TomYam

Don't forget that Spurs were the initiators of the group of clubs that became the 'big or breakaway 5' and then went on to form the PL. Unlike the 3 red tops. they've won very little over the intervening 40 years, and had a lengthy period of mediocrity, but Spurs were intrinsic to the commercialisation and elitism you see in the game today. It so happened they started to be highly competitive again at just the right time - just as we went in the opposite direction.

Not keen either, but a lot of that is down to an intense dislike of current chairman Daniel Levy and utter contempt for former chairman Irving Scholar.

As far as the media is concerned only 3 clubs really matter - the same ones that have driven the domestic football agenda for almost 40 years. Add the fact the transfer window has been nobbled by PSR constraints, as well as increasingly clichéd and poor standards of journalism, and you have repetitive hyperbole such as the Isak to Arsenal link.

Agree with this. Southampton ascented to the FL in 1920'21 and quickly became stalwarts of the second tier. They got their first taste of top tier football in 1966-67 and have subsequently played at the highest level for 47 of the last 59 seasons. The Saints have finished in the top 4 only once - in 1983-4, when they were runners up to the Red Pool of Liver.

Aside from the appearance of KK, Waddle, Beardsley and Gascoigne, 1977-92 were the drabbest years in our history. The club had no money and the boardroom divided, traditional industry shutting down with resulting sky high unemployment, decrepit stadium, hooliganism and racism rife, plummeting attendances. Still better althan the Ashley years of torpor and torture...

I was meaning since the late '80s when 3 or 4 clubs assumed control over the governance of football in England. Of course the decade before that wasn't much fun either (with crumbling stadiums and rife hooliganism), but at least there was a far greater equilibrium.

Excellent post, BB. I agree wholeheartedly with all you've written there. It's deeply depressing that this is what football at a higher level has become, but it is what it is and Newcastle United must adapt to compete with the lionized 'elite'.

Season 1891-92:

It would likely be utterly transformative for that post-industrial part of town. Hard to envisage it now but, with its central location and proximity to the river, it could become a desirable neighbourhood.

I used the modal verb 'may' to denite the possibility that the atmosphere could be affected negatively. I suspect there'd be very little difference.

5,000 tourists at an expanded St.James's or new stadium may not have a positive impact on the match atmosphere but it'll certainly have a positive impact on the club's finances and city economy. You win more than you lose although it's another example of football as business and moving away from its community roots.

If we can amass 10 points over the following 4 fixtures - and we should, injuries notwithstanding - then we'd expect to finish no lower than 5th. The team just needs to be focussed and truly believe - and there's no reason why not because we did just that in 2023.

Come on Ipswich! Against all odds they'll stay up, but here's hoping!

A rat as co-owner, a rodent beyond description as captain, Marcus Ratford still at the club and thousands of mice in the stands. No wonder there is a plague on Old Trafford.

Entire quarter of the country? I believe Northumberland & Durham comprises 6% of England's geographical area. The population of our region is no more than 4% of England. Our remoteness (like Devon & Cornwall) is both a strength and weakness; a strong local platform but far fewer tourists and less money swishing about. Your final sentence is interesting. There is massive potential to expand our fanbase in Scotland. We really should be the best supported English club in Scotland due to proximity and history. Back to sweet spots, I've long thought 72,00 is an ideal capacity.

They used to say Arsenal was the club of the 'establishment', and that's probably largely true today. The 'gentlemany' label was forever sullied when dodgy David Dein took control of the club in the late '80s and the conniving, scheming and naked greed that followed. Arsenal's ancient history is rather shameful due to archfiend Henry Norris: FourFourTwo www.fourfourtwo.com Henry Norris: The man who moved Arsenal to Highbury – and became ...

This sort of crap jut makes me feel anti (organised) religion. Not especially keen on the force-feeding of LGBTQ or BLM etc but there are good reasons why it's been so. Give me rainbow laces over religious dictats any day.

In the years when Arsenal won 3 league titles they were competing with only ManU and Liverpool - no other clubs were able to compete financially. Since 2003, first Chelsea, then ManC and a boosted Spurs have overtaken Arsenal financially. As we all know, the strongest finances form the most competitive teams. Arsenal haven't kept step with the likes of ManC, ManU and Chelsea hence their lack of championship success.

I wouldn't say St.James's Park is 'bang in the city centre'. It's in the centre though. Same with Castle Leazes. The Arena is also in the centre - a woefully undeveloped area in the centre. The historical centre is the site of castle/St.Nicholas Cathedral although the modern centre is probably Earl Grey monument. Broadly, anywhere within a km of these locations would be the centre.

...it seemed that we would lose the race. He's been a great player for the club, but time's not on Schär's side sadly.

Eddie Howe's done a sterling job, but there has been a very evident drop off in intensity and quality. He definitely deserves time to get us back on track. Review at the end of the season unless the performances deteriorate to a more alarming extent.

True. Also, it's worth mentioning that if Eldon Square hadn't been built, John Hall's Metro Centre would have had a devastatingly negative impact on Newcastle's shopping scene. Not that he'd have cared, of course. Eldon Garden is a different matter altogether as it always seemed overkill, was never successful and - worst of all - brought about the destruction of the unique and countercultural Handyside Arcade. I have no doubt that had The Handyside lived on into the 1990s it'd have been renovated and be a magnet for the young and leftfield to this day. 🥲

Leazes Terrace was built about 45 years before a football ground made its home beside it. So leaving aesthetics and legals to one side, that lovely old Georgian pile wins out on lineage. Newcastle West End were, of course, the original club to make St.James's Park home. Newcastle East End (formerly Stanley FC) played on the Heaton/Baker border. East End is the precursor to NUFC as West End went bust and East End simply upped sicks and moved into the newly vacant and superior St.James's. The club changed its name to Newcastle United in 1892 but, in reality, the club was formed in 1881 with the formation of East End. In other words, our original home is Byker/Heaton. Perhaps the romantics would seek a return to that area? On the development of Newcastle city centre, Ponsaelius is obviously correct in his assertions that old building can be difficult to adapt to different uses and expensive to incorporate into new schemes. I'd simply argue that it depends on the quality and group value/setting of said building(s). The old Town Hall was correctly demolished as it had no grouping and had limited merit architecturally (although it incorporated the Georgian Corn Exchange, which imo should have been retained), and would have been devilishly expense to renovate (it was falling apart) - correct decision to demolish. Old Eldon Square was an intrinsic part of Grainger's new town - honeyed stone, beautiful group setting, fine classical architecture. Repurposing those terrace buildings - if needed at all - would have been easy enough; they just wouldn't have housed C&A, BHS, HMV or Boots. Eldon Square shopping centre - which has serviced the city so well - could have been routed in a way that didn't have such a negative effect on Newcastle's townscape and heritage.

The Green Market existed for centuries, but it moved to the site on Clayton Street opposite Grainger Market when the new town centre was planned and built in the 1830s. It was given a permanent home on the same site when Eldon Square opened in 1976. Demolished in 2007ish. Big shame as it was very popular and had lots of useful small independent units. Newcatle's shopping scene has definitely become much more uniform, faceless and anodyne over the years. Sigh.

I think you're both right. Eldon Square was hugely important to Newcastle and was a real shot in the arm for the local economy. On the other hand, it could have been designed more sympathetically - particularly with regard to retaining all 3 sides of Old Eldon Square.