nfrederi

It's all about risk & return though. I don't recall many others queuing up to put £8m in. In fact supporters have been offered a piece of the action in the past & turned down the opportunity. Share offer happened just before christmas if i remember correctly strange timing for a business man thought he would have known better. Unsuprisingly it was under subscribed but you had the option of leaving your wedge in to add to transfare kitty. Fulfilled the promise to democracise the club though. Not.

NUFC being put up for sale? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1055615/EXCLUSIVE-Newcastle-sale--fans-protest-Ashley-slump-defeat.html

May be in a minority but fail to see what sacking him would achieve. would it help curb his violent behaviou? I doubt it. If anything would be a embittered man back out on the street. If you do your time (very little i admit in this country) should you then be punished further by not being allowed to ply your trade? If anyone can rehabilitate him and keep him on the straight and narrow that man is Keegan. As for the the bit "Yet this is no examination of England’s social disorder, an analysis of who and what has turned a once peace-loving nation into a haven for feral youngsters". It smacks of looking to the past whilst wearing the rosiest of rosey glasses. We have aways had some kind of social disorders, the victorian gin palaces spring to mind. The same people who this article was written by, edited and is aimed at will be advocating that prison is for rehabilitation not punishment. Unless of course you earn loads of dosh then you can never change.

There was a game against Everton in November I think where Bez got sent off where Pav pulled off a save which is probably in the top 3 I've seen - I remember getting incredibly pissed and telling everyone "that's why we're going to win the league". I don't think Pav was s*** but take your point on Schmeichel - I also think Keegan playing Shaka at Blackburn cost us dear. Players I hate: Pat Heard John Trewick Ian Stewart Wayne Fereday Absolutely bottleless pieces of s*** to a man. Jesus yes i had just managed to forget about him hated Smith for giving him the No 9 shirt on occasion we where shit but not that shit. Roy f**king Aitken an all think he cost us a £mill in 89 for gods sake Celtic must have seen us coming

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/webster-ruling-sets-transfer-landmark-447523.html http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/webster-ruling-opens-exit-door-for-bigname-stars-784861.html Couple of links from independent quite old though In one of them states that players must give notice to their clubs within 15 days of the end of the season to enact it Seems was a compromise as the EU wanted to abolish transfer fees all together

I would be very surprised if KK and other people at the club have not before making their decision. The point is that its assumption that he does not want to change, how do you know?? Whether he can change is another matter but you cant say he doesnt want to without the facts.

The question is whether he has the capability to change. I don't think he does and I don't think he really wants to. IMO we don't need to be associated with the likes of him and we should as painlessly as possible get rid. On what are you basing that assumption? From what you have read in the press, there is a whole thread devoted to what people think of them or have you spoken to him or his therapists councillors or whoever it is treating him for his anger management.

I dont think anyone is defending him just trying to put it a little into perspective, we knew what he was when we bought him and i am sure that he will do similar again and again and again unless prison has given him his road to Damascus moment. Mick has said in previous posts its not so easy to sack him as a footballer he is due the same employment rights as a minimum wage roofer and we all take as our right. When we signed him we knew about the Dabo case the picture of his injuries was published a long time ago and i dont for one minute believe anybody at the club believed it was self defence. If we where going to sack him we should have started disciplinary procedures after he was found guilty of the city center assault. The club in my opinion made a big mistake when they took the opportunity to try and reduce his wages and pretty much gave up the moral high ground when we did this. The noises coming from his agent would suggest this will make it even harder to take the action many advocate.

what you're missing is the fact that he hadn't been found guilty yet and that the finer details of the case hadn't yet came to light. the time to make a decision is after the court case, to do so before would've been foolish. What moral high ground did the club take after he was found guilty? Did they show concern that this thug who they signed knowing full well his well known reputations and prior history had been found guilty of this assault or did they see an opportunity to cut there wage bill and save some money. The dabo incident was well known before before he signed for us and to be honest sounds a hell of a lot worse than the assault Barton was found guilty of so how can we take a moral high ground about it now.

actually he attacked two people, one of whom was a 16 year old walking past who Barton mistook for someone else, breaking a bunch of the boy's teeth. To be honest never seen that on the video

Not meant as a go at James I generally enjoy his posts but against the whole flaming torch and pitchfork deal this thread is turning into.

