Promotion prospects will be very different this time around.

Posted on March 25th, 2010 | 96 Comments |

David Kelly last time round.
David Kelly last time round.
Looking back at 1993 and seeing the likes of David Kelly, Rob Lee, Scott Sellars securing promotion to the Premier League and the joy that it brought to tens of thousands of people is something that I will always remember fondly.

The party atmosphere as Kevin Keegan took an unfancied team that flirted with relegation the season before, into the promised land of the still new Premier League is something I remember vividly, even being only 12 years old at the time.

A young, attacking team playing some attractive football took the Premier League by surprise. After a shaky start the team ended up 3rd in their first season. An outstanding achievement with players that were again unfancied. Performances on the pitch were matched with development off the pitch as St James’ Park grew, eventually into what we have today. The rest, as they say, is history.

Things were easier back then though. The Premier League wasn’t the money spinner that is now and the gulf in quality of clubs between the top two leagues was far smaller. It gets mentioned quite a lot, the old ‘the gulf in class between Premier League and Championship is massive’, and you could argue it is.

So could the same thing happen again? Is it conceivable that a team that has recently been promoted can finish in the upper echelons of the promised land? No, it isn’t conceivable. In fact it’s borderline delusional to suggest even a top half finish for the majority of teams that secure promotion. Sure there is the odd team, Ipswich did a few years back and Reading finished comfortably in the top half and just missed out on a European place. Where are they now though? Somewhere we don’t want to be, that’s for sure.

What is the best approach though? I mean, what would be classed as success for next season? Ultimately survival has to be the key. Slow, sustainable growth although I do concede that we should have an advantage in staying up as most of our team has Premier League experience, and lots of it. Saying that though, we had experience last season and it got us nowhere on the pitch, although that was only one of a huge number of contributing factors towards our downfall.

This is a different Newcastle United though. How many years has it been since we have been able to grind out results, or win away from home, or go a goal behind and not get hammered or even grab something out of games that we don’t deserve? It’s been a while. There is a team spirit that I haven’t seen from a Newcastle team since the Bobby Robson days or the Kevin Keegan days, a team spirit which, recent developments aside, will serve us well.

If we go up, will we stop up? That very much depends on investment as I don’t think anyone can deny that reinforcements will be needed. A strong team spirit is also needed, teams like Stoke and Birmingham being prime example of this. On paper, their team may not be as superior as others yet it’s their willingness to work for each other and as a team that gets them results.

Of course a lot of this is speculative as we aren’t even promoted yet. A win against Nottingham Forest on Monday would all but secure promotion though so we must focus on that game first. Get that out the way and the rest will follow.

Let’s get up first though.

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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96 Responses

  1. I remember feeling sorry for Kelly at the time, his goals getting the club promoted and then promptly shipped out for his efforts, wonder who’ll he sharing a similar fate this time?

  4. Yep – Sir Kevin did a great job – can we have him back for next season? At least he will still be able to speak when the FCB is drinking a glass of water – never seen Hughton or Owl Heed do that………

  5. Newcastle will go up and stay up, Birmingham will suffer second season syndrome and get relegated. Happy days :)

  6. out of topic …Have u recently seen nufc transfer targets ….they r very very low class players …I don’t know what kind of geine makes nufc buys players that the epl clubs haven’t heard of …now they r negosiating with rodregies alexander

  8. if we stay up it will be about as much as we can hope for. i fear though that we will not have the money made available by shithead to buy the two or three players that will secrure a stay in the prem -yoyo team speings to mind alas.

  9. David Kelly is still probably my favourite Newcastle player of all the legends I’ve watched in black and white.

  10. Nicely balanced article Toonsy. I wouldn’t rule out a storming season – but I wouldn’t bet a button on it either. We have to remember the landscape has changed in the past year. lots of teams will be scrambling to switch to the sort of business model we already have.
    Expect a lot of good players going cheap and some big drops in quality among some prem squads.

  11. Anybody know who, or what henock is talking about now, spell his name right and the .org elfs will dig up info I’m sure, and where did you get the information from henock, and just because you haven’t heard of him doesn’t make him shite. Just in my life time I can think of a few players I’d never heard of, ketsbaia, Gillespie, ginola, Robert, nzogbia, cole, bassong, jonas, and of course the legendary who the f**k is micky Quinn. I’m sure others can name a good few as well. People were talking the other day about. How we as supporters don’t always give players enough time to settle but you’re shooting down players who we haven’t even signed yet because you lack knowledge of them or maybe football all together. WTF is going on? Think I need a few pints after work :)

  12. Ahh, the mammaries. 7-1, everyone in the whole of Newcastle seemingly drunk, what a day.
    It would be interesting to see DK’s stats for Division1/Championship, I reckon he could be one of the most prolific strikers in the league.
    I don’t think we will ever see a promoted team do what we did in our first season in the PL. The PL has become so boring that I’m not sure I’m looking forward to it. It will certainly be a hard slog.

