manorpark

Sunderland have virtually NO hotels, while Newcastle has many, including some 5 star, I'm sure. Just amend the page to include us - easy to do, you do not have to register or anything. I have amended many pages in the past . . . .

Very funny - not.

Whereas I'm deeply troubled by wors and do hope this influx of new investment doesn't mean the academy which is just starting to show signs of a recovery gets neglected because OMG, we're loaded lol!! We did that once - under Keegan. That was easily the worst aspect of the John Hall-onward revolution. I cannot see it happening again, lightening doesn't strike twice. er . . . . ? I'm talking more about not giving youngsters a chance because we can afford to go out and by a ready made player, or if a player does get a chance and doesn't shine straight away, the attitude becomes - lets ship him out, we can buy whoever we like. Something that has creeped into Stamford Bridge... Yes, know what you mean. However, I do not think Allerdyce thinks that way. OK, he is about to get 'influenced' by the Ashley money - but perhaps we will find that Ashley and Allerdyce share the same view - that an Academy is VITAL. We just don't know yet, but we can hope. It depends if Ashley is a short-termist, if you know what I mean.

Whereas I'm deeply troubled by wors and do hope this influx of new investment doesn't mean the academy which is just starting to show signs of a recovery gets neglected because OMG, we're loaded lol!! We did that once - under Keegan. That was easily the worst aspect of the John Hall-onward revolution. I cannot see it happening again, lightening doesn't strike twice. er . . . . ?

I can speak for another club. Since we've had money, some of our fans have lost some of their grip on reality, and it is interesting reading here since the first whiff of your takeover, I can see the same thing starting to happen here. The belief is that because we (or you) have money, that means we (or you) can afford anyone and should get them NOW, regardless of why they would want to come to us (or you). WE have had a lot of money for a very long time. we are still waiting . . . . That's the other thing, having money does not equate to success. I'm every bit as excited about our very productive youth academy as I am about our huge wad. Spot on!

I can speak for another club. Since we've had money, some of our fans have lost some of their grip on reality, and it is interesting reading here since the first whiff of your takeover, I can see the same thing starting to happen here. The belief is that because we (or you) have money, that means we (or you) can afford anyone and should get them NOW, regardless of why they would want to come to us (or you). WE have had a lot of money for a very long time. we are still waiting . . . .

I think this more than anything needs crushed. We got the stadium of a massive club, the spending abillty of a massive club, the fans of a massive club, the players of a massive club(if you take our defenders off), but our peformence is nowhere near that of a massive club, wich is exactly why Newcastle are described best as "Sleeping giants" . I just think the whole massive club thing is irrelevant. It is the InterToto cup of football. Financial success is still the only way to become a success on the field. . . . and one day . . . . .

Everyone seems to have their own - often totally non-factually based - opinion on this "massive club or not" thing (though it is obvious) - so it is NOT worth discussing!

Re: Another Keegan article _____________ Not Semantics / Not Spurs. Lets change the title back eh?

NOT "Another Spurs Thread". Very amusing - NOT. It just so happened that the odd selection of a club to mention (by KK) was them. Thats all. Do not make it into something it isn't!

I just meant, why select them to mention? Especially as he seems to have been principally talking in a financial context, and as there are really only five clubs to mention in that context (ie, with HIGH Turnover) you would expect he would mention us. After all, he did used to work here, so he should know . . even if he is not too involved in football now. It just seems odd. Thats all, didn't want to make too big a thing about it.

Triglett - why "from Spurs" ? Why mention that at all.

It is still the only way to get us anywhere Invicta - the only way. As I hope you will find out over the coming years.

