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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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February 2007 Archives


Thank Goodness For That

Posted by Luke on February 1, 2007 11:19 AM

I don't know which has come as more of a relief for Newcastle United, the hard-fought, slightly fortutious victory over Aston Villa or the arrival of February and the close of the January transfer window!

First off, I've got to come clean, I wasn't at St James's Park on Wednesday night, I was at my parents house enjoying some well-earned rest and recuperation, fine dining and fine wine.

As a result I was forced to endure the mindless drivel spouted by pundits on Sky Sports News to keep me up-to-date with what was happening against Villa followed by a surprisingly anti-Newcastle report on Match of the Day.

It seems strange to hear Alan Shearer suggesting that Villa were unlucky and should have got a draw when, as a Newcastle player, he would have choked on the words after a similar sort of game.

Perhaps the BBC have brainwashed him or replaced the real Alan Shearer with a robot - the same one they use for Mark Lawrenson but with a different head and shirt and tie combination!

Continue reading "Thank Goodness For That" »

He's Not Just Trinidad and Tobago's Playboy Prince

Posted by Luke on February 5, 2007 11:02 AM

Go on, admit it, when Dwight Yorke signed for Sunderland you thought he’d spend all his time in the clubs and bars of Newcastle Quayside, pick up a few groin strains while he saw out his playing days in the North-East with the minimum amount of effort and fuss.

After all, this was the playboy prince of the Premiership who hadn’t managed a decent run of form in English football for three years and who had spent the previous season playing glorified beach football in Australia while “getting to know” some of his female fans Down Under.

If Roy Keane was interested in signing him it was because he mistakenly thought he was still the same player who helped inspire Manchester United to that unique League, European and FA Cup treble in 1999. Not an ageing player living off former glories whose legs and motivation had gone!

Continue reading "He's Not Just Trinidad and Tobago's Playboy Prince" »

Seasonal Adjustment Disorder

Posted by Luke on February 5, 2007 12:16 PM

As an interested and objective - at least I try to be - observer of events at Newcastle United it has always amazed me how quickly the mood in and around the football club can swing from one extreme to the other.

One minute you Geordies are caught up in ridiculously over-the-top optimism and scarf waving euphoria as you confidently predict this is the season the trophy drought ends. Okay, not many of you go that far, but corners are always getting turned and the worst is frequently behind you.

The next minute you’re plunged into the dark depths of depression after another disappointing defeat, moaning your way to the bottom of your pint of Newcastle Brown Ale or smashing up the Bigg Market.

I would suggest the mood of overwhelming disappointment has never been too far from the surface this season given Alan Shearer’s retirement, Michael Owen’s knee injury and the club’s lack of transfer activity, but there has certainly been a marked downturn since the defeat at Fulham.

Continue reading "Seasonal Adjustment Disorder" »

Lord Lucan and Paul Collingwood MBE

Posted by Luke on February 6, 2007 2:54 PM

At one point it looked as though the only way England would reach the Final of their one day series - it is sponsored but it’s an Australian bank so who cares - against Australia and New Zealand would be if one of the teams decided to go surfing and were all killed in a freak feeding frenzy by sharks somewhere off the New South Wales coast.

But, please, do not adjust your television - sorry computer monitors - because, as ridiculous as it may once have seemed, England have stunned the world of cricket by actually winning some one day games. Not only that, because New Zealand are also crap, they will now play for silverware in a best of three series Final against Australia.

Of course, they will lose that, but, hey....they won.... two games in a row....incredible...it’s enough to make me want to dash to the bookies in the Bigg Market and throw down (surely I mean away) £50 on them winning the World Cup next month.

And who is responsible for my new found optimism? Why, Durham duo Paul Collingwood and Liam Plunkett of course.

Continue reading "Lord Lucan and Paul Collingwood MBE" »

Sven Goran Eriksson And A Warm Duvet

Posted by Luke on February 8, 2007 2:10 PM

It’s true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. During these cold, frosty nights of snow, ice and chillingly bad England performances, I’ve found myself pining for a warm duvet, a comfortable bed and Sven Goran Eriksson - although I should add not together!

