RUGBY LEEGUE FANS IMMUNE FROM CORONAVIRUS!

Posted '11:42am bells' Munday 16th March 2020

With aall senior futbaall cancelled aroond Europe because of the threat of Coronavirus, I woz amazed to see a Rugby Leegue match takin place on the telly in The Junction Bar in the Haymarket area of Newcasil yesterday!

It woz packed to the rafters with 8 to 10,000 fans in attendance at the Castleford v St. Helen's game!
Aalso on Friday the Cheltenham Gold Cup attracted a crowd of ower 60,000 to the racecourse!

The question on everybodys lips (or at least mine, anyway!) IZ!--- Are Rugby Leegue and racin' fans immune from gettin the virus, unlike the rest of us???

Answers on a postcard pleeeze to: Boris 'Karloff' Johnson, 10 Downing Street, London!

WIDNES 3 DUNSTON BAD BLUE BOYS 0 *** NORTH WEST COONTIES LEEGUE

Posted '10:50am bells' Sunday 15th March 2020

Because NUFCs game v The Blade Runners of Sheffeeeld woz caalled off on Friday, like the rest of Leegue futbaall, a quick phone caall to Dunston FC got me on their team/supporters bus to Widnes, so I cud get mee Saturday 'fix'!

We left the Dunston groond (2  miles across the Tyne from SJP) at '10:15 bells' and arrived at wor destination at '1:30 bells' and heeded straight for the nearest drinkin den just ootside the groond!
Bizzarly it woz caalled 'The Cricketers Arms' in this Rugby Leegue mad town? but the gargels were under £3 a pint in this rough and ready pub with peeling paint and shabby carpets--- but the beer woz 'spot on', which woz the most important thing! (of course!)

*The bar's nickname woz 'Leggies' and after a few pints it woz time to 'leg it' to the one and anly turnstile open in this 17,000 capacity stadium, which iz aalso the home of Widnes Vikings RLFC and Liverpoool and Evaatin Ladies teams! 

*Amazingly, 'little ol' me' had been here 20 years before with 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' for a NUFC resorve game v Evaatin resorves, so it WASN'T a new groond, which woz a bit disappointin' on my part! (we foond oot later that they plan to move to a smaaller groond alang the road next season!---typical!)

!st HALF ACTION AZ DUNSTON ATTACK THE LEFT HAND GOAL

The groond iz far to big for a club at this level and az the game kicked off there woz a sparse crowd in attendance ! (I counted 105 later on!)

It woz a 'drastic plastic' pitch, which meeenz that multiple teams can play here (az mentioned above) and The Bad Blue Boys of Dunston (who were playin in aall RED?) foond it hard to adapt to the pitch!

VIEW FROM ROW 20, SEAT 52, IN THE MAIN STAND (2nd half)

Widnes (who play in white shirts and black shorts) took advantage of this and put pressure on the Dunston defence and an own goal for the home side came late on in the forst half when Dunston defender Craig Scott attempted to clear off the line, but ended up putting the baall into hiz own net!
Half time 1-0 to Widnes!

The second period wasn't much better for 'The Bad Blue (Red) Boys' and Widnes double their lead with an excellent strike from one of their forwards!
It woz soon 3-0 when the Dunston goalie unintentionally gave the baall to a Widnes forward, who had the simple task of tappin the baall ower the goal line!---There woz nee way back and the game ended soon after!

Attendance: 105 (est) includin' 30 Dunston fans and committee men!

We 'legged it' back to 'Leggies' on the final whistle, to 'shovel doon' a couple of pints before catchin the coach yem!
In the bar woz a lad playin pool who had a Toon crest tattoo on hiz leg (he woz wearin' shorts)---he wasn't with us and I pointed oot to him that we were aall Toon fans az well az Dunston fans!

"I live here!" he said, suprized to see us--(he didn't naa there woz a game on 'next door' involving a Tyneside team!)  and we shook hands (NOT elbows!) before departin for the coach back!

*It looks very likely that nee NUFC games will be played for the foreseeable future and so 'The Geordie Times' will gan to games like this---or doon to 'grass roots' futbaall in the Northern Alliance, shud Dunston's leegue shut doon (very likely, accordin to the committee men on the coach back to Tyneside)

WE WILL NOT! BE BEATEN FOR WOR SATURDAY 'FIX'!

"LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL!"

Posted '12:47pm bells' on bus to Widnes, Saturday 14th March 2020

*Because wor game v Sheff U woz caalled off yesterday coz of the corinavirus crisis, a quick phone call got me on the Dunston team/fans bus to Widnes where The Bad Blue Boys are playin Widnes in The North West Coonties League, in one of the very few games to be played today.

Amazingly, I have been here before 20 years ago when Evaatin resorves played The Toon resorves at Widnes Vikings RLFC, who now groundshare with Widnes FC

A full Geordie Times match report with pix, will appear here eventually!

