geordiesteve710

No. They always release the end of season fixtures on a rolling basis. Still pretty s**** to move a 560 mile round trip to a weeknight, 3 weeks before the game. Even the Saturday PM slot would have been better for them. It is pretty shit but if you start booking non-refundable travel and hotels before the tv picks have been announced you're just asking for it really. Why would you do that? Feel more sorry for anyone who booked to go and watch us at everton after the tv fixtures were announced who then got fucking shafted.

It all just meldges in to one huge lump tbh. It was like a competition. They opened it in 1997 at 40k, we expanded in 1998 from 36 to 52, so they expanded again up to nearly 49 in 2000. Hence their ground is a fair whack too big now, even when they were getting 40k. But it made sense for both clubs at the time if you look back at the trajectory of the teams and the crowds. Yeah true. The first season they finished 7th with Quinn and Phillips it was actually difficult to get tickets for Sunderland games. So they expanded and tbf in the next 7th place season they averaged 47k. That fell to 44k and then 36k for the 19 point season. They overshot based on what was a wave at the time. But both clubs were ambitious and optimistic. It was a far better era for North East football, especially when you also consider Boro. Pretty sure that was when Murray came out with his infamous “one more seat than Newcastle” line Yep. I get the points about North East crowds at the time but there's also an element of it being a bit of a vanity project, with the obligatory reference to ourselves of course. Having such a large stadium has resulted in the mass ticket giveaways which I think became a double edged sword in terms as people became accustomed to not paying. If they go down now it'll be like a millstone round their necks next season. With the benefit of hindsight I wonder if they'd have been better renovating Roker Park to a capacity of 25k or so.

Oh yes. I f***ing hate league. Awful awful sport. The fans are bellends too. There’s no segregation at Union games, yet at League it’s worse than some football games you go to with the vitriol and hate towards one another This isn't quite true ib my experience (although I'd imagine it would apply to a couple of fixtures like the Hull derby or Wigan vs St Helens.) I agree that League is a little more tribal and "edgey" than union appears to be, and there is generally an away "end" at all super league grounds. But fans do mix wearing colours in the other stands if there is either a high demand among away fans or people want to watch it with their mates who support the home team. Went to watch Leeds vs Castleford at Headingley stood in the South Stand last year and a couple of us were loudly celebrating every Cas try with no bother or nastiness at all. For context an NUFC equivalent would maybe be Boro fans celebrating goals in the middle of the old gallowgate. As far as the game goes, I prefer League as it's faster and more end-to-end so I find it a bit more exciting. Find it hard to get into a game of Union as so much hinges on refereeing decisions that I just don't understand having never played it. Just seems like everyone falls down in a big heap and it's a lottery as to which way the referees arm points?!? Got nowt against the sport like, each to their own and fair play to the Falcons for pulling off a successful event and generating a bit of excitement in the city.

am I gan mad or did one of them just offer to undo a female posters bra? Was it "I'll underwire your jaw marra??"

Jesus, this is the single greatest mack-track of all time. After 20 years of sunderland fans telling anyone who'd listen that they actually have more fans than Newcastle, that their attendances were more impressive (due to the laws of mackematics), that Newcastle fans are fair-weather glory-hunters who would disappear on relegation compared to sunderland fans who would all follow the team no matter what, after 20 fucking years, ALS has now (correctly tbf) decided that it's a shit argument and that people who go on about attendances are wankers. With a straight face and not a hint of irony. Glorious.

