Category: Football

Away games. And I mean *AWAY* games

What a crock of ****. The Premier League announced today that all the teams have agreed to discuss extending the season to 39 games (one extra) – that extra game to be played somewhere abroad. All the details, wheretofors and so on are included in this BBC news article, but basically… what a ******* waste of time.

The article focuses quite intently one one thing as it goes further down… the cash. This is purely and simply what it’s all about. **** the fans. Cities in various countries are offering a boatload of wonga and the greed-merchants want it all.

Let’s face it, Premiership football – on the whole – has been stagnant for years now. I’m not just talking about Newcastle (who have improved slightly under Keegan but have a hell of a long way to go), but all teams. Aside from the financial reasons, explain the half-empty stadia for each game. Can anyone honestly say that their team thrills and entertains them every single week without fail?

Simply put – the English Premier League is not the so-called "best league in the world", and it hasn’t been for ******* ages. It’s certainly not worth the prices we’re being asked to pay to watch it, live or on television, and it’s most definitely not worth travelling to Saudi for.

Other holes in the plan, though:

  • All games will take place on the same weekend. Some teams will travel further than others, so will be more exhausted there and upon return. Weather will affect them. Injuries and performance problems could then result, giving unfair advantage to those who’ve lucked out with a comparitively short trip to a moderate climate.

  • The top five teams will avoid being played against each other. What about the teams in relegation danger being placed against a close-running 6th place squad? While those just above them end up playing teams immediately around them? One odd game could really skew the results come season’s end.

  • Weren’t they discussing recently about reducing the number of teams in the Premiership to reduce the number of games? This adds one.

  • Look at the dates they’re planning on playing them – just after the hectic Christmas / New Year period. Thus cramming another game into what’s usually the busiest part of the season. Being January, players will still be missing for the Africa Cup of Nations (unless UEFA shifts it as they’re threatening), Carling and FA Cup rounds will still be taking place… and this when managers and chairmen have been crying out for a break around the festive period like the rest of Europe. Strange that they change their mind as soon as someone mentions it could make them a ton of cash.

  • Niall Quinn has been asked to make a comment. What’s the point? The ******* mackems won’t be in the Premiership past the end of the season anyway, the stupid wanktard.

Football doesn’t need the publicity in the way that American football does outside of its home country. "Proper" football is the world’s most popular sport, quite simply. American football is barely covered or followed outside of its own country so an exhibition match abroad is a complete novelty and bound to attract attention.

I guess it’s obvious I’m against it. FRankly, it’s a ******* stupid idea. But then, I’m not the one liable to make a few million quid out of it. It must be nice being greedy with a completely cash-centric view of live. Decisions are so much simpler.

Thugs R Us (and we don’t like cripples)

Oh, joy. Not only have we got Joey Barton back but we’ve hired one of the few players who could actually compete in the Professional Fouling Stakes with Roy Keane. Well, let it be said that (aside from the actual football recently) things are never boring at Newcastle.

Barton’s a liability, pure and simple. Keegan’s quote that "I think we will see a new Joey Barton at the end of this" is perhaps true in the sense that he’ll know what a prison uniform is like to wear and how it feels to be someone’s bitch for 18 months.

As for Wise… well, there’s no denying he’s done a good job at Leeds but I simply just don’t like him in the same way I didn’t like Lee Bowyer. Come on, the guy looks like the Prince of Darkness with those scary eyes. It also seems that Keegan himself doesn’t know why we’re offered Wise a job, or as what. All should be made clear later today, but it doesn’t mean I like it.

Finally, the BBC just ran a quick survey to see how many Premiership grounds match up to the disabled requirements (not legal, but requested) put forward in 2003. Two of them. Out of twenty. Surprise, neither is a top-flyer either. Well done Bolton and Blackburn. A tip of the hat to Chelsea for their free ticket scheme for the few disabled supporters who can gain entry as well; also to Arsenal for being so close to the target with 96%.

The main focus seemed to be the availability of spaces for wheelchairs, though. This only counts for some of the disabled fans, though. Feel free to refer back to a couple of older posts on here for details of a discussion I had with NUFC in October regarding "walking disabled".

