How much and how soon? Wasnt the all important meeting with our very generous chairman supposed to have been yesterday Any news on the outcome? Or is it a summer of awaiting the Bosmans?

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2000

Answers

I think this depends on who we can offload, how much of the NTL cash we're getting and whether we can afford our usual #10 or so million (merchandise has been so down that I'd be surprised if we VOULD afford anything that like much).

-- Anonymous, April 27, 2000

I've read 10 million everywhere. But a few weeks ago I also read 25 million, I can't remember where - but it wasn't teamtwaddle. Anyway said 25 million was supposed to be 10 million from the board + 15 million of NTL money.

But I'll wait untill I see the money in Bobby's hands.

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2000

Isn't the new Premiership TV deal due to be tied up in early May? when does this start to take effect and when will the cash start to roll into the clubs...

I vaguely remember that the current TV deal depending upon appearances on Sky can amount to around 5mill a year.....Isn't the talk that this deal is likely to be quadrupled??

My mouths watering at the prospect already ;)))

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2000

Gav,
I know in the wet blanket league I'm the one soaked in p**s, but doesn't it worry you a bit that with all these suits jumping on the bandwagon and supposedly putting up all this cash, they'll want an equivalent amount of direct say in the running of a club ? God help footy if that happens.

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2000

Bill,

The game's already been changed too much....I'm not keen on any extra changes or corporate influence...the distance between fans and clubs these days is already great enough...

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2000

Gav,

Too bliddy true, and I DO think it'll get worse before it gets better - assuming it will get better. It was great in one respect when it was dead simple - none of this scrabbling around for tickets if you weren't one of the favoured few who had a ST. You could decide even as late as Saturday dinner time to go.

Against that though, was the fact that because the club was controlled for long enough by a bigger bunch of a*******s than the bunch we have now, most of my time supporting them, we've been s***e, with the odd blip like the Fairs Cup and one or two promotion seasons.

The difference, as I've seen it, between us and, for example, manure, is that our high points have been individual games, or runs of games, their's have been seasons.

I know we aren't the only 'BIG' club in that boat, but that doesn't console me. Even rose coloured specs don't work under a blanket soaked in wee wee.

-- Anonymous, April 28, 2000

Bobby's Meeting

BR is quoted in the Journal this morning (Saturday) as saying the meeting with FS was extremely positive - "The Board at this club has always pulled in the same direction as the Manager, and that is still the case today. We want to improve our situation and be up with the big boys, of which we are one. There isn't any doubt that NUFC is a big Club and apart from MUFC we will have the largest stadium in the England next year. We had a very positive meeting which went on for most of the day and made a lot of decisions for the future. I came away very happy after seven hours - it was a very well-constructed meeting and very valuable."

This all sounds very encouraging.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2000

Thanks Clarky. I guess it won't hit our screens until you lot are in the Strawbeery! How long are we going to have to wait to see the results of the meeting? It will be interesting to see what YBR does with any money handed his way. It will say a lot about the style he wants for NUFC.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2000

Screacher
You mean you're not coming to the match today?
I went to a Pheonix Diamondback (a snake) baseball game earlier in the week. The stadium is brand new, ample adjacent car-parking, 50,000 capacity with a retractable roof, air-conditioned when the roof is closed, and yet has a perfect grass pitch. It was absolutely amazing.
The temp inside (roof closed) was 74 degrees with an outside temperature of 95 deg. The seats were actually comfortable with plenty of leg room, and the catering and merchandising facilities staggering in their choice and standard of service.
I'm intending to write to NUFC to suggest they send some representatives over to evaluate the catering facilities in particular. They made those at SJP look precisely what they are - prehistoric and substandard.
A fantastic experience all round, except for the 40,000 crowd who were absolutely, utterly pathetic - created no atmosphere whatsoever - in Ciara-speke, all sections were Library sections, despite my best efforts to get them going, Toon Army style!

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2000

Wow...I should tell the folks at Foxboro to send someone down to Phoenix to get ideas for our new stadium! Foxboro facilities make SJP look state of the art! We're getting a new stadium in a couple of years and the designs look nice...but it's still not covered. In a climate where most pro sports are played during the most extreme weather conditions(summer and winter). I don't get it. Though a few of the players that were at the launch party for the new plans were dancing at the prospect of having hot showers after a game.

