Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says he will continue to support English club Newcastle, despite Alan Shearer's side being relegated from the Premier League for the first time when it lost its final game of the season.

Newcastle needed to avoid defeat Sunday to stave off relegation from the top flight of English football. Instead, Damien Duff deflected a shot past stranded goalkeeper Steve Harper for an own goal in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.

Abhisit, who wore a tie bearing a Newcastle logo on it Monday, said he watched the match and was not shocked by the result considering Newcastle had so many injuries. He had planned to call the manager Shearer if the team won, but decided not to after the loss.

"I will continue to support the team and I believe they will make it back," Abhisit said. "I still have faith in Newcastle."

Unlike his staid predecessors, the Oxford-educated Abhisit has cultivated an image as polished, trendy and a lover of everything English. Along with being a diehard fan of Newcastle, he openly talks about his love for bands like Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys' side project The Last Shadow Puppets.

He has a page and tens of thousands of friends on the Internet social networking site hi5. But critics have seized on Abhisit's Western tastes as an indication that he is out of touch with ordinary Thai people, particularly the country's rural majority.

Abhisit, who became prime minister in December, counts on support from Bangkok's middle class as well as the military generals who ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- who onced owned the Manchester City club -- in a bloodless coup in 2006, and foreign businessmen who see him as a stabilizing, investor friendly force.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009...087502108_x.htm

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says he will continue to support English club Newcastle,

<snip>

Abhisit, who wore a tie bearing a Newcastle logo on it Monday, said he watched the match and was not shocked by the result considering Newcastle had so many injuries.

He will give his support by providing crutches and wheel chairs 'Made in Thailand' to the many injured players. In addition free eye tests to players that Kan not see where goal mouth is as well................

Kan Win

Never a fan. Probably never been to a game before the late 1980's.

"Mark' will need to learn the new lyrics for Newcastle's famous song:

They all went down to Villa park, ‘twas the 24th of May.

Hoping God would smile on them, upon the Sabbath day.

Proud as punch in stripey shirts, cream of the geordie nation.

Ganning along to Birmingham___,

To see the relegation.

Oh me lads, you should've seen them crying,

Watching the shambles on the pitch,

Premier dreams a'dying.

All the lads and lasses there,

They all had gloomy faces.

Ganning doon to the championship____,

With all of Shearer's “aces”.

Never a fan. Probably never been to a game before the late 1980's.

They were shit in the 80s.

Anyway he was born a Geordie so is entitled to call himself a fan.

Shouldn't this be breaking news.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says he will continue to support English club Newcastle, despite Alan Shearer's side being relegated from the Premier League for the first time when it lost its final game of the season.

Newcastle needed to avoid defeat Sunday to stave off relegation from the top flight of English football. Instead, Damien Duff deflected a shot past stranded goalkeeper Steve Harper for an own goal in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.

Abhisit, who wore a tie bearing a Newcastle logo on it Monday, said he watched the match and was not shocked by the result considering Newcastle had so many injuries. He had planned to call the manager Shearer if the team won, but decided not to after the loss.

"I will continue to support the team and I believe they will make it back," Abhisit said. "I still have faith in Newcastle."

Unlike his staid predecessors, the Oxford-educated Abhisit has cultivated an image as polished, trendy and a lover of everything English. Along with being a diehard fan of Newcastle, he openly talks about his love for bands like Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys' side project The Last Shadow Puppets.

He has a page and tens of thousands of friends on the Internet social networking site hi5. But critics have seized on Abhisit's Western tastes as an indication that he is out of touch with ordinary Thai people, particularly the country's rural majority.

Abhisit, who became prime minister in December, counts on support from Bangkok's middle class as well as the military generals who ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- who onced owned the Manchester City club -- in a bloodless coup in 2006, and foreign businessmen who see him as a stabilizing, investor friendly force.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009...087502108_x.htm

Thailand's second division, so are Newcastle! so I guess he's got a lot in common with Shearer- Mission Impossible!

It's kickball, &lt;deleted&gt;.

Who really gives a dam?

Sorta like Sir Robert Mugabe pledging his support for the Zaire men's luge team.

Edited May 26, 200917 yr by Texpat

It's kickball, &lt;deleted&gt;.

Who really gives a dam?

Sorta like Sir Robert Mugabe pledging his support for the Zaire men's luge team.

Guess 'soccer ball' never really made it Texland. Get a field in England you play football, get one in Texas you drill for oil. .

Never a fan. Probably never been to a game before the late 1980's.

They were shit in the 80s.

Anyway he was born a Geordie so is entitled to call himself a fan.

They've been shit since the 50's.

He's entitled to nothing until he's had a season ticket or at the very least been to support the team.