Ive seen the video umpteen times and to be honest you all must live sheltered lives. There has been worse assaults i would wager last Friday/Saturday nights and there will be worse this Friday/Saturday night in any given city in the UK that you care to Name. He did not knife him, did not stamp on his head, did not jump on his head when unconcious, he did not as part of a gang kick the living sh**e out of him. I dont know who his victim was but as far as i am aware he was certainly no innocent bystander who Barton just happened to decide to lay into, so to state as James did that he will be booed out of respect of the victim is ridiculous. I dont know what was said to Barton to provoke the assault but obviously something was. Not that i am saying that he was right to do what he did , we have laws against assaulting other people and for this incident he was arrested and charged for assaulting the guy but please dont paint the victim as a Mother Theresa character. The victim was even pushed away at one point and came back to shout his mouth off which provoked another assault. Did Barton have a criminal record before this conviction , i am asking because i truly do not know, not what the press have reported about his misdemeanors in the past but a fully fledged Police record. He has been found guilty of this particular assault and been given six months inside and he is now serving his time and paying his debt to society. Some might say if he did'nt have a criminal record prior to this sentence he has already been singled out for being a hight profile footballer and given a far harsher sentence then some with far more previous convictions are going to get for assaults that they carry out or have carried out which are probably far worse than what we have witnessed on the CCTV footage. So NUFC as an employer does what any other employer would and begins disciplinary proceeding against him whether that would or could include sacking him i do not know but what i do know is that we cannot keep him because we need the bodies in the squad at the moment or we cant keep him until we decide we can do without him and we cannot use his imprisonment to half his wages. We either begin disciplinary proceedings or we dont. Is it also moral that we should sack him but keep his registration to stop him plying his trade? If he where still a roofer would it be OK for his company to sack him without any formal disciplinary procedure but to also stop him plying his roofing skills with another company? This is not meant to be a defence of Barton, he seems like a ned/chav whatever you want to call them, as where the "ladies" he was with, nor his assault but we knew who we where purchasing at the time and most knew what we where getting with the package the cigar incident, Dabo etc etc This whole incident really came as no surprise to most people but lets keep things a little in perspective.

Everything has its day.........remember it from the 70s (yikes) Used to enjoy the league ladders where you diligently reproduced the league tables every week, nowadays the premier league would be kicking your door down and demanding £350 for the privilege.

Been a long sh***y day sorry :-[

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2008/06/11/ufnjoey111.xml Rejected pay cut as believes that it is motivated by a desire to cut the wage bill rather than punishment for his misdemeanors reckons he may be successful at an industrial tribunal. This last bit is interesting though if we could claw back some of what we paid Of particular interest to Newcastle will be Chelsea's victorious damages claim against their former striker Adrian Mutu last week. In what was the first case of its kind at the highest level of the sport, a Fifa ruling demanded that Mutu pay his old club £9.6 million in damages after testing positive for cocaine in 2004. Newcastle could look to emulate the success.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1023746/Ill-rue-losing-Gazza-I-quit-years-says-Sir-Alex-Ferguson.html Ferguson still rues missing out on Paul Gascoigne, who was sectioned again yesterday. 'My first experience of Paul was at Newcastle in March 1987,' he said. 'We had a central midfield of Robson, Remi Moses and Norman Whiteside. Three really competitive players, but he absolutely tore them apart. At one point, he nutmegged Remi right in front of me, then patted him on the head. I was straight out of the dug-out, screaming: "Get that little f****** so and so." 'Robbo and Whiteside were chasing him up and down the pitch, but couldn't get near him. Afterwards I told Martin Edwards not to leave until he had spoken to the Newcastle chairman. I had to get this boy. He was the best I had seen for years. I spoke to him the night before I went on holiday and he said: "Mr Ferguson, you go away and enjoy yourself. I'll be signing for Manchester United." 'Off I go, and I'm lying by the pool when there is a Tannoy for me to take a call. It was Martin telling me Tottenham had swung it by buying Paul's mum and dad a house in the northeast. We had a structure of players who could have helped him - lads from the north-east - and joining us would have given him some discipline. It was the biggest disappointment of all, losing out on him, and he admits it was a mistake. Moving down to London can't be easy for any 19-year old lad.' Anybody think it would have made a difference with the way things turned out for Gazza. Fergies handling of the young Ryan Giggs springs to mind.

