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Good day everyone, I wonder how long we shall have to wait before playing in front of 50,000 fans again after today's visit to St. James' Park? With Bristol City and Bristol Rugby both looking possible and probable candidates for relegation, respectively, I suspect it might be a fair few years. Let us all set the clocks back because today I would rather not talk about doom and gloom, there are plenty of threads for that. I was going to pluck a famous Newcastle player of the past and naturally thought of Kevin Keegan. He was 66 years old on Valentines day and might have been an interesting read but then I thought why not write about something else not necessarily only about Newcastle United Football Club. That 'huge' yo yo club of the top two tiers of English football. Interestingly when Keegan came to Newcastle for the first time from Southampton in the early 90's they were only averaging 17,000 a home game. His magnetism and dynamism on the pitch substantially increased that from day one and they have never really looked back save for a few mishaps in relegation of course. They are nothing if not an enigma. Thomas Casey I recall fondly delivered fish to our door in the late 70's and early 80's. He had one of those Sherpa vans that opened vertically at the back. I always remember that because Mr. Casey, as I respectfully called him, was always warning me to stand back as what seemed to me, as just a little boy, a huge great big door swinging outward and upward to reveal a marvellous collection of fish of all type and description. Mum was, and remains, an avid fish lover and that rubbed off on me to this day. Rarely do I not choose fish in a restaurant. Thomas Casey, according to the Bristol Evening Post, is one of only 15 former professional footballers who graced both the St James' Park and Ashton Gate pitches in their respective team colours. He was a lovely man, born March 11th 1930 in Comber, County Down and sadly no longer with us, having passed away on January 13th 2009 somewhere in the rather lovely county of Somerset, Nailsea I believe. Casey played more games for City than any of his other clubs; Newcastle came the closest with 116 appearances to City's 122. His time at Newcastle was a very successful one; the club won the FA Cup a second time in succession and contested the Charity Shield for which Casey played in 1952. Interestingly in the FA Cup of the same year Newcastle beat Arsenal 1-0 with the goal being scored by George Robledo. Robledo's brother also played in the same match and together they must have formed one of the first foreign duos of any English team. In fact, having done a bit more digging, they were; Ted Robledo started his footballing career at Barnsley with his brother George and first division Newcastle United signed him on 27 January 1949. Newcastle were only interested in signing his brother, but neither of the Robledo brothers, born to an English mother and Chilean father in Iquique, would move without the other. Their appearance together in the 1952 FA Cup Final was the first time more than one foreign player had appeared in a cup final eleven. George, the striker, was a prolific goal scorer for the club notching up 82 goals in just 146 appearances. While Tom Casey, being a Wing Half, was never a big scorer of goals he was known for his tough 'cast iron' tackling and it may explain why the then manager Peter Doherty brought him to City where the fellow Irishman managed to juggle club and the Northern Irish national team at the same time. It did not seem to faze Doherty because he took his country, including Casey, to the 1958 World Cup where they famously reached the Quarter Finals. Casey played as a forward in two of the matches at the Sweden finals alongside the likes of Blanchflower, McIlroy and Gregg. Some team they had. He had been a well travelled footballer and manager. A journey that took him from Bangor to Leeds, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Portsmouth, City, Toronto, Gloucester City (as player manager), Ammanford and Lisburn Distillery where he also played and managed and finally hung up his playing boots in 1969. He was caretaker manager at Everton in 1972 while Harry Catterick recuperated from illness going on to manage the Northern Ireland youth team, narrowly missing out on the top job and had a successful spell as Grimsby boss where he is fondly remembered for building the core of a team from their youth academy that only narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight in the 1983/4 season. In 1977 he went on to manage Reykjavik and then Harstad in Norway. Perhaps his time from Grimsby onwards gave him the idea of becoming a fishmonger because he certainly knew his fish from those days waiting for Mum to choose what to have for supper that evening. And always, the fish was delicious. Tom Casey, played and managed with distinction. He was tenacious, a bulldozer who was renown for being the hardest working player on any pitch. Maybe he got that from growing up on the Shankill Road in Belfast. How City could do with that sort of player now. Casey was a popular figure at Ashton Gate and while he only scored 9 goals for the club his work rate was enough to keep him at the club for four seasons usually in that inside left role behind the strikers such as big John Atyeo. And for the princely sum of £6,000, paid to Portsmouth, he was certainly a decent investment. Meanwhile, after leaving football management in 1962, Peter Doherty went on to scout for Liverpool unearthing many very successful footballers including a certain Kevin Keegan. Enjoy Newcastle today folks for all of you venturing north. At least the place has a decent life after dark in which to bury one's disappointment. I am in absolute awe at the level of support our fans give to Bristol City Football Club when travelling such distances at such time and cost. I also salute all you regulars at Ashton Gate and if you feel like venting your spleen I say go right ahead, you have paid for that privilege and don't let anybody tell you otherwise, nobody. Saluting you all from Manila. UTC. Thanks to Esmond for posting a thread on Tom following his passing..

