Did the Kinnear scouting Shane Ferguson story start with a Sunderland fan?

Posted on November 4th, 2013 | 47 Comments |

NUFC Blog on metro.co.uk
NUFC Blog on metro.co.uk
My latest story on metro.co.uk is now up!

Entitled “Is Kinnear scouting Ferguson a Sunderland spoof?” or alternatively “Did the Joe Kinnear scouting Shane Ferguson story come from a mischievous Sunderland fan?” (they seem to think that two titles are better than one over there), it originally had the same title as this piece but never mind, at least I’m getting paid!

Anyway, in it I take a look for the origins of Alan Oliver’s laughable story about Joe Kinnear allegedly going to watch Birmingham City’s League Cup victory over Swansea and asking about signing Shane Ferguson. Of course, as Kinnear and all Toon fans know perfectly well already, he is already a Newcastle United player who is currently on loan at the Midlands club.

This story was subsequently copied and further embroidered by other reporters with more quotes from “sources,” and even “Directors” from Birmingham according to the Express (utter tosh). However, I had read it already as a rumour circulating around one or two fan message boards weeks before Oliver’s story and though no more about it. So, I thought I would look again for the oldest reference I could find to it.

But you can read the story for yourself to see what I found by following the link below!

Did the Kinnear scouting Shane Ferguson story start with a Sunderland fan?

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47 Responses

  1. Probably,Almost definitely a Scumderland fan talking rubbish,wont matter once they go down,beating us will be the highlight of a poor season for them.Parpoo out.

  3. By the way The rumour about Shane Furguson was reported on radio Newcastle two weeks ago by Steve Howey ex Newcastle player and he quoted that it was old pizza face Lee Clark who told him himself so NOT a rumour put about by a Sunderland fan you muppet!!!!

  4. Sumyoungboy says:
    November 4, 2013 at 10:48 pm

    “By the way The rumour about Shane Furguson was reported on radio Newcastle two weeks ago by Steve Howey ex Newcastle player and he quoted that it was old pizza face Lee Clark who told him himself”

    That’s been copied and pasted all over blogs, then people read it so many times they start to believe it, and even start to believe they heard it themselves.

  5. The story is 100% true i promise you. I live very near to SF partner in Hebburn.
    Its looks like Newcastle fans still cant take any criticism whatsoever – Always an excuse eh !!
    Some things never change.

  7. @5 True Fans Tell The Truth says:
    November 5, 2013 at 9:06 am
    “The story is 100% true i promise you.”

    Oh well, that’s all right then. Obviously we should now take it as gospel.

    “I live very near to SF partner in Hebburn.”

    Well, we need no more proof. How could anyone doubt the veracity of such an unimpeachable source.

  8. Worky, This one has kicked up a bit of a stink!
    Personally i reckon it’s a load of s***e, And the style it’s been presented in, Is the way Joe has been portrayed, Since his “second coming”, In sections of the Media.
    The very tone of it, More or less gives it away, Typical of the very obsessed “Village Of The Damned” to desperately want it to be true!

    Did anyone check out “The Ready To Go” message board on Saturday?
    The way they were going on about the Chelsea game, In the run up to it, Tells you all you need to know.
    They only can but wish to put the effort into supporting their own team, As the strenuous efforts which are on display, To obsess about Newcastle United!
    The exertion they show in hatred towards us, Is to the detriment to their own club, And they cannot see it!

  9. Aye, it seems to be open season on JFK. It sounds as though it has as much truth as if I were to say that “allegedly JFK has revealed he is a space monkey from Betelgeuse”.

    Note – before the lawyers get involved, I am not saying that JFK has revealed this.

  11. JFK thing is another case of “A lie can be twice around the world before the truth has put his trousers on”

  12. joe hawkins says:
    November 5, 2013 at 11:16 am

    “Typical of the very obsessed “Village Of The Damned” to desperately want it to be true!”

    Alot of Newcastle United fans desperately want it to be true as well, Joe.

  13. Nutmag says:
    November 5, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    “JFK thing is another case of “A lie can be twice around the world before the truth has put his trousers on”

    “A lie is halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on” Nutmag.

    That’s an aphorism which has certainly proved its own truth over time. Most people attribute it to Mark Twain because he used it once and it went around the world. However, Twain was quoting from Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Shakespeare may have been inspired by Virgil. The truth still hasn’t got it’s boots on there!

  15. It always amazes me that scummers are commenting on our page,we are sorry that you have no clean drinking water on your side of the bridge,and that all your women are men in drag,we are sorry Gus couldn’t solve your teams problems,and that he convinced the scum dressing room that beating us will keep you up this season,scum fans wake up and take the length,Nufc will forever be better than scum.Fact.

