Like many, many fans, I suffer from a ridiculous superstitiousness on match days. Whether it's
which part of my wallet I keep my ticket in, or making sure that every last possession in my house
is lined up at strict 90-degree angles, I'm on it. I've gone through several phases with pants, and
this particular "irrational" fear has led to a quite farcical situation whereby I have to cover my
eyes
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Among the performers who have lit up this burgeoning Championship campaign are some familiar names.
Michael Chopra has so far justified every last dime of his weighty fee, Kevin Nolan has buckled
down and rehabilitated his reputation as an all purpose midfielder-cum-forward, and Adam Johnson's
sleek skills on the Middlesbrough wing have helped Smogheads forget the injured Stewart Downing.
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The English Championship is almost a third into the 2009-10 season. It remains very close at the
top of the table and only four point separating the top nine teams. Newcastle United remains on top
and looks the favorite to win an automatic promotion spot. West Bromwich Albion is also in the top
four and another club that has to be a favorite to be promoted.
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There's little doubt that Chris Hughton and Newcastle desperately needed a win against Doncaster on
Saturday. Chris Hughton had some luck at last The usually stoic Hughton went crazy with emotion at
the end as Kevin Nolan slotted home a dramatic winner for the Magpies on 92 minutes. Chris admitted
his team had [.
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Kevin Nolan has rightly admitted that Newcastle were just a little fortunate to beat Doncaster on
Saturday. Kevin Nolan injury time winner A defeat would have been catastrophic for the team, let's
be honest, so even though we were lucky to finally get all 3 points, this could be the most
important win of the [.
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Chris Hughton will be appointed as permanent manager of Newcastle United after the weekend's visit
from Doncaster. Apparently Chris Hughton has been offered a £250,000 a year deal which is believed
to be the same package that David O'Leary turned down in August. I have no idea why O'Leary turned
down the manager's job at Newcastle United [.
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I know as soon as I dare to mention Sol Campbell's name, hundreds of people get straight on the
comments to jump to his defence, but the bloke is seriously unbalanced. He's gone from one of the
best defenders in the country to one of the biggest jokes in a relatively short space of time. I
doubt he'd sign for Arsenal if he could have his time again; it all started going wrong from that
point!
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No disrespect, but we need to put a skip-load past this lot. As well as giving the likes of
Three-Metre-Peter and Bentley a trademark ‘Arry run-around, it'll go some way to
re-inflating our temporarily punctured confidence. Toasting Preston like a marshmallow will do us
the world of good.
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KICKETTE 22 September @ 09:37 AM EST
Michael Owen: he's our favourite 'baller gambler. He always looks so damn content and happy out
there. In this case, he was out at Doncaster with a few of his other Man Utd team-mates.
Good to see he's also keeping caught up with all the latest back page news, too.
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KICKETTE 22 September @ 09:37 AM EST
Michael Owen: he's our favourite 'baller gambler. He always looks so damn content and happy out
there. In this case, he was out at Doncaster with a few of his other Man Utd team-mates.
Good to see he's also keeping caught up with all the latest back page news, too.
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FC Boro 18 September @ 01:25 PM EST
After dramatic victory against Mansfield last Saturday, Boro return to action tomorrow against
bottom side Chester. After having 25 points deducted at the start of the season it was always going
to be an up hill struggle for Chester to overcome and 9 points from their opening 9 games have not
given them a great start either.
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The H List 18 September @ 01:16 AM EST
1. OppositionEternal bridesmaid's, Liverpool, are in town this week, clutching the withered bridal bouquet of
Manchester United's dominance.
The Reds have suffered a couple of blips already this season, with losses to tottenham and Villa.
They do, however, come to Upton Park on the back of a 4-0 victory at home to Burnley, largely
courtesy of ex-Hammer, Yossi Benayoun, who scored three and set up the other.
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'So far so good ': the Spurs fan desperate to believe, frightened to hope and only ever cautiously
optimistic. Were there people at the start of the 60/61 season half a century ago echoing this
mantra? . I don't remember us being so uncertain in those days but there's a lot I don't remember
I'm afraid.
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Duo on their way to Fratton Park.
Portsmouth have agreed a fee with Tottenham for Kevin-Prince Boateng and enquired about
taking Jamie O'Hara on loan.
Pompey boss Paul Hart is scouring the transfer market as he bids to bolster his squad and he is
hoping to lure midfield duo O'Hara and Boateng to Fratton Park.
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The Tottenham team has pretty much been picking itself in the league since the opening game of
season, but after some good performances from the fringe players at Doncaster on Wednesday, do any
of them deserve to start at the Lane against Birmingham tomorrow?
It's a hard one for Harry Redknapp because on paper, Birmingham at home should be an easy 3
points.
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I really do. Not all their fans are arseholes but from a lot of the stuff they came on here with
last season, a large proportion are. I do have a lot of time for Zola and Clarke though and it must
have been a tough game mentally for their players after the tragic Calum Davenport incident.
It wasn't an impressive Tottenham performance as it was in our first two games of the season,
but it was impressive if you are impressed by Spurs grinding out results, something we haven't been
able to do in seasons past.
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Soccer Pie 14 August @ 05:04 PM EST
Coca Cola Championship season is speeding up and we bring you a brief prediction for each club
this season. Many things have changed in the squads, especially on benches. It seems that it will
be tougher than ever and many so-called favourites might just prove otherwise...
