We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
One ought flay-rod has definitely gone out of skew on treadle up in the Northeast, which leaves us with this massive Tyne-Tees relegation dogfight today. A draw does nobody any good. But one goal - even one off the bum - might keep one of the sides up and be worth as much as £60 million in Premiership telly revenues. Whew!
posted by The Blue Devil @ 2:39 PM
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
79 Comments:
Here are the teams for tonight's match:
Middlesbrough: Jones, Hoyte, Bates, Huth, Taylor, Downing, O'Neil, Shawky, Sanli, Emnes, Alves. On the bench are: Turnbull, Aliadiere, King, Arca, Adam Johnson, McMahon, Grounds
Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Duff, Guthrie, Butt, Nolan, Gutierrez, Owen, Viduka. Subs are: Krul, Coloccini, Martins, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands, LuaLua, Carroll
I've got a brilliant Setanta feed through VSS up and running.
Wee Mikey in back in the side partnering Fatty Viduka up front, while Obafemi Martins drops to the bench.
The second leg of the Championship playoff between Sheffield United and Preston North End has kicked off. They were at 1-1 in the first leg and I'm hoping that PNE can turn the Blades over today.
Teams in the tunnel now. The crowd is in fine form. Electric atmosphere!
Kick off time...!
Definitely an understrength Boro team today. That and the home crowd behind them really should give Newcastle every opportunity.
Oh, and Owen was almost in in the opening seconds from a Viduka flick on.
Viduka again finds Owen who spreads it wide but the shot from Guthrie was shanked wide. Great high tempo start for the Toon.
GOAL! Oh dear oh dear. Boro have scored! Tuncay snuck in and his shot bobbled about a bit before trickling over the line. What a start!
0-1 Boro!
Yes, it was a definite own goal from Andy Beye. Disaster for the Toon!
Well, now. That puts Boro level on 34 points with Hull. It also drops Newcastle back down level bottom with West Brom on 31 points. With the Baggies in good form, Newcastle could well finish bottom at this rate. Unbelievable!
Oh! Viduka rockets one against the bar. Nearly the perfect response. There are definitely more goals on the cards in this one.
Real cut and thrust, sturm and drang Premiership stuff now. There's nothing pretty going on down there but it is riveting stuff nonetheless.
The Toon Army has gone really quiet now, with the only noise coming from the Boro support stuck at the top of the away stand.
Corner given away by Huth. Guthrie will swing it in and....
GOAL! Stephen Taylor thunders a header in!
1-1!
Duff swings one over but it's just too high for wee Mikey to get onto.
We're back where we started with both sides on 31 points tied with WBA.
That Stephen Taylor header is, believe it or not, only the second goal scored by Newcastle in six games under Alan Shearer.
Fifteen minutes in and I've hardly drawn breath yet. Another corner for the Toon, who've definitely had the better of it.
Corner over and Viduka nearly gets onto it. Boro are having nightmares defending these corners with a second string defense.
Yet another corner for Newcastle....
This time Huth clears well.
The Hull City manager Phil Brown will be loving this scoreline. They've definitely given Newcastle and Boro the chance to climb out of the drop zone with a really poor recent record. Meanwhile WBA have won two of their last three.
Sheffield Utd. and PNE have reached half time in their match. 0-0. That would lead to extra time but I believe that the away goal would come into play at the end of extra time so the Blades would go through before the need for pens.
I am here for a while
Off to Matt's tennis soon
A draw will be horrible for both teams
If Newcastle they are out of the drop zone
Toon almost in twice
Great stuff from Viduka on the left and then the ball in to Owen who headed toward goal. Good save Jones!
Corner to Newcastle.
Big shout for handball but the ref didn't see much there.
Hiya Dave! It's been a brilliant match so far.
ooh, Boro should have scored twice
I tried to get VSS up but I am on atd.
Keeps freezing though
Oh, Emnes had two great chances to pu the knife into Newcastle hearts but his final shot was agonizing wide.
VSS is still going strong for me but I know how fickle it can be. It seems to be a different site every day!
