Since then the world has changed dramatically with the removal racial discrimination laws in most countries, except for Australian Aborigines and Native Americans. And of course the Geordie Nation is still waiting for a major honour.
I had thought of rewriting that speech but decided not even I am that pompous and presumptuous. However it did get me thinking because one thing is clear, the vision of the owner for the future of this club is not apparent. We are all guessing. Some look at the lack of spending and assume that as long as we clear relegation he will be happy. Whilst others look at the starting 11 and conclude that with a bit of luck it’s at least as good as any outside of the top six. Our finances are the 7th biggest in England, admittedly only just, but in the top 20 in Europe. It seems to me that a bit of analysis could reveal a bit more.
My starting point was the 2012 annual report for Sports Direct. Since this is the source of our owners wealth it seemed logical to see how much control he has. And a masterpiece of an annual report it is. However I could not get everything I wanted out of that so I had to resort to the press which given Mike Ashley’s notoriously private lifestyle is highly unreliable. However it would appear that Mike’s role in the company as Executive Deputy Chairman would indicate that he is not hands on day to day. It would also appear that that role is unpaid. So where does he get his money from? Well there is a bonus scheme which if the company grows he receives extra shares, but that has been scuppered, and he would not have got them until 2018.
However he does still own 70+% of the company shares and the dividends paid per share are zero, so no money there. He did sell £86.8m worth of property to Sports Direct, hopefully that will be enough to live on. What all this leads me to believe is that although Mike Ashley’s current worth is valued at £1.5bn most of that is asset rich and the degree of liquidity is not clear. Obviously plenty to live off but unlikely that he has a couple of hundred million in the bank waiting to spend on new players. Similarly I think his influence at Sports Direct whilst obviously not the absolute leader he was before floatation is still significant. Whether he could persuade the board to sponsor NUFC to the tune of tens of millions is debatable especially as they seem to be getting lots of coverage for free.
The first vision is to compete with the best. Now to do that with a level playing field we would need squad expenditure that is comparable with them. In other words our wage bill would have to double to compete with Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs, or treble to compete with the Manchester clubs and Chelsea. This means our turnover as a club would need to grow to about £200m from the less than £100m that it is now. Then we would need to buy the players. This means that we would be looking to Mike to spend maybe £200m or £300m up front and then subsidise us to the tune of £100m per annum. Now that is not going to happen because firstly I doubt that he wants to do it and secondly I doubt that he could afford to do it himself or persuade Sports Direct that it benefits them enough to do it. Perhaps we can sell out to somebody else who does want to do that, It won’t be some robbing barsteward like some of our previous owners who used the club as a cash cow. Something you can’t accuse Mike Ashley of doing.
The next vision would be to be best of the rest, finishing top ten every season and getting good cup runs. From a financial viewpoint that is actually where we are. Bit of strengthening here and there running the club soundly that is the reality for NUFC. Whether that is being achieved or not is open to debate. Our Manager may not be good enough for a top six club but he has proven himself to be a competent Premier League manager although some don’t like him. Our DoF is not up to the job as he proved this window. And our club structure could be improved. The danger with this vision is that there is not much margin for error. Last season QPR out spent us on every front, with wages at £86m (to our £68) and were still relegated. Realistically nobody outside the top six is safe.
The final vision, for which there is is no evidence in the accounts whatsoever, is to asset strip and sell. This means selling off our best players and highest earners and replacing with cheap imports and hoping to stay in the gravy train of the Premier League. The problem with this vision is that there are no monies disappearing from the club in to the owners’ pockets, unlike previous owners.
Also the disaster of relegation is so real that no businessman would risk it, especially having been burned once already. Those who believe in this vision will point to the January window as evidence of an owner desperate to avoid relegation as justification of this attitude. But the accounts don’t reflect that. Also despite reoccurring rumours which appear to be based more on optimism than reality, there do not appear to be any buyers. Why do you think that is, Surely NUFC must be the best option for any billionaire to buy? No it’s not, it’s just about the worst.
