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Been trying to join the members club all morning - all servers busy

From co.uk Season Tickets 2008/09 - Latest News Existing Season Ticket Holders We are currently printing season cards for the 2008/09 season and are aiming for supporters to receive their new cards from 11 August in time for the first home game of the season against Bolton Wanderers on 23 August. Any season ticket holder that signed up for the free cup scheme during the 2007/08 season that is entitled to a refund on the cost of their 2008/09 season ticket will receive a refund by early August. New Applications A limited number of season tickets will be released for general sale at 8am on Wednesday 30 July.For further information or to buy a 2008/09 season ticket call the Box Office on (0191) 2611571. We've had a busy summer as we make St James' Park an even better place to watch football.From the start of the 2008/09 season the family area will move to Milburn Level 7 which will enable us to accommodate almost three times as many families as before.We have also created the Leazes Corner which is an area dedicated to those that want to sing and chant for the full 90 minutes.There's also a newly created bar, the Leazes Bar, in the Sir John Hall Stand.

why are you trying to be a cunny funt with my facebook in ur sig ? He found it on some dodgy website, how was he supposed to know it was yours? mackems.gif

Would be good, but hasn't Keegan said he wants two players in every position? I doubt that he would offload one of our two left sided midfielders to bring in a left back, unless we are close to signing another LM. Cant Gutierrez play left side as well? Really don't rate Duff at all - dont see losing him would be any miss.

Sporting reject Evertons bid for Moutinho according to BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/everton/7527890.stm Sounds like hes keen but they have said tough shit .

Wasn't he selling dodgy football gear or something? think he was selling snide shirts, and got done for it When I was working in Sunderland he pulled up in a transit packed with dodgy gear. He was going round all the factories in the area quite openly . Everyone knew him of course- probably didnt take long for some mackem to shop him.

Also from that article in the chronicle today. Anal just cant resist stirring the shit. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/07/23/kevin-keegan-aims-to-sign-two-new-defenders-72703-21389512/ If a left-back is a priority, Keegan feels that he also needs another central defender, having lost Peter Ramage to Queens Park Rangers and with word that Wise and Jimenez are looking to cash in on David Edgar.

yeah I agree. He was past his best, but did better than Arsprilla. There's been some shite posted on here in the last 3 or 4 weeks, but that sentence there beats all of it. no, its true. He did better in that season than Arsprilla, apart from 1 game. Unless you are one of these knackers who sit around in clubs and think that 1 game makes somebody a great player. What an absolute load of bollocks My opinion. He was a knacker and a waste of space. 2 League goals from someone supposed to be leading the attack and taking responsibilty should tell you something. Tomasson would have done miles better if he had played alongside Shearer, Ferdinand or Ferguson. BTW, Barnes played up front for some games that season, he showed miles more committment to the team than Arsprilla. He also scored 6 league goals against Arsprilla's 2 I must admit I normally skip past NE5 posts but this caught my eye. Has maetihs hijacked his account?

That big nosed twat ian rush gets my vote. He makes Smithy look good. Also Hamilton was woeful. Not a player but hate Daglish for fucking KKs team