  13. I honestly think as long as we keep the core of players together we should be alrite in the PL, even better if we add some quality to the team, Butt will be gone…so that is another plus point!!

    Another is there is an abundance of players whose contracts expire in the summer, Ledley at Cardiff, Pederson at blackburn to name a couple but theres no reason with the draw of 52000 cheering them on that we;d be a better draw than most teams!!!

  14. Sorry to p1ss on everyone’s parade but lets be realistic.

    WBA go up and get relegated every single year and yet we are strugling to keep them at bay in the Championship.

    What makes people think that our squad is better equipped than theirs?

    They don’t invest in quality players everytime they go up and then get relegated.

  15. i think we’d have a good chance of staying up, but wouldn’t expect much more than that. probably in the bottom 6 or so. if we were up there now, we’d be in the relegation battle but probably better than the 3 teams who go down (tho that was true last time when we did go down!)

  16. Stu79

    Do you think we could do with Koren from WBA, Bit of a playmaker, good passing ability?

  17. Have to agree with Stuart on this one, with the present squad we have no chance at all of stopping up. Even with quality reinforcements it will be a tough task.

  18. Eyeball,

    We need quality in midfield. Simple as that.

    That will be our weak link in the Prem. We’ll be over ran.

  19. I think a lot of people on here are understandably over-pessimistic.
    Yes west brom are just about keeping within range but that is what they do every year. To come from where we have to where we are shows a gap in capability beyond just being a bit better than the rest – it shows a different class.
    How many records have we broken? How many thrashings have we handed out? How many undeserved points from away games?

    Clubs are struggling all over and an awful lot of them are relying on enough of the others tightening the purse strings to lower the bar so they stay up.

    We don’t need major surgery – just some more clever buys and a continuation of the current style and spirit – and we’ll be fine in the Prem.

  20. I cant understand why bloggers dont think Jonas,Barton,Guthrie + Routledge with Nolan and Smith would make decent MF in the Prem. im sure with the exception of Joey because of his past off-field activities there would be a few current EPL teams would take thim, or is it just me thinking that ? ;)

  21. The NUFC fans greatest asset is that MA can never recover his investment if he does not get into and stay in the PL. He must field a team that will draw the 40,000+ crowds, and make lots of TV appearances. Money compels him to spend this summer to bring in talent that will see him back to black ink.
    I hope he finds a few good Italians and a couple of Brazilians who will chance the Northern weather and flourish in Toon land.

  22. Big Dave,

    I’m sceptical regarding Routledge due to the fact he has played for Spurs, Villa, Palace and Fulham in the PL yet he ended up being released by them all.

    As for the rest, Barton is the only one I think can make an impact in the centre of mid. Guthrie is unproven, Nolan is too slow and gives the ball away too much and Smith isn’t a centre mid.

    Just my opinion and I’m sure some will agree and others will disagree.

    I personally think we need a couple of quality centre mids, a couple of defenders and a goal scorer.

  23. Just been thinking, what do people think the chances are of the Taylor Caroll incedent actually being Taylor & Williamson, just took longer to hit the press? After all, Williamson is the one who broke his wrist or hand in a domestic inncedent isn’t he?

    Lets just hope the whole thing no matter who did what has blown over by the time the promotion party and maybe championship is over and we are getting ready for top flight football again.

  24. BeeGuy says:
    March 26, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    You obviously know nothing about Mike Ashley.

    Although your right about the Brazilians – I’m still waiting for all those South American youngsters who we have first choice on after doing that agent a favour with Gonzalez.

  25. I agree with some of the sentiments on this thread, we must improve. But that is not neccessarily because what we have isn’t good enough.

    Big Dave (@20) is right, there is a premier league midfield in there. The reason we need to improve is much more fundamental. We should always be looking to improve, be that better players, better coaches, better facilities or better owners, you cannot stand still otherwise everyone passes you by and leaves you for dead.

    I will never understand the posters on this site who are convinced we will be relegated next year. We are not even promoted yet. It could still all go belly up. We have two of the most difficult and crucial home games we have faced this season coming up, that’s what we should be thinking about, as I’m sure CH is. Not who we can attract next year.

