It’s a time of great gloom and doom for the Toon, aka Newcastle United Football Club, aka “can I get a refund on these black and white striped genes you gave me, Dad?”.
But there was a brief glimmer of sunshine today, when I happened to right-click an image on my favourite fans’ website and a Geordie pop-up, well, popped up.
Heh.
Right, well, laughing time over, back to “we’re all doooooooooooomed”.
They will rise again, for it is written. Where, I do not know. And don’t ask me when.
Commiserations anyway.
Thanks… it shouldn’t take too long, all we need is a new owner, manager, coaches, and squad.
At least you don’t ‘support’ Norwich City. I think they’ll need more than me – they’ll need several surgical trusses and a crane. First match of the season, they lost 7-1 to Colchester at home.
Yes, I’m aware that things could be much worse…
Do you still have Delia Smith in charge?
If you ask me, we need a few fewer managers! Seems like every other day someone’s claiming they’ve been offered the job or they want the job…
I read yesterday that David O’Leary might be the next one – I think he’d have to be absolutely suicidal to take it. But then I thought that about Shearer and he took it…
Did you enjoy the story a few weeks ago about them putting the club up for sale and inviting bids by email, only to have several thousand Sunderland fans writing in with helpful suggestions?
Aha! A fellow sufferer.
Either David O’Dreary or Joker Near would be a bad, bad decision. I say give Shearer his chance – we’ve always done best under managers who really understand the club’s relationship with the city and the fans.
And yes, I have been greatly amused by the Mackems’ antics!
Fugeddhaboutit, as the Brooklyn Cyclones would say- you could be a Chicago Cubs fan (101 years since winning, and counting…)
Aah, I miss living within shouting distance of St James’ Park…
Sabbi, is that the team that’s cursed? I’m starting to wonder about the Toon.
Sara, me too. I never had to put the radio on to know the scores, the crowd sounds told the full story!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:
Torquay United.
Newcastle’s tribulations pale in comparison.
For a sport obsessed with statistics, baseball’s unbelievably superstitious, so there are multiple “cursed” teams. In the Cubs case a pet goat was (quite rightly IMHO) refused entry to a game “leading” to their losing streak.
BUT during construction of the new Yankee stadium, a Red Sox fan tried to bury a Red Sox shirt under the pitcher’s mound to curse the new stadium- maybe someone from Torquay United did that to Newcas.?
Richard, indeed. However, one could argue that it’s the fall that hurts the most…
Sabbi, um, did you say goat? Bizarre… baseball is a bit of an enigma to me. Although I love that Canadian ice technicians hid a lucky loonie under centre ice at the Salt Lake City games, which obviously contributed to the gold medals won by the men’s and women’s teams.
I doubt Torquay have resorted to such tactics against Newcastle though – it must be years since we last played each other in a competitive game. Google is letting me down here and I can’t find an actual date, but I don’t ever remember the two teams meeting
I don’t think people who live/work/play footy in Torquay even know where Newcastle is. Or care, probably.
Don’t take it personally, it’s just an English Riviera thing.
“Don’t mention the footy! I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it”
Cath> I feel you! my team in the Swedish league seems to go for top 1 this year. It’s been slightly rocky the last decade or so ;)
I just hope they can keep in place… hope is all one got, right?
Hope, yes… aka the triumph of optimism over experience.
Never mind, the hockey will start soon enough!
Cath> and that is suppose to help me with my hope? Do you even remember where my first love lies there?? (yes, not a Stanley cup play offs since… whenever…) bitter in the corner
You think life is tough. Try living with someone whose nearest team is Carlisle United. (And goodness knows what happened to Oxford United, whom I supported in the pre=Maxwell days of either 0-0 draws or 1-3 losses.)
Beats the England cricket team, though, I suppose. (I agree with the suggestion on Twitter to select 11 bowlers).
Do you think anyone could form a crack “Wii Sports Resort” squad? That seems somewhat safer.
I am starting to detect a common theme of people (including me) seeming to enjoy wallowing in sports-related self pity, and trying to outdo each other in the suckiness of our respective teams. It’s a very interesting phenomenon.
Åsa, you should return from the Dark Side. The Canucks at least have a chance of losing in the second round of the play-offs.
Maxine, I am lucky enough to have avoided becoming a cricket fan. It’s fun to play on the beach though.
Incidentally, when England won the rugby world cup, I didn’t know what to do. After screaming and shouting at the TV for the whole game, the whistle blew, and I stood there, next to a friend who is also an ex-pat, and we just… looked at each other. In stunned silence. Neither of us had ever seen any of our teams win anything before. There was a full 10 second delay before we started jumping up and down, hugging each other, and crying.
(yes, not a Stanley cup play offs since… whenever…)
So you must be a Rangers fan too then Asa ;) We have the best goalie and yet…
We have the best goalie
HA!
No you don’t.
Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Sabbi: Rangers? As in “an american team wthout that many swedes”? NAH. My heart belonged to Toronto….(insert sad moment) and then Canucks since I lived there… and they play in different conferences so that sort of works.
Cath: yesssssss…. Luuuuuuuuuu :)
Don’t forget Detroit
I am lucky enough to have avoided becoming a cricket fan
I imagine that isn’t difficult considering their recent form ;)
Recent being the last 32 years? Yeah, sound about right.
