Pirlo hates Even Ferguson, the purple-nosed manager who turned Manchester United into a fearsome battleship, couldn't resist the temptation. He's essentially a man without blemish, but he ruined that purity just for a moment when it came to me. A fleeting shabbiness came over the legend that night. On one of the many occasions when our paths crossed during my time at Milan, he unleashed Park Ji Sung to shadow me. The midfielder must have been the first nuclear powered South Korean in history, in the sense that he rushed about the pitch at the speed of an electron. On the racists who abuse Mario Balotelli They’re a truly horrendous bunch, a herd of frustrated individuals who’ve taken the worst of history and made it their own ... whenever I see Mario at an Italy training camp, I’ll give him a big smile. It’s my way of letting him know that I’m right behind and that he mustn’t give up. A gesture that means ‘thank you’.

Ha ha ha! Superb!

All Other Clubs Continue Growth While Mike Ashley Shrinks Newcastle Spot on mate!

“If we can get a win or maybe score the first goal that will give us a boost and we can kick on form there. We’re far from finished in the league. “You need to stand tall and be strong. “Particularly at a club like this because it’s a tough club to play for, Hopefully, we can show that resilience to get a result.” http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-boss-alan-pardew-6949572

Loads of stuff about 12-13 here - emphasises how drastically all revenue has decreased under the fat wanker bar the 1 area he has no control over - media

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/agenda-newcastle-united-stopped-talking-6940110?

Sport Football Football News Alan Pardew Dan Gosling says Manchester United's win was 'flattering' but adds pressure on Pardew Apr 07, 2014 08:55 By Stuart Rayner 5 Comments 4 Shares Share Tweet +1 Email Dan Gosling might have argued afterwards that Newcastle United's 4-0 defeat was not a fair reflection, but it added to the pressure on Alan Pardew Dan Gosling of Newcastle United and Adnan Januzaj of Manchester United Dan Gosling might have argued afterwards the scoreline flattered Manchester United, but another heavy defeat has added to the pressure on Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew. While a mid-table finish is all but guaranteed, the statistics stacking up against the Magpies are extremely worrying. The last three games have ended in heavy defeats, with 11 goals conceded and none scored, but the malaise extends back to Boxing Day. Since then Newcastle have failed to score in 11 of 15 matches. Seven of the nine home games in all competitions have been lost. So even if – and it is a big if – Gosling was right to argue Saturday’s 4-0 scoreline was not a fair reflection of the 90 minutes, many fans are coming to the conclusion a change of manager is needed. “The result doesn’t actually reflect what went on, I think we were better than the scoreline suggests,” argued the midfielder, after only his second Premier League start since joining from Everton in 2010. “We had more of the ball, passed it around and the first half was tight until they got a decision which went their way.” Newcastle had been the better side until Juan Mata curled in a 39th-minute free-kick, but from that point on they failed to contest the game. Had the Red Devils not been more concerned with preserving energy ahead of Wednesday’s European Cup quarter-final second leg at Bayern Munich, they would surely have scored further goals. Mata had his opportunity to open the scoring because Gosling tackled Darren Fletcher from the wrong side just beyond Newcastle’s penalty area. The Spaniard doubled the lead five minutes after the interval, with Javier Hernandez and Adnan Januzaj completing what became an easy away win. Gosling added: “There could have been an offside in the build-up to the move which ended in a free-kick and Mata scored it. “Even Fletcher told me he didn’t think it was a foul. “They only had four shots really, our goalkeeper (Rob Elliot) didn’t make many saves I don’t think. I think 4-0 flatters them a lot. “Papiss (Cisse) had two shots, the goalkeeper (Anders Lindegaard) pulled off some good save, and we could have had a few (goals) last week too. “We are creating chances. We just need one to go in somehow. It has been a difficult period and we need to defend better as a team and attack better as a team. It is in both areas at the minute.” Given he will be out of contract at the end of the season, Gosling had every incentive to perform and he countered the suggestion his team-mates are coasting towards the end of the season. He said: “It was nice to play and to try to help the team. “I want to play every week. We will see how training goes and I will respect the manager’s decision for his team (to travel to Stoke City on Saturday). “The game was tight until the second goal, which arrived from a mistake (By Fabricio Coloccini). “If you are two down against Man United it’s going to be difficult. No matter how tough they have had it this season they are still a top, top side. “The lads are not going out there thinking about their summer holidays. Totally not. We are trying to win games. “We are not conceding goals on purpose. We have played three very good sides lately (Everton, Southampton and Manchester United) and they are all above us in the league and have bigger squads than we have. “We are probably second in our mini-league, Southampton are above us by two points. “We are still chasing them down and if we finish eighth it will be a great season. “The Britannia (Stadium, home of Stoke) is a tough place to go next too. Stoke turn over teams on a regular basis there. “We know it will be difficult. We will be looking to put a good week of training in, rest a few legs which are struggling and go there and get a result.” Although murmurings of discontent were few and far between in what – the away end apart – was an extremely subdued St James’s Park, there was an angry reaction against Pardew on social media after the game. It did not help during a post-match press conference in which he insisted the root of Newcastle’s poor form was the absence of key players – Loic Remy, Tim Krul, Mathieu Debuchy and Moussa Sissoko were all injured – the Londoner kept referring to the away team as “United”. More alarming than the gap in ability between the sides – and Manchester United were without the injured Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Jonny Evans, Rafael da Silva and Ryan Giggs and the rested Danny Welbeck, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand – was the complete lack of appetite the Magpies showed once behind.

