JigsawGoesToPieces

Ref might aswell declare next goal wins Will be playing till xmas 2026 at this rate

Joelinton needs to take up ice hockey

Wolte needs to work on his shooting like Put your laces thorugh it man

You could flip a coin on whether Murphy puts in a decent cross or hit the first defender like, so inconsistent like

Newcastle’s players asked for their walkout song to be changed. It hasn’t gone down well - The Athletic As Newcastle United players walked out at St James’ Park before two recent home matches, unfamiliar sounds greeted them. Against Fulham on October 25, the PA system failed, so there was no music, only puzzled chanting and chatter. Ahead of facing Athletic Club on November 5, a modern version of Blaydon Races, a much-loved Geordie folk song written by George Ridley in 1862, was played over the speakers. The second came at the players’ request. Mark Knopfler’s 1983 song Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero — or Local Hero as it is commonly known — was still heard on that Champions League night, but earlier in the running order. That felt somewhat incongruous to regular match-going fans, who have become accustomed to hearing the lyric-less saxophone piece, which evokes a traditional roar of encouragement from the crowd just as it finishes. Local Hero has almost exclusively been Newcastle’s walkout anthem since the early 1990s, according to the club’s website. It has become iconic — and, for many supporters, is a cherished part of the pre-match routine. Yet Local Hero immediately preceding Blaydon Races, it seems, was not a one-off. That is set to be the order again when Newcastle face Manchester City on Saturday. The plan “at the request of the players and coaching staff” is for the swap to continue, at least for now, because the team “want to hear the fans signing right at kick-off”, which is not possible with Local Hero given it has no words. Curiously, rather than ask a coach or a player to explain the change, or consult supporters beforehand, the tweak was made and then communicated via a social-media statement from Wor Flags — an independent fan group responsible for pre-match displays — the day before Newcastle hosted Athletic Club. The switch-around has proven controversial. A poll on X cannot be viewed as universally representative of the entire fanbase, but it can be indicative, and the response was clear. Of 2,343 respondents, 58.2 per cent said they disliked the change, compared to 14.5 per cent who liked it. More than a quarter of voters are yet to reach a verdict, however, with 16 per cent “reserving judgement” until they have experienced the alteration over a longer period, and 11.2 per cent “unsure”. In the replies, opinions ranged from “dreadful”, “baffling”, “horrendous”, “change it back” and that this move is “crossing a line” beyond the players’ domain into the fans’ sphere, to “not really a**ed”, queries over the version of Blaydon Races being used rather than the alteration itself, greater “concern about the team’s performance than a song”, and those who believe “the idea is really good” but needs to be better thought-out. “Hey Jude” — which fans replace with “Geordies” during the chorus — has featured since the 1960s and divides supporters, though some insiders insist it always gets the crowd singing the loudest, and a minority have suggested they would welcome that as a pre-game tune. Ben Spratt’s response was particularly interesting. He said, “You can’t put out soundbites about how great the crowd/atmosphere is, then make changes nobody asked for with the apparent aim of improving it.” And that is what has been most surprising. The club have been extremely sensitive to fan opinion when it comes to a potential redesign of the emblem, and they insist the same will be true when determining the stadium redevelop-or-move question. Yet on this matter — which, unlike the crest, does not fall under FA ‘heritage’ rules and so does not require mandatory supporter consultation — there was no dialogue with fans, while there has been scant communication on it through official club channels. “For me, it should have gone through fan consultation because players and coaches come and go, whereas fans remain,” said Chris Heron, a Wor Flags member. “We’re not a voice for all the fanbase, so it could have been approached differently. “The group as a whole seems representative of the wider fanbase on this, with mixed views. On a personal level, I associate Local Hero growing up with Alan Shearer, so I hold that song dear. It’s Newcastle, to me. “I see the logic behind the Blaydon Races at the same time, but I see it as more of a celebratory song we should do at full time. If there were to be a song sung at the start, I think a slower one we can sing together in unity should be chosen.” The Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) has received lots of messages regarding the song-order change, the majority of a negative tone, and has advised members to complete the club’s digital matchday experience surveys and provide that feedback directly. Lisa Mole, NUST chair, said: “From the communication we’ve received, it seems the majority don’t understand why this has come about and don’t like it. We hope the club will take this into consideration and potentially change it back for future games.” Seemingly, though, players were keen for an alteration. Dressing-room discussions took place, in which it was decided that greater fan involvement through their collective singing voice would be beneficial. Howe was asked at his pre-Brentford press conference earlier this month about whether the move was dressing-room-led and said: “I’m not directly involved, I’ve been putting all my focus on the team, but I know there have been discussions about the pre-match environment and making sure it’s the best it can be. “We’re constantly evaluating to try to make sure it’s the best experience, not just for supporters, but for players. There were a few tweaks made. Obviously, I’m not out there at that moment, so I’m not the best person to judge whether that’s a success. Hopefully, everyone’s enjoying the changes.” Seemingly, that is not the case. The exact match for which Local Hero was first played as the St James’ walkout tune is disputed, though research provided by encyclopedic fan website nufc.com places the starting point as likely being at some stage in 1993. It is audible on footage ahead of the 7-1 hammering of Leicester City by Kevin Keegan’s promotion-winning side on May 9, 1993, but may have been used before earlier fixtures. It was jointly credited as an idea thought up by Sir John Hall, the former owner, and Alan Robson, a local radio-show host who was in control of stadium PA duties. On his website, Robson writes: “My first job for the club was to bring in a proper theme, so I introduced The Theme From Local Hero by Mark Knopfler. It is now a huge part of the experience, and I’m proud to say that was down to me.” But Local Hero has not immediately preceded kick-off at every Newcastle home match for more than three decades. According to nufc.com, Ruud Gullit, during his tumultuous spell as manager, changed the pre-game tune at the start of the 1999-00 season to a medley of the Chemical Brothers, followed by Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim. For the last home match of that campaign against Arsenal, when Gullit was gone, Local Hero returned. Across the 25 years since, it has been an almost ever-present part of the pre-match ritual, aside from a few occasions when tunes including If the Kids Are United by Sham 69, O Fortuna by Carl Orff, Thunderstruck by AC/DC, and The Longsands’ version of Blaydon Races have been played instead. Newcastle insist they will listen to feedback and are receptive to alternative ideas, with the suggestion being that the order could revert or a different walkout song could be found. When change is introduced, there tends to be an initial negative reaction. Whether that subsides remains to be seen. Players walking out to Local Hero has become synonymous with Newcastle home matches, so replacing that was always going to be contentious. Terrible decision by the club, Local Hero is our walk out song and has been for 30 years Also Hey Jude is abysmal song in general, wish we would stop playing it tbh

