You see some interesting sights at Chester-le-Street but I wasn't expecting to see a herd of camels! However, they belonged to the circus over the road and had nothing to do with the training!

I decided to try and ask the players intelligent questions rather than CanyousignthisandcanItakeaphotothankyou!

I asked Rob Lee when we would see him playing again:
RL: Maybe Saturday.
Me: Saturday, that's brilliant.
RL: (grins at my excitement) Maybe.

Next, Kevin Gallacher:
Me: Haven't seen you playing for ages Kevin. Did you get injured?
KG: Yes, I tweaked my thigh again.

Carl Cort:
Me: Congratulations on your first goal. (Thanks.) How long will the injury keep you out?
CC: Ten days, I'll be back after the internationals.

I sympathised with Warren Barton about the sending off. He said he would just miss the Coventry away game. Congratulated Stephen Glass on his brilliant goal and said it was good to see him back. Likewise Kieron Dyer on his England call-up and told him not to get injured. I decided to leave it to Bobby to tell him to keep off the booze and the birds! ;-)

Axl arrived in a taxi with the other long haired South American Jose who is apparently Portuguese, as is the other triallist Pedro. Nobody seems to know what their real names are!

Over to the training pitch where I was joined by Screacher and Jonno. Bit of a change in the training schedule as most of the resorves went over to the far pitch while the first team and Bobby went inside for a meeting. Hopefully he was giving the defence another b*ll*cking! After the usual stretching and jogging they started passing the ball around. Interesting that the only two resorves still there were Kerr and Coppinger. Kerr was on the bench on Wednesday - is it Coppy's turn next? The practice game was played with only 8 outfield players and produced a few goals. One amusing moment when Barton brought down Coppy in the box and we all yelled 'send him off!' Warren grinned and gave us the thumbs-up. Kevin Gallacher was jogging around the running track so his thigh can't be too bad.

It was a shorter game than usual - probably so as not to risk any more injuries before tomorrow - then Shearer, Speed and Solano did some shooting practice with Shay and Steve. Nobby hasn't yet got to grips with the new light ball (no relation to Softie's illuminated knob!) and kept shooting way over the bar. A shot from Shearer saw Steve Harper flat on his back in the goal and still missing the ball. Shearer roared with laughter and went across the pitch to roll around in a similar manner.

End of training, so round to the gate to catch them leaving. Following a conversation with Softie in the Strawbeery last Monday I asked Steve Harper if he was our second longest serving player.
SH: I'm actually the longest serving. I played for the juniors in 1991.
Me: So you'll be getting a testimonial next year?
SH: (laughs) I hope so!

It's impossible to speak to Alan Shearer during the school holidays as all the bairns just flock to his car and he doesn't have time to sign everything so no exclusive interviews with Al this week!

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2000

Answers

Cheers Steph, priceless.

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2000

Thanks Steph, you're the best.

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2000

Hey Steph, your reports are excellant, the quality rivals what we get from Niall & Biffa so keep up the good work ;o)

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2000

Top stuff Steph.
We get more real insights in one of your reports than all the journalistic BS put together.
See ya in the Strawberry the morra.

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2000

Excellent stuff again Steph. This is what we pay our money for, oh, its free?????. Even better.

Cheers again

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2000

Another fine effort, Steph! Interesting that the real names of these triallists seems to be a bit of a secret. I wonder if that's on purpose to keep other clubs from sniffing around too much? Or it's just easier to call them Jose and Pedro. ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 25, 2000

Looking at Niall and Biffa's page we are supposed to have quite a few players at the club on trial.

Sergei Gurenko Defender/Midfielder from AS Roma No Fee.

Ryan McGuffie Midfielder from Annan Athletic Nominal Fee(#5,000 has been mentioned). [The new right fullback in the reserve team].

Carmen Alegranza Striker from TBC Trial.

Fredy Defender from Felguerias Trial.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2000

Next best thing to being there - thanks Steph!(:o)

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2000

Excellent Steph, Like Galaxy said it's like being there!

