manorpark

I'm not certain what actually makes a "Big Club" (let's not get into that again) but in my lifetime we have always been that. One thing we have never been (and physically simply could not ever be) is the term that you have used to describe us (as a 'small club').

Why 50 years??

It was such a great time when they came home from Hungary with the Fairs Cup - I was given the responsibilty of taking the photos at the Airport and at SJP, but as a young lad and no-one in my family had a camera, I had never used a camera in my life. I was 'clicking away all day' with my best mates Dads camera . . . and there was no bl**dy film in it! Still, a great day and a great few weeks!!!

People are aware that it is tomorrow that Shearer will be there at SJP, as that is when the Press Conference is being held. They were not there in numbers today, because they WILL be there tomorrow. Something to look forward to . . . I am certain David Craig is !!!!

source?

STILL nothing on the Official Site. It is the very last time I am paying to join that ridiculous site - what's the point of it??

I think its just a late announcement and the web people are asleep dreaming about being able to make better websites.. this news is a total shock but I hope its not all in vein. this season has been a rollercoaster of misery for us all and if he does indeed keep us up, then he'll be knighted. also, the players need to give it one last shot....*plays the final countdown music* COME ON THE TOON! I hope you are right when you say it is "just a late announcement". But, I still worry. There is still 'something' not quite right about this . . .

Surely something of this importance would be announced on the Official Website, if not first (and it should be on there FIRST) then very soon afterward once the story had leaked (?) Unless, of course . . .

Completely agreed. We need more like him, who spend (to make money) but improve the Newcastle area environment, as a successful looking place to live in (and to visit and invest-in from outside) etc. WELL DONE.

Still good in the box apparently. Aye, but a bit wooden. Cool . . put him on for the last ten minutes, when we are (as we often are!) losing. You never know . . . Just seeing him standing in the opposition penalty area for ten minutes would be canny. (er . . not really, but . . . )

Gateshead is "Tyne & Wear", but that's most definitely on the Tyne. Worst comparison ever I'm just saying the fact Washington appears as "Tyne & Wear" doesn't necessarily mean it's both Tyne and Wear, because like I said, Gateshead also appears as Tyne & Wear but is certainly on the Tyne. Interestingly . . "Tyne & Wear" when used in an address, is ONE place, not two. So, being in 'both' is not a relevant thing to say. Tyne & Wear refers to Tyne & Wear County , which is one place. It was going to be called 'Greater Newcastle' - as the new Metropolitan County was in Manchester (Greater Manchester) and London (Greater London) but we ended up being called the hideous T & W instead! A mistake on so many levels.

Yeah, good old Wiki, sums it up perfectly!

Completely wrong. The word "Sunderland" does not appear in any Washington address. Read my earlier posts about how the two towns of Sunderland and Washington came to be 'lumped together' for Local Authority purposes in 1974.

The amusing thing about this is, back in 1974 (when they were re-organising all the local authority boundaries and forming Tyne & Wear, Greater London, etc) they were finding it very difficult to create a viable "Metropolitan Borough" around the town of Sunderland. It was too small - population only 190,000, or so. So, they decided to 'lump together' the highly independent towns of Washington and Sunderland into one borough (otherwise, because of its location, Washington would have become part of Gateshead). Even more amusing, they were wondering what to call this artificial 'two-town new borough' and they thought of calling it Washington rather than Sunderland (!!!!!) for a while, before finally (sadly) opting for Sunderland. So, the current 'City' (so called) of Sunderland, as the new borough eventually became, nearly became the "City of Washington". Actually sounds a lot BETTER, doesn't it!! (PS - my Grandad told me about all this . . . )

The town of Washington, though an independent 'town' from Sunderland and not having the word 'Sunderland' in it's addresses, is actually administratively part of Sunderland Borough. So, I can understand you being called a 'Mackem' by some people.

