The Future of NUFC

[OzzieMandias]

-Making it clear he sees Owen as our best striker by far, in an effort to encourage Mike to offer him a large contract

 

Eh?

[afar]

What will be interseting is what the fuck happens at the end of the season. It feels like almost a phoney war atm, that we are just all being unified for the sake of the club.

 

Come the end of the season what happens to JK, if we stay up he's got a good chance of getting another contract, if we go down he may be seen as the best manager we can hope for in our situation by the people running the club.

 

Who goes, well Owen of course, Given, Zog, Enrique, Viduka, Gerimi, Cacapa and Harper are more than likely. If we are in the Championship then good players like Martins, Colo, Barton and Jonas won't stick around, if we stay up those will be cherry picked anyway by other clubs, with likely little resistance from the owner.

 

So who do we replace all these  players with, who's frst going to come here, secondly does anyone really expect Ashley to splash the cash ?

 

Season tickets sales will be in the toilet, as the credit crunch carries on, nothing much to look forward to on the pitch and continued uncertainty off it, those fairweathered supporters who boosted our attendances for so long will invest the money save into something else.

 

Sorry to sound overly pessimistic, but tbh we have not hit anywhere near the low yet, much worse days are on the horizon

[brummie]

Whatever happens to NUFC in the near future is going to be part of a wider crisis (Southgate is right, incidentally) which will hit the game.

 

This will be the first recession of the high-ticket-prices-Sky-PL era, the entire game is in a state of uncertainty right now.

 

Interesting times ahead.

[OzzieMandias]

The credit crunch will affect every club, not just us.

 

And the immediate effect (for everyone) of the collapse of sterling against the euro will be to make EU players more expensive for English clubs and English wages less attractive to foreign players.

 

We've now passed the high-water mark of Premiership spending power. It's downhill for the whole league from here.

 

[johnnypd]

we wont know how, or if, a recession will affect football until the tv rights are renegotiated later this year. analysts expect a similar deal to what we have now, but one that could prove even more lucrative with internet and overseas rights going for more, domestic prices inflated due to the interest of ESPN, and currency exchange rates swinging massively in our favour. match day ticket income will probably drop but its becoming less important anyway.

[OzzieMandias]

we wont know how, or if, a recession will affect football until the tv rights are renegotiated later this year. analysts expect a similar deal to what we have now, but one that could prove even more lucrative with internet and overseas rights going for more, domestic prices inflated due to the interest of ESPN, and currency exchange rates swinging massively in our favour.

 

I don't see much hope of currency rates swinging in our favour. Sterling will regain some ground, but it was overvalued before and it won't get back to where it was.

[johnnypd]

we wont know how, or if, a recession will affect football until the tv rights are renegotiated later this year. analysts expect a similar deal to what we have now, but one that could prove even more lucrative with internet and overseas rights going for more, domestic prices inflated due to the interest of ESPN, and currency exchange rates swinging massively in our favour.

 

I don't see much hope of currency rates swinging in our favour. Sterling will regain some ground, but it was overvalued before and it won't get back to where it was.

 

what i meant was that currency rates have already swung in favour when it comes to negotiating overseas tv rights. this will make it easier to sell those rights and/or increase the amount we get from them.

[pedro111]

Well, Im 26 and sure, I wasnt around for the really bad times of the 80's but since I can remember following the club (just before Keegan took over first time) the way the club is at the moment is the worst I have ever seen it. I have no hope for the future, and am generally sick as a pig about it tbh.  What makes it even worse is that just a few short months ago I thought the club was going places again and willingly forked out £1400 for a 3 year season ticket. I now just have total apathy for all things Newcastle United.

 

The constant mismanaging of the club is a disgrace of epic proportions and what pisses me off the most is that I know for a fact that there is not one single person amongst the players and the board (who get paid massive fortunes dont foget) that care about whats going on more than me.

 

Thats what f***s me off most about it.

 

Where do we go in the future?....fuck knows.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

A lot of good posts that echo my feelings.

 

The credit crunch has screwed us over more than most. We have a tight fisted owner (when it comes to spending money on players) who has seen his personal net worth fall massively. The value of Sterling has nosedived against the Euro meaning that players outside of the UK are now more expensive. The number of fans paying to watch Newcastle at St. James' was well below 52,000 at the start of this season. That was when most people we're full of hope under Keegan. Next season the attendance figures will take a hammering. This will be because of the credit crunch, people being sick of paying top money to watch mediocre football and most Newcastle fans having no hope for the future.

