Joey Barton’s regrets…

Joey Barton [narrating]: “The first day’s the toughest, no doubt about it. They march you in, hand you your uniform and force you to pose for the photographer while loads of fat, tattooed, skinheads shout abuse at you. That’s when you know it’s for real. A whole life blown away in the blink of an eye. Nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it. That’s when it hits home. That’s when you realise you’ve signed for Newcastle.”

Is this Robbie “please take my photo” Keane of Tottenham Hotspur?

Yer man after celebrating the League Cup victory? I much prefer this pose than the ridiculous theatrics he displays when he scores a goal, don’t you?

“Soccer” Mum in Liverpool

Another Saturday on The Kop

If “Friends” were Liverpool Fans

The Country’s most Passionate Fans???

– Geordies – according to a recent survey…I read the survey by “Virgin Money” (?) and was not that surprised to see Newcastle and their “new” fans (present company excepted) at the top but very suspicious of the BlueNoses (of whose habits I am all too aware) in 2nd and Chelsea in 4th. Immediately the credibility of such a survey surely comes into question amongst knowledgeable football fans. Do I really have to reproduce the facts one more time? You remember, Phil, those facts that would clearly disprove the argument that Newcastle have always had these “wonderful fans in the windswept north-east” when in fact their solid support is a relatively recent phenomenon after nearly twenty years of very inconsistent attendances…Oh all right then…
“The season before Keegan arrived (1991-92) they were getting 13,000 as they wallowed near the bottom of the old Division Two? Between 1977 and 1993 they never once averaged 30,000 or more, and furthermore, during the pitiful Ossie Ardiles-managed year they averaged less than 16.000. So where were their 20.000-plus new fans in those years? They were around somewhere no doubt and loved their Toon I assume, even if they didn’t go and watch them struggle to avoid relegation…Oh, pass me the sick bag once again, Sam***…
Meanwhile I am reading a book about football in the north east – “The Far Corner – a mazy dribble through north-east football” by Harry Pearson. It focuses on the 1993-94 season with legend, fact, anecdote and history. It’s very good indeed and covers the semi-pro game up to the top teams. It almost has me convinced (?)…
Cheers…Claret & Light Blue and reminiscing about the 32,000 average attendance at Villa Park in 1971-72 when we were in the Third Division, including the 48,109 plus myself who were there against Bournemouth!!!
*** – I mention the sick bag and Sam Allardyce, who is a Midlander (Dudley) by the way, not just because I am sick of hearing about the “wonderful fans in the windswept north-east” but also because I am reminded every time I see Big Sam on the tele, or talk/write about Newcastle, of the occasion in 1990 when he was puking in the toilet at The Mad Dog following an epic drinking session with myself, Roger of The Dog and Stuart Pearson, of Man U and England fame. (Allardyce and Pearson were on the staff under Brian Talbot at W.B.A. who paid us a visit as part of their summer tour). As I stood alongside him offering words of encouragement, along with a black coffee, whilst he soiled our bathroom, I suggested he get a sick bag for the journey to the team hotel in a taxi. He was very grateful for my concern and he certainly owes me a favour, which I intend to claim when I am next amongst the “wonderful fans in the windswept north-east” – who, incidentally, were fairly wonderful when I was last there in 2003…

Not that “Special” after all…

Well, well, well – Moaningho out at S.W.6 and the Chelsea Boys are in shock!…Except The Prof of course, who saw this happening, unlike his team’s Champions’ League match against Rosenborg which he failed to see at all…

I have to agree with UK Red’s comment that “he’s legged it when he’s needed the most” – just when they are having perhaps the poorest spell of his ‘reign’ and a few players are injured – although full internationals are available to replace them of course. What a prat!…
Nevertheless, I must say I enjoyed many of his Joseisms during the past three seasons or so and often took the time to search out his post game comments to read his spin on things. In some ways he was good for the English game. His unique football ‘wisdom’ was entertaining although I do remember commenting, in these illustrious pages back in the 2005-06 season, that we’d all get to see the real Mourinho when he wasn’t winning and the pressure was on. Now we have..