Ha ha ha! https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8257914/safc.mp4

Ha ha ha! It is mate - I'm not sure how anyone can mock my clothes mind!

Ha ha ha! [attachment deleted by admin]

Our record since Boxing Day; 0-1 0-1 0-2 3-1 90th minute 0-0 0-3 0-3 0-4 1-0 90th minute 4-1 90th minute 0-1 1-0 90th minute 0-3

“If anyone said after our opening-day defeat at Manchester City that we would have had 46 points on the board heading into the final phase of the season, we would have snapped your hands off. “Yet there is a feeling at the training ground that we should aim for more in the next few weeks.”

Newcastle hope "essential" Fabricio Coloccini will forget transfer talk and stay on Tyneside Mar 24, 2014 22:30 By Simon Bird Doubts about Coloccini’s future have persisted since he asked to quit the St James’ Park club for personal reasons in January last year with Argentina's San Lorenzo desperate to bring him back to his homeland. He also went back to South America in January this year when he was injured, and again to deal with a family bereavement earlier this month. Coloccini is the first name on Pardew’s team sheet and the manager wants him to honour the next two years of his contract. Pardew, whose side entertain Everton on Tuesday, said: “I’m not worried about it at this stage, but obviously it is a conversation that I will have with Colo and we will pick the right decision for the club. “What might be right for him might not be right for the club, but I am hoping we both make the same decision because I want him to stay. He is an essential part of this team, one of my most important players. “I don’t see anything to give me cause for alarm, if I am honest. His mentality for the game will never change. “He is quite calm. He enters the game to be the best player - and most of the time he is.” http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...#ixzz2wxQvsIy5 Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

Newcastle United will heavily subsidise tickets for two upcoming away fixtures following fan feedback on how the Club should spend funds as part of the Premier League's away supporters' initiative. The scheme was introduced by the Premier League at the start of the current campaign to arrest declining visiting supporter attendances, with £200K Per top flight club earmarked to be spent for that purpose across each of the next three seasons. While United's preferred route would be to enter into reciprocal price deals with clubs, driving down the original price of tickets for both sets of fans, Newcastle will firstly discount £10 from all tickets purchased by its supporters for the trip to Stoke City on Saturday, 12th April, with the Club expected to take its full allocation of almost 3,000 tickets at the Britannia Stadium. The Club has also discounted tickets for the fixture at the Emirates Stadium by £10. Tickets for juniors travelling to Arsenal will now be effectively free of charge, with only a standard £1 administration charge per ticket remaining payable. Tickets for both matches are now on sale for season ticket holders with 50 or more loyalty points. Remaining tickets will go on sale to season ticket holders with 25 or more loyalty points from 10am on Friday (21st March) and all other season ticket holders from 10am on Monday (24th March). The Members' sale period for Stoke City will begin on Friday, 28th March, should there be tickets remaining. The Members' sale period for Arsenal will be confirmed in due course.