They want him Dave? sorry cant be bothered looking

Perhaps the club see him as a highly rated young manager who would work well with the youth policy they're trying to implement into the club. I don't think Keegan is as popular behind the scenes as he is on the terraces lets just say. It's certainly not an outrageous concept that they may be thinking of moving Keegan on and bringing in a younger man who they may feel more comfortable with, if there are problems with Keegan behind the scenes that is. It'd be an incredible risk to take mind you, getting rid of a fans hero like Keegan and replacing him with someone that 99% of our fans will never have even heard of. Marcelino has done well in his very short managerial career so far, but he's not proven class by any means and could easily be a complete disaster. That said this guy could be the next big thing in management for all we know, and getting him in now could end up being an absolute masterstroke. I think it's probably too risky for them to seriously consider though. They'd instantly lose the backing of most if not all the fans if they got rid of Keegan now. It'd be PR suicide, and they'd have to be utterly brainless to not know it. If KK got sacked or walked because he was being undermined, Ashley will be the only bloke at SJP with a Toon top on other than the players on the pitch next season as fans would walk with KK. Heard all this before, many many times ; fans just WON'T stop going to SJP. whether KK goes or not. IF the board appointed a new manager with a half-decent record, there would NOT be a boycott - its just wishful thinking...as soon as the team started doing reasonably well, the vast majority would be straight back to their seats. It wasn't until SJH appeared on the scene AND the team started losing that the fans eventually saw that some sort of boycott was necessary.Things are totally different this time and as long as results were decent and a few decent players signed, nothing would happen. Fans have stopped going before and certainly could do again, if my memory serves me right NUFC fans for change where on the scene before SJH and in fact it was this that encouraged him, could be wrong there right enough. It wasnt just losing a few games which kicked off the boycott but a genuine disgruntlement with how the club was being run. You may be right in saying that as long as the team was winning fans would turn up again i'm not too sure. They could not possibly replace KK before season ticket renewels and if they did it afterwards i think the betrayal would undo any decent work this board have done so far and they would lose the fans. I'm pretty sure this wont happen like and KK will sign a few diamonds in the summer to set us up for a solid season after which with massive financial backing it will be onwards and upwards and after we win the Premiership Carling cup FA cup and Champions League Mike Ashley will ride off on his white charger to cure world poverty. Have a look at attendances during Season 1988-89, which was when the club signed Robertson(Hearts), Thorn & Beasant(Wimbledon) and John Hendrie(Bradford City) after selling Gazza to Spurs...the place was packed , simply because the club had spent big money on these players and only Hendrie was anything like a success...relegation followed...this was also the season that SJH had declared his takeover bid.... In 89-90, the club failed to win promotion after losing at home to the Mackems in the play-offs and again had some very decent attendances. The only time there has been a serious boycott at SJP was the final home game of 77-78 against Norwich AFTER the club's relegation had been confirmed ; a mere 7,700 turned up which was, of course, a protest gesture. I say again, there would be NO boycott if KK walked out and was replaced by a decent manager who was given a reasonable budget to spend...there would only be major reaction if someone like Souness got the job again, and that is highly-unlikely. NUFC fans had 3 or 4 years of managerial cock-ups under Shepherd, they watched the club decline and there was STILL no boycott of any significance - never underestimate the 'we've got to support the Lads whatever happens' syndrome ! The only time i remember the place packed was the home game versus Liverpool (but i missed the first half of the season and didnt get home till January 89) . Attendences must have been generally between 14000 - 28000 at a time when a tenner would get you a seat in the Milburn stand. The supporters for change boycott must have kicked in before the first game of the season home to Leeds and i think that the only time we approached full capacity that year was the Man U, Wolves and Sunderland home games. This current board sacked a deeply unpopular Sam Allardyce who was vastly underachieving and who was not their choice of manager. I do not think they would get away with replacing Keegan with whoever quite so easily. He is their choice, massively popular and whoever they where to replace him with would have no guarantees of success with or without financial backing As you state a full boycott would not happen but a even a few thousand empty seats would be more noticeable now. When the supporters for change where holding their protest we where a nothing club expected to struggle in the old Div 1 and then ponce around in Division 2 it was what we did best apart from being unambitious and selling our best talent. All this is immaterial, bar being a good trip down memory lane as I really dont think that they would be insane enough to replace Keegan with Marcelino or anyone else.

