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With Newcastle being relegated and Arsenal fans unhappy at their defeats to Manchester Utd and Chelsea, the question is raised as to just how much is expected from the teams in the Premier League

In these turbulent times for their club, let’s spare a thought for the silent majority among Newcastle United fans. “Passion” has long been deemed to be a key attribute in English football, whether it’s shown by players, managers or supporters. For several years now, Newcastle followers, or at least a subsection of them, have been seen as the epitome of the committed fan whose life revolves around their club. Thus the arrival of Alan Shearer as manager was greeted on television and radio by blethering idiots hailing the return of the saviour. Many supporters questioned the wisdom of appointing a novice but their views couldn’t be summed up in a crass soundbite so we didn’t get to hear from them.

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Dear WSC
AFC Wimbledon fan Aled Thomas (Letters, WSC 267) bemoans people not knowing what to call his club. He would have enjoyed this exchange on Talksport on a recent Saturday when they decided to venture south of the Premier League, for a change. Ian Danter: “AFC Wimbledon could gain promotion to the Conference today.” Micky Quinn: “Is that the original club?” Danter (hesitantly): “Yes.” Quinn: “Do they still play at Plough Lane?” Why so knowledgeable?
Glyn Berrington, Brierley Hill

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Wigan's chairman Dave Whelan gives his views on his opposite number at Newcastle, Mike Ashley

“Mike Ashley has no class whatsoever. I think he has got what he deserves at Newcastle. You don’t go in there and lower the standards.” Such comments about Newcastle’s beleaguered owner and his fondness for XXL replica shirts could have come from any number of columnists. Instead they were made by another Premier League chairman. Managers snipe at one another publicly all the time these days but it is quite rare for club owners to feud. It’s less of a surprise however that this unofficial protocol should have been breached by Wigan’s Dave Whelan. Of course, Whelan’s beef with Ashley doesn’t really stem from his concern about falling standards in the boadroom. This much is borne out by other comments at the same press conference about Ashley’s predecessor: “Whatever you think of Freddy Shepherd, he had great dignity. People say he made a good living out of it, but he was also Newcastle United through and through.” That’s the same Freddy Shepherd who alternately scandalised and embarrassed Newcastle supporters with his crass behaviour over a period of several years before making £50 million in selling up to Ashley.

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While the steel city rivals squabble, Doncaster’s pragmatism is paying off. Glen Wilson assesses the mood in South Yorkshire

At the Keepmoat Stadium there is a bloke on my row who is notoriously hard to please. A frustrated yell of “No, not backwards” will greet any pass Doncaster Rovers play towards their own goal. Passes hit in the other direction are “just another bloody lump for’ards” while anything in between constitutes “fannying around with it”. In the midst of a poor run earlier this season we timed his first damning bellow of “Nooooo” at just 34 seconds after kick-off.

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Forest and Derby may not be closest neighbours but time has created a twisted rivalry. Al Needham reports

The relationship between Nottingham Forest and Derby Country may seem a little strange, but it’s actually no different to the ones you see on Jeremy Kyle on a weekday morning. So many elements bind them together, but it’s those very elements that drive them apart like inverse magnets.

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