Jonas

Fair enough. Its not like there's anywhere else on this island we live on that's near a coast.

In an optical illusion there was nearly 10,000 more empty seats there last night than the West Brom game.

Was in the back row of the lower bowl for the 1999 final, okay its an old stadium with a roof over me but it felt just the same there. Couldn't see more than half the stadium, just a pitch. Barcelona was of course a treat for us, but for home fans in that tier regularly it would be very weird compared to what we were used to. Was very removed

Should have stated when saying don't limit a Gallowgate to Leazes/Milburn height I was only thinking of a couple thousand extra seets in a curve or something. Just trying to get to a magic number with the East Stand difficulties.

Agree with both to get a situation like Spurs/Dortmund capacity plus not steep, we'd have to flatten the stadium and start over. This isn't an option many are keen on and we'll probably have to move away whilst it happens The other clubs mentioned Milan/Barcelona/Real/Liverpool had to be creative and build steeply on what was already established as we'll have to/already have. Milan had space but chose to build steeply rather than start over.

Playing 3-4 seasons only to have them relegated in the end or even a massive points deduction seems disconcerting. Like the punishment is being deferred in a game of musical chairs and you just hope it happens in a year that benefits you regarding titles/CL/relegation.

That's inevitable in any big stadium. Its not physically possible to have a big stadium with a big capacity and have everyone having feel part of the game. Iconic stadiums like Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid have done okay with lopsided and far away views/experiences whilst Old Trafford is and Anfield was lopsided. Its personal choices but they're all better than Arsenal's ground for me.

Wow, because it was a similar day, spring creeping in, to today I can almost taste that. Was like a religious experience when he just came back (and I never knew him as a player) but that game was something else. Wish I could watch the video/ext highlights now.

Would look really nice but we shouldn't limit our thinking to matching the Gallowgate up with the Leazes. Build it bigger. The unevenness of the stadium is a virtue in itself.

Really good news. I've long dreaded the day it was built upon for aesthetic and hobbling us reasons. The thing with the East Stand is there are buildings a lot closer to it than Leazes Terrace towards the Gallowgate, through that cobbled stone little alley. Don't know if its listed though.

Since were talking about cheating to win titles, why not throw Man United in there

We'd have been in that but for Ashley which makes that ownership and the cartel nature since then all the more galling. Spurs were an utter also ran in the Premier League up to that point. Was 5th once the best they'd done? plus a couple relegation battles.

Same team winning a second rate league every year at a canter isn't for some, however cheap the tickets may be (and rightly so given the product)

I don't have a dog in the hunt on this. Never liked these huge cash injections - but also didn't like a Man United/Arsenal dominated league (which is all we'd have had without them) or their attempts along with Liverpool and for some reason Spurs to keep it like that. PL has skeletons in the closet that Man City could expose is the implication of that Khaldoon reference, we certainly implied we knew stuff

Don't know what more they could realistically expect from him or anybody than to be in a fighting chance of suriving a relegation battle. I quite liked him, in 'fine for them but dear god I'd hate it if he managed us' sort of way. Think primarily its about counter-acting the feared momentum of new managers elsewhere down there.

We had far worse iffy patches than this at the same time of the season under Keegan in two of the best seasons many of us ever lived through. Were tiring and labouring a bit, plenty draws in the promotion season but we came through it and the injections of Sellars, Robinson and Cole had to have helped - won seven of the last eight or something. The following season we lost three in a row but had signed Fox which had the added factor of being able to move Rob Lee into the middle. Stormed into third. Isak, Bruno, Gordon even Ashby for squad tinkering can have the same effect. We had these moans after a few home draws earlier in this season and since then we've been unbeaten (reserves in the cup aside) and reached a cup final. Is there not a lesson in that?

Based on 37minutes today that might be

We'll probably never go this deep into a season with only one loss, so people that are moaning now will always be moaning, there's no hope for them. Especially as this is our first year of being a normal club for 14years. If we win the league one year we could have dropped 3 or 4 defeats by now and half the team will be shit and toys out the pram every time.

Was a great response to the Man United game. Response of champions I dared wonder. Was surely inevitable but baring that Man U game in mind, it maybe took Tino's enigmatic genius to unlock a goal. A wild card. Don't know if cautionary tales but The first time I was knowingly nervous about not being nervous was this fixture in 93/94. Played indoor football with mates around noon but felt like I should have been paying some dues and worrying instead ahead of such a big game (they all were then) and that it might cost us. Bricking it ahead of time whilst playing there had worked okay against Man United. Worked out though. None of the events of the fixture in 89 if we don't win please. 'sack the board' pitch invasions and people setting fire to their scarves and shirts at the back of the Gallowgate.

Prior to the ban it was worse, especially considering there were only one/two entrants. 85 Liverpool runners-up. 84 Liverpool winners 82 Villa winners 81 Liverpool winners 79 & 80 Forest winners 77 & 78 Liverpool winners. I wish it was different, 90s was a sweet spot. English teams could not qualify for the CL prior to 94/95 so they changed the format. (*We were actually the first English side to win a CL qualifier) Ironically the lack of competitiveness in the other leagues has worked against them. Their own greed on a domestic level. Wonder what would have happened here before the takeovers started. The PL carved up between Man United and Arsenal.

I see they're circling the bowl in that all time PL table too in 17th. Were approaching 400wins (8wins away) the mackems on 153 after 30years at the current rate are due to hit 400 in the 2072/73 season. Our 1000th goal was in September 2012. They are due theirs at their current rate in 2042. Imagine how shit they would have been had they not been financially doped by Short and Drumville

Wouldn't be surprised if it went to penalties having said all this and Pope wins it with save (though I'd be surprised by the last bit, its still us and its still them) No idea how to cope with it if it comes to that mind.

Definitely. It was something me Mam taught me around 90/91 when I got the centenary books. Might even have been a flag to that extent at one of the finals in the 70s therein. Tell Me Ma Me Ma, first heard that after Port Vale in Jan 93. Was probably the first time since I'd been going that we could even fantasise about Wembley (KKs first full season).

Jo The turn around is complete, a Hollywood dramatisation to emphasise it would be perfect

Is that why it used to be called the Milk Cup, because the mackems will milk appearing in an invetiably losing effort (and their only final since football was invented in 1992) for all its worth. Even the weakest of our Wembley games - the Charity Shield and Semi-Final in 2000 are leagues (literally) above any appearance they've made outside of the league cup since 92.