 

What do we have to look forward to? Relegation? Years of fighting relegation?

 

The future's shite.

[Dave]

Average league attendance at SJP so far this season is 47,434.

 

Take the Liverpool game away and it's below 47,000.

[S.S.R.]

Average league attendance at SJP so far this season is 47,434.

 

Take the Liverpool game away and it's below 47,000.

 

I think it's amazing considering the ill-feeling for the current regime.

[Ronaldo]

-Making it clear he sees Owen as our best striker by far, in an effort to encourage Mike to offer him a large contract

 

Eh?

 

coming out in the media saying "oba's done well, by Michael Owen is our best striker by far" or something to that effect when Owen returned around the time of the Villa game.

 

Looks like a cheap ploy to encourage a big a contract as possible tbh. But how the f*** is Oba supposes to feel. He's outscored Owen in the league since Kinnear's arrival and played better than him in overall play

[johnnypd]

Average league attendance at SJP so far this season is 47,434.

 

Take the Liverpool game away and it's below 47,000.

 

definitely going to be lower next season, not that low attendance guarantees poor performances on the pitch.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

Average league attendance at SJP so far this season is 47,434.

 

Take the Liverpool game away and it's below 47,000.

 

I think it's amazing considering the ill-feeling for the current regime.

Exactly. I think it's the final hurrah before the mass desertion next season. This season may well be the last straw that has finally broken the camel's back.

[Dave]

Average league attendance at SJP so far this season is 47,434.

 

Take the Liverpool game away and it's below 47,000.

 

I think it's amazing considering the ill-feeling for the current regime.

 

When you look at it that way then yes, but it's going to hurt the club's finances significantly over a prolonged period of time.

[J7]

Our playing squad is getting worse season on season. We have a tiny squad and don't seem to be interested in adding to it, never mind improving the quality. The players we have left are getting worse or want to leave. (Bassong and maybe one or two other appart) Even if we stay up, we will lose Given, Owen, NZogbia, plus anybody else Ashley can get decent money for. Then we go bidding for Championship and SPL standard players.

 

Ive been more depressed as a Newcastle fan, but ive never been so pesimistic about the future.

[NE5]

If the Premiership hasn't improved, how the hell did Shepherd let us slip from the top 5, to 14th, 7th & 13th in his last 3 seasons?

 

How is it "better" ?

 

Do you not think the Keegan Newcastle team would challenge for the title ?

 

Do you think the England team of 1990 is not better than the one of the last few years ?

 

Why do you think that football "always" improves ?

 

Its not the case mate, believe me. There are plenty of players through the ages who would still walk into current teams. You are the best of your era, you can't do better than that and you can stand alongside the best players of any other era too.

 

 

 

I think the Keegan Newcastle team would probably finish between 4th & 6th around the likes of Arsenal & Villa. Prepared to be shot down here, but that's my opinion.

 

It also goes beyond just a direct comparison in quality. Back in Keegan or even Robson's days it was easy to build a team that could put away opponents in the bottom half of the league with consistency.

 

These days teams like Villa will have their bad days where they're completely outplayed by a team like us. Not only is the league much better in general, it's also much more level. (Excluding the "top four," of course)

 

as detached from the true reality as those who attempted to suggest that under Ashley we were trying to sign young players with potential for the first time in our history.

 

What you say is nothing new, it's always happened and always will.

 

 

 

NE5, isn't it a fact (I know you like that word) that in the mid-90s, the Premiership was maybe the fifth or sixth most prestigious league in the world, when now it is unquestionably number one?

 

Isn't it a fact that the talent pool in the 90s was mostly limited to players from the British Isles (with a few notable exceptions,) while now the best talent in the world flocks to the league?

 

Isn't it the fact that the Premiership has been absolutely dominating the Champions League in recent years?

 

Isn't it the fact that the amount of money in the league has increased nearly a tenfold in the past decade?

 

Despite all that, are you sure the Premiership is still the same old league it was in the 90s?

 

European Cup:

 

Winners 1977 - Liverpool

Winners 1978 - Liverpool

Winners 1979 - Forest

Winners 1980 - Forest

Winners 1981 - Villa

 

You were saying ?

