Newcastle United v Manchester United extended match highlights and post match interviews

Posted on October 7th, 2012 | 277 Comments |

Highlights of this afternoon’s game between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James’ Park (more highlights below).

Someone did say once (not Einstein as is commonly thought) that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but each time expecting a different result. However, Alan Pardew doesn’t seem to be familiar with this particular expression. Hence the same old story played itself out once again at St James’ Park this afternoon, ie Alan Pardew persisting with setting up the team in a shape which was all wrong from the kick off, realising he’s made the same mistake some way into the game when the Magpies were two goals down thanks to set piece goals from Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra. With the usual inevitability, he then changed it around to the way it should have been in the first place and watched the team improve immeasurably.

By around the 18-19 minutes into the game when the Red Devils were already two goals up and a shellshocked Silver Supremo switched from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 formation, Manchester United had 8 shots on goal to Newcastle United’s big fat 0. However, by half time, the figure was 10 to Newcastle United, and still only 8 to the visitors. In hindsight though, the damage was done. For all our later pressure, we did have a claim for a penalty, and an attempt by Cisse which was all but over the line, but in the 71st minute, that young rapscallion, Tom Cleverley, made it goodnight Vienna time with a cracking shot into the top corner from a fair range.

As usual, I shall be updating with longer, better highlights, and possibly a video of the whole game if / when they become available.

Post match interviews.

Alan Pardew’s post match interview.

Alex Ferguson’s post match interview.

Teams and Match facts.

Score / Goalscorers: Newcastle United 0, Manchester United 3 (Jonny Evans 8, Patrice Evra 16, Tom Cleverly 71).

Teams.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Steve Harper (G), David Santon, Mike Williamson, James Perch, Shane Ferguson (Vurnon Anita 63), Hatem Ben Arfa, Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez, Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse (Shola Ameobi 63).

Subs: Jak Alnwick (G), Danny Simpson, Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana, Gabriel Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Shola Ameobi.

Manchester United: (4-2-3-1): David De Gea (G), Rafael, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Patrice Evra (C), Tom Cleverley, Michael Carrick, Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa (Antonio Valencia 55), Robin Van Persie.

Subs: Anders Lindegaard (G), Scott Wootton, Paul Scholes, Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Antonio Valencia, Javier Hernandez.

Yellow cards: Shinji Kagawa (21), Rio Ferdinand (30), van Persie (31), Cheick Tiote (33), Jonas Gutierrez (42), James Perch (75).

Red cards: None.

Referee: Howard Webb.

Attendance: 52,203.

Poll

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.

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277 Responses

  1. 5 things we learnt about this match

    1. Letting Mancs set the pace from the KO was not the best policy.
    2. Marking was non existent at corners, cant think who took the coaching yesterday but they must have got them playing blindfolded.
    3. What was wrong with the back four against Bordeaux ? Shoving Santon onto the opposite wing for the first time (even though he’s right footed) is a big call against a team like the Mancs.
    4. Allowing the Mancs to dominate play in the first quarter and scoring two goals let them win the battle of the minds. A lack of confidence swept through the side like wildfire and we were beaten inside 18 minutes.
    5 De Gea showed he was woeful at gathering crosses yet it took us all of the first half to recognise that.

    I blame Pardwho for that defeat and can only think he set the team up to sit back and soak up the expected pressure from the KO ? Yet I found it staggering that he had the balls to shout at his team to get them to move up field after the second goal went in, what was he expecting ?

  2. Have to say i certainly did’nt agree with the lineup, but our lack of defenders gave us little choice.
    Though why Simpson was on the bench is puzzling ?

    Our set piece plays, both attacking and defending need work, these are where a majority of goals come from in the PL.
    But then it may have had something to do with players being unfamiliar with positions the dont usually play in, certainly in defence.

    Yeah i realise a three zip defeat is not good, but i came away with a good feeling having watched what i consider “the end of hoofball”
    We played an entertaining style, remenisent of those clubs who play a modern version of the game, a possession game, where we worked to break down the opposition, instead of wellying it up the field.

    Hopefully we can continue to play this style of
    football and it is actually the end of Hoofball.

  3. AndyMac @1: I agree with almost everything you said. Except Pardwho isn;t the most annoying person in the whole world – that would be ‘Arry Rednapp.

  4. Chuck, I honestly 100% believe that it isn’t the end of hoofball. Expect it for at least the first twenty minutes of our next match.

  5. First time I’ve ever left the pub early from watching the game but all that stuff unfolding in front of our eyes – when we knew what was going to happen 24 hours beforehand – is like picking the lottery numbers but forgetting to buy a ticket !

    You’re wrong GS, Pardwho may have been in charge of a side with great team spirit taken this team last season but he’s also (with Fatmans co-operation) capable of taking it down to mid table obscurity this season and then the exodus will begin.

    FFS now winkers scored :(

  6. We totally threw that game away in the first twenty minutes. Pardew just makes me want to scream sometimes!

  7. Jimbob says:

    “Chuck, I honestly 100% believe that it isn’t the end of hoofball. Expect it for at least the first twenty minutes of our next match”

    Aye and SAF may have just given the rest of the BPL the blueprint for getting a result at SJP and the silver haired feckwit wont even recognise it until its too late !

  8. toontony says:

    “Pardew just makes me want to scream sometimes!”

    and there I was thinking it was just me ! :)

  9. Something about this new deal with the Loan Shark outfit “Wonga” dosent sound logical.
    Apparently they are to pay eight million quid for both the rights to re-name the stadium plus the displaying of their logo on the clubs shits.
    Why is that, when Virgin were paying ten million quid for the rights to the shirts alone?
    Could it be that both sides, not just NUFC had early opt out clauses and it was in fact Virgin who opted out, but perhaps agreed on a face saving situation for Ashley.
    And will we see wonga signs all over the place not unlike Sports direct?

    JimBob
    I hope you are wrong and it is in fact the end of Hoofball, but i have been known to be wrong before.

  10. Surely you know the No 1 rule about the Fatman Chuck ? He never ever tells it straight so those figures and those regarding SDA sponsorship and the commercial stuff are all made up from god knows where ?

    Good news is that there is already some disquiet from the locals about the loan sharks.

    http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/article/42377

  11. Chuck: I think you will find that the Virgin deal was for 2 years and was therefore only for 5 mil a year.

    I can’t bring myself to be so critical of NUFC. I don’t even really mind the fat f@ck laughing afterwards. It wasn’t a bad game.

    We were not outplayed.

  12. Actually on checking it out, apparently, the stadium money is for three million and the shirt deal is the same as virgin five million.
    Thats per year of course.
    So if the deal is for five years, thats forty million simolians, which will buy us a decent back four.
    Yeah right !

  13. chuck says:
    October 7, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    “Actually on checking it out, apparently, the stadium money is for three million and the shirt deal is the same as virgin five million.”

    It doesn’t exist Chuck, otherwise I would have written a story about it. ;-)

  14. your fans r ugly your ground is ugly your team is ugly and u play ugly football lets hope you fat turds go down again……….ps i knocked viv graham out in your city centre many moons ago your nothing

  15. Ironically the two other football clubs with links to Wonga are both owned by sleaze bag operators.

    Hearts – What more can be said about the dodgy Russian owner who fails to pay wages on a regular basis,

    http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/350401

    and who backs players convicted of rape

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/hearts-owner-vladimir-romanov-attacked-1106432

    Blackpool

    Chairman Karl Oyston, whose Father is a convicted rapist, defended his stance on refusing to pay higher wages to his players (after “forgetting” to pay their bonuses due to their promotion) yet defended the decision to pay his father £11m from the BPL payments bonus after Blackpool were relegated.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2012/mar/06/blackpool-karl-oyston-players-wages

    Looks like Fatman would be in good company if he chose to go down the Wonga route !

  16. geordiedeluded says:

    “your fans r ugly your ground is ugly your team is ugly and u play ugly football etc etc etc”

    Was it really worth taking the time to join this blog just to show the rest of the world how the ever decreasing gene pool has affected parts of Manchester ?

  17. “Someone did say once (not Einstein as is commonly thought) that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but each time expecting a different result. However, Alan Pardew doesn’t seem to be familiar with this particular expression. Hence the same old story played itself out once again at St James’ Park this afternoon, ie Alan Pardew persisting with setting up the team in a shape which was all wrong from the kick off, realising he’s made the same mistake some way into the game when the Magpies were two goals down thanks to set piece goals from Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra. With the usual inevitability, he then changed it around to the way it should have been in the first place and watched the team improve immeasurably.”

    Perfect summary Worky. I expect the same next match so keep this in mind, and just change the goal times and players of this paragraph. It’ll save you some time.

  18. Is Pardew a fan of the chaos theory, the butterfly effect?

    “Although the butterfly effect may appear to be an esoteric and unlikely behavior, it is exhibited by very simple systems: for example, a ball placed at the crest of a hill may roll into any of several valleys depending on, among other things, slight differences in initial position.”

    Possibly could explain his erection for the same system, that doesn’t work, week in, week out.

  19. Jimbob, I was reading Toonsy’s match report on the game and he was blaming the players. I don’t think he even realised that there was a change of shape after their second goal, he just thinks the players are lazy and crap for the first few minutes of games. Sadly, I think it is the case with quite a few fans like him who can’t read games and start getting on the players backs wrongfully.

    http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2012/10/07/sloppy-second-newcastle-united-0-3-manchester-united/

  20. No, the system was completely wrong as usual. It was flat, isolated and only after we pushed Jonas in and matched them up in the center did we get any kind of grip on the match.

    You cannot play that way. Ironically we played a 4-3-3 system against Bordeaux who played a 4-4-2 and look what happened.

    Every time we play Pardew’s formation we get dicked for possession, and Ba and Cisse have to feed off long toe punts from Williamson and Harper.

    I’m perplexed why our manager persists with a strategy that clearly doesn’t work, when the players look far more settled and happy in a formation in which he seems so reluctant to use.

    But whatever, if he wants to carry on this way he will eventually come unstuck in a big way. Of course he is the big I am, so he will find a way of blaming somebody in the team, or injuries, and some fans will gobble it up.

    The fact is in the league we’ve been woeful and it’s down to his tactics. There is no shame in losing to Man Utd, but looking at the bigger picture and previous games we’ve been very lucky to have the points total we have.

    Luck doesn’t always last.

  21. Jimbob says:
    October 7, 2012 at 11:59 pm

    “I’m perplexed why our manager persists with a strategy that clearly doesn’t work, when the players look far more settled and happy in a formation in which he seems so reluctant to use.”

    We’re creatures of habit Jimbob and it can seem a little strange sometimes, especially when you start getting a bit older.

  22. Course AP will no doubt find someone or something to justfy the three zip beating.
    But it’s all about defence.
    He was a defender (of sorts)
    Defence gets the most attention, at least thats the word we were given a while back.
    Every dog in the street was aware we were short of decent defenders and that injuries are going to happen.
    Why then did he not make it clear to Ashley, that defence was the one area that needed attention.
    Instead of making excuses for the lack of movement during the window.
    Did Ashley think Anita was the answer?
    Yeah i know how important job security is and yeah he still has to win the World Cup, but is he satisfied with a fifth place finish and manager of the year, is that going to be his high water mark ?

    On the other hand, following the disasterous first twenty minutes, things changed, no hoofball, we settled into a short passing, possession game and from there on we gave them a game.
    The Cleverly goal was somewhat lucky IMO and Harper had one of his off games.
    Our makeshift back line had their problems and our strikers did’nt have great games, i dont know what the answer is in regard to both Cisse and Ba, playing together,the coaches have to find a way.
    Think if we had signed Jr. Hoilett for less than four million, Vertonghen and Douglas, plus Johnson from Citeh, we would probably be giving Chelsea a run for their money.

    Our two Argentinos haven given good service are begining to reach the ends of their careers and like Tiote and his young clone, Bigirmana, we should be looking at young replacements.
    Perhaps we should send our chief scout to South America, why let the Spanish, Portuguese and Italians have first shot.

  23. Worky @24: are you and Toonsy going to continue this fued? Which one of you is Hatsfield and which is McCoy?

    I don’t read his blog because of Batty and that idiot that is the nephew of a wrestler in the 70’s (or something). That’s a claim to fame :)

    But Toonsy is a decent writer.

  24. That trolls rant was rubbish.Andymac well said.We lost,dont like it,but jonas and williamson are done,cisse looks high,ferguson had a great game but looks like my ten year old son,and if we wasnt going to force xisco to play,why register him into the squad?do a theo play hatem up front with ba,bench cisse let him fight for his curried goat.

  25. Worky @33:

    you know what I am on about. But, I think you write the best stuff about NUFC.

    I won’t take it any further because I don’t even know the guy and don’t read his blog now.

  26. chuck says:
    October 8, 2012 at 1:24 am

    “Perhaps we should send our chief scout to South America, why let the Spanish, Portuguese and Italians have first shot.”

    Chuck, quite a few of the smart vultures have been sniffing around Spain itself with their current financial situation. The Portuguese and the Italians aren’t that much different either.

  27. I thought you knew that the idiot Tray or whatever his name is on that other site was the nephew of Les Kellet, the wrestler from the ’70s.

    He puts up a picture and blabs about it.

    It doesn’t matter though.

  28. chuck says:

    “Think if we had signed Jr. Hoilett for less than four million, Vertonghen and Douglas, plus Johnson from Citeh, we would probably be giving Chelsea a run for their money”

    You know what Chuck, I said something along those lines on Friday. Having a first XI that’s almost as good as the Mancs in EVERY position except for a few signings.

    However what’s the point in having skilled individuals throughout the orchestra if you’ve got a bus conductor leading with the baton ?

  29. Jeez Louise did you really write this ?

    “Even so all Pardew’s talk of his team breaking into the top four rang a little hollow. Or at least it did until he ordered Ben Arfa – by some distance Newcastle’s best and most audacious individual – to switch from the right of a 4-4-2 starting formation to the left of a 4-3-3 configuration”

    Maybe she could give Toonsy and the rest of .cock some insight into the modern game ?