  16. Worky, Makes you wonder if these Journalists are on a deadline, And they are nicking people’s words from Blogs, And other Newspapers online, And cobbling them together to pass off as their own!
    I mean is modern Journalism made easy, By the invention of the Internet?

  17. C’mon folks, this horse is dead, so stop flogging it.
    Yeah i know i kicked it around, just rattling cages though.

    We should be more concerned about the possibility of loosing Cabaye this window than wor Joe’s state of mind.

    As i stated yesterday, we could be receiving enquiries for a number of our squad.

    Namely, Cabaye, Debuchy, Santon plus perhaps Sissoko and Gouffran, It’s obvious Remy will wait and see who comes in for him, before making any decisions.

    The indicator will be when Pardew starts warning clubs to forget about our selling.. (fill in the name)

    But it appears there’s likelyhood of Obertan going, understandably, but there is also mention of Marveaux’s
    exit, why i dont know, but appears he is not exactly flavour of the month.

    Suppose we will get rid of Gosling also and perhaps if Cisse doesn’t start scoring, he too may find himself on the block.

    Mostly it will depend on how much is offered, i can see clubs offering fifteen million for Cabaye (is he worth it?)

    As for the recent poor performances by HBA, could reduce his price consideably, is Liverpool still interested ?

    What about incoming, we could as i stated yesterday use a real prospect CD and possibly a tough veteran, as no one fears our present (apart from Debuchy) defenders.

    Bring back Ferguson, one of the few who can stretch defenses and provide the balls that could get Cisse scoring again.

    Gonna be an interesting window, with traffic possible going both ways, but who’s gonna be the final word Kinnear ? Carr ? or our genius tactician, crtainly we can be assured Ashley will have the final say.

  18. Joe H.

    Funny you should mention that, i mean about some of the articles you come across and how they somehow seem familiar in content, to something one either wrote or read on this and other blogs.
    I think you are right, there’s quite a bit of lazy journalism (or plagiarism) going on, as it’s too frequent to be co-incidence.
    Not that it’s any big deal, just an observation.

  19. As for Sunderland fans coming on and teasing, ffs dont take it so hard, it should be taken for what it is, just a bit of banter, hell they dont get to crow very often, let them enjoy their day in the sun.
    The usual vitrolic replies only lets them know they have hit a sensetive spot, relax !

  20. joe hawkins says:
    November 5, 2013 at 5:06 pm

    “Worky, Makes you wonder if these Journalists are on a deadline, And they are nicking people’s words from Blogs, And other Newspapers online, And cobbling them together to pass off as their own!
    I mean is modern Journalism made easy, By the invention of the Internet?”

    Joe, it looks like the whole of the metro.co.uk website is there, same words, same pictires in the same order, same formatting etc including my old stories.

    It could be one of several things like some weird SEO thing, the stories being syndicated to someone else or whatever. I’m not quite sure what it is yet exactly but I’m going to find out.

  22. chuck says:
    November 5, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    “We should be more concerned about the possibility of loosing Cabaye this window than wor Joe’s state of mind.”

    Ashley can’t seem to shift any of his big ticket items since Carroll.

    It’s alright with the Perchs and so on but the ones he wants to make the big money on just won’t shift at the prices he wants. He’s been rumbled and his plan isn’t working anymore.

    To put it another way, would you want to buy a vastly overpiced £15/20/25 million player from a shyster like Ashley? If I was an executive with a big club, I wouldn’t youch Ashley with a bargepole, especially so after Llambias was caught bragging in public about how they took Liverpool to the cleaners. Discretion is incredibly important is business and as I said at the time, that was a horrible mistake.

  23. AndyMac says:
    November 5, 2013 at 8:31 pm

    “I cant be arsed about this story one way or another.”

    Andy, I read the comments on there the other day, including yours :lol:. I gave them all the thumbs up as well.

    Did you notice how it was marked up there as an “exclusive”? How the f**k is that an exclusive?

  24. Not surprised to see the peanut gallery here. This indeed looks to be an internet rumor to anyone who has eyes to see it. Then there are those who don’t have such eyes-and you’re not going to change their minds. They just take the chance to argue with you, predictably.

    For the record, I don’t WANT this to be true. I can not, however, ask with a straight face why people would believe this. Nobody has made Kinnear say absurd, counterfactual things publicly. He chose that. That’s part of why someone starts a rumor-because whoever originated thought there would be reasons for people to believe it. Also, and this is no fault of Kinnear’s, it’s a fact that he’s now holding some sort of executive position at a very large football club in a very important league despite being almost completely out of the game for a decade. So the idea that he may not know much about the current squad is also believable.

    I honestly guess Joe himself has had a laugh over this.

