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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.

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January 2007 Archives


David Edgar Is The New Edgar Davids

Posted by Luke on January 2, 2007 12:09 PM

I doubt whether David Edgar’s exploits against Manchester United will have pushed ice-hockey, bear wrestling or lumber tossing off the back pages in Canada, but I bet the teenager doesn’t have to buy a drink or struggles to pull on Tyneside in 2007.

“Hi my name is David Edgar, you can call me Dave, I’m from Canada and I play for Newcastle United. You may remember me as the guy who scored THAT great goal against Manchester United on New Year’s Day.

“Yes, that’s right, that was me. Forget the drink. Your place or mine?”

It’s amazing what a goal against the biggest team in the country can do for personal fortunes and it’s amazing how it can lift collective spirits.

Continue reading "David Edgar Is The New Edgar Davids" »

Funny Man Roy Keane

Posted by Luke on January 4, 2007 11:42 AM

I had Roy Keane down as many things. Excellent player, inspirational captain, bad tempered perfectionist, occasionally vicious midfield enforcer, but, funnily enough, stand-up comedian wasn’t one of them.

No, Roy has had a rather ferocious public image over the years, inspirational on the field, but far too intense to be considered a funny man.

Unfortunately, for me at least, Sunderland’s manager decided to reveal his sense of humour, cutting wit and crisp comic timing at my expense at this morning’s press conference.

I’d like to say I was annoyed or that I felt harshly treated by the Irishman, but I’ve got to hold my hands up - see, nice use of footballer speak there - and admit I probably deserved it.

It was supposed to be a question to open up a debate on the changing face of football, how footballers have started to resemble track and field athletes, that the steadily increasing pace of the game has changed tactics and technique, how physical strength and power now out-weigh skill and technique in a manager’s thinking and whether great players from bygone eras would have been able to succeed in the modern game.

That was the theory at least. In practice, having asked what pacy new right winger Carlos Edwards would bring to the side, it went more like this...

Continue reading "Funny Man Roy Keane" »

Why Does Steve Harmison Get All The Blame?

Posted by Luke on January 5, 2007 12:32 PM

When something bad happens, like a hugely expensive cruise ship sinking on its maiden voyage, or a carriage coming loose on a rollercoaster or Newcastle United failing to challenge at the top of the Premiership, it’s human nature to search for a scapegoat.

For the Titanic, it was the drunken captain who ploughed into an iceberg, for the carriage flying off the rollercoaster it’s the maintenance man and for Newcastle United it’s the affable Spaniard Albert Luque, so who can we blame for England’s Ashes whitewash?

I know, let’s go for the guy who is aloof in public, who doesn’t suffer fools gladly and whose laid back attitude off the pitch infuriates the single-minded try hard brigade. Yes, let’s blame Steve Harmison because that’s precisely what former England captains Nasser Hussain and Geoff Boycott want to do.

Continue reading "Why Does Steve Harmison Get All The Blame?" »

Dwight Yorke And His Dancers

Posted by Luke on January 7, 2007 10:52 AM

Dwight Yorke has an interesting role at Sunderland. Sometimes he plays in midfield, sometimes he plays up front. Sometimes he is captain, sometimes he is substitute. Sometimes he acts as a scout, recommending Carlos Edwards to the club, sometimes he acts as social secretary, organising the squad's nights out from his base on Newcastle Quayside.

But I never realised that the Trinidad and Tobago international (playboy) was a dance choreographer with a keen eye which suggests the BBC should consider appointing him as a judge on the next series (oh gee, I can hardly contain my excitement) of Strictly Come Dancing.

You see, while the rest of Yorke's teammates kicked a ball around, did a few stretches and sprints, Yorke seemed far more interested with the presence of the Preston cheerleaders who were doing a (badly timed) routine on the half way line to keep the crowds entertained before kick off.

Continue reading "Dwight Yorke And His Dancers" »

Are Newcastle Actually Going To Sign Anyone?

Posted by Luke on January 8, 2007 1:16 PM

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Newcastle United to panic, I don’t want to see Glenn Roeder running around like a loon tossing £50 notes around without a care in the world.

I don’t want chairman Freddie Shepherd to (further) mortgage St James’s Park so that he can spend the month mindlessly signing cheques for new players from Cameroon, Senegal and Belarus, but I would like to see the Magpies sign the three players they desperately need during the transfer window.

