Christmas Tree

Build the pub and they will come.........

The Washington Post

Cheers mate and to all that voted Lucky Escape mate

Looking at the deals that have fallen through, it could well be that Ashley has looked at how Llambias has done on that score and realised he couldn't negotiate a good deal on ice from the eskimos. However, he's tying any negotiators hands behind their back with his ALLEGED wage structure and a rigid ceiling on transfer fees.

IF its a true story then this is the line that matters. This suggest a substantial operator rather than a JFK / Oleary personality. There is no way Ashley is going to get rid of LLambias because of Ewerks comments and also because he trusts him to run things for him. The have however, rightly, identified a huge gap at the club and if they find a good operator I welcome this move. I also think Hughton would welcome it. Ashley and Llambias have been doing the role so far so Im sure Hughton would welcome a proper football man to fight his battles upstairs. Well yeah, but name somewhere in this country where that has actually worked? The latest one is Billy Davies at Forest....he's a fuckin dick,granted, but he has to report to David Pleat. He wanted to bring players in in March to make a final push for the top 2 places but just eneded up in a slanging match with Pleat and other board members. Whatever my own personal feelings towards him are, he's got proven ability as a football manager.Why won't Pleat back him up, being a fellow "football man" as you put it? The bottom line is we are back in the big league, big fees, big (er) stars, bigger agents, bigger wages etc. Ashley will not want Hughton to take all that on and knows himself and Llambias cant. Hughton also comes across as the type who would rather be out there coaching than negogiating with Agents. As Alex mentioned other clubs have good CEO's that handle this. He wont sack Llambias so the next best option is too appoint a new CEO but call him a director of football. Im really excited about the summer months. i think you might have a point to be fair. i'm not a fan of the dof model usually as there will always be the inevitable clashes over who decides on transfers - keegan being a case in point. but hughton is a far more junior figure than keegan, lhe has ess of an ego and isn't as big a personality. it might be that he's happy for a technical head to come in and help identify and sign players so he just has to concentrate on coaching them. it's a big if mind. potentially could go tits up again. hughton might not be game. appointing the right man is also key. we don't need another dennis wise type coming in and signing dodgy players off the back of youtube or to keep south american agents onside I think its also worthwhile bearing in mind that (even though it seems alien) Hughton, Llambias and Ashley have a relationship based on TRUST. It might even be that Chris has asked for help. (would be a wise decision if he has). Let someone else get bogged down in an office and concentrate on winning games.

IF its a true story then this is the line that matters. This suggest a substantial operator rather than a JFK / Oleary personality. There is no way Ashley is going to get rid of LLambias because of Ewerks comments and also because he trusts him to run things for him. The have however, rightly, identified a huge gap at the club and if they find a good operator I welcome this move. I also think Hughton would welcome it. Ashley and Llambias have been doing the role so far so Im sure Hughton would welcome a proper football man to fight his battles upstairs. Well yeah, but name somewhere in this country where that has actually worked? The latest one is Billy Davies at Forest....he's a fuckin dick,granted, but he has to report to David Pleat. He wanted to bring players in in March to make a final push for the top 2 places but just eneded up in a slanging match with Pleat and other board members. Whatever my own personal feelings towards him are, he's got proven ability as a football manager.Why won't Pleat back him up, being a fellow "football man" as you put it? The bottom line is we are back in the big league, big fees, big (er) stars, bigger agents, bigger wages etc. Ashley will not want Hughton to take all that on and knows himself and Llambias cant. Hughton also comes across as the type who would rather be out there coaching than negogiating with Agents. As Alex mentioned other clubs have good CEO's that handle this. He wont sack Llambias so the next best option is too appoint a new CEO but call him a director of football. Im really excited about the summer months. ok fair one, but why does it have to be a football man as that would just undermine Hughton before he's even finished his list of players he wants? Appoint a deal maker,a good negotiater and someone who can close by all means, but dont send a "we dont trust you"message to Hughton before he even starts the job. My understanding of a "football man" IS a deal maker / negogiater like David Dein etc. The football man bit to me just means that he has experience doing these things in football. I totally agree that an ex manager doing the job seems problematic.