 

 

[oldtype]

If the Premiership hasn't improved, how the hell did Shepherd let us slip from the top 5, to 14th, 7th & 13th in his last 3 seasons?

 

How is it "better" ?

 

Do you not think the Keegan Newcastle team would challenge for the title ?

 

Do you think the England team of 1990 is not better than the one of the last few years ?

 

Why do you think that football "always" improves ?

 

Its not the case mate, believe me. There are plenty of players through the ages who would still walk into current teams. You are the best of your era, you can't do better than that and you can stand alongside the best players of any other era too.

 

 

 

I think the Keegan Newcastle team would probably finish between 4th & 6th around the likes of Arsenal & Villa. Prepared to be shot down here, but that's my opinion.

 

It also goes beyond just a direct comparison in quality. Back in Keegan or even Robson's days it was easy to build a team that could put away opponents in the bottom half of the league with consistency.

 

These days teams like Villa will have their bad days where they're completely outplayed by a team like us. Not only is the league much better in general, it's also much more level. (Excluding the "top four," of course)

 

as detached from the true reality as those who attempted to suggest that under Ashley we were trying to sign young players with potential for the first time in our history.

 

What you say is nothing new, it's always happened and always will.

 

 

 

NE5, isn't it a fact (I know you like that word) that in the mid-90s, the Premiership was maybe the fifth or sixth most prestigious league in the world, when now it is unquestionably number one?

 

Isn't it a fact that the talent pool in the 90s was mostly limited to players from the British Isles (with a few notable exceptions,) while now the best talent in the world flocks to the league?

 

Isn't it the fact that the Premiership has been absolutely dominating the Champions League in recent years?

 

Isn't it the fact that the amount of money in the league has increased nearly a tenfold in the past decade?

 

Despite all that, are you sure the Premiership is still the same old league it was in the 90s?

 

European Cup:

 

Winners 1977 - Liverpool

Winners 1978 - Liverpool

Winners 1979 - Forest

Winners 1980 - Forest

Winners 1981 - Villa

 

You were saying ?

 

 

 

We were talking about the change from the mid-90s to 2008. Completely unrelated to those results.

 

But then again, you're probably above such insignificant things as common sense.

[AlanSkÃrare]

For some reason I thought that we couldn't possibly go back to this(the Souness, Roeder, Allardyce -esque stature) when Keegans fortunes turned in April. There was a feeling that we would go back to winning home games and beating weaker opposition on a more regular basis as well as make some smart signings. Everything looked to play out like that until the whole managerial-saga unfolded and we got stuck with a mental manager - who seems to have nothing but motivational skills - and an owner that suddenly doesn't seem to be able to make up his mind. I find it incredibly hard to believe that Mike Ashley will ever invest properly in the club after putting it up for sale, and the squad definately needs refreshing if we are to compete with the teams we're supposed to be competing with.

 

My main worry is that too many clubs similar to NUFC are going in the right direction - or will go there, but we're just not likely to turn the corner anytime soon.

[NE5]

If the Premiership hasn't improved, how the hell did Shepherd let us slip from the top 5, to 14th, 7th & 13th in his last 3 seasons?

 

How is it "better" ?

 

Do you not think the Keegan Newcastle team would challenge for the title ?

 

Do you think the England team of 1990 is not better than the one of the last few years ?

 

Why do you think that football "always" improves ?

 

Its not the case mate, believe me. There are plenty of players through the ages who would still walk into current teams. You are the best of your era, you can't do better than that and you can stand alongside the best players of any other era too.

 

 

 

I think the Keegan Newcastle team would probably finish between 4th & 6th around the likes of Arsenal & Villa. Prepared to be shot down here, but that's my opinion.

 

It also goes beyond just a direct comparison in quality. Back in Keegan or even Robson's days it was easy to build a team that could put away opponents in the bottom half of the league with consistency.

 

These days teams like Villa will have their bad days where they're completely outplayed by a team like us. Not only is the league much better in general, it's also much more level. (Excluding the "top four," of course)

 

as detached from the true reality as those who attempted to suggest that under Ashley we were trying to sign young players with potential for the first time in our history.

 

What you say is nothing new, it's always happened and always will.

