The perfect Newcastle United owner?

Well, who is it?
Being a supporter of NUFC is certainly a topsy turvy ride, not just on the field of play, but our owners seem to have to have a certain quality (or lack there of) on their CV’s that ensures that the soap opera continues in our boardroom.

I’m interested to know? Just what do we as Newcastle fans want from our owner? We’ve certainly have had the two extremes in Freddie Shepherd and Mike Ashley recently. Both seemed to have one thing in common however, and that was that they seem to have more bad than endearing qualities about them.

Shepherd, on the one hand loved the sound of his own voice and seemed to find any means of getting his face on the telly. He made sure that he said what the fans wanted to hear (at least to the media anyway). He also backed up his managers and brought some quality “names” into the club on big wages in reaching for a quick fix way to glory. He also seemed to have good relationships with regard to sponsors and getting corporate backing and bums in seats.

Despite this however, his ability in his choice of manager was on the whole, quite pathetic (with the exception of the legendary Bobby Robson) and even that ended on poor terms.

Shepherds financial control was kept under a cloud for many years, with high season ticket sales, merchandise sales, and fantastic corporate sponsorship deals making it seem like we were rolling in the cash. Unfortunately his departure and due diligence exposed a poor financial state of affairs, with massive uncontrolled wages, and instalment transfer payments of “over the hill” deadwood players had taken is toll – we had lived above our means for too long.

I must state that I believe we would have survived a few more years yet financially, but without doubt, the ship was sinking.

Enter the hero Mike Ashley, a self-made billionaire from England who supported the Toon and was going to come and give us much awaited and deserved success… NOT

If anything, his first year was worse than any Freddy Shepherd had ever had in charge, and his mistakes accelerated in into relegation after a disaster year.

The financial burden Ashley took in the relegation year to keep us afloat is no doubt appreciated by Newcastle fans but lets face it, if he had only invested properly and backed Keegan instead of that midget Wise, we’d never have gone down and incurred those costs. Yet down we went, and in hindsight, it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and a chance to start from scratch.

In my honest opinion, since our relegation year, Ashley has done a lot right, whilst continuing to do a lot wrong.

The investments in the academy, the training ground, the scouting networks, and the purchasing of some real diamonds has been great to see. But again, there is a down side to this, as it only seems to have been done, to make Ashley a profit in their eventual sale once they have been developed.

Of course an academy wouldn’t be necessary if we had some rich old Sheikh pumping millions into buying extravagant signings every transfer window (which many fans seem to be calling for) but surely no TRUE fan wants this!

The thing is for me, Ashley has all the makings of being a great owner, but he has three major flaws:

– His poor communication skills and inability to tell the whole open truth without a twist (who is the PR woman again?)

– His willingness to sell for a profit and running the club to much like a business without thinking about the team (don’t sell our best players UNLESS you replace them with the same quality or at least potential)

– His using the club as advertising boarding for Sports Direct (@St James Park) where his logo covers the seats the boarding, the stands, the billboards outside (all of which is costing us millions in lost
sponsorship revenue as a club).

So here is my question to you…

What is your perfect owner?

1 – The shrewd businessman (Arsenal Model) developing through the ranks, but selling the players at their peak, keeping financially sound and profitable, setting up for future successes…

2 – The big spenders (Man City) sugar daddy run clubs that dominate at the moment but have no idea if they will cave in when owners get bored…

3 – Somewhere inbetween (Man United and perhaps Spurs) start young, and build slowly each year, while trying to hang on to the best players and replacing the weak links, with an element of risk financially dependant on success which needs to be had relatively quickly.

If you were the Newcastle owner, what changes would you make to the Ashley model?

Thanks to JJ for giving us this to ponder.

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

36 thoughts on “The perfect Newcastle United owner?

  1. “His using the club as advertising boarding for Sports Direct (@St James Park) where his logo covers the seats the boarding, the stands, the billboards outside (all of which is costing us millions in lost
    sponsorship revenue as a club).”

    I think that’s a bit unfair, really. I, personally, don’t think any ads should really be in the places mentioned so, in that respect, it’s another mistake by MA. But I don’t think it’s costing us millions in revenue as I believe MA’s only got ads there to demonstrate potential to other firms. As of yet, no one has placed an offer to have their logo plastered all over the ground, so Sports Direct it is.

    Again, I don’t like what MA is doing, but I don’t think it’s cost us anything besides dignity yet.

