Remaining stubbornly focused on United matters during this Euro hiatus, I'd like to nominate my United fan of the Year as :-

Steph. Steph saw every home match in the 99/00 season. Been done before? Not by many without a season ticket! Excellent effort, queuing up during the week to get the tickets, and often getting them for other distant fans visiting for the weekend. Also a regular at reserves and the training ground and has a splendid collection of photos of herself with several Toon stars almost all of whom were transferred in the weeks following the photo. Funny that. Since this sequence was noticed, Steph has hounded the likes of Perez, Serrant, Brady and Maric with her camera, but the spell seems now to be broken.

Honourable mentions go to (in no particular order):-

Dougal. If you add up the time that Dougal spends at work and the time she spends at matches, by my reckoning it adds up to in excess of 365 days a year which as Coleman might have said is "quite remarkable". Most home games and most away games were attended despite living 300 miles away from SJP. Dougal did have the foresight to live in a house in walking distance of King's Cross, the "Dougal Hotel" which is generously given over as a home for waifs and strays during United's Wembley visits.

Ciara. Our resident Yank. Ciara doesn't get to see many matches but that she sees any at all is highly commendable, given that she has to travel from Boston USA to see the lads. Ciara is becoming besotted with all aspects of Geordie culture, has visited TGC, appeared in the matchday program, come over for a semi for which she had no way of getting a ticket and generally demonstrates a passion for The Toon which marks her out as a Geordie through and through, with only the accent giving rise to a scintilla of doubt on the matter. (-;

Val. No discussion of "Fan of the Year" could be complete without a mention of Val's sterling efforts in getting over from Hong Kong to see the matches. Excellent long time contributor to this forum, she and partner "Fifties Fan" are always a welcome sight at a game. I understand that in pre webcast days, Val would phone home from HK to listen to the radio commentary! Total and utter dedication.

Softie. A naturalised Geordie since moving here from Kent just to see the lads play. A BBS ever-present and designer of the very splendid and worthwhile Corinthian League with it's world famous Random Number Generator. (Well you have to take the rough with the smooth).

Mungomag. Mungo's record speaks for itself. For all I know he has attended every match, home and away, since before he was born - and possibly a few more besides. A magnificent effort.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Answers

Can't argue with that Jonno lad. Here! here!!! Bravo! etc etc nonsense.

Aye all deserve a mention.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Take 3 people NOT from Manchester but who follow Manchester United, all with fantastic records as match goers and Jonno will call them every name under the sun....and mean it.

Do the same with 3 Newcastle United fans and the sun shines outa their "mouths" :-)

What do ya say Jonno?

BTW...2 of the 3 are known Dudes...........no disrespect :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Oi! LR!

Can you help an expatriate keep up with colloquial English? What's a dude? And which two?

Howay man.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Sandy :-)...a Dude to me is not a cnut.....the two know who they are :-)

LR

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Can I add a nomination for the lovely Jonno himself? A dear, kind- hearted friend to all Toon fans, fount of United knowledge and the only reason I've been able to get to so many United games. Also, for his wonderful capacity for not getting too cross at my shrieks and the occasional thump as I get a tad over-excited. An honourable mention too for Rik for his wonderful website and his tireless efforts to get to the truth behind the headlines.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

For some unaccountable reason, I do seem to bug LR a good deal - that's rather made my day. (-;

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

I can account for it Jonno.....hypocricy, plain and simple :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

LR, there is a critical difference, which even the most blinkered "Red" must be able to see. United's lovely non-native fans support the Toon despite the fact that they've been crap for all but 3-4 years of the past 40 years. ManYew's non-natives were supporting Liverpool until about 1990.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Dear Aunt LR,

I hope that you can help me with these voices in my head. Since reading this thread a few minutes ago, the words "mawkish", "soppy", "slushy", "mushy" keep running around my heed.

