Christmas Tree

Aye, suppose that sums up my position. Tom I'm sure there are lots of families who's lives are enriched by having a down syndrome child. I raise the question a, for a bit of fun in GC but also because it is a test now for every expectant mother and therefore a decision that most of us will have to consider at some point. It also occurs after the first scan when parents have already seen their child wriggling around. Think that makes it a real tough decision.

Well done fella

You find out after 16 weeks that your partner is carrying a down syndrome baby.... What do you do?

Its like a very long marriage. Exciting at first, lots to discuss, get on each others nerves, start to argue, start looking elsewhere, divorce, occasionally pop back for a quick shag.

Thesports editor would be one Bill Bradshaw who is a mackem, then it explains a lot doesnt it! Bill Bradshaw's not to blame, he's a really good bloke* I know him. * For a mackem You've got a Makem mate? fuck off He's not a mate, he's someone I used to work with when I was a kid. I sent him this email two days ago, he hasn't responded yet. Hi Bill I don't know if you remember me but I used to work in your offices when you were editor of The Journal, I was only 17 or so at the time, and you were always a really decent bloke towards me. I was on office junior there and used to assist your PA Sarah, you will remember me because I used to take the piss out of that homosexual Chris Hastings every day and he complained. I've noticed your career has taken off since then massively and well done, The Express is obviously one of the most widely respected and largest newspapers in the country. Now I know you're a Sunderland fan, but whenever I used to chat with you, or I've seen you since on the Sunday Supplement, whenever you've mentioned NUFC you have always been fair and balanced, and it could be because you were from an era when Newcastle and Sunderland supporters had a lot more respect for one another. Which is why I'm shaking my head at the disgraceful vitriolic nonsense from "The Voice of Football", (I know more about football than this cretin and I do) Mick Dennis. Mick Dennis is an idiot, and someone who clearly prostitutes himself as a wind up merchant, or a controversy seeker in order to gain interest in your sports pages. It's either that or The Express have decided to go down an anti-Newcastle United path. Either way he's got no self respect in my view, and no professional integrity. I would like you to read his article about Newcastle United's disloyal fans Bill, and tell me what you think. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/167776...s-still-deluded 43,000 average gate and we are disloyal, despite this being the largest average any club has had outside a top flight division, anywhere on earth since 1974, despite Premiership ticket prices, despite being utterly dragged through the mud with no money to spend. If you have idiots like this writing nonsense like he has, your captive audience will go down. The Express isn't The Star or The Sport, I'm disappointed that such drivel about my club is allowed to be written in order to pacify a Newcastle United hating nation. Best Wishes Steve Excellent

Surprised none of the regulars have mentioned this (unless I missed it) but apparently IPhone have demonstrated version os 4 today. Heres a link Ive found but I'll see if theres any overview of new features anywhere. http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/live-fr...t&refresh=0

Hughton plans head start for Premier League campaign Simon Bird

Which is what will happen imo

IT people using words like "power up"! Just turn it on you fucker.

If relegation was, as you say, just a blip, then why would we want an open top parade? Surely parades are for something you want to celebrate. Why would we celebrate the correction of a blip? There should be nothing to commemorate promotion and nothing more than a perfunctory party to celebrate winning the title. We are only back where we started, after all. I don't disagree but that's not what the legends or callers wanted. There tack was more why should younger supporters miss out on such an occasion. Personally a lap of honour at the last home game seems right to me. They were also saying theirs thousand of fans that don't get to games and it was for them aswell

Spill the beans craig

Finished 1-1. Replay next Thursday at St James NUFC: Jak Alnwick, James Tavernier, Stephen Folan, Jeff Henderson ©, Paul Dummett, Samuel Adjei, Brad Inman, Greg McDermott, Conor Newton, Sammy Ameobi (Haris Vuckic 67), Phil Airey Subs: Ryan McGorrigan, Patrick Nzuzi, Dan Taylor, Aaron Spear

I like fisty but he had a hissy fit this week and doesnt love me anymore I would say I have no alliances on here (not sure why you would want them) but tend to find I am the voice of the quiet fan. Often I find my point of view backed up by the lurkers, sensible fans, who are not keen on posting themselves due to the venom that can be quite hard on the less thick skinned. Everynow and again they pop up to re-inforce my position against the dark side. I suppose that means that I have alliances with the silent majority. Having been here a year and a half'ish it is quite clear the types of posters..... There is.... Who can be very funny but also extremely bitchy almost girly. Rather than his alliances I would refer to them more as desciples such as Fish. There ia also the old skool who seem (as referred to by HTT) a bit snobby, hence the lack of more new posters. There is the football manager / gamer posters such as Andrew or Betsy who dont really seem to get dragged into the muck of day to day posting. Tom I assume is stoned all day and only comes out at night with the odd random post. Then there seems to be a bunch of 20 or so regulars who knaw each others nuts off every day. I would definitely have Stevie and Leazes as an alliance. I also suspect some users of more than one user name........ And then theres that angry man from the states who obviously is on death row and only gets 1 hour internet time a week. WHAT THE FUCK'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN??? Thought you were a Newfoundler

The Legends have been discussing this and promoting the idea of an open top buss parade through Newcastle City Centre. I was waiting for the anti brigade to burn the lines up but virtually every caller backed the idea.