IF its a true story then this is the line that matters. This suggest a substantial operator rather than a JFK / Oleary personality. There is no way Ashley is going to get rid of LLambias because of Ewerks comments and also because he trusts him to run things for him. The have however, rightly, identified a huge gap at the club and if they find a good operator I welcome this move. I also think Hughton would welcome it. Ashley and Llambias have been doing the role so far so Im sure Hughton would welcome a proper football man to fight his battles upstairs. Well yeah, but name somewhere in this country where that has actually worked? The latest one is Billy Davies at Forest....he's a fuckin dick,granted, but he has to report to David Pleat. He wanted to bring players in in March to make a final push for the top 2 places but just eneded up in a slanging match with Pleat and other board members. Whatever my own personal feelings towards him are, he's got proven ability as a football manager.Why won't Pleat back him up, being a fellow "football man" as you put it? The bottom line is we are back in the big league, big fees, big (er) stars, bigger agents, bigger wages etc. Ashley will not want Hughton to take all that on and knows himself and Llambias cant. Hughton also comes across as the type who would rather be out there coaching than negogiating with Agents. As Alex mentioned other clubs have good CEO's that handle this. He wont sack Llambias so the next best option is too appoint a new CEO but call him a director of football. Im really excited about the summer months.

IF its a true story then this is the line that matters. This suggest a substantial operator rather than a JFK / Oleary personality. There is no way Ashley is going to get rid of LLambias because of Ewerks comments and also because he trusts him to run things for him. The have however, rightly, identified a huge gap at the club and if they find a good operator I welcome this move. I also think Hughton would welcome it. Ashley and Llambias have been doing the role so far so Im sure Hughton would welcome a proper football man to fight his battles upstairs.

Exactafuckingmundo

Championship Team Of The Year Lee Camp (Nottingham Forest) The former Derby keeper has been the key to Forest's impressive collection of clean sheets this season - more than 20 - and his form led to him being touted as an outside bet for the England squad. His priority though is to get Forest into the Premier League. Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest) Like keeper Camp, Gunter has also played a big part in Forest's push for the play-offs on the back of an exceptional defensive record. The former Cardiff and Spurs full-back already has 20 international caps to his name as a member of John Toshack's young Welsh squad. Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle) The Argentine international has been a mainstay of Newcastle's defence this season as the Magpies, under the expert leadership of Chris Hughton, have secured an immediate return to the Premier League. His class has shone through in the Championship this season. Ashley Williams (Swansea) After being overlooked as a youth player by West Brom - and following a spell in non league with Hednesford - Williams has established himself as a Welsh international of some repute, initially with Stockport and later Swansea. He was named Wales Footballer of the Year in 2009. Jose Enrique (Newcastle) After starting his career in Spain with Levante, Enrique had spells with Valencia, Celta Vigo and Villarreal before joining Newcastle in the summer of 2007. Enrique scored his first goal for the Magpies in a 2-0 league win over promotion rivals Nottingham Forest on 29th March. Graham Dorrans (West Brom) The £100,000 Albion paid Livingston two years ago looks to have been great business by the West Midlands club. A prolific goalscorer from midfield, newly-promoted West Brom gave him a new three-and-a-half year contract to keep the likes of Manchester City at bay. Peter Whittingham (Cardiff) A member of Aston Villa's FA Youth Cup winning side of 2002, Whittingham learned his trade at Villa Park but has truly come of age with Cardiff and found his niche as a creative midfield player with an eye for goal. His 20+ goal haul has been a huge bonus for the Bluebirds. Kevin Nolan (Newcastle) The Newcastle skipper has led from the front this season and, after the disappointment of relegation from the Premier League, has inspired his side from the off. The Magpies have bounced back at the first attempt - thanks in no small part to Nolan's double-figure goal tally. Charlie Adam (Blackpool) Charlie Adam has been an absolute inspiration for the Tangerines this season and manager Ian Holloway, not normally a man who struggles for words, is fast running out of superlatives to describe his skilful, creative, free-scoring midfielder who has become a firm fans' favourite. Andy Carroll (Newcastle) Andy Carroll has been challenged to earn the right to become Newcastle's next official owner of the famous No.9 shirt, and he has certainly made a strong claim, using his aerial power and physical presence to out-muscle defenders and help himself to a bundle of goals. Michael Chopra (Cardiff) Michael Chopra was in danger of becoming labelled something of a loan ranger after a succession of spells on the road at such clubs as Watford, Nottingham Forest, Barnsleyand Cardiff where he has now settled and is producing the best, most consistent form of his career. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11678_6116528,00.html

