Will the lads have enough fuel to get to Soton and back at the w.e ... the players im sure would be fine , but what a bout the fans who use the coaches , and pardon my ignorance , but what a bout the trains ? Im getting worried now : - (

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Answers

I reckon Mr Hall will have his lear jet topped up and will fly them down there if comercial flights are affected, as for the fans. It's gonna be a bit of a problem

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Wonder how the lads'll get to training. I noticed signs up at Mr Shearer's normal petrol station yesterday...

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Apparently Paul Ince ran out of fuel on his way to training yesterday! I wonder if anybody missed him.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

By this evening, the only vehicle we will have with any fuel left in it will be the lawnmower! In which case, Yelli and I would have to leave for the Dell first thing tomorrow morning!(:o|

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Almost like the winter of discontent all over again..

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

We're going to a wedding in Winchester at the weekend then hopefully meeting up with the bbsers who've been to the Soton match. Getting a bit worried as it takes one and a half tanks of fuel to get there and back.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

I was going to book upto take the bairns on a cheap coach trip to Euro Disney , but with this petrol crisis it's a bit risky. The coach leaves on a saturday morning gets their late sat night, It's two days in Euro Disney then a long trip back. Shall I still book up?What happens if the coach gets stuck in a jam or they run out of fuel? Any advise?

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

They should be able to get fuel in France, if that's any help.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Steph, you will have to play it by ear for a bit. At the minute, there is nowhere where we can get petrol - when we run out, that`s it. Fingers crossed that it is sorted well before the weekend - as it`s bound to take a day or two for things to get back to normal.

It sucks!(:o|

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

I drove down o Lahndaan yesterday and stayed overnight. I was told that there was no problem getting fuel so I didn't fill up yesterday. Needless today, with less than 1/2 a gallon in the tank, I found it extremely difficult to find a garage open. I eventually found one, and pushed in the exit (well, the entrance was chocca) and I managed to fill the tank, so at least I'll be able to get back home tonight. But how I'll get to Warwick on Thursday is a different matter.

Take me back to the dark ages - almost litterally.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Sorry for being stupid, but whats this fuel shortage all about. I know that over here in Calgary the prices have gone up (67.9 cents a litre - about 30p). Is it a manufactured shortage, I am sure they all are. The B@st@rds.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Pete......the price of petrol over here is rapidly heading toward a pound a litre (just over a fiver a gallon!) and a lot of small haulage companies and farmers are going out of business because of the upward spiral of the fuel costs.

The drivers and farmers have basically 'got together' and they are staging protest 'blockades' at the various oil refineries around the country. I say 'blockades' cos they are not actually stopping the tankers getting out, but they have asked the drivers not to cross the line and they are basically agreeing.

The British public being the species that they are of course see this as a threat and think that they must stockpile as much petrol as they can to keep THEM going, so they are going out and filling up their cars, and any plastic/tin cans they can get their hands on, thus making the petrol stations run dry.

Fact is if people hand't paniced in the way they are, there would have been enough to go round for over a week, but that's the mixed up psyche over here I suppose.

The drivers and farmers are also causing havoc in some of the major cities by driving their vehicles in two and three abreast convoys at about 5 or 6 miles an hour, thus blocking the roads behind them

They took their lead from the French port blockades over the last couple of weeks by their fishermen and farmers, but as I say they have cut short of actually blocking the roads, as that would be against the law, as long as the wheels are still turning, there is sod all the old bill can do...........

On a lighter note, there used to be a time, when I was young (I know.....that was a long time ago) that when you bought ten quids worth of petrol you used to get given a free glass.......now if you get ten quids worth of petrol they PUT it in a glass.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Bliddy sad you know, espescially when you consider about eighty per cent of the price is tax.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

From the Journal

>>> PETROL, rather than the usual discussion of good engines, has been the topic of conversation at football clubs around the region as the fuel crisis grips the North-East.

Despite making the longest trip in the Premiership on Saturday, Newcastle United's game is probably in the least danger of succumbing to the current shortage. With a 350-mile journey from Tyneside to Southampton, Bobby Robson and his players are set to fly down to the south coast on Friday, avoiding the mayhem on the roads beneath them. The nation's airports, many of which have their fuel pumped directly from refineries, report no shortage yet despite the chaos at petrol pumps across the country, so smoothing the team's 70-minute flight south.

Newcastle have also made contingency plans for supporters unable to travel should the game go ahead, a decision on which is expected by the Premiership in the next 24 hours. The club is offering a full refund for those not able to make the trip south, or a part refund and entry into the club's live beamback coverage of the game, at St James's Park.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

That sounds like a reasonable offer from the club and one which they are under no liability to offer. See they do care for the fans! Joke
-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

Sorry!

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

Given that the club will have passed ALL the ticket money on to Southampton they will make a loss on any refund. This is a very generous offer.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2000

Hmm I wonder. Can I make a quick buck here.

Does anyone remember all the fuss before the millenium news years eve. Ya know all the rubish about essential services and all that closing down.

Well my dads got a petrol motor in his basement come workshop at home. Anyway he's also got a company truck and petrol card. Well for six months he'd fill the tank on a Monday and Friday and on each evening when he got home he'd siffon most of it off into 44 gallon drums. Well needless to say over a period of six months he filled quite a lot of 44 gallon drums. To be precise 20 of them and they're all still full. He also got the drums from work - amazing what you can lay your hands on if you work for the city council and know the right people. Anyway, what would it cost to fly them over, and how much could I make from 880 gallons of petrol.

Oh and for those who think it's a fire bomb waiting to happen. Our house was originally a single story house built on a block of land that slopes from the back yard to the front. With a garage under the front bedrooms. So the back of the house (master bedroom, walk in wardrobe and ensuite) sits at ground level, while the front of the house (kids bedrooms, and formal loungeroom and dinning rooms) are one story off the ground, with the double garage at ground level under the the kids bedrooms.

Anyway my brother, myself and dad spent four years on and off digging out under the rest of the house from the garage back, and built a granny flat, and rumpus room. At the very back we dug out and built dads basement and workshop. This section extends out under our backyard, six feet below ground level. It's entirely sound proof and fire proof and with a locked door. It's brilliant during summer as it can be 35 degrees outside, while only 20 degrees in the basement.

So if some stupid idiot, namely my fire bug younger brother, were to accidently light up and explode the drums, the worse that would happen is that we'd end up with the swimming pool we'd always wanted. Except that the last of the kids moved out six years ago.

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

Rik you asked; "What happens if the coach gets stuck in a jam?". Do you mean like, Cliff & The Shadows, in "Summer Holiday"?

;-7

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

From nufc.com

NUFC Refund Offer (?)

The Journal reported on Wednesday that due to the possible difficulties in reaching Southampton on Saturday, Newcastle had confirmed that they would accept returned tickets from fans unable to travel to the Dell.

A full refund is apparently available by contacting the box office, or partial recompense if you fancied watching the game anyway, via the beamback at the ground.

However, we've been contacted by a couple of people who had rung the club only to find they had no knowledge of this alleged offer. We tried to find out what the real situation was, but of course couldn't get an answer from St.James'.....

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000