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.
no
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
how on earth can it be stronger when you have let experiened players go and expect kids to take there place,some people here are kidding themselfs
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
That all you have to say?
If that is the sort of reasoning we’re going to have when we protest, then we are going to be the laughing stock of the country.
“Are Newcastle fans not happy that they replaced Simpson, Perch, Harper, Best, Ba, Guthrie with Bigi, Anita, Debuchy, Gouffran, Mbiwa, Sissoko, Haidera, Remy?”
“NO”
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
*Sorry, hadn’t seen your second reply.
Still, we have clearly strengthened.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@ SOLANOSTRUMPET
Simpson, Perch, Harper ba weres there replacements then kids
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
Yeah, the stadium name is the one that would warrant a protest… all the rest are well, not worth the protest.. Keegan was compensated for his grievance with Ashley.. Hughton, was not the first or last manger to get sacked before his time..good bloke or not.. and the lack of signings hardly warrants anything other than anger…
For the record, i have lost weeks/months of wages over the years from striking over my and other workers rights, so i do believe in fighting for what is right.. however, there has to be a tangible resolution put forward to actually achieve before pressing an issue.. at the moment there is a lot of huff and puff but no real goal other than to see ashley to sell up.. how would that be achieved?
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Solano .I honestly don’t think if will bother a potential buyer one way or another. If they understand football then they will be more than aware what the fans have had to endure under Ashleys tenure. I cannot believe any other owner would of made half the poor decisions this guy has and most owners try to communicate with their clubs fan base ,especially when they get something wrong or think the fans feel they have. As for hiring out of depth managers ,you are right , plenty do but thy soon get shot if they feel they are taking the club backwards .Pards stays for the simple reason he’s cheap ,and does as he’s told ,yet another reason to dislike our owner imo . Then there is the Wonga issue ,it’s true gambling ,booze and stuff like that ruins lifes making it a poor choice of sponsor and I would like to also see those sort of companies off the list as far as sponsorship goes ,but really Wonga are lower than low mate ,I’ve seen first hand how they operate and it’s not good . Have to say this is the first season I have not got a shirt ,I’m gutted but I just can’t do it and suspect I’m not alone.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Kim
Completely understand on the Wonga thing, it is arguably the thing that upsets me most about the Ashley tenure. Some people just don’t seem to feel as strongly about it.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Aussie@306 Says
so i do believe in fighting for what is right.. however, there has to be a tangible resolution put forward to actually achieve before pressing an issue.. at the moment there is a lot of huff and puff but no real goal other than to see ashley to sell up.. how would that be achieved
Good point Aussie and I agree totally ,there is no point in marching for the sake of it .There does have to be a clear resolution sought out ,else what’s the point .Given it won’t make him sell up ,we know that ,so what do we want. Well I would be wanting the owner to give an interview to either Sky ,BBC or even an interview with George Caulkin at the Times ,one of the better north east journalist who loves all things Toon. He could spell out what his ambition for the club is ,how he intends to reach that ambition ,whether he wants to sell the club and if so would conditions be set for the new owner ,for instance is it true Ashley would want to retain a 10% stake in NUFC. Why was JFK hired and does he think he is up to the job .I mean I could go on and on here really .But basically an interview with the owner for full and frank questions and answers should be the aim firstly and if the fans are ignored then that tells us all we need to know I think.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@Aussie
Everyone has their breaking points. Even you. It’s just mine and many others have met there’s.
One day there may come a time when you’ve had enough but whilst you are protesting, you’ll get annoyed with those who are criticising you.
For me, it’s a protest outside the ground before and after to show Ashley we are really pissed off with him.
@Trumpet
To justify your point about finishing 5th place is nonsense unless you include relegation and all the countless shameful acts he’s carried out . 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy, I can’t be broken 😛
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
@Troy
Fair.
Mediocrity is pretty par for us though isn’t it. Whereas a 5th place finish is very out of the ordinary.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Kim, i would really like to see that as well, there is too much of a disconnect between Ashley and the fans.. An honest interview would be a good starting point..
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Troy your protest sounds very sweet. 😆 I’m sure Ashley will be very upset.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Careful ST.. you will **** Troy off and you maybe subject to one of his protests.. 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Haha, you’ve got me nervous now Aussie.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Westwood, Seymour, McKeag, Hall, Shepherd, Ashley.
Names change, Organised protests and sack the board chants dont although toe curling mock funerals are a new one.
He will only leave when it is financially suitable and not because of abuse. It was water off of a ducks **** (© JFK) when he was attending matches and even less likely to affect him now he has stopped bothering.