  30. Andymac: weez keys Louise started making a bit of sense a few months ago. Someone must have explained that she is a journalist and there are a lot more NUFC fans than there are Mackems. I mean, writing should not be about just taking a dig at NUFC.

    Some of her previous match reports were worth the read just to see how biased she was.

  31. andymac, your bang on there, it’s like a bloke who runs a chip shop, who is then thrust into a situation, where he is now trying to run a 5 star michelin restaurant.

  32. Chuck etc. you know I don’t think Pardew is that bad. What it is though, is that we have more talent than we have had since Dalglish wrecked a great team and we never seem to play up to our potential.

    I try to look on the bright side though ‘coz it aint changing any time soon.

    People don’t lose their jobs for incompetance, sex scandals, hacking phones of distraught parents, making up MP expenses, being David Cameron, shooting innocent people on the tube, taking advantage of their position of power to molest children …

    But Chris Hughton gets sacked.

  33. I will let “you guys” into a little secret. I quit two jobs because I couldn’t take the cheating and lying in the American financial business. I saw things that weren’t illegal, but they were dishonest.

    I am NOT on the dole and spend my own money. I am just jaded with the whole shite and that’s why I can annoy people on here.

    Eventually, I will get back into the world of snakes and rats, I am sad to say.

  34. The thing about other NUFC blogs is that I can’t take the drivel (Eds). If I said something about alienation they would think I am talking about the new 3D movie.

  35. Pardwho has his fans GS and most of them arent on here :)

    But having read this yesterday can you, as the most Pro Pardwho person on this site, defend his 4-4-2 selection for the Mancs game yesterday ?

    http://football.thestar.com.my/2012/10/08/ferguson-drools-over-sparkling-united-diamond-system/

    “Manchester United’s long-serving manager deployed Michael Carrick as the defensive base of his midfield quartet behind Shinji Kagawa and Tom Cleverley, with Wayne Rooney at the top of the diamond supplying an stream of passes for strikers Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck.

    “We tried this shape in midweek for the 2-1 Champions League win over CFR Cluj AND FOR OUR VICTORY OVER NEWCASTLE IN THE LEAGUE CUP LAST MONTH” Ferguson told Sky Sports television.

    “It offers different options for us. We are renowned for our use of wide players but we played so well on Tuesday against a decent team in Cluj that I wanted to see how far we could go with the diamond system.”

    It worked so well on Sunday that Ferguson described it as Manchester United’s best performance of the season.

  36. Not getting at you GS just asking you cos if I asked anyone else on this site I know what they’d say :roll:

    PS The Mancs have never started with a 4-4-2 this season

  37. Andymac: You also know I am conflicted about our ownership and manager. Half the time I want to believe and then I don’t trust them.

    Pardwho did f@ck up yesterday though, I can’t defend him for the 1st 20 minutes so I wont try.

    Whe have 2 weeks to think about it.

    Bring on San Marino, even England can’t f@ck that one up :)

  38. Its a darn sight easier not being conflicted GS :)

    Got over it by watching a classic ish classico yesterday but just wonder how much longer Pardwho will hold out in Dullsville before accepting what the managers of all the League Title winners in England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy had already acknowledged.

    Manchester City, Montpellier, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus were all champions of their respective countries by playing fluid attacking systems with not a winger in sight.

    Something we’ve advocated on this site for too long now.

    http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/01/21/how-the-2000s-changed-tactics-9-versatile-attacking-players/

  39. And Andymac: aren’t we just having a bit of fun on here with somewhat likeminded people. I know I am. I say a few things about myself but there will never be any recourse.

    As I have said, I think you and Worky write thought provoking things about something that we all care much more than we should about.

    Try explaining any of the above 50 posts to any girlfriend or wife and they would say we are nuts.

  40. GS says:
    October 8, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    “I am NOT on the dole and spend my own money.”

    What does it matter whether you are on the dole or not GS? Anyone who thinks it’s any of their business is an arsehole anyway.

  41. GS @ 45#
    Yes i think most of us had that figured quite some time ago.
    But i have to admit, i find your stream of consiusness entertaining, well humerus at times.

    Hmm! it now appears NUFC are about to sell the logo rights to their shirts, to that well loved legal Loanshark WONGA.
    I’m sure the public cant wait to be seen proudly wearing the new shirt and laying out a fifty quid note for the privelage.

    For those who claimed Ashley had no intention of ever selling the naming rights to St. James’Park, appears you were right.
    The only corporate logo he ever visioned was Sports Direct and as a freeby.
    Pretending to put the naming rights up for bids, even mentioning Nike, if i remember right.
    Obviously his plan was to let people get used to it and soon it would be accepted and forgotten about.
    Ah well, are there no limit’s to which this guy would’nt go for a buck ?

    AndyMac @40
    Yes Andy i generally agree.
    But my point was you are going nowhere without the horses.
    For instance, last seasons fifth place finish, IMO, was achieved by the players inspite of Pardew.
    Look we have for the most part clubs in the EPL, who’s owners may have no clue as to how a club is best served.
    You have those who’s wealth enables them to hire and fire whom they consider the best candidates.
    You have others who want success on a shoestring, not willing to pay the going price.
    There are some who look for yes men, others for the style of foorball they play…..
    It should be obvious the kind of manager we have by now, he’s here for political reasons, a yes man who needs a job, who now believes his own press clippings and think’s he should be the Engerland Manager.
    I got news for you, so do I, actually the manager anywhere but at NUFC.

    Workey @ 36#
    Yeah i’m aware of the situation in Spain.
    With the introduction of higher taxes and an austerity program, it was hardly likely that highly compensated players would be exempted.
    Which could cause a possible exodus of top players, especially to Russia, where they have a flat tax.
    It’s going to be similar in most southern European countries, with Ronaldo already sending signals, he is open to a move to more hospitable (tax) climes.

  42. Looking at the Wonga issue from another viewpoint this site http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com calculated that if you borrowed £100 from these legalise loan sharks within seven years you could owe (£23.5 trillion) to them which more than double the US national debt :)

    Lets hope Fatman gets a good rate from them otherwise we could be playing on Town Moor by the end of the decade :roll:

  43. AndyMac
    On the subject of managers.
    we have in the EPL tha whole spectrum i’m afraid.

    With established Guys like Jol and Wenger, who i believe are among the best, who have a good knowledge of the game and generally play attractive modern version.

    Then we have those who from what i gather, concentrate on more on getting players geed up for the game, with tactics a secondary part, Arry Rednapp, Martin O’Niell.
    Hughes.

    The control freaks,
    BSA and Pulis, who play a regimented game, based on a physical nature and where set pieces are all important.

    Of course there are those who are undefinable,Alex Fergusons, who when one think they have lost it, come out with a new tactical approach, like yesterday.
    Moyes, who builds good sides.
    Mancini, who has spent well and has the horses.
    DiMatteo, who inherited a good side, but proved to be up to it during last seasons championship.

    Then there are the young turks, who attempt in differing
    ways to play a more modern version of the game base primarily on possession,
    Lambert, Clarke, Rodgers, Laudrup, Villas Boas.

    As for Hughton, Mc Dermott,Keane etc. a mixed bag difficult to describe, but Hughton was i believe a more innovative and tactically astute manager than Pardew will ever be.

  44. How bout them Yankees, 2-2 top o the ninth, blam, ends up 6-2 Yankees, with Sabathia pitching eight and three quarter innings,reminiscent of Whitey Ford.
    For the uninitiated, it’s the American Division playoffs
    of The World Series.
    Thats right folks The World series.
    Just rattling cages, too bad it’s on so late for the UK,
    cause i think some of you may enjoy the game.

  45. And for the unitiated, supporting the Yankees is essentially supporting the both manc teams and the rats rolled into one…

    Just havin’ a laugh, chuck-I hope my Cards meet the Yanks in the series!

  46. Getting close to Amstel time on this brisk fallday.
    By the way it’s a national holiday, “Columbus Day”,
    Celebrating Columbus’s invasion of the western hemisphere.

  47. Yunyc

    I’m up for that !
    Hope we do, but we gotta get by the Orioles first, who have been tough all year.
    And yeah, rootin fer the Yankees, is kinda like supporting Brasil in football, it aint easy to win em all.

  48. Chuck @55: occasionally what I do on here is say something just to provoke some thought, sometimes just from myself. Otherwise I would be reading Ed’s blog.

  49. Tunyc: good that you are a Cardinals fan. As I have said before, it was hard to support NUFC and the Cubs at the same time :)

  50. Chuck says:
    October 8, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    “Then there are the young turks, who attempt in differing
    ways to play a more modern version of the game base primarily on possession,
    Lambert, Clarke, Rodgers, Laudrup, Villas Boas.”

    Chuck, in Paul Lambert’s last season with Norwich, their average possession per game was 46.3%.

    No great coach mere pursues having possession of the ball for it’s own sake. As the Prince of Denmark himself rightly says:

    “When I see a game on the television, and you see afterwards ‘possession percentage 60-40’, that doesn’t say anything for me because it could be that one team is playing the ball between the back four 120 times.

    “It’s the same as when someone says, ‘Look, one of the central defenders had 98% good passes’. Yeah, but it was from here to there [five yards apart].

    “For me, possession is to keep the ball while you are waiting for the possibility to penetrate. Every pass is for a reason.”

    That’s the difficult bit. ;-)

    Then again, short balls and long balls were all the same to Laudrup.

  51. Chuck says:

    “Celebrating Columbus’s invasion of the western hemisphere”

    Ah so thats where you guys got it from ? Handed down through the centuries, passed from generation to generation only to surface when the oil starts to run out :)

  52. As for Yankees, Cardinals and Cubs I think I’ve got stuck with supporting the Toon of the NFL only for Pardwho read Andy Reid :(

  53. The prince of Denmark may play whatever game he feels like, but if he doesnt win some games soon, he could be heading back to Denmark having lost three and drawn two in his last five games.

    As far as my comment on the Young Turks is concerned, what i meant was those mentioned are attempting to play a more modern version of the game, of which in general possession is an essential part.

    As for short or long passing, i have never discriminated apart from the Hail Mary hoofball we were subjected to in English football for so many years.

  54. from NuFC.com

    Reserves:
    Victory…but at some cost

    Full Time:
    Aston Villa Res 1 Newcastle United Res 2

    Newcastle reserves registered a first win in four games at Villa Park on Monday night, ending Aston Villa’s unbeaten start to the season in the process.

    Second half strikes from Adam Campbell and Mehdi Abeid wrapped up the points, but the victory was overshadowed by injuries to both Dan Gosling and Haris Vuckic – the latter a severe-looking incident.

    A slow start from both sides saw little of note until a 26th minute effort from Villa’s Jordan Bowery that was correctly adjudged to be offside.

    Things then started to pick up for the black and whites, with Conor Newton volleying just wide of the home goal after the ball fell to him from a half-cleared corner.

    And United came even closer to an opening goal five minutes before the interval, when Haris Vuckic won a corner and then found Adam Campbell at the far post. Sadly though he nodded wide from point blank range.

    The Magpies threatened again on 45 minutes when Mehdi Abeid was tripped in a central position outside the box but blasted the consequent free kick over the bar.

    Dan Gosling then missed the goal by a similar distance in added time Campbell and Xisco created an opening. Yes, you did read that correctly….Xisco is in the team.

    Our Spanish shirker was last spotted at this level back in January 2011 and hasn’t been seen in our first team since Villa’s visit to SJP in August 2010.

    He was duly replaced on 58 minutes by Brad Inman, but before Xisco left he provided the pass from which Adam Campbell fired a low shot beyond Ben Siegrist from the right side of the box to register a fifth goal in six games.

    Campbell then almost caught Siegrist napping with a snap shot from 20 yards, but the Villa ‘keeper was able to grab it at the second attempt.

    Villa – who were unbeaten in their four league games this season – then levelled slightly against the run of play through striker Graham Burke on 70 minutes.

    However that parity only lasted for three minutes, before a Mehdi Abeid run and shot restored Newcastle’s lead – the midfielder cutting in from the right flank and skirting across the edge of the box before finding the bottom corner of the net with a left footed effort.

    United were forced into their second replacement of the evening when Dan Gosling was the victim of a strong challenge from Nathan Baker – the Villa man collecting a booking as Gosling departed on a stretcher.

    A similar incident just moments later then saw Haris Vuckic depart on a stretcher, although the tackle this time looked rather more innocuous. Clearly in pain and having had a protective brace fitted on his left leg, he received oxygen as he was taken away.

    Referee Neil Radford then played the indicated four minutes of added time – although eight would have been more accurate – before ending proceedings.

    Team: Alnwick, Newton, Riley, Abeid, Tavernier, Satka, Campbell, Gosling (Maddison 80), Xisco (Inman 58), Vuckic (Miele 87), Amalfitano.
    Subs n/u: Woodman, Hooper.

    Villa: Siegrist, Cameron, Stevens, Westwood, Devine, Baker, Johnson, Carruthers, Bowery (Bateman 43), Burke, Stieber (Graham 82).
    Subs n/u: Barrett, Watkins-Clark, Melvin.

  55. Andy Mac
    Whats the story on Abeid, thought he was one of our up and coming young players.?
    I’m assuming you watched the game, in which case who looked good ?
    What about The Xisco Kid, how did he perform ?
    I’m asking because we need all the help we can get, at this time while engaged in a heavy schedule.

  56. And another thing, how am I expected to trust people who describe themselves as horrible and who hire Roy Kinnear?

    It is like they ARE gambling with our team. Betting 10% of their money on 13 black every few months.

    But. That’s why I am conflicted because we have ended up with good players.