I'd give young Arma a go! Absolutely nothing to lose! Colo in for Debuchy with MYM RB and Armstrong in for Remy from Hull!

He is the leader of our football team! http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20140313/colo-the-leader_2281670_3711762

Absolutely fantastic • By Neil Cameron • Comments Sir Bobby wanted the foundation to be his legacy - only his name could raise so much 13 Mar 2014 10:41 Almost five years after his death, the name of Sir Bobby Robson continues to raise millions of pounds through the foundation he set-up. Share on printShare on email Sir Bobby Robson Monday morning was spent in a cancer ward. The patients in there aren’t going to get better. The best they can hope for now is a few more years of life. My conversation with the lady sitting across from me is one of those that after a bit you find there is something in your eye. Let’s not beat about the bush. We are talking death. Of great people. Of young people. And if we can sum up such a topic it is that life isn’t fair and cancer really does deserve a massive kick in the goolies. So why did I walk away from my hospital visit with a skip in my step and feeling just that bit better about the world we live in? Because I spent my morning at the Freeman Hospital, specifically inside the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre. It reminded me why people, football people especially, are actually really good for the most part. I spent most of the morning with Liz Luff. To describe her as the woman who does the PR for Sir Bobby’s foundation would be like suggesting the great man was something in football. She is all that and more. Much more. And it was my great fortune to meet Professor Ruth Plummer, who was Sir Bobby’s doctor as he faced cancer for the fifth and, as he was all too aware, the final time. We are approaching the foundation’s sixth anniversary. It’s as good a time as any to take you over why Sir Bobby’s name has managed to raise close to £6m and built a cancer care unit, which houses vital drug trials that are going to save lives. “Sir Bobby wanted this to be his legacy,” explains Liz who has been involved right from the beginning. She was in PR and marketing for an agency in town. The foundation – she did the PR at the launch – became more than just a client. Liz began using days off to work for Sir Bobby. It meant that much. And then fortune took over. Sir Bobby Robson with Liz Luff Liz said: “When I was with an agency, they asked me to work with Sir Bobby because I was a season ticket holder at St James’ Park. I nearly broke my neck jumping over my desk to say yes. “Working with him was a passion for me. Like anyone who had a connection with the guy, you just wanted his approval. So I did a lot of stuff in my spare time. “Then I was made redundant. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but what I did know was that I wasn’t going to give up the Sir Bobby Foundation. I set up as a freelance because working with him meant too much. “I am sure Sir Bobby had no idea he had this affect on my life, but working with him gave me more confidence in my own abilities than I ever had before. “I worked with some fantastic managers, but Sir Bobby could make anyone feel great about themselves. I know so many people who through meeting Sir Bobby have gone on to make life-changing decisions. “I won’t be the first person to say this, but I wanted him to be proud of me. I didn’t want to let him down. “He worked hard so you worked hard. You made sure everything was done to his standards. He genuinely changed my life. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to go out on my own if it hadn’t been for him.” And so Liz and Sir Bobby, plus a lot of other people, started to put on events before and after his death, on July 31, 2009, and so far they have raised close to £6m. It’s a remarkable total. “The charity came out of aspecific need. Prof Plummer was treating Sir Bobby and he knewthere was nothing that could be done for him,” added Liz. “She needed £500,000 to equip a cancer trials research centre. She asked Sir Bobby if he knew of anyone who would like to contribute. “And despite the fact he was very ill himself at this point, he told Ruth that this wasn’t her job. “Her job was to look after people with cancer, so he took on the responsibility to raise the money. “We launched in March 2008. He was nervous. He didn’t know what response he would get. He did charity work before, but this was the first time he put his name to something. He was asking people for money. He keenly felt that responsibility. “Ruth got the £500,000 she needed within seven weeks.” Sir Bobby Robson hands over a cheque for £500,000 to Prof Ruth Plummer, the oncologist who treated him towards the end of his life. The money, which helped equip the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, was raised in a matter of weeks once Sir Bobby put his name to the project You get to the centre by walking down what is known as the football corridor. On either wall hangs pictures of Sir Bobby, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. All three big North East clubs have stepped up to the plate. “Ruth was telling me that patients are late for their appointments because they spend so much time looking at the pictures,” Liz says with a smile. And there are a lot of smiles at the centre itself. It’s not a gloomy place. You wouldn’t want to find yourself there, but those who do get the best of care. When you are buzzed through the big set of double doors, you are greeted by the friendly front-desk staff and a picture of a certain County Durham lad. “Lady Elsie likes it because she says he’s smiling with her eyes,” Liz says. It’s there I meet Prof Plummer, or Ruth as she insists on me calling her. The affection that existed between her and Sir Bobby is clear to see, even if he, at times, could be “a handful.” She tells me a brilliant story. Sir Bobby, despite not being great, liked to come down and see the centre take shape. He would talk his way past the builders, a few autographs and some nice words did the trick, and then would wander around without a hard hat, stretching over pipes and holes in the ground. “I mean, imagine if he fell in,” says Ruth. To give some context, the facilities before were a bit grim. “Sir Bobby used to say we had a great team, but we needed a new stadium,” recalls Liz. “His attitude was always ‘let’s get this sorted.’ Everything could be done. It rubbed off on everyone.” Lady Elsie with the suit her husband wore at 1990 World Cup semi-final It’s easy to feel cynical when famous people put their names to charity. You do wonder what their real intentions are. Not with this one. Remember, this was a terminally ill man who used up every last ounce of his remaining energy to do some good. Liz says: “After a trustees meeting just recently, one of Sir Bobby’s sons sent me a text which says, ‘It’s quite a thing we have on our hands.’ I loved that. So understated. We don’t have professional fundraisers. We are totally reliant on people who come to us to say they would like to do something. “The power of his name opens doors to places you wouldn’t believe. “In February last year, which would have been his 80th birthday, we had the Knight to Remember at the Sage and the names we got were unbelievable. “Mark Knopfler was there! “That night we received a letter from Sepp Blatter and a cheque for £10,000 from FIFA. “We also had juniors from Winlaton Football club distributing the programmes. “So we had contributions from right at the top of the game to junior football. The full spectrum. He would have absolutely loved that.” Liz never thought the charity would fail, but the way it has taken off never ceases to amaze her. She will probably hate so much attention on her, but Liz is a little – she is tiny, bless – hero. The charity is even more personal for her as her sister Rebecca was diagnosed soon after Sir Bobby died and she sadly passed away nine months later. She had 18 months of working with the man. It was a precious time. “I was very lucky to get to know him. He had a presence every time he walked in a room. Very few people have that. It was special to meet him, every single time,” she said. “The last time I saw him was at the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy at St James’. It was the last time he left the house. We didn’t know if he would make it because he was so poorly. “He would go to any event he could. He’d step up a gear and you would think there was nothing wrong with him. But then he’d have to spend the next day in bed.” Did he ever get your name wrong? “Ha. No, but there was one time, and by this stage I’d worked with him God knows how many times, and he whispered to his PA Judith, ‘It is Liz, isn’t it?’ “Well he thought he’d whispered it. It came right across the room. You had to laugh.” Liz is rightly proud to be part of something so big, so important. He wasn’t a bad manager was Sir Bobby, but there are few who can claim they have helped literally to save lives. Perhaps this says it best. In Professor Plummer’s room, she keeps a signed picture of her most famous patient. It reads: “Why did you ask? I’m glad you did.” The Sir Bobby Robson Centre • Constructed by the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the Northern Institute for Cancer Research and Newcastle University, the Sir Bobby Robson Centre is at the forefront of research into cancer. • It brings together all the clinical research staff who are working to improve cancer treatments into one purpose-built unit with a clinical treatment area, laboratory space for blood sample handling and offices for data collection and drug safety reporting. • The Centre offers patients access to early trials and potential new treatments and works closely with the Imaging Research Centre to improve diagnosis and study the effects of new drugs. • Often these are ‘first in human’ trials and the Centre’s dedicated staff also co-ordinate trials of drugs at later stages of development, working with the National Cancer Networks to ensure patients are offered the best options for treatment. • Every patient who goes on an experimental trial in the Sir Bobby Centre has terminal cancer and knows that standard treatment will not prove effective for them. • In some cases, patients are aware from the outset that the treatment they receive in the Centre will not benefit them at all – but that the information gained from their participation will help someone else facing cancer in the future. They are, as Sir Bobby put it, “utterly selfless and brave.” • Most recently, the Foundation contributed £438,000 to purchase an ImageStream Imaging Flow Cytometer, called an ImagestreamX (ISx), which allows scientists to see cancer cells that may be circulating in a patient’s blood and is able to analyse up to 4,000 individual cells a second. • It will provide an insight into how cancers spread around the body and how effectively new treatments are working and will primarily help with the drug trials being undertaken in the Sir Bobby Robson Centre. • The Foundation’s largest funding contribution to date, £850,000, is helping purchase the latest generation in stereotactic radiotherapy surgery.