CC(Quote)
Agreed CC. Protests like this often seemed to me like an excuse for a few lads to pat themselves on the back and enjoy a few points. But fair play to them I say- it’s a free world (for the most part).
I disagree with those that say there is a downside. Italian supporters seem to protest their clubs fairly regularly with little downside other than maybe a bit of property destruction. The LPool and ManU supporters have had their share over the last 5 years or so. The simple fact is Ashley won’t care- he’ll sell when he is approached with a deal that makes financial sense to him.
MDS(Quote)
“pints” not “points” 😉
MDS(Quote)
@CC
We may as well sit tight, and not do anything to upset our probable mid-table finishes until he goes.
Tbh even in the years that preceded Ashley, we only finished in the top 10 half the time.
10th place would be one of our better seasons 😐
A quick wiki check shows that we have only finished in the top 10 just 13 times in the 45 years since we last won a trophy.
Ashley will leave us in a position to evolve at the very least. Most the other chairmen left us in a state where we had to completely rebuild.
(Which I guess is why it’s even more annoying – we have something very close to decent, and he refuses to consolidate it 👿 )
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
I say let’s go marching!!!
Stuart79(Quote)
Toonsy – do we really need to have Wronga ads on this site?
georgio(Quote)
@ 320
That pretty much been the club since the 50s, Occasional forays in europe and cup finals, The odd impressive league finish, A bit of 1st and 2nd division hopping and a lot of midtable mediocrity. Able to beat the best but never quite realising our potential.
Dont like Ashley at all but whoever buys the club from him will inherit a much better club than he did from our last “ambitious owner” the fat reptile. There is an opportunity to build for whoevers daft enough to take it off his hands.
CC(Quote)
I think Villa away is about the right level of competition for us right now to assess the progress of the team. They have a very good striker in Benteke, pace with Agbonlahor on the wing and a decent defense. A young team on the rise if they can keep their squad together. We still have our question marks especially away from home. Can Remy provide goals? Can Ben Arfa be consistently good and distribute the ball as well? How will the midfield play? I’m looking forward to this one.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2 @324 ,I can’t see us winning mate ,I think they have improved a lot on last season ,keeping Benteke was a masterstroke ,he’ll be a pain from the get go and not sure we’ll cope with him or that other 6’4″ guy Libor they got in 🙁
KIMTOON(Quote)
Yes Kimtoon it’s going to be a challenge mate. With Ben Arfa and Remy in there I think we have a chance to win but the defense will have to play well also. A draw would be decent I suppose but I’m really hoping for a win. Then another win against Hull at home. It would give the supporters a real lift when they need one.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gSQg1i_q2g
Santii(Quote)
Alan perduuuuuuuuuuuuuu (lost in french) 😀 !!!!!!
alan perdu…. 
sorry ….
French famous surnam ….
djebs9(Quote)
😳 …see u
djebs9(Quote)
Finished fucking joke now alan ❗ 👿
Give us a fuckingest strong team ❗
4 3 1 2 👿 ❗
Kruly
Debs mbiwa colo santon
Tiote
Cabs sissoko
Hba
Remy cisse
This the real fucking right team for scoring goals and keep clean **** in ur dirty face ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ fuuuuck ❗ ❗ ❗
djebs9(Quote)
Hba number teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen 10 ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ 👿
And must be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ❗ ❗ ❗ 👿
Ok ❓ understand me ❓
Ho ****……4 4 2 ….. 🙁 …i can t anymore…sorry lads…
djebs9(Quote)
Alan is very very perduuuuuuu ❗
djebs9(Quote)
If you really want to get rid of Mike Ashley you have to hit him where it hurts, his pocket. More importantly you need to hit him in Sports Directs pocket.
If you’re serious about looking at ways in which to do this, why not try the following;
1) Download the ‘Tor’ browser
2) If you haven’t already got a Bitcoin account then pick one of the many Bitcoin exchanges and deposit some funds and transfer it in to Bitcoins.
3) Register for an account at ‘The Silk Road’ http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion
4) On Silk Road there are reliable, trusted sellers offering a wide range of goods and services, this is what’s known as ‘The Dark Web’. Drugs, weapons and more can be bought. Now buying cyanide or weapons to get rid of Ashley is not an option (as much as some may wish it was!). There is however a section on Silk Road where you can pay various sellers to take down a website completely, for a specified amount of time. The more you’re willing to pay the longer you can specify how long you want the target website taken down for.. This is done completely anonymously, as is everything bought and sold at Silk Road. A message could even be put in place of the Sports Direct website along the lines of; ‘Ashley get the message, get out of NUFC’ or similar.
