Leon77

This might sound stupid (and apologies if it does) but I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has posted stuff and talked about the footage and images on here, some of them really are my best memories of the match. I've got a VHS video tape somewhere made up of clips recorded off Look North and Tyne tees (usually exactly the same footage), that seems to be mainly made up of Gazza's toon career (Palace, Swindon and Blackpool cup ties all spring instantly to mind). I cannot get the playback to work on this video but I'm pretty sure I'll be on there as well after the fourth goal, I'm running around with a pink polo shirt and wooly hat on (in August, kids man haha). I was pretty obsessed as a kid, everything revolved around football and NUFC most importantly. I probably spent more time watching what was going on in the corner than what was happening on the pitch. Its funny how memories are linked to each other, I cannot say they are crystal-clear any more but they are full of thoughts and emotion. I don't know how kids nowadays could possibly have the same emotional attachment to this diluted, plastic shite that masquerades for football these days. Everything seemed more real, i don't know if you could say grittier, but maybe it was just a was a wide-eyes kid trying to take it all in? My memories of those days are so strong in parts, from probably the mid-80s to mid-90s. I would struggle to tell you the results from the season before last but i could probably have a decent bash at listing the Keegan promotion season (almost in chronological order). I've got a shoe boxes of tickets, a big box of programmes/paper articles and a storage box of old VHS tapes, I'll try and find some stuff not already posted and stick it on here at some point.

Haha i don't reckon you need for your coat for that one like

I cannot understand our logic when it comes to the treatment of foreign defenders in the last decade or so!? The only two who I really consider successes are Colo and Enrique and both of them were given time to develop and adapt (I like Santon but something in his game seems missing to me). I may be wrong, but I thought I'd seen glimpses of a good defender when Mbwia has been at centre back, not so much when he's been playing fullback but why the fuck is he being played out there anyway? With a transfer policy of mainly buying bargain-priced players we are bound to have failed punts (Obertan, Marveaux) but I think we'd be giving up too soon if we were to ship Mbwia out after what is a relatively short period.

Aye, as I said I appreciate the differences between the two, but the weight of not breaking his competitive duck seemed to get heavier by the game for Tomasson. My memory is patchy but I'm sure I saw him score a lovely goal away to Birmingham, but his pre-season confidence counted for nowt when the real stuff started (it definitely was a factor that he was suddenly thrust further forward due to necessity!). Playing in the correct position/role and with the proper playing support (he would have surely flourish for us behind Shearer) he went on to prove he was a very good footballer. Confidence wise, it doesn't even have to be a first goal for the club, Cisse's body language got worse and worse last season, in radical contrast to when he first came and was confident enough to try anything and everything! Of course, this will all be academic when Rivière scores against City (fingers crossed)

Scoring is certainly better than not scoring. The first competitive goal will be a big one for all the forward players. I know he was played put of position due to necessity but Jon Dahl Tomasson demonstrated that goals in friendlies don't provide the same psychological confidence that those in 'proper' games provide. Had he scored that early chance v Sheff Wed things might have been different. I appreciate the differences in this instance but I think the principle is the same.

I stink of Algeria me man! I recognise some of you from twitter (which i don't use any more). Steve/Mcfaul pointed me in this direction awhile back but only now have I clambered out of the woodwork to claim Algeria or some other non-entity as my own! That last season had me thoroughly miserable but i now feel able to talk bollocks once again about Newcastle past and present.

Alreet. I like losing amounts of money small and large so stick me in , cheers. I think I'm settled-up, just let me know if not thanks