LEICESTER CITY
When a pretty big club like Leicester city suffers such a failure like a drop to the Third
league and then makes it to an express return to Championship, then other clubs should beware of
their self-esteem and courage.
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Championship 2009-10 Predictions
1. West Brom
2. Middlesbrough
3. Newcastle
4. Reading
5. Sheffield United
6. Ipswich
7. Derby County
8. Cardiff
9. Crystal Palace
10. Queens Park Rangers
11. Nottingham Forest
12.
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First thoughts on Newcastle Utd's relegation...
Like many neutral fans, I really wanted Newcastle to go down - because I knew it would be very
enjoyable to see such a "massive" (translation: deluded) club drop down to the Championship, where
they would face ingnominious, reality-check trips to outposts like Doncaster, Plymouth and Swansea.
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Firstly if you haven't read the Newcastle v Boro team comparison article, give it a read and join
in the comments at the bottom.
Young Middlesbrough goalkeeper Jason Steele has signed a new three year contract with the
football club. To make it an even better week for the Bishop Auckland born stopper he has been
called into the England Under-19 squad for the Elite Round Tournament, taking place in England
between May 27th and the 1st of June.
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Back in August 2008, Some People Are On The Pitch wrote one of its most popular articles ever. It
wasn't a lengthy thesis on the things we hate most about Cristiano Ronaldo, nor was it an online
poll asking you for your happiest memories involving Milton Keynes Dons. Somewhat surprisingly, it
was an article listing the kit manufacturers of each of the 92 Premier and Football League teams
for 2008/09.
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EPL Talk 04 May @ 09:00 AM EST
When I saw Newcastle United's lineup today before their 3-0 loss to Liverpool, I said aloud:
Joey Barton's going to get a red card. I only meant it to elicit a laugh from friends, but
with Newcastle's fate in the balance and Barton's famous temper in mind, I had a vision of Barton
heading for the showers a bit earlier than his co-workers.
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I hate that I do!
The first thing that sprang to mind after watching the Liverpool v Arsenal game the other night
was how appalling the defending was. Call that entertainment, I call it a bloody disgrace. Arsenal
are not known for their defensive qualities but Liverpool should know better. They are supposed to
be a side challenging for the Premier League, yet they have conceded 8 goals in 2 games.
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On July 21, 2006, Mick McCarthy walked into Molineux and urged us not to expect miracles.
The MM initials on his jersey did not stand for Merlin the Magician, he famously remarked.
Well 1,003 days later, and with varying degrees of help from 59 footballers
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A50112... McCarthy has got us back into the only league worth playing in.
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Soccer Pie 05 February @ 03:14 AM EST
Transfer campaign has hit the boiling point and many of the players from English lower tiers have
been in the heat over the past couple of days. Let's start chronologically, from our last briefing.
Firstly, Bristol City striker, Steve Brooker, has finally become a Doncaster member and Sean
O'Driscol's wish has finally come true.
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FootieDB 13 January @ 05:40 AM EST
20:45 CET Birmingham - Wolves 20:45 CET Bristol City - Portsmouth 20:45 CET Burnley -
QPR 20:45 CET Cheltenham Town - Doncaster R 20:45 CET Crewe - Millwall 20:45
CET Histon - Swansea 20:45 CET Leyton Orient - Sheffield Utd 20:45 CET Norwich -
Charlton Athletic 20:45 CET Peterborough United - West Brom Watch the match LIVE here
– Highlights here
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With Manchester United and Aston Villa joining most of the other Premier League clubs in the fourth
round, the FA Cup draw has cooked up some interesting draws. The pick of the bunch is perhaps the
Merseyside derby. Everton will be making the short trip to Anfield in the fourth round to take on
cross-town rivals Liverpool.
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Doncaster vs. Barnsley: who will win? Dedicated to Barnsley FC and it's fans. Documenting the
ramblings of a Barnsley season ticket holder - On the Ponty End. "When you know which side of
your bread's buttered".
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After ten games, Birmingham, Wolves, and Reading are emerging as the class of the Championship
League (aka, English 2nd Division) with Sheffield United three points behind. After that, it's a
toss up. Fifth place Plymouth are only 5 points ahead of 21st place Norwich, and a total of 7 clubs
currently have 15 points.
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RESULTS Champions League Chelsea 4-0 Bordeaux Marseille 1-2
Liverpool AS Roma 1-2 Cluj Barcelona 3-1 Sporting Lisbon Panathainikos 0-2 Inter Milan PSV 0-3 A
Madrid W Bremen 0-0 Anorthosis Basel 1-2 S Dontesk
Championship Reading 6-0 Sheff
Wed Burnley 2-0 Blackpool Bristol City 1-2 Birmingham Wolves 2-1 C Palace Barnsley 0-1 Cardiff
Sheff Utd 1-1 Coventry Doncaster 0-1 Charlton Swansea 1-1 Derby County Watford 1-2 Plymouth Preston
2-1 Nottm Forest
LEAGUE ONE Stockport 1-1 Northampton Cheltenham 2-1 Bristol
Rovers
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Joseph Anthony Barton. I feel the need to 'middle name' him as that is what his mother would have
done if he was ever in trouble as a child. Therefore, I actually suspect that he was called Joseph
Anthony a lot more than he was called simply Joey. The thing is though, that most children, after
being discipline learned from there errors, feared punishment, before reforming by the time they
leave home.
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