Wallsendmag

That was always going to be the gameplan and against a team like City, it's more likely than not going to work. Their more creative players need more time on the ball and the mackems' continual pressure off the ball will work a treat. It usually works for them against Man City. Don't see why it wouldn't work today.

That's sad. I hope if Newcastle ever get to a final we have a little more class than that. Anyway, I'm off to the pub today, I've got tomorrow off work, the sun is shining, and I'm going to have a party. I'll be back tomorrow, win or lose, and hopefully my hangover won't be too bad To the fans on here who have wished us the best, I salute your honesty. To the ones who want us to get hammered......Well, I understand that emotion too, as I know some Sunderland fans can be right arseholes. Give over man you daft tart. When we got relegated there were banners being draped over bridges and all sorts celebrating it from you lot. Don't think sunderland fans wouldn't be doing exactly the same if it were the other way round. It's just harmless fun, nobody gets hurt or owt.

I'd actually forgotten all about this game until a couple of hours ago. Hard to believe it's come to this as a former season ticket holder of 22 years and away match regular.

It's their first Cup Final for 22 years. I wonder how long it'll take for the first clearly audible anti Newcastle chant from the unwashed hordes tomorrow. I'll go for 2 minutes 19 seconds.

I would love to get the chance to ask him what has actually been the point of this season.

Problem with that bet though is they could draw after 90 minutes and then win in extra time or on penalties and they've won the Cup and you don't get a penny. That's why I took the 9/2 for them to win the trophy.

I've just stuck £40 on them at 9/2 to lift the trophy. Got this sickly feeling they're going to do it so £220 will numb the pain very slightly when it happens.

Never understood this fascination with 1992. Their crowds increased by a larger percentage in 1997 than ours did in 1992. Maybe we should make flags with 1892 not 1997 on them but then again maybe not....

Over 50,000 tickets sold so far according to NUFC.com.

I would happily take a defeat if it meant that would be the last we'd see of Pardew in our dugout. I hate the bloke the same way as I hate Souness and Allardyce. Win, lose or draw on Sunday, it matters not one bit. We'll either be 8th or 9th afterwards which is where we'll be in May after 38 games

Have to admit I am enthused by the Kinnear sacking, his managerial appointment seemed inevitable. I have turned into one of those mythical "would rather lose 4-3 than win 1-0" fans the media created years ago now. Just want to see us actually go for it in games rather than play it safe and pick up the necessary points to stay up. The thing is that we're only in February and there's literally nothing at stake now, we'll finish 8th or 9th, probably 9th, so the prick Pardew has no excuse not to go out and at least try to entertain all those people who bought season tickets for what has turned out to be an awful lot of games with nothing riding on them.

They give away literally 1000's of tickets for league games and discount many more. They even had to hand out loads of free tickets for the derby when it became apparent there was going to be 1000's of empty seats. For the Cup games such as yesterday they have to split the gate receipts between their opponents and the FA so they aren't allowed to dish freebies out so even when they're only charging £15/£5 they can't get a crowd in. If they stopped doing the free tickets and all the cheap offers for league games (I believe for their next 3 home league games season ticket holders can buy extra tickets for a tenner) and charged prices in line with other Premier League clubs they would struggle to average 25,000 for league games.

Fast becoming my most hated NUFC manager of all time and that takes some doing after Souness and Allardyce. Literally have to turn the telly over now whenever he's on.

Awful defender. No positional sense and can't tackle.

Spurs will bring 2k and I reckon there'll still be 45k home fans prepared to suffer it so I don't think your guess will be far wrong. 0-2

I'm past caring to be honest.

Didn't realise Gateshead were now 4th in the Conference. Since I'm finished with NUFC, certainly for this season and probably until Ashley, Kinnear and Pardew are gone I might start taking in a few of their matches. A Promotion challenge with something actually riding on their remaining fixtures sounds a lot more appealing than what's on offer at SJP under the current regime.

Loyalty points remain even if you don't buy a membership. I packed my season ticket in this time last year and my profile now says general sale but when I log in my loyalty points are still on.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

They have actually managed to change some supporters mindsets from that of football fans to people who take more interest in balance sheets and accounts. I'm only bothered about the football and once again we've lost our best player with no sign of a replacement to come in even though it had been on the cards since August. That we have once again gone through another transfer window without making a signing who will actually be our player for keeps and doesn't have a parent club is a disgrace for a club of our size.

Ticket prices for tomorrow ranged from £45-£70 and it sold out in a few hours. If we had the success the likes of Chelsea have enjoyed for the past decade and were genuine title challengers, Champions League every season, winning cups, we could sell out our stadium easily charging "London" prices. I'll state now that i'm totally against charging all that for what was once a working mans game but NUFC are one of the few clubs that could get away with charging daft money for tickets if they ever realised their potential. Remember under Freddy Shepherd the club were charging £40 a ticket up in Milburn level 7 (whether that was against Fulham or Man Utd) in what is now the cheapest section in the stadium and he was filling it as well.

It was pointless appealing after Pardews post match comments basically saying the referee was right to send Remy off.

Thought as much.

Someone at graft saying that if we wait til Friday to appeal he'll be free to play on Saturday as his appeal won't be heard until the following week. Sounds like a load of rubbish to me but he's pretty adamant.

Excellent read. Totally agree.