... The Telegraph.
They arrive on Tyneside with a story already prepared, and just want some sucker's name to add to it.
You have your interview, of which 99.5% goes in the bin, and you don't find out what's going into print until you buy the newspaper and see it.
I was once sat in the Strawberry pub at Gallowgate with this guy before a match against Man Utd. He asked "what is the worst thing you don't like about football these days?"
I pointed to the Man Utd fans passing the window and said: "The gloryseekers that follow Man Utd - it's the age old question - how many come from Manchester?"
That was translated into print: "... and he said he hates the new age of Gloryseekers who have latched onto Newcastle." !
So ... here is the latest Newcastle article from the Telegraph, describing Newcastle United as a "slag heap".
By Luke Edwards
"There is something unpalatable about the way Mike Ashley runs Newcastle United, whether it is the banning of newspapers, the trampling over history in order to promote his own business interests or the apparent disregard for the feelings of long-suffering supporters.
"Newcastle have been an ugly club to cover for much of the year, a slag heap of arrogance, self-interest and callous decision making, fertilised by an over-sensitivity to criticism which sours the reputation of the board and, at times, manager Alan Pardew.
"Yet, from the slag heap grows a rose, a beautiful flower with a sturdy stem. A fine football team has blossomed again on Tyneside and it deserves praise.
"Not only have Newcastle won five out of their last six league games to move up to seventh, three points off the Champions League places, they have beaten Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United during that impressive run.
"Much of the credit must go to Pardew. He came perilously close to losing his job at the end of last season. Newcastle were abject in the final weeks, but they had been poor for most of it. Between Oct 28 and Jan 29 the Magpies won two out of 18 games in all competitions, losing 12.
"Pardew foolishly believed his team were safe from relegation in March, but in the end they only scrambled over the line on the penultimate weekend by winning 2-1 at already relegated Queens Park Rangers.
"The 3-0 home defeat by Sunderland and the 6-0 thrashing that followed to Liverpool at St James’ Park in April were the low points of a dismal campaign and Ashley toyed with the idea of sacking Pardew for weeks.
"It was a season full of excuses. They should have signed several players the previous summer after storming to a fifth-placed finish, but didn’t and then blamed the Europa League for all of their woes as it stretched a small squad unable to cope with a European campaign.
"There was a collective complacency at Newcastle last season that almost cost them their place in the Premier League and Pardew his job, but he has rebuilt the team from the rubble of that campaign.
"The squad remains a small one, but without European football to drain and distract, Newcastle have got away with it.
"There are problems to be addressed in the future. The club should be looking to add to the squad in January, but will Ashley listen to the arguments to strengthen when results have been so good since he ignored the same ones six months ago?
"Cabaye will almost certainly agitate to leave again in the summer, so too might Coloccini and the out of favour Hatem Ben Arfa, while Ameobi will be out of contract.
"These things can wait. For now, Newcastle fans can sit back and admire the rose that has grown so proudly out of the mess they had allowed themselves to become."
Ah well ... he gets there in the end. However, you don't get the impression he would like to live in Newcastle, do you?
It's probably better for us all.
Saturday December 14
12:45 Manchester City v Arsenal
15:00 Cardiff City v West Brom
15:00 Chelsea v Crystal Palace
15:00 Everton v Fulham
15:00 Newcastle United v Southampton
15:00 West Ham United v Sunderland
17:30 Hull City v Stoke City
Sunday December 15
13:30 Aston Villa v Man Utd
13:30 Norwich City v Swansea City
16:0 Tottenham v Liverpool
IDEAL FOR CHRISTMAS
MAGPIES IN EUROPE -
HARVEY TO PARDEW
The official new title is "Magpies In Europe - Harvey To Pardew" and is an up-dated version of "From Antwerp To Zurich" - which includes the 14 Europa League fixtures we played last season.
The 280-page book features match reports from the 134 European matches Newcastle United have played, starting with the memorable 4-0 win over Feyenoord in 1968 on our European debut.
Included are stats and the figures you would expect, but also each away fixture has the remarkable experiences of individuals who travelled to watch the matches.
Introduction by "Big Bad" John McNamee, part of the Fairs Cup winning team of 1969.
It is a fascinating history that every Newcastle United fan will enjoy.
And with a limited print-run, make sure you order a copy.
Mail order: Send a cheque for £10.45 made payable to K.Fletcher to:
K Fletcher, 5 Dunelm, Sacriston, Durham DH7 6NU
Include your own address.
ON SALE NOW AT:
M&M City News; 140 Northumberland St, Newcastle NE1 7DQ.
The Flower Shop, Spennymoor, Co Durham.