Yes, we needed to keep Lee Novak, but (sadly) it seems we needed the money more. The 'loan-back' for the rest of this season will possibly get us promoted, but we will need to strengthen next season with Lee Novak gone.

Course you are! Then I would say that Well what the hell are you then ? I'm from Gateshead, of course i'm a geordie In any rational world, Gateshead would be officially (what it is 'actually') South Newcastle. So, yes, people from South Newcastle could be classed as Geordies, if they want to be!!

I go to Gateshead matches quite often. They have an excellent goalscorer in Lee Novak (got another two at Southport yesterday) who maybe NUFC should have looked at. Too late for now, as Lee Clark and Terry Mac watched him loads of times and have now signed him for Huddersfield. He will finish the season here on loan though, which should (hopefully) be enough to get us promoted.

The other WAS Keegan - it no longer is. He has now left us twice. If he had remained the first time and still been here now - our history and current status would probably have been SO different . . . (WOW - the 'dream' of that era continuing all the years until now . . . WOW, what a thought - just CLOSE your eyes and 'think' about that . . . ) So, because of that (leaving once / leaving once again) Keegans days of "bringing a feel good factor to NUFC" are over (in my view).

Got a little off point, saw the opportunity to list all of Newcastle's 'major sports' clubs and teams and compare their relative success. I suppose I am saying that 'if other clubs in Newcastle can do it, so can our football club' . . .

It is good to see our teams at the top and dominating their sport nationally. We are currently doing it at the VERY TOP in Cricket and (particularly) Basketball - and not too long ago in Rugby Union. The rest (esp NUFC) are sadly underachieving - at the moment. Give us (another) five years though . . . . . . (says Big Mike)

Corrections duly made . . . NEWCASTLE FALCONS Rugby Union. In the top league. Struggling. NEWCASTLE EAGLES Baketball. In the top league. CHAMPIONS and the 'Manchester United' of Basketball (win most things most seasons). NEWCASTLE UNITED Football (!). In the top league. Struggling. NEWCASTLE VIPERS Ice Hockey. In the top league. Mid table. NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS Speedway. In the Second top league (which is called the Premier League). Average to struggling. and nearby . . . DURHAM CCC Cricket. In the top league. CHAMPIONS. GATESHEAD THUNDER Rugby League. In the second top league (the National League 1, Rugby League's equivalent of the championship) They are moving to Newcastle soon, seemingly.

The City of Newcastle does quite well, having the sports (nearly said 'sporting'!) clubs that represent it, in the TOP leagues in most of the major team sports in the UK. NEWCASTLE FALCONS Rugby Union. In the top league. Struggling. NEWCASTLE EAGLES Baketball. In the top league. CHAMPIONS and the 'Manchester United' of Basketball (win most things most seasons). NEWCASTLE UNITED Football (!). In the top league. Struggling. NEWCASTLE VIPERS Ice Hockey. In the top league. Mid table. NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS Speedway. In the Second top league (which is called the Premier League). Average to struggling. and nearby . . . DURHAM CCC Cricket. In the top league. CHAMPIONS. GATESHEAD THUNDER Rugby League. In the second top league (the National League 1, Rugby League's equivalent of the championship) They are moving to Newcastle soon, seemingly. Just out of interest - if anyone is . . er . . interested!! (probably not)

Never done the tour. Do they allow you to take photos, wherever you are on the tour?

It is interesting that the very year that Abramovich bought Chelsea, the two clubs (Leeds and Chelsea) had almost IDENTICAL (amazingly identical figures) financial results (debts, losses etc). To all intents and purposes, they were in an identical financial position. They were both about to go the 'natural way' of all failing businesses. Then for Chelsea the Russian Loans started (look where they are now and since) while, for Leeds the Russian - or any other - loans did NOT arrive, and they are now in the 3rd Division ('League One', as it is now called!!). Just an interesting comparison, I thought. (ie - The difference a billionaire sugardaddy CAN make . . . )