  57. Worky: the Jimmy Savile story has now made its way over here, even though they don’t know who he is:

    http://news.yahoo.com/britains-bbc-apologizes-over-sex-abuse-scandal-130614436.html

    The strange thing about this is that the attack from the media and politicians seems to be as much on publicly funded broadcasting as it is against child abuse.

    If you have ever been to America, you will know that television is almost unwatchable because of the number of ads they have. But, back to my point…

    It is like they are enjoying this, like they want to use it to denegrate a great organisation that is not entirely aligned with the “greed is good, we are all capitalists, dog eat dog” view. Yeah Cameron, like you didn’t get the biggest headstart ever!!!

  58. Oh, and I do know the BBC is elitist but they seem to have ethics. You might ask what this has to do with NUFC, and I will say it is a general thing of how things are done now, how media and money are entwined to create an ugly and unethical way of being.

    The way Ashley and Lliambas act.

  59. And finally, I do know the BBC is part of the media. But part of a public media that the new robber barons and their politician parrots want to get rid of.

  60. From .cock

    “In addition to sponsoring the team shirt from the start of the 2013/14 season and working on a range of other initiatives with fans, Wonga will invest at least £1.5m in two of the Club’s most important projects.

    Wonga is investing in Newcastle United’s young talent by providing significant financial support for the Academy. The investment will enable the Club to transform its Academy into one of the leading centres of youth football development in the country, enabling us to nurture the top playing stars of the future.

    The Academy has around 150 boys between the ages of nine and 18 on its books. In addition to standard evening and weekend training sessions, the Academy has 35 boys attending on weekday afternoons from Monday to Thursday for classroom learning as well as training.

    Wonga has also committed to invest in the Newcastle United Foundation Enterprise Scheme. The existing programme helps 15-16 year-olds find employment by developing their skills and experience through practical and educational courses. Wonga’s investment will vastly expand the scheme and help more young people in the North-East in their future careers.

    Other initiatives with Wonga will include a straight talking forum with the fans for discussing ideas for fan involvement in the Club and working on a specific new initiative to involve fans in the design of the shirt.

    Derek Llambias, Managing Director of Newcastle United, said: “We are building a club that can regularly compete for top honours at the highest level. As everyone knows, a strong commercial programme is vital to this goal and I am delighted to welcome Wonga into the fold as our lead commercial partner, alongside Puma and Sports Direct”

    Which is why we had a net spend of £3m this summer ?????? Feck off you loathsome piece of excrement !

  61. “Wonga’s logo will appear on Newcastle shirts for next season and has agreed to invest £1.5m into supporting the club’s academy and the Newcastle United Foundation Enterprise Scheme, which helps 15- to 16-year-olds find work.

    But R3’s president, Lee Manning, believes the £24m deal has the capacity to do more harm than good.

    “According to official figures, the North East has the highest personal insolvency rate of anywhere in the country, at 35.2 per 10,000 adults. This is compared to a rate of 29.6 in the North West and 17.5 in London.

    “Wonga has chosen to target a region that has comparatively high numbers of people experiencing financial difficulty”

    “Our experience tells us that many of those seeking high cost credit need professional advice for their financial problems, rather than accruing further debt.”

    “R3 research has found that 4mpeople say they are likely to take a payday loan in the near future. This comes at a time when 71% of individuals in the North East think there should be stricter regulation of advertising of payday loans.

    “We also found that over a quarter (26%) of people in the North East say they often struggle to make it to payday, compared to around a fifth (21%) nationally. There are a whole range of solutions available to people who are having difficulty with their personal finances so we would urge those individuals to seek advice from a regulated professional, or a charity, and not compound their problems by taking on more credit.”

  62. “Wonga has chosen to target a region that has comparatively high numbers of people experiencing financial difficulty”

    100% correct…

    they know fine well – it’s grim up north – and that is the one and only reason they have moved in on this area.

    scum of the earth.

  63. roy cropper says:
    October 9, 2012 at 3:31 pm

    “Wonga has chosen to target a region that has comparatively high numbers of people experiencing financial difficulty”

    100% correct…”

    Roy, it isn’t just Wonga targeting the North East, all the loan sharks in the US and elsewhere are now targeting all the more deprived areas of the UK because we are now practically the only developed country who will still tolerate this kind of shite:

    An increasingly hostile US political and regulatory background has prompted many payday lenders to cross the Atlantic and move into some of Britain’s most deprived areas.” – From the Financial Times.

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d005abc0-1ff7-11e1-8462-00144feabdc0.html#axzz28oWDNtpt

  64. £24 million over four years is, of course, £6 million per year.

    So the club has sold it’s soul to the devil for a sum which is the exact average (€7.6 million which is also £6 million per year) of all Premiership clubs shirt deals. Though realistically, we are not the same as clubs such as Manchester United and a few of the other top four or five clubs in corporate sponsorship terms, we are still a large, particularly well supported and high profile club who should be getting way significantly above average, even from a more reputable sponsor. From looking at this deal though, the club has lost all that was left of it’s pride and dignity, and has damaged it’s own brand value still further by becoming a vehicle for a sleazy loan shark promoting misery, and has often been found to be on the wrong side of the law in the debt collection methods used by it’s heavies, and we’re only receiving the same kind of sum that an average sized, nid table club would receive.

    At least the Mackems got £20 million per year for their not quite what it seems on the surface “Invest in Africa” sponsorship, which claims to be a not for profit organisation encouraging investment in the world’s poorest continent, but is actually a front for an American oil company (the $25 billion Tullow Oil) which wants to exploit the natural assets of the world’s poorest continent.

  65. Andymac: this is such a difficult subject. If you drink tea, are you complicit in expoiting tea pickers? And if they didn’t pick tea then what other jobs would they do? And if WONGA didn’t make loans somebody else would.

    To paraphrase a slogan from the 80’s, capitalism isn’t working. Globalisation is driving wages and lives to the lowest common denominator.

    So what do you expect? We end up with Sports Direct and WONGA – a match made in hell.

    And what are you going to do? Support the f@cking Mackems?

  66. AndyMac says:
    October 9, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    “How can a club with Newcastle’s stature, and I’m not comparing us to Real, Barca or the Mancs, be struggling to find a shirt sponsor who pays less Liverpool’s Warrior Shirt deal or the Mackems, Villa’s or Spuds ?”

    As much as it probably pains you Andy, the bin dippers (Liverpool not the Mackems) are a bigger prize for corporate sponsors. Even though their stadium is smaller than ours and they finished lower than us last season, they have won trophies we can only dream of several times over (and in colour in this century) and like the Mancs, have a major worldwide fanbase. Like the United Mancs, they are also reds and that counts for alot in the far east too for daft superstitious reasons. Nonetheless though, as I wrote above, we are still a big, high profile club who should be above the Premiership average.

    But anyway, I’ve telt ye several times already why we have this problem.

    C*nts Direct.

    Whilst on it’s own, the NUFC brand is held in high esteem and is something major world brands would want to be associated with, C*nts Direct have taken it over and denigrated it and major brands certainly DON’T want to be associated with the latter. Virgin was somewhat different because of Northern Rock and it’s regional presence.

  67. Worky @88: Andymac might know, but other people might not read this site as often and need to be telt.

  68. GS says:
    October 9, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    “Worky @88: Andymac might know, but other people might not read this site as often and need to be telt.”

    GS, not many people are listening. They’ll only listen when the results on the pitch gan tits up, and none of us wants that to happen. I also get lots of hate mail telling me what, where and how to insert things too! :-)

  69. GS says:
    October 9, 2012 at 5:15 pm

    “Andymac: this is such a difficult subject. If you drink tea, are you complicit in expoiting tea pickers? And if they didn’t pick tea then what other jobs would they do?”

    GS, down here in the smoke, an issue amongst the Guardian reading chattering classes is Cocaine. They’re all sticking up their hooters, then often feeling slightly guilty about the drug wars and the horror and exploitation of the drug “mules” who are, often thorough complete desperation, smuggling it.

  70. At least we havent gone down the drink/gambling line. Wonga is an alternative.

    No-one ever doubted when the broon ale logo was on the shirt but look what drink does – IT KILLS.
    Gambling also ruins lives which leads people to money lenders (see Sevilla – 888 etc).
    Worky – if youre that bothered get ya cash oot and buy Ashley out.
    Im not pro or anti Ashley, im anti hall and shepherd who took the money and ran big time. And got away with it and still are.

  71. GS you ask what I should do about it ? Add your thoughts to this “petition” before I place it somewhere online ?

    “Wonga (A Payday Loan Company) has specifically chosen to target a region (NE England) which has a comparatively high number of people currently experiencing financial difficulties, often through no fault of their making.

    By joining forces with Wonga, Newcastle United have effectively endorsed Wonga’s brand and product offering. Thus encouraging supporters and others within the North East community to believe that Wonga is a company they should feel comfortable in dealing with.

    In normal circumstances that hypothesis is perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately in the case of Wonga, where some of their customers can find themselves facing punitive interest charges on small loans within a very short space of time, this “endorsement could lead to even greater financial hardship and untold misery for many within the North East community.

    We the undersigned believe the owner of the Club, Mr Ashley, should take a morally responsible role within the Community and choose business partners that only help reflect the great name and tradition of Newcastle United Football Club and its supporters. HWTL !”

  72. Worky @91, you have to know by now that there are idiots out there. I read your blog and I am very surpised how few idiots come on.

    Troy, I am talking to you :)

  73. http://www.empireclaims.co.uk/blog/index.php/payday-loan-king-wonga-taking-fraudulent-funds-from-random-victims/

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=56016981

    “Originally Posted by EllaBeagle View Post
    Take for instance my first loan of 100.00. I paid 120.00 which hit me hard unexpectedly. I then got another loan for 150.00.

    Paid back 180.00 on the 150.00 meaning I was 180.00 down. Again hit us hard. Got another loan for 200.00.

    And it goes on. I’m now up to 480.00 as had to get another one today to help with bills.

    I can only hope that within the next month it will be sorted and I’ll never have to use them again. It doesn’t matter how much you carefully plan your finances. **** happens!”

    Yes drinking and gambling are vices which some are addicted to flymetothemoon. However when you have no money even for booze or betting but you have rent to pay and children to feed………………….

  74. Definition of irony ?

    Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central, tweeted: “Some of the richest young men in Newcastle wearing shirts calling on the poorest to go to a legal loan shark ?”

  75. AndyMac: I am sorry to tell you that you cannot change the world. And I am not being patronising.

  76. and this is the definition of hypocrisy.

    “Throughout our discussions Wonga’s desire to help us invest in our young playing talent, the local community and new fan initiatives really impressed us and stood them apart from other candidates.”

    Errol Damelin, founder and CEO of Wonga, said: “We’re really proud to be involved with Newcastle United. It is one of the biggest and most important clubs in the UK by any measure and has a fantastic following around the world. We’re also really excited about investing in future stars both on and off the field.”

    Now where’s that sick bag ?

  77. GS says:
    October 9, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    “AndyMac: I am sorry to tell you that you cannot change the world. And I am not being patronising.”

    Actually you can GS, I have in the past and so have lots of other people too. Just because you may be too lazy and apathetic to do anything about anything, it doesn’t necessarily follow that everyone else is the same. ;-)

  78. I read a couple of comments on Ed’s Blog that I posted @103 and some were very good. One was, it is like Rothman’s (or Marlboro) sponsoring us and then buying a cancer scanner.

  79. So, Worky @104, get rid of Ashley and WONGA.

    I am not lazy, or apathetic. Just waiting for another opportunity :) I have always been that way.

  80. And Worky, I am managing my own finances so that is a bit like work since I am a financial planner.

    I know, you are getting back to your old self :) Working that ticket :)

    What the hell does that mean anyway?

  81. Worky, Worky, Worky @104 — are we having an internet fight here? I am not mad at you at all. Anybody who asks about my dog’s health unsolicited I consider someone I will always talk to.

  82. “Newcastle have attracted criticism for agreeing to be sponsored by a company which charges interest at 4,214 per cent, but the populist move to rename the stadium will ease much of the ill-feeling on Tyneside”

    Expect more of this claptrap from local journos and of course Edwards is till a local journo.

    Sorry Luke baby but you and your paymasters (not the Torygraph) will fail to grasp the fact that local support (not necessarily fans) could galvanise into something which even Fatman wont be able to ignore !

  83. “The deal could be worth as much as £15 million a year to Newcastle’s business if managing director Derek Llambias’ previous estimates are accurate”

    Presumably this will all show up on the balance sheet then Del boy ????. Just as the SD advertising does now ???

  84. Strangely enough this comes form one of Luke’s colleagues on the TG.

    “If a Newcastle supporter took out a Wonga loan to pay for a £49.99 home shirt it would cost £71.92 in 30 days time. If it were possible to pay back a Wonga loans in a year, that same shirt would cost £2,107.

    Compare this with the option of buying a shirt on a credit card before paying it off in its entirety 30 days later for £49.99, then remember that lots of people from low-income communities cannot secure credit cards and are most likely to default on loans, then understand why Wonga is looked upon unfavourably”

    A Wonga spokesperson responded by saying “We had a small advertising deal with the Football League which ended at the end of the 2011/2012 football season. We will continue to assess all opportunities and sponsorship deals for next season.”

    “It ended because the league said it was not seeking to renew the deal and had signed a new contract with Capital One. It came before fans were due to vote on a motion calling for the lender’s adverts to be pulled from club sites”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/9596416/Newcastle-Uniteds-Wonga-sponsorship-speaks-volumes-about-football-and-Mike-Ashley.html.

  85. Worky, you were saying some stuff about Spain. It is so funny, because I was thinking of moving there. Do you know people I can hassle there :)

  86. There can be no doubt, after that shambolic interview, that Lee Ryder is

    a) a complete dlck !
    b) under the thumb of Fatman !

  87. I’m more concerned about Pardew realizing his formation, tactics and general set up is crap and reverting back to what we saw the tail end of last season. I hope he gets it before the mackem game.