Please tell me that I'm OK and not turning into a rotten snide nit- picking spoilsport

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Douggie...That's a joke isn't it?...I have to keep asking this question with a lot of your more recent comments. Do you know ANYONE who could possibly swap teams they support anyway...let alone going from Liverpool to United....now don't you start Zoe Ballin' me again ok :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Dear Sandy..I can see why you feel this way.....It happens a lot on here. Not only does everyone love the Geordies...but they all love each other. Get over it.....I've had to :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

LR,

I live in London. I meet all sorts who do follow whatever team is doing well. Sorry, it's true.

Anyway, what's Jools's world exclusive? Bit of goss about a City player?

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Well Douggie...London ain't the real world I'm afraid...and R U tellin' me U've met 40,000 ex-scousers?

Jools?...dunno!..Spoke to him couple of times today and I know there is something on RI wrt City signing someone decent...but I don't care. I don't even like football...I only Like United.......since '93 of course :-)

PS..Jools has got a nice bird...met her last weekend :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

This dish would have been a bit too rich for my palette if it hadn't been for the hint of bitterness added at just the right time by our favourite master chef LR. -)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Only here to "serve" PB....have ya noticed how I only "dish" up the truth? :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Urgh! Just found a pubic hair in the Mousakka!

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Problem with Marco-Pierre LR's restaurant is that if yer say the wrong thing you stand a good chance of finding Moussaka in your pubic hairs. Matty pubes and winnits - makes for a few sticky moments.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Looks like you've already visited my cafe Sandy :-)......

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

BUT LR, hypocrisy is a horrendously double edged thing. If you think it is okay for Man U fans to live and come form anywhere surely you must applaud people who do the same for Newcastle. Or do you just chuck dirt at the hypocritical Newcastle supporters for having a go at you. Now that WOULD be hypocritical.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

So let's get this straight; if he calls you hypocritical then he is being hypocritical because it is hypocritical to call someone else hypocritical for being hypocritical by doing etc etc etc

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

LR has an inability to read what I have written and tends to criticise what he thinks I have written.

ALL bar 1 of the individuals I mentioned were either born and bred in the North East, and/or live here now. The only exception is keen to emigrate to be here. So the point "Take 3 people NOT from Manchester but who follow Manchester United" was something of an irrelevance, much like it's author.

"Jonno will call them every name under the sun....and mean it."

LR uses NO EVIDENCE at all to support this contention. A contention, I have to say, which is simply NOT TRUE and which merely goes to show the depth of his own prejudice.

Isn't a tad churlish LR to interrupt this thread celebrating some of the BBS Toon Army's finest with your untruths and irrelevancies? I mean why should you care about this thread at all?

Oh I know - because I wrote it. (-;

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Clear the streets, lads. I feel a handbag war coming on.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Mac..I don't have an issue with out-of-towners. In fact, United's OOT are well respected by the homers. Jonno's hypocricy is side splitting tho'

:-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Sorry Jonno ..I didn't know John was born in the North East. I didn't know Steph was born in the North Eeast and fuck me sideways for not realising Kia-Ora was born in the North East too.

Every now and then a mass BB celebration of everthing Geordie rears it's head..I laff...take the piss (or the bait)..and you pretend not to get wound up. :-). It's a great game.

Ok..so some of these folk live there now...but whatever happened to the accustaion levelled at me that being NUFC is your BIRTH RIGHT..and as such me and the likes have to cling on to something to give us an identity...unlike yer good selves:-)

Again..being out-of-towners is NO issue with me. John knows me...and I know him. I respect the guy and I like the guy...same goes for the Cider Monster. However, you can put Kia-Ora's medal in the bucket mate....will she be getting flights "home" when yer fighting relegation, or does she just hang in there for the Wembley trips? :-)

Know what I mean :)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

LR

You were much nicer on the old BBS

Beardo

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Actually, I'm sick of NUFC never winning anything. I'm moving to Southampton to become a Newton Heath follower...We're gonna win the treble next season you sad Geordie bastards!

