Gene_Clark

BA Hons English Literature PGCE English MA Twentieth Century American Literature Dip TEFL

Tiote (and John Carver)

1. I do tend to think Torres is a better striker than Bent, and that Carroll will almost certainly become one. Why didn't you try and sign Carroll to try and improve him, if your club is so cash rich? Sessegnon may be an excellent player, but I don't understand why you needed to sign someone to create rather than take chances. I would have thought Emile Heskey would have been a good signing for you; similar to Bent, but with better control and a good relationship with Bruce. Worth a punt at £4m surely? 2. Did Allardyce sign Xisco? 3. For £1 I was able to purchase sunderland's accounts on line; they're in Adobe so they can't be doctored for mischievous purposes. They say clearly enough the club made a loss of £26m in 2009/2010; that is a fact. They also state that 82% of income is spent on wages; that is a fact. Neither of those facts have anything to do with Newcastle United or any other football club; they relate specifically to sunderland and sunderland only. Pushing through a loan signing of Muntari, when all sunderland are paying are his out of pocket expenses and bonuses isn't a very good example of a club "pushing on." Financially, sunderland are in a very weak position and I'd be furious with Quinn and his abject attempts to grow the supporter base or corporate model. 4. There may be clubs who are spending as much on wages as sunderland, but I don't hear any other clubs having a chief executive constantly ranting & raving at an increasingly fragmented and disenchanted supporter base, announcing he despises them for not attending games. Certainly Man City, Chelsea and Villa aren't doing this. Can you explain why? As I say, the accounts are available on line and the figures speak for themselves; £26m loss in 09/10 & 82% of turnover on wages. Even more crucially, Niall Quinn is relentless speaking to the sunderland fan base about the financial problems the club is facing. Now, why might that be?

I love Blake's painting of Newton, whereby the Newtonian knowledge leads only in to blackness, with the colour of imagination in the background. Sums up why I dropped physics at school.

Your loss, maybe Fist can summarise it for you next time you're out at the Bigg Market I don't drink in town; too old

From what I can see the lads from United for Newcastle have a good relationship with the Trust, hence why the latter is promoting the formers petition and the former is thanking the latter on its official facebook page for helping them. Perhaps the new group is sensible enough to understand that there is room for both groups to co-exist (as I've said before I think their's room for three: The Trust, a supporters club and a protest group, none of which need to be at the others throats). The recent criticism of the Trust, as I understand it, hasn't been to do with it not being "radical and provocative" but rather about its poor communication, in-fighting and lack of media prescence, areas that have shown green shoots of improvement in the past few weeks since the new chair took over. I'd be happy for a protest group to emerge and would back one if it did, but I don't expect the Trust to be that group, least of all because, aside from the fact that this isn't what a trust is supposed to be doing, in a legal sense it's also completely unfeasible for any established body with accountable people behind it to do any effective or meaningful protesting without massive political and legal interference to what they could achieve. Radical, provocative protest groups are best kept underground, else they face being neutered at all levels and ultimately left impotent as to what they can achieve. I'll take your word for the first two paragraphs as I've not got time to check up on this. Until about a fortnight ago, I think I would have burst out laughing at your third point, but I think I agree with you. NUST, since Norman assumed the chair, appears to be trying to right the wrongs of the previous 9 months by actually talking to members and potential members, lapsed or otherwise. While the NUST has been debased and devalued by the loss of Bill, Neil and Steve from the board, I think the replacement of Mark Jensen, whose stewardship was been desperately poor, weak and constantly accused of being a conflict of interests, has saved NUST's bacon. Admittedly the conduct of a close acolyte of the former chair at the AGM was an atrocious scar on NUST's soul, but hopefully the new chair can minimise the influence of those happy to see membership dwindle so alarmingly. If you would wish for NUST to co-exist with a protest group, I urge you to read the article "Tweeting In A Pardew Wonderland" in "Toon Talk" issue 4, which is available on line here http://payaso-del-mierda.blogspot.com/2011...wonderland.html as it suggests pretty much the same thing.