One of them summed it up well by saying the old stadium should be re-opened as an amusement park so folks can remember what it was like. It will feature attractions such as standing in line for 30min to use a port-o-john, cold coffee, lukewarm hot dogs, cold showers in the dressing room, 2hrs spent sitting in parking lot traffic before crawling up the road, etc. He's not exaggerating either! :-)

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2000

Clarky,

Put in a good word to YBR for Randy Johnson. He would make a fine goalkeeper, wouldn't he? Transfer fee would be a problem though, a record for a keeper- 15 million?

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2000

After watching the Wednesday v Leeds game this afternoon, I was wondering whether Giles de Bilde would be a useful acqusition for the Toon. He didn't have a good game today, in fact was subbed towards the end, but whenever I've seen him this season he has looked like a decent player struggling to make an impact in an awful team. He's bound to be desperate to get out at the end of this season.
He could be a good buy, obviously depending on price.

Any thoughts?

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2000

I've never been over-impressed by Bob-the-Builder. I have a thing about buying "failures". In a similar way, I'd be reluctant to go for anybody from the Wombles should they go down. I keep wondering if thee players are good enough, then why did their team go down? Ability? Attitude? Neither of which we would want.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2000

Kevin Gallacher. :-)

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2000

Screacher,
Mebbes they're just good players playing in a cr@p team. Surely, it takes more than one good player to make a good team, and that it is entirely possible that such a player could have more opportunity to perform to his ability in a decent team?

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2000

.....and under a decent manager.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2000

Robert Lee

This morning's Journal (1/5) reports that Robert Lee is to given a contract for a further two seasons beyond this one. This will take him to the 10 year mark at the Toon, and qualify him for a testimonial.

BR gives him a lot of the credit for keeping the club in the PL and feels there isn't a better m/f player in the country right now. However, while saying RL deserves the security of the additional two years, Bobby indicates that finding a long-term replacement is a high priority for him.

More common sense coupled with appropriate compassion from The Master. Personally, I'm delighted The General is being so rewarded for his outstanding service to the Toon. While I have doubts over the validity of testimonial matches these days when players earn so much money, it is always nice to have for the fans to have this opportunity to say "thankyou" to truly outstanding servants of the Club like Peter Beardsley and Robert Lee.

Well done Rob.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2000

I'm glad that he's gotten the extra two years...he deserves them! still I'll be happier when we have a replacement for him...

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2000

I for one hope it is a helluva lot more than 10 million. Bearing in mind the quality we need to be near the top, ie the auto Europe qualification places, it has been suggested on other threads we need a defender, (Helder and possibly 1 more), at least 2 midfielders and 2 strikers.

10 million would only give us possibly 2 out of those. Either that or some more youngsters, cue Tre. Or an equivilant bunch of no hopers we signed over the last 2 years. I do not think YBR will go for option 3. If he takes option 2 then we have another 2 or 3 years of waiting to see if we can develop.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2000

Got to agree Gav.
One of the most disappointing aspects of this season for me has been how few of the players have really stepped up to the mark. We have been far too dependant on AS and RL in particular, and to a lesser extent Barton, Dabs, and Speed. If either of the former two had been seriously injured we would have been in deep trouble.
Harper, Hughes and Gallacher have made decent contributions, but gifted players like Solano, Domi and Dyer have been frustratingly inconsistent. Players like Kets and Maric have made no contribution worth mentioning.
There have far too many crocks - Charvet, Goma, Marcelino, Howey, Ferguson, Griffin, Cerrant, Glass, Pistone, and also Dumas before he left, have all spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.
Another disappointing aspect is the lack of emergence of any outstanding talent from the Reserve squad. Paul Robinson, may or may not make it, but other than Hughes and Gavilan the cupboard looks disappointingly bare for another couple of years at least.
From what BR has said it looks as though he will look to bring in a replacement for RL, while expecting Rob to still play a valuable role within the squad, but not necessarily playing in every game. His experience in that role could be invaluable over the next two seasons, and who knows he might yet emerge as a contender for BR's job.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2000

I think you can safely expect to be waiting 2-3 years anyway Gus before we can watch a team that's seriously capable of challenging. By your own reckoning only a tiny proportion of our lads would get a game in any of the current top (read mediocre let's face it) teams. It takes time to get back on your feet after major surgery. Try and do so faster and you go against the laws of nature, thereby turning into Blackburn. So why do I go into every match hoping against hope that we'll win goddammit !?!

