http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/9344995/toons-north-east-domination Toon's North East domination Graeme Bailey looks at the impact the signing of Jack Colback has made on the North East as a whole, and he feels it highlights Newcastle's domination. The signing of Jack Colback confirmed one thing this week, Newcastle United's place at the top of the North East footballing ladder. Even with North East football in something of a malaise, with Middlesbrough stagnating in the Championship and Sunderland struggling to do anything but battle against relegation, Newcastle maintain a stranglehold on the region, despite their own much publicised struggles. Newcastle's fans are still far from happy with the status quo at St James' Park, but the signing of Colback will give them a big boost, and it underlines their place in the region even if their stature nationally has dropped considerably in recent years. Newcastle have had a distinct lack of success since their last major silverware back 1955 and they have seen rivals Sunderland and Middlesbrough both secure trophies in the intervening period. But still the place at the top of the North East football table belongs to Newcastle. The signing of Colback does not make this so, it merely emphasises the fact. It is very similar to when they raided another of their rivals Middlesbrough in 2007, almost seven years to the day before Colback, to land Mark Viduka. The Australia striker was a key figure and popular member of the Boro squad having finished as top scorer, but even despite their success and aims Boro could not stop Newcastle from snatching him. Boro were far from happy as a war of words ensued with Viduka, which even led to the normally restrained Boro chairman Steve Gibson say: "I was told very early it was about money and Mark would go to the highest bidder." Likewise with Sunderland, as despite flirting with relegation Gus Poyet's side almost came out of last season with more to shout about than Newcastle as they had a League Cup final appearance to go with their Premier League survival. There is also the small matter of Sunderland's excellent record at St James' Park, highlighted last season by a brilliant 3-0 win, which was mastermind by one Jack Colback. This leads us onto the Colback saga and Sunderland's reaction to his departure has only highlighted their disappointment; as they stated the move had left 'a bitter taste'. Sunderland were deseprate to keep Colback, a man who had come through their ranks and the news of Newcastle's interest seemingly spurred on the Black Cats to tie him down. But it was not to be and the lure of the move across the Tyne proved too much. While it is Colback's hometown club, just like with Viduka just a few years earlier it was a clear way of Newcastle firing a shot across the North East bows as a reminder of who is top dog. ---------------------------------------------------- So firstly even though we have far more success throughout our history and have more recently won a cup and have been in a final we are still below newcastle? Secondly the fact that Colback's hometown club is Newcastle doesnt come in to play..? Thirdly on what earth did Colback mastermind the 3-0 win over Newcastle...? Used to rate this journo
This has seen some...replies on twitter Andy @SAFCsource · 39m Sunderland signed Emanuele Giaccherini from Juventus, that proves which one of us is the bigger club. #GraemeBaileyFacts Andy @SAFCsource · 38m Remember Arnau? Eat it Barca. #GraemeBaileyFacts
Barcode fan signs for hometown club? Shock horror. By this standard then, the scum must be bigger than Manchester Utd after Mary Poppins signed for his hometown club? **** journalism from a **** journalist. He is a bitter Smoggie trying to have a go at SAFC without realising that no one here gives a **** about their crappy little north Yorkshire ****hole. Moving on then.
**** off, the only thing they could "dominate" at the minute is a pasty-eating contest at Greggs. And Boro are an absolute non-entity of a club who no-one gives a toss about, "derby" games against them are scarcely more significant than games against Fulham or Southampton.
The way Boro are going they may well be enjoying derbies soon with their real local rivals - Hartlepool.
Strikes me as a desperate jorno wanting to be loved like. In simple, brutal honest terms, most of us admit that Newcastle are, or at least are perceived as, a marginally bigger club. In truth, even the Mags themselves don't harp back to this that much in the grand scheme, we missed out on the boom years of the Premier League, while they had a local man revolutionize the club at the right time. As the Champions League was shaping Euro football, we didn't have the finances to keep up, is that something we should be ashamed of? No, not on any level, it's just the way the world can be. To hold up a player of limited ability as a supposed pointer, I don't even get where he was going with this article. The Toon fans aren't arsed about Jack, nor are we, rightly we do, and the club do, feel a bit ****ed off at the loss of finance, but that's business, not football. For me, I worry little about 'who's the biggest', in terms of Newcastle I only really care about wins the derby (until the day one of us wins something, does something of note..). If you have a Renault Clio, and your neighbor has a Renault Megane, would you really give a **** when you went to sleep at night? You both go to sleep wishing you had something a wee bit more special, but you live with it alright, cos what you have is sound enough and serves a purpose.
You shouldn't ask Billy to hit anything really mate. You'll not hear anything more from him until he gets his keyboard fixed.
A club that hasn't celebrated at Wembley for 60 years, not won a trophy in decades and was recently relegated isn't even top dog over Boro. Supporters who attacked police, assaulted a horse and regularly smash up their own town aren't top anything. Ashley owns the club lock, stock & two smoking phoneboxes ........ he's the only top dog in the NE because he's **** all over them.
Odd that mate, I have no idea why that is, probs a settings thing, but I wouldn't have a clue how to sort it. I think it's handy, sometimes you have nowt to add but want to acknowledge the post.
Absolutely spot on mate, these arguments about who's bigger over attendances/European pedigree/historical trophy wins are pointless. Both are big clubs with passionate fanbases, and both have underachieved massively over the last few decades bar a few bright periods for each.
Premier League Away Fans Ratings 2013-14: 1. Cardiff 8.05, 2. Swansea 7.4, 3. Hull City 7.34, 4. Southampton 7.25, 5. Arsenal 7.11, 6. Fulham 7.08, 7. Norwich 6.89, 8. Sunderland 6.87, 9. West Brom 6.78, 10. Newcastle 6.7, 11. Tottenham 6.69, 12. Man City 6.67, 13. Stoke 6.45, 14. Man United 6.41, 15. Aston Villa 6.34, 16. Chelsea 5.96, 17. West Ham 5.89, 18. Everton 5.71, 19. Liverpool 5.41, 20. Crystal Palace 4.79. I guess this makes us a bigger club then, it's about as significant as them signing carrot top... (this is based on us as the home team and how fans perceive the stadium, fans etc, if it was actually our away following, we'd be above 8th).
Spot on mate however there is a difference. When we look in the box were pleased if someone left anything better than that big round toffee that looks like an old penny. If the Mags look in their box they're expecting it to be full to the brim and not even one of the delicious purple ones missing. Sad thing is we're both usually disappointed
I used to like them toffees when my teeth were younger, was decent in January everywhere I went snaffling the leftovers, ha.