That shiny bald head, the Swedish charm, the sex scandals, the heavily-accented English, the Ikea-style silver-rimmed glasses, the unflappable nature in press conferences, 4-4-2 formations, oh Sven, come back all is forgiven - you’re still being paid by the Football Association after all!

Do I feel sorry for Steve McClaren as the vultures circle over head after England’s 1-0 home defeat to Spain?

Continue reading "Sven Goran Eriksson And A Warm Duvet" »

Roeder's Finally Got A Headache

Posted by Luke on February 9, 2007 3:23 PM

We all know that Newcastle United have had more than their fair share of injury problems this season, but have all of them been damaging to manager Glenn Roeder?

Honestly, I’m not trying to say Newcastle have been lucky with injuries, far from it, I’m just suggesting that, at times, they have actually made Roeder’s job slightly easier.

Before you go banging away on your keyboards to send me an abusive comment or calling up the Thomson House switchboard to demand my removal in a straight jacket, there is some serious thinking behind by argument.

Continue reading "Roeder's Finally Got A Headache" »

A Brave Appearance and Craig Bellamy's Teeth.

Posted by Luke on February 11, 2007 1:08 PM

We have probably all been guilty in the past of criticising Celestine Babayaro commitment to the cause at Newcastle United, mainly because of the number of pulls and strains he picks up while picking up such a hefty wage packet at St James's Park.

But there is genuine good feeling and admiration for the Nigerian full back after he decided to play in the 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday just hours after the death of his younger brother.

The loss of a loved one can do strange things to people. Some like to be left alone to mourn, others like to carry on as usual as that is what the person would have wanted.

Celestine was one of the latter and while I would still like to see more fight and dedication from him in his everyday work, I think he deserves a huge amount of credit for the way he has conducted himself over the last few days.

Continue reading "A Brave Appearance and Craig Bellamy's Teeth." »

Durham Deserve Respect

Posted by Luke on February 12, 2007 2:49 PM

As Durham have provided Paul Collingwood and Liam Plunkett, England’s two match winners in their fantastic one day series win over Australia, I hope the national team are going to show a bit more consideration to the county in the future.

Because the only thing Durham have got in return for their commitment to the national side so far is a harsh snub in the bid to hold an Ashes Test in 2009 and the loss of their best players.

Durham provided four players for international use this winter, Glamorgan provide none. Chester-le-Street gets a one day game against the Australians, Cardiff gets an Ashes Test. Nice touch.

The last time I looked, Cardiff wasn’t even part of England, as the Welsh are so keen to remind us, so why on earth do they get one of the biggest and most lucrative Test matches in world cricket?

Continue reading "Durham Deserve Respect" »

Remember Birmingham City?

Posted by Luke on February 14, 2007 2:34 PM

Ah yes Belgium, the land of, erm flatness, famous for its, erm, let me think, oh yes chocolate and, and, and, erm, of course, how could I forget, being the home of the European Union.

If you ask your average - the ones who don't want an ASBO, quite like the idea of having a job and who aim to live above the poverty line sometime in their future - school children to point out on a map where Belgium is they would probably struggle because, well, let's face it Belgium isn't really renowned for anything is it?

Mind you, if you had asked the average Newcastle United fan whether they had heard of SV Zulte-Waregem before the draw for the last 32 of the Uefa Cup, most would not have had a clue either.

To be fair, neither did I, but I've done my research - sort of - since and, as I have a few hours to spare in a country widely, albeit slightly unfairly, believed to be the dullest in Europe, let me fill you in.

Continue reading "Remember Birmingham City?" »

The English Disease

Posted by Luke on February 16, 2007 8:59 AM

They used to call football hooliganism the English disease, but with the Italians doing a pretty good job of taking on that unwanted illness, there is still something which makes us the sick men of European football.

We have seen it at the World Cup, European Championships, Champions League, Uefa Cup and even in pre-season friendlies, but still it let's our teams down.

It's not complicated and it's not clever but, despite a steady succession of failures through the years the lessons apparently have still not be learnt if Newcastle's performance against Zulte-Waregem is anything to go by.

