Village Idiot

I always mean to ask you VI - are you a fully-fledged NUFC sympathiser yet? A plastic.

If you could listen to the local radio football phone-ins you would hear that they are obsessed with us. One smoggie was on SSN and the local BBC news just before the end of last season and he said "I don't mind if we are relegated if the mags are too!" I literally spat my tea out at that! I can't imagine any Geordie ever saying that about the Boro or any other team tbh. He was ok withhis team being relegated as long as we were too, sheesh! My friend says that too Gotta ask him about the game, haven't got hold of him this week though.

It's true than my Boro friend (great guy, love him to pieces, mind), spends more time talking about your lot than about Middlesbrough, although I think that's because it's a touchy subject (they're shit).

Is the Boro game a derby for them? Aren't you like 50km apart?

I think Shearer was a great asset in increasing your profile as a club overseas though. I remember Keegan's Newcastle, of course, but the moment where the Premier League started taking off in Spain Shearer was your #9, and he seemed to score every fucking week. He really put NUFC on the map for a lot of casual football fans.

Spanish press picking up the "Bénitez to Madrid" rumour today. No quotes to back it up though. I seem to recall that Benítez and Valdano aren't in the best terms though, that might block a potential move.

You only need a FF team to get back to do that every week

Oh Peter Reid is monkeyhead... so much to learn still...

Who's the guy with the monkey head?

What do you reckon will happen to Mou after this year? I would love it if he went back to manage a premiership team, I miss his personality (plus he's a great manager).

Came off the bench, didn't touch the ball, gave away a free kick on the edge of the area with a two footed tackle, got booked. Free kick is taken, he's in the wall, sticks his elbow up to knock it out the way, booked again, sent off, Catania convert the penalty and win the match. And cost me money. Sorry about your bet.

What did he do?

Was actually watching livescores: 3-1 to them.

Coin knows of no loyalties, I pretty often bet for Real Madrid to win and the money I get from it doesn't smell worse or anything than the one I get from Barça bets

The Higuaín off Madrid story is gathering some strength with Marca revealing that him and Cronaldo are not in the best terms, after the portuguese vividly scolded him during the Madrid-Lyon game. Still can't see Madrid letting him go, although if City comes with mad money (release clause is €150m) I guess Florentino would take it and use it to fund monster bids for the likes of Silva, Cesc, Villa... Actually, it's even Marca's cover... sometimes I think that paper is Madrid's worst enemy http://estaticos01.marca.com/imagenes/2010/03/12/g1203.jpg

Liverpool's "engine room" of Lucas and Mascherano is surely tasty.... not. Why is he not playing Aquilani? Is he shit? (I admittedly know sod all about him, Roma not being a team I watch much).

Got a packet of 'Barca' themed (not flavoured) crisps as a souvenir for myself during a daytrip to Camp Nou/Nou Camp while on holiday a couple of years ago in Spain. After that it was off to the zoo to see the white gorilla and then a couple of hours in the city centre - bonny place, fancy another visit someday. The white gorilla has been dead for seven years, have they painted one of the regular ones to trick tourists? Ha, aye maybe they should, the viewing window for him was mobbed, Was using couple to mean a canny few....bairn was a bairn then, she's 17 now. Depending of when you went, I might have even worked there at the time (not as one of the attractions).

Got a packet of 'Barca' themed (not flavoured) crisps as a souvenir for myself during a daytrip to Camp Nou/Nou Camp while on holiday a couple of years ago in Spain. After that it was off to the zoo to see the white gorilla and then a couple of hours in the city centre - bonny place, fancy another visit someday. The white gorilla has been dead for seven years, have they painted one of the regular ones to trick tourists?

http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/index.php?node=28&id=24857 That's unusually soft-spoken for Hristo Stoichkov.

Both Spanish teams failed to deliver at home, 0-0 Atlético to SP Lisbon and 1-1 Valencia to Bremen. Tall order to get through their ties on current form.

Man, Salihamidzic, didn't even know he was still around

Real could certainly have used RVN yesterday. I'm glad they sold him.

Really looking forward Juve vs Fulham. The home game surely will be a great day for them, playing against one of the most storied teams in Europe. For some reason I'm starting to watch the Europa League a lot this season. I guess I'm a bit tired of seeing the same old clubs in the CL, and these matches are fresh.

The Barça store at the Camp Nou sells a bunch of items from other Nike-sponsored teams: Arsenal, Inter, Juve, ManU...

I have seen this posted on another board. Aaron Lennon doing a Xisco?