Perhaps the club see him as a highly rated young manager who would work well with the youth policy they're trying to implement into the club. I don't think Keegan is as popular behind the scenes as he is on the terraces lets just say. It's certainly not an outrageous concept that they may be thinking of moving Keegan on and bringing in a younger man who they may feel more comfortable with, if there are problems with Keegan behind the scenes that is. It'd be an incredible risk to take mind you, getting rid of a fans hero like Keegan and replacing him with someone that 99% of our fans will never have even heard of. Marcelino has done well in his very short managerial career so far, but he's not proven class by any means and could easily be a complete disaster. That said this guy could be the next big thing in management for all we know, and getting him in now could end up being an absolute masterstroke. I think it's probably too risky for them to seriously consider though. They'd instantly lose the backing of most if not all the fans if they got rid of Keegan now. It'd be PR suicide, and they'd have to be utterly brainless to not know it. If KK got sacked or walked because he was being undermined, Ashley will be the only bloke at SJP with a Toon top on other than the players on the pitch next season as fans would walk with KK. Heard all this before, many many times ; fans just WON'T stop going to SJP. whether KK goes or not. IF the board appointed a new manager with a half-decent record, there would NOT be a boycott - its just wishful thinking...as soon as the team started doing reasonably well, the vast majority would be straight back to their seats. It wasn't until SJH appeared on the scene AND the team started losing that the fans eventually saw that some sort of boycott was necessary.Things are totally different this time and as long as results were decent and a few decent players signed, nothing would happen. Fans have stopped going before and certainly could do again, if my memory serves me right NUFC fans for change where on the scene before SJH and in fact it was this that encouraged him, could be wrong there right enough. It wasnt just losing a few games which kicked off the boycott but a genuine disgruntlement with how the club was being run. You may be right in saying that as long as the team was winning fans would turn up again i'm not too sure. They could not possibly replace KK before season ticket renewels and if they did it afterwards i think the betrayal would undo any decent work this board have done so far and they would lose the fans. I'm pretty sure this wont happen like and KK will sign a few diamonds in the summer to set us up for a solid season after which with massive financial backing it will be onwards and upwards and after we win the Premiership Carling cup FA cup and Champions League Mike Ashley will ride off on his white charger to cure world poverty.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/transfer_centre/ apparantly Norwich lead the chase Also nothing to do with this thread but express reckon Roy Keane has emerged as the shock new name on the Chelsea shortlist.

A healthy dose of realism does no harm can be realistic and still love your club. Would rather have realism than we are going to sign this superstar or that superstar or ten. If the current realism of the fans helps Kev build a team then good. We are where we are and i wouldnt mind being in Evertons, Spurs or Villas position at the moment and the UEFA though not the competition it was still has an attraction for the players we are able to attract hence Modric signing for Spurs (no doubt location played a part also) plus when we where in it a couple of seasons back i would have gladly taken the poxy competition as would many many others. As for us having a world wide appeal and being known as the 5th biggest club in England i really think that is statement is nonsense, more like known as a club with a great ground which is packed every home game even though we havent won a domestic trophy for at least 5 decades. I am sure that we will bring players in during the summer and no doubt they will be quality but if these players dont include such as Henri and Deco swallowing up large chunks of the wage bill then so be it. I thinks Kevs outburst after Chelsea game was to keep everyones feet on the ground and long may it continue we are a fair old distance from Everton and Villa at the moment and it will take time.

Playing for pens from the quarter finals onwards.......fair result in the end Zenit deserved to win it and i was dreading the thought of extra time. Wonder if Big Sam was sitting with a boner for 72 mins sexy sexy football Linked with Cuellar a while back what did everyone think of him

We can and we did .......for Modric offered a bigger fee to his club apparantly over two instalments rather than Spurs three installments also offered better wages chose Spurs for European competition and being based in London. Woodgate more or less the same been done to death on numerous threads

The top 4 are light years ahead of us at the moment. Look at who Chelsea brought off the bench and consider the fact that Ashley Cole and SWP didnt even play. What Keegan was saying is that he cannot get us to that level from where we are right now no matter how much we spend in the summer. If we go out and spend 50m on 3 or 4 players Chelsea or Man U can spend that on one. I think after the recent good form he was just trying to damper some of the more ludricious expectations that in one summer transfer window we can be transformed from a club which has just had a hell of a relegation scare to a top four club. He even mentioned that Liverpool are having difficulty bridging the gap from fourth to title challengers. At no point in the interview did he state that there is going to be no money to spend or that he is at odds with Mort, Ashley, Wise or anyone else at the club. He did not seem despondant but relaxed and relatively happy considering we had been pissed on during the second half. Just telling it how it is. The next level of clubs is where we should be aiming for and for the time left on his contract he believes it is achievable. The press and some others on here are just reading into it what they want to read into it and i doubt very much players such as Owen think in there wildest dreams we will be competing for the title with Man U chelsea or Arsenal, like me they no doubt know that again the title will be contested soley by those clubs next season and very probably the season after too. so reeeeeeeeeeellllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He doesn't sound down to me, he's laughing at the end. Nor me listened to it again just telling it how it is, we have had a good run but lets keep our feet on the ground even with money to burn in the summer we are not going to break into the top four. With the champions league cash they have been getting stronger every year quoted the fact that Ashley Cole didnt get a game and SWP was in the corridor rather than the 16 to emphasise the strength in depth that they have. Did however sound optimistic that we could challenge the mini league below the top four which sounds to me like Kev just trying to keep everyones feet on the ground not wanting the owner, board or fans to get too carried away.