Duff goes down under a heavy challenge but the ref doesn't see it.
Nicky Butt's in trouble here. Yellow card for the ex-Red Devil.
I now have vss up
Half an hour in, it would be hard to predict a winner in this one.
Alves out
What happened?
Show a replay
No one was here him
If you stick around on this VSS stream, it should go straight into Football Matters at 5:15 EST. It's a brilliant show if you have time around Matt's tiddlywinks match.
Marlon King has come on. So much for the Boro goal threat then.
Oh dear, Robert Huth pulled Owen back in the most cynical fashion. There were two others back so it won't be red. Yes, it's a yellow card.
Matt's game is in Saratoga and we have to leave now
I have the VSS working strong. Wish I didn't have to go but parenting!
Huth fouls again. He's on a knife's edge now. He's got to play in this cauldron for the better part of an hour now on a yellow.
Cheerio
Cheers, mate! Happy parenting!
Emnes seems to be a real threat, but his ball back to Tuncay is hoofed well over the bar.
Another good chance falls to Emnes.
Free kick to Boro now...
Stuart Downing takes and hits straight into the wall. No wonder he hasn't scored all season.
Half-time: 1-1. It's the score that suits neither side but it's a likely result. At the same time it could swing in either direction. A fascinating game and I can't wait for the second half.
We're into the second half now. 1-1 at the 55th minute mark.
O'Neill produces a terrific save out of Stephen Harper.
End to end stuff here. You get the sense that something must give eventually. It's wide open.
Sheffield Utd. have scored in their match against Preston. Bugger!
Half an hour left for these sides to dig themselves out of the mire.
Come on, you Magpies!
Viduka really has been the bright spark up front for Newcastle today. He's been tireless in holding up the ball and laying off to players on the overlap.
Lovenkranz has come on for Gutierrez.
Nicky Butt charges through the area but is stopped - fairly - by Robert Huth.
Guthrie with yet another Newcastle corner...
too deep.
Jeremie Aliadiere is preparing to come on. Meanwhile it looks as if Shearer is getting ready to sacrifice his buddy Michael Owen. He's not happy.
So Obafemi Martins has the chance to be the hero. At this stage, I would have been tempted to throw three up front against the rickety Boro defense.
GOAL! And Martins has done it! First touch and he scores the £60 million goal. Inspirational change there and Martins ran straight at Shearer. The only Newcastle person who's not delighted is Owen.
Aliadiere nearly responds immediately.
That priceless goal lifts Newcastle above Hull City. They now have twenty minutes to hang on to this slender 2-1 lead.
Boro are pouring forward now trying to find that illusive goal. Corner to them now...
Harper holds well.
Into the last moments in the Championship playoff. It looks unfortunately as if the Blades will be going to Wembley to meet either Burnley or Reading.
Ten minutes left in this one...
Duff pulls Aliadiere in the most cynical way and picks up a booking.
Some in the Toon Army are visibly praying now.
Sheffield United have ended up 1-0 winners on the night.
Now it's Kevin Nolan's turn to foul Aliadiere and pick up a card. Has no one told that Jeremie is no threat at all?
Martins was away there but it was Stuart Downing who was back to tackle.
GOAL! That's it! 3-1 Newcastle. The ball played in from Guthrie is swept in by Lovenkranz.
Two substitutions and two goals. Shearer's earned his corn today.
Actually on the replay it was Viduka who knocked the ball in on a plate for Lovenkranz. He has been outstanding tonight and he trots off to be replaced to a standing ovation.
Into stoppage time with the whole of the Toon Army whistling the end of time.
Full-time: 3-1 Newcastle!
It's the result that we all wanted really. Newcastle have a life line. They still have an awful lot of work to do, but they have a chance. Meanwhile Boro are all but dead and buried, level with WBA on 31 points at the bottom.
Hey Bob,
I am back
So Newcastle are out of the drop zone
You say they have a lot to do but if Hull lose their next two games they are safe
I have on Football Matters
It better be good
So what did you think? Good show, eh?
I enjoyed it
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