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2000

Spurs are reportedly signing Sergei Rebrov for around #10 million. does anyone else agree that we are in danger of being left behind in the transfer stakes and therefore in the league.

Lets face it the squad needs rationalisation in a big way in order for us to make it into the top six.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000

I'm still not convinced about Rebrov...Shevchenko did a lot of the work at Kiev and Rebrov has been quieter this season without him, be interesting to see if he's any good though...

I agree that the squad needs major rationalisation....unfortunately I just can't see it happening....no-one wants to buy some of the dross we've got and we can't seem to get rid of them! I still think that next season is another one for building (ie get rid of a few donkeys and see if we can find a couple of gems)...probably just enough to move us up a few places in the league. We might have a chance of something the year after that if we can provide YBR with some cash.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000

I find myself in total agreement with you yet again Gav - worrying, as it's fairly unusual for me to agree with anyone!
It seems as though some people still find it difficult to understand, or accept, that the Club just doesn't have the money to make a massive splash in the transfer market. The reality is that the Club's cash reserves were largely wasted by the previous two managers and it just isn't there to spend - full stop. If that means we won't be truly competitive next season, then unfortunately thats the way it must be.
My instinct is that Club will indeed come up with a decent wedge for BR, even though it will mean going further into debt, because they know that a couple of big-ish signings, plus the BR 'feelgood' factor, could sell out the ground extension. I expect BR to be given #7-10mm plus what he can generate himself in the transfer market. If Solano is indeed destined for Real Madrid for say #7-8mm, BR could find he has ca #15mm to spend.
I expect him to make two #4-6mm signings plus 3 or 4 lesser signings before the new season, with several current players leaving, possibly including one or two surprises.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000

I agree with everyone's ranting's here , and I for one have certainly been banging my head against a brick wall when the club has been bereft of surplus funds for players ; particularly after 5 or so years of free and easy spending ( which we all know is why the club is in its present financial predicament ) . All of this leads me to a few questions that i'm sure YBR will be asking himself after his meeting with the board .. if lets say the cash forthcoming is 20m ( i cannit see it meself like but ill go along with the thought ) .. what does 20m buy you ? Does the 20m need to be incorporated into wage settlements ? HOW MANY KEY PLAYERS DOES 20m BUY ? Where are we lacking , and where do the players come from ? I personally feel 20m buys 3 decent players with YBR's connections , and i wouldnt be surprised if its one dutchman , 1 portuguese and one south american judging from past mumblings . This however fills me with dread , can YBR make these foreigners established in the side quick enough for next season or are we really planning for the next few years ? We definitely need a left side winger , i also think we need another forward , and another general . I hope to god he sorts out the back four and gets rid of the dross ( bye bye Marcy and sorry to say Howey in my eyes ) . Does anyone else feel he'll end up not getting that magical 25m , and feel equally dodgy about next years squad ?

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000

Haha Clarky, I can see us starting off a mutual appreciation society here!! I couldn't agree more with your analysis...the club will give him something cos they know they need to get more players in to fill the ground next season....YBR will be very careful with the cash and bring in as many bargains as he can...

I'll be more than happy if we get rid of some of the planks we've got!!

Anyone know how the planks out on loan are doing? are any of them looking in the slightest impressive for the clubs we've lent them to?

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000

Welcome home sting.

You are not alone weeeoooooh weeeeoooh (Creepy music)

As you would have read on your personalized update page, and above there are a couple of theories on what will happen next year and how much YBR will have to spend etc.

Strangely Tre is very silent so I am expecting maybe 6 or 7 pages on the subject when he wakes up or gets off his personal email messages to Yelli.

25 million will buy 1 striker and 1 central defender and a couple of squad players. So for his 10 mil from the board 8 for Nobby he still has to get 7 mil for the rest.

I think this off season could be more interesting than the actual season that is about to end!

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000

Gus,

well it's 20 minutes untill 1 am here, or about 3pm England time. I'm sitting in the Uni computer lab, while me and me partner are working on a group assignment. We on our 70th something page at the moment.

It is highly unlikely that I'll be on here much over the next 5 weeks so everyone enjoy the bliss.

Yelli

I haven't forgotten you, just been really busy and sleep deprived.

Tre ;(

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000

I'm really having to show some self control here from starting that whole Yelli think off again!!

I hope everyone who was bored stupid by it the first time around appreciates the efforts I'm going to for you!!

Gav ;)

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2000