OptimusSlime

Wait for the price rises if / when move to a new stadium. Was on average 25% for spurs and 15% for Everton. Expect 5% per annum in the meantime the club safe in the knowledge someone else will buy your seat if you can’t or won’t pay. Not surprised platinum club has had a steeper hike remained very competitive for a premier league padded seat, could see that continuing to climb. i expect the family enclosure to get gradually phased out as kids age out. Live events (sport/gigs) are absolutely booming and you can be sure prices will only go one way until or unless demand falls away.

agree overall and appreciate Newcastle council area is only 300k, but Im not having that Wallsend isn’t Newcastle just because they invented the county of North Tyneside in 1974. The areas of Northumberland, North Tyneside, Gateshead, a fair chunk of South Tyneside and significant parts of County Durham are black and white. This puts the regional catchment area well over a million.

Bump The chat around who our best ever centre back was for me thinking around our greatest XI in my lifetime anyway. There isn’t a right answer and some will be based on sentiment and how old the poster is, here is mine GK - Given (3rd highest appearances all time, record PL appearances, 2002 and 2006 PFA team of the season) CB - Coloccini (Former captain 2010 Championship PFA team of season and 2016 PL team of season) CB - Burn (2025 Carabao Cup Final MOTM) RB - Trippier (Former captain 2023 PFA team of the season) LB - Livramento CM - Bruno G (2025 Carabao Cup Final Captain) CM - Lee (Former captain 1996 PFA team of the season) RM - Beardsley (Captain, 1994 PFA team of the season) LM - Ginola (1996 PFA team of the season) ST - Ferdinand (1996 PFA player and team of the season) ST - Shearer (Captain, All time goals, 1997 PFA player and team of the season, 2003 PFA team of the season) I don’t think a keeper comes close to Given. Centre back perhaps controversial and strongly considered Schar but just personally prefer Burn. Woodgate was amazing in his short spell but didn’t do enough for us. I don’t think Botman is anywhere near yet, too many injuries. We have had a dearth of good full backs in my lifetime especially at left back where I was between Pearce, Enrique and Tino. Really struggled with left back, maybe it will be Hall/could have been Hall if not for his injury last season. Midfield was tough leaving out Speed, Batty, Cabaye and Tonali but feel Bruno and Lee have had overall higher peaks for us. Even Dyer I think was exceptional when fit/not being a twat. Batty is perhaps the most underrated though, he was world class and we sold him too early. Tonali also unlucky to miss out and could break in in time as he continues with us. Rob Lee was ridiculously good though for a long period and could tackle, is still 3rd all time PL assists still for us and scored goals. Bruno is perhaps my fave player of all time. Ben Arfa I really considered though Ginola for me did more. Solano was tougher to leave out with Robert a consideration too. I’ve squeezed Beardsley in instead of another winger. For me our best strikers from the PL era are Shearer, Ferdinand, Cole, Beardsley and Isak in that order. Cole had the best single goal season and was toughest to leave out. Ferdinand and Shearer each however won player of the season wearing the 9. Beardsley was absurdly good on his return in the early/mid 90s - 24 goals in 9394 alongside assists for the majority of Cole’s goals. Isak never quite managed the output of the others and if not scoring went missing too often. Cliche but Shearer is top for me peaking early in 1997, then revival under Bobby and overall longevity. Ferdinand though is my favourite ever Newcastle number 9.

Not disagreeing but I do think Coloccini deserves to be in the conversation.

Why on earth would we allow that?

There is absolutely a way back for Isak. Football fans, Newcastle fans included, have short memories. Also the internet/social media/X isn’t really reflective of our matchday support remember. A significant portion of our fans will not have been following this saga in the same way many of our very online fans have. Eddie stood with his arm around his shoulder, some statement of commitment and most importantly goals then fans mindsets will very quickly shift. I now see this as the most likely outcome - but what do I know.

Maybe that’s the case but at some point wouldn’t Saudia wish to take on Emirates? Push the Newcastle to Saudi tourism card more like they had Adam Pearson and mob do after the cup win? And the other way - get (wealthy) Saudi tourists here off the back of the Newcastle link. I’m not any sort of expert on the aviation trade but we just have whatever the opposite is of “build it and they will come” in the north east. Fear of failure? I’m desperate for the region to fulfill its potential but consecutive governments don’t give a monkeys about us, throw us the odd public sector agency and expect us to be grateful we can rely on that for work. If I was that north east mayor (job id never want) I’d be on the first plane to Jeddah or wherever banging on the PIF office door.

