First game in the new year and we commenced it with where we left off in 2011, with a defeat but the defeat this time, our third in the league already this season was a resounding one. The defeat was as resounding and as one-sided as the trashing we got in St. James’ Park in 1996. The score-line reflected it to an extent. There was much talk pre-game about Manchester United responding from the disappointing defeat we suffered at home in our last fixture of 2011 at the hands of Blackburn Rovers and coming out fighting like wounded tigers but instead, we responded meekly like tame cats. Read the full story

To any Manchester United fan who remembers the mighty cross town battles with Manchester City in the late 60′s and early 70′s, today is a very sad day indeed. Former City and England international Mike Doyle has died at the relatively young age of 64 after being treated for liver failure. Doyle was part of the City team that won the English League title in 1968, the FA Cup in 1969, and the European Cup Winners and League Cups in 1970. He scored City’s first goal in the 1970 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion and skippered their 1976 League Cup winning side against Newcastle United – their last major honour until they won the FA Cup last month.

Read the full story

So it turned out to be the old chestnut. Did Manchester United gain a point or did they lose two in the title chase? An answer may be provided in 24 hours when Arsenal face Spurs in what could be their last chance to stay in the race. The bottom line is that United surprisingly failed to find the net for a second successive game. Credit must go to Newcastle however for a spirited defensive performance which enabled them to hang on to their point despite facing a second half barrage.

Read the full story

Rather than presenting a Manchester United view on what can reasonably be regarded as our biggest game of the season, let’s  have a look at what a Newcastle fan thinks about our visit to St James’ Park. Ed Harrison admits that “We don’t expect anything out of the game with United on Tuesday night. Maybe that’s because Newcastle cannot field anywhere near their best team, with all the injuries and suspensions the club has had this year. Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan will miss the game through suspension and Ben Arfa, Dan Gosling, Leon Best and Alan Smith are all out with injuries, although Gosling is back in training since last Wednesday, which is some very good news.

Read the full story

Rather than presenting a Manchester United view on what can reasonably be regarded as our biggest game of the season, let’s  have a look at what a Newcastle fan thinks about our visit to St James’ Park. Ed Harrison admits that “We don’t expect anything out of the game with United on Tuesday night. Maybe that’s because Newcastle cannot field anywhere near their best team, with all the injuries and suspensions the club has had this year. Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan will miss the game through suspension and Ben Arfa, Dan Gosling, Leon Best and Alan Smith are all out with injuries, although Gosling is back in training since last Wednesday, which is some very good news.

Read the full story

I automatically have a deep mistrust, resentment and loathing of any football fans that bestow upon themselves the title of “Best Fans In The World™.” Not only does this statement indicate a willing and almost purposeful ignorance of the abundance of other incredibly passionate, committed and supportive fans of other football clubs from all around the world who may be worthy of such a title, it also seems to surmise in most cases that being the “loudest” fans translates into being the “best” fans.

Think of Newcastle fans, one such group of self-proclaimed “greatest” fans. They seem to define being a great fan as protesting outside the club at 11am on a Tuesday morning when everyone else it at work, because the local post-box hasn’t been proclaimed as an accurate, 1:1 scale representation of Kevin Keegan’s phallic endowment, or something to that effect. Had it not been for the astringent criticism and heckling of one Sam Allardyce in the form of protests and the like by the Newcastle fans back in the 07/08 season, Allardyce would probably have still been in a job come the end of the season and, based on what most experts and pundits believe, they would have most likely not been relegated that season. However, the fans believed that their “passion” justified their deluded, myopic beliefs, and that their actions only went on to enhance the credibility of the claim that Newcastle fans are the “best in the world.” Well, it now appears that Liverpool fans are in on the act as well. Read the full story