TOWNSEND MAKES AN ARSE OF HIMSELF!
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger criticised referee Martin Hansson for allowing the controversial goal which left his side trailing in their last-16 Champions League clash with Porto.
But the quote of the week came from former Smoggy, Andy Townsend, the TV pundit who should sit at home and replay the video of the utter crap he talks on TV.
Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, deputising for the injured Manuel Almunia, was caught out of position to gift Porto an early lead. Then he made the howler of all howlers ... by picking up a back-pass from team-mate Sol Campbell.
Porto took the free-kick quickly and Falcao swept the ball into the net.
Andy Townsend: "The referee told Fabianski to hand over the ball, and that is what he did! He should have thrown it away, that shows his inexperience.
"I'm not cared what the referee said to him, he should have got rid of the ball."
Yes, without experienced goalkeeper cover on the bench, a red card for the Fabianski was JUST what Arsenal needed at that stage!
The fact of the matter - the referee got it right!
It was a backpass, the goalkeeper picked it up, the rules state it is an indirect free-kick.
There is nothing in the rules saying a player has to wait for the referee's whistle to take an indirect-free kick.
BIG NEWS ... OR DO WE REALLY CARE?
Lady Gaga may have stolen the show with a hat-trick of statuettes at the 30th Brit Awards last night but all eyes were on Cheryl Cole, who appeared without her wedding ring.
Newcastle-born Cheryl, whose footballer husband Ashley is at the centre of lurid newspaper allegations, gave a slightly chaotic performance of her hit song Fight For This Love when she faced the crowds last night.
It made the headlines on Tuesday, but do we really care?
Appearing without a wedding ring? If she appeared without her knickers ... now that IS a story!
THE MUPPETS FIGHT FOR THE SCRAPS!
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has ridiculed the idea of a play-off for the final Champions League place, claiming clubs "will be playing until the end of the century".
And surely we all have to agree? Well, not quite ... the clubs who would benefit from it are sticking to their guns.
I'm sure we all want to break up the Big Four - Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool - but isn't it best to do it over the season, rather than finishing seventh and claiming the right to the Champions League?
Aston Villa and Spurs have approved the idea ... which suggests neither of them REALLY believe they will finish in the top four!
Benitez is keen for the team which deserves to finish fourth to get the final spot and not complicate the season even further.
"I have to agree with (Everton manager) David Moyes.
"He said what would it mean for a team like Tottenham if they finish fourth and, after a fantastic season, have to play a team who finishes seventh maybe 20 points behind just to keep the competition alive?
"To play three, maybe four fixtures, when you don't have time with international football - when will you play, how can you play these games and what does it mean for the team that finishes fourth?
"Maybe we can do the same with the teams at the bottom of the table. If you finish fourth maybe you could play with the team who finished third from the bottom.
"Then during the whole season we can play 50 games and we don't have to rest so that will be fantastic.
"We can be in the office analysing the fixtures and creating different schedules and different things and the players will be injured.
"If we continue playing games we will end up playing three games a week - which is fantastic for the television companies.
"We are playing too much now. They were talking about the 39th game being played in Asia so if we now play the play-offs we will be playing until the end of the century."
Mind you ... we should probably keep quiet about this, because Newcastle finished TENTH when we qualified for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup back in 1968 ... and we WON THE BUGGER"
A THOUGHT FOR THE TRAVELLING FAN
Wolves have been handed a £25,000 suspended fine for fielding a below-strength side in the clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford in December.
Manager Mick McCarthy made 10 changes from the side which had triumphed 1-0 at Tottenham three days earlier.
Wolves then responded by recalling nine of the players that had been in action at White Hart Lane for the next league game at home to fellow strugglers Burnley - and won 2-0.
Personally, I believe (for once) the FA got this right ... although I would have slapped them with the fine, never mind suspending it.
4,000 Wolves fans made the trip that night and spend a lot of money supporting their team, only to see a team of reserves.
The fact of the matter is, the ex-Mackem showed no respect for those supporters!
If you have any feelings about these issues ... talk about it on our message board.
NORTH-EAST GIG GUIDE
Newcastle Utd Mad - Helping To Keep Music LIVE!
