The chronicle have just Text my phone saying NUFC 10Mill bid for Andy Cole.........

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Answers

Any truth in the rumour

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Hope not

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Wow even the chronicle is in on the rumour act these days....I hope not as well....

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

It's quite good that phone text thing isn't it? 10M is too much and plus I think 'you should never go back'. Him and Al aren't exactly big mates are they?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

After his anti keegan song id have said stuff im , But with our injury prone strikeforce , I say get the lad NOW...

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

How do you get the text stuff on your phone and does it cost anything per message??

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I would say get him !! He is a 20+ goal striker !!!

Think of Shearer, Cort, Cole, Bellamy, Amoebi.

1 or 2 will allways be injured, we just need more players than the others !

(LuaLua isnt a striker !!)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

would only work with Beardsley :-) u19 star

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

unlikely considering bobs ferrari comments, but if Cole wants to go to Japan, then it may be his only chance. not for me though.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Hold my TeamPick..........

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I hope we are not going for him, anyway, he'll never come back here after all the medals he's won. He'll be kissing his England career goodbye

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

No No No No No No No No No.

NO!!!!!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Sorry, emotion got the better of me.....

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Re the text thing. There's an initial charge and then I guess they think the advertising for the Chron is worth it. Maybe it will make us all go out and buy the paper.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Hmmmm. He's a great player but nearer the end of his career than the beginning. We'll never get the £10m back so my rule of thumb on transfers goes against it.

However, he's a great player, I hold nothing against him (he wanted to stay here) and if there is MORE than that £10m knocking around then he might be the answer. I say "more" because I wouldn't want this to be a last desparate throw of the dice!

If it's true it signals ambition at the club which has to be a good thing. Be careful of over-ambition please. Oh - and bring back Beardsley - much too good (and far too old) for the U19s)!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

re the text thing, how do I activate it ??

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

ferraris, fowler...no

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Away mag - re text thing. Put this in your phone -

evechrontoon and then send to 07753978796

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Cheers Lynda!!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Didn't work for me Linda...never mind, i can do without rumours like that :))

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Didn't work? Did it work for you away mag? Actually you can't tell until they send you something. Don't think there is an acknowledgment or anything.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Anyone know how old Ac is?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

BTW - the storyis in the Manchester Evening News............No comment from the clubs.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Didnt work!!

Got a message back saying 'Unknown Command'

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Andrew Cole born 15 10 71, so he's just over a year younger than Shearer

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Oh dear. try again but put yur number in after the text. If this doesn't work let me know and I'll find out for you.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

If he signs and thats a big IF, Newcastle will have spent 27 million this summer on forwards. Surely we need to spend some on central midfield/defense. I personally think that Bellamy will be played in the beardsley role. However if that is the case Solano, Dyer, Bellamy, Robert, then what about Bassedas, Acuna, Speed, Lee. I think Lee could well be on his way very soon. AM

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Date Of Birth 15.10.71 Just coming to his 30th birthday. Maybe 2 seasons mint and then it's all steadily downhill from there.

Notice the benefit of buying young. Man Utd bought him 6 years ago at 23/24. A UK record fee of £7m. Six years use and now they get £3m profit. (Granted enormous transfer inflation since which must end sometime?) We bought him for less than £2m so made almost £5m profit. Players have to be carefully evaluated as investments. This one looks too risky to me.

I feel there must be better things we can do with £10m. Robert cost less. So did Dyer.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

nope that didnt work either!!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Toon News Toon News News £10m move to bring back Cole Aug 23 2001

Evening Chronicle Newcastle United have slapped in an audacious £10 million bid to try and bring Andy Cole back to St James's Park.

This is the amazing news The Chronicle can reveal tonight.

It's United's answer to the UEFA Cup disappointment and the fact that Carl Cort is likely to be out of action for around three months because of knee ligament damage.

And it's news that will be more than welcome to Newcastle supporters.

Neither Newcastle nor Manchester United would comment on the situation today - but Cole is aware of his former club's bid.

Now all United can do is to wait and see if Sir Alex Ferguson accepts their offer for a player who is no longer first choice at Old Trafford.

