Altamullan

Nah. Dwight Gayle just happens to rhyme with Brown Ale. Would work just as well if, for instance, Tony Gale became our future manager. Of course, I'd never live to see it with having to immediately shoot myself in the head and all.

Rest easy POOT; I've not seen it before and really enjoyed it. Thanks for bothering

Can't remember which was my first match. First visit to SJP was to welcome the team back following a cup final defeat. An uncle (now deceased) took me and I can still remember the wonder of it all. Walking through narrow wooden walkways full of hundreds of people (past Grey's monument -- must have been cleaning the monument or digging out below or something). The crush getting in (upstairs Milburn) the level of noise in the ground. Some guy dressed as a magpie dancing around the players as they walked around the pitch, people waving tin foil on cardboard cups. It was literally amazing, to me, like a carnival. Fuck knows what it would have been like if we'd won! Still can't figure out if it was 1972 or 1974.

After Mira kicked Beasant, Dennis Wise legged it after Mira. At this point the whole corner surged forward trying to climb the fences to twat the little fucker/protect Mira (all the other players had left the pitch; for some reason I recall them leaving off by between the Leazes/East stand). I got on top of the fence, at which point one of the spikes punctured my jeans (missed nads thankfully). When I jumped down and looked behind me expecting to see a baying mob, I was all alone. Mira and Wise, sensing a pitch invasion, had already legged it toward the tunnel, but I made a show of running down the line towards him. I got about a third of the way down the East stand when I noticed a copper looking at me. He just stood there shaking his head and said "We're all disappointed son, get yersel away home." Still the best bit of policing I have come across in my life.

Doubt it will be but this would be my preferred team.

That's really lovely. It costs nought to be nice (usually) and the club/JJ have brought real joy to that lad and his school. Well played the lads!

...wonder what year ol' Johnny Dickfingers died/his age/what number bus he was hit by... hope one of the numbers is 75, often a lull around the last 15 minutes. Is it true he's buried upside down in a half-sized casket?

Can't picture him, but sounds like a character. For fuck's sake don't publicise more widely, we'll end-up with another minute 'graced' with a cringey-clap...

Not relevant to Makem musings, but anyone remember/know the name of the old gadgie with the rattle and flask in the upper part of east stand?

He was freaking mint...

a toon legend. that charlotte's a lucky girl. " She's pulled the neck off that one Mick" (ouch...)

I'm always surprised when people form very strong views about subtle differences between keepers. Aside from seeing a series of glaring errors or cracking saves, I find it difficult to judge. I don't know enough to differentiate on positional sense, or other choices they have to make. So from that position of authority, Darlow looks good enough to me, seems really agile: finger tip save and the way he got up and spread to cover the shot off the bar looked excellent.

He's probably been our best defender too when selected

Good to hear, but have to say it didn't come over as anywhere near as loud as Derby and QPR (understandably). Hearing the fans who were at those gave me a huge sense of vicarious pride (whether there was a smattering of shit-faced little scroats or not)

Fuck. Are we in nothingness Reefa? I was really enjoying this season. Now you've made me feel existentially anxious :"Hello darkness my old friend..."

just kidding. Firm but fair as usual.

I know others have made the point (or pleaded for it), but on highlights plus radio only Atsu looks a class act; he seemed to be involved in most of the highlights. He evidently has a decent right foot too, so why not keep him on the right and pop Ritchie on the left, or alternate them? Could be really exciting, particularly at home, to see them both bombing on and having good crosses from either side (terrifying to defend against). Obviously, the ideal scenario, for some of us at least, is having Mitro and Gayle to hit in the middle.

Eh?

Is it Colback?

Bulivye's Two Prophetic Skunks (skunks=another Makem term of endearment for us, btw) and Sky cameraman sneezes= Rafa brings on "Atsu" in added time and we score two goals. Do I believe in superstition? Or some elaborate trans-Atlantic (trans-species) corruption scandal which runs so deep it involves Sky employees... ...psychosis beckons.

Here's a view on HBA's talent, from somebody who can tell the sheep from the goats: "In an interview with Le Parisien that summer, Ben Arfa's former Lyon team-mate and fellow one-time prodigy Karim Benzema said: 'If Hatem had followed the path that was predicted for him, today he'd be playing at Barcelona with Messi. Technically, he's at the same level. But he has other problems.'"

Wasn't the Pearson thing to do with his son getting the boot for the problems he and 2 others caused in thailand last year? That was Leicester not Derby.

I liked this quote from post-Norwich: "You never know how important this could be. It is still early, but if you win and you win in this way, it is a boost for everyone. It is a boost for the players and the fans."

Comment on RTG, 9.42pm: "End football now man. Its shite"

it is true. Pepe Le Pew, we love you.