    On the subject of SJP, will the heavies come in and put St James’ Park signs all over the place as quickly as Ashley was to take them all down?…

  88. Phisix says;

    “What is he saying”

    Mark Saggers was asking questions from a “Newcastle City Council” “Moral dilemma” point of view and Ryder came back with “Well what about Standard Chartered and Liverpool” ??

  89. BTW Standard Chartered has agreed a $340m (£217m) settlement with New York regulators that accused it of hiding $250bn of transactions with Iran.

    Not quite the same thing but you know Lee Ryder, when he’s told what to say he does it without thinking :)

  90. Hey GS I am not alone !

    “Michael Martin, a lifelong Newcastle supporter and editor of the long-established True Faith fanzine, said the sponsorship was “shameful” and “I really don’t understand what the club is about any more.”

  91. Yep! they (the NUFC PR Dept.)are churning out through various bought media hacks, a heavy duty campaign, directed at the fans.

    With Llambias and Pardew dragged out to a photo op to help sell the deal.

    Even throwing in a reversal of the recent re-named “St. James Park”.

    Which is curious (yes i’m looking for the conspiracy)
    Of course it be, they put out news of the deal, before it became official, testing the waters, with a somewhat confusing information.

    Was it a deal for just the shirt logo or a combined deal for both shirts and stadium ?

    Finally having to back out of the stadium naming to use as a bargaining chip ?

    Of course there’s no reason to believe, the St. James’ name will be retained if someone makes an offer in the near future, that has not been promised.

    And i would’nt surprised me to see another corporate logo, painted all over the stadium.

    And yeah, i realise this naming of stadiums began in the US, but usually for a heafty sum, plus they use a bit of discretion, none that i know of blatantly plastering signs everywhere one looks, plus the naming has for the most part only been applied to new stadiums.

    Getting back to the loanshark shirts, perhaps we could have a poll as to how many fans would be willing to fork out fifty or sixty quid, to proudly display (advertise)a well known Loanshark.

  92. My thing is that if my dog can only bark and doesn’t have a language, then how can he think? And if he doesn’t have a language in his head, then how can he think?

    Does he bark in his head, “I want food now”?

  93. Chuck says:

    “Getting back to the loanshark shirts, perhaps we could have a poll as to how many fans would be willing to fork out fifty or sixty quid, to proudly display (advertise)a well known Loanshark”

    Good point Chuck. Blue Star, Newkie Broon, NRock/Virgin. All “politically acceptable” but Wonga says something about the club and YOU for wearing the shirt.

    OK you’re a supporter but you’re also a Chav ?

  94. Chuck: there was the “Conseco Arena” which may have well been the Conseco Corporate Rape Arena.

  95. There but for the grace of God…..

    http://talkingbollocks.net/2010/01/16/wonga-the-epitome-of-greedy-and-irresponsible-lending/

    http://saynotopaydayloans.co.uk/blog/problem-repaying-a-payday-loan/

    http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1606823

    http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cardsloans/article-2204442/Payday-lender-Wonga-makes-mint-cash-strapped-consumers-number-loans-nearly-300.html

    Again in response to those smug bastads who think debt is down to the poor sod who initiates it:

    SIMON LAMBERT: Payday loans should carry a financial health warning

    If you want to know how to build a successful fast-growing business in the 21st century then Wonga is a shining example. Its astute use of publicity, social media and technology is seriously impressive.
    Simon Lambert says payday loans should come with a wealth warning

    Simon Lambert says payday loans should come with a wealth warning

    Unfortunately, its business happens to be selling high-interest loans to a debt-soaked nation.

    The last thing Britain and its £1.4trillion personal debt mountain needs is for one of its brightest new firms to be one that offers quick fix loans in the privacy of the internet.

    Thanks to the financial regulations requiring that it publishes a representative APR (annual percentage rate), Wonga’s interest rates look horrendous. Its representative APR is an eye-watering 4,214 per cent.

    This is because it offers short-term loans, charging 1 per cent per day interest, whereas APR is a measure designed for longer term debt. The compounding effect of pushing Wonga’s short-term debts into a long-term measure leads to the huge APR figure.

    In its defence, Wonga points out that as loans typically last up to 31 days, the APR is not relevant and its clear explanation of how much you will have to pay back is more important – and there is some truth in this.

    But Wonga is hardly your friend, as that £46m profit off £185m revenue shows.

    Wonga’s big promotion tool is that it can get you money fast, make a swift decision on lending and it uses playful and cheeky character advertising to convince borrowers it is on their side.

    Go to its website at 2.30pm today and it would tell you: ‘We can deposit up to £400 in your bank account by 14.53 today.’

    A helpful slider tool will let you play around with how much you want to borrow and show you how much you will have to pay back.

    So, if you are £400 short now and need it for 15 days, you will pay back a total of £465.49. The cost of getting that £400 now rather than waiting for payday is £65.

    To many struggling for ready cash, rates like this from Wonga and other payday lenders will sound reasonable, but even if you manage to pay it back in full you will still end up back down the original £400 come payday and on top of that have an extra £65 shortfall that you can ill-afford.

    On the other hand, fail to pay the money back and the amount you owe a payday lender swiftly increases. Meanwhile, any form of easy credit means it is all too easy to end up in a downward spiral of taking a succession of loans to cover constant monthly shortfalls, which are being exacerbated by paying large sums in interest.

    This is Money’s Tara Evans has also been investigating a disturbingly similar series of Wonga frauds, some in which people who have never even taken out loans have had their bank accounts cleaned out by repayments to the lender. A common complaint of the victims was that they got little help from Wonga in sorting their problem.

    Wonga may argue that it is a new player challenging the financial industry status quo, but in the seven years that I have worked at This is Money, I have seen far too many sad tales of people whose lives have been blighted by debt and easy credit.

    And make no mistake about it, debt and easy credit is what payday lenders deal in.

    If cigarettes and alcohol have strict rules on their advertising, then so should high interest debt, and payday lenders should have to display a prominent financial health warning.

  96. As for Michael Martin “I really don’t understand what the club is about any more.”

    I agree. I’ve had enough of this fat bastad shoving his shltey cheap skate crap into this club and taking advantage of the majority of fans who cannot take a stand because of their undying support of the club.

    This will end Fatman when you’re out of this club once and for all.

  97. Jimbob says:
    October 9, 2012 at 8:00 pm

    “I’m more concerned about Pardew realizing his formation, tactics and general set up is crap and reverting back to what we saw the tail end of last season. I hope he gets it before the mackem game.”

    Why not write a blog about it then, Jimbob? ;-)

    “On the subject of SJP, will the heavies come in and put St James’ Park signs all over the place as quickly as Ashley was to take them all down?…”

    On the subject of “heavies”, I wonder Ashley realises there could be 4200% interest on this £24 million “loan”, and that Wonga’s debt collectors are notorious for being intimidatory, with many recorded cases of them completely flouting the law when they come to collect? :-)

  98. Never mind Wonga, the old sponsor was far worse.

    My Virgin BB has been playing up once again, and when I finally got through to their apalling customer service, they told it would like this for another month.

    Richard Branson is the biggest con artist in human history, and should be flayed alive in public at the very least.

  99. Am I the only one who doesn’t give two shits about who the sponsor, so long as it brings good revenue into the club? The people paying money to be on the shirt does not reflect anything on those who play for/support the shirt behind the advertisement, as it is simply that…an advertisement. To me it sounds like the deal is pretty profitable to the club, so what’s all the pissing and moaning about it?

    Fact is it is better to be sponsored by someone who is actually paying money into the club for naming rights as well as shirt sponsorship. I for one am glad they changed the name back to SJP.

  100. i remember someone saying a while back, that ashley would end up changing the name back to “st james’ park”, through doing a deal, and taking a big sum of money, in the process.
    you never know, he might have pulled off a massive coup, by causing the controversy, in the first place, that any company taking up a naming rights deal, would want to keep the fans on side, so changing the name back to st james’, would be a must, just a thought!!!

  101. hoosiertoon says:
    October 9, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    “Am I the only one who doesn’t give two shits about who the sponsor, so long as it brings good revenue into the club?”

    It doesn’t actually bring good revenue for a club the size of NUFC Hoosiertoon, it is actually the exact average for a Premiership club, and that’s just for shirt sponsorship alone. For a club the size of Newcastle, they should be able to get considerably more, especially for bearing the name of such a revolting organisation, an organisation which would almost certainly be illegal on your side of the pond.

    I wouldn’t say you were the only one but alot of people do give “two shits” about having the the club they love being associated with a sleazy loan shark such as Wonga. They were kicked off 80 football league websites a few months ago due to fan outrage at their clubs being associated with such filth.

  102. I never thought about this one until I saw it. Interest is forbidden in Islam, and extreme usury of the kind practised by “Wonga” is a big sin to all devout Muslims such as Ba and Cisse, If they are strongly requested by the MCB and possibly other Muslim organisations to not wear the shirts, it will at least make them think.

    Newcastle’s Muslim stars told: Don’t play in new ‘Wonga’ tops

    http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/newcastles-muslim-stars-told-dont-play-in-new-wonga-tops-8204411.html

  103. Hoosiertoon
    Yes, so far you are the only one who doesn’t give two shits.

    And on the contrary it will reflect on fans who may wear the logo of that shameless Loanshark.

    Even the wiseguys dont charge this kinda vigerish.

    And i think perhaps most fans will avoid that problem, of advertising a company (by the way,any attempt to do business in the State of Indiana using their outrageous interest rates would meet with a definate refusal) by refusing to either buy or wear them.
    It would be a definate “in your face” to both Ashley and WONGA, if this becomes the case.

    There are all kinds of replica shirts available to chose from and i would be willing to bet, if this deal goes through, you will see even more, worn by those who in fact do give a shit.

  104. There really isn’t any value in the stadium naming rights because everybody still calls it St James’ Park anyway. Even in TV broadcasts the commentators still call it St. James’ Park. Of course this could have changed if Ashley’s lawyers got on the phone a few times.

    So WONGA are being generous by giving something back that really isn’t worth anything :)

  105. Isn’t Adam Smith’s invisable hand supposed to correct WONGA’s usury rates by bringing in competition that would force the rates down? And why don’t the people who use WONGA’s services just stay away?

    And are we not supposed to eat eggs now because of the appalling treatment of hens in factory farms? (by the way, I only eat free range eggs).

    We all turn a blind eye to a lot of things in our lives.

    I am a walking contradiction. I bought shares in a payday loan company and then sold them a month later because I thought they were unethical. But I still own shares in a couple of oil companies.

    And AndyMac. You would accept Standard Chartered as a logo or Santander? Where do you draw the line? Is it criminal acts of violence like WONGA or simply criminal acts by employees and executives like the other 2?

  106. Should we boycott the whole “BARCLAYS” Premier League because of their participation in LIBOR rigging?

    Anybody acting like this is a simple issue should have a rethink.

  107. A lot of people put simple views on complicated issues and it ends up being simplistic (by definition).

  108. And Andymac: if I agree with Lee Ryder on one thing like Standard Chartered, that doesn’t mean I agree with anything else he says, it means I agree on that one thing.

  109. I apologize for using the phrase two shits but I was getting a bit sick of seeing people, on here Twitter and so on, making such an outrage over something I see as so trivial.

    To me, business is business. Like GS makes a point of, to an extent, is that every business has its dirty laundry that would make you think twice about ever thinking that brand was acceptable. A large majority of sponsors within football are in the economics sector of business, and this very sector has committed some of the worst crimes against the public over the last five years, companies such as AIG, Barclays,RBS and so on.(Not saying all these brands are sponsors, but you get my point)
    In the end, if people don’t feel like getting cheated out of their money due to such high interest rates, it is somewhat simple of an answer in my opinion: don’t use the service, and therefore put yourself at the mercy of such questionable business tactics.

    That being said, I do understand the potential dislike of WONGA itself, and don’t quite understand how something of the like is legal in the UK.

  110. hoosiertoon says:
    October 10, 2012 at 6:04 am

    “In the end, if people don’t feel like getting cheated out of their money due to such high interest rates, it is somewhat simple of an answer in my opinion: don’t use the service, and therefore put yourself at the mercy of such questionable business tactics.”

    You’ve obviously never been in poverty then, hoosiertoon.

    Of course, Wonga isn’t the only case of questionable sponsorship, and it’s part of a much wider issue to do with deregulation in areas such as gambling and banking, where stuff which used to be illegal is now legal, with consequences which can be devastating to society. However, just because other companies who have been involved in sponsorship have also done questionable things, it doesn’t make everything alright. Many people have committed murder before, but this doesn’t make it acceptable even if it was legal.

  111. Andymac: Lee Ryder is doing a Chronic live webcast about WONGA at 1pm GMT today. It should be comic gold.

  112. well old ashley has done it again, took down a name that didn’t belong to him, took millions of pounds back, out of thin air, because a usury service, is desperate to have it’s name on our shirt.
    the fans are having their feelings trampled all over, then are conned again months later, and patronized into thinking this is their passion.
    you can see all the three tooth brigade outside “ST JAMES’ PARK”,with bottles of white lightening, extolling the virtues of wonga.com, as we speak.
    wouldn’t suprise me if sky sports, has a field day, with the buck toothed little creep, david craig, holding court with the charvers outside.
    this is a s**t state of affairs, when the history and traditions of a football club, and the community, are being held to ransom, by corporate fascists, haggling over 131 years of history.

  113. hoosiertoon says:

    “Am I the only one who doesn’t give two shits about who the sponsor, so long as it brings good revenue into the club?”

    You’re missing the point Hoosier. This club, our club has a history dating back to 1892. Other fans of other clubs have always known the “Geordies” as reasonable football folk who support their team with a passion.

    Since Fatman and his tacky SD advertising swept through the stadium to be followed by Wonga, a usury service as TJ rightly says, the reputation of the club has nosedived straight toward the gutter and for what ?

