Posh? Not on your nelly!

Posted on November 7th, 2009 | 47 Comments |

Peterborough's most famous landmark.
Peterborough's most famous landmark.
Big spenders.
To be frank, Peterborough squad are the ‘Poundland’ of the Championship. Promoted last year through the playoffs, some of the figures paid for Newcastle United players in recent times would pay for the whole Peterborough squad. They even make Scunthorpe look like Real Madrid. However, if any stray Posh fans are reading this, I come here to praise Peterborough, not to bury them. For despite their current, rather lowly position in the Championship (second bottom on goal difference with 11 points), they have been minor miracle workers who, on paper, shouldn’t even be in the Championship at all. But, like Rocky Marciano, plucky Posh have managed to punch above their weight very admirably overall. They also have the ability to slay giants too, including Newcastle United on more than one occaision.

To illustrate my earlier point, here is a list of Peterborough’s ‘Big Money’ signings (nicked from Wikipedia)

    Joe Lewis Signed for £500,000 due to promotion
    Ryan Bennett Signed for £500,000
    Gabriel Zakuani Signed for £375,000
    George Boyd Signed for £260,000
    Tommy Rowe Signed for £225,000
    Toumani Diagouraga Signed for £200,000
    Lee Frecklington Signed for £175,000
    Dominic Green Signed for £175,000
    Aaron McLean Signed for £150,000
    Sergio Torres Signed for £150,000
    Craig Mackail-Smith Signed for £125,000


Many Toon fans will remember the last name on that list, when he scored against a Chuckle Brother’s second eleven to knock we oot of the League Cup.

There’s Only One Barry Fry.

Like many other big spenders, they also have a ‘Director of Football’ in the shape of Barry Fry, a lower league legend who has played for, and managed more teams than I’ve had hot dinners, probably. However, he is probably most closely associated with Barnet, and now Peterbourough, who he has served for over thirteen years as chairman, manager and now DOF. Of course, he was also seen by millions in the documetary ‘There’s Only One Barry Fry’, and along with Ron Atkinson in the show ‘Big Ron Manager’, where Big Ron ‘troubleshot’ the Posh and formed a very entertaining football double act with Fry.

Of course, they are also famous for their current manager, the son of old whiskynose himself, Darren Ferguson. Seen as a very promisong young manager who is squeezing as much as he can from a very poorly resourced squad, he has made waves with the recent promotion and some good FA cup performances.

On the match though…

Thankfully, the goalscorers from the League Cup clash, Williams and Makail-Smith are definitely knacked, and probably still knacked respectively. However, they will probably be welcoming back their number one goalkeeper, Joe Lewis, from suspension.

On the other hand, wor lads have seen some big hitters returning in recent weeks, and Steven Taylor should be another one for this match after a troublsome hamstring. Zurab Georgianfella will remain on the sidelines however as he continues to do his time for a sending off against Doncaster.

Our Cockney colossus, Chris Hughton, will certainly be looking to consolidate on last week’s 1-0 thrashing of the mighty Blades after a recent wobble, helped along a little by some Mr. Magoo style refereeing. The team should be MUCH better than the aforementioned cup defeat though. Wor Harps is also looking for revenge on behalf of the bairns apparently, even though didn’t play. Dripping with menace, he recently said:

“I wasn’t at Peterborough, but I’m told that their players were milking it against a lot of our young lads, so we’re looking forward to them coming up. I’m sure the fans will get behind us and show how tough a place St James’s Park is to come.

He later added:

“We know that it’ll be a tough game, and that they’ll come and make it difficult for us, but it would be fantastic to take another three points.”

Meanwhile Darren Ferguson has been looking forward to the game, saying:

“It’s games like this that we worked so hard to get in the Championship for and why we are determined to stay there,”

Well, in conclusion, it should be a home win, and a totally different affair from the cup exit with a reasonably fit first team of big guns; but my Geordie paranoia keeps saying “ye never knaa like, anything can happen…” etc

Fact of the week: This home fixture @StJames’s Park (ugh) is very likely to be the most attended game ever involving Petrbourough, as the current record stands at 36,478 at Crystal Palace way back in 1960.

Kick-off: Saturday 3pm @St James’s Park.com.
Ref: Andy D’Urso.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1096 articles on this blog.

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47 Responses

  1. i cant believe you are slagging pompey. Its an absolutely lovely port. Nelsons flagship , the victory, is based there in all its glory. Peterborough has one of the biggest naval bases in england.
    Of course pompey is posh.
    You are clueless.