And just as important whether Cole would be prepared to return to the North-East or wait and see if there is any interest from London or indeed abroad.

But United will discourage any talk of their prize asset Kieron Dyer being involved in an deal.

Cole is clearly not happy with his situation at Old Trafford following the £19 million signing of Ruud van Nistelrooy and the pairing of the Dutch international with Paul Scholes as Ferguson's first line strike force.

And certainly his body language when he came on as a substitute in last night's 2-2 draw at Blackburn Rovers was not that of a player who is happy with his current lot.

Ironically Keith Gillespie, the player who was the makeweight in the £8 million package which saw Cole move from St James's Park to Old Trafford in January 1995,

scored an absolute belter which almost gave Blackburn a surprise win last night.

Says Cole: "It is frustrating to sit on the bench. We all know that only 11 players can start a game but this does not mean you have to like it.

"There must be something wrong with anyone who does."

Cole became a United folk hero when he helped himself to 68 goals in just 84 appearances after Kevin Keegan paid a mere £1 million for him just before the transfer deadline in 1993.

The striker is only 29 and obviously still has a lot to offer but he knows his England chances are being badly affected by his current situation at Old Trafford.

The irony of the current situation will not be lost on Cole and his big pal Lee Clark.

Clark would gladly have returned to St James's Park in the close season if he had been given the chance.

And now, if Ferguson accepts United's bid, Cole will be given that chance.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

re text service. Don't know what else to do. Will get back to you when I find out!!!!!!!!!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

PRESS CONFERENCE CALLED THIS AFTERNOON.

LOCAL RADIO HAVE REPORTED THAT THE DEAL IS DONE!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

No I don't believe you. This is another press conference wind up isn't it?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

No lies.......

Just announced on Century Radio!!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

It's a mackem wind up....T C isn't a name i've seen on here before...

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

That gadgie with the tattoo on his arm will be mighty relieved.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

It just can't be true. Cole is a good player, but i question his attitude towards NUFC the recent years. At 10 million quid i might have looked elswhere.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

a lot of money... too much money.

Q. Would he want to come back?

BBC also rumouring we are after Yorke..... YAWN!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

After last night's performance, I could see SAF wanting rid of RvN. £10M?? Just about the right price for him, as long as he get's his hair done proper like.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

neechance

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Gav.........I am no mackem! Watch your mouth or I'll....... err cry!!

I used to post the odd message on the old BBS and then when we swapped over, a few on this newer one. I havent posted for ages on here but have always lurked in the background keeping an eye on postings.

As for the Andy Cole story and the press conference I am only reporting what I have just heard on Century..........unless that was a wind up! The Andy cole story was mentioned first off in the report and then they went on to say a press conference was arranged for this afternoon.

THEY DID NOT RELATE THE 2 STORIES, BUT DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS!!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Agree with awaymag - priority is central midfield.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I remember you TC!

Is this a special press conference or a regular one???

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

or am I thinking of TJC?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Geordie.........you probably are thinking of TJC, who I think used to post on the board regularly.

I have only posted the odd message in the past. I sometimes used TC, but on other occassions possibly TC2000.

Century did not say what the press conf was for......only that one was arranged.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I have just heard it on Metro through their new webcast service (which works through firewalls - hooray) as an "unconfirmed rumour". Surely he's far too old - funny the Chronicle says "only 29" - to pay 10M for? Is he out of contract soon anyway? maybe we can wait until his price goes down? But then he'll be even closer to his pension.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

IF there is a press conference I rather would think it's that french midfielder .COM wrote about today.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Sorry TC :)) I do indeed remember TC2000....

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

That gadgie with the tattoo on his arm will be mighty relieved.

He'll be well p*ssed off. He had it amputated last week! :-)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I'm still here - see Van Der Vaart thread!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Anybody else confirm that a news conference has been called??

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

cole would be a good signing still got plenty of pace and a decent finisher. he may be 29 but he has plenty to prove and he has the motivation of the WC. hope it works out.

forget the 10mil, its not your money and the time to win games is NOW!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Yes, please, could someone confirm this?! I can't leave work until I know... Though I do get good overtime bonus so what the heck. :)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

This will not happen. I hope I'm wrong but I just can't see it.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

its not your money

As a shareholder I can lay claim to about 2p of it. :-)

No, I welcome the lad back - always loved him from when I first saw his bemused entry to the players entrance at SJP surrounded by autograph hunters and fans. He looked very focussed and determined and he was shortly to prove one of the greatest goalscorers ever seen at SJP. Anything he has done at OT means nothing to me - he would have stayed here if we had wanted that.