Not awful signing if that's the money they've got to work with. Still, the vile c***s will do very well to get playoffs. 1.5 million for the pair. If they've got f*** all to spend it's not bad business. Outstanding business given their predicament. McGeady is top half championship standard easy and vaughan is a body in in a position they are scandalously short in. He will also see this as a last shot at getting back into the big time and will be extremely motivated. If they keep the current squad on paper they've one of the best midfields in that division and on that basis I think they should be aiming for playoffs with anything else a bonus. I think they'll ultimately miss out due to a lack of depth and a proven reliable consistent goalscorer. One of the best midfields in the division are you off your f***ing rocker. Theres no goals or creativity at all in that midfield its absolute s****. Anyone thinking these chumps will finish in the top half is out of their mind Their midfielders are (off the top of my head) rodwell, cattermole, lens, khazri, mcgeady. Bear in mind Colback made that division look easy at times last season. Goes without saying I hope they crash and burn like. You alright mate ? Don't forget at one point there were heated debates on here because some folk (wrongly) thought he was better than Hayden. Clearly Colback is an awful footballer but he found his level in that division and at times looked extremely comfortable. Nobody sane ever thought Colback was better than Hayden, some may have suggested he was a better partner for Shelvey being more defensive, but that doesn't mean a thing. I'm not sure where you are going with your points, Colback struggled last season, just as much as he has if not more than previous PL campaigns. Have you seen Cattermole play ? It's a rare thing because he's always injured but when he does turn up he's just Colback with less brains. Lens struggled badly for them, so badly that they were happy to ship him off on loan last season, he now openly hates them and is edging for a move anywhere. Khazri had a couple of good games when he first arrived scored some important goals but has done nothing since except eat pizza and chips and is another running for the exit door. My point is that on paper I think sunderlands midfield is one of the better midfields in that division. The division in question being the championship which Middlesbrough are joint favourites to win and in which even Colback had some good games last season. It's not full of worldbeaters. I might be right, I might be wrong, you don't have to agree with my point, it's a football forum for people to debate different opinions after all, but I don't think what I am saying is too hard to understand. Having had the dubious pleasure of watching colback for the last however many years I would also have to disagree with your statement that last season he "struggled just as much if not more" than he did in the PL. Last season he in general got away with it and actually on occasion had some good games, most likely due to the level of opposition faced whereas in the premier league he was consistently woefully out of his depth since the day he signed.

Not awful signing if that's the money they've got to work with. Still, the vile c***s will do very well to get playoffs. 1.5 million for the pair. If they've got f*** all to spend it's not bad business. Outstanding business given their predicament. McGeady is top half championship standard easy and vaughan is a body in in a position they are scandalously short in. He will also see this as a last shot at getting back into the big time and will be extremely motivated. If they keep the current squad on paper they've one of the best midfields in that division and on that basis I think they should be aiming for playoffs with anything else a bonus. I think they'll ultimately miss out due to a lack of depth and a proven reliable consistent goalscorer. One of the best midfields in the division are you off your f***ing rocker. Theres no goals or creativity at all in that midfield its absolute s****. Anyone thinking these chumps will finish in the top half is out of their mind Their midfielders are (off the top of my head) rodwell, cattermole, lens, khazri, mcgeady. Bear in mind Colback made that division look easy at times last season. Goes without saying I hope they crash and burn like. You alright mate ? Don't forget at one point there were heated debates on here because some folk (wrongly) thought he was better than Hayden. Clearly Colback is an awful footballer but he found his level in that division and at times looked extremely comfortable.

Not awful signing if that's the money they've got to work with. Still, the vile c***s will do very well to get playoffs. 1.5 million for the pair. If they've got f*** all to spend it's not bad business. Outstanding business given their predicament. McGeady is top half championship standard easy and vaughan is a body in in a position they are scandalously short in. He will also see this as a last shot at getting back into the big time and will be extremely motivated. If they keep the current squad on paper they've one of the best midfields in that division and on that basis I think they should be aiming for playoffs with anything else a bonus. I think they'll ultimately miss out due to a lack of depth and a proven reliable consistent goalscorer. One of the best midfields in the division are you off your f***ing rocker. Theres no goals or creativity at all in that midfield its absolute s****. Anyone thinking these chumps will finish in the top half is out of their mind Their midfielders are (off the top of my head) rodwell, cattermole, lens, khazri, mcgeady. Bear in mind Colback made that division look easy at times last season. Goes without saying I hope they crash and burn like.

That surely must be one of ours on a windup. "This is how to look stupid." Indeed feller, indeed it is.

Not awful signing if that's the money they've got to work with. Still, the vile c***s will do very well to get playoffs. 1.5 million for the pair. If they've got f*** all to spend it's not bad business. Outstanding business given their predicament. McGeady is top half championship standard easy and vaughan is a body in in a position they are scandalously short in. He will also see this as a last shot at getting back into the big time and will be extremely motivated. If they keep the current squad on paper they've one of the best midfields in that division and on that basis I think they should be aiming for playoffs with anything else a bonus. I think they'll ultimately miss out due to a lack of depth and a proven reliable consistent goalscorer.