    We have to stop living in the imaginary future or harking back to past glories and take each step at a time. When we get promoted, review the squad then, see who is available and who is interested in playing for us, not just turning up and taking our money because its a few grand more a week than their current club is paying them. Player who will improve the team both on and off the pitch. If that happens to be a ‘no-name’ like Williamson (for example) then so what.

    As for relegation fears, assuming we are in the premier league next season, it might just be that finances play as big a part in who is relegated as footballing matters do. It is not impossible, although perhaps unlikely, that the bottom three next year could be made up of teams who simply can’t pay their bills and so have been docked points.

  26. My take on this is that pace and fitness are the difference in the Premier league in every position which is why Nolan, Butt and Smith will hopefully be sold in the summer along with Pancrate and Best who are just not good enough.
    Just hope we don’t buy everyone’s tat if we go up, team spirit is worth its weight in gold so there is no point in bringing in the type of overpaid non performing prima donnas who got us relegated.

  27. Stuart79 says:
    March 26, 2010 at 12:20 pm
    BeeGuy says:
    March 26, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    You obviously know nothing about Mike Ashley.

    Although your right about the Brazilians – I’m still waiting for all those South American youngsters who we have first choice on after doing that agent a favour with Gonzalez.
    <<<<< lol stu waitin for ever springs too mind

  28. Starkadder says:
    March 26, 2010 at 12:25 pm

    So our best chance of staying up is the hope that 3 clubs go into administration?

    Oh the future, I cannot wait….

  29. Big Dave – Jonas scored no goals last time and came up with very few assists, Guthrie was (and is) an average Premiership player, Barton is always injured and has never done anything of note for us even when fit, and Routledge has so far in his career failed to make the grade at the top level, although he does have decent pace. We need a strong defensive midfielder, a quality attacking midfielder and probably another top class winger. Add to that a prolific striker and a right back, as well as cover in 1 or 2 other postions. I can’t see Ashley financing the kind of quality we need.

    I also think many fans get carried away by our results in this division. It is a mickey mouse league and while we have done well to keep our focus we have hardly played brilliant football or dominated teams on a regular basis. Certain players have looked good because the quality of the league is poor, not because they are top class players.

  30. a million quid to a faceless agent for nothing in return ??

    £5k a week to CH for sticking £50 mil on the club valuation !! – shamefull.

    – fat mike has spent more money on getting rid of managers & paying agents than ever he has on team strenghtening & i dont see that changing anytime soon.

    trouble ahead i’m afraid.

  31. Stuart79 – Not our best chance, but a possible scenario regardless of where we might finish due to results.

    Our best chance is always to be better than as many teams as possible, but if they are worse than us or financially challenged, it just makes our task that bit easier.

  32. Join this group please if you have facebook, it’s the ‘wheyy-ya-knaa’ group :D
    Much appreciated!

  35. we need to spend at least 10 – 15million to have any chance of staying up, we need cover for left and right back, cover for forwards and a creative midfielder that can change a game with a pass. i think then we have a chance of staying up. i like the attitude that smudge and nolan bring to the club but i dont think they have the legs to take them through the whole season any more as nolan is showing already, so would be great squad members even if on 60k a week. if we go up im looking forward to seeing how colo and carrol shape up

  36. Speaking of strengthening the midfield, hows Aimar doing at benfica? surely Colo and jonas could talk him into toon…quality signing i reckon!!

  37. Off topic but what does everyone think the attendance will be on Monday night?

    It’s our biggest game of the season by a mile and victory will all but guarentee promotion – I will be dissapointed if we don’t break the 50k barrier.

    Also it should be a bloody good game too.

  39. Stuart79
    You are going to be disappointed.
    Monday night crowds always the lowest.
    Fans outwith the area caanot get home.
    Still think we could get 47,000 to 48,000

  40. I think if it had been a Saturday then 50,000+ would have been guarenteed.

    I would imagine that we will also get a jumbo crowd for the Sheff. Utd. game as well.

  41. Macas @ 29
    You say Guthrie is and was an average premier league player. You are being kind to him. He couldn’t get a game for Bolton. They don’t come anymore average than them.

  43. Big Dave says:
    March 26, 2010 at 12:02 pm
    I cant understand why bloggers dont think Jonas,Barton,Guthrie + Routledge with Nolan and Smith would make decent MF in the Prem.
    ————————————–

    I don’t think people believe that. As Macas says, I think we need 2, maybe 3 midfielders better than what we have if we are to be more than just a bottom 3rd squad.