Blind leading the blind. Hibs winger finds his confidence after pep talk from star Damien Duff Jul 20 2008 By Scott Mcdermott HIBS winger Alan O'Brien has revealed a pep talk from Ireland star Damien Duff helped him recover from a confidence crisis at Easter Road. The former Newcastle wide man has failed to shine since arriving in Leith at the start of last season. He came with a huge reputation after breaking into the Toon first team to play alongside the likes of Shay Given, Nicky Butt, Keiron Dyer and Obafemi Martins. But O'Brien started just seven games for Hibees in an injury-hit debut SPL season and his game suffered as he struggled to settle in Edinburgh. Only now does the 23-year-old admit he was engulfed by a drastic loss of form and confidence. But after speaking to old pal Duff (below) - with whom he has played for Republic of Ireland - Alan is determined to show Hibs fans what he can do. He said: "The move hasn't gone the way I wanted but it happens a lot when a player goes to a new club. "Sometimes it can take a second year before you play your best football. "I'm hoping this season will be a good one for me. "There are reasons why it hasn't worked out - injuries, loss of confidence and feeling unsettled. "I came here with a big reputation - now I need to get it back! Because I'd played in the Premiership everyone thought I was a real big signing for Hibs. "There was expectation and I felt that extra pressure. But I've done some decent things in my career and need to get back to that level. "I still keep in contact with Duffer and some of the Irish lads at Newcastle. "He has kept my spirits up. He has also endured difficult times in his career but told me to keep working hard and it will come. "I had a crisis of confidence, it was obvious during a few games. "I wasn't going past players, my crossing was poor. Everything follows on from that. "You get down about things even away from football. But once you speak to people in the game who can say where you're going wrong you can at least try to fix it." O'Brien made his full debut for Newcastle in the Premiership 18 months ago and has five caps. He should have been a huge coup for Hibs but is adamant he now has his confidence back and will be a different player this season. Alan said: "I felt better near the end of last term and want to bring that into this campaign. I feel happy and settled in Edinburgh now and am thinking positively again. "My aim is to get back to the kind of form I know I'm capable of - the way I was playing when I was challenging to get into Newcastle's side. "This was my first move after being at St James' for six years. Then I got a few injuries at the start which really knocked me back. "But I feel a lot stronger and I'm confident I can do well consistently." O'Brien will be eager to impress new Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni and force his way back into the international set-up. But for now he only wants to convince Mixu Paatelainen of his worth. Alan said: "My sole aim is to do well for Hibs. If I do that the international scene might follow. "It's always a worry when a new gaffer comes in. But I think Mixu has faith in me, he has been supportive and hopefully will give me a run."

Chimbonda in talks at Sunderland according to Sky Sports News. Scumbag player going to scumbag team

To be near his family

Southampton fans seem to rate him from his spell there http://www.thesaintsforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=55244 "Great player, ability to play at pace and in comngested areas. Not hard to see that he was good enough for the higher level. Not hard to see why we struggled so badly last season having lost him, Baird, Bales, Jones and Pele."

Well done to him for drawing attention to this. http://www.amref.org/ is the link for donating and more info

If they take Smith as well its a deal

From the Telegraph. Platini has a different view. Michel Platini leads revolution over transfers By Andrew Warshaw Last Updated: 1:27am BST 13/07/2008 Have your say Read comments Premier League clubs could be prevented from buying up football's most talented youngsters under a tough blueprint drawn up by the six most popular team sports in Europe. Michel Platini urges EU to relax inflexible employment law Premier League Transfer Talk | Football fans' forum Uefa president Michel Platini last night handed over a confidential document to European affairs ministers in Brest, calling on the EU to endorse self-regulation, including a ban on under-18 transfers, a quota for foreign players and a crackdown on financial mismanagement. Changes afoot? Michel Platini is campaigning for the EU to change its employment laws The far-reaching document, the culmination of months of debate over restriction of trade and regarded as pivotal in the fight against bureaucracy, could dramatically change the landscape of sport. It would outlaw recent transfers such as that of Aaron Ramsey, 17, to Arsenal from Cardiff and John Bostock, 16, from Crystal Palace to Spurs, plus cases like Theo Walcott's move from Southampton to Arsenal. "What is the point of clubs training players if they are leaving younger and younger?" a Uefa source said. "The clubs who develop properly will simply stop doing so. We are hopeful the EU will recognise this." Platini wants players to sign their first professional contract with clubs that develop them to stop the cream of youth talent abandoning their roots. His stance was backed by Germany's Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, head of the newly formed European Club Association, which has replaced G14 as the voice of the clubs. advertisement He says players such as Cesc Fabregas, who moved to Arsenal from Barcelona aged 16, must be stopped from switching to overseas clubs for minimal fees. "We have to protect these players and this is a fruitful way to avoid players like Fabregas moving for nothing to England," said Rummenigge. Uefa have described teenage talent moving as "youth trafficking" and Rummenigge added: "We at Bayern had the best player at the last under-17 world championship, Toni Kroos, and there were 20-odd scouts from England sitting there. It is not good and something must be done." Darren Bailey, head of legal and legislative affairs for the International Rugby Board, added: "There are significant dangers for our sport. The EU is stifling sport by creating an uncertain legal framework that is stopping federations like ours making its own decisions. It's about who governs - the sporting federations or the courts of Europe."

