Mike

Man, I don't think I should. You look at where the club was then, and where it's been since. You're asking me to experience all that for the first time over the course of a few days. That thumbs up smiley should have a knife in it. I think you should get them, also the Newcastle history dvd to see the TRUE glory days of NUFC........Ah the 1950's......... I've only read Fifty Years of Hurt. It pretty much caught me up to speed with present day, but in my mind, there is this huge gap between Keegan's first stint as manager (I've seen highlights of a few matches on TV) and when I actually started supporting the team. I've never seen any of the Robson era, and nothing of the managers that followed him. There's a few good videos on youtube, Robson era compilations (Tooj's in particular) but you've probably seen them anyway. The 4th and 3rd seasons were class. You planning on attending a game next season? It's going to be a big deal getting over there, I don't want to fly over and catch a Derby type of game. Season after next is my target.

I was just thinking the same, man! mackems.gif

Oh god damnit. Do I agree with Towelie?

I have to disagree. Changing this rule doesn't address the balance of the league. It was mentioned earlier in the thread, but if your team is lucky enough to unearth a young English gem, what's going to keep him from running off to a major team now that he is guaranteed first team football? The bigger teams wouldn't have to do any real scouting anymore. They'd just wait for the better players to separate themselves from the crowd. As fans of the game and of the clubs, we like to think that everyone involved in the sport is shares our love of the game itself, but you take prize money out of the equation and who in the world is going to actually invest in the team? What's the point? You're going to be rewarded for failure. The game does need some longterm changes, but this isn't it.

If you love the competition, wouldn't you prefer the English player to work harder and compete for a spot on the top teams, rather than having it guaranteed to him? Because its the ENGLISH premier league..and we are in England ...and our league is meant to reflect the qualities and defficiencies of England. They would still have to work hard for it. Man Utd almost meet the quota... we are not talking about a major swing here...just a re-addressing of the balance which I think would benefit football and football fans in general. Look at how much Man Utd have spent on English players alone in the last few years. 27m on Rooney 18m on Carrick 30m on Ferdinand 20m on Hargreaves How many clubs can compete with that? Forcing teams to field a certain number of domestic players may only increase the gap between the rich teams and the poor ones.

If you love the competition, wouldn't you prefer the English player to work harder and compete for a spot on the top teams, rather than having it guaranteed to him?

I doubt it very much and if they are then that exemption will be challenged and will be overturned, you can't have it co-existing alongside the free movement of people in other industries. the PFAs and footballers themselves and even the PL clubs are not short of a penny to challenge it thorugh the courts. I just feel the game is going to the dogs...why stop hear..next it will be against EU laws for Celtic & Rangers and Milan etc to be restriceted to trade only in their own countires. Let them join the PL. That is were the money is at. Why bother with Hull Stoke WBA..in fact lets just scrap relegation... When you look at the stats what is the point in the EPL.. or some of the other top leagues? Surely the idea was we have some sort of affinity with our clubs and the countries they are based in? Maybe I'm a dreamer but a 3 way split of a team to HAVE to include local/same nationality/foreign would be the soultion. Touches all bases. Makes it more interesting. Bigger connection. And more importantly takes money slightly more out of the equation...which long term is what football needs to be doing. 1st thing I would change/trial for a ten year spell. Reverse prize money. EPL winners get nothing...zilch...just the trophy and the trappings that come with it. 2nd get the next least amount of money and so on. Leaves the relagated teams with less chance of finacial ruin/freefall which is happening more and more to the the last few EPL clubs. We do that in The States with draft picks. What you get are teams that shut down halfway through the season and tank their way to a brighter future. Your relegation system is perfect because it forces pretty much everyone to stay competitive for the duration of the season.

Wouldn't this make it easier to sell Shola and Alan?

I'm not a follower (stubbornly holding out for the Cosmos to return), but I wanted to see Altidore play. God damn that team is bad. Blanco tore them to shreds.

Is this the MLS thread? How awful are NY? I'd kill to have Ramage here.

Wouldn't this just raise transfer prices through the roof globally? Now a player is valuable for his skill and his nationality.

Man, I don't think I should. You look at where the club was then, and where it's been since. You're asking me to experience all that for the first time over the course of a few days. That thumbs up smiley should have a knife in it. I think you should get them, also the Newcastle history dvd to see the TRUE glory days of NUFC........Ah the 1950's......... I've only read Fifty Years of Hurt. It pretty much caught me up to speed with present day, but in my mind, there is this huge gap between Keegan's first stint as manager (I've seen highlights of a few matches on TV) and when I actually started supporting the team. I've never seen any of the Robson era, and nothing of the managers that followed him.

Wasn't this a violation or some labor law?

Man, I don't think I should. You look at where the club was then, and where it's been since. You're asking me to experience all that for the first time over the course of a few days. That thumbs up smiley should have a knife in it.

How new? Late 2005 was the first match I ever watched. Souness was the first manager I knew of.

Ah. Gotta stay away from youtube clips, then. It was killing me that we apparently sent scouts to Portugal and came back with Viana instead of Ronaldo or Quaresma. Realized I really didn't know anything about him so I looked at some videos. Came away even more confused.

What happened in that game?

I'm a relatively new fan of the club, so a lot of the recent history is unknown to me, but I was watching some clips of Hugo Viana and I just can't understand how that didn't work out. What the hell happened there? I know that youtube clips can make anyone look like Pele, but he certainly didn't look useless.

Missed out on the title on the last day and lost the CL on penalties. But we were dicks when we sent Big Sam out on his ass.

Can't take my eyes away from those.

http://i28.tinypic.com/ve16pi.jpg Jesus Christ I love the internet.

I don't get it. No matter how you feel, you have a chance to get a Champions League medal. Take the fucking penalty. How could anyone want him here after that?

Bought the Toronto top a few weeks ago with Robert 32 on the back. Red Bulls will always be the worst shirt on Earth.

I'm Chelsea...froo and froo, yeah?

It's not a drought, it's a half century celebration!