That Birmingham stadium looks like 1980's soviet union stadium

Shes from Australia?

Premier League clubs will no longer be able to sell assets like hotels and women's teams to themselves to circumvent financial rules after they agreed to new regulations from next season (BBC) Good news, bet the yank at Chelsea will be upset.

That one half of the wet bandits from home alone?

Forest have fleeced us like £90m for him and Vlach in the last few years, and they got Anderson off us for £15m Must be rubbing their hands every time we want to do business with them.

that's awful goalkeeping mind

attendance 18,972

That seagull flying past the camera is probably the most intensity i have seen in 49 minutes

Women's football probably peaked the first time England won the euros, seems to be in decline now

Not a frequent watcher of WSL2 football but god its a hard watch, there isn't much quality even when i tried to watch WSL a couple of times in the last the bar for quality wasn't particularly high

Last 5 years the average to get CL is 68 points ao low 60s would probably have us in conference league at best.

When Burn plays LB and Botman LCB we have two players with a real lack of pace on that side, which is a problem

Was thinking this myself, won a cup, couple of european finishes but doesn't look someone who will ever be an elite manager. Too loyal to players who are declining and are now not good enough (Pope, Trippier, Burn, Murphy, Joelinton) Doesn't sell the for-mentioned declining players Plays people out of form (Botman, Gordon) Too reactive with his subs Hasn't evolved the formation Lost any kind of identity in how we play (no intensity, don't counter attack, try to pass it round without having players with the technical ability to do so) Elanga & Ramsey look like a waste of £90m, and paid Wissa for £55m then got crocked, it came across as desperate.

Beaten by a second rate set piece coach

Stale Needs to change up his coaching staff IMO, bring in some fresh ideas and voices and bin off one or two that are already here

People say Eddie Howe is an elite manager, today proves he isn't, he is just in the very good category Far too slow and reactive on subs Burn is a liability and Howe reluctant to sub him, Botman been poor too Won't drop Pope

Tonali's done fuck all today mind

I know he scores a header once in a blue moon but my god Burn is a fucking abysmal LB and a bang average CB

not much contact there like

Burn second yellow