Don`t know about anyone else, but I`ll be very happy to get this season over and done with. I feel the best we can hope for is a bit of break with the remaining games, scrape the few points required to be safe, but otherwise keep a low profile - no rash signings etc.

The off season needs to be the most constructive one ever. The team needs to be taken apart brick by crumbling brick, and the ones that crack or can`t be cleaned off and re-used should be junked. The rest need to go back to summer school. It`s time for some serious and radical changes. There`s a very tired, worn out and cobbled together feel about the team we have now, and I can`t see any of the progress that I had hoped for at the beginning of the season.

On another subject - I`ve tried to catch up on the postings I`ve missed during the last few weeks. How depressing! Football, football, football! Where`s the BBS debating society these days? Why have we stopped putting the world to rights? Even LR hasn`t had a good bite in ages! Come on folk, we are all going to end up as manic depressives if we carry on like this!!!! (;o)

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Answers

I agree Gal, no rash signings now...i would add that the rebuilding off the team in the summer needs to start on the DAY that the season ends....it pisses me off no end when players are bought just before the new season commences and they walk fresh into a new team....

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

I have a feeling that Robson has identified a few players he would like to bring in in the summer and wok on getting these players will begin in the next few weeks.

I agree about the season being effectively over and looking forward to next season. The players in general seem to have th same attitude and I suspect that a number of them know they will not be in the team next year and are therefore not bothering to put their back out.

The return of Cort is great and I hope there has been no reaction after the game. Cort has been out but he genuinely seems really fired up for the remainder of the season to show us what he can do. His goal/games ration is quite impressive for us even though he has only played a few games!

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Mornin` Gav - how life treating you these days?(:o)

I`m with you all the way on that one. I also don`t want to see everyone being whisked off on jolly summer holidays either. I just don`t see that they`ve earned it, as I said, back to the classroom for some of them.(:o)

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Galaxy

Ending up as depressives - certainly. The inevitable outcome of supporting Newcastle.

But give us one good reason - one glimmer of hope - that might result in us becoming manic......

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Hi DeBuilder - yep, I`ll give you that one - Cort`s goal on Saturday is something worth feeling pleased about. (:o)

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

toon expat.....errrrrr...............can I phone a friend?(;o)

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Hi Gal,

Things are fine.....nice 14 min walk into work this morning from my new home instead of the tube commute from hell....a much better way to start the week.....

Deb, not certain about YBR's buying policy at all...they've all fucking flopped so far.....and that includes bambi(cort)!

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Gav....that must make such a difference to your day - not to mention your stress levels!(:o)

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Gav I wouldn't say that Cort has flopped. The signs are, that if he stays fit he will get a goal every two games. Flopped in staying fit but I believe that was not down to his ability, more like the excuse for fitness/medical staff at the club.

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Deb, when he does something then i'll get behind him....until that happens he's just another waste of space....he'll probably turn out to be another Big Dunc/Marcelino/Goma...ie always on the treatment table....

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Galaxy, it certainly does make a difference!

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip horray.
The sun has got his hat on, and we're going out to play.

Lovely morning in the Golden City, Galaxy is back chastising us off for being so intense (great to have you back, Gal), and Saturday is now just a distant ghastly nightmare.

Pick up the Journal to scan over my muesli and vitamin tablets: bloody hell - Bobby Robson slagging off the players ".... the Manager and Coaches can only do so much, but sooner or later the players have to......blah, blah, blah!".

Oh God, shades of Huge Gullit - I'm going back into my little black hole to feel morose again.

Why oh why was I born in this acursed place?

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

How do people here cope with endless disappointments? as Toon fans we must be more used to it than most, and we probably each have our methods, none of which include ignoring the game, which would be the most obvious solution. I have to admit that this BBS is a godsend. But what about the early 80's? More often than not the season was effectively over by JAnuary, or at least it seemed that way. What kept people going? A sense of masochism? A feeling that you might not be enjoying it but it must be good for the 'soul'? After a while the manic desperation sets in that often manifests itself in a sense of hysterical showings of loyalty...