NOT TO BE! *** THAT IZ THE ANSWER!!!!

Posted '12:30pm bells' Friday 13th March 2020

"IT'S UNREAL!"

Aall futbaall in the UK leegues have been suspended for 3 weeks, until 4th April at the orliest because of the coronavirus pandemic!

Thiz meenz that wor Premyaa Leegue home game v Sheff U tomorrow and wor FA Cup home game v Man City a week on Saturday are both OFF----and wor next away game at Bornmoooth on Saturday 4th April iz in serious doubt!

We have booked trains ↥ and a hotel in London for the Bornmoooth game and hopefully we can get most of wor money back under the circumstances!

We expect that futbaall will NOT be played for some considerable time, but at least they arnt playin games behind closed doors----for the moment at least!

It's like a scene from a Hollywood horror movie!--
It's not Friday the 13th ---iz it????

TO BE OR NOT TO BE *** THAT IZ THE QUESTION!???

Posted '1:02pm bells' Thorsday 12th March 2020

With aall sports worldwide are now in total meltdoon because of the coronavirus pandemic, we fully expect that future futbaall games, will eethaa be played behind closed doors OR suspended until forthaa notice!
Inter Milan players have been placed in quarantine after a Juventus player haz caught the virus (Who they played last week!)

UEFA are considerin suspendin' aall European competitions az we speak and wor Prime minister Boris 'Karloff' Johnson iz at a COBRA meetin today and one of the two above options are expected to happen!

Personally, we at 'The Geordie Times' 'fink' that suspendin' games until forthaa notice iz the preferred option, az game withoot fans in empty stadiums will be farcical!
Chris Wilder the Sheff U manager agrees----the team we are supposed to be playin in front of 52,000 fans at SJP on Saturday---but will there be 52,000 empty seats????

Pubs and clubs are to be banned from showin games live because they will be packed oot az a consequence, so wots the point if neebody can watch???

An announcement from Number '10' iz expected sometime this afternoon and we will of course bring yoo the outcome!

Az William Shakespeare might say:
"To be or NOT to be----that iz the question!"???       

CORONA CHAOS CRISIS!

Posted '1:33pm bells' Wedinzday 11th March 2020

"SO GLAD WE ARE NOT IN EUROPEAN COMPETITIONS!"

Chaos haz ensued with European fixtures involving UK clubs, now to be played behind closed door, with Moan U, Chelski, Rangers and Wolves fans banned from travellin to their club's European ties, many have said that games should be postponed rathaa than bein played in front of empty stadiums!

The Arses Premyaa Leegue game v Man City haz bee called off tooneet, az some players and staff have come into contact with the owner of Greek club Olympiakos a fortneet ago, who haz went doon with the corona virus! 

Wolves have pleaded with UEFA to cancel their game with Olympiakos tomorrow, az  THEIR players could be at risk!

Total shut doon of futbaall and 'behind closed doors' games iz a real possibility now as a world wide pandemic haz been conformed!

Bizzarly, even Corona beer (which haz absolutlee nothin' to dee with the virus!) haz been affected, with unexpected losses of £132,000,000!!!!

TOON TIE ON TELLY!

Posted '12:33pm bells' Tuesday 10th March 2020

Az woz 100% certain, wor FA Cup qwaataa final tie v 'The Blue Moonies' of Mancland haz been picked for BBCs live game on Saturday 21st March, with a '7:00 bells' kick off!

Tickets are on sale now for 'lower bowl' season ticket holders and then from Friday for those in The Milburn Stand and Leazes End upper tiers! Prices are £15 for 'big kids' and just a fiver for sporgs and zimmerframeites! (like me!)
'The Blue Moonies' are expected to take up their entitled allocation of 8,000 tickets in The Leazes End level 7 and corner sections of The Milburn Stand level 7. (Unless 'The Dibble' say othaawise! (Police!)

We sit in the centre section of The Milburn Stand upper tier, above the directors box and we anticipate that we will be able to buy wor own seats on Friday!---If not we will be given priority for seats somewhere in 'the lower bowl'

A 52,000 plus capacity crowd iz *guaranteed az 'cup fever' grips Tyneside, with a place at Wembley for the semi finals at stake!

*That's assumin' that the game won't be played behind closed doors, because on the coronavirus epidemic!?
(More to follow on this sometime tomorrow!)

EXITAA CITY U23s v THE TOON U23s *** TOONEET @ ST. JAMES' PARK, EXITAA!

Posted '12:49pm bells' Munday 9th March 2020

NUFC U23s are in action at St. James' Park tooneet v Exitaa in a FA Premyaa Leegue Cup 2nd roond tie, but it's NOT the St. James' Park we aall naa and luv---It's the one 370 miles away in Devon and just TWO of 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' will be there, namely 'Blondie Alan the Morris Dancer' and 'Alex of St. George'!
The reason that they are gannin and the rest of us are not, iz because most of us have been here previously, but Blondie and Alex haven't!