    Anyhow, the MA type of owner is the one I want. But with a chairman who knows what the eff he’s doing.

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  2. ashley oot is all ive got to say aboot thread in my world once a lier always a lier,you can catch a thief (freddy) but you cant catch a lier

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  3. In all fairness, yes, mike ashely started his ownership of newcastle very poorly, and mabye ‘running the club to much like a business’ however, that was clearly made out of inexperience, he has had a few years to put it right, and i do think he will be great for this club, decreasing the debt for this club and also bringing in some cracking signings. I think he was right to sell andy carroll and i fully support him to see what he’s going to do next.

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  4. @icedog, if you were a true geordie, you would acknowledge what he has done for us, continuing on from my last comment, there is a lot more to the job than spending. He has planned it very well. And its people like you who aren’t giving second chances, after all, he obviously wants this investment to be successfull. watch this space.

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  5. I think the NESV group at LPool are the ideal #3 type.

    1-paid off the club’s debts upon purchase
    2-essentially traded Babel and Torres for Suarez and Carroll in their first transfer window, injected a lot of cash in their second.
    3-won’t buy players over 27 years old
    4-want to increase revenues (which they have a track record of doing in other sporting ventures)
    4-meet regularly with supporter groups, with the owner answering fans questions regularly on twitter and granting numerous interviews with the local press.

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  6. I’d obviously take the Man City approach if offered but Man U have a lot of debt to the fraziers.

    Its pretty obvious Mike has made mistake and is not trusted by most fans but I’d rather know were never going to be skint like under Shepherd,(unless we go down) blowing stupid money on duffs, owens etc, I quite enjoy the toon being prudent and not getting mugged by other clubs, look at l’pool, henderson 20mil, downing 20mill? carroll ? too much waste on English potential.

    but I’d also like mike to purchase say Nzogbia and a forward to take us to the next level, he seems happy just bobbing around 10th. Talk to the fans more and stop making puppet Pardew take the blame (which he seems happy to do thought) for excuses and lies.

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  7. What is the ideal for ownership, each fan has a different and opposing ideal i suppose.
    What we have is a business shark , who is undoubtedly good at what he does, retailing.
    Is he a good owner ?
    Obviously better than Shepheard, but still distrustfull and engaged in “on the job training”.
    He has made a number of mistakes and continues to do so.
    What exactly ?
    Attempting to apply the rules of retailing to show business and being a control freak to the point he refuses to understand, that a combination of a good business guy and a manager both sound experienced footballing people, are whats needed.
    He is bound and determined to get his money back, before he sells the club and is doing it as we speak.
    Which if he is to continue, dont expect any silverware, hopefully another Everton is about who we can emulate.
    Sure he has his admirers, who have the same thing in common, they seem more concerned about fiscal stability than watching an entertaining team.
    Point is he wants a top ten side with a second tier expense account and no one has yet succeeded in pulling that one off.
    A typical example, we have £35m. in the bank, other PL sides are buying players for that amount and what are we doing ?
    We are quibbling over £500k with Swansea for a backup player and have refused to grant our targeted strikers personal terms having agreed on a price with PSG.
    At the same time attempting to put positive spin on what’s going on in the market.
    And to leave that to the two geniuses who cant even get on the same page, yes thats Pardner & Owl Heed, amatureish !
    Ah well is what it is !.

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  8. good assesment Chuck

    I think we have to just ride with it for now and see where MA takes us b4 he gets an offer (if at all)

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  9. If you were the Newcastle owner, what changes would you make to the Ashley model?
    >>>>Sack the Gimp ❗

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  10. I see Corithians have bided £35m for Tevez….shame we haven’t got a spare £35m knocking around 😉

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  11. Either Fan Owned or option 3 .
    And the NESV Liverpool model is , as MDS quite rightly pointed out , the Perfect option 3 .

    I do appreciate what Ashleys done for NUFC , but I find the Glaring lack of communication and at this present moment , lack of investment of the Carroll money after being promised countlessly that it would be , to be very very idiotic and counter-productive .

    Perfect owner for me has the Business Brain of Ashley , Insight into what the fans want and
    passion for the club to match , the Football knowledge and know how to appoint able and talented and proven managers and the Knowledge that spending properly , prudently and intelligently also needs to be coupled with the odd “Marquee” signing every 2-3 years .
    Long post 😯

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  12. If Ashley does anything for NUFC, its for himself, and thats the problem, he has never had the fans onside, has never tried to and never will, hes the kind of owner who wouldnt think twice about selling the ground at a profit for development and re locating to somewhere like the Metro Centre. Complete Kernt.

