h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Newcastle United aka the Magpies are the pride of Tyneside. Although the local football has won the league in a mighty long time the toon army are still a very vociferous group of supporters. The recent upturn in their fortunes has lifted spirits. Kevin Keegan who retired from playing as a Newcastle said he's never return to football until he was offered the job in charge of Newcastle. He started the revival and was referred at St. James' Park. After he left to manage Fulham he was replaced by Ruud Gullit, who had a very unsucessful year. Then Bobby Robson, a Geordie, former player and ex-England manager took the reigns before the root sank in too deep and has started to work on the basis of a sucessful team laid down by Keegan.

Don't know how much you know about this one and as a Sunderland fan I might be a little biased but NUFC is definitely the most important thing to the people of Tyneside. They last won the league in 1927 (I think) and the cup in 1959 (again I think) but the Keegan Revival which started in 1992 certainly lifted spirits amongst the fans. This is where it gets complicated. One side of the coin says that Keegan produced a fantastically entertaining team that came very close to winning the league title for the first time for years, the other says that Keegan spent over £100m pounds and won nothing. Both are true but there was always a rift between Keegan and chairman John Hall which led to Keegan's resignation followed by John Hall's. Kenny Dalglish and then Ruud Gullit were given a bash at being team gaffer but without success until 150 year old Bobby Robson came in August 99 and seems to have improved things a bit. On the board though, things are a little different. I'm sure everybody read the News of the World story with Douglas Hall and Freddie Shepherd. If you haven't, these two board members slagged off Alan Shearer, calling him Mary Poppins, boasted about how much money they were making from the fans who were "thick" to pay £40 for a strip made in the far east for less than £5 and called the Tyneside women "dogs." Oh, this interview was in a spanish brothel as well. Needless to say, public relations haven't been quite the same since and at present the board are actually (counter)suing the fans over a matter concerning seats.

Now that's more like it Discopants some facts to help fill out the article rather than some Newcastle bashing, BTW some people have stopped your page to say hi. Press refresh and read the greetings.