No, although he's been involved with one of the Saints reformation shows he's generally tried to keep away from the Chris Bailey revival. He's reformed the Clowns for a few shows but like Swervedriver's reformation, shows happen in small clumps every few years. Besides replacing Mick Harvey in the Bad Seeds, he still releases one or two albums a year through his website - http://www.thekuepperfiles.com/ - check out the discography for how prolific he is. But his next lot of shows are two sets, first being the complete album Electrical Storm (which is a classic) and the second set being the album Today Wonder both with Mark Dawson (who I've worked with and is an amazing drummer). btw: how the fuck can you be fist's brother if you haven't posted in the belta minge thread??? I'm not MF's brother; I am mates with him & his brother!! And I'll not be posting in anything with the title "belta minge" or indeed reading it.

Sweredriver - saw them several times in early 90s; "She's Beside Herself" & "Rave Down" being my favourites. Not seen them since they reformed. Ed Kuepper - went to se him with Laughing Clowns in 82; "Year of the Bloated Goat" - great stuff. What's he doing now? Please don't tell me it's simply The Saints doing "Perfect Day" and "I'm Stranded".....

With an impeccable taste in books I have to say!

Seen: Band of Horses Academy; not bad. Less corporate than I imagined. More Fleet foxes than The Band British Sea Power Tyne Theatre: astonishing. Indie's last great eccentrics still firing on all cynlinders with their usual eclectic mix of anthemic pop and krautrock inspired drone. Jonny Cluny & Independent; beguiling. Teenage Fanclub's Norman 7 Euros from Gorky's doing the quirky, acoustic lo-fi thing with some genuinely affecting tunes. Coming up: Vic Godard, Star & Shadow March 10th. First saw him in 78 supporting The Buzzcocks. Still as resolutely arcane & obscure as ever. Trembling Bells supporting The Unthanks, Tyne Theatre April 17th. The reincarnation of Fairport circa "Unhalfbricking" supporting the daft sisters. Anyone else?

And, whilst we brace ourselves for the inevitable sales of Jose Enrique & Tiote and the possible departures of Colo, Gutierrez and Barton, is why I have to say (through gritted teeth) that FCB's slash & burn policies have made Newcastle United a far safer & more sustainable entity than it used to be. Providing we stay up (and I think that's a better than even bet), then the sale of quality players with potentially good ones brought in, or developed, to be sold at a vast profit, will keep Newcastle in decent shape for the foreseeable future.

Well for me it's the 82% of turnover on wages that really stands out, even more than the £26m a year loss. The £26m shortfall is a one year thing that can be addressed by selling a prize asset (Bent), but 82% on current income (with a fairly obvious downturn in corporate and match day income to come, as Quinn's high rise strategy seems doomed to failure, resulting in that 82% getting worse) is unhealthy, unsustainable and a recipe for disaster. They have two choices; either beg Short to keep firing money at it in an attempt to spend their way out of trouble (Keynesian economics they called when I was doing my A Levels at Gateshead Tech thirty years back), or tighten the belts in an incredible attempt at breaking even (Monetarism as they called it when I was doing my A Levels at Gateshead Tech thirty years back). If it's the former, Short needs cojones of reinforced steel & the ability to wave farewell to £200m in the next couple of years if he wants to stand still unless the current squad's contracts are up for renewal. If it's the latter, the mackems need to hope that they can finish 17th or better for the next few years, with a presumably vastly reduced squad with all high wage earners sold and the money used to service debts. Any resemblance to FFS in scenario 1 & FCB in scenario 2 is purely coincidental, but informative.

We're not hearing much from Rhys; hopefully he's using this time wisely to reflect on the rashness of his intemperate vocabulary last time out. clearly I don't know the boy, but I'd wager he has pinned his entire belief in Quinn on the desperately unlikely scenario of Quinn staying, Short investing & some decent players being signed. It does not look good for the red and whites, no matter how anyone dresses it up.

Undoubtedly "Puppy" by Jeff Koons, which stands outside the Guggenheim in Bilbao. I saw it last summer when on holiday in Euskadi and the playful enormity of this piece just manages to shade the entire "Dirty Word Pictures" by Gilbert & George.