Watching football on TV in Singapore or Thailand doesn't make one a fan I'm afraid.

Never a fan. Probably never been to a game before the late 1980's.

They were shit in the 80s.

Anyway he was born a Geordie so is entitled to call himself a fan.

They've been shit since the 50's.

He's entitled to nothing until he's had a season ticket or at the very least been to support the team.

Watching football on TV in Singapore or Thailand doesn't make one a fan I'm afraid.

How do you know he hasn't? He was born in Newcastle and spent much of his young life in England. Not every NU fan weighs 30st and watches games topless in the snow.

Never a fan. Probably never been to a game before the late 1980's.

They were shit in the 80s.

Anyway he was born a Geordie so is entitled to call himself a fan.

They've been shit since the 50's.

He's entitled to nothing until he's had a season ticket or at the very least been to support the team.

Watching football on TV in Singapore or Thailand doesn't make one a fan I'm afraid.

How do you know he hasn't? He was born in Newcastle and spent much of his young life in England. Not every NU fan weighs 30st and watches games topless in the snow.

Before the family thing got big in the late 80's?

Not very likely is it?

Can't see his Dad taking having taken him, being a foreign professor and all.

How do you know he hasn't? He was born in Newcastle and spent much of his young life in England. Not every NU fan weighs 30st and watches games topless in the snow.

Before the family thing got big in the late 80's?

Not very likely is it?

Can't see his Dad taking having taken him, being a foreign professor and all.

What family thing?

I went to loads of games on my own as a teenager in the 80s and 100s since and I'm not in any way a typical fan.

He's entitled to nothing until he's had a season ticket or at the very least been to support the team.

What a tempest in a teakettle. Are you seriously questioning his right to be a fan of a football team??? Wow.

What family thing?

It's what happened to British football when the terraces went in the late 80's.

Never the same, unfortunately.

I went to loads of games on my own as a teenager in the 80s and 100s since and I'm not in any way a typical fan.

Jolly good. Educated at Eton also were you?

Lucky chap.

He's entitled to nothing until he's had a season ticket or at the very least been to support the team.

What a tempest in a teakettle. Are you seriously questioning his right to be a fan of a football team??? Wow.

Of course, real football is the most important thing to us Brits next to life itself.

He can watch them on TV, but that's doesn't make him a fan.

Proper fans earn that moniker.

And you are certain he hasn't earned this moniker because?????

Seriously. You don't even know the man and you sit in judgment of his football watching.

Wow.

Newcastle suck but do so Thai girls but they call it smoking

Shame for Newcastle my dad was a fan so always want to see them do well - I'm sure they will back next year they are far too big a club not to bounce back into the Premiership - remember Leeds?

I support Hull City, another potential relegation candidate so Mark has my sympathy. Thais usually support one of the big teams so they assume I must still miss Hull and plan to return there one day! Nothing could be further from the truth, so I wonder why I still follow them, not that I cared when they were in the lower divisions. A mixture of sympathy and excitement they made it to the big league I guess.

Mark must have been very young when he left Newcastle, I'm surprised he doesn't support a team near Eton, Reading perhaps!

Who gives a &lt;deleted&gt;&gt; about newcastle just shows they are crap

Can't even believe that this is making the news. What a pile of &lt;deleted&gt;, just like Newcastle United.

And you are certain he hasn't earned this moniker because?????

Seriously. You don't even know the man and you sit in judgment of his football watching.

Wow.

Thaivisa, circa 2009, has them all....

He's entitled to nothing until he's had a season ticket or at the very least been to support the team.

What a tempest in a teakettle. Are you seriously questioning his right to be a fan of a football team??? Wow.

Of course, real football is the most important thing to us Brits next to life itself.

He can watch them on TV, but that's doesn't make him a fan.

Proper fans earn that moniker.

many brits watch footie on sky......do they not ????

It's kickball, &lt;deleted&gt;.

Who really gives a dam?

It's football not kickball, you dick splash. Only dumbass Yanks would call a game football where you prod eminently use hands!

Football (soccer to buffoons) is the worlds most watched sport. WE GIVE A DAM...........

It does matter. This is the first time in almost ten years that I have ever known a Thai person, of any gender (or trangender) or any social standing to voice support for a second tier (CCC) Football club. Ever.

It shows loyal intergrity. Somthing desperating lacking in this country.

It does matter. This is the first time in almost ten years that I have ever known a Thai person, of any gender (or trangender) or any social standing to voice support for a second tier (CCC) Football club. Ever.

It shows loyal intergrity. Somthing desperating lacking in this country.

One of the barmen at Majestic Suites admits to supporting Leeds! Maybe he should be deputy PM.