Shocking pictures emerge from St James’ Park – Mike Ashley’s neglect of NUFC continues

Mike Ashley’s neglect of Newcastle found a new low this week, as epicures released from the IfRafaGoesWeGo campaign show just what a state St.James’ Park and it’s facilities have been left in, never mind the lack of signings on the pitch.

Investment in our infrastructure under Mike Ashley has been next to zero, despite a long tenure of now over 11 years.

Rafa’s request to have the training ground was rejected and we can see now with these pictures below, if our owner won’t invest money to correct such basic maintenance like these:

These are new and recent images and shows the ground to be unclean, run down and completely neglected – with one of them showing a dead pigeon which is believed to have been left for several weeks now.

This comes after big tickets and merchandise price rises; the lack of regard for the fan base from Mike Ashley really does know no bounds.

Lee Marshall who is often the voice of the club on twitter has responded by saying fans are to report issues like these and they may be resolved but quite why it needs us to point such neglect out remains to be seen.

As people working for the club, you would hope they can see and fix it for themselves.

  (Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Simon Riddlesden

Lifelong Newcastle United fan and East Stand season ticket holder. Observations from a supporter who has followed NUFC during Champions League participation and through relegation, taking me from Milan to Scunthorpe.

13 thoughts on “Shocking pictures emerge from St James’ Park – Mike Ashley’s neglect of NUFC continues

  1. Far from being a Rafa supporter, this one is surely down to those at St James Park, and Lee Marshall should be ashamed of himself for making such a non-committal reply, at the end of the day he is Supporters Liaison Officer, I am not in the least surprised.
    A number of senior stadium personnel are in my opinion frighted of there own shadows, never mind the likes of Charnley and Ashley. All they hope for is to remain in employment for another week, no rocking the boat. Toilets in the East Stand alone are an accident waiting to happen, never mind the steps leading down from the front row of the upper tier to the lower tier, where you have to just about stand on the toes of those fans sitting adjacent to these stairs to get by along the front row. This I raised with the safety officer over 4 years ago and its still the same.

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  2. No surprises there, we already know cashley would sell his own grannie for a few bob, look when he tried to loan Rafa to Spain during WC.
    This is just another example of how low he can stoop for money.
    The current protest needs much more weight than cashleys wallet, I wish them all the best.

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  3. Ifrafagoeswego – you won’t that’s the problem – unless you have £400M you just have to accept it – championship here you come

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  4. This is quite amusing.

    Yes ultimately Ashley is responsible for the club, but I’m not really that confident that part of his remit is to wander round the site with a mop and a bucket, cleaning up mildew, or with his extendable ladders slung over his shoulder looking toward the skies for dead pigeons.

    NUFC have a maintenance crew.

    Yes – pun entirely intended – Maybe we should be looking a little lower down the ladder.

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  5. We really have to question just who we are now as supporters, standing around Ashleys SD outlets with banners has bored some so now we’ll bring up issues with the stadium which quite frankly in my opinion desperate digs, dead pigeons?, really?, this is one man’s fault?, look as much as we’d all love our team to spend spend spend , there’s only one place to start shedding the blame for not just our mess but football in general and we can start with the players for one (Extortionate wage packets/demands) that is just one in a million points within footie, take a look at West Ham?, they spent the cash where are they in league, Huddersfield spent more money on one player than we did the entire summer but where are they?, Man U have spent in excess of 400mil to keep up with City and Mourinho wants more, Burnley got into Europe and within a few games it was suggested it would be best they were knocked out early to save their Premier league status?, just a few more points on football, I wonder at times why I love the game?

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  6. Ashley could well be taking money out the club but let’s face it he wouldn’t of been the first and won’t be the last, bringing up the state of the stadium and especially the coroded metal work come on?, many many grounds around the world will have the same defects that s just natural, but when people say he’s dragging the club down we as Newcastle Supporters are doing that exact same thing, frustration I get it, but let’s just get behind the team it’s what we used to do best but when that is wavering with anti-Ashley chants at games at crucial times in the game as well when all our energy should be channelled into getting behind the team (Spurs game with 4mins to go is one example).

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  7. Mike Ashley as owner and Lee Charnley as CEO are ultimately responsible for health and safety on the premises. The “maintenance team” will operate under direction and budget allocation. A dead pigeon in the netting is appalling and should be removed immediately. Perhaps the Newcastle MP who has written to the House of Commons should write to the health inspector as well. I was in the Platinum Club for the Chelsea match and found that all the letters on the rows had dropped off and not been replaced. This resulted in many supporters who are not season ticket holders not knowing where their seats were and marshals running up and down trying to sort out the confusion – a real safety concern. It is a reflection of how the club has been run down by MA & co but the only way to change is to find a buyer – money and profit is all he will listen to. I have seen many owners of NUFC Lord Westwood and McKeeg were bad but this lot are the worst.

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  8. Articles like this are why the supporters lose all credibility. Do people really think Mike Ashley turns around to his maintenance team and says “Don’t paint that wall, I’m saving the money to recoup my interest free loan.” The stadium is an asset which makes him money. All this will have achieved is getting the caretaker a kick up the backside.

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  9. Leaky Bucket:
    Articles like this are why the supporters lose all credibility. Do people really think Mike Ashley turns around to his maintenance team and says “Don’t paint that wall, I’m saving the money to recoup my interest free loan.” The stadium is an asset which makes him money. All this will have achieved is getting the caretaker a kick up the backside.

    It’s the biggest picture mate – Rafa wanted to improve much more than his squad..

    He wants better facilities (the training ground is so dated too) but these changes and upgrades aren’t forthcoming.

    Obviously it’s not Ashley’s job to get that dead pigeon removed etc., but the state of SJP is one of many products of his neglect of NUFC.

    Do you think ambitious new owners would allow these things to become so run down and grotty?

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  10. I haven’t paid a single penny into Ashley’s pocket now for 5 full years.
    I haven’t paid to see a game, or visited his stores etc in that time.
    I had been a regular supporter since 1960 but I decided enough was enough.
    My decision but I just wish another 50,000 supporters had done the same and Ashley would not be there now.

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  11. Ollie, if it’s the bigger picture focus on the big picture items. Taking photos of flaky paint or dead pigeons is a childish way of making a point and it makes the fans look like they are petty. I’m sure you could go round many of the premier league grounds and find maintenance items if you really wanted to. I’m all for improvement of the grounds and the mentality Rafa has but these articles won’t help his or the fans cause.

    Olly Hawkins: It’s the biggest picture mate – Rafa wanted to improve much more than his squad..

    He wants better facilities (the training ground is so dated too) but these changes and upgrades aren’t forthcoming.

    Obviously it’s not Ashley’s job to get that dead pigeon removed etc., but the state of SJP is one of many products of his neglect of NUFC.

    Do you think ambitious new owners would allow these things to become so run down and grotty?

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  12. Leaky Bucket:
    Ollie, if it’s the bigger picture focus on the big picture items. Taking photos of flaky paint or dead pigeons is a childish way of making a point and it makes the fans look like they are petty. I’m sure you could go round many of the premier league grounds and find maintenance items if you really wanted to. I’m all for improvement of the grounds and the mentality Rafa has but these articles won’t help his or the fans cause.

    I see the point you’re making but I don’t think you’re understanding mine – we normally do focus on the bigger picture, but this is all part of the neglect.

    These pictures aren’t petty, they’re proof of what a state St James’ Park is currently in..

    It’s the club’s home after all.

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