flagpole corner

RAWK probably has more match goers posting there than any other Liverpool forum on the net I'd say. And we pissed people off babbling on about the 60s, Istanbul will be talked about for generations mate

He's got longer than that I reckon, he's only 25. Got another 10 years in him probably. And if he keeps scoring 20 a season which he almost certainly will then that'd put him on 300-400 career goals at the end of it. I cant see him leaving you lot for a while yet because a) I cant see Rafa wanting the hassle of Owen for a 3rd succesive year and Newcastle will qualify for Europe I think even with Suness in charge

Benitez wanted Crouch and Owen. Wasn't to be. Pleased for the lad he's still doing well and he is top class but don't get all smug about it when one team could call themselves champions of the world tommorow morning and the other is mid table. England fans who are the biggest two faced twats when it comes to MO are the ones that annoy me. No left foot, no pace, no height my arse

All here mate http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/history/media.shtm

Because the club are happy to sweep it under the carpet into the history books. Granada refuse to show the Jimmy McGovern docu-drama again too. Plus it's also not helped when nobheads across the park have advertising boards around Woodison Park advertising the s*n Some progress being made though http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/4455838.stm

Beating Leverkusen who had walked into the knock out stages, the champions of Italy, the Champions of England and the runners up in Italy lucky draw eh? Funny how absolutely no one gave us a prayer in any game we played after winning the qualifier. Jesus, I'd hate to see what a tough draw would be like. But yeah we were lucky throughout. Xabi fully deserved his booking at Stamford Bridge for having the audacity to allow Gudjhonsen to hold his shirt and haul him to the ground. Saviola's goal in Monaco was ball to hand and the Graz AK player who got booked twice but not sent off was unlucky not to score the winner at Anfield. Oh, and Rafa's tactics were crap. Clearly doesn't know how to adapt his side to play in Europe. We were also lucky in the sense that we had a fully fit squad to pick from all season ; Rafa highly rates Neil Mellor.

Hope you dont mind me doing so meself. Would be good if a few away fans would pop into the shop, always more than welcome and appreciated

Evening all, some may remember me from earlier in the season just after the Owen transfer, some may not Weird how a couple of months can change everything eh? I gotta admit I thought Newcastle would be a lot higher than they are at the moment, even GIVEN your injury status which is pretty DYER. Sorry. Great win against Arsenal though, think you guys can push on after that or will it be same old same old? Worth putting a fiver on a win at West Ham this weekend and Owen to grab the winner? I'm surprised (kinda) how little he's played this season especially considering how he's only been a 'doubt' for recent games. He should get a decent reception on boxing day, or atleast I hope he will before a timely reminder of how he left the soon to be champions of europe and the world What's all this about Joaquin btw? Dodgy rumours or actual interest? Strange to see the lack of strong rumours linking Toon with a new CB, Surely Bramble and Boumsong dont fill the SJP crowd with optimism. Looking forward to boxing day actually, should be a good game especially if both teams go into it with attacking momentum although I always think boxing and new years day games seem to be anti climatic sometimes. Speak soon.

Posted a similar thread in general about Birmingham City. Fookin disgrace.

Aye fairplay to Charlton. I think Fulham and Villa have also done promotions like that. Can't wait till the BSkyb bubble bursts.

I think a dad & lad could get a cheap return flight to Madrid, watch a game at the Bernabeu and come back at just over what it costs to goto Stamford Bridge!

Any idea how much Birmingham Shitty are charging the geordies at St Andrews this year? 42 notes for us on saturday to go to that shithole on a saturday morning when the game will also be on tele and boozers round the country. In recent years we've filled whole ends at places like Blackburn and Villa for crappy worthington cup ties before christmas yet there are still lots of tickets left for this saturday's game and it's going to the general public tommorow. And to top it off I see David Gold rambling about ticket prices and attendances this morning. Forget 451, 442, 118 118, when will these twats realise it's just TOO expensive to watch football?