Damp squib or warmup

OK, so after all the hype Keegan’s first game in charge ended in a 0-0 stalemate with Premiership giants, erm… Bolton. Sure, I was hoping for a four-goal towelling of the Wanderers, and a lot of the match predictions I saw were following suit. But there are a few points worth bearing in mind:

1) Our squad is about half-size at the moment due to suspensions, injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations. We only had one first-choice central midfielder to choose from.

2) The guy’s only just taken charge and the players have to get used to new tactics and methods of play. Which leads me on to…

3) Who watched the match and saw us play any long balls forward? Midfield play was almost completely ball-to-feet short- and mid-range passing. Much better to watch and verging on exciting on the few occasions when we didn’t gift possession to a white shirt (incidentally, don’t Bolton’s tops look like relabelled spares from the old England back-catalogue?). The issue is that our squad isn’t used to playing this style so they need training and matches to get into it.

So, yes, the match was disappointing but it definitely showed positive signs of things to come. With £20-30 million to squander before the end of the month, hopefully Keegan will get in some more talented (and likely attack-minded) players!

A couple of quotes

From today’s BBC website live Premiership coverage page. Always a good way to follow the action if you can’t get any other coverage. You know, for stupid reasons like the bloody annoying regional/national licenses the FA insist on persecuting all non-resident Brits with. ********.

Anyway.

“1457: “My Geordie mate here has called his son Kevin Keegan Smith, as he was born the day Keegan was appointed manager again.”
Phil, RAF Waddington, via text”

“1330: And so it came to pass, that the 19th day of the first month in the two thousand and eighth year after Christ, should henceforth be know as Kevin Keegan Day.”

“1339: (See 1330:) “Otherwise known as the holiday of hopeless optimism.”
nogginthenogforever on 606″

“1343: “If Newcastle lose today, Keegan will be on a beach this time next week after getting the sack.”
Jonjo Wood, via text”

“1348: “According to reports, the people of Newcastle are petitioning for Keegan to be put on the back of local coins – one Toon local described the idea as ‘mint’!”
Anonymous, via text”

Personally, I feel like Oz in the last episode of season 1 of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Which I would quote directly if ITV.com’s ******* web page would let me view the archive outside of the UK. ********.

Money and the buzz

Just to show the opposite sides of the money scale, have a look at the two following stories which both broke today. In the first, British Gas are raising prices by 15% for their gas and electricity (following on from similar rises from their competitors). This is an enormous pricehike, but one which has been expected. I’m glad I don’t have a house back home any more as that would make a huge dent in my income. At least they’ve left it till after winter, so hopefully at a time when heating can be turned down.

So we’ll have people complaining about the price rise, but when you look at the facts it was inevitable and really doesn’t seem about them trying to make a vast profit – just to make a profit given the narrow margins at present.

So while the public bemoan this rise in price, perhaps they should still realise how bloody lucky they are to live somewhere that has electricity and gas, and that they have jobs where they can re-budget to afford it. Because the other story I’m interested in is the Zimbabwean government issuing $10m notes in a bid to catch up with their 50,000% per annum inflation. Sounds impressive, but one of these notes will convert into £2 in the UK, less than $4 American.

Basically, their money is devaluing quicker than they can print and spend it. You get paid, say, a dollar one day. By the next it’s worthless. They were running out of paper money because people needed so many of the small bills to buy the basics. Zimbabwe has the world’s weakest currency (Vietnam’s Dong is the second-weakest, but at least it’s comparatively stable).

So while the poor and the elderly in the UK may certainly feel the pinch at their utilities going up, do have a thought for those in other countries. The amount your fuel bills are rising is probably enough to feed and cloth someone there for six months.

Onto a slightly happier tone, I have to confess that the Bolton game tomorrow is the first time in months I’ve actually been excited about seeing us play. I was gutted that I couldn’t get a ticket to the Stoke home game the other night. Had I still been in the UK I would have gone.

Keggy Keegle might not be the long-term answer to all Newcastle’s problems, but as an immediate-term signing and a moral-boost for the region I seriously doubt there could have been anyone better. I’ve even shifted my work rota for tomorrow so I can make it to the pub to see the match.

Most predictions are, predictably, going for a goal-fest and the majority of those in our favour. I hope that’s the case, but you know what? With King Kev back in charge I at least expect to be entertained and that’s something we’ve been missing for far too long.