Well the 8 games have come and gone, and we are down. Just to add to the misery, the disastrous season seems to be carrying on in the same chaotic vein – we have no manager, and effectively no owner. Shearer has said that he wants the permanent job, but only under certain conditions, which seem to relate to funding for team-building. Any future owner therefore not only has to decide whether they want Shearer, but also how much they want him. (more…)

So, the long and winding road has finally led us to the car crash of relegation.  Many of us suspected that the present regime was naive and incompetent but few of us believed at the start of the season that we could fall so far and so fast.  I’m sure it hasn’t sunk in for some of the faithful but we can’t complain; we got what we deserved over 38 games, and we got relegated.  This is a lousy team, and the sooner it’s dismantled the better in my opinion. (more…)

What more can you say?

Discuss it here.

What follows is a letter we received from a member frustrated with the current situation at Newcastle United, aimed at our owner Mike Ashley. It contains his views and his views alone - ones which are not necessarily supported or projected by Newcastle-Online itself. We have always said that we will try to give every fan his or her voice and we encourage all of you to “have your say”, much like this gentleman has done, whether you are pro-Ashley or against him. Any more submissions of this nature would be greatly appreciated. (more…)

The Newcastle United Supporter’s Club have announced details of their next open meeting, which will be held at the Tyneside Irish Centre next Thursday from 7.30pm.

The meeting is projected to last 2 hours with the aim of outlining the group’s intention to change it’s status to that of a “Supporter’s Trust”, which they describe as “a democratic, not-for-profit organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice for supporters in the decision making process at Newcastle United.”

This is seen as a necessary step towards the NUSC’s long-term aim of gaining input into the running of Newcastle United Football Club.

Expected to be present at the meeting is a representative from NUSC, John Gibson from the Evening Chronicle and members of trusts created by other football clubs.

Helpfully for those of us unavailable to attend in person the meeting will be broadcast live online as it was last time. The link will be posted here in due course.

You can view and discuss the full details of the meeting here: http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,60700.0.html

If you measure the health of a football club by the quality of fare served up, the toon would be a sickly anorexic this season.  We’ve lurched from crisis to crisis on and off the pitch like a self destructing drunk on the hoy and made ourselves a national laughing stock on several occasions in the process. Worst of all, we sit at the bottom of the table relying on an undercooked squad, a makeshift management team and a dispirited SJP to get us out of trouble.  Can you feel the farce?  Even by our recent standards, this has been a terrible season.

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Latest from NUSC:

The Rally arranged by NUSC on Sunday is planned to raise NUSC’s desire for Newcastle United Supporters to unite together in support of Newcastle United and where it stands in our hearts. NUSC believes that this is a critical point in our season and that unity is strength when it comes to shaping the future direction of the Club both on and off the field.

The timetable is as follows:

• +2pm - entertainment by the Newcastle Drum Band

• 2.30pm - speaking opportunity

• 2.50pm - musical interlude

• 3.00pm - second speaking opportunity

• 3.10pm - live music from “Oh Lads”

• 3.20pm - third speaking opportunity

• 3.30pm - musical finale and orderly disperse to St James’ Park for what hopefully will be 3 well earned points come 6pm.

(These times are flexible and may be liable to change)

The “staging” area will be at the south side of the monument facing down towards Grey Street.

The whole emphasis will be on generating a fun, carnival atmosphere. We hope to have flags and banners on display and we welcome supporters to bring along and display their own flags. There will be an opportunity for those who wish to, to take up membership of NUSC.

Some members have requested that NUSC petition the executives of Newcastle United therefore members will be seeking support for the petition during the course of the rally.

There will be stewards on hand, wearing hi visibility jackets who will be there to assist anyone who requires help and a low key but nonetheless obvious police presence will be in the vicinity; as there would be on any normal match day.

NUSC politely request that those attending the rally pay respect to those who wish to go about their normal sunday shopping experience and allow them to do so with the minimum of distraction. We would also like to emphasise that this is not a protest and no march is planned or sanctioned nor permission requested by NUSC.

Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias have both told us the model they have in mind for Newcastle United. They have named two Champions League chasing clubs and justified their approach at NUFC by comparing to those set-ups.