Ha ha ha! @m_christenson: Nicklas Bendtner accused of threatening taxi driver, dropping his trousers & rubbing himself against the car in Copenhagen last night #afc 'Bendtner...threatened him with the words “I will f*** you.” 'Bendtner unbuttoned his trousers and rubbed against the side of the car.'#afc

The Secret Footballer isn't a fan of him! It must be Dave Kitson who he managed at Reading?! http://www.teamtalk.com/newcastle-united/9208475/- Pardew a ticking bomb I don't know what was going through Alan Pardew's mind when he squared up to Hull City's David Meyler and head-butted him. It's bad enough seeing players squaring up to one another, with their heads pushing against each other. My friend had the best solution. He'd twist the nipple of his opposite number and make him look ridiculous. I don't care who you are, a nicely timed nipple pinch is capable of bringing Mike Tyson to his knees. I know it sounds pathetic but, actually, it immediately shows up angry footballers for what many of them are when the gloves come off. All talk and no substance. Regardless of how soft the head-butt might have been, what Pardew did was a disgrace and the FA has handed down a stiff punishment - a three-match stadium ban, then a four-match touchline ban, plus a £60,000 fine. Pardew's biggest problem, as I've written before, is that he has a massive ego and doesn't take kindly when he feels he has been shown up - as when a player bundles him out of the way to retrieve a ball. His ego won't allow him to be portrayed as a pushover and, in some cases, that outlook probably serves him well. Yet in the wrong situation, it's a bomb waiting to go off. Newcastle acted quickly following the incident, fining Pardew £100,000, but quite a few people, including Alan Shearer, were surprised the 52-year-old even held on to his job. It has been alleged in the past that Pardew and Ashley have a financial arrangement away from football that involves substantial monies owed by the former to the latter, claims strenuously denied by Pardew, but it has again been suggested to me several times over the past week that the relationship between the pair is linked to more than on-field success. It would certainly explain why, even when Newcastle are performing woefully on the pitch, there is never anything to be read about a potential successor to Pardew. Make of it all, amid the claim and counter-claim, what you will... http://www.teamtalk.com/news/2483/91...dgy-deals-rife As for the manager, Alan Pardew, he seems to take the praise with ease when Newcastle win and finds a lot of excuses that point blame as far away from himself as possible during the tougher times. Chris Hughton's sacking at Newcastle came as a surprise to many but I was told that Pardew had been working on Ashley for months by hanging around the Ritz casino and gambling with him until they'd formed some sort of friendship. Suddenly, he's the Newcastle manager. He is an interesting character but not my favourite person.

11 years ago - The San Siro! Majestic trip!

