Bazza's jazz mags, and other stories

There's something heart-warming about having a passionate Newcastle fan write about the club in a national newspaper. In today's Times, George Caulkin picks out his Top 50 Newcastle Players. Inevitably there are some names in there that I'd argue with, and others that I think are glaringly missing, but in the most part I'd agree with his selection, and heartily recommend the article, if only for the story of Barry Venison's apparent pre-match reading matter.

In any event, and as Caulkin is quick to point out, it's his list, not mine, not yours but his. If he was older or younger it would probably have been different, but regardless of that it is certainly well worth a read.

The Times also gets a brief round of applause for their headline: Mark Viduka hungry for the fight. Not just us who think he's spent most of the last couple of years chomping pasties then?

Elsewhere, the press seem to have occupied themselves with questioning whether Michael Owen's career is now on the wane, not just on Tyneside, but as a whole. What seems certain is that wherever he goes, Little Saint Mick is unlikely to receive a contract offer which comes close to matching his current deal (or even that which we offered him in January). Still, with his massive wages off the payroll, it would mark a significant saving, which would doubtless help us to recruit some new blood to the cause.