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

this all explains so much. I thought i was a miserable, depressive get cause i was taken from Newcastle at an early age [12]. Now i realise that it was all part of a plan by my parents to save me. However, the disease took hold and here i am.

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH [foams at the mouth and exits with a banshee wail...] ; )

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

How do people here cope with endless disappointments?

I don't. I'm sinking fast. Actually the rest of my life is in a much worse mess than NUFC (I'm not joking) so Saturday (pre & post match anyway) was most enjoyable particularly in the company of Dougal, Softie and Mrs, Steph and Mr, and the redoubtable Dr Bill who would render most of his profession redundant if he could bottle his wit and wisdom for the benefit of others. Following the promptings of these very splendid and worthwhile individuals, I have decided to return to the BBS after quitting in anger and hurt when a thread of mine was summarily withdrawn without any debate or right of reply. I put effort into some creative and entertaining writing that I was proud of (you could PAY to read worse) and it was pulled before some had a chance to see it.

As you say - endless disappointments. Life, in my experience, is mercilessly cruel - NUFC is a minor irritation, the people on the bbs are gifts from heaven.

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

To Jonno, re your post being withdrawn: What!!! I didn't know this BBS was censored? Do you want to tell us more, or is it best left unsaid? Glad to see you back anyway.

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Was wondering where you'd gotten to, Jonno. Didn't know about your post being withdrawn. Not even sure if I ever saw it. :-( Anyway, it is great to see you back. This bbs really is one big therapy session for our Toon addiction...and a brief escape from the other problems in our lives. Stick around and (as Bono once sang...)"don't let the bastards grind you down".

Note: I'm descending into my other mania....U2. Tour starts on Saturday, so expect more frequent random nonsense from me on that front. It's not easy having 2 major addictions. And not cheap either! ;-)))

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

It was "The Bodysnatchers" thread.

I was quite proud of it. I thought it was a funny idea and put in some time and creative effort to write it for the entertainment of others. If the idea was sick I noticed that someone on the highly respected Radio 4 used EXACTLY the same idea to satirise the government a few days later and I heard no letters of complaint on their feedback programme.

A piece of writing, something I thought about, carefully crafted and was pleased with the result, was destroyed and it hurt to be rejected by the forum that means a lot to me in very troubled times. I would have welcomed the chance to defend the piece or sympathise with anyone for whom it touched a raw nerve but I was not given the opportunity.

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Could've been an accidental deletion Jonno....you should at least have a chats with Dunx....he's not exactly well known for being heavy handed now is he? :)))

Good to see you back....

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

".....the people on the bbs are gifts from heaven".

You're right Jonno - and you're one of the brightest stars. So, hang around my friend - you are dearly respected, irrespective of what happened to the 'Bodysnatcher' who almost snatched your body from us!

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Jonno - not sure what I`ve missed here........been AWOL myself for a while. Have to feel that whatever has happened would have been unintentional or a misunderstanding.

No matter - this BBS would be a poorer place without you Jonno, so I`m glad you chose to start your postings again today (me too)!(:o)

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001

Thanks very much Clarky and Galaxy and one or two others dotted around the place. Also many thanks to Dougal who called me on Friday and persuaded me to go to the match. I wasn't up for it until she asked me to go and I had a really nice time in The Strawberry (and should have stayed there during the match!)

My return reminds me of one of the most brilliant put downs I ever heard. I was returning to work from holiday one year and said hi to Anne a friend in the office. This was the early 70's when mini skirts had reached their high point in every sense of the word, and Anne had thighs such that if the mini skirt had not existed it would have been necessary to invent it. Anyway, I made a usual cheery remark "Have you missed me?" I said. "Why? Haven't you been here?" she replied. Brilliant. It's a good job we were friends and I wasn't trying to get off with her otherwise I would probably have leapt straight out the 5th floor window at that moment. :-)

-- Anonymous, March 19, 2001