Sunderland are looking elsewhere for amusement

Adam Johnson - "an England international in his prime". He didn't play at Euro 2012

"an England international in his prime" - doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of opposition fans like it used to. That statement is about as anachronistic as "it's every footballer's dream to win the FA Cup."

Not sure why you have a problem with this line about Johnson being an "England international in his prime" grahamjohn678; he was selected for the last two England squads and is of an age where it is reasonable to suggest he is reaching his peak. I am even more unsure why you then felt the need to make another comment about it moments later...

Just to add some balance as a Newcastle fan - the "over the wall" tracksuit was the idea of Fabricio Coloccini, a dressing room thing, and it's unlikely Mike Ashley or others at the highest level of the club, knew anything about it. Ryan Taylor had scored a free kick, over the wall, against Atromitos, against whom he was injured in the second leg. It seems unfair to suggest that this gesture for a friend and teammate had anything to do with Sunderland, and is unacceptable to compare it to the Suarez T-shirt situation.

Certainly it is true that the "Ryan Taylor, Over The Wall" song originated following the derby match against Sunderland. But Taylor has scored several similar goals since then, with the "over the wall" free kick becoming something of a trademark for him. Hence the enduring popularity of the song.

So not "petty" or "pathetic", then. Some might argue an article referring to a player being severely injured as "some entertainment" could be more accurately described using those words.

Agree wholeheartedly with Paultoon. When Ibrahim Affellay suffered a similar injury last season, Barca's players also wore supportive messages on their training tops. It was clearly a sign of the new-found unity at Newcastle. If you really think that the NUFC hierarchy took a serious injury to a popular player as merely a chance to have a dig at Sunderland, you've got a chip on one shoulder to match the other one which precludes you from getting over a derby defeat 12 months ago. To compare this instance with Liverpool's mis-handling of the Suarez situation is particularly cheap. I actually feel quite sorry for you.