Why is that? Well there is no room for growth and no room to play. Any billionaire will want his team to play in the Champions League. Now the league is already stuffed with six clubs chasing four places and the cost of breaking into that and regularly snaffling a place is horrendous. See above. They are more likely to move to a league where there is room for a big club to move to the top. We have seen this already across Europe.
Alternatively they may see the prospects of a Championship club winning promotion as several have already. Southampton for example. Ah, but there is big money in the Premier League you say, massive profits, great return on investment. That’s not really the case either. The average out of town supermarket turns over £150m (More than NUFC) and makes significantly more profit. So buying a football club is not for profitable investment reasons. No the idea that some multi billionaire is going to ride to our rescue is highly unlikely.
So what sort of vision do I have. Taking the positives I would hope that Ashley and Sports Direct sort out their compensation plan so that Mike knows where he stands. Also I would hope that they recognise the benefits to themselves of having a vibrant NUFC. To that end I would like to see our finances improved so that we can move clear of the pack and consolidate our position as the best of the rest. I would also like to explore an idea whereby instead of having players not playing we utilise them as a worldwide touring team raising the Newcastle profile. This to me would be the ideal scenario as a better owner is unlikely. A dispirited hated owner is not going to invest and the hate poured in his direction is likely to stem any support he is minded to give. However, the fans have spoken. They hate him, his regime and everything about him. Mediocrity beckons.
The world may have moved on since 1963 but NUFC appears to be no nearer a major trophy.
@Sharpy. easy lad.. 😯 🙄
please refer to 221 😆
mark(Quote)
anyway it was a midfielder I wanted, esp a winger. I never fancied signing Gomis.. 😉
mark(Quote)
If Ashley was this demon hell bent on destroying us, then why not allow Colo to return to Argie this summer – a saving of around 80k a week wages.
Why not accept £10m for Cabaye – doubling his money?.
We absolutely needed a CF brought in in the summer, but is Ashley really running the club that badly coz we didn’t?. Are we really in such dire straits coz we didn’t sign Gomis?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Gomis was never going to come, or anyone else for that matter. as we didnt sell Cabaye because Arsenal wouldnt meet our inflated valuation.. 20+mil? really??
mark(Quote)
@ 229
Where is the proof of that mark???
Santii(Quote)
Mark – my Aunty had to be put into an induced coma because she was beaten so badly by her boyfriend. He walked out of the house living her unconscious on the floor and my 7 yr old cousin crying in the house. My cousin rang her an ambulance then had to come live with us while she was in hospital – they said she would have died had he not rang for help. He cried every night. They have never caught the ******* who done it and 23-24yrs on she still gets scared when the doorbell goes and she’s not expecting anyone. My cousin now works with victims of domestic violence at a refuge and some of things he deals with is horrific mate.
There is no comparison at all buddy. And if we think we are getting a bad deal I would love to invited a Coventry, Portsmouth or Rangers fan onto the site. Fans who have really been ****** over by **** poor ownership. Yes we have cause to be frustrated – but a march or protest?, not yet no me like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
that’s just my take on it Santii but wheres the proof in anything Ashley, kinnear, AP say or do?
why were we actively looking at players? which we were..
why was AP actively trying to sell Cabaye (which he reckons he wasnt)
if Cabaye was sold I reckon we would of bought a couple of players.
mark(Quote)
@Sharpy
We could be the Newcastle Magpies with a red home strip under certain owners…
Santii(Quote)
sorry to here about your Aunty mate, Ive heard Troy say it before and nobody complained as we got the jist of his comparison. There was no malice in it at all….
mark(Quote)
@Mark
We were actively looking at players because it was the transfer window.
Pardew wasn’t actively trying to sell Cabaye in fact i would say he was warning people of going for him by saying it would take a huge offer to get him. A tactic many smaller teams use, look at Benteke
We will now be able to get Gomis for a quarter of the price. Thank fook Bent chose Fulham over us and Remy is a great signing for us. All these transfers were decided before anyone bid for Cabaye.
