Wolfcastle

We were after and linked with Les Ferdinand for 2 1/2 years, after 1/2 a year and with the internet we'd have fucked him off and signed Chris Armstrong instead and everyone loses.

... in 1995 I first laid eyes on a young firebrand by the name of Javier Zanetti during Argentina v Brazil in the Copa America. Liked the cut of his jib and he turned out alright.

'When Henderson makes reference to Newcastle fans and an “inflated sense of self-entitlement,” as he puts it, “The way in which the Saudi regime have been welcomed into the club with open arms has only exposed this to the wider footballing world,” he says.' Being that were the pinnacle of any ambition I've ever known mackems have (finishing above us, beating us, north east top dogs) maybe having goals beyond that comes off as self-entitlement when its just not being sad. Didn't realise welcoming people was a sign of self-entitlement, I thought the opposite, if anything, was true. But then these are just parroted words aren't they. Will any of them go as far as to not watch the world cup on TV? No. But they'd raze their clubs to the ground, unlike us, on principle of course.

He's such a litigious c*nt. Honestly think he'd rather go to court than have something just go smooth.

I think they were aware of that and it was a happy coincidence as Gazza was on most of those shows in a feature, interview, or introducing stuff and his transfer there was the main reason behind C4 getting the rights after initially just wanting to show his debut. Yeah, totally did too. The graphics on the 94/95 titles says 'accio' which apparently was also misleading. Absolutely lush show.

1990: England v Holland at Italia 90. The game that put Gazza on the World map, simultaneously Newcastle captain Roy Aitken captained Scotland to victory over Sweden. 1996: Euro 96, Croatia v Denmark, that Suker goal and prior shot - nowt to do with us except the bitterly enjoying Rudolph getting one shoved right up 'im. 2006: Cambiasso scores at least the best non Maradona goal in WC history, nowt to do with us but still (still think his finish was naff)

Look at those fixtures so much differently now. This is how it once must have been. No relegation to fear and a chance in all games Man City and Liverpool aside.

So they think they're the biggest club in the championship because they might get the biggest gates this time. But the last time they were as high as the 2nd tier they didn't get good gates, so they've become a bigger club after 4years in the 3rd division than they were then somehow!? and if they're going by attendances, wouldn't that mean were a far bigger club than them, given its not even a rivallry and something like 88 of the last 100 seasons we've had bigger gates including when a division below!?

I that sentiment

Thank heaven's everything is completely above board and FFP compliant at 38,000 gates in a B league PSG.

We win the championship = 'job done' They finish 5th in the 3rd tier and win the end of season mini-tournament = pride, passion, promoted ...and they consider themselves the bigger club!? I think they're making more out of a lesser achievement than Rotherham are, but whatever

Interesting. At Sunderland he needed a police escort and was pelted with coins and a barrage of abuse. At Villa he was hit with a cabbage and a barrage of abuse. But giving him online pelters and chanting 'you're getting sacked in the morning' at one game was beyond the pale

Its by far the most popular sport in the world and massive business. So by all means fundamentally change something that's worked so well for 150years to look like you do some actual work. They tried this ages ago, was some piece, think it was Dover against someone, Don Howe was watching on and seen the virtue in it. Looked, was and is ghastly.

Gothenburg right? Had my heart set on going their on 04 but got Drogba'd. Scored an overhead kick in that game too so nice synergy. Got the highlights of some blokes daughter who taped loads of Milan stuff for some, probably Maldini, reason

Hope he does well, it does feel a fresh move but lets not kid ourselves he was anything but abysmal for us. Can't see the logic in Shearer's being injured causing Tomasson to fluff all those chances, score exclusively pub league level league goals (horrific miskicks, deflections or richochets.

Couldn't agree more and like wasn't enough

They wouldn't have defended or deflected things before the takeover because they were never brought up to anywhere near this degree before, so intsead of 'sportswashing' its highlighted things more and caused a need for defence, deflection - context to me - that wasn't present before. If its 'sportswashing' its been extremely counter productive. But then I'm ignorant too.

I think they've worked themselves into a shoot. Like a roided up version of Rangers in the 90s. Far too good, rich, strong for their competition - more money than the rest of the league combined, but when it came to Europe they're disadvantaged by not being as battle hardened and match sharp as their opponents. I know all words are made up but 'sportswashing' is beyond contrived. It in itself is another contrived word 'whataboutery' and basically means 'only foucs on the sports side, not the other things, because that's where my (vested) interests lie"

Was this century he was after. I think we paid a fee to loan Distin for a year but it wouldn't have been much.

Yes, he was the first to my knowledge. Or maybe Tapie at Marseilles. Tapie went one better though and bought matches too. Lived up to his name.

Just giving this a bump with the new members we have. Loved it 90-95, then they moved Gazzetta to 10am from 11am and I wasn't getting up that early on a Saturday for anything. Then less importantly Serie A regressed and the money was all here. Luckily, because of the time, I taped a lot of them and have watched them back and appreciate the humour more now. Also because I'd love to have heard the outtake of this conversation or have James Richardson expand on it when talking to Boskov (Napoli manager) in November 94 "“not for the first time Boskov embarks on a completely unprompted monologue about Newcastle, training programmes and a lot more besides.”

About four games under Hughton then four years of Pardew and Bruce. Wouldn't wish that on someone like Huddlestone never mind King Arfa

I think football has gone down hill since the 90s very early 2000s. Fitness and speed maybe but actual ability is way lower. The best players then are way better than the best players now. It was rare that a winger couldn't cross then, now we rave about it. International football I find glaring at this. The current French world champions are not a patch in the 1998 team, nor are the Brazil or Argentina sides. I bet through the 80s 90s and early 2000s Italy never had a team as bad as this - and they're European champions now. The Portugal European champions team was the worst team they'd sent to a tournament for a good while

Yeah, I'm not sure what we mean by anti-hero a player that was our guilty pleasure or the opposite of hero/Owen

Yeah Allen came on at half-time in that utter classic with Spurs (we had no strikers at the time) and started (think scored twice) the first friendly that summer at Hartlepool, had a real forgotten man and lovely bonus about having him back on top of the rest of the squad. Don't know if it was a recurrance of the previous injury or a new one but that was pretty much that. Could have figured in the underrated players thread, was pretty prolific for Millwall