Kitman

I think that message actually did more harm than good. It came about mainly after the Leah Betts tragedy and once people twigged how low the risk was of that actually happening the use of ecstasy went up if anything. I think speed and coke are more likely to kill you, along with drink - i.e. in a one-off 'overdose'. I seem to remember reading something to that effect at the time. A much more important issue should have been the long-term effects of prolonged use of MDMA. Unfortunately the tabloids weren't so keen on that story. Interesting point. When you're young you think you're bullet proof. I knew people in the nineties who would take a handful of E's every weekend due to the tolerance they'd built up. God knows what effect that's had on them by now. Not like spliff, which only affects your short term, errr, your erm, errr..... no, it's gone.

Regarding Neil Young, I'm reminded of the guitar solo on a version of "You Are Like A Hurricane", which I've heard a couple of times recently on the radio. It has to be the worst solo I've ever heard, not only because it's terrible, tuneless and interminable but because it ruins what would otherwise be a classic song. Not sure if this is just a live version, or the studio version, but it's bloody awful. And I like his stuff generally though, especially After the Goldrush.

Drink! for you know not whence you came nor why: drink! for you know not why you go, nor where. Drink! for you live to get minging on a Satdee, innit.

I think you have a simplistic view of this issue. People who want to get into drugs do so with very little difficulty these days. Prohibition has failed in that respect. Also nobody as far as I can tell in this thread is advocating free drugs for all; the idea is that by taking the lucrative trade off the dealers, and by attempting to regulate the consumption and quality, you might benefit both addicts and society as a whole and achieve a measure of control where none currently exists. Furthermore, you seem to have absolute contempt for your fellow man in general, and assume that at the first opportunity people will be out on a drug fuelled binge. Personally I prefer to believe if you give people education and opportunity, they wouldn't choose a life of addiction and hopelessless. I accept this may be a naive viewpoint.

It must surely be obvious the "war on drugs" has been well and truly lost by the authorities. When I lived in the UK, my sense was that illegal drugs could easily be obtained in the smallest towns up and down the country, never mind the big cities, inclusing crack and smack. If you mention legalisation, the moral majority brigade will go into overdrive, turning their outrage on the evil of drugs and the wasted lived. However in any rational assessment you have to distinguish between the harm that illegal drugs do - which can undoubtedly be severe - and the impact of the status quo. The status quo does nothing to stop the growth and impact of drugs and is nothing more than a sticking plaster on a severed artery in my opinion. We can bang on all day about the miserable life of addicts and how hard drugs ruin lives and most people won't disagree. It's what to do about it. You may as well march up and down in the Commons making laws against wasps, cow turds and the tide coming in. You may not like it but it solves nothing just because you make it illegal. Tony Blair never seemed to figure this out, typical lawyer. There's got to be a better way, but it's unpalatable to a large number of voters, many of whom are of pensionable age, and would therefore be political suicide for a government. To control the distribution of drugs, and the crimewave associated with taking hard drugs, there has to be a massive programme of medical intervention, treatment, education and a base level improvement of vulnerable people's lives. Criminalising addicts, locking them up, and laughable attempts to "crack down" on dealers and the like isn't going to work, it never has and it can't be done imo. To me, it would be far better to register and treat addicts to hard drugs, and if necessary give them free drugs for life if they can't be turned away from it. The key is trying to prevent future generations falling into the same traps, this takes education and involves giving people informed choices. It would take real moral courage to try to legalise and control drugs. I don't think it will happen in the UK in the next twenty years.

That Groucho Marx quote, about not being a member of a club that would have me as a member, springs to mind. Not that I received the offer, gadzooks

You would nly need to charge them a quid each to get in. Probably a fair price at the moment.

Yes, but how much of that is down to having rubbish managers? I'm all for getting rid of rubbish players but motivation of capable players is the manager's job. It's hard imo to judge whether we've had a lot of poor signings, because most of our managers since Robson have been incapable of getting performances out of the players. We might have a clear out if we go down - and that depends on players with longer term contracts being willing to go - but it doesn't mean we'll get any better players in.

Plainly his legs are unable to cope anymore with his size and weight. Much like a genetically engineered turkey at Christmas time, which has put on so much weight in anticipation of the chop that its legs can no longer support the rest of its body.

Don't know if this has been mentioned but we shouldn't underestimate our lack of attractiveness to decent players if we go down. Yes we might get rid of some overpaid wasters but if you're a good player why go to NUFC if we're in the championship? Because a) we won't be offering top wages anymore, that much is clear b we'd be in the mickey mouse league c) there'd be no high profile players left they'd heard of. Apart from Shola obviously d) the North East is not a draw card to players unless they're from there e) the stadium would be half empty f) our manager would be Joe Kinnear g) our owner has no ambition If anybody thinks we'll be signing decent players without offering big wages and transfer fees they're kidding themselves. We'll have enough trouble if we stay in the prem, they'd probably rather go to Hull at the moment. I fully expect us to make an offer for Dean Windass in the summer, and for him to turn us down.

