Monday 1st August 2005

I was sent a text message from a member of the tf tifosi this week that had been allowed out to see the tall ships (Why are they called that? Some of them seemed relatively small to me). It went along the lines of how much pride he felt in our fair city, when looking out from a Quayside balcony (oooh! La-de-da!) upon Wednesdays spectacle. And that how he wished he had a team that could make him feel that same way about NUFC again. I think we’d all agree with the sentiment.

The week kicked off big style. Text messages, phone calls, e-mails and message board posts aplenty when the news hit the press on Monday of a rumoured takeover bid. (Article) (Article) Hope glistening of change perhaps! Aiming to pick up Sir John Hall’s 28.5% (in the name of Wynyard (Guernsey) Ltd. (Article) wonder if that is like Newcastle United (Malta) plc then? The “mystery bidders” cause share prices to rise dramatically. (Article) But just who are those masked men? A number of names have been mentioned; Graham Wylie (with or without a consortium that may or may not have included Kevin Keegan – ah knaa, ah knaa...), Barry Moat (who???), a mysterious “Malaysian consortium”, Ray Ranson, Ant and Dec (I’m a Footballer, Get Me Out of Here?) etc etc. Yet everyone seems in denial. (Article) (Article) (Article) Including our illustrious chairman himself it would seem. (Article) That said he’s been ferreting the shares away himself of late and won’t be upset at a little rise or two I suppose. Whoever it was, if there ever was a serious interest that is like, most certainly needs to act fast if we are to start the season with as little disruption as possible and some sort of plan. (Article) For once I find myself agreeing with champagne swilling and generally up himself Henk Potts of Barclays Stockbrokers (he can be heard regularly on Talkshite and Sky Sheperd News) when he suggests whoever is interested is looking for a “trophy” rather than a sensible investment, even though we are regarded as a “fundamentally sound business” apparently. (Article) Personally I’m disappointed that my Swedish connection from last week didn’t get a mention (Article). Every bugger else seems to have!

Still blowing away and seemingly to anyone who will listen is “good old” SBR. The Journal kisses his backside (Article), The Evening Chronicle does what they have to I suppose (Article) (liked the suit in the pics in the paper btw Miles), The Guardian (Article), Sky Sports (Article) (Article), Talksport Radio, etc etc etc. He loves the media when he has a book to sell or when he has something he wants to say on how unfairly treated he was. Isn’t that the same media who crucified him when he was the England boss? Funny that. Or has he just forgotten? Now that you have done the big sell, please keep your dignity and our respect by keeping it zipped.

Meanwhile the same old transfer stories drag on and on in what seems to be the customary NUFC way of doing things now. We remain in for Anelka much to the chagrin of Fener’ boss and part time drummer with Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Christoph Daum. (Article) (Article) We also seem keen on Luis Boa Morte but as yet no further comment from Fulham’s Chris Coleman, who I understand has been sent to bed because he was “tired” and won’t be read a story later. However, by the middle of the week, and very worryingly it appeared that we were at an impasse, refusing to up our bids. (Article) (Article) Plan B anyone? What do you mean there’s no plan B? Again…

Also on/off this week have been negotiations with another ex-Rangers player, Craig Moore. On on Monday (Article) looking iffy on Tuesday (Article) off by Wednesday (Article) back in negotiations on Thursday (Article) and back on again on Friday (Article). Provided his agent can get back off holiday in time. And this is a player on a free.

We certainly need players in. Shay Given has demanded it this week. (Article) (Article) I’m still amazed and in total admiration of the lad for not demanding a transfer mesel’ like! But if we do buy, please God don’t let it be Phil Neville. (Article) Sweet Jesus is this what it has come to?

Oh aye and we had a game this week too! So excited were the players that we even got some rare copy from Stephen Carr (Article). They must have cornered him in Smiths at the airport I reckon. Nicky Butt arrived in Spain battling a “virus.” The sort you usually come home from holiday with, apparently. (Article) He played on, if you can call it that, to “bolster” the midfield. I liked the new away kit myself, though I’m not sure about the brown stripe down the middle of the shorts.

After the game (Article), where we looked impotent up front but managed to show some bottle in the 2nd half at least (Article), we were treated to the usual and predictable excuses. (Article) (Article) Happy with a loss? Eh? We need to buy? (Article) Really? You should have asked your goalkeeper earlier in the week man!

Of course it wouldn’t be a media week without some silliness from FFS. This week, in the aftermath of suggestions that Woodgate was crocked yet again (Article) he wanted him back in his number 6 shirt. (Article) Just shut it and concentrate on the players we have and those we are allegedly trying to sign. Go and complete the squad then you can squawk all you bloody well like. He managed to top that though. How come, the day after you issue a joint statement with the manager about what a good lad Bowyer is after all (Article), do we wake up to comments from the player that you are trying to force him out of the club? (Article) And we end up with The Journal (Article) and The Evening Chronicle (Article) printing effectively contradictory stories within hours of each other. Once again a private matter is conducted very publicly and we are a laughing stock. He will never be a favourite within the tf bunker and I have no doubt that we tried our best to offload Bowyer this summer. But it looks like he’s here to stay after his man of the match performance against Deportivo. (Article)

Well that’s it for this week, I’ll leave you to do the weekend’s papers yourself as I’m off on a cultural trip to Cork, the European City of Culture 2005. For a stag do. Very Cultural. Before I bugger off I’ll leave you with a couple more things that caught my eye. Firstly Big Ron is making a media comeback. (Article) Lets hope he doesn’t get too easy-osy early doors and end up getting the curly finger for not being in the wide awake club. (Subtitles are available if you press 888) Finally congratulations to Steve “there’s no jam in my doughnut” Claridge for lasting all of 36 days at Millwall. (Article) Competitive record P0 W0 D0 L0. Now I never thought I’d see a club do something like that before we did!.

NM