I think it undeniable that NUST has failed, for whatever reason (and I know who most wise heads are justifiably blaming). If United For Change are a more radical, active, proactive & provocative group, then I'm with them all the way. Those I know who are involved are lifelong Mags of unquestionable morals & selfless, ego free devotion to our club. They deserve our support.

Ok, so if Sessegnon isn't a striker and you're down to Gyan, with Campbell & Welbeck both out injured, as well as Healy & Waghorn out the door, then that to me looks like the tactics of a business that is scaling back its operation, but relying on enough points accrued at this stage of the season to stay up. Not exactly high risk tactics as 37 points, despite the 3/12 and 0/9 returns since Bent left. The question is whether this is a temporary position or a sign of permanent retrenchment. As you're clearly a glass half full kind of person, I'll take it you're optimistic that Bent quality replacement(s) will ocme in during the summer and that, say Gyan, will not be sold. Muntari didn't let the grass grow long at Pompey and had a few fallings out at Inter, but he is undoubtedly a class player. Incidentally, was the Stoke or spurs winner his foul was indirectly responsible for? Yes, Quinn took a huge pay cut, which was something like 40% of the £1.8m shortfall in your gate receipts. As I say, as you're a glass half full kind of person, I'm sure you're convinced it will all come right in the summer. Star striker sold and not reinvested - check Relying on current points total to stay up - check Fans worried about remaining star players being sold - check Wealthy owner not wanting to subsidise further losses - check Club would go into administration if owner demands money back - check Classic Mag moron. The reason we have not reinvested the money made off the Bent deal on a striker is because there were only about 10 days left in the transfer window, the club were clearly as shocked about what happened as anyone. We didn't have time to line a decent replacement up, I'd rather the club waited until the Summer and evaluated all our transfer targets and not rush into anything. We're not as fucking thick and stupid as Newcastle, panic-buy should have been your clubs middle name in seasons gone by. Contrary to what you think, we've not targeted a place in Europe this season, our ambition at the start of the campaign was a top ten finish and anything more will have been a bonus. We should comfortably meet our objective come May. The rest of your points are so unrealistic and ridiculous they don't even deserve a fucking answer. Wealthy owner not wanting to subsidise further losses? You met him like? He outlined his escape plan to you? What a fucking spacker. 1. If the Bent deal was concluded in approximately 2 days, why wasn't 10 days long enough to find a replacement? 2. Would you not agree that since Ashley has arrived, panic selling is more the Newcastle way than panic buying? 3. Consequently, why focus on Newcastle's policy when it is your club's under discussion, unless you wish to employ diversionary tactics that create more heat than light and take attention away from the parlous financial position of your club and the unpopular decisions that are being made to keep you afloat? 4. Would you say spending 82% of turnover on wages is a sensible, or indeed defensible policy for a club that has ambitions to finish between 7th and 10th, especially if that club is making a £30m loss per annum? 5. I've not met Ellis Short, but I've met Niall Quinn at a sunderland Sure Start / Aim Higher Awards Evening at the Raich Carter Centre in Hendon. This was in 2002, just after he'd quit playing and just before he walked out on the coaching role he'd been given. Take your time answering points 1-4; I'd like to read your answers. No need to use words such as the final one in your post though. Keep it clean. Keep it civilised.

A genuinely fascinating read and it shows Harper to be a gentleman. However, there is 1 error when he describes doing the School Run the day Bobby Robson died. This is impossible as Sir Bobby died on Friday July 31st 2009, which is in the school holidays. I know this for a fact as my dad passed away the day after, August 1st, a year younger than Sir Bobby in the Freeman, of cancer.

ahahahahaha it was GNAT WEST - the bank the likes to say fuck off. The kid in that advert was Paul Hanley who was the drummer in The Fall at the time. Met him in October 2009 when his band played The Cumberland Arms & asked him about those t-shirts; apparently he never got a penny from the sales. Poor sod.

There is no such thing as a great shop, although Waitrose isn't bad I suppose.....