Continue reading "The English Disease" »

Black Cats Premiership Bound?

Posted by Luke on February 18, 2007 12:46 PM

It was said through gritted teeth from behind his steering wheel, but you know Sunderland are doing something right when a Geordie taxi driver is forced to begrudginly admit how well Roy Keane has done as manager.

He wasn't happy about it, obviously, but nevertheless, there was, no matter how much bitterness festered in the front seat of his Volkswagon, an acceptance that Keane has revolutionised Newcastle's bitter rivals this season.

Sunderland's 4-0 hammering of Southend on Saturday has lifted the Black Cats up to fifth in the Championship. They are in the play off zone for the first time this season and are just four points off an automatic promotion place following a run of five wins and a draw in their last six games. When Keane took over at the start of September they were in the bottom three.

Continue reading "Black Cats Premiership Bound?" »

Is It Nobby's 300 or 299th Appearance?

Posted by Luke on February 21, 2007 1:20 PM

Nolberto Solano will celebrate his 300th appearance for Newcastle United against Zulte Waregem on Thursday night - or maybe it's just his 299th.

Nobody is actually entirely sure, not even the club, but sod it, we may as well just say it's his 300th because that's what we all thought and what's the odd substitute run out between friends eh?

Football is full of statisticians, there is even an official Association of Football Statisticians somewhere in London - probably in a dimly lit room with no windows, lots of computers and pictures of Lara Croft and Albert Einstein on the wall - to track all the interesting and not so interesting facts and figures of our beloved national sport.

But when it comes to Solano's appearances for Newcastle the term piss up and brewery spring to mind. Then again, maybe that's why nobody in the exciting world of stats is clear on the subject - they had organised a rather good piss up in a brewery....

Continue reading "Is It Nobby's 300 or 299th Appearance?" »

Marathon Man James Milner

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

When Steven Gerrard was doing his best to burn himself out ahead of England’s doomed World Cup bid last summer he was nicknamed the marathon man by dumbstruck pundits who marvelled at his motivation, fitness and dedication to the cause.

Starting the season in mid-July with Liverpool’s Champions League qualifiers, Gerrard went on to play 57 games for club and country during the 2005/6 campaign, culminating in a match-winning display in the FA Cup Final in Cardiff in May.

It was a remarkable effort from one of the modern era’s most influential players, but no wonder Liverpool’s inspirational skipper looked knackered in Germany - although I’d be tired of trying to play alongside Frank “I always shoot” Lampard by now as well!

But, if Gerrard’s effort was a courageous and commendable one, what can we say about James Milner?

Continue reading "Marathon Man James Milner" »

Nobody Got Hurt

Posted by Luke on February 26, 2007 5:34 PM

Is it just me or rather than plunge the game into disrepute and blacken the name of English football, the scuffle between Arsenal and Chelsea players in the Carling Cup Final actually provided a nice sprinkle of spice to a thoroughly enjoyable game?

So a few shoves and pushes were exchanged and Wayne Bridge was floored by the worst punch seen since Michael Sprout dropped Audley Harrison, but come on, was it really that bad?

Listening to Radio Five Live on the way back from Newcastle’s dreadful defeat at Wigan on Sunday I heard all the usual moralising from pundits who labelled the squabble a disgusting, terrible act which ruined the game and cast a black cloud over both clubs.

Continue reading "Nobody Got Hurt" »

Wigan Wake Up Call

Posted by Luke on February 27, 2007 5:14 PM

There is not much to like about Wigan, an unspectacular town stuck in a maze of industrial towns north of Manchester, a pier that isn’t even a proper pier and a football club that isn’t really a proper football club!

Actually, that last one isn’t strictly true, although the fact it shares a ground with a rugby league team and comes from a town dominated by rugby league doesn’t help their reputation.

Supporters of clubs like Newcastle will always resent clubs like Wigan because they don’t have a particularly large following, they are new to the top flight, they are physical and direct, they don’t have much money, they don’t have any superstar players yet they still manage to compete on the same level. The cheek of it!

Continue reading "Wigan Wake Up Call" »