Guys and Gals

What is the latest on the TOON touring the FE. I now live in HK but am away in Indonesia on the 22nd (see Toon talk or whatever re rumour). Great if they come here but......

Worried green eyes Mid Levels

Der

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Answers

Derek-
According to the Ronny:
United will leave Newcastle on July 19 and arrive in Hong Kong the following day. They will play South China FC in the Hong Kong Stadium on July 22.

The following day United will fly to the Western Province in China and touch down in Kunming. They will go in again Hung Tap FC in the Kunming stadium on the evening of July 23.

Then on July 28 they make the three hour flight to Dalian which is an hour from Beijing where subject to confirmation they will play Dalian Shide.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Dalian Shide. I can just imagine their song:

We're Shide, and we know we are

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

There is still no anouncement from South China regarding the friendly match. The latest news that I got is South China has given up the proposal as Alan Shearer and Kieron Dyer are not guaranteed in the starting line-up.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Official site states they have confirmed that they hope to undertake a tour and all fixtures are subject to confirmation so basically the proposals are still on the drawing table (key words "hope" and "subject to confirmation"!). Although it also states that Shearer and Dyer will be travelling with the team.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

IMHO this is yet another half-baked, ill-conceived, commercially- focussed, jetlag-inducing venture that will do nothing for the smooth preparation for another important PL season.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Agreed Clarky - "Same as it ever was", in the immortal words of Talking Heads.

Unless of course it's all part of a fiendishly cunning plan by our board to launch a 50 year strategic plan aimed at devloping close links with a rising footballing nation. OUCH!! Whoever owns that reality really ought to muzzle it and stop it biting ...

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

The game is big business. We all want United to be in a position to spend millions again. Ergo, what is wrong with a trip to a country containing a quarter of the World's population?

Manure have indulged in similar ventures - maybe that's why they failed to win 2 of the last 9 league titles. OK, in an ideal world there would be no big business surrounding football, everything would be focused on getting players fit and ready for the season etc, but that is not the world we live in. Good move by the club, and I hope it brings in some dosh and boosts our TV rights in the Far East.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001

Yepp totally agree with Jonno. If if there might be some bay things about the team traveling to China and HongKong i think we'll get it back in the long term. I think some of the toon fans who visit this BBS became fans the last time NUFC where in Asia.

-- Anonymous, May 24, 2001