I think our team has improved since the end of last season
Santii(Quote)
Sharpy sorry to hear about your Aunt, but for me the comparison of the beaten wife is that most of them take **** all the time and dont do nothing about it and just get on with life.
Yeah there is extreme cases like yours.
Big Dave(Quote)
Bit late but my manager/dof combo would be Fatih terim as boss with Graham Carr stepping up to the director of football role. His knowledge of europes top leagues, the contacts he has and his track record, would have made him a shoe in for the role at a sanely run club…
CC(Quote)
Pardew, in my eyes, knew we had to sell before we bought and we looked at players we needed if Cabaye was sold.
We did (apparently) quite a bit of scouting, bidding etc.. so why do the ground work without actually purchasing anyone? we didnt have the money..
I’m glad we didnt get Bent, Gomis and a few others mentioned. We are definitely short on the wings and upfront but if we stay injury-free, we’ll have a decent season
mark(Quote)
Mark – thank you mate, I didn’t want to bring it up which is why my last post to Troy was to write it off as a stupid throw away comment. But ‘get a grip’ and ‘easy lad’ made me want to explain why I won’t have it as a comparison.
She was only with him about 3 mth and we never met him but he hated the fact she had a kid. Ironically the only think my cousin remembers of him is that he had a football tattoo on his chest. When he asked what FC meant my cousin remembers the bloke saying something like what kind of kid is this not knowing what FC stands for – then them arguing. Which has resulted in my cousin hating football. The bloke was a traveller so disappeared off the face of the earth pretty much.
Nee harm done though buddy 😉
Dave – I get what Troy was trying to do, but there simply is no comparison at all mate.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy to be honest I have used the same comparison before as a member of my family lived with a guy that slapped her about and verbally abused her for over 10 yrs he never badly hurt her but treated her like **** but she would never tell anyone but in the end their child told someone in the family and she finally admitted it. Needless to say he is no longer with her and he had to move away. In work I meet lots of women that lived with the same type of tossers for yrs until they get the courage to make the break or the guy has left her, thenthey want to get a tattoo to symbolise their new life and freedom. Tis quite sad that people except that type of life 😥
Big Dave(Quote)
Sharpy sorry to hear about your aunt that’s very sad story.
Stem(Quote)
Sorry got the name wrong big dave
Stem(Quote)
Terrible story about your aunt Sharpy mate @231. I hope she finds a good man to share her life. They are out there. The other kind should get some serious jail time when caught.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
The protest may wake Ashley up to the fact that unhappiness with the way the team is being run is growing again. An owner has obligations as well as privileges. Most owners don’t need to be reminded of that but ours has always been a little different.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Evening lads ,lively debate today I see. Sharpy that’s terrible what your Aunt and cousin went through .I have a friend who’s with a very controlling guy but nothing we say will make her leave him ,it makes you feel very helpless looking on.
I think people have the right to protest in what ever way they want ,after all we do live in a democracy do we not. I don’t think it will filter down to the players performance as they know it’s not aimed at them and who knows they might even secretly back the protesters . There is also a point to be made regarding what a potential buyer may think and it’s entirely possible it would deter them from making a bid depending on the individual ,that’s the down side to protest .
KIMTOON(Quote)
**** me, there’s some bollocks typed on here over the last day or two.
Classic comment was from someone who said the setting up of the supporter groups to protest against Ashley would cause splits between the fans! Well if you call 1 against 51,999 then fair enough, but jeez, I really don’t see any split…
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart i dont know who said that but you honestly dont think only one fan is against protests against the clubs?
Going by this blog i can see a split in whether a protest is the right move for fans.
imo its not it wont solve anything and can only serve to damage the club
Santii(Quote)
Kim spot on how else are you to let people know your not happy if you do nothing.
