So now the Grand National has a better injury record than Newcastle United. around 40 participants and no casualties, Bobby could learn a lot from these trainers.

With Shearer back in training today are we expecting him to last the course or will he pull up at the first hurdle, as the form would suggest?

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

Answers

Away to the other side with ya!

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

I reckon if this problem is a slight tear or whatever that might or might not heal given time, but if it doesn't, will need surgery, I'd far rather we wrote him off for the rest of this season and he had the surgery anyway, cos as sure as eggs is eggs, if it can tear again, it will. The surgery will hopefully fix it as well as it can be fixed, whereas just relying on time I think will always be a bit iffy.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

He'll push it that bit too far, I can see the headlines now.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

neiiighhh whinny whinny goo-ood as nee-eew, wiiilburrrr.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

Aw Gawd! Here we go again! Why on earth don`t they just accept that he should just forget the rest of the season and get his flippin` problem sorted! Don`t get me wrong....I want him back and playing for us, but you just have to wonder how much more damage he might do. (:o|

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

While this may be a blessing in disguise the snippet from Midas Soccer is another damning condemnation of the very amateur status of our training facilities.

Alan Shearer was expected to have resumed light training on Monday morning, as the first step back to first team action, however, due to the heavy state of the practice pitch - he didn't.

Surely there must be somewhere he could train indoors!?

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

Are they still training at Darsley Park in Benton? The nash sometimes use the facilities up there for staff training, and people have been coming back with like 'You'll never guess whom I've just met....'

Okay for the football it would be outdoors too, but they do a fairly decent pint of guinness there. Just ask me about our christmas party (which was indoors).

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

There are indoor training facilities all over the NE that could be hired - it just takes forethought and a little planning. So forget it!

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

Is there some type of training facility in Heaton? I went to Borders the other day for the new 442(well, April, but it only just came out here), and they had the March 31 issue of Shoot. There was an interview with Carl Cort, and they mentioned meeting up with him at the club's training ground in Heaton. They were watching YBR put some of our players through their paces, including jumping in himself to show Cordone(!) how to take a particular shot. However the accompanying photos were from CLS.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

Oh Crikey, I feel another Heaton thread coming on. Where's ITK when you need him? Oh, I see what you mean.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001

They are literally all over the place ciara - there is no shortage at all. I suspect the one you're referring to is probably the Lightfoot Centre in Walker (near to Heaton - as Heaton is actually the centre of the Universe!).
The most likely place in Heaton is what used to be called the David Lloyd Tennis Centre, which has indoor facilities that could be used for training. There is also Concordia in Cramlington, The Parks in North Shields, and a new facility at Monkseaton GS.

While I've never been, I believe there are also indoor facilities at Maiden Castle where the U-19's and U-17's play, and where the 1st team trained before moving to the Riverside.

The only missing ingredient is forethought.

-- Anonymous, April 09, 2001