1 year ago today! Pre-match boozing around Red Square and The Kremlin was a bit different to say the least! Cracking trip! My pink Russian hat and green coat certainly looked a treat! Ha ha ha! http://www.nufc.co.uk/javaImages/84/eb/0,,10278~11725700,00.gif

Keith Barrett has been posting his e-mails with the Hull Chief Inspector on Facebook - some very valid points indeed; I have today e mailed Chief Inspector Richie Kirven of Humberside Police asking him a simple question. I see no reason to keep it private so here is a copy for ...any football fans that may be interested . Dear Chief Inspector Kirven, I note with great interest that you as Chief Inspector for Humberside Police have decided to take no further action against Mr. Alan Pardew, manager of Newcastle United Football Club after he head butted a Hull City player in the KC Stadium Kingston Upon Hull on Saturday 1st March 2014. An incident shown and witnessed by millions on television. I was involved in an incident myself at the KC Stadium on 3rd January 2009 which resulted in a 3 year banning order from all football stadiums in Great Britain, and a £1500 fine, I still have the video evidence of the incident as I am sure you do, I think most witness's would agree there is no difference in the level of violence used in both incidents. I appeared twice at Hull Magistrstes Court and I funded my own appeal at Hull Crown Court, I remember very clearly how this point was made to me by the magistrate, ' Mr.Barrett, you must remember where this act of violence took place, inside a football stadium, anyone, (anyone, Chief Inspector) who commits an act of violence at the KC Stadium will be punished by an automatic 3 year banning order, we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour in the City of Hull' I quote below the Government statute for issuing football banning orders, 'Civil' Football Banning Orders - s. 14 B - on Complaint From the 6th April 2007 prosecutors are able to apply for a 'civil' football banning order. The court must make an order if satisfied that the respondent has at any time caused or contributed to any violence or disorder in the UK or elsewhere and that there are reasonable grounds to believe that it would help to prevent violence or disorder at or in connection with any regulated football matches. For s.14 (A) and (B), "violence" means violence against persons or property and includes threatening violence and doing anything which endangers the life of any person. Also, disorder includes: stirring up hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins, or against an individual as a member of such a group, using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour, displaying any writing or other thing which is threatening, abusive or insulting. Most importantly, the terms "violence" and "disorder" are not limited to violence or disorder in connection with football. The courts are given a wide discretion of what to take into account in making a s. 14B Football Banning Order; this includes decisions of foreign courts, evidence of deportation back to the UK, removal from football matches wherever this occurred and conduct recorded visually - e.g. CCTV. The court can look at the conduct of the responded for up to ten years before the application for the making of an order. If one is unable to proceed to a conviction for a (football) relevant offence in all circumstances, it may still be possible to apply for an order under s.14 (B). Prosecutors should discuss this with police officers prior to the hearing. I think the first paragraph is extremely relevant in Mr. Pardew's case considering his track record for violent incidents inside football stadiums. So, In summary Chief Inspector, I was wondering if you could answer this simple question, Why are you not prosecuting Mr. Pardew for his act of violence at the KC Stadium ? Yours Sincerely, Keith Barrett For those interested, Chief Inspector Kirven had replied to my e mail... Keith, Thank you for your E mail, I don't know the circumstances of your banning order so I am unable to compare the two incidents to rationalize my decision making in this case. From what you have outlined there are clear differences within the circumstances of each incident, the first being that Mr Pardew is a member of the playing staff and that you were at the football match as a supporter. In the case of Mr Pardew there are other options for dealing with his behaviour other than through the criminal courts, this presumably wasn't the case for you, these options include his club and the Football Association. I know that both have already taken action against Mr Pardew, the club giving Mr Pardew a significant fine and the FA charging him with an offence which I'm sure when sentenced will have significant implications on his ability to manage his team in the near future. As part of my decision making I have discussed the option of a criminal investigation with both the Football Association and Hull City Football club. Neither supported a criminal investigation and were content for the matter to be dealt with through the FA as they felt that this was both appropriate and proportionate. Having looked at the full circumstances of this incident, I have to say am s in agreement with