  2. This has been taken from NUFC.COM – I really hope the idiots who are thinking of protesting read this..

    In the aftermath of Keegan’s departure in September 2008, he took the reins for the first time when Hull City came to SJP – on what became a low point in our history.

    Mass protests outside the ground and the Cockney Mafia banner inside contributing to an eerie atmosphere in which the players wilted – Charles N’Zogbia certainly distracted by the goings-on as Hull scored what was the winner. 

    As we wrote in our report of that game, 

    “Unfortunately that poisonous atmosphere can only have a negative effect on the team, as was shown today.

    “We may only be in September but the evidence of this encounter is that we lost a relegation six-pointer, unless something is done very quickly to halt the slide.”

  3. Yes, Stuart.  Look how well things turned out for those who bent over and took it nicely from Ashley.

  4. Also from nufc.com:
    PS: returning to the Ashley “you win – I quit” statement released following that home defeat by Hull in 2008, he signed off by pledging to be:  

    “…determined that Newcastle United is not only here today, but that it is also there tomorrow for your children who stand beside you at St James’ Park.”

    No mention of yourname@ there – and given the lies that have spewed forth from Barrack Road since, there’s no reason to suggest he has any interest in preserving the soul or the dignity of this club for future generations.
    The only thing that will make him walk away is cash.

  5. Toon says:
    November 7, 2009 at 9:59 am
    Yes, Stuart.  Look how well things turned out for those who bent over and took it nicely from Ashley.

    And the poison that was being spewed out that day achieved what exactly?   It could be argued it cost us our PL status.

    My view is we should support the team in the ground, do whatever you want after but support the players during the game.  That didn;t happen against Hull.

  6. hitman says:
    November 7, 2009 at 10:33 am
    stuart you supported the protest,so dont start talkin shite m8.

    Not inside the stadium I didn’t – So don’t you start talking Shite!

    I cannot be arsed anymore.  We cannot get rid of him so we have to get on with what we have.

  7. “We cannot get rid of him.”
    Wish we’d had a few more like you in July 1940, pal.  He’s ripping the piss, and you reply with what?  Please sir, be nice.

  8. And three lost points against Hull didn’t cost us our PL status.  Two lost transfer windows under Ashley did.

  9. protests inside out side the stadium it dosnt matter,i was at that game and the protests inside the ground wernt that bad,apart from the cockney banner and a few chants,outside was a lot worse,and losing against hull didnt cost us our pl status,lack of investment did that,plus ashleys dithering.

  10. Toon says:
    November 7, 2009 at 10:39 am
    And three lost points against Hull didn’t cost us our PL status.  Two lost transfer windows under Ashley did.

    Well that certainly contributed.  My biggest criticsm of Ashley has been the ridiculously lack of investment in players.  I blame him ultimately for our relegation because of that.

    On your other point – In 1940 only force was going to win the day and ultimately it did.

    With Ashley, only money will get rid of him, he’s tried twice to sell and nobody has come up with the money.  If force could get rid of him he would have been gone by now, but unfortunately it’s only money.  Now that is harder to come by than a bit of force.

  11. cant wait to 79’s posts after our next bad result , he’ll be up in arms again slagging his new found fat get of a mate off and threatening to send his season ticket back ect ect . you’ve got to be one of the ficklest fans on the planet.

  12. pondering says:
    November 7, 2009 at 11:01 am

    How is Ashley my mate?  I hate him!  I thought you may have gathered that from the previous twelve months.

    I have defended him on the stadium sponsorship – That’s all.  I don’t understand this history, heritage and sacrasant stadium bull sh1t!

    I still don’t think we’ll get promoted unless there is investment in January- That’s when I will judge Ashley’s latest ramblings.  My gut feeling is that it will be the same as every other transfer windown under him but we shall see.

  13. I cannot be arsed anymore.  We cannot get rid of him so we have to get on with what we have.

    that has to ne the most depressing post i have ever read

  14. Just cos you think you can shut someone up on a blog by slagging them off, doesn’t mean it works against owners, players etc.
     

  15. team line up
    Harper; Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique; Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Gutierrez; Carroll, Harewood.

  16. Staurt 79:
    I appreciate what you’re saying about force.  Protests inside the stadium are counter-productive.  However, that’s no excuse for fatalism.  An active and vocal  boycott of merchandise, Sports Direct and any company that Ashley has a financial stake in will hit him in the only place where it hurts.
    What did you do in the war, daddy?

  17. joke of an article doesn’t even know his facts we were 2nd last year not promoted through the play offs.

    stupid armchair magpie no doubt