Prick....

Waiting in anticipation for the drunk post match posts

Just dropped a car load of southern Geordies outside Shearers looking for tickets!!! Loads of people already milling around enjoying the atmosphere. Think it will be a cracking day with a 6-0 scoreline.

A sold-out St James’ Park will celebrate in style this afternoon as Newcastle United’s players lift the Championship trophy. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson identifies ten reasons why the Magpies have finished at the top of the table. 1. Retention of key players last summer WHEN Newcastle were relegated on the final day of last season, there was a fear that a financial meltdown could result in the sale of up to a dozen big-name players. Some did leave, most notably Michael Owen and Mark Viduka, who were out of contract, and Obafemi Martins, Habib Beye, Damien Duff and Sebastien Bassong, who were sold for a combined fee of around £25m, but the anticipated firesale failed to materialise. The likes of Fabricio Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Alan Smith and Kevin Nolan remained to form the core of an experienced group of senior players who performed crucial roles throughout the campaign. Retaining them was a gamble, as Newcastle’s wage bill is the highest ever operated by a Championship club. But it was a gamble that worked. 2. Timely squad strengthening in January WHILE Newcastle started the season with the most talented squad in the Championship, injuries had begun to take their toll when the transfer window re-opened at the start of January. Chris Hughton recommended that a handful of players were signed to assist in the promotion push and, to his credit, Mike Ashley came up with around £5m to fund the acquisitions. Mike Williamson arrived to bolster the defence – a crucial move given Steven Taylor’s subsequent injury – and Danny Simpson’s loan move from Manchester United became a permanent switch. Wayne Routledge has also had a considerable impact since joining in January, and the timely injection of new blood halfway through the season was a major factor in Newcastle’s success. 3. Existence of a strong team spirit “WE wanted to show our supporters that we’re Newcastle United,” said Kevin Nolan, when asked to describe the bond that has driven this season’s title triumph. “Together, on and off the pitch. “We’ve got a lot of young lads in our team and people are always going to make mistakes, but if somebody’s not doing something right, we tell them. We keep it in-house. This club hasn’t had that sort of philosophy for a long time.” In many ways, the starting point for Newcastle’s turnaround came in the dressing room at Brisbane Road, in the immediate aftermath of July’s 6-1 friendly defeat to Leyton Orient. Harsh words were exchanged, and anyone wanting to leave the club was asked to raise their hand. From that point onwards, a new Newcastle was born. 4. Strong back four and goalkeeper FOR the best part of a decade, it’s been hard to make a case for Newcastle’s defence. Not any more. This season’s tally of 21 clean sheets is already a club record and goes a long way to explaining why the Magpies have conceded five less goals than any other team in the division. Steve Harper has been rock solid between the sticks, chipping in with saves at crucial moments, while Coloccini has been comfortably the best centre-half in the division. Throw in the much-improved Enrique and the dependable Simpson, and you have the basis of a defensive unit that should be capable of surviving in the Premier League next season. 5. Clinical attackers who have scored all season THE Championship is full of sides who can pass the ball effectively in midfield. Get into the final third though, and they invariably struggle. Newcastle’s greatest strength has been their ability to put the ball in the back of the net, and they boast three strikers who would walk into any other side in the division. Andy Carroll, Peter Lovenkrands and Shola Ameobi have spent the season competing for the role of leading striker, and all three have proved far too good for Championship defences to handle. They have all been overshadowed by a midfielder though, with Nolan’s 17 goals making him Newcastle’s Player of the Season by a considerable distance. 