SWP for me. When he played for Man City against us he was a different class. Under KK could see him back to his best.

When Shearer signed I was working for a firm in Sunderland with a Makem season ticket holder boss. He had been taking the piss all day saying why should he come to us when he could go to man u . Was great when it came on the radio to say he had signed.

Please God no more Geremi taking corners.

You've got to think that a spell in jail must have some effect on him - at least for a while. If we keep him I can see him getting his head down and playing well next season. Then flog him for decent money before he does something stupid again.

From the BBC. Can you imagine the shit in the papers if this was Ashley? Thaksin goes on trial in Thailand Mr Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 The corruption trial of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has begun in Bangkok, almost two years after he was overthrown in a coup. Mr Thaksin and his wife face charges related to a Bangkok real estate deal. The couple deny any wrongdoing, saying the charges of abuse of power against them are politically motivated. Meanwhile, a top member of the main party in the ruling coalition was found guilty of electoral fraud. The ruling could lead to the party's dissolution. The Supreme Court banned former House Speaker Yongyut Tiyapairat, of the People Power Party (PPP), from politics for five years after finding he was guilty of vote-buying in 2007. Thaksin Shinawatra on his return to Thailand The ruling will put more pressure on the PPP-led six-party governing coalition, already weakened by accusations that it is too close to Mr Thaksin. Under Thai election law, the ruling against Mr Yongyut opens the way for the Election Commission to investigate whether the whole party was guilty of electoral fraud. It could then be disbanded. Mr Thaksin, a telecoms billionaire who owns the English football club Manchester City, returned to Thailand in February after 18 months abroad. Corruption claims The military ousted him in September 2006, accusing him of corruption and abuse of power. Mr Thaksin has since been living mostly in the UK, but his political allies won democratic elections late last year, facilitating his return to Thailand. He, his family and his aides face a number of different allegations. Millions of dollars of his assets have remained frozen since charges were laid. The case now before the Supreme Court relates to the purchase of a plot of land in the Thai capital. The former prime minister is accused of using his political influence to help his wife buy the land from a state agency at a favourable price. 'Surprising tenacity' The couple, who could face lengthy prison terms if convicted, did not attend court, but their lawyer sounded a positive note. "We are confident that our evidence will be enough to prove in the court that Thaksin and his wife are not guilty," Anek Khamchum told the AFP news agency. But the courts have shown surprising tenacity in pursuing this first case, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. The government has tried to weaken the case by arguing that the military-backed bodies which investigated Mr Thaksin had no legitimacy. The courts have ignored that, and have even intervened to reverse other government decisions. Many observers in Thailand are calling this a judicial revolution - where the courts are quietly being asked by the traditional elite to act as checks on the power of elected governments. Mr Thaksin's own prospects dimmed significantly when three of his lawyers were jailed last month by the Supreme Court for offering a cash bribe in a cake box, our correspondent adds. At the very least, Mr Thaksin's chances of making a political comeback are looking slim, our correspondent says.