So I imagine that many of the Chelsea Boys will be worried that their “15 minutes” is up and it’s back to the days of wallowing amongst the also-rans, with an occasional Cup Final to shout very loudly about. However, I have to agree with Brendan when he says that Roman, and his money, are more responsible for their recent success than Jose and as long as the roubles are there they will compete at the very top…even if only 25,000 are there to watch them…

Claret & Light Blue and, desperate Villain that I am, glad to see that the Villa can still play a part in the game at the upper echelons even if it’s only a walk-on role as the team that gave Mourinho his final loss…Spare a thought for a Pensioner you know…

Beating the Pensioners…

Greetings one and all…but particularly Humble Gerry, Prof Andrew, Andrew H and Maria, Andrew M, Niul, Rupert, Paul R, Money Bags Ian, Rob N, Roman A, Gerry, Jose M, Ted Drake, Bobby Tambling, Charlie Cooke, Gerry, Ron “Chopper” Harris, Peter “The Cat” Bonetti, David Webb, John Hollins, Peter Osgood, Ian Hutchison, John Houseman, Gerry, Eddie McCreadie, Dave Sexton, Chelsea’s F.A. Cup winning team of 2000, Gerry, and the rest of my good friends of the Southern BlueNosed persuasion – anyone know how Chelsea got on yesterday?!…
I had hoped to contain myself from wallowing in temporary glory and writing this but, after yesterday’s long and joyous post-game session on the Guinness at The Ox in Boonville, my hangover is in the “All-time Top Twenty” and this little note seems to be helping my recovery…If I was amongst the customers in the bar yesterday I would have asked for the “full of himself” bloke in the Villa shirt to be thrown out. Unfortunately for them, as was the case when Villa beat Man U in the League Cup Final of 1994 shown at The Mad Dog, it’s not easy to get the staff to eject the owner/partner…
I thought we were worth the win, excellent defending being a big part of winning games against “The Big Four”. Carson in the Villa goal had as few saves to make as Cech and in midfield Villa held their own with Young and Agbolahor always a threat on the break. Incidentally, being an “Erdo Boy” myself, witnessing two other lads (Knight and Agbonlahor) born and bred in Erdington, Birmingham, score the goals was particularly enjoyable against the Pensioners’ team of Players of the World…I just thought you should know…
Anyway, how are you all?….
Claret & Light Blue and wishing I still owned The Mad Dog yesterday…Born under The Holte End Stand…Keeping the Faith…
p.s To complete a splendid weekend of footy I read that Bruce Stevens, “Manager” of ‘Birmingham’s Only Unsuccessful Team’ was not very pleased with his team’s performance in the 0-2 defeat at Midlesbrough – “We were lucky to get away with being beaten by just two goals, I won’t give you any waffle, we were absolutely hopeless. It was an awful display, we got our backsides kicked and there’s no doubt the best side won. I don’t think there are any of my players who come out of that with any credit”

p.p.s. Apologies to Gianfranco Zola…but certainly not to Dennis Wise…

A Pensioner responds
On Sep 3, 2007, at 1:37 PM, Andrew Goodwin wrote:
How come we never hear from you lot when you’re crap?
Have another brew, Steve, and enjoy your Cup Final victory.

andrew xo

…For probably the same reasons that nobody heard anything from the Chelsea “masses” from their founding in 1905 until 1954/55 and then nothing again until 1970 and once more nothing until the late 90’s…
…Meanwhile, for “crap”, look up Chelsea’s record for the virtually their entire history…

So does a Geordie
On Sep 3, 2007, Phil Dent wrote:
What a difference a week makes! No more bizarre railing against Newcastle`s attendances in 1977….
Shame there were only 37,000 at Vanilla Park to see it (6,000 empty seats???), the rest were obviously expecting the worst….
51,000 at St James Park to entertain WiganJ
I guess we`ll have to wear the country`s most passionate supporters tag a while longer then… J
Geordie Phil