I do feel that £10m could have been better spent, but I'll rejoice to be proved wrong, and if he scores a hat-trick on Sunday I will have no qualms about a further £5m being handed over to OT as a goodwill gesture!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

What time is this press conference?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

IF he were to sign(I really doubt this one), and IF he scored a hat trick on Sunday, I might be able to try to start possibly liking the miserable whinging get. Still rather see us spend 10mil on a strong central midfielder.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Jesus: I really wish this hadn't come up. I'm all excited now although my instinct says it's a crock of shit.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I just thought - is he the makeweight in a Dyer to ManU deal?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

This could be to announce Distin as a signing, not Cole.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I'll be quite dispondent if we sign Cole. I dont rate him that much. I think Bobby may be losing the plot. Our midfield is a disgrace, 10 mill could go a long way to sorting this out. Of course Bobby may have a cunning master plan which no-one knows about. Here's hoping!!!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Century Radio have now dropped the news conference claims and are saying that Coles agent reckons its rubbish.

The clubs are still yet to confirm/deny.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Well that was interesting while it lasted!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

to the sound of a quietly closing door.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Eternity in an hour. sigh. Better get to a pub straight away.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

BBC teletext reporting that Newcastle deny any move for Cole

Where the hell does Alan Oliver get his info from

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Okay so it looks like we have 10 mill to spend on someone, surely we can get a good midfielder with that kind of money. Bobby said he was after someone and hoped to get him in before the start of the season. Well the seasons started and I for one shudder at the thought of veron, scholes, keane, giggs and beckham waltzing passed speed and lee.

AM

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

passed speed and lee? now theres a double meaning

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

"Where the hell does Alan Oliver get his info from" Sales are down, the editor is on your back and you have a choice. Billboard 1 says "NUFC have bought no-one and sold no-one, no-one has a new injury and no-one has recovered from injury". Billboard 2 says "£10M move to bring back Cole" Which as a reporter do you go for. EXACTLY!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Id go for 'no-one has a new injury' as that is big news as far as Newcastle are concerned!!! :0)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Cliff, the Mag once ran an article taking the piss out of made up summer Chronicle stoires, the nest being "Newcastle sign 4 internationals, picture exclusive". An obvious sales hike to find out the Falcons had bought big.

After the article the Chronicle took the Mag to court for saying they mad eup stoires. Mark Jensen either had to print a complete apology, or face personal bankruptcy if he lost the case.

Be careful waht you say on here then, as for me I think the Chronicle has some of the best journalism in the known world.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Alan Oliver probably gets his transfer info from the same source as his match reports. Gillespie scores, giving Blackburn a surprise win? I don't think so. A nice 2-2 draw more like.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Did the Mag feature a pot and kettle on the cover of that issue? ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I saw MANU's chief exec interviewed live on Sky Sports. He was asked about Cole and said there had not been any approach from Newcastle.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Everyone's denying it now - so there must be some truth in it!

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Was that on the same lines as when they didn't make an approach for Jaap Stam? It seems odd that they both said no comment at first then both denied it - suspicious mind me.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

I believe both Clubs have denied that a bid has been lodged. That may be technically correct, and it could still be entirely possible that discussions are ongoing. Any breach of absolute confidentiality in such discussions could be acutely problematical for both Clubs.

This is one rumour where I have suspicion that there is no smoke without there being at least a latent conflagration. ;o{)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

The following are Andy Cole's comments when asked about the current speculation :

"You never know in football. Contracts are a piece of paper and if Clubs decide they want to cash in on you, then that's their decision.
You get to a certain stage in your career where you want to be playing week in week out and if you're not you find it difficult.
You do start to say to yourself, 'I want to be playing so I might have to consider my future'. You never know."

Interesting - doesn't sound to me that he's dismissing the idea as readily as his Club profess to be.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

God in heaven help us...

