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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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July 2007 Archives


Back To School With Albert Luque

Posted by Luke on July 2, 2007 12:27 PM

Do you remember the first day back at school after the summer holidays? That magical day when you were actually excited about getting to the playground to see what new trainers everyone had and if the smelly kid called Steven had finally got his hands on a new school uniform, or whether his trousers were still so short they ended half way up his calf.

Happy days, at least until the first double science lesson with Ackers Knackers, the goggle-eyed science teacher with the tight grey Farahs who - like Alan Shearer on International Match of the Day - had a nasty habit of showing a little too much of his lunch box while explaining the complexities of the periodic table. And I don't mean his sandwiches.

Well, the same sort of thing probably happens when footballers return for the first day of pre-season training. Except at Newcastle’s Longbenton training ground on Monday it will have been new sport cars and 4x4s rather than trainers and, instead of Stinky Steven, whether Albert Luque had actually bothered to turn up at all.

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Mike Ashley's Vision For Newcastle United

Posted by Luke on July 4, 2007 12:43 PM

It did not take them long to seize control and it has not taken them long to set out their vision for the future of Newcastle United in new chief/deputy chairman Chris Mort's first interview this week. In my first interview since his first interview, here are my thoughts on their thoughts for the future!

We should probably get a few things straight, while Freddie Shepherd is still chairman in name, Mort is the real powerbroker at St James’s Park with owner Mike Ashley maintaining a keen interest in everything that happens, albeit with a hands off approach.

So when Mort speaks we should listen, so no day dreaming at the back of the class - I seem to have back to school analogies on my mind at the moment. I wonder what a psychologist would make of that, but anyway.... oh yes, that’s right, Newcastle United’s new era.

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The Sooner Wimbledon Ends The Better

Posted by Luke on July 6, 2007 2:17 PM

There is only one thing worse than Wimbledon and that's a Wimbledon tournament disrupted by the rain. You’re probably all getting a little annoyed with the weather at the moment, but the thought of seeing Wimbledon run into a third week because of it was too much for me to bare this week.

Think about it what it has done to us. You can’t pick up a newspaper or watch the sport news on television without being swamped with stories from the All England Club.

Fair enough if there was a British player still competing in the tournament but, as usual, our national interest lasted a matter of days and we are instead treated to fascinating stories about, well, people, we don’t really know.

People go on and on about it like it matters, however, what really gets me going is the annual “Why don’t we have any decent British tennis players?� debate.

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I'm On a Scouting Mission To Serbia

Posted by Luke on July 10, 2007 3:48 PM

That's it, I've had enough, the lack of transfer activity at Newcastle and Sunderland, the constant speculation about targets and then the deafening silence from the clubs which follows it, has started to do my head in.

So guys and girls, I’m packing my bags and heading off on another holiday. Some of you will be relieved, some of you might be distraught, but I’m not hanging around any longer!

This time - if you’re in the least bit interested - I’m heading to Serbia for the Exit Festival, five days camping by the River Danube and hopefully - after the mud and rain at Glastonbury - lots of sunshine.

However, if you have seen the film Hostel - okay so that was Slovakia but you get my drift - and have a vague knowledge of recent European history you might understand why I’m just a little apprehensive!

Only messing, it’ll be fine. As if I’m going to be kidnapped by a former paramilitary group and tortured by a group of evil corporate clients looking for sick kicks at my physical expense. You never know, I might even bump into Sam Allardyce as he scours every corner of the footballing world looking for new defenders.

Back next week so, if you have anything you want to get off your chest, just leave a comment here and I’ll put them all up when I get back from my jaunt.

Police Raids And An Old Friend Turned Enemy

Posted by Luke on July 19, 2007 1:02 PM

So did I miss much while I was on holiday apart from police raids on Newcastle United, the strange return of a proud Geordie to the North-East and the arrival at the Stadium of Light of some cousin of a Big Brother contestant?

It’s impossible to ignore the events at St James’s Park this week as the inquiry into alleged corruption in football continues. Sadly, for legal reasons, there is not much I can add other than it is distressing to see the name of the club still being linked to dodgy transfer dealings.

At this stage, we do not know which individuals are involved and the club has released a statement declaring it is not the subject of the investigation, but I just hope that, if Newcastle have been involved in any dodgy deals, if individuals have taken back handers they are named, shamed and suitably punished.

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Injury Problems And Transfer Trouble

Posted by Luke on July 23, 2007 11:58 AM

Sam Allardyce has learnt some valuable lessons about managing Newcastle United this week. Trying to get top international players to the North-East isn’t easy anymore and, no matter how fancy or scientific you are in your preparation, injuries have a nasty habit of biting you on the backside.

I can imagine Glenn “I’m not bitter� Roeder was cackling into his cauldron over the weekend when news filtered into his east London lair that Joey Barton had broken his foot against Carlisle,

Lest we forget - and how could you given Roeder’s ridiculous attempt to claim he never used injuries as an excuse despite mentioning them in every single interview - injuries have been a bit of a problem for managers at St James’s Park in recent years.

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Bye Bye Freddie

Posted by Luke on July 24, 2007 5:21 PM

So it's official, Freddie Shepherd has been replaced as chairman of Newcastle United and no longer has any say in anything that happens at the club. I’d just like to say Freddie, if I may, cheerio, adios, aufwiedersen, ciao and goodnight!

After 11 years at the helm, I think we can safely say that, while Freddie talked a good game, sometimes with a nasty habit of putting his foot in his mouth in the process - we have put Chelsea in their place and are now the third biggest club in England anyone? - he failed in his ultimate objective to secure some silverware for the club.

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Sunderland Won't Go Down - You Can Put Money On It

Posted by Luke on July 30, 2007 12:52 PM

As I was flicking through my Sunday newspaper at the weekend I came across an article which suggested anyone looking to make a quick buck at the bookies should put money on Sunderland to go straight back down to the Championship.

There were a couple of things that hit me straight away. Given that there is no way Sunderland can be relegated until sometime next year, no matter how badly they do, it’s hardly a way to make quick money is it? The second was, I wonder if “I’m such a smug and clever gambler� would be so confident in his prediction if Roy Keane was standing next to him.

Apparently some bookies are offering odds of 4-1 on Sunderland returning to the Championship immediately after promotion for the second successive time.

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There Is More To Life Than Football

Posted by Luke on July 31, 2007 4:56 PM

The start of the season is only a fortnight away and I'm sure everyone is very excited about the resumption of competitive football action, but can I dwell for a little on our national summer sport please..

Yes, that’s right, in case you had forgotten, it is still summer time in the UK, despite the fact we have had more rain this year than Noah - possibly - had to contend with when building that Ark of his and pairs - convenient wouldn’t you say - of animals were heading his direction.

I've always been a little suspicious of that Bible story but, for fear of being struck down by the Alimighty, I've never openly questioned the idea of animals living together on a wooden boat with a bearded man as the world flooded for a few months. The Lord moves in mysterious ways etc..etc...

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