ponsaelius

Maybe price up booking a taxi from Hexham to Carlisle? You could get the last train or a bus to cut some of the journey distance. May be at least cheaper than a hotel but tbh I'd have no idea of knowing for sure. I think finding other Carlisle based fans would be the best bet though if you can.

The Tyne Valley line does serves that route late on a weekday but only up to Hexham. I'm not sure there is huge demand for passenger services running late all the way across to Cumbria on an evening most days of the week tbh. And UK rail services will rarely adapt timetables/run extra services to suit sporting event. Even if they did I don't think we've historically had massive support in Cumbria tbh - most either support Carlisle or glory hunt south. That might change though going forward... To answer your question I'm afraid your only solution is to book a hotel/hostel/Airbnb - or ask around and find somebody who is driving back that way. Maybe ask on somewhere like Twitter.

It's not unique to Sunderland though. To be perfectly honest many large towns and small cities (effectively the same thing) in the UK are exactly like that. Particularly ones that were Victorian industrial boom towns (with no prior history) and have since ceased to have their entire purpose. Get past about 6pm and they are eerily dead. It's worse in the UK than mainland Europe because nobody lives in city centres to give them any life. Throw in council having no budget to maintain streetscape/public realm, clean graffiti or pick up litter and it's unsurprising places can look apocalyptic once you hit the witching hour. The one thing I will give credit for to Sunlun is the council do have the right ideas and are genuinely trying their best. The new housing development coming forward where the civic centre is being demolished is interesting because its putting good mixed housing right close to the city centre. Not only is that the right idea to try and inject more life but doing so makes more use of the Metro as it can/should have a genuine commuter belt function into Newcastle but currently doesn't really (because of how low density Sunderland is). I will also say what Sunderland has and Newcastle doesn't is a well located city centre park in Mowbray Park. Newcastle's green spaces always feel more peripheral and there's very little green space actually in the heart of the city. Again this reflects the fact Sunderland was very much a Victorian town. It's probably better maintained than the likes of Leazes Park as well for some reason.

The new entrance will look a fair bit better when it is done tbf. Looked nearly done when I was there couple of months ago (went down to Brighton via Grand Central as it was dirt cheap). Still more local bus/light rail interchange vibes than major train station - but a big improvement and long overdue.

https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/features/jamaal-lascelles-programme-interview-23-24/ Nice interview.

But Sven wasn't on the bench and isn't back for another couple of weeks yet.

He's so good. He's made me look a right mug. I compared him to Callum Mcmanaman ffs. Tbf I was fully converted to pro-Gordon by the U21 euros.

Aye I'm not usually one to obsess over stats but our underlying numbers have been really good throughout so far. Even the one comfortable defeat at Brighton where we were terrible relative to what we are used to seeing was actually weirdly close in terms of xG - far closer than last year where we got away with a lucky 0-0.

I think the unsustainability of keeping it up probably explains why they're going in hard with it early on and dishing out the punishments (or at least making the direct threats), to lay down a marker. They'll also probably continue to advertise that it's going to happen even if it doesn't. Just checked back and the publicity on official website for West Ham before the game still mentions the ID checks happening throughout the season - but apparently according to .com they never happened.

In 99% of cases I'd say yes, you would do, I certainly would do. But I'd also say if you genuinely don't feel comfortable in doing so you should be allowed not to without risk of punishment. Similarly if you've arrived and don't have any ID on you for whatever reason (and you know they're going to ask for it) then it should be OK to not bother trying without being punished. I know what you're saying and the practical realities for most people in most cases. I just can't believe it can be justifiable for the club to do a points deduction unless it is absolutely without doubt clear somebody else is using the ticket.

To be honest if they're sending out emails to people giving them only 3 days to appeal purely for non collection of the ticket on the day that is actually pretty shocking. I regularly go days/weeks without checking my personal email if there's not something I'm specifically waiting on or sending.