 

 

 

NE5, isn't it a fact (I know you like that word) that in the mid-90s, the Premiership was maybe the fifth or sixth most prestigious league in the world, when now it is unquestionably number one?

 

Isn't it a fact that the talent pool in the 90s was mostly limited to players from the British Isles (with a few notable exceptions,) while now the best talent in the world flocks to the league?

 

Isn't it the fact that the Premiership has been absolutely dominating the Champions League in recent years?

 

Isn't it the fact that the amount of money in the league has increased nearly a tenfold in the past decade?

 

Despite all that, are you sure the Premiership is still the same old league it was in the 90s?

 

European Cup:

 

Winners 1977 - Liverpool

Winners 1978 - Liverpool

Winners 1979 - Forest

Winners 1980 - Forest

Winners 1981 - Villa

 

You were saying ?

 

 

 

We were talking about the change from the mid-90s to 2008. Completely unrelated to those results.

 

But then again, you're probably above such insignificant things as common sense.

 

were we ?

 

You may have been. But I was saying that nothing changes, you have the same teams to beat. If you are top of your era, you stand beside anyone else who is top of a different era. If changes and advances are made in training, medical techniques, dietary research, they benefit all teams. Newcastle United has always been one of the top clubs in the country, to bring this nearer home, but we only capatilised, or attempted to, on our potential during the period 1992-2007.

 

You said that English clubs have dominated the Champions League lately, I have shown you they dominated it more in a different era. Its been a good last few years, but there have been other good years. English teams also won the Fairs Cup from 1968-1972. Aside of those European Cup wins, there have been others, a few losing finalists and lots of semi finalists too. Leeds lost the final in 1975, and Liverpool won it again in 1984, and lost the Final in 1985, the year of the Heysel disaster. Not bad is it ? 6 winners and 2 losing finalists in 11 seasons.

 

The current world champions are Italy too by the way. How many Italian internationals play in the premiership ?

 

You make another childish comment in your last line again. Do you want to discuss this like an adult or not ?

 

 

 

[oldtype]

If the Premiership hasn't improved, how the hell did Shepherd let us slip from the top 5, to 14th, 7th & 13th in his last 3 seasons?

 

How is it "better" ?

 

Do you not think the Keegan Newcastle team would challenge for the title ?

 

Do you think the England team of 1990 is not better than the one of the last few years ?

 

Why do you think that football "always" improves ?

 

Its not the case mate, believe me. There are plenty of players through the ages who would still walk into current teams. You are the best of your era, you can't do better than that and you can stand alongside the best players of any other era too.

 

 

 

I think the Keegan Newcastle team would probably finish between 4th & 6th around the likes of Arsenal & Villa. Prepared to be shot down here, but that's my opinion.

 

It also goes beyond just a direct comparison in quality. Back in Keegan or even Robson's days it was easy to build a team that could put away opponents in the bottom half of the league with consistency.

 

These days teams like Villa will have their bad days where they're completely outplayed by a team like us. Not only is the league much better in general, it's also much more level. (Excluding the "top four," of course)

 

as detached from the true reality as those who attempted to suggest that under Ashley we were trying to sign young players with potential for the first time in our history.

 

What you say is nothing new, it's always happened and always will.

 

 

 

NE5, isn't it a fact (I know you like that word) that in the mid-90s, the Premiership was maybe the fifth or sixth most prestigious league in the world, when now it is unquestionably number one?

 

Isn't it a fact that the talent pool in the 90s was mostly limited to players from the British Isles (with a few notable exceptions,) while now the best talent in the world flocks to the league?

 

Isn't it the fact that the Premiership has been absolutely dominating the Champions League in recent years?

 

Isn't it the fact that the amount of money in the league has increased nearly a tenfold in the past decade?

 

Despite all that, are you sure the Premiership is still the same old league it was in the 90s?

 

European Cup:

 

Winners 1977 - Liverpool

Winners 1978 - Liverpool

Winners 1979 - Forest

Winners 1980 - Forest

Winners 1981 - Villa

 

You were saying ?

 

 

 

We were talking about the change from the mid-90s to 2008. Completely unrelated to those results.

 

But then again, you're probably above such insignificant things as common sense.

 

were we ?

 

You may have been. But I was saying that nothing changes, you have the same teams to beat. If you are top of your era, you stand beside anyone else who is top of a different era. If changes and advances are made in training, medical techniques, dietary research, they benefit all teams. Newcastle United has always been one of the top clubs in the country, to bring this nearer home, but we only capatilised, or attempted to, on our potential during the period 1992-2007.