(more…)

Following on from the NUSC’s latest public meeting in the Irish Centre on Wednesday 4th February, which was broadcast around the world via the magic of the internet, plans have emerged for a rally prior to the Everton game on Sunday 22nd February.

Authorisation has already been gained from Northumbria Police, with the rally expected to originate at Grey’s Monument at 3pm and conclude at St. James’ Park well before kick-off, meaning that both match-going and boycotting fans can join in together.

- If you want to listen to and discuss the latest NUSC meeting, you can do so here on our Forum.

Hello again readers,

Now that the server is moved there are going to be some major changes around here. The first thing we’re going to do is design some new bits and pieces, the most obvious of which is the Newcastle-Online main logo.

It can be seen at the top left of the website and currently it looks like this:

This is where you lads/lasses come in. We’re looking for a new logo to use all over this website where necessary, and we’re tonight launching a competition to find one!

The rules:

1. It cannot contain any copyrighted images, so no direct use of the NUFC badge or anything like that.
2. It must be relatively timeless, so please don’t put Michael Owen in there…
3. It must be a pretty big original image, so we can shrink it down as necessary. A vector would be ideal, so it can be used in our Shop too.
4. It should be cut out and/or on a transparent background, so it can be neatly added to any other background.
5. Post your entry in this thread. By posting a design for entry you are declaring you allow Newcastle-Online to take ownership of it should it win.
6. A forum poll will be used for a final decision based on a shortlist decided by Admin.
7. All Admin decisions are final.
8. Closing date for entries is Sunday 21st December.

The designer of the winning logo will win a T-shirt of their choice from the Newcastle-Online Shop and obviously a shedload of kudos.

Get thinking, get posting, and good luck!

Hello readers,

Today we are pleased to announce the launch of the Newcastle-Online Shop, which can be found at: http://newcastleonline.spreadshirt.net.

Initially we will only be selling a small selection of bespoke T-shirts and a special Santa hat, although we may branch out into other items in the future depending on demand. A very small commission is taken out of each sale and goes exclusively towards the running of N-O - nowhere else.

At the current time shipping is only available within Europe, but we will very shortly be adding a worldwide delivery option for our readers further afield!

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God Bless Joe Kinnear.  He’s done a competent job since wor Kevin did his disappearing act and I’m grateful he was mad enough to come on board a rapidly sinking ship.  Let’s face it, the end of the stick on offer wasn’t so much rough as coated with dogshit; most people – even Terry “You Ain’t Seen Me, Right” Venables – wouldn’t take the short term deal on offer, however much cash was dangled.   Things were truly desperate.  And judging by Hughton’s caretaking efforts before he arrived, we’re much better off with Kinnear than without him.
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Monday’s lived televised game brings high flying Aston Villa to St James’, in an intriguing battle between two clubs who have enjoyed contrasting fortunes since a recent change of ownership. In the run up to this clash between two of the most storied English clubs, we ask just who the f*** are Aston Villa?

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Well, he’s gone again, at least for the time being. To pose the question that we have asked ourselves many times over the last few seasons, in the wake of yet another managerial casualty - where did it all go wrong?

I thought his appointment was a strange and risky one at the time. He had been out of the game for three years, professing a lack of interest in football that extended to him barely watching a single game. Despite his successes, his managerial career had also been punctuated by collapses in confidence and walk-outs, and his last two jobs, at England and Man City, had not ended well. Keegan’s managerial career seemed well and truly over.
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 This game is the end for Chris Hughton’s spell as caretaker manager at Newcastle United, and the last game before a certain Joe Kinnear is handed the reigns at St. James’ Park as an interim manager until the Mike Ashley soap opera reach its end at Tyneside and new owners with new ideas and a new system takes over. On the other hand though, Blackburn have before the season been said to be a team to struggle because of the sale of influential players like David Bentley to Tottenham and some, according to football “experts”, uninspired buys in the transfer window. But new Rovers manager Paul Ince does seem to be working his magic at Blackburn, just as he did at MK Dons, and Blackburn look to make the pre-season bets by the “experts” go wide off the mark. Though, will Chris Hughton end his reign as Newcastle manager with nothing but defeats, or will he hand over the reigns to Joe Kinnear going out with a win? Or will Paul Ince and his men continue their decent run in the Premier League this season by heaping even more sorrow onto the Tyneside outfit from the North East? We’ll see tomorrow. Though, then again…
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