I think you are underestimating the north west. So many Premier League clubs are concentrated in the Greater Manchester / Merseyside area you have that concentration of amenities and luxury restaurants, jewellers, Lamborghini dealers etc. in and around the city centres plus wider Cheshire/Alderley Edge. Newcastle frankly doesn't have anything comparable. Outside of London it is far and away the clear number one place to be. Agree with the comments re wages too - Rangers in the 90s, Anzhi in the 00s, Saudi today - location goes out the window if money is more than right. There are however multiple factors that can influence decision making of a player. If money was all that mattered everyone would just take the Saudi League petrodollar today. I am utterly convinced location is a price of the overall puzzle when players are considering a transfer, many have wives, kids etc which factor into the equation. My other point was I’m disappointed with the lack of PIF investment in the city/region. I thought now a few years in at a minimum they might set up a regular Saudia charter service from Newcastle airport for instance (of course Saudia do fly from Manchester…). I was at one point convinced PIF was the golden opportunity for Newcastle / the north east to close some of the gap which is actually growing on wealth / average incomes compared to the rest of the UK. Maybe this can still happen but dosnt feel a priority for PIF in the way I thought at the time of the takeover.

Hungover Sunday thoughts, and I hate to say this as someone who is from lives in and loves the city of Newcastle, Tyneside, Northumberland, the wider region - but Manchester in particular has come on to such an extent over the past decade. I continually fear when we are up against a Manchester club for a player like Sesko. Since the BBC moved to Salford the amount of development etc makes the place feel more like London than anywhere else in the UK. Obviously still some areas struggling and all that, but the place feels less and less like a northern city (and pints are priced accordingly). This could be a good or bad thing depending on perspective but the gap in employment opportunities between Newcastle and Manchester for the average person is only widening. I think when people come to NUFC whether to raise a family (like Shelvey, Wilson, Bruno, Joelinton) or as younger lads as a couple (Tonali, Gordon) we can see whether from the UK or abroad players obviously love living here. Unfortunately for outsiders the draw of the brighter lights of London and Manchester in particular will continue to be an off field factor against us. I travel a lot for work and Manchester in particular feels at a scale different to even Leeds/Glasgow/Edinburgh which themselves are of a scale economically bigger than Newcastle. For example - Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh all have multiple Gordon Ramsay restaurants whereas even a Hard Rock Cafe failed in Newcastle. I’m not saying I want a Gordon Ramsay restaurant- just as an indication of economic strength of the city. Putting morals to one side I was somewhat hopeful PIF would invest in the city/airport etc but that hasn’t really transpired to date. The region desperately needs investment/jobs/wealth which becomes more apparent the more time you spend outside the NE. I’m conflicted too about to what extent you would want gentrification/flash skyscrapers to the extent you have in Manchester/Salford, but NUFC and a more widely NE1 are going to continually going to lack that edge until or unless an external body like PIF decided to ride in on a white horse with a big stadium/redevelopment package. The government isn’t ever going to help and local government is skint.

The loan option is a good punt. There is a good player in there and if it does not work out we can send him back. There are so few good keepers out there. I’ve a feeling he will be success.

Shearer had a highest earner clause didn’t he? Got a bump to 70k when we signed Kluivert then to six figures in his final season when we signed Owen. I’m sure that was all reported at the time.

Appreciate your strong feeling on this, but I feel you are strongly overestimating the quality of Leeds current midfield and their recruitment trajectory over the next few years. We can agree to disagree - I see it as more likely that Longstaff becomes Leeds captain in the not too distant future, than is quickly discarded.

He had a number of special moments for us, including the penalty to beat Forest in our historic Cup run of ‘25. Obviously Napoli>>>Leeds but I could see him proving many doubters wrong when he is able to be the main man at a new club much like McTominay did. That opportunity won’t come at Newcastle due to the quality of our other midfielders so sadly right time for him go move on.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/lee-clark-bankrupt-newcastle-sunderland-35427255 Clarky sadly bankrupt

Apparently they have almost sold out of season tickets 37k, which would be their most ever would be a surprise not to see the pink seats