Updates http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20100408/li...2240137_2018828 Currently winning 1-0

The Magpies were guaranteed a place back in the top flight on Monday and, as they bid to wrap up the Championship title, thoughts have already turned to next season. Wild speculation has suggested that owner Mike Ashley may be prepared to offer Hughton a £60million transfer warchest to reinforce his squad, with the likes of Hull City's Jimmy Bullard being reported as an early target. It has also been suggested that Newcastle are in need of a clinical striker, but while Hughton will want to make signings, he does not expect to be given money to burn in a market which has changed drastically since the worldwide credit crunch. Realistic The Newcastle boss said: "The game has changed. Even Chelsea, with the owner they have, are not investing the sort of money they were a few years ago. "That's the way the game has gone. There generally isn't the money around and clubs do have to live within their means, they have to work hard, they have to work on a youth policy and bring players through. That's the realistic side of the game now." There has been debate over whether or not Hughton is the man to lead Newcastle in the Premier League with just a year remaining on his contract, but he is relaxed on the matter. He said: "This is a club I want to stay at. I have thoroughly enjoyed the two years I have been here and certainly I would like to stay here. "But that's not the most important thing at the moment. The most important thing is we have got promotion, there is a feel-good factor here and around the city and we want to finish off this division in good style."

Uh oh! Hughton curbs fans' expectations Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has warned the club's fans to lower their expectation levels ahead of their return back to the Premier League. Hughton has led the Magpies back into the top flight at the first time of asking with five games left and the club currently top of the Championship. But he told BBC Five Live: "It might be a question of lowering expectations. "What we have to be able to do is to consolidate and become a very solid and steady team before we can push on." Newcastle have exceeded expectations this year with 26 wins so far from 41 matches, helping them to win promotion on Monday when Nottingham Forest's 0-0 draw with Cardiff guaranteed them a top-two finish. Their next task is to ensure, having led the division for so long, they go on to win the Championship title, says Hughton. 606: DEBATE Pick your Newcastle team for next season But the manager is also allowing himself a glance into the future to consider Newcastle's preparations for next season, saying: "The most important thing is that we have a good group of players. "You do take heart from other clubs that have gone up - like Birmingham and Wolves - and who without the big finances and without making wholesale changes have been able to cope and cope very well with a higher division. "In some ways, what we hope is that we can learn from this season. We can learn from our relegation, learn what it takes to stay in the top division. "What you see at this club is a group of people and players that realise how difficult it is to stay in the Premier League, the consistency you have to have in a team and in a club. "We're a club going back up to the Premier League and the expectation levels cannot be so high." Hughton also revealed that he had been contacted by former Newcastle player and manager Alan Shearer, who was briefly in charge in 2009. "Alan called, yes, and it was very welcome," said Hughton. "He's someone I've got a lot of admiration for from my dealings here with him. And of course, apart from anything, he's a massive Newcastle supporter and is delighted to see the club back in the top division."

Think yourself lucky Stevie, you only have to share a short drive with them....I have to sit around with them all day long!!! I'd find that so painful, I'd sit in the car park reading the paper me. There's always so much politics with them too, and I don't mean fuckin Westminster, I mean moaning about desk clerk favouritism, moaning about shifts other drivers, oh dear. You deserve a medal, I'm telling you now I couldn't do it. Surprised I could after many years in corporate, however it is a great antidote to boardroom stress and politics which far outweigh any worries about dodgy desk clerks.

Think yourself lucky Stevie, you only have to share a short drive with them....I have to sit around with them all day long!!! I'd find that so painful, I'd sit in the car park reading the paper me. There's always so much politics with them too, and I don't mean fuckin Westminster, I mean moaning about desk clerk favouritism, moaning about shifts other drivers, oh dear. You deserve a medal, I'm telling you now I couldn't do it. Or sit in the car park on Toontastic

The last year has been the tougest of my life. I forgot

See, I had Alex as a liberal, Happy as a green and you as........some communey thing in prep for it all falling apart

Of your categories where would Alex fit in? Something acrossthepond said as well about certain posters coming and being accepted straight away. Well there's a lot who aren't, more than three year I've been on, and certain hardcore polit bureau members would wish I would fuck off. Luckily Yeltsin and Gorby are onside these days though . Alex is Malfoy, keep up. He's CT's arch nemesis. He's the Grand Poobah, the Ayatullah, the Godfather. And he has disciples. Like Louis XIV, he is the board. @Gemmill: Sure, I thought Martins was good. Pretty sure I wasn't alone in that. No, what really got your goat was that I said I'd rather have Le Sib than Owen.

Of your categories where would Alex fit in? Something acrossthepond said as well about certain posters coming and being accepted straight away. Well there's a lot who aren't, more than three year I've been on, and certain hardcore polit bureau members would wish I would fuck off. Luckily Yeltsin and Gorby are onside these days though . Already covered Alex above With regard to being accepted, if you go with the flow then Im sure the elite will tolerate, rather than accept you. However the more interesting posters dont really care what others think of them. I prefer posters who you can call a cunt in one thread while laughing with them in another. It would be an extremely dull place without the different strokes tho.

Sure he is. Also a special mention to Kevin, geordielad??? and oztoonfan who seem to post a fair bit at the minute and seem good eggs. Used to really enjoy parkys voices but he seems muted off late which implies the asylum has upped his dose.