FRI 19TH FEB
MAGGIE ROSS & THE PHOENIX BLUES/THE MOJO HAND BAND
8pm - late / tickets £4 / door £5 The Benton Blues Club Four Lane Ends Social Club Behind Metro Interchange Newcastle
REQUIEM The Office South Shields
ROAD RUNNERS Stepney Bar, Newcastle
THE STROBES O'Neils Newcastle
JASPER HART BAND The Market Tavern, Chester-le-Street
SHOOTER The Station, Whitley Bay
SCRATCH THE SURFACE The Fat Ox, Whitley Bay
JUMP THE GUN The Causeway, Hartlepool
DIABLO £2.50 Houghton Buffs Houghton le Spring
BIG RIVER Steels Club SunderlaNd
LAST MINUTE Sleepers Station Approach Boldon
THE FORCE The Star Inn, Westgate Road, Newcastle
VINYL VAULT The Normanby Normanby
TUMBLIN DICE Hearts of Oak, Oakerside Drive, Peterlee
101 OX AND PLOUGH, WASHINGTON
CHRIS BANDERAS The Bell and Bucket 37 Norfolk Street North Shields
THE NEXT PISTOLS/KEYSIDE STRIKE The Forum, Darlington
SIX NOWT The Grand Bishop Auckland
HEAVY LOAD Magnesia Bank Camden Street North Shields 0191 2574831
FRANKIES CAFE Tudor Rose, Dunston
THE DUSTY TOOLS Easington Lane WMC
THE POOR BOYS EauZone Bar Norfolk Street Sunderland 0191 510 3189
THE PAUL RODGERS STORY Garricks Head Saville Street North Shields 07752 106 798
THE MASTER COLONY/ACOUSTIC WELLER 7pm Hartlepool Studio Tower Street Hartlepool 01429 424 440
GRAHAM RUSSELL Masons Arms Plessey Road Blyth 01670 356 537
OWASIS O'Neills Neville Street Newcastle 0191 261 7921
Clysis/God Save Romeo/Beyond Hell Princess Alice Newport Road Middlesbrough 01642 457 099
PIPE DREAMS Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland 0191 514 3844
LONGSANDS Station Killingworth Drive Killingworth 0191 268 1397
THE FORCE The Star Westgate Road Newcastle 0191 261 4343
RIOT The Three Tuns, Sherrif's Hill, Gateshead
THE NOTE Cleveland Hotel, Redcar
RATTLERS Lord Clyde Western Approach South Shields 0191 4558219
ANIMATE Daisy Hill, Heugh Edge, nr Sacriston, Durham
RELOAD DUNES - South Shields
THE FOUR KINNELLS Annie McCarthys Albermarle Road South shields
INVASION The Albion Ryhope Sunderland SR2 0MH
SOUL REBELS THE RIMSWELL STOCKTON
POWERAGE £6 doors 6.30 show finish 10pm
o2 Academy, Newcastle
FM The Alexandra Queen Alexandra Rd North Shields NE29 9AL 0191 257 4964
RICHIE JAMES BRIDGE INN, SPENNYMOOR
ROAD RUNNERS Wooden Doll, Hudson St, North Shields
ELENBAK The Blyth and Tyne, 38 Regent Street, Blyth, NE24 1LS 07790917853
THE STROBES The Bay Horse 38-40 Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland,
DAMASCUS T.J DOYLES Hanover Place, (behind B&Q), SUNDERLAND
CITIZENS ERASED Trillains, Newcastle
THE WHODLUMS The Blacksmiths armws, 200 Gosforth High Street, Gosforth
rainfalldown/Moira Stewart/Captain Trips/Purple Shards
World Headquarters, Newcastle
MAGNETIC CHERRY The Elephant, Ashington
SAT 20TH FEB
DIABLO £5 Poachers Cottage, Callerton
ROAD RUNNERS Harry's Bar Thornley
KNIGHTS IN SATAN'S SERVICE The Grand , Bishop Auckland
THE WHOLE HOG T J Doyels Sunderland
SNAKE OIL Lord Clyde Western Approach South Shields 0191 4558219
NAZARETH/DEBORAH BONHAM 02 Academy, Newcastle
MAGNETIC CHERRY CANCELLED
The Bell and Bucket 37 Norfolk Street North Shields
MUGSHOT The County, Sunderland Road, South Shields
SOMEONE ELSE’S OMELETTE Fat Ox Whitley Bay
SOMETHING REAL CANCELLED
The Borough, Sunderland
LAST MINUTE Earl Grey Gosforth
JUDAS BEAST The Three Tuns Sheriff Highway Gateshead
THE SUSPECTS The Cricketers, Blackhill
BULLET The Station Redcar
LIVE INJECTION Station Hotel, Station Hotel Billingham
BIG SI & THE YAWNS The Park Linthorpe Road Middlesbrough
DVD Billingham Catholic Club
TUMBLIN DICE Mickleton Village Hall
TUBESNAKE Whitburn Lodge, Whitburn
101 PELAW INN, GATESHEAD
ROCKERFELLA Ye Olde Horse Shoe,Crook
Beechy Colclough and His Band Tickets are £10 and £8 unwaged Drill Hall Berwick upon Tweed
THE BUSHWHACKERS Tap & Spile Darlington
THIS MACHINE Nikhs Blyth
GLADSTONE O’Gradys, Queen Street, Redcar