  45. What happens following promotion ?
    I have too agree with Al.Shearer, all depends on how much is spent.
    Yeah I know there are plenty of converts to the recent lets not spend on big time names with salaries to match.
    Lets go and find a half dozen Bassongs and pay em nowt.
    Sorry thats neither a plan or a possibility.
    The reality is that this club needs strengthening and that costs money.
    Sure you could continue with the policy of getting four players in for five million, but in to-days market you tend to get what you pay for and you aint gonna get much in the way of PL quality for that kinda money.
    You got it right Big Al.

  46. Chuck,

    If it is so easy to go and buy good young players for low cost wouldn’t every club be doing it?

    It’s just not an easy thing to do – You need to invest in good players.

    A team team has good players, a bad team has bad players – It cannot be more simple.

  47. Mds Jonas last time round hadn’t even settled now he has and although his scoring record is nowt to write home about but he tears teams apart and he does provide. Guthrie when in the CM I think is a totally different player. Routledge has had a lot of niggles in his early carrer and up to now looks a decent player. I am not a big fan of Nolan’s but I think if he shed a few pounds would be pretty handy. I wouldnt say no to new players but for a team just coming up who can we get ? that are better than what we have

  49. What is all this utter swelge about foreign players?

    Who cares what nationality a player is? This naive conviction that foreign players with cool names will somehow change everything is daft; based on world cups and with no backup in the real world. For every Albert we’ve had five Marcelinos.

    Give me more sub-26-year-old talent with scope to improve. Yes, I hope we hold on to the likes of Jonas and Colo – but I’d rather see more Routledges and Guthries in the knowledge that we’ll never “do a Portsmouth” that way.
    Keep it up and we may be able to genuinely mimic the Arsenal model, where they are prudent enough to afford the odd Arshavin when needed.

  50. @ Big dave. I don’t mean to sound overly critical. I agree that we are likely going to have to make do with what have. I agree on Jonas as well but am a bit concerned about relying on a midfield containing Routledge/Guthrie/Nolan. Sure that team could survive but I would like to be a bit more ambitious than that.

    Still- I hate to be critical- trying to enjoy the promotion push

  51. Theres plenty of players available, just got to sift through the crud and bring someone in that will improve us.

    I think that there will be a couple of players worth a look from the 3 relegated clubs, but as many have pointed out there are likely to be a few clubs trimming down their squads and we may be able to pick up a few decent players who can provide us with cover.

    I think there are a load of players in Russia and the Scans who would be very good for us and the wages are very low in comparison to players who have had a year or so in the EPL.

    I dont want to buy for buyings sake but think we need to strengthen, its a no-brainer.

    On a seperate topic, I know I will get some hammer for this but I think that we should have been blooding in Krul/Forster this year and not gone with Harper for the sentement. I am not sure about him really and think he could be another who has found his level, he is by no means an England goaly, We have 2 – 3 very highly thought of youngsters who, in my opinion, should have had far more game time this year.

    I think we will lose one of them for this reason. I think Krul/Forster, Ranger should go out on season long loans to a good championship club, like Coventry/Sheff U for example, where they will get to play games and hone skills for a year with them ready to come back to us having had some experience ready to make the step up into the EPL.

    I think had we blooded these players in more this year, one or two in a team full of experience would have been ideal, will have saved us money in this coming window

  52. Chuck @ 45:

    I agree to an extent, but those quotes from Big Al did give away why he’s not the manager.

    This idea that you cannot stay in the prem without a benefactor to sub you is unsustainable and outdated. The whole picture is changing rapidly and we’re going to see the majority of clubs in the prem having to ‘downsize’ to stay afloat. That means that the gulf to clubs like Citeh will widen, at which point Platini will get to introduce his fiscal controls – and about time too.

    I have no interest in competing with clubs like Chelski. It’s like trying to keep up with the guy who’s brought a motorbike to the Tour de France – meaningless.

    The current strategy is a sensible one, and we have a year’s head-start on other clubs. Being outside of the Prem while the wheels came off is a good thing.

    None of this makes me like our bosses – but the non-playing side of their approach has at least been shown to be prescient and correct.

  53. MDS nowt wrong with being ambitious mate ;) I just think no1 priority is to stay up and built on it. I have said many times and its only my opinion I would rather have a TEAM of 11 decent players that want to be with us, rather than 11 stars that are only here for their wages.

