I remember the days when Barry Fry used to receive some fearful stick from Posh fans, but I had a grudging admiration for the bloke because he used to stand there and take it publicly on the chin rather than skulk in the shadows .
I also remember him confronting some fans at Torquay who were livid at the collapse of one particular promotion push. It wasn't pretty, but he stood his corner and argued his case.
I mention this in light of what happened at Newcastle United on Saturday before they laughably lost at home to one of the worst teams ever to reach the Premier League.
The Magpie fans were ready to stop crying over the loss of Kevin Keegan and start protesting against the men responsible for plunging the club into their latest crisis.
Unfortunately the police advised the clueless chairman, the horrible director of football and the Spanish geezer responsible for signing unknown foreigners not to show up for fear of violence.
Incredible. If ever a set of fans and a board of directors deserved each other it's the mob at St James Park.
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The reaction to every England football result is insane.
Lose, or only beat Andorra 2-0, and everyone involved with the team is a plank. Win and they are sporting Gods on a par with Federer and Woods.
And score a hat-trick as Theo Walcott did and you get on the front page of the national newspapers, just for forgetting your front door key in the Arsenal winger's case.
England weren't that bad against Andorra and they weren't that good against a Croatian side who defended so badly they made Emile Heskey resemble Pele.
David James is still an accident waiting to happen in goal for a start.
A 4-1 win in Croatia was as good a result as the 5-1 win in Germany which highlighted Sven Goran Eriksson's stint as England manager.
Then, as now, those that had criticised before the game went silent after it. Yes, I mean you Jamie Redknapp, a media whore whose love of Michael Owen led him to moan that manager Fabio Capello had blundered with his selection.
He did, but not by failing to select the has-been Owen. Hopefully Walcott's explosive performance will convince Capello that there is no longer the need to pick David Beckham, a player who so inspires his Los Angeles club they recently went 10 Mickey Mouse League matches without winning.
YOU know it's the end of the transfer window when Arsene Wenger starts whinging.
Wenger has clearly realised that Arsenal are facing another trophy-less season and he's getting his excuses in early.
Apparently spending millions of pounds on new players is immoral, the party line for clubs who can't compete financially because they prefer a shiny new stadium to world class performers.
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