    How much money are we actually earning for this shameful marketing scam ? Why ditch Virgin’s £10m for this shlte ? The marketing gurus at SJP must be YTS trainees if thats all they can manage ?

    I’ve just asked the same question on Ed’s blog – Who next Poundland ?

  114. GS says:

    “Andymac: Lee Ryder is doing a Chronic live webcast about WONGA at 1pm GMT today. It should be comic gold”

    I have known for a long time that Ryder is the biggest tw@t at Thomson House who doesnt even recognise when we change formations on the pitch. So quite why he’s called a football correspondent is beyond me ?

  115. TROJAN RECORDS 73 says:
    October 10, 2012 at 12:44 pm

    “you can see all the three tooth brigade outside “ST JAMES’ PARK”,with bottles of white lightening, extolling the virtues of wonga.com, as we speak.”

    Aye Trojan, it did have an approval rating of well over 60% last time I checked a poll on Ed’s blog.

    I get the amorality of it, after all, Ashley and Llambias are amoral bastads. What I don’t get however is the amount after all that. As I may have mentioned above, £6 million is just the mean amount of all Premiership shirt deals, and that’s just shirts, not shirts and stadiums. It’s just what an “average” Premiership team can expect to get for a far less controversial sponsor yet in brand terms, yet there is a huge price to pay for it by the club.

    Once again I’ve said it before but Sports Direct, and now Wonga has undoubtedly had a huge effect on the brand value of NEWCASTLE UNITED. Whilst Sports Direct is a much larger concern than NUFC, it’s “brand value” is shit, ditto for Wonga as they both appeal to the very lowest demographics. In other words, they’re not exactly Aston Martin and Prada! Even in the days of Fat Freddy and Weaselfaced Doug in a brothel, NUFC was a “brand” to be proud of, something which other good brand names would want to be associated with. Thanks to Ashley, this is far less so now, it has been tarnished hugely.

    That isn’t just blind hatred of Ashley, it’s shit business that is detrimental for the club. It would be like a huge admission of failiure, though of course, it’s a case of “swings and roundabouts” for Ashley because it’s been hugely advantageous for him with his 71% interest in Sports Direct International.

  116. AndyMac: Ryder has never written anything that could be considered insightful about NUFC. He has a stupid template that he uses for every story and he puts a few names and dates in and goes off to the pub for a pint or two.

    He was schooled in journalism by the two laziest writers ever – Oliver and Gibson. Their faces bear the lines of hacks that spent more time on tabs and beer than on their job.

    The irony is that they get paid for doing it and you and Worky, who are much better at it, do it for free. Life just isn’t fair.

    That brings me back to WONGA. Life isn’t fair and there have always been operators like this. I would rather not be associated with them though, as I have said above. But what can you do? We can’t all be like Worky and change the world.

    Ed needs to get a grip and not just bang out a story saying WONGA saved the name of St. James’ Park.

    My own PATHETIC little protest will be to not buy the shirt if WONGA is on it

  117. Hoosiertown @142#

    Sez
    I apologise for using the phrase two shits, but i was getting a bit sick of seeing people on here, twitter and so on making an outrage over something i see as so trivial.

    The go on making comparisons about other corporations who’s actions are equally awfull and ending up with…

    That being said i undrestand the potential dislike of WONGA itself and dont quite understand how something of the like is lega in the UK.

    Well that leaves me a bit confused, either you are apologising only for using the expression “two shits”,
    But still believe it’s a trivial matter which continues to annoy you when voiced by others.
    Or do you as stated understand the potential dislike of WONGA, etc.
    Which is it?

  118. GS says:
    October 10, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    “We can’t all be like Worky and change the world.”

    GS, I’ll let you into a secret if you want to change the world. What you need, besides intelligence, is a really good pro bono lawyer.

  119. Worky @148: I know you bleed black and white, but everything is not black and white.

    Retail is also incredibly fickle so Ashley might get his comeuppance one day – look at Sears and Woolworths and Best Buy, they were all great brands at one point and now they are bankrupt or nearly there.

    And what AndyMac said, and you repeated:

    “you can see all the three tooth brigade outside “ST JAMES’ PARK”,with bottles of white lightening, extolling the virtues of wonga.com, as we speak.”

    Isn’t that the target market of Sports Direct and WONGA, so it is good business for them to join forces – and put us (NUFC) in the middle :)

    The fun just never ends with NUFC, does it…

  120. GS says:
    October 10, 2012 at 3:02 pm

    “you can see all the three tooth brigade outside “ST JAMES’ PARK”,with bottles of white lightening, extolling the virtues of wonga.com, as we speak.”

    “Isn’t that the target market of Sports Direct and WONGA, so it is good business for them to join forces”

    That’s why it’s so damaging to the Newcastle United brand.

  121. GS says:

    And what AndyMac said, and you repeated:

    “you can see all the three tooth brigade outside “ST JAMES’ PARK”,with bottles of white lightening, extolling the virtues of wonga.com, as we speak.”

    Twas not me fella, TJ’s is responsible for that somewhat ascerbic yet insightful view of some of our fellow fans.

  122. Sorry AndyMac: You know I am about 80% there with your view on this situation.

    It is almost f@cking hilarious that this deal is being cast as saving the name of SJP. You have to admire their balls :)

  123. the trouble is with a section of our fans, is they are easily pleased.
    they’ll see the st james’ park signs restored, and think it’s some kind of victory, when it clearly isn’t the case.
    they will then go back to participating, in papering over the cracks, and the status quo is maintained, as long as francis rossi doesn’t turn up, in the centre circle, at half time, headbanging, all will be well, until the next crisis.

  124. “You just dont undrstand”
    One of Sancho Panza’s last outbursts, to the uneducated rabble that are NUFC fans.
    That sleazy refugee from some casino somewhere has the nerve to lecture us once more.
    For someone who was plucked from an odds making job somewhere and turned into Ashley’s lackey and mouthpiece.
    Now believes his own press, that he and Ashley have between them invented a new way to operate a football club, but the dumbass fans just dont get it.
    Between the two of them i have never see such a slow learning curve.
    They appear to continually go out of their way to do things that outrage the fans.
    The latest being the WONGA deal, not satisfied with the KK debacle, the firing of the only decent manager we have had since they took over Hughton, the Dennis Wise stuff, Xisco, the hiring of that synchphat Pardew, who knaas nowt about football, the stadium renaming et al.
    One fcuk up after another, then to tell us we dont understand, that they are watching the penny’s and we should be gratefull.
    Well fcuk that, i want an owner who will spend some money to build a winning side, not someone who believes success is a fifth place spot.
    And where does all that saved money go, trousered by wor Mick. who appears to have an insatiable appetite for accumulating wealth.
    Yeah righ Sancho, but the fact is we understand only too well.

  125. Sancho Panza :) Chuck @157? I have to look him up on wikipedia to see if he has some connection to NUFC. Was he a right back in the ’90’s?

  126. Hey, and Worky. Chuck and I have mellowed towards each other, I think. It took me a long time to get his humour.

  127. I agree wit hoosier I would rather have wonga on me top than have a giant sports direct sign on stadiums roof it wouldnt make me use their service jus like I never entered a sports direct store, they might not b gd t there customers bt I am a big fan of theirs now , thank u wonga

  128. toonfannnn says:
    October 10, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    “it wouldnt make me use their service”

    Good toonfannnn, because even if you only took one loan from Wonga, and even if you paid it back on time, the chances of you ever been granted a loan by any other institution would decline to somewhere between slim and none. They’ll just take one look at the “W” word on your credit history and walk away, forever.

  129. Andymac: Ryder is an idiot. Standard Chartered has been on Liverpool shirts long before the scandal broke. You can’t compare that with going into a deal with your eyes wide open like WONGA. But, as I have said, most of these corporations have something buried in their basement

    I started reading Ryders webcast but need to go out and get a drink before I finish it.

  130. GS says:
    October 10, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    “But, as I have said, most of these corporations have something buried in their basement”

    I’ve been through alot of ’em, and Dow Chemical, who were supposed to be sponsoring that big skirt thing around the Olympic stadium take a bit of beating. Some of their greatest hits include Napalm B, Agent Orange, and through their subsequent ownership of the former Union Carbide, the Bhopal catastrophe, which Dow still refuse to put right. Then there’s Krups with Zyklon B and lots of other Nazi stuff. One thing which does my heed in however is people thinking they’re really fancy because they’re wearing Hugo Boss. He saved his business by desiging SS Uniforms which were manafactured by slave labourers in Concentration Camps, which is a nice thing to think about when you’re out in your fancy German clobba.

  131. I have thought this through a bit now and usury is usury and whether it is legal or not we shouldn’t be associated with it.

    Some people will say that the interest rate isn’t as high as it seems because a lot of it is processing fees. That is cr@p. Just like it is when they add on $20 shipping and handling for the latest waist shrinker scam that they sell on TV at 3am.

  132. Worky: I have a couple of Hugo Boss suits and I don’t think I can be held accountable for Nazi attrocities.

  133. GS says:
    October 10, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    “Some people will say that the interest rate isn’t as high as it seems because a lot of it is processing fees.”

    The usual from Wonga is that they only lend up to thirty days and the annual figure is compounded. Being an ex financial gadgie you’ll know what I mean.

  134. – WANKA –

    would be a more appropriate logo for a few of our so called toon fans to wear.

    with

    – HOOF ME UP THE ARSE AS HARD AS YOU CAN –

    on the back.

  135. GS says:
    October 10, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    “Worky: I have a couple of Hugo Boss suits”

    I hope the moths are dropping their eggs all over them GS :-)

  136. Worky, I have a Rolex as well. Does that make me responsible for Switzerland being neutral in the 2nd world war, and James Garner crashing his plane on the way there in The Great Escape?

  137. GS says:
    October 10, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    “Worky, I have a Rolex as well.”

    Flash get! I’d have been far more impressed if you’d written Audemars Piguet or Patek Phillipe.

  138. Andymac @172: That is from “being Liverpool” a show over here. I can’t even watch it because of

    1. that annoying $tevie Me scouse throaty nonsense.

    2. that Ugly Bren seems like he wants to sell his players a timeshare.

  139. Worky, the watch was a gift from my job, believe it or not, for making them shed loads of money. You are a strange combination of being thoughtful about the poor and living the high life.

    And you should know by now I wasn’t trying to impress you, I was just making a joke.

    You see, I don’t need to impress people on the internet. But I do find you and a few others on here very entertaining and informative .

  140. Have kept rather quiet on the Wonga topic. Thought I’d clear up some misconceptions.

    Yes, their interest fees are extortionate but they are hardly effective immediately. If you were to miss your pay back date you’re given a £20 charge similar to an overdraft charge if you missed that pay date. After this charge you’re given an additional 7 days to pay with no interest. If you fail to pay again, another £20 charge. It continues weekly for 1 month before the large interest rates kick in. However this interest can be completely avoided altogether if you give them a call and simply extend your pay date. You can extend as many times as you like.

    I’m certainly no fan of Wonga or any other payday loan companys but as far as Wonga is concerned the media takes extreme cases and portrays it the average. We all know the kind of people who get themselves into this situation, it’s just alot easier to end up there with a payday loan. Believe it or not but they do not give money to people with a bad credit rating.

    Regardless, I’m not a fan of the new sponsor, but if it were to fall through considering it’s under heavy criticism right now – would Ashley rename the stadium again?

    Anyway, are England playing tonight? And if so, will it be on TV?

  141. GS says:
    October 10, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    “And you should know by now I wasn’t trying to impress you, I was just making a joke.”

    I wasn’t being entirely serious either GS, though I am a bit of a watch bore as I used to sell old ones.

  142. @ Chuck: What I’m saying is that I apologize for using the phrase, as it is vulgar and makes me look below myself. I am not apologizing for my views regarding sponsorship though I do understand why some people dislike the fact that such a business is in existence.

    @AndyMac: I don’t see how making money off of a company cheapens the team or it’s followers. To me, the decisions the club makes does not at all change the perception of its fans, or their knowledge of football, or the general perception of them as honest, good people. Then again that is my perspective as an American, as I don’t lose any regard for a brand based on what company wants to fork over money to sponsor the team as I believe most people here don’t. I don’t live in the UK, and maybe the perception of a company’s sponsor is much more tied to the team then is perceived here. If so I do apologize for the ignorance in my statement in that regard.

    @worky no I haven’t been in poverty since I was very young. I don’t quite understand why it is the company’s fault if they provide a legal service(however controversial) and people continue to use it, despite the negative side effects of using it. People need to make informed decisions, rather than just jump for immediate satisfaction. And if they chose to make the decision to borrow money from such a company, take responsibility for their choices rather than blame the company, when they easily knew or could have known perfectly well what the policies of that company are.

    MONEY IS MONEY. I’m not arguing against the fact that the team could have perhaps gotten a better deal, I am arguing against why people are getting as angry as they are over something that really doesn’t matter or reflect on them in any way. If they want to pay to put their name on something, I’m ok with it as long as they pay.

    That is like saying that because I wear Nike brand on a daily basis, it makes me look cheapened because they perhaps employ workers to make their clothes that don’t work in ideal conditions by the west’s standards. Unless you think it does…in which case I might as well go be one of those Occupy persons, make my own clothes, grow all my own food, and so on. Because everything in this world in regards to the business world has some part of it that may reflect poorly on me, if this is the view.

  143. maze202 says:
    October 10, 2012 at 5:07 pm

    “Have kept rather quiet on the Wonga topic. Thought I’d clear up some misconceptions.

    Yes, their interest fees are extortionate but they are hardly effective immediately. If you were to miss your pay back date you’re given a £20 charge similar to an overdraft charge if you missed that pay date. After this charge you’re given an additional 7 days to pay with no interest. If you fail to pay again, another £20 charge. It continues weekly for 1 month before the large interest rates kick in. However this interest can be completely avoided altogether if you give them a call and simply extend your pay date. You can extend as many times as you like.”