I might be premature (not for the first or last time) but Newcastle’s lack of activity in the transfer market so far has worried me and the potentially disastrous voids in the squad - left back, centre back and centre forward - remain unfilled.

Surely I’m not being pedantic if I suggest that, having known since September 1st where they needed to strengthen, it is reasonable to suggest they should already have had a couple of players lined up and deals close to competition.

Continue reading "Are Newcastle Actually Going To Sign Anyone?" »

Anthony Stokes Has Cost £2m Too Much

Posted by Luke on January 9, 2007 12:24 PM

Sunderland are, quite rightly, basking in the glory of signing Anthony Stokes from Arsenal and Roy Keane’s remarkable powers of persuasion (see September archive) are once again the talk of football.

Well, far be it for me to put a pin in their balloon, rain on their parade, detract from their achievements, put rat poison in their drinks at the celebration party or generally criticise what promises to be a wonderful signing, but I’d have done far better.

You are probably thinking “Don’t be so stupid you idiot” or words to that effect, but it’s true. I’d have been able to persuade the much-talked about teenager to drop down to the Championship, no problem.

Better still, I wouldn’t have spent £2m on him, I’d have managed to persuade Arsene Wenger to let him go on a free transfer.

Continue reading "Anthony Stokes Has Cost £2m Too Much" »

Three Isn't A Crowd at St James's Park

Posted by Luke on January 11, 2007 12:21 PM

Glenn Roeder knows you are getting impatient about the lack of new arrivals at St James’s Park, but Newcastle’s manager also feels you will understand his reluctance to waste what little money he has in the transfer market.

Well, I don’t think anyone wants to see another Jean-Alain Boumsong, Celestine Babayaro or Amdy Faye pulling on the black and white stripes - the last players to sign for the club during the January transfer window two years ago - but what supporters would like to see is the squad strengthening they have been promised since September.

The latest news from the manager’s office at Magpie Towers is, he has made a couple of enquiries about players and is waiting to hear an answer. Progress, I suppose, but still not the top quality defenders riding in on white horse to save the damsel - okay, football club - in distress!

Most observers can see that Newcastle need a left back, a centre back and a striker if the squad is, realistically, going to be capable of challenging for silverware in the FA and Uefa Cups while simultaneously pushing for a return to Europe with a top seven finish in the Premiership.

The problem is, everybody in football knows this so Newcastle are being linked with a host of names which, in some cases cause a ripple of excitement before being knocked down by those “close to the club” and in others prompt a sense of “oh no he’s useless” before being knocked down by those “close to the club.”

For what it’s worth, my “contacts” have told me that Peter Crouch, Darren Bent, Wes Brown, Wayne Bridge, Anton Ferdinand and Gareth Bale have all attracted Roeder’s interest in recent weeks, but others disagree. With this in mind I thought it would be worth listing every single player Newcastle have been linked with this month, only to be subsequently un-linked with.

One thing is certain, if three players from this list of players were signed, most Newcastle supporters would be very happy indeed.

Continue reading "Three Isn't A Crowd at St James's Park" »

Happy Slapping

Posted by Luke on January 15, 2007 1:58 PM

In the black and white corner - or mauve and blue - is the Salford scrapper Nicky Butt, former England international and heavyweight Premiership contender. In the white and blue corner is the French fairy Pascal Chimbonda, the deserter of Wigan and World Cup waster. Ding Ding Round One.

With my serious journalists hat on I should take the moral high ground and condemn the disgraceful scenes at White Hart Lane, the terrible violence and the awful example it set for the youth of today.

Premiership footballers are role models and they should not be fighting and neither should they be caught clearly on television cameras screaming obscenities at each other. Tut tut, hang your heads in shame!

However, with my serious journalist hat cast aside - it never fitted me on this site - I say go on boys, get stuck in. Are you going to stand for that Butty? Are you? Are You? He just slapped you, like a girl admittedly, but it was a slap....to your face!

That's it Nicky, you get yourself after him, throw off James Milner's comforting arm and hit him with a volley of verbal abuse for good measure and get after the Frenchie with the braids in his hair. Look, he's waiting for you in the tunnel. Way hay, fight, fight, fight!