RRP: £10.95
if you want to order, contact us:- Kevnumad@fsmail.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2013/14
PREMIER LEAGUE
MAN UTD 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Cabaye)
Krul, Debuchy (83' Yanga-Mbiwa), Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye (78' Shola Ameobi), Tiote, Anita, Sissoko, Remy, Gouffran (57' Ben Arfa).
Subs: Cisse, Gutierrez, Elliot, Obertan
SWANSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson (77' Yanga-Mbiwa), Coloccini, Santon (56' Haidara), Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran, Shola Ameobi (67' Obertan), Remy
Subs: Anita, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 2 WBA 1 (Gouffran, Sissoko)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Sissoko (90+5' Cisse), Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran, Shola Ameobi, Remy (84' Anita)
Subs: Ben Arfa, Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi
NEWCASTLE 2 NORWICH CITY 1 (Remy, Gouffran)
Krul, Yanga-Mbiwa, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye (68' Anita), Gouffran (83' Ben Arfa), Shola Ameobi (74' Cisse), Remy.
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi
TOTTENHAM 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Remy)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote, Gouffran (85' Obertan), Remy (75' Cisse), Shola Ameobi (60' Anita).
Subs: Coloccini, Ben Arfa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 CHELSEA 0 (Gouffran, Remy)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote (53' Anita), Gouffran (85' Obertan), Shola Ameobi (62' Cisse).
Subs: Ben Arfa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Tavernier.
SUNDERLAND 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Debuchy)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Dummett, Santon, Sissoko (45' Cisse), Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran (86' Sammy Ameobi), Ben Arfa, Remy (70' Shola Ameobi).
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Elliot, Obertan.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 LIVERPOOL 2 (Cabaye, Dummett)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Cabaye (78' Sammy Ameobi), Tiote, Gouffran, Sissoko (45' Dummett), Remy, Ben Arfa (78' Anita).
Subs: Cisse, Elliot, Obertan, Dummett.
CARDIFF CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Remy 2)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Tiote, Cabaye (86' Ben Arfa), Gouffran, Sissoko, Remy (71' Gutierrez), Cisse
Subs: Anita, Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
EVERTON 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (Cabaye, Remy)
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa (46' Williamson), Coloccini, Santon, Tiote, Anita (69' Cisse), Ben Arfa (46' Cabaye), Sissoko, Gouffran, Remy
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 2 HULL CITY 3 (Remy 2)
Krul, Debuchy (86' Tiote), Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye (62' Gouffran), Anita, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Cisse (73' Marveaux), Remy
Subs: Williamson, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
ASTON VILLA 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ben Arfra, Gouffran)
Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Anita (74' Tiote), Cabaye (88' Sammy Ameobi), Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Remy (63' Gouffran), Cisse
Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, S Taylor, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 1 FULHAM 0 (Ben Arfa)
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita 65' (Cabaye), Marveaux 74' (Remy), Shola Ameobi 65' (Gouffran), Cisse
Subs: Gosling, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 0 WEST HAM 0
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita, Marveaux 66' (Sammy Ameobi), Shola Ameobi, Cisse 72'
Subs: Gosling, Bigirimana, Elliot, Vuckic, Dummett
MAN CITY 4 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, S Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Sissoko, Tiote, Gouffran 45+4' (Dummett), Ben Arfa 65' (Sammy Ameobi), Gutierrez 44' (Anita), Cisse
Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, Obertan
LEAGUE CUP
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 2 (AET)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara (45 Dummett, 80 Ben Arfa), Anita, Tiote, Gouffran, Sissoko, Shola Ameobi (66 Cabaye), Cisse
Subs: Remy, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi
NEWCASTLE 2 LEEDS UTD 0 (Cisse, Gouffran)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Gouffran (90' Vuckic), Anita (80' Gosling), Tiote, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Cisse (71' Obertan).
Subs: Ben Arfa, Yanga-Mbiwa, Bigirimana, Alnwick
MORECAMBE 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi)
Elliot, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Good, Dummett, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux 88' (Sissoko), Vuckic 46' (Shola Ameobi), Sammy Ameobi, Gouffran 71' (Ben Arfa)
Subs: Santon, Anita, Alnwick, Streete
Newcastle United Fixtures
Saturday December 14
15:00 Premier League
Newcastle United v Southampton
Saturday December 21
15:00 Premier League
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United
Thursday December 26
15:00 Premier League
Newcastle United v Stoke City
Sunday December 29
13:30 Premier League
Newcastle United v Arsenal
Wednesday January 1 2014
15:00 Premier League
West Brom v Newcastle United