Thats what is a matter with so many people now they just except what ever **** they get without saying owt
Big Dave(Quote)
Santii – I was referring to the pro Ashley brigade (a club with one member) against the anti Ashley brigade. But now that you mention it, I don’t think there’d be too many supporters against a demonstration in the City centre. It would have absolutely no negative impact on the team so there shouldn’t really be any objection to it.
Stuart79(Quote)
What exactly would that demonstration achieve?
Santii(Quote)
Sorry folks I’m at graft now and think I’ve lost this article now. Appreciate your comments but like I say it was about 24yrs ago so not as raw now.
Life moves on and all is good now, but thank you 😉
Sharpy17(Quote)
Get French Football @GFN_France 2m
Bafetimbi Gomis: ‘I did not make the financial sacrifice to sign for Newcastle.’ #NUFC #OL
funkyjesus(Quote)
Santii – You need to ask the supporter group who’s organising it that question, not me who wasn’t responsible for the idea and won’t be there. But I’m all for anything that gets rid of this ambitionless *****! He’s strangling the life out of the club and the supporters – if NUFC are to achieve anything he needs to go!
Stuart79(Quote)
Get French Football @GFN_France 13m
Bafetimbi Gomis: ‘I cannot see myself signing a contract extension with Lyon. It worries me greatly that I’m in the reserve team again.’ #OL
funkyjesus(Quote)
Get French Football @GFN_France 1m
Bafetimbi Gomis: ‘I agreed to sign for Newcastle after talking with Didier Deschamps, he said it would be good for me.’ #OL #NUFC (1/2)
funkyjesus(Quote)
Get French Football @GFN_France 1m
Gomis cont: ‘Lyon and Newcastle agreed a fee of €8m plus €2m bonuses but then Newcastle went back on my agreement w/ them.’ #NUFC #OL (2/2)
funkyjesus(Quote)
Get French Football @GFN_France 6s
Bafetimbi Gomis: ‘The only two people who should have had to make an effort after that were Newcastle and Lyon. They didn’t.’ #NUFC #OL
funkyjesus(Quote)
@FJ
what do u make of that. We offered him a **** wage? or he’s on a free come Jan so he’ll get more dosh then..
mark(Quote)
Just tuned back in and read the comments about battered wives.
I’m being serious when I say get a grip Sharpy.
For the sake of the blog 😆
We’ll not be allowed to say nitty gritty next as the saying emanated from the black slaves rowing the boats. 🙄
Sharpy I forgive you for your rant. 😉
It certainly wasn’t meant to ridicule the victims of Dom Violence believe me. 😉
So therefore you are forgiven. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
I can’t tell with Gomis. A Newcastle fan tweeted him on deadline day asking if he was coming and he said something like “not now, maybe in future” but those interview comments make it sound like he was not too impressed with our handling of the transfer.
Why do we make an offer that is agreed by all parties then retract it? It’s so unprofessional as it isn’t the first time I’ve read we’ve pulled this trick.
funkyjesus(Quote)
I agree Dave. Too many people in life just sit back and take things and never fight back.
It’s the same in the work place when no one fights the government cuts.
History is full of great victories won by protests.
I’m not convinced that Ashley can ignore the dislike shown to him. It’s only natural to take into consideration the effects it may have on his family etc.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Get French Football @GFN_France 28s
Jean Michel Aulas has branded @PierreMenes’ interview with @BafGomis as ‘inaccurate and showing a conflict of interest.’ #OL
This Gomis ***** is never ending. Can we ever try and perform a transfer that doesn’t have half my lifetime and become an international incident? The last person we signed without a fuss was Cisse.
Fucking pisstake.
funkyjesus(Quote)
@FJ
like I said earlier. we didnt sell Cabaye so no money was there to spend..
thats why we hung around showing interest in players without actually finalising a deal.. it all rested on Cabaye leaving imo
mark(Quote)
Why even bid until Cabaye is gone then? We had the deal made and then pulled out before Arsenal even bid for Cabaye?