While it is absolutely shocking to buy only for the point and simply not attend, I'm not sure how the club could possibly prove that was the case or be justified in enforcing on those terms. There is simply no way to prove it unless the purchaser willingly says that was what they did. I've missed games personally in the past because I was ill on the morning (Wolves away 2017) and because of flooding on train tracks (Wolves away 2020). The universe obviously trying to prevent me going to Molineux (I should have listened). These are common circumstances, among many others, which would prevent attendance on the day. Any rightful purchaser (taking the strict terms under which they're now operating) of a ticket should hold the right to ultimately not attend for whatever reason. This is particularly the case now as there is almost no window whatsoever these days to return a ticket between its delivery and the cut off point for official returns. Under questioning of non attendance it would be perfectly reasonable for them to have the single loyalty point deducted for the game they didn't go to - but not any punishment above and beyond that. Even in instances where a dud ticket was scanned but replacement not collected (I don't know if they're able to corroborate these two elements) I'd say it is not reasonable to punish in such a manner. There are perfectly legitimate reasons why certain individuals would not feel comfortable going around to an away box office on their own. Certainly they should be able to choose not to do so if they wish. Similarly if they've got there and realised they don't have their ID on them as it is back at home/on bus/in car - or they don't have one whatsoever. The only circumstances where I could see the club being justified in full points deductions under this system (accepting the reality of this system) is in a case where somebody who has purchased a resale willingly goes up to the box office and admits this is the case and they aren't the rightful owner of the ticket.

I just don't get how your timescales could be so out of whack. I get we all checked out a bit during recent years, but howay man

Eh? None of those were signed before we got relegated

Good for you bro

Its a difficult one. I'd possibly give him a two year deal to be in the Dummett role going forward, and still buy a new RCB. It's probably unfair on Lascelles for that to be his role though - and although he's playing well at the moment I don't think we should be postponing a CB signing in favour of him.

Love that Longy is getting goals now. Last season he'd have hit that one first time into the keeper - loved that he took his time and slotted it.

8/11 English players. Eddie Howes Brexit mags.

Good to briefly speak to you at the end mate. Hopefully next time can have a proper chat ?

Haven't watched any of Uruguay in a while but that midfield with Bielsa sounds tasty.

I agree it would be great, I just don't think the economics of it would ever stack up. In a country that put infrastructure in place, and then planned resi/commercial development around said infrastructure, then yes. It would possibly be viable long term. One of the big issues with all transport planning is land use. We can all cry about public transport being a public good (and I personally think it is) but in reality you can't throw good money after bad on services that won't come close to washing their own backs. The Tyne Nd Wear Metro system is a case in point - loads of stations are surrounded by industrial uses, green belt land, low density housing. And then we wonder why the service is crap or doesn't make enough money to look after itself. Half the stations get barely any use. We should be putting high density, mixed use development around all existing light and heavy rail stations. Even if they're currently a green field. Instead you get rubbish like the site was approved recently near Chillingham Road metro.

The Northumberland Line is more than just planned - the line works are more or less done and all stations are all under construction. Due to run from summer next year although you wouldn't be surprised if there were more delays. Stops will be: Central Manors Northumberland Park Seaton Delaval Bedlington Newsham Bebside Ashington That map is not really proposals, just somebody's little dreamscape. The most regularly discussed one is that is shown as the green line loop on there from South Hylton proposing to reinstate the old Leamside Line. However if it ever did come forward I think it would be more likely as heavy rail in part to help alleviate freight capacity on the ECML. Light rail needs the population density to justify it. I just don't see that on the Leamside route personally. Washington is just too sprawling to really justify it unless you significantly changed its urban layout and densified around certain stations. The same is true for much of the Sunderland extension anyway - the stations are generally significantly less used than the yellow line. Same also goes for the Tyne Valley. It's perfectly suitable as a heavy rail route across the country to connect with Carlisle and should really be electrified - but it's not really a suitable metro extension. The one area which would benefit from a metro extension the most would be the West End of the city - but that will always be too expensive because it would requiring digging tunnels.

Well I've just looked at transfermarkt and he played as an orthodox CB in a back four on a number of occasions as well as playing in a back three. I agree it's not his primary role.

Transfers are always a risk. Can't get them all right. We ended up with Isak because Ekitike fell through. Just got to roll with the punches.

I have definitely watched him play CB for Leeds - particularly in their Championship promotion season he played about half of the season there. Not sure he's done it often in the PL and I'm not saying that's what should happen - more making the point that he operates in that area of the pitch not further forward. Agree with everything else. I'm not convinced by him and worried he'd be a career repair job we could do without. But as a stop gap he might be OK.