  55. Whumpie
    I take it you disagree with my point, that PL quality players cost money ?
    Yet you claim (I think) that the gap will widen between the top clubs and the also rans, simply because they spend more.
    At which point Platini will introduce a fiscal plan to prevent that from happening.
    Look the reason for the present money problems has more to do with the massive tv revenues presently pouring into the leagues coffers, fifty million per PL club per season, not counting other tv earnings going directly to the clubs.
    The earning potential for a top PL club is massive and certainly not shabby for the also rans.
    That my friend is the reason for the takeovers by non UK owners and the influx of talented players from around the world.
    The fact we signed a Bassong for next to nothing is the exception to the rule, this is the worlds top league with teams filled with talented players, there are no surprises you will get what you pay for !

  56. Chuck says:
    March 26, 2010 at 1:49 pm
    Stuart
    Uhm ! and your point is ?

    Can u not read?

    Whumpie says:
    March 26, 2010 at 2:08 pm

    I don’t think anyone expects us to have a benefactor to splash fortunes on new players. But what I personally expect is that we punch our weight – Our weight will be 6th heaviest in the PL if we go up, but I very much doubt our spending will reflect that.

    That’s the frustrating thing for me.

  57. @Big dave. Absolutley. To me, the best thing about CH is that he seems to understand that attitude is important in a squad. We seem to have a squad now that loves the shirt, the supporters and gives great effort. His January signings fit that mold as well. Just give me a couple more with a bit of quality in the final third. I think that would give us a successful squad that we can all be proud of. To me, I will always respect the guys who didn’t try and jump ship last summer but stayed to get us up.

  58. Whumpie: The whole picture is changing rapidly and we’re going to see the majority of clubs in the prem having to ‘downsize’ to stay afloat.

    ————————————
    I think that is what will happen….and teams with a sunsible model and sound finances will be in a good position to pick up players and move forward.

  59. Big Dave
    The fact is every player in the EPL is there “FOR THE MONEY”
    Sure many of them profess to love the clubs they are with, then when sold, start out by kissing the badge of their new club and airing the same bullshit, how happy they are to be there.
    Most players footballing live`s are fairly short and they must maximise that potential as much as possible.
    Sure in the fifties when many teams had a number of local lads on the side and were earning wages of under twenty quid a week, then perhaps there was a certain amount of loyalty.
    Unfortunately to-days players are for the most mercenaries and can you blame them ?

  60. Chuck: yep, I think we’re saying the same thing. I think that the value (and salary) of a prem-quality player is about to go down, and our expectations need to shift with it.

    The up-shot is that while some may think we need to spend £20m to just stay up, I think that amount would be enough to completely transform the squad and £10m is more likely to be CH’s budget. Who comes in is likely to be dictated as much by the individuals’ salary demands as their talent.

    The teams without Russian mafia owners or oil sheiks will find they simply have to look at a few expensive players, and bring the rest through their youth systems. The harsh reality is that £50m in TV revenue just doesn’t cover 20-odd Gerrards on £6m a year. The days of rights issues and other cap-in-hand begging techniques are over, thank bloody gawd.

    For what it’s worth, here’s what I think Platini’s rule should be:

    If you spend more than 20% of your revenues (i.e. tickets, sponsorship, merch, TV, etc.) in a rolling 3-season period, you are docked one point for every extra percentage spent.

    That’d turn the prem on its head. :)

  61. Chuck – TV money is going up, but it will now be in monthly payments. The idea of that is to stop clubs being so slapdash with the cash.

  62. Whumpie – 20%? Even league 2 allows 60% and the current lowest wage/turnover percantage is Arsenal who pay 45% of their revenue on wages.

  63. I still dont get your point and yes I can read?
    I struggle with a few posts but in general I can read the simple words.
    You state we should be a sixth place team but our spending will not reflect that, guess that means we will make some astute buys?
    Why would that be frustrating for you ?

  64. Chuck,

    It wouldn’t dissapoint me!

    My point is that if it was that simple to buy cheap young players every club would do it.

    There’s only Arsenal who manage to do it yet they had to spend heavily to lay the foundation to allow Wenger time to get the youngsters through.

    Having said that they have won absolutely zip in the last five years so it’s debatable whether it does actually work.

  65. Chuck @ 59: Cynical, but alas true in many cases. But I’d strongly argue that it doesn’t apply to everyone. There is genuine loyalty out there, and quite often the badge-kissing is more about pleasing new paymasters than any reflection on how they felt about being sold by their preferred club. I honestly don’t think it’s human nature to perform at 100% unless there is passion there, and one thing our club generates more than others is passion.