I went to see a band (Jonny, made up of Euros Childs from Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Norman bBake from Teenage Fanclub) at The Independent on Monday night; a decent little venue, but not a patch on The Cluny where they'd played the night before. Interestingly, the crowd at The Independent was about 50, while there were 175 at The Cluny, so it's not only football matches but gigs that mackems don't go to see. Perhaps it was on Latvian MTV at the Vane Tempest Club in Seaham

Fair enough. I do think it's likely that we'll have more stayaways next season if Ashley doesn't tip the Carroll money into the transfer pot. That's more of a silent protest than taking on Ashley though. Ashley will do the same as always, leak stories to the press about a big named signing or 2 and the season tickets will sell. Only to see nobody in. Not a go at NUFC or the fans but he has a habit of doing it. Errant nonsense, unless you fail to grasp what last summer's comment of "no capital outlay" actually means.

Kitman, I think you'll find in my initial post I said that for the purpose of my debate on this topic I would not be directly comparing the two clubs, not least because comparisons are odious, but mainly because it appears almost impossible to have rational debate without point scoring / mud slinging and so on from both camps. Whoever termed Newcastle & sunderland as the secular old firm was right on the money. I was talk to an old chum of mine today, turned 50 last December, lifelong Mag, 15 aways a season, who started work in sunderland the day after Owen's double in the 2-0 in April 2008 & he still says the ones he deals with on a daily basis prefer our defeats to their wins, but that's a by the by anecdote. As far as Newcastle are concerned, I would say that the essential difference is that there an element of fans who are far less deferential in their attitude to the club hierarchy than the sunderland ones. Yes Ashley has failed, but sadly so has NUST. What Newcastle fans have is a sense of realism; I'd like this to be translated in to a desire to take on Ashley and bring about regime change, but I'm not holding my breath, sadly.

Cheik Tiote, Joey Barton, Jose Enrique, Kevin Nolan and Fabriccio Coloccini are the players who will keep Newcastle up, but undoubtedly the Andy Carroll deal means all of them, with the possible exchange of Gutierrez for Nolan, will go in the summer as the club has let them down by flogging the prize asset and replacing him with who? Well, as I stare at the photo of Andy Carroll that adorns the February page of my official Newcastle United calendar, the short term deal for Shefki Kuqi does not hint at a club looking to push on, does it? What the Carroll deal shows, considering all his weasel words from early December onwards and the cancellation of a Press Conference scheduled for 31st January that was rumoured to unveil Barton and Enrique as having penned new, long term deals, is that Pardew is a puppet of Ashley and Llambias. Just when a grudging note of acceptance was creeping in to the comments of Newcastle fans about the performances of the team, Stevenage excepted, following the managerial change, the empty rhetoric about keeping Carroll and augmenting an already thin squad shows Pardew to be either a bullshitter or easily manipulated by the club’s owner.

Ok, so if Sessegnon isn't a striker and you're down to Gyan, with Campbell & Welbeck both out injured, as well as Healy & Waghorn out the door, then that to me looks like the tactics of a business that is scaling back its operation, but relying on enough points accrued at this stage of the season to stay up. Not exactly high risk tactics as 37 points, despite the 3/12 and 0/9 returns since Bent left. The question is whether this is a temporary position or a sign of permanent retrenchment. As you're clearly a glass half full kind of person, I'll take it you're optimistic that Bent quality replacement(s) will ocme in during the summer and that, say Gyan, will not be sold. Muntari didn't let the grass grow long at Pompey and had a few fallings out at Inter, but he is undoubtedly a class player. Incidentally, was the Stoke or spurs winner his foul was indirectly responsible for? Yes, Quinn took a huge pay cut, which was something like 40% of the £1.8m shortfall in your gate receipts. As I say, as you're a glass half full kind of person, I'm sure you're convinced it will all come right in the summer.

Sessegnon cost 25% of Bent's transfer fee Muntari's form is inconsistent & his discipline questionable Quinn may have taken a pay cut / had one imposed recently, but not prior to that If Short stays until the Summer, your club will stay up this year; if he leaves in the Summer, you are Portsmouth II, though that I'll concede, is the case with many clubs & the problem with single owners.