NO TIME FOR JIVE Magnesia Bank Camden Street North Shields 0191 2574831
FRANKIES CAFE Beamish Arms, Station Road, Beamish
SOMETHING REAL The Borough, Vine Place, Sunderland
The Stottin Headaches/Just Braggin The Masons Arms, Easington
VAN WILLIAMS EXP stanley central club, stanley
ACOUSTIC BEATLES Olympia Theatre at Liverpool
MUDSHARKS The Duke of Albany, Washington
THE DUSTY TOOLS Elmfield SC Hebburn
STAN Annie McCarthys Albermarle Street South Shields 0191 456 1231
FALLEN ANGEL Azure Blue Eastbourne Avenue Gateshead 0191 478 4326
LAST MINUTE Earl Grey High Street Gosforth 0191 285 0352
SHANGHAI Garricks Head Saville Street North Shields 07752 106 798
BLACK ICE 7pm Hartlepool Studio Tower Street Hartlepool 01429 424 440
ALAN RHODES Jolly Steward Fulwell Avenue South Shields 0191 427 2951
TOMMY AND THE ODDBALLS Moorhouse Front Street Seaton Burn 0191 236 8092
GLADSTONE O'Grady's Queen Street Redcar 01642 477 624
PAST AND PRESENT Rose & Crown North Street Winlaton 0191 414 2370
BRYAN ADAMS EXPERIENCE The Star Westgate Road Newcastle 0191 261 4343
PHIL CAISLEY'S DIRTY DOGZ The Tannery Gilesgate Hexham 01434 603 486
FM The Vic Front Street Cassop Co.Durham 07866 600 095
THE NOTE The Conchie, Ashington
FACESHREDDER/KEYSIDE STRIKE/PHALANGES METALIQUES/ANTI CLOCKWISE......(punk) 6pm start £4 ON THE DOOR The Duke of Cumberland, Sunderland Road, Felling
FEED THE BEAR WHEATSHEAF, ROKER AVENUE, SUNDERLAND
DRIVIN RAIN The Albion Ryhope Sunderland SR2 0MH
INVASION The Saltgrass Deptford Sunderland
THE BANDITS Bubbles, 58 Station Road, Ashington, Northeast NE63 9UJ
HEAVY LOAD ACKLAM IRON & STEELWORKS CLUB, MIDDLESBROUGH
ROCK LEGACY Easington Colliery Club Seaside Lane, Easington, SR8 3JZ Tel: 0191 527 0219
DAVE RIDLEY AND HELEN CLEARY Priory, Front St, Tynemouth
SOUL REBELS THE MILE HOUSE STOCKTON
FREEWAY The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal
COVERED TRACKS The Kingfisher Spennymoor
ROCKERFELLA The Old Horse Shoe, Crook
SAINT AND THE CYNICS/ICIs The Blyth and Tyne, 38 Regent Street, Blyth, NE24 1LS 07790917853
THE SKYWALKERS The Old Fox, Carlisle Street, Felling
RUSS TIPPINS ELECTRIC BAND The Barking Dog, Wallsend rainfalldown/Early
Maze/Static From Stereo The Milk Club (upstairs in Pure), Sunderland
SUN 21ST FEB
MAGNETIC CHERRY Clarendon South Shields
BLACK RIVER BAND 2-4pm Bensham Jockey Bensham Gateshead
BLACK RIVER BAND 8.30pm Schooner Inn Seahouses
101 The Normanby Normanby
GRAHAM RUSSELL The Kingfisher, Spennymoor
THE BUSHWHACKERS Grindon Club Sunderland noon
SIX NOWT The Star Newcastle 4 p.m.
ANNIE ORWIN BAND Magnesia Bank Camden Street North Shields 0191 2574831
999/TV SMITH/+ Three Tuns, Sheriffs Hill, Gateshead
Acoustic Buskers night Borough Arms Gateshead
RICHARD GARDNER The Cottage, Cleadon Village
THE REVOLUTIONAIRES The New Tavern, Speculation Place, Washington
WE3COLONELS The Ship, Wreckenton (6pm start)
DAVE BLACK Fox & HoundsMain Street Crawcrook 0191 413 2018 4pm
MUSICIANS UNLIMITED The Studio Tower Street Hartlepool 01429 424 440 noon
SPARTAN Rose & Crown North Street Winlaton 0191 414 2370 6pm
ACOUSTIC BLUES AND FOLK NIGHT Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland 0191 514 3844
ROAD DOGS Sour Grapes Newgate Street Morpeth 01670 519 069
RUSS TIPPINS ELECTRIC BAND WHEATSHEAF, ROKER AVENUE, SUNDERLAND MAGGIE ROSS AND PHOENIX BLUE Grindon Broadway S/C Gregory Road Grindon Sunderland noon
TUBESNAKE The Mill House, Birtley 0191 4151313
COLIN BARBER'S DUBLIN RAIDERS Easington Colliery Club Seaside Lane, Easington, SR8 3JZ Tel: 0191 527 0219
THE HEAVENLY THRILLBILLIES The Tyne Bar, Mailing Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
DAVE RIDLEY AND HELEN CLEARY The Vane, Silksworth , Sunderland **6pm start**
ROAD RUNNERS 6 P.M Prince of Wales, Waterloo St, Blyth
BUSKERS NIGHT WITH MARSHALL ACOUSTIC The Blyth and Tyne, 38 Regent Street, Blyth, NE24 1LS 07790917853