We seem to have no idea what we are doing. It goes beyond incompetence, it actively seems like we have about three sections of the club working without any idea what anyone else is doing.
funkyjesus(Quote)
probably putting deals in place so players know we’re keen and they dont go elsewhere. Bent even said we waited too long..
maybe I’m totally wrong but we did a lot of sniffing for nothing..
mark(Quote)
WTF ,we agree a fee with OL ,agree terms with the player then retract it 😯 incompetence served up with a side helping of bullshit ,our transfer activity is beyond hopeless and apparently a wee bit devious.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Kim well at least we pulled out early before he came here and failed his medical after signing, like Maiga.. 😯 🙄
mark(Quote)
This is a fantastic piece of writing .
http://www.toontastic.net/board/topic/34543-george-caulkins-new-piece/
KIMTOON(Quote)
mark ,I’m losing the will to live with all the **** that keeps flying around. Don’t know what to believe anymore ,it wares you out. 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
I am going to make a big prediction but I am confident in my knowledge on football:
We won’t win a trophy this year.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Troy, please tell me what you are protesting against?
Please provide some detail. i bet 99% of it is just frustrations formed from the club not meeting your expectations.
The regime has a bag load of faults but what are they doing that justifies a protest ?
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Whenever i think of some of the guys on this blog protesting against the club this is what i think of…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gSQg1i_q2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=768h3Tz4Qik
Santii(Quote)
Kim @268 –
insight, intelligence, empathy… and the guy can flat out write. George C, I salute u sir
(thanks for sharing the link)
M(Quote)
Santii 😆 😆 That rabble rabble south park clip is bang on the money.. 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Troy, forget my questions at 271… i have just read your post at 217, it pretty much confirms what I was thinking…. 😉
Protesting makes you feel better man. A good old chant and chest thumping gets the adrenalin going. Especially after a few beers.
Deary me 🙄 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Stick to dodging drug tests, ******… 😈
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/10661823._/
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/10661823._/
mark(Quote)
just under an hour late with that one Mark 😉
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/gomis-reveals-newcastles-last-minute-demands-for-cut-in-wages-killed-off-move/
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Aussie
Protesting would demonstrate to Ashley that the fans aren’t happy with the general running of the club.
How on earth can it be solely down to the lack of investment this summer? That would be ridiculous. It’s 6 yrs of embarrassing decisions made by Ashley and this summer is the icing on the cake.
Despite what some say on here, I believe protests do work and it ensures that Ashley is aware of how much we are frustrated with him.
He has to consider his family in this. He has daughters and they can’t be comfortable when they introduce themselves as the children of the hated Toon owner.
Sitting back achieves sweet bot all IMO.
For the sake of NUFC. Dear me. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy, thanks for answering honestly.. you are maturing before my very eyes 😛
However… so are you going to call the protest – the 6 years of frustration rally?
To me, that is not enough to protest..
My point is, for all fuk ups Ashley makes, he is generally not trying to fuk the club over or bleed it dry..i am not pro Ashley and the lack of signings is frustrating, but deep down, you can not tell me the club is in bad shape.
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Out of interest.. how would people feel if we had..say, 250m debt owing and we spent big the past transfer window? This is a hypothetical question, so please treat it as such.. would you be concerned?
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
I agree with Troy. I already see the press missing the point about the protests, citing this summer as the cause rather than the last straw. This article illustrates how that could be a very bad thing for all concerned. The message has to be a lot clearer and the PR far more professionally handled or we could shoot ourselves in the foot here.
whumpie(Quote)
Whumpie – The Mob already have a machine gun shooting at everyones feet – bazooka’s next me thinks.
Stardust(Quote)
So Aussie, please tell me what you suggest?
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Stardust
You don’t understand the passion of true fans. You occasionally go to Sunderland games so you’ll never understand us. 😯
Dear me. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy, what do i suggest? Maybe to put our own off field needs aside a bit and support the team. We as fans seem more preocupied with off field matters than it really warrants.. i can almost guarantee that if we were heavily in debt we would be protesting over the excessive spending…
It would be the same dog but different leg action I’m afraid..