Hen-reeeeek, Hen-reeeeek
Which is my only recourse since last season’s stats favor the Lu…..(but only just)
And next season’s the one for the Rangers. Despite this post, I know this to be true!
Sabbit: sure sure. Rangers will rise….. ehh… hmm… ok, I won’t go there ;) (Henrik is a great golie, Lu’s just greater…)
cath: …and so it was three! ^^ Never sad I was even remotely perfect, just a tad bit confused at times ;)
am starting to detect a common theme of people (including me) seeming to enjoy wallowing in sports-related self pity, and trying to outdo each other in the suckiness of our respective teams.
Three words for you:
Toronto
Maple
Leafs
Don’t think the acquisition of Brian Burke as GM will change anything. He could be the sports equivalent of the Messiah and he still wouldn’t be able to defeat the lethargy that sets in to professional hockey players in this town.
42 years since Stanley, and believe me, I’m not counting any more.
RW> yeah yeah… such negativity. We have to keep the hope!! the HOPE! *chanting * Change is possible! Change will happen! Keep the hope! This year it might be the play offs. Next year, play offs and a win :)
Did I mention I am trying to neglect the 1967 year in my head?!?! (I can’t forget it since someone in my close vincinity is a Canadians’ fan and boy, that hurts….)
Åsa – I’m at the point where I think swapping the Marlies for the Leafs would be a wholesale improvement.
But I digress. This post started about
footballsoccer, and we’ve got the mighty Toronto FC!!!Oh, wait… never mind. :P
Sabbi, hockey and rugby are my only glimmers of hope – so I’m gonna have to disagree and say Canucks for the Cup! (With
apologiesa big raspberry to Toronto and Detroit fans). Maybe you can play us in the final series ;)Åsa, I love the multiple teams approach – triple the chance of winning something!
Richard, what’s “soccer”?
Vancouver is getting an MLS team soon and I am very excited!
Cath, you mean ice hockey right? The rest of the world plays the real thing – sans skates ;)
BTW, England stopped playing rugby years ago. The goal kicking duels the English are so fond of don’t have much resemblance to the running game I learnt to play.
Blah english rugby blah is boring blah blah. Any style of play that let one of my teams win a trophy for the first time in my life is OK by me!
I am in denial about the existence of other forms of hockey, due to traumatic experiences in high school.
League vs. Union.
The Aussies in the audience may not debate ad infinitum. I, on the other hand, will ignore Darren’s comment and refrain from bellowing in my best Canadian accent about real hockey having skates and pucks and things etc. etc. etc.
“Now” debate. Debate “now”.
I liked your first version better.
Also: UNION ALL THE WAY!!!
Deferring to the IOC …
“Hockey is the oldest known ball and stick game. Records exist of it having been played in Persia in 2000 BC. The name hockey probably derives from the French hocquet, or shepherd’s crook, and refers to the crooked stick which is used to hit a small ball. The game became more organised late in the 19th century and became an Olympic sport in 1908… The origins of ice hockey are unclear, but it is widely accepted that the British are responsible for bringing hockey to North America…”
Note the distinction between hockey and ice hockey
Oh, and rugby… ;)
Darren< see, I always thought the distinction was between Hockey and Land Hockey ;)
I’ve heard that (field) hockey is the second-most played game in the world, after (proper) football. So I guess I’ll concede this point to the Aussie, with an exemption in place within the borders of Canada (and in other territories where where saying “hockey” implies ice).
I’ve heard that (field) hockey is the second-most played game in the world
Being the national sport of India and Pakistan tends to give the playing numbers a boost ;)
Indeed! I was actually surprised the #2 spot didn’t go to cricket, for the same reason!
Asa- Land hockey, lol, that’s what I’m calling field hockey from now on. Either that or mud hockey (I understand it’s popular and it’s probably fun to watch, but it was also used by my PE teacher to torture me).
Cath- could be fun if the Canucks (or Maple Leafs) were to play the Rangers in the finals….especially if there’s a shoot out pittign Luongo against Linquist
Mud hockey sounds about right (see earlier comment about traumatic experiences).
Yep, it would be a good series. No shoot-outs in the playoffs though ;)
Aargh- you’re right, I commented without thinking because I got excited about the idea of a shoot out
LOL, it’s a good thing you have Canadian friends to keep you straight on these things
Yes, why have a shoot-out when you can have six or seven overtime periods in a row instead?
Also – Canadian’s do not give a rat’s hairy backside about the IOC, or what it thinks “hockey” might be. I’m just sayin’.
Stupid extra apostrophe.
I have a story about the epic quest for brunch the day after a Canucks playoff game went into the fourth period of overtime that would leave anything Tolkien wrote in the dust.
Sabbi: ahh… field hockey… that’s the name ;) I took “non-ice” to land and then I was satisfied ;)
Seriously, I guess I switched the Swedish word “landhockey” aka “field hockey – the sport I never seen played in Sweden” … then again, we have Bandy (ice, stick and an orange ball and outdoors) and Floorball (the indoors version of the stick and the ball, although a see-through-ball). Field hockey would be somewhere in between?? Outdoors but with a stick and a ball?
Exactly, but there’s also mud. And a mean teacher who makes you run round the field three times when you know they can’t make it round once.
Bandy sounds fun!