Chris_R

Had a quick scan and can't see anything about this, but was anyone at the ground today just after half-4 when they tried to lock the gates to stop anyone else getting in? Eventually a few of us managed to get the bloke on the gate to go get his boss and it was all sorted, but they started bringing the shutters down and everything. Fans already inside were being directed out by a side door. Thought it was pretty disgusting myself, and if it hadn't been sorted out I would have been furious as they've advertised that it's open until 5pm so why shut it early when people are queued up to get in and have traveled miles to pay their respects? Anyway when I left at 5pm the gates were still open so common sense prevailed in the end. Could have been another massive publicity blunder by the club though if they'd insisted on shutting people out 30 mins before the advertised closure time.

Held it together most of the day but been watching bits on Youtube and am not ashamed for a moment to say that tears have been flowing freely. Also SSN has had a similar effect with its montages. Before today I couldn't ever imagine in a million years going somewhere to lay flowers for a bloke I've never met, it seems so preposterous. I consider myself a sensible, intelligent bloke. But despite this the Mrs and I are off to St James' Park tomorrow for just that reason. I just feel I have to be there. Might take a shirt along with me too, I'll see what I've got. Legend is an overused word, but for Sir Bobby it's not nearly enough. We haven't just lost a great manager, we've lost a great man. Rest in peace, you've earned.

This more than anything for me.

Even though I knew he was a dying man for the past 2 years, and even though he looked terrible on Sunday, I was still shocked and to be honest pretty devastated when I heard about this today at work. Pleased he got to the match on Sunday. Even more pleased England won for him and with a Shearer goal as well. Fitting tribute in itself. Thanks for everything over the years Sir Bobby, you truly were a legend and will be sorely missed. And not just by Newcastle fans. One of the few true gentlemen in the game. The memories you've given us we'll keep forever. Rest in peace.

Really? My TV license says not. Costs about the same as ESPN if truth be told, just it's not optional.

My expectation would be that they learned from Setanta's failed attempt to break into the market. Ie that people weren't prepared to pay £10+ to them for that amount of games, and for them to price their service accordingly. They could have come in at £5 or £7 instead of £12. Would have been much more appealing and perhaps the extra customers they'd attract would mean overall revenues would be higher.

and I wanted rid of N'Stropbia. I didn't want rid of either of them, but I'd have been happy had either of them been replaced. Instead they were just sold. That's what put us up shit creek.

Selling Milner and N'Zogbia sent us down. I can't imagine for one moment that if we'd kept them that we'd be in the same position. I know neither of them were overly productive in their time here but at least they'd have scored a couple and created a couple. I like Jonas for his effort but he produces nothing at all.

Anyone but Shepherd.

That made me chuckle!

When Souness was appointed, I think everyone was inwardly disgusted (I certainly was) but by then the damage is done and you have to support your club and therefore the manager. So people started saying things like "Hopefully he'll instill some discipline" and "Don't forget he has won some cups before with unfancied clubs". I don't think that is people liking the appointment, it's just people trying to make the best of a bad situation.

I'd be fucking horrified if Fat Fred returned. His mismanagement of this club is the reason we're in the shit in the first place. He did nothing whilst here but get us into debt and line the pockets of himself and his friends and family. Anyone wanting him back must have shit for brains.

No smoke without fire? "Just" £55k/week then. How the mighty have fallen. Still think you need to half that again though before he looks like a bargain.

And can you tell us why it's your favourite song in not less than 100 words? In French.

If we're still paying him £120k / week we should have him in doing 40 hours a week minimum. Training, cleaning St James' Park, mowing the pitch, anything. Just try and get something for the money!

Guy-on-wall: "No Mike. Arms a bit higher up and straighter out please. I've got the hammer and nails here, Derek will you fetch the wooden cross please? A good old public crucifiction should keep the fuckers happy for a couple of days." Derek: "But don't worry Mike, after a couple of days we'll come and get you down. We'll do it at night so nobody sees." Mike: "Sounds good to me. I knew I'd be their messiah one day!"

I work in Sunderland, and you'd think that would be pretty terrible for me right now. But to be honest they've been OK about it all. Some piss-taking that I'd expect, but it lasted about 30 minutes on Tuesday and that's been about it. They've surprised me with their maturity tbh. Maybe it's because their piss-taking was met with "Yes, we are shit and deserved to go down.". I think that might have caught them off guard.

Enrique - £4m Coloccini - £6m Bassong - £6m Beye - £1m Jonas - £4m Barton - £3m Martins - £7m Smith - £2m I make that £33m that we SHOULD get. In reality we'll probably sell them for half that

Owen was probably our most consistent player tbh. Consistently stood round doing fuck all and providing no goal threat, but that's still consistent.

I think we'll get 40k, maybe more if we're pushing for the top of the league. Of course if we're at the bottom and scrapping around, it could be lower. So it depends really, too many variables.

I can just imagine the conversation now: "Hey, Damian, you know that contract you signed 2 years ago that had no relegation clause in it? Well would you mind signing this one that does have a clause in it?" Just not going to happen, is it?

We sue them for fraud. Impersonating a football player, or something like that?

I'm not sure why everyone's so surprised or happy that Duff's said he'll stay. He's on £60k a week, and has done nothing to justify that. He'll not earn anywhere near that amount anywhere else, he'd be mad to leave. I doubt we could sell him even if we tried, never mind get someone to match his wages.

Put Viduka on a pay-as-you-play contract. £30k for every match he plays. If he plays all season then it's money well spent. If he's out injured forever then we're losing nothing. I'm sure Villa did that with Paul McGrath years back and it worked for them.

I'm moving to Bournemouth in October (New job) so I'll probably get to a lot more away games than home games from next season. It'll be strange as I normally don't go to many away games, only home ones.