the other parties and believe that allowing the FA to sanction Mr Pardew is the proportionate way to deal with this regrettable incident. regards Rich Kirven T/Superintendent Operations Clough Road Police Station Kingston upon Hull Reply yesterday afternoon I have replied to the Chief Inspector. Chief Inspector Kirven, Thank you for your prompt reply. I appreciate that Mr. Pardew makes his living in a different way to me, I can not see what difference that makes. I am not particularly looking for retribution against Mr.Pardew as an individual, the point I am making is that everyone should be treated and judged by the same criteria. In my case I made slight physical contact in a violent manner and so did Mr. Pardew, why should he be treated differently to me ? Your own Hull magistrate, I do not have his name to hand, made a big point and specific statement in court that a violent act committed in the KC Stadium would automatically be punished by a three year banning order, as this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated in the City of Hull. I do not feel my question has been fully answered. In fact I feel your reply has actually raised other questions. Is an act of violence within a football stadium when committed by a member of club staff different to that committed by a football supporter ? I have looked, and can not find that outlined in The Criminal Justice Act 1968. You say there were different punishment options for Mr. Pardew compared to those available in my case, I would say the court could of doubled my fine and not issued the banning order, that would of been one option available, although it would contradict the magistrate who clearly stated that ANY act of violence would be punished by a three year banning order . So Chief Inspector can we assume that the next football supporter who is involved in a passionate, spur of the moment, violent altercation inside the KC Stadium will NOT be punished by a banning order ? I would appreciate answers to those questions. In short Chief Inspector your reply stinks of double standards. I will leave you for the time being with this quote from Mahatma Gandhi 'There is a higher court than the court of justice, and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes all other courts' Yours Sincerely Keith Barrett Another reply this morning For football fans that are interested following on from the previous... Chief Inspector Kirven Having digested your reply and slept on it, I wondered if you might clarify one or two points for the benefit of football supporters in general. I feel football supporters in this country should know what to expect if by chance, like me, they were to be provoked and goaded into an altercation inside the KC Stadium. In your first paragraph of your email you state you do not know the circumstances of my case, I'm sure you have records of my case, you could look it up and familiarise yourself which might help you to reach a fairer decision on wether Mr. Pardew should be treated the same as any other human being committing a violent act inside the KC Stadium. I have already addressed the point you raise in your second paragraph, I do not see the relevance of Mr. Pardew's occupation whilst committing a violent act, perhaps you could enlighten the general public as to which occupations are allowed to be violent inside the KC Stadium ? In your third paragraph you state 'there are other options to deal with his behaviour' does it not clearly state in The Criminal Justice Act 1968 'If there are reasonable grounds to believe that making such an order would help to prevent violence or disorder at or in connection with any regulated football matches then the court MUST make such an order' ? In Mr. Pardew's case with his previous record that paragraph of The Criminal Justice Act would be extremely relevant, so I ask why Mr. Pardew is not being prosecuted in the manner of any other human being ? In your fourth paragraph you talk about punishment by the club and the Football Association, what is the relevance of this ? I ask again, Why is Mr. Pardew not being prosecuted in the same manner as any one else committing the same offence inside the KC Stadium ? In your fifth paragraph you state you have discussed the matter with The Football Association and Hull City Football Club and neither support a criminal investigation. Why would that be Chief Inspector ? Why would someone not be prosecuted for committing a criminal act inside the KC Stadium and yet another person would be ? I can not see the difference, perhaps you could explain it ? In your last paragraph you say you agree with this decision, why ? Why would a man in your position, a Chief Inspector, agree to prosecuting one person and letting another person off Scott free for committing the same offence ? I think to most people that would seem unfair, discriminatory even. I have shared our correspondence on social media Chief Inspector as I feel the general public and certainly football fans in this country should be made fully aware of what treatment they might expect when visiting The KC Stadium depending on what they do for a living. Just be truthful Chief Inspector, that's all I ask, everyone can see what is going on here. Yours Sincerely Keith Barrett

