Apart from Lua-Lua , the squad has incurred just eight bookings to eight different players.

Great record but is it hindering us? We can afford suspensions in midfield and I'd like to think we would get stuck in against Sunlung. I hope Speed is available in this game.

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2000

Answers

Let's not try and play the mackems at their own (mundane, unimaginative, dirty) game. We're a passing, footballing side, let's give them a lesson. Cloggers don't win trophies - well, apart from Leeds in the early '70's but the likes of Giles, Jones and Bremner could play a bit too. Whenever Newcastle have tried to try the rough stuff in the past against the likes of Wimbledon they've come unstuck.

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2000

Can't remember schything through a scuffling side this season. If the mackems midfield goes AWOL like Boror's we have a chance.

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2000

There's always a preliminary place in the UEFA cup for the team with the best fair play record, Maybees we're going after that?

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2000

"Cloggers don't win trophies - well, apart from Leeds in the early '70's".

Actually Dave, that team won remarkably little for a team that was the dominant foorce in the 1st Div for several seasons, so maybe you're spot on.
They did have some cracking players, but they were dirty and intimidatory, and really operated 'at the edge'.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2000

>>>>>just eight bookings to eight different players. Great record but is it hindering us?

I don't know if it's a great record but it's a great question. IF it were the case that a good disciplinary record hinders a team then it would surely be evident that the Laws of the Game ought to be changed. The Laws should certainly not favour cloggers.

The Leeds team could play quite a bit in the early 70's and were always challenging for honours. Whether they were much better or worse than others at the clogging game I can't recall too well. I believe there were more cloggers about in those days and it was more of a "man's game" as the euphemestic expression had it. :-)

I can remember my sadness at Pele being brutally kicked out of the 66 World Cup and such incidents are sickening. I also recall a Polish player clean through in the famous Tomaciewski game, being hauled back by McFarland (a red card under today's rules but not so then). I was at Wembley at the time and as Tommywhatsit pulled off save after incredible save denying England their entry to the WC finals I thought ruefully that justice was being done. I would have felt very uneasy about winning after a foul like that.

Although we've had our "hard man" heroes (Scoular, McNamee etc) I much prefer it if the game is balanced against the cloggers and favours artistry. It's nice to be near the top of the fair play league - it would be even nicer if we topped the Premier as well. How would you feel if we topped the Premier and were despised as cloggers? My own view is that I'd be very uneasy about it. For me, I'd have to say that winning ISN'T everything.

Just as well really for a Toon fan... ;-)

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2000

If we're picking up points towards the end of the season 'cos the majority of our best players are available, and not serving suspensions, then this will make perfectly good sense.
Apparently BR is particularly attempting to cut down on bookings for dissent which are always annoying and unecessary.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2000

Good point Clarky. Cards for dissent are so avoidable and therefore so stupid if they are incurred. That is very much YBR's way of thinking as I can testify. Last season I watched a youth match and had the good fortune to be sat directly in front of the young Newcastle manager. Whenever a United player made to remonstrate with the ref, Bobby would mutter to those around him, "Don't bother arguing son - he won't change his mind".

Very true, and hopefully a philosophy he is instilling in the first team.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2000

Having watched the talentless cloggers that are Leicester and marvelled at how they have risen to such giddy heights in the EPL, can I just add say that it's the most depressing spectacle ever...

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000