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Cole? Newcastle? The Sports Editors must have their brains in overdrive dreaming up a headline for this one...

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

So what makes him think he'll get regular first team football with us? He'll be racing Shay to Bobby's office to slap in a transfer request the first time he's benched. And with our luck they'll run into each other, both breaking a leg and spend 6mos on the treatment table.

Gotta start getting pessimistic before Sunday. It's the only way we'll win. ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Too much optimism in that last line Ciara... :-)

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

According to 5 live news the Cole story is in the morning's Express and Star. Obviously newspapers of that quality will have done their own independent research and won't have copied Alan Oliver willy- nilly.

Will they?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

You're right Jonno. We're going to get tonked. We'll finish the match with only the groundsman on the pitch as our starting XI, coaches, and subs will all be carted off in the first 10min with the plague.

Hmmmm.....this isn't working. Perhaps I should dig up my tape of the infamous YMO hand-rubbing match....

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

WHAT A TERRIBLE THREAD - PLEASE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - I can't stand the b@st@rd (+ he's $h!te), you'll NEVER see me on here again if YBR signs him, PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSE, NO FERGIE rejects!!!!!!

If I knew HTML this would be in a bold font and underlined!

:-(

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

you'll NEVER see me on here again if YBR signs him

Shall we have a whip-round?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - I can't stand the b@st@rd (+ he's $h!te)

Now now Alan - it's nice to see you on here but it's very bad form to post under somebody else's name. Look after that knee on Sunday won't you.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Thanks lads:

I we re-sign that @unt I'm giving up supporting the Toon:

- I detest is attitude - he is $h!te, he needs 10 chances to score one - it will show the club has ZERO ambition, he is 29 year's old (only 1 less tha Shearer!). - why do we need / want a Manure reject; if he's not good enough for them then he's not good enough for us.

:-(

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

And since when were we arrogant enough to believe we are as good as MANUre? They are class, we are not. Their rejects can be our best players. Why not go for Ole G however?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Nick, I'd accept 'Baby face', but NEVER Cole.

This is just my opinion - apart from disliking him intensely I do not rate him as a footballer, he misses many, many chances, not just by inches!

If we're trying to emulate Manure, how would buying their rejects / 'over the hills' accomplish that goal?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Harrods interested now (www.soccernet.com). The wa*k pull of London might prove too strong ...

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Please Al (Fayed), take him from under our noses, I'll give you my British Passport OK?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Stop stressing Bud mate.....he ain't coming to us....it's all newspaper bollox :))

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

One possible scenario is that Man Utd got the whole story going in order to actually set the price they were wanting...

(Fade to the Man Utd board room - large mahogany table, suits, leather chairs, lush carpeting, the scene only slightly jarring with the sight of rather too many pictures crammed onto the walls of teams in red shirts holding trophies. An old man is asleep in one of the chairs mumbling something about 1966 but the rest ignore him)

"Right lads - let's sell him for £10m at least. All we need to start the bidding is a gullible journalist somewhere ...."

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

OK Gav, I'm gannin' oot for few bevvies now (a la Screach last neet), when I get back in a few hours (full of ale) I hope this Cole cr@p has subsided, better still, disappeared! :-(

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Have fun mate...it'll all be forgotten by the time you get back....we'll be back on the signing ronaldo story...

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Bobby has denied any move for Cole. Also says that Shearer won't start on Sunday.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

There you go Bud, i told you it'd all be forgotten....everyone's happy now cos Shearer isn't starting and Andy cole isn't coming...oh, hang on the Mackems won't be happy with Shearer not starting ;))

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Just a moment - we're not done with this yet - there's still some unfinished business here isn't there?

What about the Alan Oliver lynching party?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Oliver will just change it to say, Newcastle's bid was pulled at the last moment, but that they are still monitoring the situation, and expect the story to reseurface when Dyer is fit again.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

In the ronnie he's saying. Fergie tells toon to forget 10mill swoop. However he says "Yet a newcastle source told me pointedly today that Cole would NOT be signing for Fulham - and the full significance of this remark remains to be seen . He's a great handle of punctuaution , hasn't he?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001