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  13. Not really arsed, you get what your given. As long as we are competing for as long as i’m alive i don’t care. Booked my ticket for the leeds game, going with a leeds fan so going to be sitting on my tod in our end. Going to have to get the megabus from edinburgh at 5.45am and then back up for 1am. Pretty mad for a friendly but needs must. Anyone else going to the game?

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  14. i see ziani is available – another midfielder tho 😐

    stil no news on a striker coming?? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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  15. Ashley is in the perfect position now to show the supporters that he means business. He has brought the freebies in and from what I have seen of them I think they are good signings. However, now he has the opportunity to build on that and take us to the next level by paying out money and signing a couple of quality players. You cannot hope to continue to pick up bargains forever and now is the time with the money he has got from Carroll to push the boat out and bring in quality to complement what we have got. Every successful team makes at least one big name signing per season and with our current finances I see no reason why we can`t do likewise. Otherwise I`m afraid Ashley is going to be continuously accused of asset stripping and feathering his own nest.

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  16. JAMES dont talk ***** son,true geordie,you dont know the meaning of the word,just oot of school like,you keep your blindfold on and stick to playing with your x-box

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  17. i stand by icedog allllll the way on that 1 like , ashley is an a**ehole and has lied to us loads!! if you know the crack with newcastle then you know ashley hasnt been fair with us and thats why the majority of the fans want him OUT!!!!!

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  18. James so any 1 who wants fatty oot isnt a geordie 😕 give ya head a shake will ya ,and stay away from wor Bobby train 👿

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  19. Ice,
    I’m in your corner mate 😉
    Ashley will never develop a team that will compete for trophies, his ambition is to avoid relegation every year and sell off one the signings to line his pocket.

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  20. ARMY hows the baby mate better i hope.

    i never get upset with anyone everyone has there own views which i respect,but to say ime not a true geordie boils my pi@s,born and bred in the toon bled black/white for more than 50yrs,that does upset me,have know many owners of toon that i knew were screwing the fans but most knew it and still turned up,but for guys to tell us lie after lie and think i will swallow it insults me too

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  21. Icedog is the real thing you are a poor plastic version James son RESPECT is the word!

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  22. any toon fan to say to another toon fan that they arent a true geordie are just saying to try and **** them off so just ignore the muppet !!

    ice dog hes doin mint now mate hes got rid of the cold and is feeding mint!! cheers 4 asking mate!! 😉

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  23. 😆 😆 any1 on here that comes on and sticks up 4 ashley gets a bit stick 😆 its hilarious

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  24. the nzogbia banter has quietn down !! wunder if any 1 have bid 20 million for him yet 😆 😆 😆 if thats true that whelan said that then football has went bluddy mental!! hes defo not worth more than 10

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  25. The bit I disagree with is the idea that backing keegan would have been a good idea. Appointing him was a disaster waiting to happen, and probably Ashley’s biggest mistake. Once he was here then it was always going to end in tears with Ashley getting the blame. I don’t think that foreign megmoney is good for the clubs identity and the only way that a fan based ownership model can be introduced is via administartion and I’d rather not. A British Billionaire would be best. Oh we got one. :mrgreen:

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  26. Ashley gives all his managers the backing they need, he just doesn’t give them any money, his target is to spend a minus figure in other words he ends up making a profit 😯

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  27. The problem we all have in deciding whether or not the Ashley model is right is the glaring lack of communication with the fans.I applaud the stabilising of our club but i suspect that was about saving face after failing to complete due diligence.But i think saminho summed it up,in what we need but the owner he describes is like the tooth fairy and Santa.But i do wish he existed.At the end of the day whoever is the club owner can do what they want(would you let your neighbour tell you what to do with your house)But they cannot stop me supporting my team like i have since 1967. ❗

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  28. Didn’t see fan ownership as an option, as despite Newcastles massive support base. I don’t think its comparible to Barcelona. They have far bigger numbers of fans and far more branding and money to pump in.

    I really think Ashley just wants to recoup his money as quickly as possible. But if he just decided to to invest a bit. This transfer window could change many many peoples opinions of him.

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