    Unfortunately, the goings-on of the past 2 years soured that for some (like Given and Beye) and you can’t get it back.

    On that subject – we have a lot of Brits in our squad. Off the top of my head I can think of: Harper, Simpson, Taylor x 2, Hall, Williamson, Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Barton, Smith, Butt, Carroll, Shola, Best, Ranger, and a stack of reserves.

    That’s 16 of our 1st team squad. Anyone else pleased about that?

  66. Toonsy- yeah TV revenues are increasing but they are going to use a lot of it to increase the parachute payments. looks like we just missed out

  67. Toonsy @ 62: I wasn’t referring to wages versus turnover – I meant overall spending to income.

    So if over 3 seasons you took in £150m but spent £200m, you’d be docked 5 points. Simples.

    If you applied that retrospectively, I think it puts Chelski in the Conference… :)

  68. Hey, I have been advocating for ever, a salary cap type of system, not just a wage based, but one that is balanced between revenues and outgoing.
    Sure it`s becoming obvious there are at present clubs who`s bottom lines look very shaky and Portsmouth unless given a financial boost could be the first EPL club to go to the wall.
    Not something anyone wants, certainly not the league.
    But I think in many cases the present ownership of EPL teams would resist any kind of official interference from Mr Platini in regards to their financial affairs.
    On the other hand there will be probably a system of wage control introduced by the leage itself in the near future.

  69. Pompey will be alright in the PL Chuck, the Premier League made sure of that. Just enough support until they leave the league, then they aren’t the PL’s problem.

  70. “So could the same thing happen again? Is it conceivable that a team that has recently been promoted can finish in the upper echelons of the promised land? No, it isn’t conceivable.”

    It is perfectly conceivable, Toonsy.

  71. Unfortunately, the crooks running the FA and the PL have no interest in preventing Portsmouth situations. The fact is that a lot of they expenditure which got Portsmouth into trouble went into their pockets, and there are always more clubs ready to jump into their place and keep that flow going. (In theory at least…)

    The PL is a money-making machine which has put all priorities (like fair play, transparency, the fans) behind the number one: make stoopid money for the directors.

    It was the same when they tried the obvious measure of reviewing video evidence and punishing divers and cheats. The biggest clubs complained because they couldn’t compete as well without cheating, and they put millions into the pockets of the FA and PL – so out went that much-needed initiative.

    Hmm….

    …Is anyone else getting a rather sick feeling about a return to the Prem?

  75. Whumpie says:
    March 26, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    I am not looking forward to it really. I think it’s going to be bloody hard, there will be some thrashings and it’ll be a relegation battle.

    That’s negative, it’s just realstic I think.

  76. Spurs just signed another midfielder, wonder who they are getting shot of?

    O’Hara? So his mrs stops getting biffed by his team-mates?

  77. I’ll settle for fourth place next season, I think winning the league is out of the question unless we sign sergio aguero.

  79. You know how that ditty goes, “we’re Newcastle and we’re gonna win the league….”

  80. Forgive me if I am wrong, but isnt there also the ‘home grown’ quota coming into force next season?

  81. toonsy says:
    March 26, 2010 at 3:53 pm

    “It’s perfectly conceiveble, just unrealistic”

    It’s perfectly “realistic” too Toonsy, under the right circumstances.

  82. workyticket says:
    March 26, 2010 at 4:03 pm
    toonsy says:
    March 26, 2010 at 3:53 pm

    “It’s perfectly conceiveble, just unrealistic”

    It’s perfectly “realistic” too Toonsy, under the right circumstances.

    Would them ‘right circumstances’ be Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Villa and Liverpool all going bust?

    That’s the only way a newly promoted side will ever finish near the top of the PL.

  83. Perfectly realistic ?
    I`m afraid Toonsy is the one being perfectly realistic !
    Unless we buy the Brasilian international side during the summer, or something similar and knowing how parsimonius our landlord is, not much chance of that happening.

  84. Nah Chuck, Brazil play too negatively and would get found out at Premier League level,

  85. Toonsy
    Quit arguing with the boss, there` no percentage in it !
    And lissen, c`mon man how many Coventry games diga go to, really ?

  96. I walked in front of that open top bus from the racecourse all the way to the Haymarket grabbing scarfs and hats and shirts that KK RL et al were hoy-ing off the top. Same scarf and shirt I wear today in fact.

    Does anybody per chance have a copy of the journal or maybe Chronicle from that day as I remember being photographed on me knees in front of the bus kissing the badge.. if so please scan it for me.