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2000

The thing for me was the goal Shearer scored in the shooting practice - well, one of the many! As Steph says, Nobby just couldn't keep his balls down. SPeed had a few awful shots but then seemed to get the idea and hit the back of the net on a regular basis. SHearer hit it more often than not, and usually with incredible power.

That said, the piece-de-resistance was wehn he lined up to hammer another past SH, only to see Harps advanced off the line. A quick change of feet (this man can do anything!) and he lobbed Steve with an absoulte cracker. Cue SH clawing at thin air before falling flat on his Arsenal. Had this been in a match, it would have been a contender for goal of the season.

But the main difference was the celebration. In a match, he'd have done the usual hand in the air and run off to the corner flag. This time, he mimicked Stevie, not once, not twice, but three times. And the grin on his face was wider than the river at Tynemouth. Methinks he enjoyed that one!!

Great report Steph - really good to get player cameos. All you have to do now is give them the URL of this BBS!

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2000

You're spot on Screach, that's the coup we need - to be able to chat with one or two of the lads 'on line'. That would really be the dogs you-know-whatsits. I feel a letter to Mr. Stonehouse coming on.
I've checked out the "www.icons.com" URL, which offers a supposed chance to jibe with Marc Overmars and about six other big European stars. However, the replies are very obviously scripted by ANO.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2000

Love the Shearer story! And I'm reading it as Metro radio is replaying Shearer's goals against Spurs last December. :-D I hope Big Al gets a chance to put that practice to good use today!

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2000

I actually got to the training ground for half an hour on Friday morning on me way up for the match. I saw the Shearer chip and the celebrations - funniest thing I've seen in ages! I couldn't stop long 'cos I had to be at me brother's my a certain time and was late as it was but it was a smashing experience. Isn't the training ground setting so marvellous - castle in tbe background and all that.

Where were the rest of you - I'd looked at Steph's piccy on Rik's site before i went but couldn't see her.

Took some photies but nowt special. Also took some from Level 7 in the Milburn yesterday but couldn't see much of the view cos it was bliddy raining. I thought I saw the Eiffel Tower at one point but I think it was just a phone mast!

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2000

Jacko, Stepho, Jonno and Me-oh (sadly, Jillo wasn't there) were by the fence just as you come thru the gate from the tennis court.

I had a thought about the training ground. Carl Cort spent a lot of time just leaning on a fencepost on the far side of the pitch - clearly he can't train and had probably been in the physio room or pool earlier. With it being school hols, there were loads of kids there (for names, see above) and it would have been great PR if he and others such as Gallacher, had come over to have a chat with the bairns and sign a few autographs while the lads were having their little kick about. Many of those kids will never get into SJP to see their heroes and it would be brilliant for them (OK, and for Jonno and me) if they came over for a chat. Imagine those kids going back to school after the hols and telling their Mackem buddies that Carl Cort came over to talk to them - fans for life, eh? Just an idol thought!

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2000

How the hell did I miss you all? I saw some folk over by the buildings on the other side of the pitch and started to wander round there but a heavy told me I wasn't allowed! I said I just wanted to take a couple of piccies but he said I had to go back behind the fence.

As you say Screacher, a few words from those lads not involved in the training would have worked wonders on the kids (and you!). My experience of footballers, however, particularly young ones, is that they have rather limited social skills, so their attitude doesn't surprise me.

Are you going to the Reserves on Tuesday? Where do Man city play their reserve games these days? Is it at Hyde or is that just Stockport? Bloody confusing all this reserve lark.

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2000

Hi Jacko, sorry we missed you! Like Screacho says, we were leaning on the fence just to the left of the gate, me in b/w, Screach in shorts (maybe that's why you avoided us! ;-)) and Jonno in a green shirt. Let us know next time you are up here - will have to arrange a meet-up.

-- Anonymous, August 28, 2000

Jacko, I think the Resorves are playing at Hyde. However, I'll be in Lahndaan for the week so can't go. Josh is going tho. He'll be wearing a hat (and hopefully some other clothing too).

-- Anonymous, August 28, 2000