    They’re only supposed to roll over loans a maximum of three times now maze, though they love doing it. I wonder why?

    http://www.independent.co.uk/money/loans-credit/rollover-loans-curb-agreed-by-wonga-6296653.html

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/mar/01/my-wonga-loan-experience

  144. My points being made, this is why I enjoy reading this blog. it allows discussion for the football aspect of Newcastle as well as much more, whether I am participating in the discussion or simply reading the debate.

    If I ever get the time I’d love to write a blog or two, but at the moment university is sucking the life out of me.

  145. hoosiertoon says:
    October 10, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    “And if they chose to make the decision to borrow money from such a company”

    Hoosiertoon, that’s how I know that you have never experienced poverty, because you see it as a “choice”.

    “I might as well go be one of those Occupy persons, make my own clothes, grow all my own food, and so on.”

    Do these look homemade to you?

    http://www.camper.com/en

    http://cruyffclassics.com/

    Besides, if there was no pressure at all on companies such as Nike and Gap from people such as those “Occupy” people you disparagingly look down on, they would be far worse. They don’t make their own clothes incidentally, and home grown food tastes absolutely wonderful.

  146. workyticket says:
    October 10, 2012 at 5:28 pm

    “They’re only supposed to roll over loans a maximum of three times now maze, though they love doing it. I wonder why?”

    I’m not going to defend Wonga, but if you don’t have the money to pay back the loan what other options are there other than extending? Or what options should there be more like.

  147. hoosiertoon says:

    “MONEY IS MONEY. I’m not arguing against the fact that the team could have perhaps gotten a better deal, I am arguing against why people are getting as angry as they are over something that really doesn’t matter or reflect on them in any way. If they want to pay to put their name on something, I’m ok with it as long as they pay.

    I understand your point of view Hoosier but ask yourself why, when we already had a “better deal” (a £10m sponsorship in place for the next two years), did the Gruesome Twosome cancel that arrangement and CHOOSE to work in tandem with a company with a dubious, at best, trading reputation ?

    So we, as fans, are now connected with a company that makes money from loan sharking ? Is that not worse than being connected to a bank even if it is owned by WT’s idol Branson ? ;)

  148. maze202 says:
    October 10, 2012 at 5:53 pm

    “I’m not going to defend Wonga, but if you don’t have the money to pay back the loan what other options are there other than extending? Or what options should there be more like.”

    Seeking debt advice from an an impartial, not for profit organisation who can give advice on debt problems such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, Consumer Credit Counselling Service or several others in the first place before before resorting to loan sharks. There should also be more local community credit unions and such.

  149. I read an article yesterday which suggested that Wonga targets areas with the greatest percentage of people suffering financial deprivation because they’re more likely to gain new clients by doing so.

    Makes sense but I happen to believe that the link between Blackpool (big drug problem apparently with social degeneration), Edinburgh (Class A drugs capital as well as political capital of Scotland) and Newcastle is not necessarily just social deprivation and unemployment but more to do with the owners of the three clubs !

    All three are flawed in some way or other and I find it hard to think of any other Premiership club that Wonga could make inroads into with the possible exception of West Ham where ex porn baron Sullivan is trying to distance himself from his dodgy past.

  150. “understand your point of view Hoosier but ask yourself why, when we already had a “better deal” (a £10m sponsorship in place for the next two years), did the Gruesome Twosome cancel that arrangement and CHOOSE to work in tandem with a company with a dubious, at best, trading reputation ?”

    Now that is the real question isn’t it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of Big Boy and his partner in crime at all..just can’t quite comprehend the moral outrage over the deal. But you raise a valid question. My feeling is the overall input from Wongs must equal or end up being better than the Virgin deal. I do believe that that perhaps the £1.5 million into the academy may be part of it? Just speculation.

    It certainly played out well P.R. wise for him though didnt it? With he whole “reinstating” of the name that never left, as well as the supposed delight at “involving the fans.”

  151. AndyMac says:
    October 10, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    “I understand your point of view Hoosier but ask yourself why, when we already had a “better deal” (a £10m sponsorship in place for the next two years), did the Gruesome Twosome cancel that arrangement and CHOOSE to work in tandem with a company with a dubious, at best, trading reputation ?”

    There’s been a bit of confusion about that one. Of course, it was all over the place that the deal was £10 million per year, though it was actually more like £10 million over TWO years (ie £5 million). Hence the current £6 million deal is worth £1 million per year more.

    I know I’m banging on about it but the big question is, why can the club only raise this realtively small amount for shirt sponsorship, even when it goes to a sponsor which is beyond the pale, has been banished from many football league club sites due to the outrage of fans, and damages NUFC’s own brand when a club of Newcastle’s size should be able raise far more from less controversial clients?

    I telt yez that Llambias was never going to get that £10 million per year for the stadium name. It’s been thrown in as a freebie to buy off the fans for more awfulness.

  152. AndyMac says:
    October 10, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    “I read an article yesterday which suggested that Wonga targets areas with the greatest percentage of people suffering financial deprivation because they’re more likely to gain new clients by doing so.”

    Of course they do Andy. Saying that is a bit like saying that Germans like sausages, or Geordies like Bobby Robson and Jackie Milburn.

  153. You could be right WT ? However I recall reading somewhere that NR’s investment was raised by £7.5m to £10m after VM bought them out ! The £2.5m was per year was it not ?

    Another question which we’ve raised before is why is NUFC’s commercial revenue stagnant at £15m or so yet under the former regime in 2007 we had figures of £27m from Commercial alone (Total £87m) ?

    http://www.nufc-finances.org.uk/

    Is it just that Fatman and Dobbin are fecking useless at raising non football revenue or just that they cant be bothered ?

  154. Has other clubs’ commercial revenue increased during this time by an appreciable amount? Particularly clubs of similar size/fan base.

  155. Maybe it’s because I’m a yank but I don’t feel I have any relationship with the sponsors of club. Not trying to dodge just honestly never thought of it that way. We have more sponsors than just those on the shirt, right? Are we going to be looking into the business practices of those and applying a moral judgment? OK, then what? Only support the clubs sponsored by charities, the Girl Scouts and the Dalai Lama? I don’t get it. When I express concern that AshleyCo is running the squad into the ground, the general consensus (not here) is that I should shut and support the club. But then I SHOULD have an opinion of with whom the owners of the club choose to do business?! Seems like a perfect inversion.

    Stadium of Light is still the stupidest name for a sports venue I have ever heard-I’d think that no matter who plays there.

    The Sharia angle with our Muslim players seems absurd. I mean, if Demba & Demba struck me as ultra-observant then OK. But in reality, they wear bubble coats and drive fancy cars. I doubt they’re so devout. If so, they would give all of their wages beyond their needs to the poor. Islam also requires that…

    GS-you can think without words. At least cognitive scientists are pretty sure.

    I have enjoyed the jokes about players having to give 4200% from now on.

    And y’all have white light’nin over there! Yeehaw-I thought that was restricted to Appalachia…

    Andy-I don’t think Virgin was pushed, I think they jumped.

    Also, my watch is a Fossil.

    Also, I support OWS.

    Did that cover everything?

    WHEW

  156. AndyMac says:
    October 10, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    “The £2.5m was per year was it not ?”

    Aye, it was Andy.

    Tripp says:
    October 10, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    “Has other clubs’ commercial revenue increased during this time by an appreciable amount? Particularly clubs of similar size/fan base.”

    Well Tripp, according to Sporting Intelligence, the combined shirt sponsorship income of the Premier League’s 20 clubs jumped 20% from the 2010-11 season to the 2011-12 season, and 25% from the 2011-12 to the 2012-13 season. However, if you look at one of their breakdowns on the link above, he has Newcastle down as receiving £10 million each year from Virgin, not over two years, so it’s a bit sloppy and not to be trusted. However, without exact figures for each club, they have undoubetedly gone up generally.

    The Wonga deal was reported as being for £24 million over four years when the news broke, but now Luke Edwards writes, “Telegraph Sport understands it will be worth more than £8 million a year over the course of the four-year agreement.” As you probably know though, “understands” doesn’t mean much. At £8 million it would be around the same as Aston Villa get from Genting Casinos, though I haven’t seen anything official for that either.

    Whatever it is though, it doesn’t sound that special as these things go.

  157. tunyc says:
    October 10, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    “And y’all have white light’nin over there! Yeehaw-I thought that was restricted to Appalachia… ”

    I think you’re referring to moonshine tunyc, the “White Lighning” referred to above is strong, cheap cider drunk by the kind of people who shop in Sports Direct and employ Wonga as their financial advisor.

    Yes, you do have a point about the sponsorship, however I do feel that Wonga setting up in the most insolvent region in the whole country and shoving themselves in peoples faces even more than they are already is different. This “community angle” working with 15-16 year olds sounds like it has the potential to be quite sinister too if they want their logos on stuff as “partners” and so on. I also think that the idea of fans having a “relationship” (as you wrote) with the sponsors of their clubs is creepy too, but having two sponsors (well, freeloaders in SDs case) as tacky and awful as Sports Direct and Wonga affects the image of Newcastle United, and that is worth caring about to many proper fans.

    I know you’re a very intelligent and acute, and very similar things happen over there (your lot wrote the book on on it!), but you really need to have lived over here under Blair, Brown, and now Cameron to really get what going on, and how things have changed in society so quickly. Poor people just get “Wonga”/Gambling/”QuickQuid”/Gambling/”PoundstoPocket”/Gambling shoved in their faces every minute they’re conscious now. Many of them (though not Wonga) have come over from your side of the pond to set up shop because even over there they wouldn’t get away with what they are doing over here.

  158. Worky: are you saying that there should be no personal responsibility? I don’t think any amount of advertising would cause me to think that happy slapping anybody is a good idea (and I am from a very working class background).

    Some people are just f@cking idiots and deserve to be patronised by Jeremy Kyle, whatever the state of the economy or politics.

    I could name you plenty from when I grew up, which was before the politicians you mention.

  159. The interesting thing about this is that it has generated a lot of discussion about corporate morals in the National Media. I am sure this will change back to articles on Kim Kardashian’s ass in the mail and Hugh Dinkleworthy-Smyths new restaurant in the Telegraph. But for now there is some raised awareness of these issues.

    For what it’s worth.

  160. “Worky: are you saying that there should be no personal responsibility? I don’t think any amount of advertising would cause me to think that happy slapping anybody is a good idea”

    That was the point I was trying to make. No matter your situation, borrowing from anyone that can remotely be described as ‘loan sharks’ is generally a bad idea.

  161. Appears each and everyone has approached this argument from varying perspectives.
    But what it boils down too, is basically, are you in favor of our club sponsoring and advertising a company who’s policy is to apply usary lending rates to extract a profit from those unfortunate enough to have no other alternative.

  162. And oh! have i stumbled onto a blog on ethics, sorry everyone, thought this was the footballing Nufcblog.org.

  163. GS says:
    October 11, 2012 at 12:41 am

    “Worky: are you saying that there should be no personal responsibility?”

    When you’re in poverty and facing debt you just don’t think the same GS. Long term thinking and planning goes out of the the window and short term survival takes over. You just want anything to get you through the next few days and that’s why loan sharks find it so easy to manipulate those in poverty and thrive. When you have to live your whole life like this it just becomes ingrained.

  164. GS says:
    October 11, 2012 at 12:41 am

    “Some people are just f@cking idiots and deserve to be patronised by Jeremy Kyle”

    Why? For entertainment? Because that’s what it is, ridicule of the poor for entertainment, which is sick and says as much about the problems of the people watching the show as it does about those of the guests.

  165. Chuck: this is news and you know this blog tends go on lengthy strolls into aspects that aren’t ALL football. Plus, there is no football for 2 weeks, unless you count England.

    It is not the sort of thing you talk about down the pub with your mates. So, in that respect it is interesting for a while.

    It is also funny to watch AndyMac get angry. Just kidding, I mean angrier.

  166. anyone ever tasted that crap white lightening?, i was daft enough in my youth, you could quite easily strip paint, with the stuff.
    it probably is in all fairness, barely legal, and i wouldn’t be suprised if the firm responsible for it’s insemination, was akin to a hillbilly hooch operation.

    as to the question, “do geordies have a soul”?, of course we do, we are gods own.
    although according to clintflick, we dont lol.
    where is the owld barsteward, these days?

  167. Tripp says:

    “Has other clubs’ commercial revenue increased during this time by an appreciable amount? Particularly clubs of similar size/fan base”

    Good question Tripp and depending upon how you view the tables Spuds and Citehs have gone through the roof since we slowly disappeared off the money lists.

    This was Citehs financial breakdown before European TV money arrived
    http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/c48b06dd908bd210VgnVCM3000001c56f00aRCRD.htm

    and this (if you scroll down) is 2011 commercial data, so from the previous fiscal year I presume.

    http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/industries/sportsbusinessgroup/sports/football/deloitte-football-money-league-2011/66f55ec578ffd210VgnVCM2000001b56f00aRCRD.htm#3

    Yet Chelsea and Spuds used to be below us in the overall turnover tables not so long ago !

    2002–03

    English clubs dominated the money league for the 2002/03 season, with five Premier League clubs occupying spots in the top 10.
    Rank Club Income(€ million) Country
    1. Manchester United 251.2 England England
    2. Juventus 218.8 Italy Italy
    3. Milan 200.4 Italy Italy
    4. Real Madrid 193.7 Spain Spain
    5. Bayern Munich 163.9 Germany Germany
    6. Internazionale 162.5 Italy Italy
    7. Arsenal 150.1 England England
    8. Liverpool 149.3 England England
    9. Newcastle United139.3 England England
    10. Chelsea 134.1 England England

  168. BTW the 2011 list (looking back at 2009-10) doesnt include us because we were floundering around in the Fizzy Pop league thanks to you know who :(

    I would estimate that even without CL income a club the size of Newcastle United, with the crowds we attract on matchday, should be able to generate at least as much as Spuds – £30m – from the commercial income.