 

You said that English clubs have dominated the Champions League lately, I have shown you they dominated it more in a different era. Its been a good last few years, but there have been other good years. English teams also won the Fairs Cup from 1968-1972. Aside of those European Cup wins, there have been others, a few losing finalists and lots of semi finalists too. Leeds lost the final in 1975, and Liverpool won it again in 1984, and lost the Final in 1985, the year of the Heysel disaster. Not bad is it ? 6 winners and 2 losing finalists in 11 seasons.

 

The current world champions are Italy too by the way. How many Italian internationals play in the premiership ?

 

You make another childish comment in your last line again. Do you want to discuss this like an adult or not ?

 

 

 

 

The fact that English first division was also dominant in the 70s and 80s does that prove that the English first division has not changed in quality from 1996 to 2008 and certainly, absolutely does not prove that the quality of football in the top English division has remained constant over the past however many years.

 

You can pull out completely unrelated stats all you want. Absolutely does not change the fact that you're talking nonsense and absolutely does not change the fact that you cannot tell me with a straight face that the Premiership is unchanged in quality in the past decade.

 

I don't even know why I bother arguing you. You'll just respond by completely misrepresenting my arguments, trotting on stats which have absolutely no relevance, or making some pathetic attempt at wit and typing in "mackems.gif" Heck, I'm pretty sure that nothing I'm saying right now is even registering with you. You're just to caught up in your own world and your own whacked out view of things.

 

For both our sakes I'm going to stop biting and just ignore you now. I certainly have no desire to become the next Mick.

[NE5]

If the Premiership hasn't improved, how the hell did Shepherd let us slip from the top 5, to 14th, 7th & 13th in his last 3 seasons?

 

How is it "better" ?

 

Do you not think the Keegan Newcastle team would challenge for the title ?

 

Do you think the England team of 1990 is not better than the one of the last few years ?

 

Why do you think that football "always" improves ?

 

Its not the case mate, believe me. There are plenty of players through the ages who would still walk into current teams. You are the best of your era, you can't do better than that and you can stand alongside the best players of any other era too.

 

 

 

I think the Keegan Newcastle team would probably finish between 4th & 6th around the likes of Arsenal & Villa. Prepared to be shot down here, but that's my opinion.

 

It also goes beyond just a direct comparison in quality. Back in Keegan or even Robson's days it was easy to build a team that could put away opponents in the bottom half of the league with consistency.

 

These days teams like Villa will have their bad days where they're completely outplayed by a team like us. Not only is the league much better in general, it's also much more level. (Excluding the "top four," of course)

 

as detached from the true reality as those who attempted to suggest that under Ashley we were trying to sign young players with potential for the first time in our history.

 

What you say is nothing new, it's always happened and always will.

 

 

 

NE5, isn't it a fact (I know you like that word) that in the mid-90s, the Premiership was maybe the fifth or sixth most prestigious league in the world, when now it is unquestionably number one?

 

Isn't it a fact that the talent pool in the 90s was mostly limited to players from the British Isles (with a few notable exceptions,) while now the best talent in the world flocks to the league?

 

Isn't it the fact that the Premiership has been absolutely dominating the Champions League in recent years?

 

Isn't it the fact that the amount of money in the league has increased nearly a tenfold in the past decade?

 

Despite all that, are you sure the Premiership is still the same old league it was in the 90s?

 

European Cup:

 

Winners 1977 - Liverpool

Winners 1978 - Liverpool

Winners 1979 - Forest

Winners 1980 - Forest

Winners 1981 - Villa

 

You were saying ?

 

 

 

We were talking about the change from the mid-90s to 2008. Completely unrelated to those results.

 

But then again, you're probably above such insignificant things as common sense.

 

were we ?

 

You may have been. But I was saying that nothing changes, you have the same teams to beat. If you are top of your era, you stand beside anyone else who is top of a different era. If changes and advances are made in training, medical techniques, dietary research, they benefit all teams. Newcastle United has always been one of the top clubs in the country, to bring this nearer home, but we only capatilised, or attempted to, on our potential during the period 1992-2007.