I personally have 'bad memories' of the place, az we lost 4-1 there in an FA Cup 5th roond replay 39 years ago in 1981 !!!

'Blondie Alan' iz deein the match report and sendin pix for 'The Geordie Times' and we will bring yoo news and pix later tooneet from REDDITCH in WORCESTERSHIRE!
This iz where I now dee mee nightly 'truck run' to, from Mundays to Thorsdays and Blondie will 'Whatsapp' me aall the relevant details and I will publish it sometime between '9:00 and 10:00pm bells' from mee mobile 'telling bone'! 
If yoo are in the area and fancy gannin the game kicks off at '7:00 bells' and admission iz a fiver for big kids and four quid for aall othaas)

Updated '9:22pm bells' Munday 9th March from deepest Worcestershire!

            Ootside a locked stadium!

Half time score: P-P!

                                      Full time score: P-P!
Attendance: 2 daft Toon fans at Exitaa train station!

The match woz caalled off an before kick off az the pitch woz waterlogged!---a near 750 mile roond trip for nothin' for Blondie and Alex, to watch a resorves game!!!!!

THE ANLY 'ACTION'  BLONDIE AND ALEX SAW, WOZ THIS TRAIN 

ARRIVIN' AT ST. JAMES' PARK!

(THAT'S ST. JAMES' PARK TRAIN STATION, EXITAA, BY THE WAY!)😜

We're not caalled 'NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' for nothing!🙃

THE SIMON TEMPLAR MOB V THE TOON *** TOMORROW AFTERNOOON!

Posted '2:08pm bells' Friday 6th March 2020

*After wor FA Cup heroics?, on Tuesday at West Brom, it's 'back to the grind' in 'The Premyaa Leegue survival saga'!

We heed for the south coast for the forst time this season, and play relegation rivals Sooothampton at St. Mary's Stadium!

We say 'relegation rivals' az we have been sucked doon the table to 14th place and just 6 points above the thord bottom side, Bournemoooth and 2 behind Sooothampton in 13th place!

NUFC have won just ONE of wor last TEN Premyaa Leegue games and haven't scored for 4 games in a row, which iz a big worry! (That's SIX hours by the way!)

And oot of the entire Futbaall Leegue we are in 90th place oot of 91, for goals scored! (24 in 28 games)
Anly Stevenage who are anchored at the foot of Leegue 2 have scored less (23 goals!) ---A shockin' 'stat'

Still oot injured are Krafth, Clark, Dummett and (suprize, suprize!) Andy Carroll!

The Toon have virtually sold oot wor 2,900 allocation of tickets for The Norham Stand, so some more great support iz guaranteed! 

We reeely must get sommik oot of this game, or else the downward slide will continue!

We leave on the '5:59 am bells' train to King's Cross (London) in the mornin' and then onwards to the south coast via London Waaterloo Station!---We are due back in the orly hours of Sunday mornin' and so a full Geordie Times match report might be a little later than usual---unless aa dee it on the train back on mee mobile phone, of course! (not eazy when the train iz rockin' from side to side and gannin ower bumps!)

Az per usual---"Watch this space!" 

The Simon Templar Mob---an explanation----'The Saint' woz a cult TV show in the 1960's and starred Roger Moore az 'Simon Templar'---Sooothampton's nickname iz 'The Saints'---get it? 

PS: 'Wor heed coach 'Broken Nose Bruce' haz said that it iz possible that future games might have to be played behind closed doors, like in Italy, because of the coronavirus crisis!

Can yoo imagine it? The FA Cup final with 90,000 empty seats!!! 

IT'S THE BLUE MOONIES OF MANCLAND IN THE CUP!

Posted '12:16pm bells' Thorsday 5th March 2020

The draw for the FA Cup qwaataa finals took place last neet and we will have a home tie against current holders and favourites Maan City later this month! (March 20th, 21st or 22nd)

Some people have said its the draw that neebody wanted, but at the end of the day we would have had to play them at some point on the road to Wembley and at least we will play them at SJP with a full hoose of 52,000 plus!

This meeenz that whatever the result, wor Premyaa Leegue game against them on semi final weekend in Mancland will  be postponed, az one of us must reach this stage of the competition!(April 18th-19th)

Aalso, wor home game against 'The Hazbeenz and Villans' will have to be rearranged, az its on the weekend of the FA Cup qwaataa finals!

Ticket detail to follow, but yoo can bet your bottom dollar that cup fever will sweep Tyneside in 2 weeks time!

Aalso 'pencil in' the date of May 23rd for your diary-----
The date of THE FA CUP FINAL! (wishful 'fink'in---or wot!?)