Fiftynotout

Met him after he did a talk-in not long ago - canny bloke, good sense of humour. Told some good stories - didn't like Dalglish one bit!

"Corfu to Athens is only an 8 hour drive and a ferry crossing" and a trip in the Doctor's Tardis if you're to get to the match!

Lets be fair, they've no experience of arranging foreign travel for European games

Twas Bolton and as Newsted says Jaaskelainen. Shearer complained to the ref, got the free kick and scored. We were struggling at the time and Hippoheed did indeed go nuts! happy days

Interesting listening to Talkshite, Alladyce on defending himself for calling W/ham fans delussional because they do not play the "West Ham Way". Loads of West Ham fans on hitting back and saying the last time they played the "West Ham Way" was under Pardew and seemed very happy with the way they played under him.

Shola interviewed by Mick Lowes says he is designated pen taker and should have took the ball off Ba but was on the floor and feeling knackered ( he didn't train all week and Pardew thought he wasn't fit for the bench but Shola said there was no way he was missing the derby) and Ba seemed very confident. He says that with hindsight he regrets not taking it but absolutely delighted to score. He also thinks we should have won because Williamson had a great chance and should have hit it first time.

Just got back from match, heard Pardew on the radio, thought he called it right. First half we didn't play and tried to match their thuggery but good half-time talk and second half substitutions meant we were in total control all second half when we concentrated on playing football (although Krull made a great double save to prevent them scoring in their only excersion into our penalty area in the 2nd half). HBA made a big difference and we could have won the game with a bit more composure when shooting. Dean the ref was, as usual, arrogant and incompetant but I don't know why O'Neil and Catermole were having a go at him - he was part of their team wasn't he, so O'Neil should have sub'd him. All in all, probably a draw was fair but I think we showed that we were much more capable of changing our game, personnel and tactics to affect games then they were. Mind you it might be different if the mackems ever manage to keep 11 men on the pitch in derbies!

Just had a funny looking email supposedly from NUFC asking me to update my preferences on their site because they have been "amending thier platforms". This seems to have been sent to members / season ticket holders and quotes me by name but looks decidedly dodgy - anyone else had this?

Stands and looks like Andy Cole but has legs and runs like Tino! Not a bad combination!

I also think the abuse directed at DL is OTT - it's true that he doesn't look "trustworthy" but those who claim that he doesn't know how the football world works and doesn't know what he is doing are surely overlooking the very fact that NUFC now act in a way different to the majority of clubs, ie in a business way (as explained in the N/Echo article) and are tough negotiators and prepared to walk away or wait for deals. They also overlook the fact that Ashley is a very successful, ruthless business man - do they really think he would still have DL in the job if he wasn't doing it to his satisfaction? Mort was a solicitor with the job of buying the club and getting it going, DL is the businessman running it. We mightn't like DL but successful businesses, businessmen and football clubs aren't made by being "nice".

As someone who started going to SJP 1961, I remember everything magpie99 mentions and couldn't agree more! It is time for everyone to accept that everyone makes mistakes but the important thing is to learn from them, sort out the mess and push on. Thankfully it seem Ashley has done this and we will reap the benefits - with a bit of patience, something old timers like us are well used to having!

Reminds me of when Nolan was flagged offside at Forest because, as the pundit said, "his head was off"!

I was brought up to understand that anyone who talks about a person's class, or lack of, demonstrates a distinct lack of class themselves. People with "class" can identify similar people and have too much themselves to mention other's failings in that department.

He bloody annoys me when he anounces the final scores from the other matches at the end when the team is still being applauded off the pitch because I can't hear them!

We played music after goals when Ruud was manager. It was his idea, thought it would raise the atmosphere! Didn't last long - it's the only time I have told my mates I was finished with them if they kept it going, and actually meant it! Hate it - mackems, Bolton, Wigan, smoggies etc. - all small time clubs!!

This "long term security for my family" stuff that Nolan and others go on about is wonderful!!! They get about £3million a year man - how "secure" do they want to be - how the hell do the rest of us survive? Real world scenario needed again. Fair enough if they just said more money or longer contract = more attractive job, but, please, save us the "kids / family security" stuff.

What I don't understand is why the mackems and the Media think they had the better side "on paper". James Hunter in the Sunday Sun says that Sunderland man to man obviously had the better team and Simon Bird in the Mirror reckoned Bruce had a choice of midfielders "Pardew could only dream of"!!!!!! Which one(s) out of their lot would be preferable to ours? Sessessegon instead of Obertan? who else - certainly no one in the midfield - even upfront is Guen any better than Shola?

If there is a sell on clause, it is completely against the way Ashley does deals. He likes things cut and dried from day one - hence the need for us to pay fees up front and account for future wages etc. from the incoming fees. Therefore it is, in my opinion, very unlikely that there is such a clause.

BottledDog you forgot the end bit where we jump off their bridge because it's so much better than ours.

Yes, Quayside summed it up well

Great captain and, for all those who don't think he deserves to be in the team, just look at our performances when he misses a game. Over the years, we've had many players in this mode, players who split opinion but are essential for the team. I, for one, will always remember his leadership when the club needed it and he has already achieved "always remembered Status" along side Stan Anderson, Jim Iley, Bob Moncur, Kevin Keegan, Killa Kilkline, Alan Shearer etc. etc.

Song will be off at this rate

Tylesdley manages to make you want to switch even this game off - he talks such a load of s**t - can't stand the bloke

Hi Folks, been watching the forum for a canny while and thought I'd register so I could pop in now and then to give the benefit of my humble opinion! I used to post on another board a few years back but change of work stopped access during the day. As you might guess from my sig, I'm now in my 50th year of going to the match and this is my 33rd year as a season ticket holder. I will renew my ticket because, quite frankly, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't go to the match. As far as I can see, I won't be affected by the changes and I like the look of the 10 year freeze, the ability to pay monthly and the 10% discount. Having said that, after all these years I have seen many things and I am now, by experience, a bit of a cynic and wonder about the now compulsory "membership fee". The season ticket price might be frozen but next year, the "membership fee" might increse by £30 and every year after! Just me looking on the dark side, but then again....