 

You said that English clubs have dominated the Champions League lately, I have shown you they dominated it more in a different era. Its been a good last few years, but there have been other good years. English teams also won the Fairs Cup from 1968-1972. Aside of those European Cup wins, there have been others, a few losing finalists and lots of semi finalists too. Leeds lost the final in 1975, and Liverpool won it again in 1984, and lost the Final in 1985, the year of the Heysel disaster. Not bad is it ? 6 winners and 2 losing finalists in 11 seasons.

 

The current world champions are Italy too by the way. How many Italian internationals play in the premiership ?

 

You make another childish comment in your last line again. Do you want to discuss this like an adult or not ?

 

 

 

 

The fact that English first division was also dominant in the 70s and 80s does that prove that the English first division has not changed in quality from 1996 to 2008 and certainly, absolutely does not prove that the quality of football in the top English division has remained constant over the past however many years.

 

You can pull out completely unrelated stats all you want. Absolutely does not change the fact that you're talking nonsense and absolutely does not change the fact that you cannot tell me with a straight face that the Premiership is unchanged in quality in the past decade.

 

I don't even know why I bother arguing you. You'll just respond by completely misrepresenting my arguments, trotting on stats which have absolutely no relevance, or making some pathetic attempt at wit and typing in "mackems.gif" Heck, I'm pretty sure that nothing I'm saying right now is even registering with you. You're just to caught up in your own world and your own whacked out view of things.

 

For both our sakes I'm going to stop biting and just ignore you now. I certainly have no desire to become the next Mick.

 

In relation to opponents, and rivals in europe, it hasn't changed. Its still a level playing field for everybody. Thats the point. I'm sorry but I don't really care for these cliches that get spouted. I've shown you that the best players in europe who won the European Cup, while playing for English clubs, were in a different era to the current one.

 

Thats not a wacked out view of anything, its - as you said before - just common sense.

 

You're right about not continuing. I thought you could have a sensible debate, and tried to do it, but you have ruined the decent points made with childish comments.

 

 

 

 

[OzzieMandias]

Its still a level playing field for everybody.

 

Utter bollocks.

[merlin]

To a football fan success is a relative thing.

If, as Gareth Southgate predicts in the article above, the English game faces a "Serie A style collapse" would the true fans who attend the matches be that bothered about it. I don't think so. Most would rather be high up a decent league than at the bottom of the best league in the world.

The standard of player we watch in the English game nowadays is far higher than 10 years ago, which in turn was much higher than 10 years before that. Do we enjoy it more ? Probably not. We prefer to see winning football rather than world class football.

 

If the collapse did happen and the mercenaries flee our shores, those who will be most upset will be the Premier League themselves - who presently have the world's best football product, the club's owners - most of whom are Johnny come lately's - and maybe a few "fashion fans" who have latched on to the product as we signed up all the world's best players.

 

OK we may no longer get 3 English clubs in the Champion's League semis but would many real fans be that bothered ?

 

Disagree that the standard of football is higher now than 10 years ago - it may be for about 4 or 5 clubs but not for the majority of the Prem - and certainly not for NUFC...!

[Benwell Lad]

To a football fan success is a relative thing.

If, as Gareth Southgate predicts in the article above, the English game faces a "Serie A style collapse" would the true fans who attend the matches be that bothered about it. I don't think so. Most would rather be high up a decent league than at the bottom of the best league in the world.

The standard of player we watch in the English game nowadays is far higher than 10 years ago, which in turn was much higher than 10 years before that. Do we enjoy it more ? Probably not. We prefer to see winning football rather than world class football.

 

If the collapse did happen and the mercenaries flee our shores, those who will be most upset will be the Premier League themselves - who presently have the world's best football product, the club's owners - most of whom are Johnny come lately's - and maybe a few "fashion fans" who have latched on to the product as we signed up all the world's best players.

 

OK we may no longer get 3 English clubs in the Champion's League semis but would many real fans be that bothered ?

 

Disagree that the standard of football is higher now than 10 years ago - it may be for about 4 or 5 clubs but not for the majority of the Prem - and certainly not for NUFC...!

 

Never said the standard of football was better just the standard of player, and that is down solely to the increased money in the game meaning the premier league has become the preferred destination for most "galacticos".

They tend to cancel each other out and  I think that as a spectacle the game was more attractive 10 years ago - it certainly was at NUFC !