Tyne - Wear Derby Fixture Always in October?

This may seem like a trivial question, but is there any particular reason why there is always a Tyneside derby just before Halloween?

The fixture has occurred in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and now 2013. Due to relegations and such, we have played them in October 6 out of the last 7 times, with 2011 being the only exception, when Ryan knocked it over the wall in August.

It just seems strange how it keeps happening is all.

 

Tyneside?

 

Lest ye shall forget.

 

They must have a friendly with Gateshead every October.

 

One of the fixture headaches is the element where fixtures are managed so as there are never local sides playing at home together? I.E us and Sunderland. Everton, Liverpool. The Manchesters etc? This formula reduces the flexibility of holding any match any where.
Then there's the "super Sunday's" which can't possibly happen by accident.
There may also be advisory rules relating to distance travelled on bank holidays and such. But that might just be a fantasy thought up by a non millionaire supporter.

 

The most enjoyable thing this summer is reading the mackem board. So amusing, they're back to their usual misplaced over confidence. Love it.

 

we cannot wait to play you on 27th Oct !. Italy, Argentina, USA internationals coming here ! we WILL be confident next season Altidor scored 31 goals in Holland last season!, best I've felt as a SAFC supporter in 30 years!.
P S I have said before It would be great for us both going for that 4th champions league spot next may instead of the usual dog fight, which won't happen for either of us.

 

Have you seen the players coming in. Most of us know they'll take time to gel and the most we're asking is safety from next season. We're not gonna apologize for being happy that our club is getting it's act together. Different world to your charade. Sensing sour grapes.

 

Not at all. Quite happy with our squad, we need a couple of additions but there is plenty time. I have seen the players coming in. They may be good signings, time will tell. Just like your manager. Same with us, we signed a bunch in January who looked top players, they may well come good. Hand on heart I'd still rather have our squad all day long. Quite with our lot, get a couple of strikers and I'll be delighted. Despite the relative league positions which never lie, I'll quite happily say we I don't think we needed the major overhaul your lot did.

That wasn't what I was getting at really, its the mocking of ourselves threads and people going overboard about your new lads before a ball has even been kicked. I say keep it coming, these things have a habit of biting folk on the arse. I think some of your lads are hoping for more than survival the way they are talking.

 

JK moving mountians like?

 

Or maybe, just maybe not everyone is a miserable barstool.

 

I would suggest you stop looking up statistics like that and go to the pub.

Is there a conspiracy to have the fixture always put in the same place?
Maybe it's the Police insisting on it?

 

Some are setting up themselves up for a fall yeah, and some are doom mongers, different situations bring each of them out. All clubs have them including your own, the vocal minority. but most are optimistic and rightly so.

You were thin last season and it looks like you'll be thin this season. IMO in addition to the two marquee signings you need, do you not think you need a small handful of squad players to bulk out the squad? For two season running you've suffered quite a few injury crisis, I know UEFA cup had a bearing but still. But if you think the depth is there, fair enough, you're more in the know than me.

We are gonna mock you, and you'll mock back, back and forth, back and forth. Most of piss take has been at Joking ear (which is fair and I've read some of you sticking the boot in yourselves) and not you the fans, we've shown a lot of empathy to you guys.

 

To be fair, at least SAFC are actually doing something to improve their squad. Our new DOF just mouths off in the press and then sods off on holiday. Great! I don't blame SAFC fans for feeling happier than us right now.

 

We don't have a great deal to be happy about.

 

We're all happy because we have been saying for years something like this needed to happen... only for our club to pay over the top for mercenary British players who couldn't give a ****, and managers who couldn't utilize them properly. What's happening to our club is something we've all dreamed about, and are still pinching ourselves to make sure it's real.

Bruce had an eye for players, but was tactically inept. MoN was a good manager who lost it here, but he only brought the same players from the British Isles and to him, the footballing world ended in Dover. With Paolo, he is installing what we've wanted, we've got a DoF who has contacts with the worlds top clubs. We have a great scout now, who like Carr, has discovered some gems over the years. We are finally starting to act and present ourselves as a football club of the 21st century.

And yes, we can't help feel a little smug about it, especially with what's happening at NUFC. All through the years you've been the star of the North-East, Europe, players like Gascoigne, Sheera, Ginola, Asprilla, etc. We've put up with the 'Mackem in Milan' taunts. Now we are starting to do something about it. Might not have seen a Mackem in Milan, but we're bringing Milan to Wearside!

I personally want NE football to be strong. So we dont have to put up with these smug ****s who only want to live in London so their WAGs can shop. A strong NE is good for both of us. So long as we are better than you of course I genuinely feel sorry for the decent NUFC, the ones like QWOP, AB, ACS, if it was happening at SAFC, we'd be relegated this year for sure.

 

Settle down, its only an observation.

 

To be fair we fattened the squad significantly in Jan, it was just too late as damage was done. You can only have 25. We are just a bit unbalanced. Lack attacking options basically and one more defender. No point in signing a load of players just for the craic. Sign a full back and one or two strikers, what else do we need? If we ship Willo then I'd consider promoting Streete. What is the point of a youth system otherwise? Central Midfield wise you could argue we are overloaded. Cabaye, Tiote, Anita, Sissoko, Bigi,- how many do we want? Wide areas/number 10 we could do with one more and shipping Obertan - Marveaux, HBA, Gouffran, Jonas, Vuckic. Strikers - Cisse, Campbell - ship Shola get a big lad and deep lying forward in. Job done. We don't face the same challenges this year, the UEFA was an enormous strain. Every club who plays in it know this )

I think you have done some good business. It might work, it might not but you can't fault the effort.

I just love all the pomp you get from the likes of Cest. The JK stuff is normally good craic and we take the piss ourselves. We just don't have the same needs overhaul wise but they feel the need off the back of a overhaul to claim we do. Time will tell won't it I'm quietly confident about our season.

 

Modibo Diakite (Lazio, free), Duncan Watmore (Altrincham, undisclosed), Valentin Roberge (Maritimo, free), Cabral (Basle, free), David Moberg Karlsson (IFK Gothenburg, free), Vito Mannone (Arsenal, £2m), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar, £6m), El Hadji Ba (Le Havre, undisclosed)

Which of these guys are heading for the 1st team? Mannone, obviously, as you lost your goalkeeper....

Altidore, I guess, but he looked very hit and miss last time out. All he's done is score in Holland, he may be better now, but local reports suggest he's still very hit and miss.

Diakite or Roberge at CB? Or Cabral? Or two new signings at the same time? Seems risky - I mean, look at Coloccini, probably a top 4 player now but it took a looooong time to get him there (including a relegation....ahem...).

I am guessing Karlsson, Watmore, Ba are there for the numbers, they're not going to be jumping into the first team. Like I said, I'd choose to see the positive side if roles were reversed, but if you consider we bought Yanga-Mbiwa, Sissoko, Gouffran, Haidara and Debuchy (four full French Intl's, one u-21) in January and the players you've racked up have a handful of African/USA caps between them.....tread with caution is all I'm saying.

 

mate, you're all over the shop with your evaluation there. I'll take you through your points in a bit. Busy at the moment.