Judging by Geordie Phil’s comments I do believe that the fanatical windswept fans of the trophy-less (since 1968) Magpies really think they are the “most pasionate supporters”…As for his remarks about my recent “bizarre railing against Newcastle’s attendances in 1977″, I actually pointed out that it was in 1990-91 that just 13.000 of these “most passionate supporters” turned up to watch their heroes. Furthermore, how “bizarre” is it that I have never heard an explanation for some of the attendances in that season in comparison to the emergence of 51,000 at St James’ Park in today’s fashionable Premiership…Put some coal on the fire and have another buttie, Phil…
As for Professor Andrew’s reply in which he describes Villa’s win as our “Cup Final” he is not far from the truth. With the dominance of the Big Four, not only in the League but F.A. Cup too (only two exceptions in the last 18 years), a win against one of them during the season or 5th place in the League is pretty much the goal for the likes of Villa etc – hence the joyous celebrations in my little world… Villa for 8th and the League Cup!…Sad but true…
What a nice morning we’re all having…Claret & Light Blue and bantering for fun…

Same old Geordies…

Geordie Phil says O’Neil will not last very long at Villa Park…
Thanks for your efforts, Phil but I still believe that your thoughts on an early demise for O’Neill at Villa Park were way off target. He was never going to sign if Ellis was going to stay. Thus when Ellis had made his commitment to leave, whether this year or next, the all-clear was there for O’Neill to move in and stay for some time…
As for your comments regarding the “honeymoon period” ending at Villa Park, this is of no surprise to reality-based Villa fans of some standing. Apart from Petrov we have the same squad as O’Leary “managed” last year and our record is not much better than then (three points more at this stage). However, O’Neil has introduced a few youngsters from our excellent youth programme and we have had many games in which four or more players in the starting line-up are under twenty-two (Ridgewell, Cahill, Agbonlahor, Davis, Osbourne, and Gardner) and yet, despite/because of this, we are playing much better football in terms of creativity, possession, tackling, and teamwork; our finishing remains woeful however…Overall Villa fans are quite happy (well as happy as Brummies can be, you understand) with the developments at Villa Park and O’Neil has their unconditional (almost) backing at this point…
Whilst not getting the results of the early days of the season, a mid-table position is realistic, regardless of whether we buy in January or not – who is available?; who will come?; who is not playing well enough somewhere else to be wanted by O’Neil? – all questions that may mean not a lot is done and we will have to settle for 8th – 12th…along with Newcastle…
As for your comment on O’Neil as “this media-inspired legend” – that is more than a little ironic coming from someone who is a true fan yet stuck amongst the pretenders who make up the media-inspired “legendary supporters of Newcastle United who show up huge numbers in all kinds of weather to fanatically support their team”. Gimme a break!…Has everyone forgotten the pre-Keegan days of 13,000 fans in the stands? Newcastle’s fans are fickle too. They are the same as everyone else’s apart from the fact that they wear short-sleeved Newcastle shirts on freezing afternoons in February – and I would suggest that is not because they are fanatical supporters…
Finally, your comment on the injuries suffered by your team this year and “what might have been” if they had not occurred. I would venture to say that what would have been is the same as has been at Newcastle every season since winning the Texaco Cup (??) in 1975 – nothing…Forgive me if I fail to sympathise but bringing that topic up is as pitiful as a Titus Bramble own goal…
Happy New Year to you and yours…
Best wishes, Claret & Light Blue and not too happy with being as good as Newcastle…

Feeling sory for the Southern BlueNoses?

“Cole’s injury is the last thing we needed…”
CL – Chelsea Fan on BBC Sport Website…

May I be so bold as to suggest that the last thing Chelsea really need is for Abramovich to leave and take all of his money with him. As for Cole being injured, does anyone think for one minute that there will not be a full international of undoubted ability filling in for him?
Stop moaning you ungrateful bastards and get on with winning a third successive Championship….and perhaps even follow in the steps of Man U, Liverpool, Notts Forest, and The Mighty Villa in bringing the European Cup to England…
Claret & Light Blue and wallowing in the aftermath of Messiah O’Neil’s arrival…