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Luke Edwards is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.

As well as football, Luke also regularly takes a wry look at the biggest sports stories from across the North-East and beyond. From cricket to rugby and basketball to boxing, some are criticised and some are praised.

Sometimes provocative, sometimes laugh-aloud funny, but always interesting Luke Who's Talking also gives you the chance to interact with Luke and have your say on all the major sporting issues.

Heavy Petting In Budapest

Posted by Luke on September 18, 2006 3:41 PM | Permalink

I'm back from my holiday and in need of another one after an all-day drinking session at Champs sports bar in central Budapest yesterday watching Sky Sports' ridiculously titled 'Grand Slam Sunday.' - or their back-to-back, over-hyped, over-sensationalised game between Chelsea and Liverpool followed by the rather more exciting Manchester United vs Arsenal clash.

The fact I don't particularly like any of the above made it a far more pleasant day for me than it was for my two Liverpool supporting mates, one of whom spent the entire Arsenal game with his head in his hands, moaning every now and again about paying £9m for Dirk Kuyt and the fact he thought he had caught a Budapest throat bug! Lucky escape for Newcastle perhaps?

The Manchester United game was made more interesting by the presence of Roy Keane in the studio. If you remember, the last time he tried to be a pundit he savaged his teammates at Manchester United and was carted off to Celtic! Unfortunately, I can't really remember what he said - as I mentioned, it was an all-day session - but I do remember how unfeasibly large the knot in his tie was.

In case you're interested, Budapest was very nice, lots to do and see of, which drinking in swanky and not so swanky bars is the most obvious and bathing in one of the city's many spa baths is probably the best.

The nightlife is great if you get away from the tourist traps, but a special mention must go the 70-year-old lothario who spent ten minutes in the sauna at the incredible Szechenyi baths complex necking with his pensioner girlfriend before moving to the swimming pool for a bout of what would be described by lifeguards Newcastle Citat y Baths as "heavy petting". Actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure you would be thrown out of City Baths if you were petting as heavily as these two senior citizens!

Thankfully, most of the other "older" visitors were more content to bathe in the warm spa waters, with the most energetic amongst them indulging in some fiercely competitive games of chess. I feared humiliation if I joined in, so contented myself with laughing a little too loudly when one grey-haired gentleman threw a strop and chucked his queen into the water when he realised he was going to lose. Not very good spa etiquette apparently and we left soon after!