The below figures are a couple of years old, they are the only ones I have, but I think the relative positions are still the same now - same top five English Clubs. The big gap is after us, down to Tottenham, as can be seen. 1 (1) Man Utd £171.5m 2 (4) Real Madrid £156.3m 3 (3) AC Milan £147.2m 4 (10) Chelsea £143.7m 5 (2) Juventus £142.4m 6 (7) Arsenal £115m 7 (13) Barcelona £110.1m 8 (6) Inter Milan £110.3m 9 (5) Bayern Munich £110.1m 10 (8) Liverpool £92.3m 11 (10) Newcastle £90.5m 12 (11) Roma £72m 13 (18) Celtic £69m 14 (16) Tottenham £66.3m 15 (15) Lazio £65.8m 16 (-) Man City £61.9m 17 (14) Schalke £60.5m 18 (-) Marseille £58.3m 19 (-) Rangers £57.1m 20 (-) Aston Villa £55.9m Source: Deloitte Previous season's position in brackets (LATER - Not sure where that smiley came from!!! I didn't put it there!)

But, as we know, the financial gulf is between the big (financial) five and the rest, not any mythical financial big 4. There is currently a fairly clear top four (in recent seasons) in the premiership - on performance. That is not what I (and the Keegan article) are talking about here though.

To me, the really "odd" thing about what Keegan says, is when he refers to "Tottenham as being the nearest to the current top four in the Premiership", citing the massive financial gulf, as the reason. In fact, over the last ten years, there have only been FIVE financially massive football clubs in this country, and they have been (always, over that time) in varying order, Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Chelsea. The turnover (income) of these five clubs puts them in a financial bracket WAY ahead of the rest. There has always been a very large turnover gap between 5th and the rest. So why would he say what he said? I know a lot of people are easily duped by London-based hype (our so-called 'National' media, is really just London-local) but for him to refer to Tottenham and to do so for alleged "financial" reasons - is RIDICULOUS - for a football-aware person, as he is supposed to be. Just stupid. All of this is, of course, before the Ashley impact, which (as it drives up income, I'm not talking about any money of his own that he may put into the club) will only widen the huge gap of the last ten years (albeit less than 10, for Chelsea) between the BIG FIVE FINANCIAL CLUBS, and the also-rans.

JIMMY SMITH - he was the most exciting player to watch, you knew that he could do just 'anything he liked' with the ball, and often made the opposition look totally useless. I remember one midweek evening league game, against West Brom I seem to remember. It was a very 'competitive' match, and Jinky was in-the-mood, and totally dominated play. Fantastic to watch. I also remember going to a reserve game when he was making a comeback from injury. When I got there, I found there was about another 15,000 there already - for a reserve game!! All because Jinky was playing. It is absolutely true that the very first thing he did that reserve game (down by the Centre Paddock it was) was to put the ball through some poor blokes legs and run around him. Great stuff!!

38 years is not a very long time, really. Seems like only yesterday (38 years ago!!) that we were all at the airport on a hot summers day, getting the photos as the players came out of the terminal building, back from Ujpest Dozsa. I borrowed my dads camera - and got in trouble for that - then I got in trouble again (as he was also a fan) when none of the photos came out. Well, there was a reason for that, as I hadn't put a film in the camera. I was a youngun, and hadn't used his 'posh' camera before, and I thought there was a film in it. Anyway - while 38 years is NOT a long time, it is when you are a club like NUFC, and you haven't won a major trophy in all that time!! (Shouldn't be long now though . . . thank you Mr Ashley . . . I hope!)

M M M M U U U U C C C C H H H H stronger !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's to announce there's only 45 Rod Stewart tickets left for sale..

The term "richer clubs" is certainly an unusual one to use. What is indisputable is that we are one of the tichest clubs in the world, and here in the UK we are one of the 'rich five', whose annual turnover puts them in a clear seperate group, well ahead of the 6th one and all those below 6th. It is success-on-the-field (translating all that money into winning trophies) that has been the problem. It is not for financial reasons, that we have not / perhaps 'will' not, buy the best players.

HTT says - "may as well, been waiting over 50 years, why not a few more" er . . . 38 years actually.

Everyone on here seems to think that what is "now" is what "will always be" I can understand the sentiment, but . . . . Nothing lasts forever.

Silly Monkey!!!!! Why do you never respond to discussion and questions?

kingdawson - it is ALL London (don't be ashamed now) Silly Monkey - Is f*** your fave jellied eel shop then? I need more details if I am going to go down ("DOWN") there for a treat . . . .