    I want to stay on task. What, exactly, does Joe Kinnear do? Is it related to finance, commercial partnerships, player acquisition or tactics? It’s a valid question.

  25. tunyc says:
    November 5, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    “What, exactly, does Joe Kinnear do? Is it related to finance, commercial partnerships, player acquisition or tactics? It’s a valid question.”

    Looking at what he’s achieved so far should give us a clue as to the scope of his role at the club (this time around). If you find out exactly what that is, please let me know.

  26. tunyc says:
    November 5, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    “I want to stay on task. What, exactly, does Joe Kinnear do? Is it related to finance, commercial partnerships, player acquisition or tactics? It’s a valid question.”

    As a bridge between Ashley and the football side (ie Pardew and Carr). But then, that’s what most Directors of Football are, a bridge between the suits in the boardroom and the tracksuits in the dressing room.

    As you know, I’m not a big one for rumours but one which might have had a bit to it was the one about Pardew’s finger of blame pointing at the players Carr was scouting, and that Kinnear was brought in as Ashley’s mate in football to sort out what was what between them and go to Ashley with his opinion.

  29. What is Joe’s role ?
    Director of football, master of the absurd.
    No! actually he does a bit o’this a bit o’ that, a bit of pre game scouting of next weeks opponents.
    Answers Ashleys queries on football matters and fills the ex Llambias seat at games.
    What does he not do is more the question.

  31. I can’t see Arsenal really wanting Cabaye now – I would wager that ship has sailed. The SDN piece looks purely like it’s trying to drum up interest.

  32. pete_toon says:
    November 6, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    “I can’t see Arsenal really wanting Cabaye now – I would wager that ship has sailed. The SDN piece looks purely like it’s trying to drum up interest.”

    Arsenal’s move for Ozil was in motion long before it was announced. If they bid for Cabaye, it was just a plan B or C.

    Even if Cabaye is a decent player, he isn’t Ozil. The bug eyed German has got SIX assists for Arsenal so far as well as his three goals. That’s three times as many assists as Cabaye managed in the whole of last season in only eleven games. He’s in a different league.

  33. My latest Metro.co.uk blog.

    We all know that Sports Direct don’t pay for all the advertising at St James’ Park and Benton. However, I ask whether the other Sports Direct sub-brands such as Dunlop, and the newer Sports Direct “premium lifestyle brands” such as Firetrap and Cruise get all their advertising for free as well?

    Once you take away all the Ashley brands and of course, Wronga, there’s hardly anything left!

    http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/06/is-mike-ashley-taking-even-more-advantage-of-newcastle-united-than-we-thought-4175771/

  34. And then:

    good second half. If we played like that all of the time…

    Worky: I needed a break from you know who because he gets on me T!ts sometimes.

  35. GS, I was just wondering where you’d got to, GS. I was gannin’ to send you an e.mail or something. Funny thing is ‘you know who’ went fishing for a few days after you buggered off. I know you love him really! :-)

  36. joe hawkins says:
    November 5, 2013 at 5:06 pm

    “Worky, Makes you wonder if these Journalists are on a deadline, And they are nicking people’s words from Blogs, And other Newspapers online, And cobbling them together to pass off as their own!
    I mean is modern Journalism made easy, By the invention of the Internet?”

    It has nothing to do with “journalism” Joe.

    As I mentioned before, I investigated and informed the Metro about it and it turns out they just scraped the whole Metro site pretty much. The same thing happened to a couple of my sites in the past.

  37. worky @ 26: ok, but is it common for DoFs to do scouting? To defend the club’s financial approach in the program?

    I don’t take anything this club says at face value, so I’m still wondering as he sure doesn’t comport himself like any other DoF I can think of.

  38. Worky, Does “Journalism”, In the true sense of the word, Even exist anymore?

    According to the club representatives at the recent meetings, Which they were forced to say that “Sports Direct” did receive free advertising From “St James’ Park”.
    Although they did add that, This was space that wasn’t being used normally!
    This was brought to my attention, By someone who i know, Who also said in passing, That it did seem funny that the companies that advertise around the pitch, Were all owned by Ashley!

    Is this not stopping the club receiving the much needed revenue, That the so called Hierarchy, Tell us we cannot drum up?
    I think Ashley is taking the utter slash out of the people in Newcastle!

  39. Interesting account in “The Mag” blog, concerning the comparison between NUFC & Spurs earnings (especially Commercial)over the last decade.

    With spurs commercial revenues increasing from 24m to 41m during the years between the seasons 2004/5 and 2011/12.

    While Nufc’s Commercial revenue has decreased from 23.9m to 13.8 m, during the same time period.

    Odd ?

