Stal

Might come up in conversation though. Even if they did have to disclose that, would it be made public?

No knighthood for you anytime soon.

Cheers OCK and Sherergol!

New member, probs unaware of Giggs You reckon every football forum has their own version of ? I know the mackems have SEB,seems a bit of a common theme. See, I've been around a little while now and whilst I used context clues to work it out, I've never found out the reason why "giggs".

Anyone know why they chose this particular journalist to release their story to?

I've just seen that a boro supporting mate of mine posted on FB that he's just walked past Neil Warnock at Newcastle Airport. Now, he was worried as a boro fan but I'm thinking that's a total ashley style appointment.

So after this has had a week to settle, how likely does everyone feel this takeover will go ahead? I was initially excited and still hope for the best but I'm feeling about 50/50 right now. It seems genuine (ish) but at the same time ashley has cried wolf too many times in the past. So, current gut feelings?

It takes 10 seconds to see it's a prank video. And not a great one either.

My reason for Friday is down to my "3 days for a substantial update or it's not happening" rule. I explained it in an earlier post, and I'm being a little more generous because it's been a UK bank holiday week, but if it's left in the air for longer than that I don't believe it's happening. It's a happy coincidence that someone purporting to being an official source (ish) said Friday too.

Yep. No solid update by Friday and it's not happening.

I wonder what those who have these contacts are actually asking them. Obviously, "is there really a deal?" and "how far along is it?" but I would want to know "how long for it to be fully complete?". I realise this would be a rough idea, but then I'd be wanting to know what the stages are that must be completed and once we know those then I'd be asking the experts/contacts "how long before you expect stage A (I don't have the knowledge to name these stages) to be complete? Then how long for stage B? How long...stage C? etc etc until the final completion. We then have the semblance of a roadmap and people can use this rough guide to steer their expectations. Then we could ask the questions based around the stages we are at. For example, stage A is providing proof of funds. This should take 3 days as bank account balances are shown. We can then focus our speculation/criticism/support on that stage and expect updates accordingly. Then we mix in questions, such as "what are their intentions for the club?", "will they keep Rafa?" "what sort of investment can we reasonably expect?". Currently it's just a higgilty piggilty mess and it's driving wedges between fans and the journalists trying to report on this. As an aside, I think our regular "good guy" journalists are on our side and it must be pretty awful when you're really trying to find stuff out but are getting abuse about your integrity. These folks are not piers morgan, I believe they *want* to bring us good news.

Only 3 statements matter: Sun journo breaking it. Bin Zayed stating they’d agreed a price. Club officially confirming bin Zayed statement. Nothing else during or after those statements mean fuck all, yet a lot of money has been made off the back of it. I think this succinctly sums it up. Anything else up to this point is meaningless with regards to the actual takeover, although I do understand people wanting to know more. Personally I just want them to come out now, or preferably earlier, and say it's truly and absolutely done and the fat man is gone. But, we only have these 3 statements regarding selling the club that mean anything and I'm hanging a lot of my hope on that.

Never fails to bewilder me every time I see that. I mean, I understand it when it's "The X Paper understands..." because I don't believe there is a source. With this though, they are showing how much researching they are doing without revealing who they are speaking to. Surely these people asking for sources realise that as soon as a journalist reveals a source, they will likely not only not have *that* source anymore, but they massively reduce the chances of getting *any* source ever again.

The prospect of getting rid of the fat parasite means it will be very hard to chill I think. Far too exciting. I agree that takeovers can take a little while and I think my preference would be a kind of BAM!!!, new owner announced. No messing around. To announce it at too early a stage is just bad form all round. It gets people's hopes up and then they have to go through the more snidey journalists enjoying pouring cold water over said hopes. Saying that, whilst I have kind of enjoyed reading this thread from page 1 to now, I don't get this attacking of journalists who have been pretty much on our side and are generally liked and respected (Caulkin, Edwards and even Douglas. Not Ryder though. Ryder can go and sit in Twat's Corner with Hope and the others). Overall though, I am feeling optimistic over this one. I thought Staveley was a goer and it was the FCB who screwed that up. I thought the Kenyon thing was just pure bollocks, I don't care who thinks they have seen some crayon scrawled letter written to Mike, almost like a "Businessman in Peace" sycophantic drivel post you'd see on rtg. This one though, hey, why not get excited? Maybe not all out and we all know to keep our powder dry when it comes to suspicious transfer window takeover news from the fat liar and his master of whisperers the Bishop. My caution on such things remain the same though; it's like meeting a lass, getting on well and asking for a date. If she says yes but no date materialises within 3 days then it's extremely unlikely that it's going to happen. Same deal here, except instead of popping out for a coffee and a movie I need to see clear strides in the progression of the takeover. Nothing of substance within 3 days from either camp and they might as well get back onto the business version of Plenty of Fish.

