Keith Scantlebury

Don't know if it is lack of ambition or loyalty to the club. But I do agree that either of those has hampered his international chances. He may have had a more prolific career if he had moved to a "less glamorous" premiership club [if that is the correct phrase to use]. Newcastle United is clearly the club he loves and he has obviously been willing to play second fiddle to Shay Given. Givens unwillingness to play in the championship had elevated Harper to number 1 keeper. Over the years NUFC has had some excellent goalkeepers, many of them internationals, who have been happy to stick with the club for a number of years. Steve Harper can hold his own with many of them and I honestly believe he deserves to be capped for England. The current England manager could do a lot worse than give the guy a chance, even at this late stage of his career. There is of course, that imaginary line that is drawn from Merseyside to the East coast.[ Andy Carrol has done his international aspirations no harm at all ] Any footballer playing for a club above that line renders himself [in Capello's book] unable to play for England. Can anyone say that Mr. Capello has been a regular at St. James' Park to run the rule over a NUFC player? I don't think so. I don't even think that he has ever taken the opportunity to watch them when they have played in London for that reason. Stuart Pearce has used NUFC players in the under 21's in recent years, so that rules out travel sickness. Maybe it is an age over distance thing and the fact that Alan Shearer quit international football at a relatively young age. Newcastle United is, and has been for a long time, one of the biggest and most respected clubs in English football but for some reason it has become a no go area [in recent years] for England internationals. Was it an injury sustained playing against Sweden that ended Michael Owens international career, or the fact that he played for NUFC.

Fabio Cappelo has decided to call on Robert Green to keep goal for England in the Euro 2012 qualifier on 4th June. Not only has Green asked not to be considered, his gaffes for both club and country have been well reported. He is also part of a relegated team, so he must take his share of the blame for West Ham's relegation. Many Neutral football fans [as well as NUFC supporters] agree that Steve Harper is , without doubt, the best English keeper never to be capped for his country. That is mainly due to the excellent form that Shay Given enjoyed during his tenure between the pegs at NUFC. Surely the Toon's #1 keeper deserves the chance to prove his worth to his country before it is too late for him to do so. You never know, he might just show the current England manager and his predecessors what they have missed out on. Come on Fabio, give the lad a chance [ along with Barton and Nolan] to prove he still has what it takes, after all, England has all but quallified for the 2012 finals, what is there to lose.

Foxy I'm sure you must have access to a Tardis, you keep coming up with these gems.... keep them coming

Just trying to be helpful mate, you never know when you are gonna get dumped in Consett and you have to find ya way back, errrrrrrrrm hic!!!!!

Brettly, you may be pedantic when watching the box mate, just a shame that your geography is not up to scratch. Consett is not on Teeside, last time I looked it was in County Durham [just about the furthest point of County Durham from Teeside you can get]

Good excuse for getting out of going shopping

We go to laidlers for some stuff,not all is local though. Spuds from Lincolnshire and beyond for instance. But will agree they are cheep.

Cheers Brettly

Outsider, Don Lynn is an excellent butcher and like all the local butchers they need supporting. Brettly, Thats the way, We use ASDA on occasion to buy kids clothes etc. or maybe the odd shop, we get all our meat from Bobby Cowells at Bedlington Station another excellent butcher. Do me a favour, ditch that logo, its sending m e i n t o aaaaaaa t r aaaaaanzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

All agreed ? Not a lot more left to say Merlin. I would co-sign that letter

Foo fighters were brilliant Brettly. Suppose it is all down to taste . The drummer, Taylor Hawkins , has to be the best in the world at the moment. Saw a bit of lady Ga Ga last night, if I was in the crowd I would feel well and truly ripped off, also she looked like a road killed badger.

Watched the Foo Fighters on BBC 3. They had Carlisle jumping. My telly was that loud I was getting feedback from Carlisle. Just as well next door is empty. Not many people know that I am a trendy git.

I've done it mate, I slung myself off the top of the old station pit heap stitched inside a donkey jacket when I was 10. I ended up on the roof of the scout hut behind the pioneer boot factory. ahem ....