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Yeah! Man U are gonna win Euro2000 cos we've got Becks and Yorkie and Coley, while England have only got Shearer. Think I'll wear my new Red Sunday (Away) Domestic strip tonight, as my Black Champions League (Away) Wednesdays strip is in the wash. United! United! United!

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Selective memory Beardo...surely :-)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

On the subject of the first posting of this thread - I agree wholeheartedly with the nominations!(:o)

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Excellent news, Softie. You can move back to Canterbury to be near your new Red chums

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Hang on a minute...CPM (Cool Person's Magazine) tells me that for creibility I should support Manchester City next season. I think the shirt will compliment my eyes better and I'll be allowed to listen to Oasis again, even though they were officially passe 2 months ago. City 'til I die! I remember when they were relegated from the Allied Dunbar you know...

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Especially with Man City having those Kappa tracksuits which are so popular with dude kids these days. Coupled with the fact that teenagers will support Man City just to be different, City must be the team to support next year.

Although Alan Curbishley's Charlton have a nice stadium and they wear red without stripes so they must be a decent bet.

I may in actual fact be so fickle as to only support Napoli next year, sleeping giant returns to top flight, decent history and nice blue strip yes, that's it mind made up now, Napoli, yes absolutely.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

Mind you that lot from Noooccaaarrrseellll have a lovely old manager and they wear nice shirts and have a nice stadium and, and, and yes Newcastle United for me. Great team. I am a Toonie for ever.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2000

LR

>>>>Jonno's hypocricy is side splitting tho'

Despite being challenged to do so, you have failed to justify your slur of hypocrisy.

I will have you know LR that I am a person of integrity and not in any way a hypocrite. If you have any evidence to the contrary let's hear it.

I challenge you now. Put up or shut up.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

To paraphrase LR's opening gambit of:

>>>>>>Take 3 people NOT from Manchester but who follow Manchester United<<<<<<

The more difficult question would have to be, 'take 3 people FROM Manchester who follow Manchester United' - now there's a conumdrum that even Carol Bliddy Vordeman would be hard pressed to work out!

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

I'll have one from the Midlands and 2 from London please Carol ;-)

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

LR, I have to say that watching the game last night, there was me, a Hammer follower from Romford, a Norwich City fan and two Liverpool fans, neither of whom come from anywhere near Liverpool (although one claims to have met Jamie Redknapp last week). Have to say, the trains from London to Liverpool are jammed with Liverpool fans on a Saturday (as I learned when we played them a few months back). These tossers get on my nerves possibly more than your out of towners and I can almost hear myself singing "Spot the Scouser on the Kop". However, you and Liverpool have a common denominator - you've both had long spells of success and have had only the merest flirtation with relegation. Our lovely newborn Geordies chose the Toon despite its habit of ruining your life. Presumably even you can see that.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

And furthermore, LR, no one on hear talks of the Geordie birthright (mainly co sthere are so many internicine disputes about whether anyone from Gateshead is a Geordie). What we say is that being a Geordie is a state of mind, not an accident of birth. So divvent put words in the forum's mooth ((_; PS. Jools sent me the MU world exclusive. You seen it yet?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

And furthermore, LR, no one on here talks of the Geordie birthright (mainly co sthere are so many internicine disputes about whether anyone from Gateshead is a Geordie). What we say is that being a Geordie is a state of mind, not an accident of birth. So divvent put words in the forum's mooth ((_; PS. Jools sent me the MU world exclusive. You seen it yet?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

PS. Sorry for hideous spelling mistake ("hear"). I'm hungover. THe nuns would beat me with a rosary if they saw that..

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Would the nuns be annoyed at your drinking or spelling, or both? If they do beat you, then please take us through it in graphic detail. You can of course change names to avoid embarassment and put it on the Cartland thread, the recognised forum for sado-masochistic admissions ;-))

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000

Softie.......

and to make up the other six letters how about 2 from Devon and four from Hong Kong!

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000