Alan Shearer to play on next season

This could not have been greater news for us Newcastle fans. This from some "Southern Man Utd fan" hack at the BBC Sports website:

But you can not help wondering what might have been had he joined Manchester United and regularly tested himself against the very best in Europe."

And this from the Newcastle United fan website:

Manchester United fans will never understand why Shearer turned them down, twice, because the concept of regional loyalty is one that is alien to all but a handful of them.

Shearer was prepared to gamble a guaranteed sack-full of medals at Old Trafford with the chance of winning just one piece of silverware for his hometown club.

It's a sad old world that pillories someone for not taking the easy option. Again, a difficult thing for all glory-seeking Manchester United fans to comprehend.

Fantastic. Bring on Man Utd in the FA Cup semi final.

I am not a Newcastle United fan but I am pleased that he's staying for another season because I like watching him play.

I only wish he was still in the England set-up under Ericsson. He would have buried at least four of the chances Owen missed on Wednesday.

This is good news. He's one of the best strikers of all time, without any doubt. I think there is a real chance of Newcastle lifting the FA Cup this season. It seems to be written in the stars. They weren't the better side for either the Chelsea or Spurs games, but seemed destined to go through. I'm not a Newcastle fan, but I'd like to see Shearer get some much deserved silverware. As perennial underachievers, I think a lot of neutrals would be happy to see Newcastle finally win something.

The whole "Toon" is delighted Alan Shearer is staying on another season as player/coach, and not just to win a piece of silverware, he is an uncompromising player on the field ,but off.... a gentleman of the old school, with all the time in the world for his fans, I wish there were many more like him, some of to-days youngsters with all the money in the world could do well to take his lead

Great news for football fans. I only wish he'd have stuck around with the England squad for a little longer, although I fully understand his decision not to, and this decision has probably enabled him to give himself another season at Newcastle.

As a Blackburn fan, I have very fond memories of Alan Shearer's time with the club, and as long as it isn't at our expense, I would love to see him win another trophy before he does retire. With the service he has given to the game, he deserves it.

Looks like the entire Newcastle United 1st team celebrated Shearer's decision to stay by going on the piss on Friday night!

What on earth were Bowyer and Dyer thinking of?? I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when Souness let loose in the dressing room. 3-0 and 3 men sent off........2 for fighting with each other!

Can't wait for match of the day!

Shearer
Bowyer

I guess that Owen is returning to England this summer..., what a pity, I think the guy is really good.

Alan Shearer was quoted in today's Sun as saying the only day that he was going to regret his decision would be on the first day of training for next season.

I bet he changed his mind this afternoon.

Lee Bowyer is a thug. Always has been, always will be. The guy has a history. As a Charlton player, he leapt over a counter at a local McDonalds and beat the crap out of an Asian staff member because he wouldn't serve him quick enough. As a Leeds player, he beat the crap out of an Asian student. Today, he went for Kieron Dyer because he would not pass him the ball. He is not fit to wear the shirt of Newcastle United, or indeed any football team.

What was Dyer supposed to do, when a retarded t**t starts raining punches on him? Though it was right that both players were sent off, I don't blame Dyer at all. The press conference was a farce. With Bowyer sitting next to him, Graeme Souness made his feelings about him absolutely clear: he's in big trouble.

Lee Bowyer is overrated; Dyer an underachiever. Yes, players do have disagreements, but they don't fight on a Saturday afternoon in front of 50,000 fans. Players don't always get on - Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole at Man Ure spring to mind. But they don't fight.

Twenty four hours is a long time in football. Yesterday there was great joy because Shearer decided to continue playing. Today must rank as one of the darkest in the club's history.

And Spanish_Eyes, don't be too disheartened about Michael Owen. Word on the street is that Real Madrid won't take less than £16 million for him, and I wonder how many clubs would be prepared to pay that? OK, Chelsea maybe. Arsenal? Newcastle? All right, there are a number of clubs that would take him. Do you think Real Madrid would take Bowyer in exchange?

Stephen,

Bowyer has to leave......end of story!!

It's such a shame as Newcastle were doing so well!!

I can't believe what happened today. Newcastle have lost both players for th FA cup semi final. I still believe that they will get themselves together on Apr 16th as Man U are struggling.