**** the haters, well done to LJ and the team for a great point, regardless of conceding two in the second half. COYR

The value of this point and performance won't be known for a week IMHO If we take heart and belief from it and perform and get point at Villa and beat Burton it will be a fantastic point Revert to type at Villa and / or Burton and it will be near worthless Continuing it on is the acid test Big week ahead

Lee , just concentrate on the match mate .

City players at the pitch right now

Perfect time to bring in a new manager now, the players starting to get a little confidence and still time to save ourselves

I'm both optimistic and feeling impending doom at the same time. Only city can make that possible.

Get in there! Cheered me up after a dark start to the day. Hold on this time.

Just leaving for the long trek north.....god knows why.... but we are.....COYR

City players at ht

Can't write much as I'm on the Metro, just wanted to say what a mstch! we've had so many Newcastle fans coming up to us and saying how impressed they were with us and how they can't understand our position, all so positive.

Hello darkness my old friend...

It must be reiterated what a class act Wilbraham's been for us ever since he arrived. Considering his career before now wasn't stellar, he's been not only a top pro, but always very impressive given his age.

Condensed Version Newcastle: Go out on the piss after we get stuffed

Nothing but praise from me for a draw up there. Well done everybody. Now lets hope the rumours of a new coach are true and we can start to build some confidence.

You seriously describe someone who travels to Newcastle as fickle?

Anyone want to apologise for the absolute pasting LJ and his team selection, especially of Wilbs, got before the game? After a committed, energetic and gritty performance at the league leaders? No, didn't think so. It's easy on FM isn't it.

Anyone else just have a heart attack with Jeff Stelling saying; "There's a late goal at St James Park!" despite knowing that our game was over?

Sorry I don't care how the scoring went, we went into the cauldron and came out with a ******* great point........ Well done lads

They aren't haters. They just want a man out of management who has one of the worst records in Championship management history.

He's probably had a gutful already.

Cannot believe people are knocking a point at Newcastle, even allowing for being 2-0 up. The problem is not today, it's all those other half brained defeats.

Anyone know if Freeman has been sent off?

On a list of things I wouldn't have said just yet, this would be near the top!

Total bollocks! Maybe the ones singing were not in th 'LJ Out' camp maybe Travelled up in amazing numbers repping BCFC they can be as fickle as they want.

Sort of a wooden frame with netting on the back. BOOM BOOM

Jesus, you're a miserable and joyless lot. He's picked a squad of professional footballers, pretty much in the positions you'd expect. Our two centre forwards are out, so he's brought back Wilbraham, who hasn't let us down before. You don't know how fit or unfit players, but you just can't wait to condemn, can you? I really despair. Can you do nothing but complain, even before the bl**dy match is underway?

FFS Johnson

No. I can't. It's like being selected to be on who wants to be a millionaire and then getting the first question wrong. "It's ok, at least you got on!" yeh. Cheers.

Haters. Brilliant.

Good point but doesn't change anything in regards to LJ for me

No hate (why do people keep using that word?) good point, my opinion that LJ should go has not changed one iota

Well at least we gave it our all,you can't ask for more than that,well happy with a point.

These little fellas just fell out of me!

We need to be 4:0 up, minimum, by h-t

FFS Can someone please take a photo of Johnson eating a pie please.

Well you were sort of hoping that Toon won by 4 or 5, Fordy, so the fact we didn't lose by anything must be upsetting indeed if LJ was to go as a result. But 2-0 down or 2-0 up to end 2-2 is not the point. The point's the point- if you get my point. Against Newcastle. The League leaders. Away.

I second that

Not conceding a third was massive IMHO A loss would have finished us I would think

Just think where we could be with this squad with a half decent manager

I'm afraid I just can't be happy with a point after being 2 up. Nevertheless a point is better than none.

OK, so many expected not just a defeat, but a thrashing and we've drawn. Well done players!

Don't give a shit that we threw away a two goal lead, that's a great point.

SL,will,see more green shoots and LJ will be around longer And we don't even get the three points Some consolations sounds as they put a right shift in And we got a point which most of us wouldn't have expected And Wigan didn't win The **** up was at Derby IMHO not today

That's the fourth change of trousers this half

This... why oh why does LJ have to pi55 about changing formations WHEN WE ARE WINNING ... imbecile.

we are still winning guys, yes we could lose, but we can still win - let's try to stay positive and enjoy this whilst we can !

Any chance Johnson could keep his gob shut for the next ten minutes!!!

Well, as one of the very few City fans to still be loyal to LJ I am understandably thrilled at the way the game is going. I know we threw away a three goal lead at Derby; but I'm crossing every finger and toe that this is the game that City really do turn this season around. You can call me naive, but at least I always believe!