Alan Pardew staying at Newcastle shames the memory of this once-great club - what would Sir Bobby say? • • Mar 03, 2014 20:30 • 6 • • Opinion • Ten years ago, Sir Bobby Robson was in charge of Newcastle - and now there couldn't be a greater contrast with their current boss, says Dave Kidd View gallery It is the mantra of every radio phone-in halfwit that a manager must, above all, “show passion”. Well, 10 years ago, Newcastle United employed that most passionate of all football men, Sir Bobby Robson. To attend one of his post-match briefings was one of the truest privileges my profession could offer. A great man still talking about football with ¬child-like enthusiasm after a lifetime in the game. Yet somehow you couldn’t have imagined Sir Bobby sticking the nut on an opposition player. There was plenty wrong with Newcastle’s previous board, under Freddy Shepherd, but while Sir Bobby was in position, the club boasted one of world football’s greatest statesmen as its figurehead. The man oozed class. He understood the Geordie nation, sure, but he also understood the importance of football to the working man, the world over. Sir Bobby Robson loved ¬football. Newcastle’s current manager, Alan Pardew, appears to love only himself. PA A football man: Newcastle miss the class of Sir Bobby Robson And when Pardew head-butted Hull’s David Meyler on Saturday, you could have seen it coming a mile off. Firstly because even some sensible people have swallowed the nonsense that theatrics in the technical area represent ¬necessary “passion”. And secondly because, under Mike Ashley’s stewardship, Newcastle United has become a rogue football club. Pardew had just been sacked by a third division club when Ashley appointed him to succeed the dignified, ¬promotion-winning Chris Hughton. So he is Ashley’s man. He stands for the regime which twice appointed the potty-mouthed clown Joe Kinnear to positions of authority, which renamed St James’ Park after Ashley’s chain of ¬plimsoll shops, agreed a sponsorship deal with the pay-day loan company Wonga, banned the North East’s well-respected regional newspapers and refused to sack Joey Barton after he was jailed for a violent assault. Little surprise Barton is just about the only man in football seeking to defend Pardew. So why sack Pardew now? It’s not as if Newcastle’s great cathedral on the hill has enjoyed the moral high ground for years. Many Londoners felt the Toon Army were being rather ¬parochial when they protested against their club’s ‘Cockney Mafia’. Yet how right they have been proved. And Pardew has proved himself little better than the thug who punched a police horse after defeat by Sunderland. At least the horse-puncher could cite drunkenness and a derby thrashing. Pardew was sober, his side 3-1 up in a match of limited importance, when he assaulted Meyler. But let’s not be too harsh on him as he has ‘anger management issues’, according to English people who have started talking like Americans. In Bobby Robson’s day you wouldn’t have heard of ‘anger management issues’. You may, however, have been told about good manners. And Pardew’s chief problem appears to be he has none. From his West Ham days, comes an extraordinary anecdote ¬courtesy of club ¬photographer Steve Bacon, one of several staff to dine with Pardew in a hotel before a game at Sunderland. “When the gaffer sat down with his backroom team, deciding on his order, he asked fitness coach Tony Strudwick what he was getting – and told him he’d take it if it looked good. “When the meals arrived, Pards said to Tony, ‘Yours looks better, I’m having that,’ and swapped plates. “I told him you can’t just take someone else’s dinner. Pards retorted, ‘When you’re the king, you can do anything’.” Serena Taylor Still in charge: Pardew has kept his job, despite a mounting charge sheet And while the shoving of a linesman, the abuse of Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini and touchline bust-ups with Martin O’Neill and Arsene Wenger say much for Pardew’s character, the -Strudwick incident is somehow more revelatory still. Have you ever heard of anything so ill-mannered? When Pardew loses his head, he usually attempts post-match contrition. Yet at Hull, even this was half-hearted. ‘It wasn’t a head-butt, honestly officer, I was pushing him away with my head’. And Pardew’ plan to avoid future flashpoints? He will sit down and leave the touchline ranting to assistant manager John Carver, rarely mistaken for Boutros Boutros-Ghali himself. The FA will surely impose a stadium ban and strike Pardew off the extremely short list of Englishmen with the potential to manage England. Ashley, a true price-of-everything-value-of-nothing-man, merely fined Pardew a hundred grand and slapped his wrist. That Pardew remains manager brings shame on a once-great club. Yet it will surprise no one with even the faintest knowledge of Ashley’s classless regime. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/alan-pardew-headbutt-newcastle-not-3203713#ixzz2uz1Q7YmM Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

Leeks: http://www.leekrecipes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/leeks-plant.jpg Leaks: http://www.publicadjuster.com/portals/0/images/type-of-claim/hdr-Plumbing-Leaks.jpg Ha ha! Aye mate!

My gobbledygook! http://www.true-faith.co.uk/match-report-hull-city-1-newcastle-united-4-kc-stadium-1mar14-ko-3pm-premier-league-att24903/