Does anyone know a way to fight addiction to the 3 Legends on Century FM? I can't help myself. Glued to the radio between 6 and 8. I know it's really sad and Supermac will gladly talk utter bollocks for 10 minutes rather than admit that he hasn't seen or heard something. Bernie Slaven and Eric Gates leave me in hysterics but you don't even have to listen to it to know that someone will call in with some incredible conspiracy theory which hinges on somebody having once played at Motherwell in 1963 and the next caller will inform you that the player in question was actually at Stenhousemuir.

It must be the fact that only in the North east do you get the situation where a discussion about the faint possibility of NUFC being top of the league for a few hours translates immediately into euphoria for Supermac and dark despair for Gates as though it had actually happened. You just don't get that with all the Cockney Reds on 606, do you?

Am I suffering alone or are there any other misguided souls out there?

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Answers

Softie, I'm so relieved to hear someone else confess to this. I thought it was symptomatic of some sort of madness (and I know you're quite sane). It's amazing the crap, repetition and hysteria that can be so compulsive.

I have a feeling that Century have the same sort of thing going on in the North West etc but whether it's quite as mad and sad, I don't know.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Really laughed last night when that mackem came on even more miserable than Pit Bill on a bad day and Gates started to perk up, couldn't work out if he was a wind-up merchant or not.

The real classic was when they worked out that a certain team in black and white could be top of the league if they were to gain 1 more point than 2 at an unmentionable city on Saturday and Slaven said that if that happened he wasn't coming in on Monday. Supermac just drawled, "If that happens Bernie, you won't be needed!"

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

.... perhaps I should check it out. Then again, maybe I should avoid it like anthrax!

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Nooooo, Clarky! It'll turn your mind. You'll find yourself talking to the radio, saying things like, "You f.....g clueless baboon, have you even been to a match".

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Put me down as another misguided soul. Got hooked on it last year when I was sick and spent most evening tucked up in bed with hot chocolate and the 3 Legends. For that reason alone, I wish Century would stream their broadcasts over the web. 'Course I wouldn't be able to listen while at my current assignment as they've blocked real audio. *sigh*

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

A few of my favourite Century moments are:

1) Steve Howey's phoning up to moan about Howey being sold, saying that Steve went to Liverpool to meet Houllier, was offered a good contract and told he'd be playing with Hyppia but Steve turned it down because Gullit promised him we'd be going places soon and the next thing her knows, Bobby Robson flogs him to City.

2) Lee Clark's mam phoning up to moan about an attack on Clarky by Gates. Gates was lost for words.

3) A Makem phoning up, listing at length everything that was wrong with SAFC and then admitting that he hadn't yet been to the SOL.

Pure comedy.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Anyone hear last night's show? Hilarious. I mean, the moaning Makems got a bit predictable but there was this one posh Makem who was trying to be positive and started talking about all the fantastic kids who are coming through, including Jody Craddock. Said Gates, to cheer him up, "Craddock's 26, man".

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

He was brilliant. Don't let anyone accuse me of being posh again. Jolly hockey sticks. Ra ra ra!

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

"What a shocking lot of moaning Minnies you've had on this show this evening, yah". LOL.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

It sounded last night as though Supermac is one of the people who has been photographed entering a certain hostelry that opened its doors on Tyneside last week.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

LOL. Don't you love him? I'm a bit cross with him for wanting it to be a draw cos he loves both clubs. Who is STILL paying your bleeding wages, Malcolm?

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001