TomYam

You'd be amazed how many people in this country eat food purely for fuel or just to fill their stomachs. Quantitity over quality. It's a low priority for, probably, half our indigenous population. Not Italians, though. Tonali will learn from his mistakes.

I like it. It's colourful and different.

ManU set up a powerful marketing dept in the mid '80s. They became a dominant force off the pitch long before their successes on the pitch.

It'll be flung at any club that isn't Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool.

Exactly. Liverpool and Spurs in particular, Klopp and Levy, are really struggling to deal with the reality that a club that has always had the potential to be at least as big as them could soon have the financial and competitive capability to do just that. Aside from a few years in the late 90s, we haven't been able to compete financially with these clubs for 65 years. In truth Klopp is someone I'd probably live if he were managing our club; he isn't, so I don't.

From the Civic Centre to the Swing Bridge and Plummer Tower to the Discovery Museum, I guess the geographical centre of Newcastle would be Bigg Market/Grainger Street. On that basis, St.James's Park is probably abiut a 2 minute walk closer to the centre than the Arena. The Arena site 'feels' a lot more remote because it's undeveloped/underdeveloped. A stadium with football campus, infrastructural enhancements and landacaping, would transform the local economy and change people's perception of that area entirely.

A lot of folk back then were firmly against the proposals because they intended to build a new stadium AND retain the existing one (albeit with a reduced capacity) - Leazes Park would have been reduced to little more than a walkway between two huge stadia. An added problem was that Hall's reputation was such that many didn't believe a thing he said (the man was a populist à la Boris Johnson). If the Arena site is available again, then that is the best choice for relocation imo. There are limitless possibilities there and the regenerative effects for the south-west of the city would be utterly transformative.

Cultural vandalism is correct. Post-war Post-war Newcastle has had quite a history of this - and not just under T Dan Smith, but in the subsequent decades too; Handyside Arcade, for example. I've outlined my opinion before on the vexing issue of what the best stadium solution would be. We all agree it should be city centre. I believe the long term interests of the club and city would be best served by moving to a trailblazing 70,000 home. The Arena site may be a possibility once again (due to the house building plans seemingly collapsing) and Castle Leazes can be revisited. Both these options would be ideal - subject to quality of design, atmospherics, infrastructure, etc.

Quite agree with this assessment but, although I witnessed several games when he was our best player, his playing days with us should have ended years earlier.

James Milner reminds me of Camilla Parker-Bowles and Craig Bellamy rwminds me of my niece's unborn child.

Maybe he has a medical-dental problem that when he really lets loose with a whopping smile his teeth all fall out. He looks a little like Adam Driver - though much better looking, obvs.

Very few supporters or city hospitality businesses would be happy with a move away from the city centre. It won't happen. The most realistic options appear to be: 1. Stay put and enhance our current stadium. 2. Migrate about 300 yards north to Castle Leazes. Castle Leazes is an ancient piece of common land owned by NCCC and, essentially, the freemen who have cattle grazing rights. As far as I know there are no other protections in place and the land could be built on if the council and freemen agree exceptionally. They did so in the mid '90s and are likely to do so again. Leazes Park has national protection in the form of Listed and Conservation Area status and so must be preserved. It is our oldest and most central city park and is owned by NCCC (for citizen wellbeing) although currently maintained by Urban Green due to austerity budget cuts. Any new stadium proposals on Castle Leazes should result in an extended Leazes Park on the site of the current stadium. It could be laid out and maintained by NUFC as part of the agreement. It would be a highly impressive setting. I'd be happy with an enhanced St.James's Park - as most would - but I believe the second option would be better for the club and the city.

Our origins began in 1881 in Byker with Stanley FC/Newcastle East End. In the demise of Newcastle West End FC, the club moved into (the superior) St.James's Park in 1892 and changed the club's name to Newcastle United. Like other upwardly mobile clubs that simply had a name change or stadium move, our inception date should be when the club was formed - 1881.

So many people talking about moving the club to Leazes Park. This is completely unfeasible (as it should be) as it has national protection due to being Listed and in a Conservation Area. Building a new stadium on Castle Leazes, however, is possible because the Freemen broadly supported such a proposal in the mid '90s.

So the nimbys blocked the planned new stadium when Hall was the owner and yet you think developing St.James's is light years better? Logically, then (in your book). the nimbys were the good guys as they blocked the new stadium in favour of extending the existing stadium. A lot of these so-called nimbys were against the plans back then because the club wanted to retain St.James's Park (albeit reduced) AND build a new stadium. Concrete and steel overkill - the park would have been reduced to a green corridor between two overbearing stadia.

Possibly. Fans have a visceral wish/need to stay at St.James's Park. I totally understand that, it's just that I think the club, and especially the city, would be better off with a move to the northern side of Leazes Park lake. Sure, it's not the EXACT same footprint but, other than that, so what? The stands stadium has been renovated numerous times over the years, the pitch too. We could build the state-of-the-art stadium that this club and city deserve. A stadium that can house all our supporters, with room to grow, optimising commercial possibilities and with outstanding acoustics. We have owner that have a track record of delivering such civil engineering. Imagine accessing such a stadium via a new Leazes Park entrance at Strawberry Place? As I said before, I'd be happy enough with staying put, but I just think we'd be selling ourselves short when the aforementioned propsal could easily be realised.

I'd be happy enough with an improved and expanded St.James's Park, but we should be aiming for a minimum 65,000. I still believe the best option for both the club and city would be to move to Castle Leazes. There, we could build an optimal 72,000 stadium and, while it's not on the same historic site the club has resided at since it moved in 1892 and changed its name to Newcastle United, it'd be just a couple of hundred yards away and retain all those qualities that our present location possesses. Once the present stadium is demolished, the club could manage and maintain and extended and enhanced Leazea Park

IThat's a moot point and isn't really relevant. Specifically the discussion has been about building a new East Stand and the possibilities relating to that. I cannot believe any reasonable person could argue the current stand has more heritage value than Leazes Terrace.

Yes, they have. Since 1888, to be precise.

Ughh.

They'll be lenient with Everton as they are one of the 5 'super elite history clubs' the PL owes its existence to.

Need Sammy The Sky Blue Elephant back in the PL. Howay Cov!

I think they love it and are justifiably proud of it; they just think it's been used as an income stream and the club's focus has moved away from the needs of the football team and its fans. In short, Levy & co are more interested in making tonnes of money than winning trophies. In many ways it has ever been thus at Tottenham. When longstanding manager Keith Burkinshaw left the club over disagreements on the direction the club was taking (the first club to float on the stock market and create a marketing department), he was quoted as saying to a journalist as he marched away from the ground, " There used to be a football club over there."

-Incredible turnaround from 18 months ago. Wonderful season. -The players have been remarkable. It seems churlish to highlight a single player as at least 15 have been outstanding, but special mention for our captain who has been a model of excellence, leadersip, positivity and determination. -The fans have been magnificent - how we need a larger capacity for those that have been forced to miss out. -Soecial mention to the mods on this forum for providing us with Ukranian confetti!