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Aussie do you never think you would get to the point of feeling enough is enough, that your sick of you and your club being treated like **** ? what would you do to let them know you had enough ? or do you just carry on and say nowt while the club goes from one disaster to another ?
Big Dave(Quote)
Big Dave, disaster? Relegation was the only thing i would even come close to calling a disaster. Mate, i love my football above all the other ****.. when the team runs out, i care nothing for ashley and the regime… i don’t take any of the **** that is going as personal and i think it is a little self centred to think that way.. no one likes ashley and everything he does just snowball’s into a bigger pile of **** in every ones eyes.. i really think this hatred has fostered into something quite unhealthy to be honest…
Do you enjoy your football anymore mate?
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
I hate this ‘put things to one side and support the team ****’.. why would anyone stop supporting the team if theyre protesting against Ashley..
Dear me 🙄
mark(Quote)
Mark, i have never said people have stopped supporting the team because they are protesting… all i am saying is that people have become more preoccupied with Ashley and his actions than anything else… what are the protests going to achieve? And what are you really protesting against..
Please tell me…
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
For all our annoyances, we have a stronger squad than the one that got us 5th.
We would be mocked if we protested, what are we actually even protesting? That we think it’s **** that Ashley doesn’t spend money?
For those wanting a protest – what form do you want it in?
Would you be looking to hit Ashley in the wallet, or just show that the fans aren’t going to take being treated craply?
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
What happens if we protest, Ashley decides enough is enough, and gets rid to the first chump that offers.
The path we are on is infuriating (especially with the extra tv money injection this year), but ultimately it is making us a more and more attractive proposition each day.
A few years of Ashley mediocrity and I think we’ll have a genuinely decent owner bid for us.
Forcing out a man that took us to one of our best finishes EVER only a year earlier isn’t going to look amazing to prospective buyers, is it?
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@Aussie.
I clearly said I wouldnt be protesting for a least a year yet. 😉
to say “Maybe to put our own off field needs aside a bit and support the team” suggest we would stop supporting the team. I wouldnt think people are that preoccupied they stop supporting the team.
The protests I read about were rallies through Newcastle etc.
mark(Quote)
Mark, i stated we should put our”off field needs” aside a bit… i never mentioned anything about not/stop supporting the team. Just a shift in mental focus… you’re forgiven this time.. 😉
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Solano says
Forcing out a man that took us to one of our best finishes EVER only a year earlier isn’t going to look amazing to prospective buyers, is it?
Well that and paying off the bank loan which we now owe him ,oh and it would be the players and Manager that got us 5th 😉 . Offset that against terrible treatment of our legends ,lies and more lies in court. Stadium name change ,sacking a guy that got us promoted because he couldn’t get players to drop bonuses , sticking with a manager out of his depth , not strengthening last summer and putting us in peril because of it. And bloody Wonga and then the masterpiece that is JFK and another summer of doom with one poxy loan signing and not a friggin word from the guy that owns us to give us one bean of evidence what he wants to do or even if he actually still cares ,and that’s what the protest are all about .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim spot on.
Albert’sTash(Quote)
@Kim
I’m not disagreeing that he’s done a lot wrong.
But you can’t deny that it may put a decent buyer off coming if we start protesting so soon after finishing 5th.
And of the problems you’ve mentioned, the only ones that I think stand up as genuine, unique annoyances (not experienced by most other clubs) are:
Treatment of legends
Stadium name change.
The rest all happen similarly at other clubs, so we can’t be too naffed off.
Wonga really pisses me off, but I think those that said “gambling,Northern Rock, booze, Mackems sponsors are just as bad” were probably right.
And which chairman have we had that hasn’t hired out of depth managers?
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@ SOLANOSTRUMPET 292
maybe looks a strong on paper,but get a few injurys and remys trial gos against him lets see how strong you think the squad is then
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
TAE
Slight twisting of words there.
I said the squad is stronger that the one that got us 5th. Do you agree?
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)