    Unfortunately as WT has often said its the association with tat that tends to drag us down and dissuade “Blue Chips” from getting involved. Nobody in their right mind wants to trade with Del Boy and Trotter :(

  169. I’m not quite sure if this gives you some idea of the current lack of business acumen at Fatman Towers but…

    “Earlier this week Newcastle announced a new sponsorship deal with money lender Wonga, and Llambias has revealed the club are already onto the next part of their plan to improve their brand awareness”

    So tying up with Wonga raises Newcastle Unites brand does it Del Boy ????

  170. AndyMac says:
    October 11, 2012 at 3:17 pm

    “Unfortunately as WT has often said its the association with tat that tends to drag us down and dissuade “Blue Chips” from getting involved.”

    So you can’t see Aston Martin and Prada wanting to stick up a few signs inbetween the Sports Direct and Wonga ones either? :-)

    TROJAN RECORDS 73 says:
    October 11, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    “where is the owld barsteward, these days?”

    Still in the huff I think Trojan.

  171. AndyMac says:
    October 11, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    “Earlier this week Newcastle announced a new sponsorship deal with money lender Wonga, and Llambias has revealed the club are already onto the next part of their plan to improve their brand awareness”

    “So tying up with Wonga raises Newcastle Unites brand does it Del Boy ????”

    They want to develop Sports Direct Newcastle United as a world brand Andy, that’s why they’re “tying up” with a UK only loan shark.

  172. You know, I have seen people compare alcohol companies sponsoring us with WONGA and saying they are just as bad. This is total claptrap, alcohol has got me laid many times, even when I was married, and a payday loan company never got me laid. So which would you rather have?

  173. GS says:

    “This is total claptrap, alcohol has got me laid many times”

    Presumably its just rohypnol nowadays GS ?

  174. So maybe the former former Fatty can sign up Roche as our sponsor. I noticed at Man U that his girth was expanding again.

  175. Are the Journal & Chronicle both owned by Ashley, as recent comments coming from both could have been written by the NUFC PR department.
    See where not so SuperMac has also jumped on the bandwaggon, shame on him.
    Better to keep his big mouth shut, course easy to say for me, as i dont know what the inducement or threat was.
    I can see wor Shola beeing dragged out for a photo op, with the disgusting sycophants, Pardew & Llambias.
    Bit of job security like.
    This deal is going to go down no question, they (Ashley) are breaking out the heavy artillery, using anyone they can, to help push the deal through.
    Obviously no moral compass in this board room, the only stuff on their radar is $$$$$$$$$.

  176. worky, what’s he in the huff for?, he doesn’t seem the type, to get himself rattled.

  177. Yeah, guess we all should get on the bandwaggon like.
    I mean Pardew sez, the money involved could have us in the top four, yeah! thats what he said.

  178. Oh christ… payday loans… the scourge of any society. Nothing like 250% interest to kick you when you’re down. So are Brits as ignorant of compound interest as Americans are?

  179. chuck says:
    October 11, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    “Are the Journal & Chronicle both owned by Ashley, as recent comments coming from both could have been written by the NUFC PR department.”

    As I’ve said before, the Chronic and the Journal are owned by the Trinity Mirror group, as is the People and it’s flagship title, the Mirror. It’s been obvious for some time that Ashley’s PR representatives and Trinity Mirror journalists have some kind of arrangement. Sometimes, PR agencies will write up stories, leaving lazy “jounalists” such as Lee Ryder with nothing else to do except dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

  180. I get the impression that after all the crap that has accured during the Ashley era.
    The managerial merry go round, KK, Shearer, relegation, Andy Carroll, stadium re-nameing, lack of funds et al.
    The fans have become enured to it all and apart from the few that continue to give a damn, dont wanna know anymore.
    I mean talk about a turbulent time, it’s been a mental rollercoaster and people are tired of it all.
    Having hired possibly one of the worst managers in the game and given him an eight tear deal, that even shocked him (probably thought he was being called to pack his bags) where in the name of hell are these clowns leading us.
    How many years has it been now since Ashley took over ?
    All i can say is it’s the slowest on the job learning curve i have ever witnessed, but the crazy thing is, they believe they are doing a great job.
    But then what do i know ?

  181. TROJAN RECORDS 73 says:
    October 11, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    “worky, what’s he in the huff for?, he doesn’t seem the type, to get himself rattled.”

    I think he’s in the huff with me, Trojan. We were having a debate about something and he was writing the kind of stuff that would even make Llambias blush, so I questioned his Anarchist credentials and he vanished.

  182. workyticket says:

    “I think he’s in the huff with me”

    and to think Toonsy said it was all down to me to reduce the numbers on this blog :roll:

    Nee wonder we’ve got no contributors any more Come back CF and UTD and………everyone else who’s ever felt the sharpness of WT’s tongue lashing (oooooerrr Missus). Its OK he’s taking his medication now :)

  183. Chuck says:

    “All i can say is it’s the slowest on the job learning curve i have ever witnessed, but the crazy thing is, they believe they are doing a great job”

    Agreed Chuck. If you look at some of the financial stuff I posted earlier we’re just about treading water in terms of commercial revenue income despite the fact that Fatman is supposed to be BillyWhiz when it comes to marketing ? As for Del Boy he wouldnt know a B2 from a hole in his rear and as for building a global brand even less :(

  184. Andymac: Toonsy is obviously a good judge of character as he keeps Troy Moron on there. I read his site the other day for the first time in months and the t*t now puts a disclaimer on his posts like he is somehow important. If you haven’t read it you might find it funny.

    I have no idea what fannying about there is between Worky and Clint, but I did enjoy Clint’s input.

  185. AndyMac says:
    October 11, 2012 at 5:58 pm

    “If you look at some of the financial stuff I posted earlier we’re just about treading water in terms of commercial revenue income despite the fact that Fatman is supposed to be BillyWhiz when it comes to marketing ?”

    Many fans who used to get their shirts from the club are getting them from Sports Direct now. As a thankyou for all the free publicity they’re getting from the club, they are hugely undercutting the club’s own retail outlets. The club’s online shop is now known as “NUFC Direct” too, and the website has been Sports Directified with all the “24 hour delivery” signs in the same places and so on. Does this mean that Sports Direct have taken over the club’s merchandising? and if so, where is the money going?

  186. AndyMac says:
    October 11, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    “I’d rather have “No BoIIocks” on the kit than Wonga”

    I’d rather walk around with my bollocks hanging out than wear a shirt with “Wonga” on it Andy. I would find it less embarrassing anyway.

  187. workyticket says:

    “I’d rather walk around with my bollocks hanging out than wear a shirt with “Wonga” on it Andy”

    Jeez thank God I wasnt just about to eat my supper :(

  188. GS says:

    “I have no idea what fannying about there is between Worky and Clint, but I did enjoy Clint’s input”

    No coincidence that both CF and UTD were more pro Fatman/Pardwho than others on here. Maybe after a while they’d rather just be among like minded souls ?

  189. I see Old Leazes over at TOTT has hit the spot with his latest thread.

    “Ashley doesn’t give a f@ck what you think, but you may as well wear a shirt with “I suck Ashley’s C0ck” written across it if you purchase this latest monstrosity.

    Let the excuses pour forth. Top of the list will be “I don’t want to disappoint the bairn, he/she always gets a new strip every year”

    I’d rather see my sister in a brothel (if I had a sister) than any of my mates or family in a Wonga NUFC shirt, but I fully realise that there will be plenty of plebs wearing them, along with the “wey aye man” suits.

    C@nts, the fucking lot of you”

  190. GS says:
    October 11, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    “I read his site the other day for the first time in months and the t*t now puts a disclaimer on his posts”

    Where’s this disclaimer GS?

    “I have no idea what fannying about there is between Worky and Clint, ”

    Neither do I!

  191. Worky: It was a header on every Troy post, saying something about a government health warning. It wasn’t Toonsy.

    It doesn’t matter at all though. I don’t I will ever bring up his name again.

  192. that’s what should be on the shirt, a government health warning, like on a packet of cigarettes.
    “this club could seriously damage you health”, it wouldn’t look out of place, the crap that’s went on, over the years, is enough to do anyone in, following newcastle lol.

  193. So now we know that Derek Llambias is running the club along the lines of a casino, and that members of the Newcastle United squad are treated as Poker chips, with the best 11 players such as Ben Arfa and Cabaye being graded as purple $500 chips, then going down through pink, black, orange, green etc

    I wonder if all the players know what colour chips they are in Llambias’s system?

  194. Scene:

    Newcastle United Training Centre, Analysis Meeting with Pardwho and the first team squad.

    Pardwho: I’ve written the names of people in these three envelopes who, I believe, will let me down this season. Make sure your name isnt in one of these envelopes.

    Voice from the Back: Only three envelopes ???

  195. Reading where Sancho Panza sez, the money from WONGA will get us into the top four and Championship league.
    That followed by a statement that we should’nt expect any signings during the winter window, because we have such stalwarts as Williamson and Perch to fill the CD roles.
    Sorry, but it sounds like an oxymoron to me, then most of his statements make little sense, or should be taken with a grain of salt.

    On another front Worky’s hero, The Grate Dane or The Prince of Denmark (obviously a pun) as he described him.
    Appears to be having some player problems at Swansea.
    And an indication of this is the immediate denial by the club (allways a tell tale sign, better to ignore it)
    Anyway , i suppose there’s always player discontent when you havn’t won a game in the last five.
    But if i recall right they had a much better start under the much maligned Rodgers,
    Ah well, it’s all about prceptions init !

    Jumping from there to the second tier, it appears Wenky’s, the Indian chicken magnates have finally hammered the last nail in manager Keane’s coffin, forcing him to resign (so he can sue them, dumb)
    And guess who has thrown his hat in the ring, you guessed it wor Al.
    Hey he was a hero there dont forget, but i think even the Wenkeys are not that dumb as to chose him over apparent rival Tim Sherwood.
    Makes me shudder everytime i conjure up the image of both he and Quasimodo to-gether on the sideline, during the pre relegation fiasco.
    His credentials as far as understanding liverpool’s present tactical game, were recently questioned by Rodgers, following criticism of the particular role played by one of the Liverpool midfielders.
    My question is, is he ready to manage.
    Obviously he holds a high opinion of himself, not wanting , like most starting out to learn his trade in the lower divisions
    Well i suppose he has lowered his sights somewhat, but if i had to chose between him and Sherwood…….

  196. Manufacturing consent.

    First question in that video above: “Do you think Wonga have done well by renaming the stadium to St James’ Park?”

    Second question: “So for the fans, renaming St James’s Park is THE most important thing?”

  197. Of course, but do you also believe the intrviewee in that particular interview, typified the average fan.
    I had mentioned previously (possibly above somewhere)
    that WONGA and Ashley had tested the water, with the announcement, there was to be a deal, but confusing the issue as to exactly what it consisted of.

    Then realising both a logo and stadium re naming would’nt fly, used the return of the St. James’Park name as a bargaining chip.

    Though apparently Wonga are still paying for both.

    What i dont understand, though the figures are simple enough that a child could add them withought a papes and pen,(guess they might need calculaters nowadays)why is it we have been subjected to various totals that dont make sense.

    And then again, do you think that many actually care about who’s name is on the logo, they are usually more concerned about the esthetics, how it looks as a fashion item.

    The deal will go through, regardless and by now the NUFC fans have become enured to anything Ashley does, there may be some protest, but nothing on the scale of previous actions.

    Get used to it.

  198. AndyMac says:
    October 12, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    “I’ve written the names of people in these three envelopes who, I believe, will let me down this season. Make sure your name isnt in one of these envelopes.”

    That Rodgers guff made no sense whatsoever. What on earth could the players do to make sure their names weren’t in one of the envelopes when Rodgers had already written them down, and their fate was already sealed?

    The daft get! :lol:

  199. Worky
    Just drumming up business for the blog, you know write something controvesial.
    And it’s easier when one rattles a few cages.

  200. Anyone watched the documentary about Liverpool, embarrasing!
    Though the saving grace may be, that we finally see the inside workings of a football club.
    Though i may be wrong cause i only watched for a short while.
    But from what i see, there appears to be a decided similarity to the mini series, “the office” equally ridicules.
    I think i would rather settle for the seperate, imagined perception of what takes place.

  201. Thanks Chuck but I need to write a blog really.

    I’ve had plumbers all over my flat now for weeks. They’ve made my life absolute hell fitting a new central heating system, making a complete mess of it, then having to rip it out and do it all over again! I now have to to redecorate a significant chunk of it too.

  202. UTD111 says:
    October 12, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    “Do you think Wonga have done well by renaming the stadium to St James’ Park?”

    YEP!”

    How much have they paid to rename it, UTD?

  203. I realise there’s not a great deal of admiration for Rodgers on this blog and possibly justifiable.
    However it’s not an easy job to change the style and tactical approach of a club overnight.
    To go from KD’s rather dated style to a more modern version of the game.
    With players like Gerrard, Downing, Carroll etc., who have played a dated style of English football all of their careers.
    Carrolls gone and Downing appears to be on his way, but Gerrard is there for the forseeable future.
    There’s a cadre of youngsters who can and will learn the new system, whether they are all good enough to to re-build around remains to be seen.
    Cetainly Stirling and Shelvey are.
    But i really think we may in fact have a better group to build around, with Our two amazing strikers and great ball player HBA, our playmaker Cabaye, great stopper Tiote, Up and coming youngster Fergy, Santon still a youngster, who if he learns to defend can be a super wing back, if not convert him like Fergy to an attacking role, there’s our Tiote Clone Bigi, who does’nt look out of place, Taylor if he can stay fit an excellent Defender, who gets his occasional goals at set pieces and can put hi body about.
    Our Two ageing but still decent Argentino’s.
    One of the leagues best young goalies.
    Those are the keepers.
    Then Marveaux, still a questionmark.
    Amalfitano, will he ever get a game, whats the story here?
    Young Sammy, needs game time.
    Obertan, still young, has pace and skills, but doesn’t seem to use those abilities .
    Gosling appears to be a sick note and has yet to put a good game to-gether.
    Perch can play as a FB or midfielder, but is out of his depth as a CD.
    Less said about the heroic Williamson the better.
    Simpson IMO is a good RB, that we should give a decent contract too.
    And as every dog in the street knows, we need quality help across the back four.