Very poor value. Be seeing you.

Why are you still here Danny? Wouldn't you find it more enjoyable to discuss the Boro match on a spurs messageboard?

At the moment it's tough to be optimistic. I fully expected us to get beaten by MUFC and I've been gloomy about our survival prospects for a long time, so I don't know why I'm feeling so down about it. It's so sad to see us where we are now; riches to rags, reduced to rummaging in bins for leftovers.

That's a big IF imo. I fully expect DL to retreat into his bunker now and let his minions front up to these things. I have no axe to grind with the NUSC one way or another, in fact I really don't care what they do, but they shouldn't be surprised if the shutters come down.

Well isn't that what the membership fees are for? I'm grateful for the info by the way.

Butt's plainly in denial. He'll be saying Kinnear's the best manager's he's ever played for next.

What's the fucking point in publishing that? It's not telling us anything we don't already know. Very strange. Out of nowhere, and for no obvious reason that I can think of. It's also curious that the club is speaking on Keegan's behalf - strikes me as a bit odd anyway for the club to be making statements in the name of both parties. Why not just say the club is in the arbitration process and will be making no comments? And, as you say, it tells us nothing we don't know. I've been trying to work out what might have prompted this but can't think of anything at all. Because he is coming back, simple as. We're you bieng sarcastic there or not? Not at all, said in a post yesterday that I think they will be in crisis talks today and it wouldnt surprise me in the least if for a number of reasons, KK coming back was the final outcome. Fingers crossed anyway. Would be great but I honestly can't see it Fingers crossed though.. More likely it is preemptive PR. When they are forced to fork out millions of pounds in compensation to the Keegler, they can point to this press release as another example that they tried to rehire him. And because they had to pay him out there is only 4.60 left for summer transfers. That tickled me. £4.60 in the transfer pot I'm happy with that. 4.60 more than I was expecting.

I Agree - but they appear to be taking any criticisms towards them into account. Its a new thing, so it'll take a while to set up but i'm possitive that, provided it keeps going, it'll be a strong supporters group. They're clearly in it to change things for the better, so if nothing else, they have my support for that. Yes, they do, I agree. It's amazing how normal language sounds really offensive once you're in the public domain. Nobody's going to take the NUSC seriously until it learns the language of diplomacy, at least in public. Saying that, most often they get it right, it's more at the begining when they were venting frustrations that it came across wrong. It's hard to live those reputations down though. Oh and Asprilla I agree totally about the amateurish comment, plainly and simply because thats what we are, none of us are experts in these things, none of us are used to producing press releases or working out how to take on a massive company. What we are is passionate about the club and what we believe in, passionate about setting up a proper supporters club and dedicated to making it work. If we could wake up tomorrow and all the shite around the football club was sorted and we could get down to just organising the other supporters club stuff then Id be a happy man but we cant. For now this is hanging over us and needs to be exposed. If it ever achieves change at the club then great but if it doesnt then at least we will know we tried. The notes of the meeting do look and sound amateurish. Fair enough if they're for private consumption, not if they're published by the NUSC. Wouldn't take much to polish them up imo.

Time was when I would have absolutely hated the Mancs winning one trophy. Now I can honestly say I don't care one jot, that's what being out of the country can do for you. Plus my expectations of the toon are totally at rock bottom, and I don't care about other teams generally.

Mark Viduka's breakfast buffet?

They've been found out now, haven't they? I'm sure relegation wasn't in the 'plan'. Just goes to show that whilst it might look good on paper, it doesn't necessarily work in real life. Like Milton Keynes.

Would be an interesting comment on our youth policy

Apparently the zimmer frame needs to go back to the manufacturers for repair......

It would be like a deal with the devil really. Except with no excess of earthly pleasures to look forward to, just crushing mediocrity. However I can't see how any top manager would be willing to put up with our club, and it pains me to admit it. I also don't see how the lot in charge would have the vision or intelligence to recruit a world beater; if JFK doesn't come back I honestly think they'll be ringing round the likes of Venables and Graham on the day before the season kicks off, as the thought that they have to get off their fat arses and do something finally percolates through their flaccid underdeveloped brains to shake them from their complacency.

I'm scared that the next 3 matches will prompt a death spiral from which we can't recover. We lack the talent on and off the field to turn things around; we need a massive slice of luck to steal some points off one of the big boys imo.