TheBrownBottle

Yeah, I noticed that too. Some seem to be in the resigned / acceptance stage already. Probably best for their mental health. Ironically, the only two places in the world (where football is discussed at any rate - I'm not suggesting that little old ladies in Ulaanbaatar are debating this) which probably still think the odds are better that NUFC continue their trophy-free spell are Newcastle and Sunderland. Newcastle because, well, we're pretty used to disappointment and don't want to get our hopes up too much - and Sunderland, where the desperation is driving these thoughts. Everyone else seems to pretty much think success is nailed on in the coming years.

I hope this is the case. As horrendous as the unfiltered bigotry - mainly from KSA twitter accounts - was to the NUFC post last year, that to me is the entire purpose of statements like that. Challenge these people, and don't back down on basic concepts of human rights and decency. I'm aware of the punishments meted out to LBGTQI+ people in KSA for simply being themselves - fuck pandering to that shite. If the club fails to do this before the home game at the weekend, that is abysmal, it really is.

To paraphrase Stewart Lee, if the KSA takeover has achieved one thing, it’s to make sunderland supporters cloak their inherent bigotry behind more creative language

While I think we'll lose, I'm hoping for a better performance than last time. Spurs have had a good side for some time now, but I think Conte is the first manager they've had where I could now picture them really pushing on at the top. A point against these should be seen as a massive bonus.

Why do the weird fuckers (note - fully grown adults) who get off on this stuff write and talk about it in such an unnatural way? The stupid twats sound like a character from a John King novel, rather than a charver from Howden. It is a completely unnatural way of talking in the NE. About as authentic as Tim Westwood.

Every part of the club is purring again - it is just fucking great. I love these displays, especially the 'full ground' ones. NUFC not being broken anymore is one of the few things which makes me sometimes wish I hadn't emigrated. Almost

They do all look utter shite, though it did take us a while to get going under Rafa last time we were down there. It’s still likely that one or teams will run away from the rest around Xmas / NY

You’ll get no pushback from me on Ashley being a cunt

Christ, it’s fucking bleak stuff. I was just a kid but I remember the chants and found them scary at the time

I can remember the monkey noises and chants at SJP - can’t remember bananas being thrown though. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, just have no recollection myself. Monkey noises are abysmal enough, like. Last time I remember seeing anything overtly horrific was away to Leeds in 2003 - there was a badge seller selling NF wank.

Likewise, and season ticket prices shot up from the early to mid-90s. In fact average ticket prices went up more than threefold on average between 1991 and 1997. They plateaued after that. No matter how good we are at that point, I reckon plenty would be unhappy if their season ticket was three times more expensive by 2028. Then you had nearly 10,000 paying £500 for the bond scheme. And Platinum club tickets for £3k (how much are they these days?). NUFC tops were £40 a pop in the mid-90s - and I’d be willing to bet we sold more then than in recent times. That’s the equivalent of £85 today. The club was funded by the supporters, not the Halls or the Shepherds. That was our money going in which bought KK’s side.

Tyneside wasn’t exactly in a depressed state when Ashley bought the Halls and Shepherds out from my recollection. Most seem pretty happy to see them off. Ashley of course was a fucking disaster, but that couldn’t be known then edit: the general point I was making tbh was that the club’s rise and rise was built around the fans - it was the support that provided the money to build KK’s team (and his brilliance as a motivator and love of proper football which fed back into us). It wasn’t a Jack Walker-style club. This time when we rise back up the money won’t really come from us anymore, of course - though it is the support again which attracted the new owners to the club. So this time, we’re indirectly driving it - but they wouldn’t be here without the support being as big and as crackers as it is.

Haha yep, apologies, it’s late and I’m knackered. Nine-figure sum

Yep - though the below doesn’t account for the money made by Cameron Hall for ground redevelopment. https://amp.theguardian.com/football/2009/feb/11/newcastle-united-freddy-shepherd-john-hall

The Halls took possibly as much as a nine-figure sum out of the club. And by 1995-96 the club had the highest average season ticket prices in the country, though not necessarily the highest individual tickets. Also worth noting that post-Taylor just about every club in the top couple of divisions has stadiums which look very different to what they did in the early-‘90s. If it wasn’t Hall, it would have been someone else. Even the Mackems had a 48,000 all-seater by the end of the decade. edit: changed ten- to nine-figure. John Hall is not a billionaire. In a very real sense (Viz reference)

It’s worth remembering that we rebuilt the ground and the team through our money. The Halls and Shepherds put a relatively small amount in and got massive returns - and I’m not just talking dividends. Cameron Hall benefitted from massive contracts to rebuild SJP - what little was put in likely found it’s way straight back. Loved the team we had, KK and the era generally. But the reality is that was down to us having the most expensive tickets in the country, selling tops and other paraphernalia and basically having one of the highest club turnovers in Europe (the earliest I can find with Deloitte has us 4th in European football in 97-98).

I didn’t suggest an England style band. I said a proper brass band before kick off.

This does sound like it could be a line in Blaydon Races, mind

The lack of knowledge of the lyrics of 'Blaydon Races' is borderline sacrilege for me. And that pre-match version is utter shite. It should done live before every game - with a fucking muckle great big brass band. I don't want a busker singing over a tannoy with a dafty whacking a drum out of time. Just a brass section and the crowd does the rest. Makes sense to me at least. EDIT: said brass band should also help keep proper timing. The New Monkey 180bpm version preferred by many can also do one.

Genuinely made me laugh out loud this idea. And now I really, really want to see it happen. Completely small-time (beneath WF really), and the whole thing would be lost on anyone who doesn't have an NE / DH / SR postcode I reckon. But I reckon it would be the thing which finally tips some of the RTG lot into the nuthouse permanently.

Just seen the Wigan goal - hell of a lot of empty seats there mind

Wasn’t he one of the stars of Netflix’s best comedy shows too?

Bournemouth are making him look like a right wanker - though in fairness that’s a task he finds easy enough without their help, from his shopping in the ‘Back to School’ section of Bond Street to his irritating mixture of smugness and victimhood

Yep. He’s right that football is fucked financially - but his employers are one of the worst culprits of all. He’d impress me more if he had the bollocks to call out Liverpool’s ownership. This is just a whine because his team are playing shite at present.

There obviously is a ceiling, as the owners of Klopp’s club have been doing their level best to make football a closed shop for years. There is a massive problem with footballing economics at present, but this hypocritical cunt would do well to look at his own employers and their actions before voicing opinions on others. Or did he forget the various dodgy rules Liverpool have been a sponsor of in the PL, or their willingness to jump onboard with that Super League pish? Klopp and his ilk can get fucked frankly, they’re in no position to jump on a high horse.