Lads, the worst thing is both of us teams finished below that shite. Everton in Europe. ARF!

Probably a bit mixed but mainly good. The whole ground got up and cheered when it was announced over that he had just scored his first goal for Real last season. Just like Newcastle fans are the best and most deserving of a trophy in all of football eh

Talkshite used to be owned by Kelvin McKenzie...nuff said. Not sure I know about Marcotti, I think I do (italian with an american accent souns familiar). If he is who I'm thinking then yes, he's a cock :lol

Sorry lads but looking at the way he, Freddie and him again answered the question of a release clause on 3 seperate occasions it keeps me remotely optimistic that he won't be at SJP for longer than 12 months. But who knows. He did piss us about for 18 months before leaving. Rafa is in control of this football club and hates the hype/circus surrounding players like Gerrard and Owen and wouldn't surprise me if he can't be arsed going through it again. And tbh, I think you'll have a good season and he won't want to leave anyway. Yes some of us are bitter. So what? If Shearer left 2 years ago to Real Madrid to "win trophies" and you lot went and won the fucking EUROPEAN CUP, he then is desperate to come home for whatever reason but ends up at a rival club there isn't one person who wouldn't be gutted. That's the nature of football and a football supporter. Michael will give 100% almost all the time but don't be surprised if the shoulders start to droop and he gets isolated upfront. Don't take anything he says as gospel. His main interest is Michael Owen and his family. The great thing about him is with all the media hype around him, he makes the public think they know a lot about him when infact we know fuck all. It certainly surprised the lads I sit amongst at Anfield to find out his agent was talking to Real Madrid all the time he was saying positive things about a new contract.

If it was Shearer and he went to Madrid and didn't come back here when expected to? I see what you mean but I thought we were just talking about this deal and the scouser was saying we'd have turned nasty if he'd went there. 25037[/snapback] That's what we both meant by "tables turned" 25040[/snapback] I think there is a lot of gossip in the story and to keep stating about the clause in the contract is crap. Yes there will be a clause but no way are Newcastle going to agree to letting him go for £4 million plus less than what they paid. If Owen has a good world cup he will be worth £20 million plus and Fred isn't going to accept anything like what is being reported. The clause is probably stating that if NUFC did not qualify for Europe and an offer comes in to meet the fee paid then he can talk to that club and likewise I would think Newcastle woud put in a clause about if they were relegated. Shepherd says there is no clause about redced fees and issued that statement whereas the echo reporter is going off gossip. Talking to my brother just before who is very good friends (they played in same team togther) with a certain ex senior coaching member of NUFC and was speaking to this said individual today, my brother summarised the following from what he was told: - On Monday Owen was 90% certain on going to Liverpool. - He met Liverpool and talks did not go as well as planned in that all that was discussed was why he was even talking to Newcastle and that he must turn them down or the deal could not go forward. - Owen left and met us here basically NUFC laid the carpet out for Owen and made him feel totally wanted. - Owen went home very impressed with Newcastle and what was said but still favouring a move to Liverpool. - NUFC and Liverpool continued talks but all the Pool angle was that he had to turn NUFC down or he would not get any chane of a deal to Liverpool. - Owen after much soul searching made up his mind that Liverpool were not showing genuine effot and making him feel like he was really wanted whereas Newcastle were - he then made his mind up that Newcastle would be the best choice. People may put two and two together as to who the said coach was but I cannot state his name and I think people will appreciate why not. Take itor leave it but that is what my brother was told today. 25257[/snapback] I'm not sure about the red carpet treatment or the Shearer influence being THAT big - as immense as a player Shearer is/was. Owen had apparently met with benitez 2 times prior to monday's meeting and his agent and owen have been in contact with Parry for the past month with personal terms seemingly agreed. Gerrard knew he was supposed to be back and some people have said that "the friends house" was Carraghers, Owen's best pal since he was a kid. Still, it's over and if Newcastle did want him more then fair enough. We bent over backwards for him before he left us only for him to end up at real madrid. Time for the club to move on .