1oo% totaly agree Merlin with everything you say, that is how it is. Your last paragragh sums it up perfectly, there are far too many chiefs and not enough indians. The advisors discretionary fund should be just that,for the advisor to decide [or to be persuaded by the claimant] that by giving extra financial help for expenses and training etc the chances of getting work would be greatly increased. It is not the advisors discretion if he/she has to to then go and ask a superior and then that superior has to ask someone else and so on. The answer is normally no, you cant have any help, so why bother asking in the first place. The level of humiliation you suffer [at least by, some of us] by just signing on at the job centre is bad enough without someone accusing you you of not doing enough to find work, when you tell them what you have been doing , they don't believe you and threaten to stop your benefit. There was one time they did not believe me even when I produced proof of an interview.

I wiil PM you with more detail at some point Malcolm as I dont think what I have to say would go down too well in some quarters [you can decide]. On the whole, the advice that I was given was adequate, the advisor that was allocated to me was very good at what she did. However, I had an appointment with an advisor from the the N.E.W.S. team at the Bedlington Hub, [on the opposite side of the street to the job centre] on Wednesday and she was extremely helpful, her name is Sue Ward. I have another appointment with her this coming Wednesday which I will still keep.

Cheers Malcolm, no, signed on with an agency to a long term [hopefully] placement. will go into it later but on both counts the job centre seemed to go out of their way to be as unhelpfull as possible, they blame it on restricted funding.

Stuff the elections, the real news of the day is that , as of 16th May 2011, I will be rejoining the ranks of the employed. D.V.L.A. just need to get their fingers out and send me my new digital tachogragh card pronto.

Speed humps will only have an affect on those who are driving their own cars. The cars that are driven by so called "joy riders" will not slow down for the humps. These cars are nicked, the drivers of these cars could not give a monkeys chuff what gets damaged, wether it be the car , the speed hump, the bollards or the grass. More worryingly, a bike or the rider. Cars should be banned completely, unless they have a legitimate reason to be there. Permits could be issued, much the same way as tipping permits are issued. Drivers that are using the route through the park would have to produce a valid permit or face prosecution. The only sure way to make it completely safe is to ban motor vehicles completely, locking them out and having access for maintenance vehicles only.

Tried it Monsta mate, the fish didn't survive for long afterwards

Cheers Foxy, Simon and I were at Kirkley Hall together, He was my best man at our wedding. I think I have that number somewhere.

There is one thing for certain, there will be no action from the teachers between late July and early September. That period will be left for the air traffic controlers, baggage handlers or cabin crew to do their worst. The thing is, in this case I agree with the teachers but I have never agreed with strikes that cause hardship to the public [ in this case , students taking exams ].I do know that it is pointless striking if you are not going to cause disruption to some peoples lives, that is the whole idea. As one respondent wrote in answer to the article that Malclm posted, " Teaching is the profession that creates other professions", however, I don't think any teacher would relish the thought of trying to teach [and keep control] of a class of teenagers when they are approaching 70 years old.

Enjoy your day Brettly, apple flavoured beverages that make you wobble and fall down that have their origins in zummerzet are well worth investing in, take it from one whose head has connected with the pavement with force after dallying with such an investment on several occasions.

I was watching Countryfile a week or two ago. They were looking at the effect the large supermarkets have on the town centres. It seems that the ones on the outskirts of towns have more of an adverse effect to local businesess than those that are built closer to the town centre. I think they were in Yeovil in Somerset. Morrisons have a store right in the town centre. [ as does MORPETH and BLYTH]. Apparrently Morrisons worked very closely from the begining with all the town centre business owners to see how best they can exist together, right down to the free use of the supermarket car park. A local butcher was interviewed, he said that he was living quite happily with Morrisons in Yeovil, the majority of his customers have stayed with him. Morrisons have actually brought people back into Yeovil town centre and kept the place alive. He also has a shop in Exeter. Tesco built a new store not too far away from his shop and business has very quickly been lost to the supermarket and now, along with his neighbours, his business in Exeter is to close after many years trading . Is Bedlington now going to be a one shop town, as it were. It certainly seems that way looking at the ammount of empty shops [oh, we have a coffee shop coming]. It seems that Morrisons can move into a town centre and co-exist quite happilly with the locals, while Tesco wants to take over the whole shebang, rake in the dosh and bollix to the locals.

What do you mean, "IS" going to kill this town off. The gun has already been given to Tesco and the hole has been dug

I totaly agree Merlin, the councillors are there to do what we want them to do [the majority] not glory seeking for themselves. You still seem a little agitated, are you still getting bullied off old ladies exitting the school the wrong way?