Anorthernsoul

Good article. http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/feb/10/premier-league-tv-rights-grow-sky-sports

He's been one of the shining lights in recent months.

By all accounts Pascha in Cologne is fantastic.

You lasted longer than me.

Comes to something when "Boyhood" is winning awards. Apart from the gimmick, it is absolutely shit.

Sums the season up with a draw at home against that parcel of shit.

Reporter must have felt like a right nob. http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31188264

Your pessimism is very precise.

No Sissoko? I'd play him instead of Colback in that team, let Abeid do the dirty work.

Just pure, unadulterated fucking luck.

Palace won again.

I heard anyone cancelling has had this season's cancelled aswell? Any truth in that?

Carver was Taylor's manager at academy level so he's known him since he was a kid.

TEAM NEWS Newcastle's summer signing Siem de Jong is still not ready to return from a thigh injury despite playing his second comeback game this week. Midfielder Cheick Tiote is still away at the Africa Cup of Nations, but defender Paul Dummett is fit again. Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross has been ruled out of the next three games after picking up a back problem against QPR. Jon Walters is doubtful with a knee injury but Mame Diouf has returned from international duty. MATCH PREVIEW One of the best performances by Newcastle in recent times came against Stoke in April 2012. A 3-0 victory, their sixth in a row, bore all the hallmarks of a side set for Champions League qualification and appeared to have cemented fourth place with only four games left to play. With Yohan Cabaye pulling the strings in midfield and Papiss Cisse scoring at will, they had built a lead of three points over fifth-placed Tottenham and four over sixth-placed Chelsea. Soon after, and despite relinquishing fourth, then-manager Alan Pardew was rewarded with an eight-year contract. Now, almost three years later with Newcastle locked in mid table, the newly installed manager faces a very different challenge, promising that their campaign won't simply "drift". Out of the FA Cup, 11 points above the relegation zone and 10 behind the top six, Sunday's latest duel with the Potters therefore becomes a genuine opportunity to demonstrate that desire and commitment to the final third of the season. In winning at Hull last weekend, it was not only their first success since Pardew left for Crystal Palace and the ideal way to celebrate John Carver's permanent appointment, but it also equally reaffirmed that the players were ready to respond to his message that drifting was simply not an option. This weekend's opponents will represent another formidable test of that resolve as Mark Hughes' side are in impressive form, having lost just one of their last eight games and winning six of them as they've marched back into the top ten and the last 16 of the FA Cup. With talks ongoing regarding an extended contract for Hughes, it's further proof of the outstanding job he's done since he took over and, having secured Stoke's first ever top-half Premier League finish in his first season at the helm, he won't be happy unless they can repeat the achievement in his second. All things considered, it seems that both sides will be determined to ensure their meeting will be anything but a relaxed mid-table duel. MATCH FACTS Head-to-head The home side has won in the last six meetings between these sides. Stoke's only Premier League victory at St James' Park was a 2-1 triumph in September 2010 (D1, L3). Newcastle have scored 10 goals in their last three home games with Stoke. Newcastle United Newcastle have lost five of their last eight league matches. They kept their first clean sheet in 11 Premier League games in their win over Hull last weekend. Yoan Gouffran's strike against Hull was Newcastle's ninth goal from a substitute this season - three more than any other side. Papiss Cisse has scored in each of his last three league appearances against Stoke. Stoke Stoke have only lost one of their previous four league games away from home (W2, D1). The Potters have kept three clean sheets in their last six league matches. Their points tally of 32 from 23 games is the most they have ever had at this stage in the Premier League. Jonathan Walters has had a hand in more league goals this season than any other Stoke player (seven goals, three assists).

This thread is fan-fucking-tastic.

Not too sure of his history with Ralph Little, I think they were once flat mates but Clarke has a long history of the black dog and drinking. Little posted this on Twitter. "First and foremost, and I should know this by now, twitter is not the place for this sort of thing, as it takes more than 140 characters to talk about anything seriously. So already I wish I hadnt said anything, not because I regret the comment, but because the choice of forum was wrong and frankly understandable if people are riled up. Next thing is, I dont suddenly want to air a list of grievances that sound sensationalist and do some tabloids job for them. Clarke and I have history, that involves money, lies, on one notable occasion me being interrogated by the police over something I knew nothing about and all sorts of other stuff. Now, when it comes to mental illness, I understand it, Ive lived around it, Ive supported it, I fight against the stigmatization of it and so on. I think its a very real issue with a long road to go to combat it. So that said, on to this case Its extremely difficult to watch someone repeatedly ruin other peoples lives, then explain it in such a way that makes them immune to criticism. And it keeps happening. Its now reached a point where, as this proves, its like emotional touch paper. And sure, Im not a professional expert on mental health, and no doubt, neither are you. But I know more about this particular case than you do just because you read about it in the Sun, or saw a documentary. There comes a point where its just frustrating to witness someone constantly hammering the pattern of destruction for those around and I was once one of those around - only to see the destructive force make a moving and sincere apology then do it again. (On reflection, thats the nature of addiction/illness, and I know that all too well, but as I say, a rash tweet and its not the place for it. ) I should also say that during the course of this twitter whatever it is, Clarke has been in touch with a retrospective apology over things that went on a long time ago, and I think that has to be respected by all, myself included. Anyway... You have to be in a dark place to attempt suicide, and only a fool would suggest otherwise. However, I do find myself thinking that when youve been driving drunk five (is it?) times, risking lives of countless other people, and even in your darkest hour still manage to involve a lorry driver who could have died himself, and now has to live with that trauma and memory every day fro the REST of his life Personally my stores of empathy start to dry up after a while. Am I really that out of order for suggesting thats not on? Do we repeatedly overlook reckless destruction of other lives beacause someone apologizes, again and again, and says its an illness? Isn't there a point where we can go, "enough is enough"? I hate drink driving, I really do. I know victims of it, who have died, been paralysed, or lost loved ones, and Ive watched this man get caught doing it several times then publicly forgiven, lauded, and handed a bloody good career! Im sorry but that annoys me! And I think thats my overriding feeling. I dont feel sad for Clarke any more, I was drained of that some time ago. Instead I feel sad, and maybe a little angry, for Gemma, and the kids, and the lorry driver, and the people who dived out of the way of the car all those years ago, and all the other people who have been fucked over and over and over you know who you are. Of course I wish Clarke a strong recovery and not just from the crash. It would be a better world if he and all other sufferers of such an insidious disease could find a way to fight the good fight. But when he does end up facing the drink driving charges, this time around, I hope, not least out of respect for the hundreds of drink driving victims who tweet me every year, they throw the book at him. I dont think that makes me a cunt, or gobshite, or a wanker, or any other delightful name some of you came up with, but hey its a free country. Though, as a final thought, I would say again, Im a fool for forgetting that twitter is not, and never will be, the place for a comment like that. Its too reductive and simplistic, and yes, without context, I can see it would seem insensitive and crass. Not my intention. Im going to bed."

u18's beat the Mackems 3-1 on pens this evening. Just saying.

Not afraid to put himself about, turn of pace and accomplished on the ball. He's far from the finished article but he has all the attributes to be a top player for us IMO.

We need this lad back in the team, he looked the full package in his spell in the side earlier this season. Strong, quick and a good range of passing. Just needs confidence.

Probably bullshit.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/feb/03/qpr-harry-redknapp-fans-view-michael-hann

He generally jumps ship when it is sinking so lob your money on QPR going down now.

😃

Humanity tries to salvage some credibility back and still you get fucking cretins dishing out disparaging scepticism.