1. Bobby apparently heard the news about Houllier on the team coach back from Bolton. He listened intently, then said "Lads, Gerard Houllier has had a heart attack. He's got a good team. Imgaine what could happen to me, managing you lot". Apparently the lads were still lauging when they arrived back in Newcastle.

2. Shepherd has bought that statue of Shearer from the FA Premiership Hall of Fame. He says it didn't cost £15 million and Alan Shearer added: "The statue has probably got more movement than me nowadays".

3. We have used fewer players than any other Premiership side this season.

4. Distin thinks Goma will give Shearer some trouble today but said that he genuinely can't understand why Alain would prefer Fulham to Newcastle. He loves it here and thinks its a massively bigger club.

5. Alyson Rudd, in her prediction of today's result (us to lose), says that we travel poorly. Travel poorly. We've lost one away game all season...

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

Answers

perhaps she meant we travel to London Poorly

Can't argue with that at the moment

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

If this lot aren't giving YBR a heart attack it's a miracle

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

I saw something in icNewcastle basically saying we wouldn't let Lee go until we'd signed his replacement but that we were nowhere near that as number 1 target Emerton wants to go to Leeds. So we had better not hold our breath over transfers then.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

Lynda, procuring a central midfielder is now a really urgent matter. We just have to do it.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

as is finding a buyer for a 3million pound midfielder

Poor Bassedas, good bloke that he is just isnt up to it

As I have said time and time again on here the aquisition of a dominant central midfielder is paramount to our season

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

Pete, one thing that worries me is this defence thing. I had more or less decided that I was happy with what we'd got but I am staring to think that the lack of a leader at the back could prove disastrous.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001

Noticed in the Independant, they reran the day in 1971. There was little unusual in our 2-1 win over Forest with Supermac getting both but the crowd at 22k was the second smallest of the day. We were bettered by the likes of Spurs, Wolves & Derby & only Ipswich had a lower crowd.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001