Continue reading "Happy Slapping" »

Luke Who's Doing Room 101

Posted by Luke on January 16, 2007 12:13 PM

As this is blog entry 101 of Luke Who’s Talking I thought it would be the perfect opportunity, given the television show Room 101, to vent my spleen about the things that irritate me in North-East sport.

From Sunderland’s litter problem at the Stadium of Light to Jonny Wilkinson’s fragile physique, from Newcastle Eagles star Jeremy Hyatt’s numerous second chances to Newcastle United’s obsession with “Geordie anthems” before kick off.

I’m sure there will be some of my dislikes you agree with and some that you don’t, but here goes...

Continue reading "Luke Who's Doing Room 101" »

You Won't Win Anything With Kids

Posted by Luke on January 17, 2007 5:33 PM

According to Glenn Roeder, he would rather “go to war” with kids. According to Freddie Shepherd the kids have a “burning passion to wear the black and white shirt.”

Firstly, I wouldn’t want to go to war with kids. That is morally dubious and unlikely to be successful. I’d rather go to war with a state-of-the-art army, air-force and navy, ideally backed up by some secret laser weapon which zaps people from space. Secondly, I don’t think anyone would be willing to set themselves alight just to wear a black and white shirt.

Oh, I get it, Newcastle’s manager and chairman are talking about how well the club’s young players have done this season. War, obviously being a common analogy drawn in football - in the trenches, aerial bombardment, attacking forays, the list is endless - and “burning passion” is presumably a metaphor for those who feel strongly about things.

Continue reading "You Won't Win Anything With Kids" »

I Can See The Future And It Will Be...

Posted by Luke on January 18, 2007 11:11 AM

My mum always told me not to say "I told you so", but she told me a lot of things when I was growing up, so much information to absorb, so easy to forget, so - I told you Newcastle United would not win anything with kids.

There are many words you can use for Newcastle 5-1 hammering at the hands of Birmingham City, at home, to a team playing a division below them. Here are a few: humiliating, catastrophe, disaster, embarrassing, farce, woeful, capitulation and dreadful.

Believe it or not I take no pleasure in being proven right because, to be honest, I did not see it coming. I always thought it was potentially tricky tie and a tricky replay, but I never predicted such a major collapse by a team which has spent so long defying the odds this season.

My point is, however, that you can only defy the odds for so long with spirit and endeavour; you can only paper over the cracks for so long before things start to collapse and you cannot hope to win things with a squad which uses so many players straight out of the youth and reserve teams in key positions.

Glenn Roeder and Freddie Shepherd knew they needed to strengthen during the January transfer window and they have - for various reasons - not done so. I'd like to know exactly who they've tried to sign and why the deals haven't happened.

Continue reading "I Can See The Future And It Will Be..." »

Newcastle Are Black And White

Posted by Luke on January 19, 2007 1:40 PM

You are probably all aware of the row which has erupted over Emre's alleged racist comments at Everton last month and the ensuing accusation that Glenn Roeder was involved in trying to cover up the incident.

Both Emre and Roeder strongly deny the accusations and will fight them at an FA hearing, but they are, nonetheless, embarrassing for the club, particularly as they have come just a couple of weeks after Roeder insisted any player found guilty of racist behaviour should be banned for at least six months.

Legally, commenting on these matters is a minefield and we will have to wait until after the FA hearing at the end of the month before all the details emerge, but I have two general points to make.

Firstly, what do you think this has done for team morale considering the number of black players at Newcastle United?

Secondly, given the Birmingham FA Cup debacle, Newcastle need to be concentrating all their efforts on playing football. The last thing they need is an extremely serious FA charge to contend with.

What was that about Newcastle United and soap operas?

Roy Keane vs Alan Shearer

Posted by Luke on January 22, 2007 12:55 PM

I doubt whether there would be a better North-East sports story than a tale about an angry clash between Newcastle legend Alan Shearer and Sunderland’s legend in the making Roy Keane. Well praise the Lord, Allah, Buddha and the various Hindu Gods and Goddesses, because I’ve got one.

Well, sort of. I mean, I doubt whether we are going to see a repeat of their infamous scrap at St James’s Park in September 2001 when Keane threw the ball at Alan’s head, Alan called him an idiot, Keane lost it, threw a punch and had to be restrained by renowned international tough guy David Beckham.

