By the big river in South Shields, soundtracked by a busker slowly murdering Eleanor Rigby. Loved the chips, but bit disappointed to see Clarkson's lager alone on draft. Nothing more local?

First full day back in NE England and for some reason my son was far more interested in this zip wire than in my attempts to fill him in on the Venerable Bede and the 794AD Viking raid up the River Don. No accounting for taste.

Aye, gan on then.

On a lighter note, realised today is also the 8th anniversary of my last visit to Kyiv's Gazza theme pub. Here I am with @rungeordierun.bsky.social a day after he'd finished dragging several dozen kilos of wheeled vehicle single-handedly from Belgrade (an apt metaphor for following NUFC at times)

Some will be cheering this news but today feels very much like January 8th 1997 to me. Howe, like Keegan, gave everyhing he had and was let down by those above. A huge task now to find the right replacement because when this club loses momentum we've all seen how it goes.

"Even faster than the ongoing pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes."

Slow Tortoise Says 'Here I Come'

ALT: Slow Tortoise Says 'Here I Come'

static.klipy.com

now.arsenal@nowarsenal.bsky.social · last wk.

🚨Arsenal are close to signing a centre-back to address the issue created by William Saliba’s injury. According to Brazilian journalist Bruno Andrade, the deal is expected to happen even faster than the ongoing pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes and is described as really imminent. (1/2)

Can't wait for the reshuffle that takes Taylor Parkes to Culture and finally gives @camsell59.bsky.social the trade (exotic confectionery) and transport briefs.

When Saturday Comes@wsc.co.uk · 2w ago

The first WSC contributor to hold the office of Prime Minister – Andy Burnham for WSC 101, July 1995

Newcastle United about to sign a Czech goalkeeper, did you say?

Took the 30-min tram from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to the university/UNESCO World Heritage city of San Cristobal de La Laguna - like moving from Newcastle to Durham City but with a 10 degree temperature drop along the way.

Getting ready for the annual celebration of the 1797 Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (the one where Nelson lost his arm). La derrota de los ingleses...

So: Howay, KK. THREAD! Dig this. Me, me mates John & Frank crashed the press conference when Keegan was announced. Just finished a lecture on Ghiberti’s bronze doors. Wearing a homemade Cocteau Twins teeshirt. Signed ourselves in at Sid James’s as Sir John Junor, Julie Burchill and Kingsley Amis 1/

Not the best remembered KK game but one that still gives me tingles. 2-0 up after 10 mins, 3-2 behind by 26, and a man down on 55. Hooper's first touch is a penalty save, Beardsley levels late on. Midweek in spring, manic atmosphere and a team that always kept going: m.youtube.com/watch?v=cGzb...

Newcastle United 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur 1994/95

YouTube video by Super Tottenham TV

m.youtube.com

Devastated, like everyone, at the news, and also sad and angry that he never got the chance to come back so we could say a proper goodbye. RIP King Kev. Thanks for making us dream again.

Another year on, 298 killed on flight MH17 by Putin’s forces.

Michael Walker@mwalkerfoot.bsky.social · last yr.

One year on, an 11th anniversary. www.nytimes.com/athletic/564...

A very happy birthday to #NUFC's own @rungeordierun.bsky.social, who's celebrating by completing the 194th of 365 daily half-marathons to raise cash for @stbenedictshospice.bsky.social.

Mark Allison@rungeordierun.bsky.social · 3w ago

Day 194 and a bit of culture. I haven’t had any presents and it’s my birthday. I’m sure you kind followers can make that right by donating the price of a pint to St. Benedict’s Hospice via www.justgiving.com/page/rungeor... Please don’t let this be the birthday without any gifts.

No longer have the energy to get worked up about players we don't sign, but I was very annoyed when we lost out on this bloke in 1994 after a month of the Sunday Sun telling me he was definitely on his way. Even worse than the Chronicle splashing "YURAN" across its back page the summer before.

Ffs

Think Blyth Asda's going to need a new trolley tribute.

The calm of a Canarian sunset (post-listening to two people talking loudly about Leeds in between dive bombing the deep end)

Thoughts with the Spurs analyst on Twitter who said we'd vastly overpaid for Tonali in 2023 and he was worth about £15 million at best. In isolation, can't say I'm too disappointed with the deal, but we really do need 2-3 big signings very quickly or things might go a bit 2008.

Great trip out on the Atlantic today: saw a turtle, two dolphins, a whale, about a dozen flying fish, and - most unexpected of all - a Hellas Verona fan who's been to SJP for a pre-season friendly.

No World Cup goes by that I don't have nightmare visions of the 2010 North Tynedale Screaming Slaughterman Scarecrow.

Perk of the wife's job is occasionally getting free nights away. Will spend the next three trying to avoid doing a homage to the Still Game caravan episode while nipping downstairs for wine.

I know lots of people understandably have a form of #nufc transfer window PTSD after last summer, but before you completely give up on this one try reading this. If history doesn't repeat itself, it definitely rhymes: news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/fo...

Finally asked my most knowledgeable student about Victor Muňoz and he says "he's going to be a crack. He's got a big personality and I was really hoping he'd come back to Real Madrid". I'm in.

Alone in La Gomera.

Romano reckons #NUFC have already made an official bid for Muňoz, but Osasuna's local paper says the club have "assured them" they have zero knowledge of anything we (el equipo inglés) are up to. Sounds like someone's agent wants to speed things up a bit...

Hoping we do get Arthur Atta this summer as it's a continuous upward curve on #NUFC signings of people who used to play for Metz.

Obviously, highly recommend buying this but while you're there you should definitely check out 'Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters', 'Saturday, 3pm' and 'Black Boots & Football Pinks' too. Gorgeously evocative football writing.

Daniel Gray@danielgraywriter.bsky.social · 2mo ago

⭐️My book Sunday Best is only 99p on Kindle at the moment. You can't even get, er, a 99 ice cream for that. 🔗 shorturl.at/nGdFm

Coffee in the garden (not mine (!) but really lovely to have this place under 200m from my front door)