Just days after he came out in support of Alan Pardew - but only because there'd be nobody else who'd take the job on - former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee has spoken out against Dennis Wise, whose claims that Mike Ashley was only hated because he's a Southerner pricked Geordie nerves this week. Talking in his Chronicle column, the midfielder - himself from Plaistow in London, which was never an issue for fans who adored him - described Wise's comments as "nonsense"; stating the obvious perhaps, but at least someone in the media is taking Wise to task. Lee, who was genuinely beloved in his ten years at the club, says he is "living and breathing proof" that there is no anti-Cockney agenda - something that Les Ferdinand and Malcolm McDonald would probably also attest to - and that Wise's comments were wide of the mark. To suggest anyone at the club, be it Mike Ashley or Alan Pardew, arent loved, respected or even liked a bit because they happen to come from London is absurd. It was perhaps a flippant remark, but a ridiculous one nonetheless. I am not quite sure how Wise could even have come to this conclusion. He wasnt in Newcastle long enough to get to know what the area and its people is all about. What was it? Eight months. Yeah, he knows Newcastle inside and out and what makes the people tick. Lee also stated that despite his comments, Wise would probably have been loved as a player at Newcastle because of his commitment and work-rate - as well as the infamous attitude that made him such a divisive figure before he retired. Forgive me if I don't lose any sleep that we never found that one out.