I don't read many things from Fleet Street. Certainly not the tabloids, it's bullshit half the time. Even the broadsheets have become wishy washy, too busy with their heads stuck up the arses of the London 'giants' and manchester united. All i'm interested in is the local paper (Echo) and one or two journalists from the Guardian or Independent but they too are going down the wrong path for my liking. We took a lot of flak after the CL win for being lucky or whatever. Couldn't give two shits about it mate. Things in the paper used to bother me a while ago but now they just fly over my head. Probably ever since we won the treble with Houllier. We were getting criticised left right and centre despite winning games and trophies. Just developed a "fuck em" attitude.

Again - true though wasnt it? A bit like Andy Gray's "Game well and truly over" after Milan's 3rd... These things happen in football. I'm not bitter about it and Newcastle fans shouldn't be whatever the opposite of bitter is

What bit is so bad? Ignore the talk of a release clause or the digs at Newcastle. He's basically saying -We wanted Owen and michael wanted us. -LFC & Owen were in agreement (some say he had agreed to take a pay cut) -We were trying to play poker with Madrid -Owen issued his statement last week in a bid to lower real's asking price but it backfired and worked in real's favour as it showed owen was desperate to leave and would goto newcastle as a last resort -We wouldn't cough up the cash, Owen didn't want to wait till January so went to Newcastle. sounds reasnoable to me. If he said no flat out to Newcastle he would've been a reds player (again said by Bascombe) but he was so desperate to leave Madrid for his world cup ambitions and his family, that he wasn't prepared to gamble. 24990[/snapback] precisley It shows just how certain 'Pool were that when push came to shove Owen would risk everything to go back to them.................... and they'd then try and twist Real into letting go for £ 8 million 24999[/snapback] Probably based on assurances from owen himself. His family and friends all knew about him coming back. Gerrard's daft "He's the best striker in the league" and "I'd hate to see him at another club" comments show this. They apparently met at Carra's house on monday too with owen's dad also on the scene. I mean, the papers seemed to take Rafa's word for gospel but there has been talk in the city of owen coming back for weeks. It was almost seemed as nailed on and to be fair, it wasn't far off till Owen "lost his bottle" as some say (explored other options which is far enough). The article from Bascombe contains spin and a bit of bitterness but if the roles were reversed it would be exactly the same and the bare bones of the article seems quite accurate to me. You guys are on a high and the bit at the bottom will stick out like a sore thumb so fair enough but I just see that as a bit of nonsense neither here nor there. Given what has been said and written for the last few weeks, it's the most accurate representation of the transfer I've seen, which is what the article's purpose is. IMO anyway.

What bit is so bad? Ignore the talk of a release clause or the digs at Newcastle. He's basically saying -We wanted Owen and michael wanted us. -LFC & Owen were in agreement (some say he had agreed to take a pay cut) -We were trying to play poker with Madrid -Owen issued his statement last week in a bid to lower real's asking price but it backfired and worked in real's favour as it showed owen was desperate to leave and would goto newcastle as a last resort -We wouldn't cough up the cash, Owen didn't want to wait till January so went to Newcastle. sounds reasnoable to me. If he said no flat out to Newcastle he would've been a reds player (again said by Bascombe) but he was so desperate to leave Madrid for his world cup ambitions and his family, that he wasn't prepared to gamble.

Havent pasted the full article mate. To be honest, it contains a lot of spin, particularly the end but goes along with everything I've heard and read over the last few weeks in terms of how the transfer panned out.

HE doesn't score many of those type of goals though lol. My favourite of his was probably Sunderland away, think it was the week after getting knocked out of Europe the year he won the Ballon D'Or. Gerrard slid the ball down the right of the penalty area, he saw the keeper off his line and just dinked it over his head in one fluid motion. Superb.

Hugely grateful for that mate. Cheers.