EVERYTHING that is bought, sold and ordered etc on Silk Road and the Dark Web is untraceable.
Enjoy!
TheAnswer(Quote)
Out of interest. When was that photo taken of Shola at the top of the thread?
My guess is, with him being on top of an open top bus, and all those fans, when we won the championship a few years back.
I was in the crowd that day.
Great photo and find memories. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Morning Troy, how was the protesting last night? Did you get to stab Ashley with yer pitchfork! yeee haarr 😛 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
lol how comes we offered Gomis less wages than already agreed?
like the Miaga deal. The regime gave the fans a bit of hope then pulled the rug from under their feet..
I’m glad in a way out chairman is totally corrupt. never fancied Gomis. esp nearly 29. wtf happened to our under 25 policy??
mark(Quote)
I’ve been thinking about this protest business.
I’ve come to the conclusion that if I were on Tyneside I’d probably join a protest march through the streets. I’ve always enjoyed a good march. For me it would be about expressing personal discontent and showing a united front with similarly minded people.
Marches don’t really change anything by themselves. In fact, a poorly organised march, one without proper focus, can be a public relations nightmare. And given how the media works in Britain, they’ll find a twist to make the Geordies look like a bunch of ragtag dimwits.
Still, if it feels good – do it.
brisvegas(Quote)
Bris but a well organised one can show the Regime that your not happy and try to put pressure on them. Or you can just do nothing about it and give the regime the impression that you are happy enough with how the club is being run.
Big Dave(Quote)
I expect Ashley is well aware that he isn’t liked or that Newcastle fans generally aren’t happy with him. I doubt whether a protest march will suddenly make him sit up and take notice.
Unless there’s a hundred thousand turn up.
brisvegas(Quote)
@Big Dave
Don’t take any notice fella. Bris always put a negative slant on things. He’s the original neggar. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Bris so whats the alternative then sit back and do nothing ? Sure he knows he’s not liked.
And all the sitting back doing nothing hasnt helped has it
Big Dave(Quote)
Troy it amazes me that some fans think that Jabba is going to try to change while they sit back and just except all the **** he throws at them.
I can understand that some dont want to take part in a protest. But I cant understand when they try to run down fans that want to protest to show their disgust at how their beloved club is being run by a man that treats it like a global advertisment hoarding for SD 😯
Big Dave(Quote)
Of course one alternative is to celebrate the stability that Ashley has bought to the club. The team chock full of talent. A former manager of the year. Geordie coaches. European football.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem yeah that helped us last season
Big Dave(Quote)
@Prem
The stability? Well I’ve heard it all now 😛
The team chock full of talent? For the sake of the blog 😛
A former manager of the year ? Oh dear 😛
European football. ? Goodness grief 😛
Yip, you’ve convinced me to protest. 😉
Troy Stavers(Quote)
@BD
I sometimes wonder what these people would do if Ashley decided to build a Sports Direct warehouse next door to their homes? 😆
What’s the point in protesting. It gets you nowhere. The press will put a negative slant on us complaining about the warehouse, we better accept it. 🙄
They need a rocket up their arses IMO.
Grandad Les would turn in his grave if he could hear them. He didn’t fight in the war for the new generation to roll over and have their tummys tickled. 😆
The battered wife syndrome raises it ugly head again. 🙄
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Fishing is easy today
Premandup(Quote)
so it’s either – have a party or protest 😕
marching/banner protests are water off a ducks back for ash.
there’s only 1 way of getting him to change his ways – & that will only happen if the majority of fans stay away.
short term pain = long term gain.
roy cropper(Quote)
Prem, what bait do you use on these “reality fish” anyway?
Newkie(Quote)
Roy-would that even help? I mean Colo’s weekly wage alone is probably the equivalent of like 3k fans 😕 I’m not convinced boycotting would convince Ashley to sell, he might just try and juggle to asset strip with players, if that fails we’ll be relegated with a ***** squad 😕
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie – with protesting hungry fish he doesn’t need bait.
Personally I’m as mad and fed up with the regime as anybody. However, I just can’t see the protests leading anywhere and being totally counter productive, much like the poisonous Hull match last time.
We need someone to buy him out. Otherwise nothing will change.
georgio(Quote)
a half full stadium will genarate negative press against him & his true love – sports direct.
that’s the game changer for me.
roy cropper(Quote)
Georgio-I agree completely, I only see it as being damaging to the team/club, unfortunately.