Nice article on club site by Sir Les. Be interesting to know how much KK has to do with potential signings KK Factor Will Be Key - Sir Les By Craig Hope MAGPIE favourite Les Ferdinand believes that any potential transfer target sitting down for talks with Toon boss Kevin Keegan this summer will immediately be sold on a move to Newcastle United. Article continues>> The lightening-quick striker, christened "Sir Les" during his time at St.James' Park, admits that it took just two minutes for Special K to convince him to swap the home comforts of London in favour of a new life among the football-mad Geordie nation. Ferdinand was just one of a host of top names attracted to the North East by Keegan, others such as Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and David Ginola all citing the enthusiasm of the former England skipper as instrumental in their decision to join the Geordies. And, with KK gearing-up for another summer of wheeling and dealing on the transfer front, Sir Les is confident that any player coming face-to-face with his former gaffer will no doubt end up in the club's famous black and white colours. "If any player meets with Kevin then I'm sure there will only be one club they'll sign for," he said. "I remember when I signed in 1995, he just had a passion for Newcastle and all the players who came here knew how great this place was after meeting Kevin. "I was lucky because even before I signed I'd played there for QPR and thought at the time that it would be amazing to play in front of those fans week-in-week-out. "But Kevin was a special guy and he had a way of lifting you and making you feel special about yourself." Ferdinand netted 50 goals in 81 starts for United and says that, as a forward, Keegan was the ideal manager to play for. "I thought, as a striker, if there is anyone I can learn from then it's Kevin Keegan and he sold the club to me within two or three minutes," he added. "He was very honest. He said to me that he knew I liked it in London because I could go out and lose myself. "But he said that in Newcastle I wouldn't be able to do that because I would be a success straight away and the people up there worship their heroes." Keegan certainly wasn't wrong and the former QPR man went on to become a terrace favourite among the Toon Army with United recording successive second-placed finishes in the Premier League during his two-year stay at Gallowgate. Ferdinand returned to London in 1997 to join Spurs but remains as popular as ever on Tyneside and, as Keegan predicted, is still "worshipped" by the black and white faithful.

Fair report from The Times Mike Ashley is in for long haul at Newcastle Club's managing director swift to reject claims of impending takeover from relative of bin LadenJason Mellor The intriguing prospect of Kevin Keegan working as an employee of the bin Laden family, or talk of Newcastle United being run from the iconic Chrysler Building in New York, have been strongly rejected by the club, who insist that Mike Ashley remains a fully committed club owner. Newcastle responded yesterday to speculation over their future by issuing a firm denial about claims that Ashley is keen to sever his ties only 14 months after finalising a £137million takeover. Suggestions that the Saudi Binladin Group, which is headed by Bakr, the half-brother of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, is preparing to bid £300million for the club, or claims that InterMedia Partners equity fund, based in Manhattan, has been sounded out regarding its willingness to pay more than three times the sum Ashley invested in May last year have been dismissed as “nonsense”. “At a time when everyone at Newcastle United is working hard to prepare for the new season, it's annoying that we have to continually correct inaccurate stories,” Derek Llambias, the managing director, said yesterday. “Whoever's putting these stories around is clearly trying to destabilise the club and you wonder what their motives are.” Ashley has taken a more hands-on approach since the arrival last month of Llambias, after the departure of Chris Mort as chairman. Llambias said: “By putting a new management structure in place, by investing in new signings at first-team and academy level and by introducing cheaper tickets for younger fans, the long-term commitment and vision for Newcastle United is there for all to see. Those actions speak louder than any words and I'm sure supporters see these stories for what they are - utter nonsense.” Related Links Newcastle dismiss Bin Laden claims Ashley facing test of Tyne Newcastle United dismiss sale claims Hopes that Joey Barton retains of an early release from a six-month prison sentence for assault have failed to materialise and the midfield player was not among those who reported for pre-season training yesterday.

Chelsea supposed to have put in a an astronomical bid for Kaka. God knows what that means in this market. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7492267.stm

p://www.newspostleader.co.uk/sunderlandafc/Sunderland-battle-with-Mag-rivals.4260809.jp Sunderland battle with Mag rivals for £10m-rated defender Joris Mathijsen. « Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryADVERTISEMENTPublished Date: 06 July 2008 By STAFF REPORTER SUNDERLAND could face competition from deadly rivals Newcastle United for a Holland centre-back, according to reports. The Black Cats and Geordies are said to be tracking £10m-rated defender Joris Mathijsen, with Blackburn Rovers new boss Paul Ince also said to be interested, according to the News of The World. The 28-year-old Hamburg centre-back started all but one of his country's games at Euro 2008. Black Cats boss Roy Keane, who has a £50m transfer kitty, is anxious to land a central defender after Jonny Evans' return to Manchester United. Mathijsen moved to Germany from AZ Alkmaar two years ago for £7.9m, but his displays this summer have seen his value soar. The full article contains 126 words and appears in n/a newspaper.Page 1 of 1 Last Updated: 06 July 2008 1:27 PM Source: n/a Location: Blyth, Northumberland