    I would imagine it’s more than odd, appears to be a case of skimming.

    Who knows what kind of deals have been made, with a clubfull of dodgy characters, like Llambias, and the rest, combinining with Ashleys SD with all their dodgy once great brand names, now reduced to a tatty bunch of
    has been cheap crap, that and equally dodgy moneylending loanshark WONGA, god only knows where the difference in club income has gone, erm been redirected.

    Cause no one can say that dumb management caused such a reduction in earnings.
    On the other hand very creative book-keeping i would think.

  40. tunyc says:
    November 6, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    “worky @ 26: ok, but is it common for DoFs to do scouting? To defend the club’s financial approach in the program?”

    Yes, it isn’t uncommon for technical directors to go and have a look at players. or write programme notes like a Chairman or a Manager for that matter. Their jobs can range through pretty much all off pitch matters on the footballing side but it varies depending on the club.

    You can have different kinds of directors from the ceremonial, amabassadorial types like Bobby Charlton at ManU through to de facto managers like Cruyff when he pretty much invented the technical director role at Ajax. The cunning fox did that because he didn’t have the coaching badges to be a manager at the time.

    I’m not really sure what you’re getting at TBH?

  41. chuck says:
    November 6, 2013 at 5:24 pm

    “While Nufc’s Commercial revenue has decreased from 23.9m to 13.8 m, during the same time period.”

    That’s one of things I’ve been putting out there for several weeks Chuck. It’s one of the factors I took into consideration when I estimated in a previous blog that Newcastle United’s commercial revenue should be around £25 million. The decline in the club’s commercial revenue certainly isn’t a new thing, it’s been happening for years. I also touched on the same issue in several other blogs too.

    I’m glad that others are finally taking up the cudgels about it too because I’m knackered!

  42. Would be a shame, if we were to sell our best assets during this approaching window.
    Especially now that players like Sissoko, Gouffran and especially Debuchy have began to gell and adapted to the PL.
    We have the basis of a good side in place, which with a bit of tweaking could be very competitive.
    As of right now, we are still very inconsistent, beaten by a bottom side one week, then beating the league leaders the following week.
    From what i read, there will probably be a cull, during the approaching window, in order to provide funds for
    Possibly a new striker, as Remy could possibly accept an offer if one is forthcoming, especially from a London side.
    Plus we need defensive help, as Colo is getting on in footballing years and clearly wants to return to Argentina.
    While Taylor has turned into somethin of a sick note.
    Of course Williamson has his defenders, but is clearly not epl standard no matter how some try to convince us.
    In which case we have to spend money on a good CD and possibly bring in a decnt veteran who can fill in, as injuries will happen.

  43. Worky

    Yes ! the figures themselves tell the story.
    I have also been banging out the message, that when one compared the management structure of both NUFC & Spurs it became obvious, why one sidea revenues increased, while the others suffered.
    If in fact these figures i wrote reflect nothing other than bad management, i would be very surprised.
    Yes i’m sure that when one compares Spurs top management and owners, (also billionaires) who incorporate their business in offshore (the Bahamas) tax evasive addresses.
    And in turn compare them to people like Llambias , Joe Kinnear and Pardew.
    Then one understands why one club has doubled it’s revenues and the others has been reduced by half.
    I’m talking about expanding the brand name, which is something Ashley should be aware of, which takes first and formost a winning side.
    Take Liverpool stii selling gear on their success of years ago, who have smaller gates than NUFC , but more than twice the commercial revenue.
    But again i still question the official nufc earning numbers for the 2011/12 season and believe much has been whether legally or not diverted.
    No one could be that bad a businessman, to go from earning 23.9m during the 2004/5 season to a paltry 13.8m in 2011/12, i just dont believe it .

  44. Should be an interesting game this evening, Arsenal vs Borrusia Dortmund, late lunch and a few Amstels, should make a pleasant aftenoon.

  45. worky @ 40: I have no problems with requests for clarity.

    I suspect he’s just Ashley’s crony and an official water carrier, who is valued for the same reason AP is: absolute loyalty due to the fact that he could never aspire to another position like the one he has now.

    Again, I don’t criticize JFK over silly shenanigans and internet rumors-I criticize the part I suspect he plays in the cronyism and mismanagement at today’s NUFC. I don’t think he does anything productive at the club.

  47. 20K, huh? With those kind of numbers they could hold out for a good settlement. Doubt they’ll get anything changed in this area though. The capitalist likes these things. (From what I gather, everyone over here is by default on a “zero-hours contract” unless they have a contract that indicates otherwise: they call it “at-will employement and, paradoxically, “right to work”.)

    But then, some call me a cynic.

    Best wishes to these 20K and all the other laborers being exploited by this odious douche!