Hi I will be taking part in tonights @picklive game - Picklive is a real time football prediction game for live games - check it out - full review appearing here tomorrow.

Thanks to Olly the Gooner for putting us onto this - looks tops.

Site here - give it a whirl - 21 mins till kick off in the next game at The Emirates

All 72 Football League Clubs are uniting in a week of action to raise awareness and vital funds for ‘Help for Heroes’ - The Football League’s Official Charity Partner for the 2009/10 season.

‘Football for Heroes’ week will take place between March 6 and 14 and will give football fans across the country the opportunity to show their support for the efforts and sacrifices of our Armed Forces.

Lord Mawhinney, Chairman of The Football League said: “The contribution being made by our armed forces around the world is truly humbling. As a nation we do not thank them enough for the sacrifices they make. The Football for Heroes week will provide an excellent opportunity for supporters to show their appreciation for the outstanding work being done.”

Link to the outstanding work here

Another home match and another 3pts, Utd now have over 70 -pts and a healthy 6 goal haul means our Goal Difference has crept over the 40+ now leaving us +11 goals healthier than WBA. It also means that we have an 8pt lead over Forest (played a game more) and 3 match lead (9pts) over WBA (same games played).

We still remain firmly on track for the title, although a tricky tie on Saturday awaits when we travel to smogland in what could be a decent game, although the smoggies will look to bounce back for the play offs after a defeat at the hands of fellow promotion pushers Cardiff on Saturday.

5 home games left and only 2 (so far) are 3pm Saturday kick offs, with Scunthorpe up at SJP next Wednesday and Forest here in a potential 6 pointer on the last Monday of the month. 5 games to go to remain unbeaten - a record never seen at SJP.

Next home game on a Saturday the visit of Blackpool on April the 10th, by then however the title (at least promotion) could have been secured.

End of season stats (based on seasonal form here)

PL - W - D - L - F - A - GD - Pts

46 - 28 - 12 - 5 - 87 - 32 - 54 - 97

Jonas Gutierrez is a brave man. He has kept that Spiderman mask hidden away in his jockstrap for nearly two years.

Although he has washed it a few times, he still knew it would not be in the best condition when he finally got the chance to wear it and celebrate a long-awaited Newcastle home goal.

‘I don’t know how long it’s been down there,’ he said. ‘It didn’t smell very nice when I put it on but I had to do it.’

Every time he has taken to the St James’ Park pitch since joining from Real Mallorca, Gutierrez has been convinced he would get the opportunity to slip on his mask and show Newcastle supporters the unusual celebration he perfected in La Liga.

Inevitably, when he broke his duck, it was a top corner, edge-ofthe- area cracker. St James’ Park waited with bated breath for Gutierrez to reach into his shorts and reveal the mask.

It brought a smile to the entire stadium. Gutierrez said: ‘It all started in Spain. I went to the cinema and a little boy asked me to score a goal for him, so I told him I would put on a Spiderman mask as that was his favourite film.

‘The next game I scored, so it carried on. People were talking about it when I signed for Newcastle. I can’t remember the last time I put one on. It’s been a long wait and I never thought it would take so long.’

Now eight points clear, having overcome a minor blip at the turn of the year, Newcastle can start planning for next season and their return to the top flight. But there are big questions to be answered.

Will Mike Ashley retain ownership? If so, will he spend some money on much-needed reinforcements for a very different world? And who will survive the cull?

Peter Lovenkrands is one player who deserves to be given another chance. The Denmark forward added two to take his tally on home turf to 11 — he has not scored away — although his opener from the penalty spot was cruel on Barnsley, who had frustrated the home side for 44 minutes.

Luke Steele was dismissed for his foul on Lovenkrands, who admitted the Barnsley keeper did not touch him. Lovenkrands’ second was a perfect header from Andy Carroll’s precise cross and Danny Guthrie got two from distance by deceiving substitute keeper David Preece, who was easily beaten for the sixth, Kevin Nolan’s 13th of the season.

Chris Hughton’s team have five games left, including the visit of second-placed Forest, to stay unbeaten at home for the first time in 133 years.

Lovenkrands said: ‘We just want to get out of this division but, of course, it would be nice to get the record.’

…but fair play Jonas, you’ve been superb recently.

In the club - Legend

Head-to-head
• This is the 30th league meeting of Newcastle and Barnsley. Both clubs have won 10 of the previous 29, with nine draws.
• Barnsley are vying for only their fourth away league victory over the Magpies. The most recent was in September 1982.
Newcastle
• Newcastle have won their last three league matches and their last four at home.
• They have won more matches (20) and lost fewer (four) than any other team in the Championship.
• Fifty-five of Newcastle’s 69 points have come from matches in which they have scored first.
• Kevin Nolan is set to make his 300th career league start.
Barnsley
• Barnsley have gone 12 matches without a draw.
• The Tykes have committed 432 fouls in Championship matches this season - more than any other side.
• They are the only team in the top 15 to have lost as many as 14 games this season.

Luke Edwards writes about the flop turned fans favourite

“Ohhh Coloccini, you are the love of my life, ohhh Coloccini I’d let you s**g my wife, I want curly hair too.”

While relegation from the Premier League made last season one of the worst in Newcastle United’s history, the current campaign could yet end as the best in more than a century.

If the Magpies avoid defeat in their remaining six home games, they will have gone through an entire season unbeaten at St James’ Park for the first time in 103 years.

Some of the club’s greatest line-ups have failed to hit such heights, and for all that the strength of opposition in the Championship can be challenged, there will be no doubting the extent of the achievement if Newcastle’s home record remains unblemished between now and the middle of May.

And for those of you who quote ‘jinx’ and ‘tempting fate’ get a life, what will be will be.

Cheers

SS

Urgent medical research is being held back by lack of scanner time. The new scanner will allow us to press ahead with world-leading advances in Alzheimer’s disease as well as in diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and other chronic diseases.

The research can make a huge difference to the lives of many people.

A man is stranded in the desert and has not eaten or drunk anything for nearly 36 hours. He is about to die. Amazingly, as he stumbles through the sand, he comes to three market stalls. The man (half-thinking he must be hallucinating) approaches the first stall and demands, “I need water, sell me some water.”
“Sorry, Sir,” replies the stall owner, “I only sell custard.”
The man, visibly taken aback, goes up to the second stall and again asks for water.
“I’m afraid I only sell sponge cake and cream,” replies the second stall owner.
The man turns in disbelief to the final stall and begs, “please, I need water now or I’ll die.”
“Sorry Sir, I only sell hundreds and thousands,” replies the final stall owner.
His fatigue momentarily forgotten the man demands, “You mean to tell me that the three of you all own market stalls in the middle of the desert and none of you sell water?”
“I know, Sir,” says the first stall owner, “it’s a trifle bazaar.”

A Zulu walking through the jungle comes across a pygmy standing over a dead lion.
“Did you kill that lion?” asks the Zulu.
“Yeah, I beat it to death with my club,” the pygmy replies.
“F+ck, you must have a big club,” says the Zulu.
“Aye, there’s about thirty of us.”

Bye Charlie.