Delboy:

I agree wholeheartedly. But who will take him? Do we pack him off to Scottish football a la Craig Bellamy? Or maybe there is a bootboy's job going at Leyton Orient? Either way, if he ever pulls on a black and white jersey again I shall be mightily disappointed.

It's such a shame as Newcastle were doing so well!!

I can't believe what happened today. Newcastle have lost both players for th FA cup semi final. I still believe that they will get themselves together on Apr 16th as Man U are struggling.

Newcastle are doing so well?????
HELLO!!!! They are in the bottom half of the table, and they have won nothing yet this season!!!

Man U are struggling??? As bad as they are playing they are still third, only on goal difference!!! They are in the same position as Newcastle in the FA Cup and reached the Quarter finals of the Champions league,something Newcastle will only ever DREAM about!!!

I am NOT a UTD fan but United will beat the s##t out of the always over-rated "Toon Army"!!

I meant they'd been on a good run.

So, both Bowyer and Dyer get away with it and will be retained by the club. Bowyer gets fined 6 weeks wages, likely to be over £200,000, and Newcastle are to appeal against Dyer's red card.

It is an outrage.

Once again Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has shown himself to be totally incapable of running a football club. Bowyer should have been out on his arse first thing this morning, and the appeal against Dyer's red card is an insult to the intelligence. The FA will rightly dismiss the appeal.

Newcastle are doing well, relatively speaking. A disastrous run at the start of the season and another around Christmas are all that stand between us and a top 5 place in the league. Granted, there is no chance of us qualifying for Europe next season unless we win this year's trophy. But that is, to me, a very real possibility, even after the weekend's events. As for the FA Cup, beating Man Utd is possible. We achieved this the season before last, in a thrilling 4-3 victory during which another of the game's saintly cherubs, Roy Keane, was sent off. How I laughed then.

The key thing is for Newcastle United the team, and the supporters for that matter, to do what they say they are going to do and put this incident behind them, otherwise that little punch up may well be the spark that causes their season to implode.

They are in the same position as Newcastle in the FA Cup and reached the Quarter finals of the Champions league,something Newcastle will only ever DREAM about!!!

Not such an unrealistic dream (perhaps for this season). It was only 2 years ago that Newcastle came within a hair's breadth of reaching exactly that stage of the Champion's League, losing 2-0 at home to Inter Milan having drawn 2-2 away.

So, both Bowyer and Dyer get away with it and will be retained by the club. Bowyer gets fined 6 weeks wages, likely to be over £200,000, and Newcastle are to appeal against Dyer's red card.

It is an outrage.

Once again Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has shown himself to be totally incapable of running a football club. Bowyer should have been out on his arse first thing this morning, and the appeal against Dyer's red card is an insult to the intelligence. The FA will rightly dismiss the appeal.

Agreed. £200,000 is a hell of a lot of money for most people, but for professional footballers earning £20,000 - £40,000 a week plus the additional income they earn from sponsorship deals and advertising it isn’t going to hurt them that much.

The club may see the players as financial investments and are understandably cautious about terminating contracts and cutting their losses, but the line has to be drawn somewhere. Lee Bowyer is very fortunate to remain in employment after this weekends events, but whether the club’s supporters will be as forgiving as the club appears to have been remains to be seen.

It always makes me laugh when footballers get 'fined'. Shepherd said Bowyer was close to being sacked so why wasn't he?? I agree Newcastle should accept Dyers punishment.

Back to the semi-final on the 16th. I still think Newcastle are in with a shout. With Shearer, Kluivert and Robert there's goals there. They'll need to sharpen up after Saturdays performance in defence to shut out Rooney and co but it will be close. At the Millenium Stadium anything can happen.

That's another thing. Playing the semi's at the Millenium is wrong IMO. It takes the edge off the final and why on earth are Man U and Newcastle fans expected to make the long haul to cardiff when they could have played at Villa Park? I know it's about money but I remember when they did this at Wembley and it takes the gloss off the final.

Anyway, Champions league....it will be an emotion charged atmosphere at Anfield tonight and I think Liverpool will nick this leg. Same goes for Chelsea tomorrow. It will be a brave Liverpool fan who makes the trip to Juve though!