  204. Worky
    You shoudda got the proverbial “Polish Plumbers”. half the price and done in half the time.
    I know all about builders in London, back in the day, spent more time in the Pub than on the job, bunch of prima donnas.

  205. chuck says:
    October 12, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    “With players like Gerrard, Downing, Carroll etc., who have played a dated style of English football all of their careers.”

    Chuck, what are on about? That simply isn’t true. Senior players at the club such as Gerrard, Skrtel, Carragher, Lucas and so on have worked under continental managers such as Houllier and Benitez, not to mention Capello in the England side. Luiz Suarez worked under managers at Ajax such as de Boer and van Basten, and several others have come in from overseas sides too.

    Think it through! ;-)

  206. chuck says:
    October 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm

    “Worky
    You shoudda got the proverbial “Polish Plumbers”. half the price and done in half the time.”

    I have no choice in who’s doing it, and the chap who buggered it up more than anyone the first time was Polish.

  207. Worky, you seem to be the only one who’s picked up on our MD’s latest BS…

    Funny isn’t it, that we can’t buy another center back because Williamson and Perch are “fantastic”.

    I thought most teams try to have 2 players per position? Clearly not us. Lots of ambition shown again there.

    Too tight to improve the squad, so Pardew has to struggle with injuries. Does DL even know Perch ain’t a center back and Williamson is in general… Shite?

  208. workyticket says:
    October 12, 2012 at 5:59 pm
    UTD111 says:
    October 12, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    “Do you think Wonga have done well by renaming the stadium to St James’ Park?”

    YEP!”

    How much have they paid to rename it, UTD?

    _________________________________________

    We’ll never know – contracts are “commercial in confidence” (unless ‘Arry has read em and your name is Demba Ba of course) – but personally, I’m over the moon.

    Yes of course it’s a sop, strategy – it might even have been Mikeyboy’s way of getting out of the SDA thing that hadn’t worked.

    Do I care – nope. At the end of the day, the fans have got back something very precious.

  209. UTD111 says:
    October 12, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    “Do I care – nope. At the end of the day, the fans have got back something very precious.”

    Even that isn’t as precious as their pride or their dignity, UTD.

    People with no pride and no dignity are too easy to manipulate. They’re like animals in a Circus, and thats just how Ashley, Llambias and Wonga have treated them. Just throw them a bone, and their concern about the exploitation of the most vulnerable in society is exposed as a complete sham.

  210. UTD111 says:
    October 12, 2012 at 7:39 pm

    “Do I care – nope. At the end of the day, the fans have got back something very precious.”

    Even that isn’t as precious as their pride or their dignity, UTD.

    People with no pride and no dignity are too easy to manipulate. They’re like animals in a Circus, and thats how Ashley, Llambias and Wonga have treated them. Just throw them a bone, and their concern about the exploitation of the most vulnerable in society is exposed as a complete sham.
    __________________________________________

    Why pick on United and this deal though?

    Virgin Money charge interest on loans – as do Barclays [Premier League]
    Clubs have sponsors who deal in drink and betting
    There are clubs totally financed by russians and americans (and others) who have made money by ripping ordinary folk off
    Where was the uproar when Wonga sponsored (then) Premier league side Blackpool – or Hearts in the SPL?

    Why pick on United???

  211. Jimbob says:
    October 12, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    “Worky, you seem to be the only one who’s picked up on our MD’s latest BS… ”

    Like Llambias, my parents made their fortune in the gambling industry. It wasn’t in Casinos, but I still know a little about poker chips. I used to know how to fiddle fruit machines too ;-)

  212. UTD111 says:
    October 12, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    “Why pick on United???”

    Aye UTD, that London media and so on… ;-)

    In some respects though, you could possibly see it as a backhanded compliment. No disrepect to Blackpool, they have a fine history with Stanley Matthews and all that, but Newcastle United are a larger, more high profile team. As well as this, the Wongaisation of this country has also moved on considerably since that Blackpool deal was announced, and it is reaching fever pitch now. It isn’t just us either, they were recently kicked off 80 football league site after an outcry from fans.

    Of course, I do understand your argument about alcohol, gambling, and the dubious reputations of some other club owners, but it’s a fallacious argument, a red herring. Two (or more) wrongs don’t make a right. Secondly, you should know from the past what I think of Roman Abramovich and the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, but at least they haven’t subjected their fans, their customers without whom their respective clubs are nothing, to the same barrage of lies and insults to their intelligence that our owners have.

    ps: “Virgin Money charge interest on loans – as do Barclays [Premier League]”

    You know that I have no time whatsoever for Beardyman and Virgin, and I have no time for Barclays either, both through personal experience, but howay! You know perfectly that there is no comparison between the interest rates between a loan from Barclays or Virgin, and one from Wonga, and that there is also a huge difference in their marketing too. Just watch a bit of daytime TV!

  213. workyticket says:
    October 12, 2012 at 9:38 pm
    UTD111 says:
    October 12, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    “Why pick on United???”

    Aye UTD, that London media and so on…

    In some respects though, you could possibly see it as a backhanded compliment. No disrepect to Blackpool, they have a fine history with Stanley Matthews and all that, but Newcastle United are a larger, more high profile team. As well as this, the Wongaisation of this country has also moved on considerably since that Blackpool deal was announced, and it is reaching fever pitch now. It isn’t just us either, they were recently kicked off 80 football league site after an outcry from fans.

    Of course, I do understand your argument about alcohol, gambling, and the dubious reputations of some other club owners, but it’s a fallacious argument, a red herring. Two (or more) wrongs don’t make a right. Secondly, you should know from the past what I think of Roman Abramovich and the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, but at least they haven’t subjected their fans, their customers without whom their respective clubs are nothing, to the same barrage of lies and insults to their intelligence that our owners have.

    ps: “Virgin Money charge interest on loans – as do Barclays [Premier League]”

    You know that I have no time whatsoever for Beardyman and Virgin, and I have no time for Barclays either, both through personal experience, but howay! You know perfectly that there is no comparison between the interest rates between a loan from Barclays or Virgin, and one from Wonga, and that there is also a huge difference in their marketing too. Just watch a bit of daytime TV!

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    _______________________________________

    Wow!

    Is that really all you have Worky?

    I despair mate :/

  214. UTD111 says:
    October 12, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    “Wow!

    Is that really all you have Worky?

    I despair mate :/”

    UTD, I suggest you try another blog if you want that kind if discussion, as you won’t get what you’re looking for here.

  215. UTD111
    So you are comfortable with a loanshark company, portraying their logo on your teams shirt as long as they provide the present owner with a few million quid ?
    Have i got that right?
    Lliambas has declared this financial deal could make us a top four side and enable us to compete in the European championship.
    Do you believe that ?
    Following that statement , he declared, don’t expect any money to be spent on additions to the side, this winter.
    Obviously an oxymoron.
    Look guy, how can you possibly believe anything these people say after the last few years of missmanagement, that even Ashleys mouthpiece Llambias admitted too, but now sez, we are now on the right track.
    Yeah right.
    I find it difficult to believe you are defending these incompetants, who have no clue as to how to run a football club, a retailer and an oddsmaking refugee from some casino somewhere.
    Who is now talking about expanding the company into new territory, what the fcuc does he know about anything, he’s no more than a mouthpiece for Ashley, who runs everything that happens with this club.
    IMO, the EPL is where the money is, right ?
    IMO Ashley figures he can run a football club, that he can make a profit from, with a meager three overeall three million outlay during last summers window, which places him as among the lowest spenders in the league.
    IMO it will take a scare of relegation to get him to spend any kinda dosh.
    You think he’s interested in silverware ?
    You must understand, this guy is only interested in making money and direct’s funds to-wards that goal.
    But hey if you believe the WONGA deal is in the best interest of NUFC and the fans will be willing to pay around fifty quid to proudly display the logo of a legal loanshark, then my faith in human nature will take a downward slide.

  216. Worky @238: Llambias’ comment about having 11 purple players for the first 11 and then “lesser” players who will push them makes no bloody sense.

    1. What happens if there is a long term injury?

    2. Don’t clubs always say they want competition for places?

    3. Isn’t Pardew supposed to be tactically aware, willing to interchange players depending on the opposition?

    4. The first 11 are going to play every game, if fit? Most teams have a bit of squad rotation nowadays.

    5. You don’t want a couple of “purples” on the bench who could maybe change the game?

    I could go on,but what is the point.

  217. Worky: thanks for your concern about my dog in the past. He died of a heart attack yesterday. It was quick and he was never in any pain, so it was a good way for him to go before he deteriorated.

  218. On the purple player thing. You only have to look at Norwich last year to see we need another “purple” centre half. Three points there woulda coulda shoulda got us very close to the Champions League.

    I might listen to the bloke if he said:

    “look, salaries are so high that we can’t have elite cover for every spot. We aim to have an elite match day squad of 16 or 17 highly paid professionals, and then have youngsters and perhaps underestimated players that Mr. Carr has scouted, pushing them for their places”

    That’s all he had to say.

  219. GS says:
    October 13, 2012 at 11:06 am

    “Worky: thanks for your concern about my dog in the past. He died of a heart attack yesterday. It was quick and he was never in any pain, so it was a good way for him to go before he deteriorated.”

    I’m very sorry to hear that GS, Jack Russells have always been my favourite dogs. I hope you’ve sent him off with a nice bone! At least he had a full innings, 15 is about right for a Jack.

  220. GS says:
    October 13, 2012 at 11:02 am

    “Worky @238: Llambias’ comment about having 11 purple players for the first 11 and then “lesser” players who will push them makes no bloody sense.”

    Footballers aren’t casino chips, and Llambias knows f*ck all about football. You need more than 11 top players if Pardew is thinking about crashing the top four, and to suggest otherwise is just silly. Preferably, you need top players who have different qualities for different strategies and a good selection of versatile players who can play in different positions come in handy too.

    I’ve written this before, but Pardew’s old school method can be physically demanding both in training and on the pitch, and not the best for strains. If you recall, there was a thing a while back about how many miles Pardew’s players run in a season, with a few of his midfielders such as Cabaye and Tiote topping the charts, usually chasing the ball to try and get it back. I’ve never seen so many knacked groins!

  221. chuck says:
    October 13, 2012 at 5:46 am

    “Lliambas has declared this financial deal could make us a top four side and enable us to compete in the European championship.
    Do you believe that ?”

    Wasn’t it Pardiola who said that? Whoever it was, when Llambias was asked whether it was £8 million, he said “not far off” but that isn’t going to get us past the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham. It’s the same as what Aston Villa get just for their shirts alone.

    If the club wants to compete on a budget the most cost effective thing to do is to invest in a very good manager. After all, you only need one of those rather than a whole team. Having writtten that though, good managers can pick and choose more than mediocre ones, and Ashley and Llambias don’t have a good reputation.

  222. Would Newcastle have to pay back £4bn if its Wonga sponsorship was a four year loan?

    Or even £83 quadrillion? (£83,125,028,034,051.84) which is more than the whole world is worth?

    http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/economics/2012/10/would-newcastle-have-pay-back-4bn-if-its-wonga-sponsorship-was-loan

    Actually, no. IF Wonga did four year loans, it would “only” be £369,600,000.00 if it was an individual, or “only” £66,461,491.44 or £51,840,000.00 if it was a business loan through it’s new business loan sharking division.

  223. You know what, i’m sick and tired of these sleazy fcuks and their tight-ass policies and wonder why Ashley bought the club in the first place.
    Probably thought he could run it at a profit and is still trying hard to make it happen.
    And this jerk Llambias is in way over his head, he even believes his own bullshitt, what a clown.

  224. Chuck, what I’m most sick and tired of is the way they have fans who are all supposed to be on the same side scratching each other’s eyes out. Virtually everything they do is divisive and spreads emnity.

  225. GS says:

    “Thanks for your concern about my dog in the past. He died of a heart attack yesterday. It was quick and he was never in any pain, so it was a good way for him to go before he deteriorated”

    Soz GS know exactly what that’s like ! We had a golden cocker spaniel who eventually died at the age of 15 and after I’d brought him back home and dug a 4ft deep grave for him (Council regs apparently) in the garden, I went inside the house and eventually found a small “deposit” left by him as a psrting gift behind my desk in the study. Twas his favourite spot :)

  226. workyticket says:

    “Chuck, what I’m most sick and tired of is the way they have fans who are all supposed to be on the same side scratching each other’s eyes out. Virtually everything they do is divisive and spreads emnity”

    I’m not sure thats entirely true WT. I believe that unless you catch the owner in the lounge with a piece of lead piping or a smoking gun standing over the body, 95% of fans will go along with everything that the “accused” has to say.

    For example, a long time ago in a land not too far away I used to post on the old TOTT site. I often questioned the motives of FF and RB especially after that “memorable” summer in 2003 when Fat Freddy failed to support SBR’s CL challenge with the exception of Lee feckin Bowyer.

    Fans used to slag me off regualrly for not “supporting the team” (not all of the posters admittedly) and one in particular, a bloke who went by the name of Mallabar, even accused me of being jealous of Fat Freddies’ s wealth :) . I was running my own software company at the time and making ridiculous amounts of money so that wasnt particularly relevant.

    The moral of the story and something that the GT (Gruesome Twosome) have already sussed out is that fans will often choose to see only what they want to see and believe only what they want to believe even if its blindingly obvious and staring them straight between the eyes/ :(

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