Respected Throughout Football marra, football friends etc.

The leagues and TV companies, who claim to have "the best interest of match going away fans at heart", have had our two trips to Brighton on a Tuesday night and 4:30 on a Sunday. Was planning on ticking Brighton off the list finally this season but that is a pisser of a time even when making a weekend of it. Surely 5:30 Saturday should be enforced for that kind of distance if they insist they want to show it. Exactly the same for me. Haven't been to Brighton before and was intent on doing it this season but will be struggling to do so at 4pm on the Sunday.

To my mind there are two potential possibilities here. 1. There has been a kick off this week which has ultimately resulted in Carrs departure. The Sundays have got wind of it either before or after Carr left and have decided to print now anyway because a) it was a good story and would be a shame to waste it and b) you know, clickbait. 2. The club are fucking about again either penny pinching or flat out refusing to pay the going rate for reasonable players, possibly due to this lawyer dickhead deciding he needs to make an impact and hoy his weight around. If this is the case, Rafa will be properly fucked off because, like the rest of us, he can see this squad will struggle not to go straight back down without substantial investment. Clearly no.1 is the better scenario, whereas no.2 would be cause for serious concern. I'm not #itk or anything but I'm struggling to think of any reason to give Ashley/Charnley the benefit of the doubt based on their past performance. In fact, when the best argument you can make that the regime are competent enough to back rafa is along the lines of "surely they can't be stupid enough to do the same thing again" then I'd say it's actually looking pretty grim and people are justified in showing concern. Obviously fingers crossed it's just a storm in a teacup like.

Correct

Villa and sheff wed would be my favourites to go up as it currently stands. Boro and Fulham would also have a good chance if they can keep hold of their best players ("the defence" in boros case.) Reading will do nowhere as well as last season imo and Leeds are likely to self-destruct again as is customary. Rest are much of a muchness as far as I can see.

Players winning a trophy (or promotion in this case) with their club then running around with their national flags to celebrate. It's not an international match, you were all representing your club, there's no need ffs.

I'd personally add campbell, hyypia, mcgrath and potentially Des Walker to this list if we're looking at prem-era centre-backs. Not sure about bruce/pallister mind. They were a great combination but neither were stand-out brilliant in their own right.

£6.76m a year wages x 3 years is just over £20m unless I'm missing something?

Disgrace that. Justice done.

You're right they wouldn't - how can anyone say a player with only 30 odd top flights games and uncapped gets anywhere near a 30 million fee is just stupid even in today's market. There are a number of English keepers in the premier who would command a higher fee. currently better and who would have the top clubs looking long before Pickford. Maybe in a couple of years that may change but that's a big may at the same time. The only people who think he is worth anywhere near 30 million currently are the desperados down the road. Andy Carroll. was my first thought reading that too, although iirc Carroll had played for England before he left us. I'd agree with the general point that he's not worth £30million but it's a negotiation and sunderland understandably want to get as much as they can for him. They're not going to get as much if they come out and say "we'd ideally like as close to £20mill as possible but are prepared to be flexible on price" are they? We've seen Levy and Ashley coin it in by adopting a similar stance on a number of occasions. In fact, it's probably the first competent thing Moyes has done or said since he was appointed

Is punches crosses he should be catching still a thing? Seems to me like punching is the new normal for keepers nowadays. Aye, they all seem to be coached to punch rather than try to catch now- unless they're under no pressure and it's a shit floaty cross of course.

Gives referees more of an excuse to bottle the decision and wave play on when they clearly should be giving someone a second yellow/ book a rooney for diving, in the knowledge that it'll be picked up on later so they don't have to make the controversial call themselves. Also, in reference to leffes correct point above, it will give more power to the tv companies to decide which incidents are highlighted for the fa to review, because they sure as s*** aren't going to have someone sit through every minute of every game analysing every coming together. On the other hand, it needed addressing and I couldn't think of a better solution so fair f***s to them I guess

Given that Greg turned up that day without any fucking euros I'd say it's a knocking bet you did like.