But, half a decade later, has Roy taken another pop at Newcastle’s very own “Local Hero” or is the row down to more spin than a Shane Warne googly?

Continue reading "Roy Keane vs Alan Shearer" »

A Magpie Bluff Or A Flush?

Posted by Luke on January 23, 2007 12:21 PM

Newcastle United are still refusing to show their hand in the transfer market, which begs the question what sort of hand are they holding? Is it a busted flush or a pack of aces.

Are the Magpies hierarchy simply bluffing about the fact they might not be able to sign anyone permanently this month or are they really going to fold with more than four months of the season left to play?

Certainly, the comments coming out of, and going into, St James’s Park in recent days will not have filled supporters with confidence.

Top targets like Curtis Davies and Anton Ferdinand joining the likes of Peter Crouch and Wes Brown in distancing themselves from any move, while Glenn Roeder has begun to sound like a manager who fears he will only be able to sign two players on loan to bolster his creaking squad.

Roeder insists “he has not given up” on making a permanent signing, but admitted “it’s proving difficult” to get clubs to sell their best players.

As for chairman Freddie Shepherd, he has been notable only by his silence on all matters transfer, preferring instead to challenge the Hall family, the majority shareholders, to make their intentions clear about the future ownership of the club. Fair enough, we’d all like to know what they’re up to, but back to the transfers if you please...

Continue reading "A Magpie Bluff Or A Flush?" »

Tick Tock Tick Tock Boom!

Posted by Luke on January 26, 2007 4:34 PM

The clock is ticking as the transfer window dwindles down from a month, to days to only hours and still Newcastle have failed to sign a single player, even on loan.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, the centre back, the left back and striker the squad so desperately needs are still nowhere to be seen and the ticking clock might just end up being the sound of a bomb ready to explode underneath the club.

Out of both domestic cup competitions, still in the bottom half of the Premiership and still with only one recognised striker, Obafemi Martins, fit and available.

Still without a specialist left back to cover for the "injury" prone Celestine Babayaro and still without the commanding, experienced centre back to play alongside the promising youngsters at the club.

Continue reading "Tick Tock Tick Tock Boom!" »

So There's Jonny!

Posted by Luke on January 30, 2007 10:23 AM

For anyone who remembers what happened to Newcastle United's Michael Owen while on England duty last summer, the return of Jonny Wilkinson to the international fold will have sent a shiver down the spine this week.

Lest we forget, Owen played just 11 times for Newcastle following a £17m pound move from Real Madrid and then ruled himself out for virtually an entire second season when he caught his knee in the German grass and - to use a medical term - screwed his knee cap!

There are some United fans who mockingly refer to the club's record signing as England's Michael Owen, such is the fascination of the national media with his international, rather than club career. But it is Newcastle who pay his extravagent wages and Newcastle who have to fix him when he's broken, not England.

As for Wilkinson, he's had more comebacks than Duran Duran, Take That, East 17 and All Saints, but the brutal statistics are, since he kicked the winning drop goal in Rugby's World Cup Final in 2003, Wilko has not played a single second of international rugby and has only managed a few hours in a Newcastle Falcons shirt.

Continue reading "So There's Jonny!" »

Hello Mr Oguchi Onyewu

Posted by Luke on January 30, 2007 10:45 AM

The months of waiting are over, Newcastle United have finally managed to sign someone in the transfer window, an American international who was not deemed to be good enough by Middlesbrough

But no, that is unfair and judgemental and, unlike certain white trash former occupants of the Celebrity Big Brother house, I am not like that.

Talking of Celebrity Big Brother, there was something fantastic about seeing that fraud Jade Goody committing career suicide wasn't there? You can take the girl out of Bermondsey, but you can't take Bermondsey out the girl!

As for Danielle whatever her name is, anyone who thinks that Teddy Sheringham is sexy, deserves everything they get. Oh and Big Brothers bosses, when you were thinking of getting a member of S Club 7 on the show, you should have gone for Rachel Stevens, she's fit and I bet she's not racist either!

Anyway, back to Mr Onyewu...

Continue reading "Hello Mr Oguchi Onyewu" »