6. A deeper squad than any other team in the division NEWCASTLE’S first-choice XI is the best in the Championship, but the club’s fringe players have also made a difference by successfully plugging the gaps that have inevitably arisen during the campaign. The likes of Nicky Butt, Ryan Taylor, Tamas Kadar and even Fabrice Pancrate have all made useful contributions along the way. Hughton has also used the loan market cleverly, with Marlon Harewood, Zurab Khizanishvili, Patrick van Aanholt and Fitz Hall all performing useful cameos at various stages of the season. Newcastle’s depth of talent has been impressive, as underlined by the largely unheralded return of Joey Barton, a player who would be a superstar at any other Championship club. 7. Chris Hughton’s emergence as a manager of substance AT the end of last season, you would have got long odds on Newcastle supporters ending the current campaign serenading the talents of a manager who had failed in two separate caretaker spells. Indeed, even when Hughton was formally appointed as permanent manager last October, there were major doubts about his ability to handle the pressures that would inevitably come his way. He has been a revelation though, quietly holding things together in the dressing room and slowly imposing his authority on a squad that contains a number of big names. “We’ve had a players’ committee and if Chris has something he wants to share with the lads, he’ll come to us,” said Nolan. “But if Chris comes in and says ‘No, that’s not right, this is what we do’, then that’s it. It’s finished, no matter what we say. Make no mistake, when Chris wants something, he gets it.” 8. The St James’ Park effect IF Newcastle avoid defeat against Ipswich this afternoon, they will have gone through an entire league season unbeaten at home for the first time in 103 years. The achievement reflects the quality of the Magpies squad, but also underlines just how hard it is for other Championship sides to play in front of 45,000 passionate supporters at a packed St James’ Park. To put it bluntly, most teams simply aren’t used to it, and it isn’t hard to find examples of opponents who have frozen in front of the Gallowgate glare. Cardiff collapsed in the opening ten minutes, Barnsley were bewildered as they lost 6-1 and Scunthorpe’s management chose to rest half of their first-choice XI. “The fans have been our 12th player all season,” said skipper Smith. 9. Some rare off-field stability WITH the club on the market, no permanent manager in place and a host of big-name players set to leave, last summer could hardly have been a more chaotic period for the Magpies. Ashley’s failure to find a buyer was interpreted as a disaster nine months ago, but in hindsight it actually proved the best thing that could have happened. There have been setbacks along the way – the Kevin Keegan tribunal ruling and St James’ Park naming rights fiasco were especially embarrassing events – but, on the whole, Ashley has kept things on an even keel. He will never be loved, but most Newcastle fans are willing to give grudging praise for his efforts and financial support this season. 10. The weakness of the rest of the league WHILE Newcastle deserve considerable credit for their success this season, it must be posited against the weaknesses inherent in the rest of the Championship. This is not a good division, and perhaps the true extent of the club’s progress will not be evident until they have played a handful of matches back in the Premier League. The likes of Nottingham Forest, Cardiff, Leicester and Swansea, who are poised to contest the play-offs, are average sides at best, and it is hard to see how any could survive in the top-flight. You can only beat what is put in front of you of course, but Newcastle have undoubtedly benefited from the weaknesses of others.

150,000 brits abroad enjoyin the sun no immigrants getting into the u.k when did carlsberg start making volcanoes?

My view exactly

Clip from interview with Gary Speed in The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/otherspor...Gary-Speed.html

The Legends are giving away tickets shortly tonight

Some great pictures here of the season including...... http://www.skysports.com/gallery/detail/0,...0.html#photo=45

Oh no! Not again! Happy Days

:icon_lol: :icon_lol:

Found a lovely site here for the interested. http://www.allotment-diary.co.uk/index.html