Hovagod

This is profoundly sad.

Yeah. I mentioned the other day that one of me overriding memories of being a young football fan is being unable to get into games. It’s such a unnatural way to follow a team- it really is a shit state of affairs. It’s stayed with me- for years and years I bought season tickets purely because of the hovering threat of not being able to get in again if we got good. My sister has two kids who are just about to age to start going and it would be tragic if the same thing happened to them.

If it’s not needed in a year or so something has went drastically wrong.

To be honest, I’m going to be nervous watching Eriksen. I’m sure this is me being an idiot and he’s had all the medical tests and whatnot, but even so, it’s a visceral response that I bet is shared by pretty much anybody that saw the incident live. It will be a really strange one for our players- interested to see how they play it.

Nice to get assurances about relegation not turning off the tap.

To be honest, the prospect of actually getting relegated is barely more sickening than the prospect of the Burnley game being a relegation playoff. Can you imagine that week?

Three.

Newcastle won the lottery. The troubling aspects of it are real and something we need to- and will continue to- discuss amongst ourselves. The contribution of Sunderland fans is welcome of course

A round of fixtures down though.

‘I’m walking home back from the match, it’s finished M.K Dons 2 Sunderland 1, Sunderland 2 M.K. Dons 1.’ - And then he just gave up! He was getting so close. Maybe his Chinese was getting cold.

Thought yesterday was his worst game so far. Offered nowt.

Has there been any suggestion from the club that they’re even thinking about the stadium? Not being rude, just wondering where all this discussion is coming from

Yep, Brentford becomes winnable again

Does anywhere in Newcastle show non-televised matches? Remember it being all the rage about a decade ago

Had I not bought mine back this summer, I honestly think I would be in the same place I was as a kid during the 97/98 season- if not quite hoping for relegation, then at least being acutely aware that it could get me into the season ticket holding boat. I also, genuinely, think I would have enjoyed the takeover a lot less. Think most of us that grew up during the nineties attach a certain desirability, mysticism even, to season tickets, a cache to owning one- hence, possibly, that not very good book and film on the subject.

Aw, let's just keep both of them.

Part of me feels bad for them, I suppose, but then you see one of the posters commenting earnestly on their plight had the username ‘Ashley in!’ and it becomes a bit too easy to imagine the roles reversed.

Remember getting off a train in Milan and seeing that Rafa had left. It was strange, there was an initial sting and then I just sort of told my brain to not be bothered by it. A bit later and we were playing Arsenal with Bruce in charge- my first game in twenty years without a season ticket- and I watched in sheer apathy- like they weren’t even worth boycotting. They beat Man Utd a few months later with a local lad scoring the winner and I was pretty much unmoved. I was watching that game with a bunch of non-Newcastle fans and actually pretended to be chuffed so as to not let them down. On Sunday, I bored myself with how much I cared and had to apologise to the people I was with for being such shocking company. I had to leave the pub and stand outside for a bit when the seven minutes came up at the end

Ah, see, I know what you mean. But as with everything Ashley, Ben Arfa represented a tiny glimmer of hope which, when crushed, was calamitous. With Triprpier, it's a true shame but you can't help but feel like we will be alright whatever happens. We have lost a brilliant player for a while. But we're going to sign fucking loads of them- it's great.

Surely clauses like this are not allowed to exist when you buy the player?

What is his injury record like in general?

Worth noting that in Russia they show the flags. No other premier league club gets that treatment.

I listened to Tifo the other day for the first time. They seem to have tapped into that cynicism about watching football that may have been refreshing decades ago when pundits were expected to be gushing but now just feels showy and obnoxious- ‘look at us, we know it’s pointless really!’ The host gave a big build up to one of the game and, sniggering, each of the panel said they hadn’t watched it. Well, neither had I, so what am I listening to this for?

That nusem Dora (?) podcast did one about our game at Anfield that season where they actually said lots of generous things about us that year, and made lots of good points about the Tino myth and other things. Very knowledgable but a bit dry. One thing I always remember about TF is when they sneered at people who attacked Bamford for being privately educated. It’s not a big deal etc, and maybe it’s not, whatever. Of course a minute later one of them mentioned he had went to school with Bamford’s brother. of course he had A second is when that brummie prick casually said he hoped Newcastle got relegated, and even Richardson sounded annoyed at the lack of insight and impartiality.

Can't stand that Brummie prick on Totally Football. Get the impression Richardson gets irritated with him too. Banging on with his stupid voice.