The thing with these "<insert team>fan in peace" poster, they try to make them come off as "I'm a sensible fan, stalwart and ordinary fan very much representative of my club as a whole and I want to wish you, the very worst of mackemdom that I could find on the internet, the very best of wishes. Even though the most cursory of glances at your vast array of (mostly NUFC influenced) topics would show you up to be the most bitter, deluded, vile, racist, paedophilia supporting, reactionary tossers that give the decent s*nderland fans no chance at convincing anyone that they actually exist amongst the polluted sea of crusted arse scum that lacks even the most basic self-awareness that are the posters on your awful, badly administrated shambles of a forum. Oh yeah, you also lord it over teams like mine like you're something special and everyone should bow down to your royal puetrescencenesses because you have a massive stadium due to your plummeting down the leagues like a crate of blue pop dropped off Penshaw Monument. But I digress, I'm just here to say I hope you get out of this league and into the spot you truly deserve. Everyone in my town/city loves you and hates the Mags who incidentally I have never heard of and neither has the rest of the world."

I'm plumping for colback. He's maybe not the worst footballer but he's still shite, had an awful attitude, was signed by pardew, played far too many times under mcclaren, played for sunderland (THAT celebration) and the key thing for me is the feelings of disappointment, anger and annoyance that this traitorous slimeball was playing in a Newcastle shirt, never mind as a first team player brought out in me. However bad Hamilton, Fumaca, smith, geremi et al were, he is the player version of everything I hate from that era of ashley owned Newcastle.

My dog is a rescue. Today she found a footie on the field where we walk and just embarrassed us. She dribbled round me and the Mrs like she was floating on air and we were stuck in toffee. I mean, I used to play in goal and was OK/alright/pretty good and she pretty much span me on my arse like she was Pele on crack. I'm so proud of her

I always hated man u. Insufferable arseholes with an arrogant tosser of a manager who had everything their own way. BBC contracted interviews? Nah, we won't do those. Plenty of added on time by arse kissing refs? Sure. Twats like keane, Rio f and staam? Aye. Giving them a nickname "united" even though a lot of other teams have that word in their names? Yeah, let's do that for them whilst pundit's tongues are still up their arses. Although these days I pretty much nothing them. Chelsea for me are just milwall who can afford their own strips. Man city were a yo yo club, where until recent memory their best ever player was Shaun Goater. I don't dislike them though. Spurs have always been one of my "hope they do well" clubs. Probably due to the likes of Lineker and when they had Ossie Ardiles as manager with their 7 up front policy. Funnily enough, I like their arch rivals Arsenal too and have no axe to grind there. I like Liverpool too. Like it's been said earlier, they feel like a proper football club and one of the consistent big boys who've never won it. Plus the Rafa connection. As an aside, much like spurs/arsenal I don't mind Everton either. As it stands, I'd want Liverpool to win it currently. Down the line, I wouldn't begrudge a Spurs win, although naturally I'd rather it was us up there with Rafa as manager and a new, decent owner.

This, all day.

Not sure if it's my most entertaining, but Newcastle during Keegan aside I rather enjoyed Ossie's Spurs side. With his 2-1-7 formation he appeared to have this idea that it didn't matter if the opposition scored as long as you scored more. I know it didn't last long but it was curiously entertaining.

Sorry like, but no issue with Durham. Especially considering Blaydon (of the Geordie Ridley song "Blaydon Races") was at one time within County Durham boundaries. Plus Durham is pretty classy, so should be aligned with us.

or they saw it on The Simpsons or South Park or something.

Happily. It saves me from delving into the depths of that cesspit. It's even worse than local newspaper facebook pages so they *cough* provide a service.

Between the two main chronicle journos, is one of them more senior than the other? I have it in my head that Douglas is Ryder's boss. Is this correct?

For my pleasure?