TheBrownBottle

I know plenty on here want adidas back - and I have to say, if the new Scotland kit is anything to go by, I’d happily take them back. Tempted to get Mrs BB one (she is a scotch person, one of the scotches). It’s a beaut I think (feel free express your incorrect disagreement in replies )

When they’ve self-appointed themselves as representing all of our voices, you might expect a wee bit of backlash in fairness

They exude that snotty sense of entitlement even as adults. Daddy bought me a fanzine, and now everyone will have to understand my insights. Wish the cunt had stuck to rugby

Yep, it’s all ‘yikes’ now, but everyone else in the universe except Edwards could see it. It was the Mauriss shite that was the final straw with him for me. Anyone that easily hoodwinked isn’t much use as a hack

She gives off that vibe, but I’ve nee idea myself

Because it’s Grade-listed. And SJP isn’t.

That’s having austerity govts not maintain the area to blame, not the architecture. The stain that is Eldon Square should be sufficient proof of what happens when you chuck away your heritage. Take the Georgian terracing away and what to you have? Let’s be honest, not a lot of difference with places like Sunderland.

While your criticisms are perfectly accurate, I can understand the response from her

You’d need to actually develop the plans - unless they’re planning on bringing in everyone from outside the NE, then no plans currently exist. And they weren’t supposedly offering that to Greece as an act of generosity - it was so they could jointly host the WC, which would directly affect KSA. That doesn’t mean that the same offer applies to NUFC, where KSA are looking to ultimately make a profit.

I do think that Staveley and Ghoudossi are smart and engaged and will want all (or as many as possible) local stakeholders onboard, the Reubens are obviously savvy property developers and PIF won’t want any negative publicity given that their involvement already creates negative attention. I’d be very surprised if any proposed changes to SJP go ahead without a shitload of comms work - which would likely take a couple of years. They’re unlikely to blindly plough in without a care about consequences.

There are some who are

Yep, I understand that - but it means that the change is usage is effectively permanent once the stand is built. You can, but it doesn’t remedy the issue of where the club plays while that goes on. A full rebuild might as well take place.

Yes, I can absolutely see Leazes Terrace no longer being residential property - though that doesn’t resolve right to light issues. But building over it and the ideas around it being some sort of covered terrace like the pretend village in the Metro Centre? Absolutely no chance. Agreed that’s it’s SJ Terrace which really hems in development. Any works would likely have to sit within the existing East Stand footprint.

Honestly, that sounds both horrendous and a no-goer to me.

Also, has the option of buying the Metro station and grouting the fucker ever been explored? There seems to be far more Geordies keen on a spot of cultural vandalism at Leazes Terrace than there are those who’d be perfectly happy to get off at Haymarket or Monument and make their way from there. Given that any Metro extension west looks completely unlikely what is the point of SJ Metro even being there?

If we lived in a rational world, you’d knock the bugger down and pay the Mackems a fee to play at the SOS for a season or two. But we don’t live in a rational world, and I’m not a rational person so I’d fucking hate that outcome like every other irrational person

In terms of Strawberry Place, were an extension to the Gallowgate feasible (and I’m still not convinced that it is structurally unless something is done with the Metro station), then it is perfectly possible to build over the road and leave it intact (Ajax’s stadium has a motorway running under it). Leaving Strawberry Place is situ is the easy bit. As for Leazes Terrace, it won’t be touched and quite bloody right too. There’s been enough unnecessary damage to Georgian Newcastle done over the years. Adding a small additional tier onto the East Stand (which would need a full KD and rebuild on the current footprint) might be an option if you can get permission. It all just looks like a fucking massive ball ache from a CE point of view. The cost, if it can work, would be astronomical and completely unviable as a money-making venture. If the PIF wants to spunk quarter of a billion on it, that’s their business tbf - just so long as the cost doesn’t land on the club’s accounts as a debt.

It’s the most minor of minor issues, but if the East stand is rebuilt in any way shape or form put the TV cameras in there. It would look far more impressive to people around the world if they were looking at the Milburn

Fair enough - but to the last point you raise - he wasn’t starting with a ramshackle club facing financial oblivion and relegation to the Third Division. He was taking on a team with talented players, bottom of the top division after a handful of games due to mismanagement, in the process of extending the ground to being the second biggest in the country and comfortably one of Europe’s richest clubs. He did a really good job at Newcastle. Keegan did an unbelievable job at Newcastle.

I’m just about Eddie Howe’s age. Robson took over two years after Keegan left - it’s hardly a massive gap between the two. Dalglish and Gullit did poor jobs, but the club had huge spending power and plenty of talented players to build upon. The notion of KK being a ‘three year flash in the pan’ is ludicrous - it was five years, for a start - and Robson’s best period literally covered three years. And I’d argue that NUFC roughly has the global levels of respect of Everton or Leeds. The ground was rebuilt before Robson arrived. This is the club Keegan built. Robson did a good job for about three years.

Hmm, you sure about that? English football’s biggest superstar of the ‘70s wasn’t loved or popular nationally?

Those daft cunts have sang it for decades. Blackburn has a version too. It’s weird because I don’t even think the song is really known outside of football - and it is of course inextricably linked with NUFC. It’s effectively the national anthem of Tyneside.

I keep having repeated bad dreams about missing the game. It’s on at 3:30am in Sydney - and there has been the odd game where I’ve got the Sunday kickoff times wrong and set my alarm for the wrong time. Or the alarm doesn’t go off. I’m terrified that I’m going to wake up, finding I’ve slept through it, and we’ve won the thing. It’s worse than that one about doing an exam at school in your jarmas.

Yeah, I agree that’s got a lot to do with it. He definitely held a place in the national affection. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly didn’t mean it as a criticism of Robson nor his time at SJP - but his lofty status at NUFC as a NUFC figure is, for me, overstated.

One of the things I’ve always found a bit weird about it is that while I genuinely believe Keegan saved and rebuilt the club and in some style, Robson did a good job at what was at the time one of the richest clubs on earth. Don’t get me wrong, going to matches home and away from 2001-04 was fun - I was there - but if you’d asked me in 2004 after he left if in twenty years time NUFC supporters would be making gaudy shite venerating him like he’s the saint of the club I’d have laughed like a drain. It’s beyond odd - it’s like everyone else has formed a different collective memory. There’s a statue outside the ground of him - but Milburn’s was moved; nothing for Gallacher, Harvey, MacDonald etc etc. It’s being a stranger in your own memories.