Newly promoted, and with a very limited squad, this was always going to be a tough season. But Chris Hughton brought a rare degree of stability to the perennial “crisis club”. Driven by freescoring Andy Carroll and impressive new midfielder Cheik Tiote, things were going pretty well. Despite injuries and suspensions reducing Hughton’s options to the bare bones, there were some great results – 6-0 against Villa, 5-1 against Sunderland, away wins at Arsenal and Everton (and Chelsea in the cup). We were sitting fairly comfortably in mid table, and top flight survival looked thoroughly achievable. Then Mike Ashley pressed the self-destruct button. Again…

Read the full story at Sabotage Times.

Read more Newcastle United posts here.

Football Sabotage Times

It’s fair to say that Gordon Banks’ stint as a footballing export isn’t among the most memorable aspects of his career. He was a 1966 World Cup winner, and best known around the world for his “impossible save” from Pele at the 1970 tournament. But, after a tragic accident had seemingly ended his career, Banks made a remarkable comeback in the NASL, becoming one of the biggest stars of that classic US league…

Read the full profile, and those of the other finalists, at Les Rosbifs.

Football Les Rosbifs

From January 4th we’ll all be paying slightly more for pretty much everything we buy. The VAT rise from 17.5% to 20% represents about 21p extra on every £10 we spend. But if you’re a member of Fitness First health clubs and gyms, you’ll be paying a whole lot more…

Read the full post at Bitterwallet.

Consumer Bitterwallet

The own goal is the ultimate moment of soccer self-destruction. Few footballing sights are as awe-inspiring as that split second of lunacy in which a gangling centre half dives full-length to head the ball past his hapless keeper. What follows is a celebration of ten of the worst ever own goals, some funny, some bizarre, some genuinely tragic – and a lot of them on YouTube. All proof indeed that, as a dramatic moment, the own goal knocks anything Shakespeare managed to come up with into a feathered bard’s hat…

Read more at Sabotage Times.

Football Sabotage Times