Roy-he’s had negative press for his whole time here. Everyone in the country knows we hate Mike Ashley. Everyone in the country know’s Sports Direct is cheap and tacky. Most fans of other clubs don’t really give a toss about us.
I just don’t see what affect this would have, other than making it easier for opposition sides, putting us at the bottom of the table and creating more and more unrest which will mean nobody is interested in buying us 😕
Newkie(Quote)
newkie
everyone in the country knows we have issues with him – but they see the stadium full every other week so they probably think he cant be that bad.
but as i say if the crowds drop right down then i think the spotlight will be on him & sd in a different way.
anyway i’d doubt that many would stay away – so let’s just have a party instead.
roy cropper(Quote)
do you really think ashley is interested in selling the club?
with the mega millions the club is gauranteed every season – i very much doubt it.
roy cropper(Quote)
not forgetting his free world wide advertising.
roy cropper(Quote)
like people are saying – he’s happy if we survive every season with little investment.
we will never do anything with that attitude.
roy cropper(Quote)
Roy-as has been covered though, football makes **** all. How many owners have made billions from it? It’s a lot to normal people but the super rich like Ashley, a couple of mil profit (after his loan has been paid back) won’t be worth sticking around for, imo.
He will sell for “the right price” in his mind-his money back and then some and I think currently he’s trying to make it appealing by making it self sufficient. But in the current football world, I don’t think that’s enough.
Newkie(Quote)
What!? I said I’d join a protest and I still get grief! Some people!
brisvegas(Quote)
Big Dave, no one is running any fans down for wanting to protest.. pick your toys up mate, they are all about the place.. 😉
The thing that gets me is the actual purpose of the protests.. to me they are more of an embarrassment than Ashley …
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
newkie
ashley is in a win/win situation tho.
he’s got a premier club with 50k + fans turning up – doesn’t/wont put his hand in his pocket & gets free advertising that must be generating millions for his other business.
he’ll be more than happy with the setup – he wont sell unless he makes a huge profit.
roy cropper(Quote)
+ he’s slowly getting his loan back – he’s gotta be happy.
roy cropper(Quote)
For such a private fella, i am surprised that so many people know about Ashleys plans and motivations…
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Can we just put into words what the protest is about?
Half the things people are saying just don’t warrant a protest.
Wonga – fair enough
Name change – fair enough
Not spending in a transfer window – **** that. Not being ambitious unfortunately isn’t a crime. Fans around the country would kill to have our squad.
Us protesting would be like Arsenal fans protesting in the years previous to this one. Sure the fans would be annoyed, but they had stadium debts to pay. We would view it as spoilt as they still had a better team than us.
I would be embarrassed if we protested due to lack of spending, which is clearly the trigger for many people.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@CC “Dont like Ashley at all but whoever buys the club from him will inherit a much better club than he did from our last “ambitious owner” the fat reptile. There is an opportunity to build for whoevers daft enough to take it off his hands.”
Nail on the head 100%
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
well if the fat get opened his gob & told the fans what was going on every now & again – then we wouldn’t be making assumptions.
roy cropper(Quote)
Roy-I dunno about huge, but if we are in a good position I agree he will only sell for profit. He is a businessman after all. He’s obviously not that bothered by the hate and vitriol that goes his way otherwise he would have sold at a loss a few years ago, the fact he hasn’t shows that he clearly doesn’t care how many marches or songs are sung at him.
Newkie(Quote)
newkie
at the end of the day the fans just want their club progressing – whoever is in charge.
but it’s always 1 step foward & 2 back with this lot.
roy cropper(Quote)
For me the point is protesting before and after the game against Ashley regime helps people to get the message across to him that they are not happy with how the club is being ran. Yes we are in a more sustainable financial position (thought we do still owe Ashley £130 million or whatever it is) and I did agree with not buying the likes of Owen etc and buying young hungry players. But it is the total lack of respect for the fan base that really gets me. We have no communication to the fans and we are just treated as nothing by Ashley. He doesn’t care if he renames st James park, sticks Joe Kinnear in as Director of F**k all, stabs Chris Hughton in the back, goes for a sponsor that has Newcastle shown in bad light again and has no ambition for the club. If he did have any ambition we would have strengthened after we qualified for Europe. We as fans keep giving him money hand over fist and get nothing back but contempt. The best way to get Ashleys attention would be to hit him in the pocket but protests would give Ashley bad press and he is the face of sports diorect and Newcastle United his flag ship for advertising, and you have to remember Mike Ashley is also answerable to the share holders of sports direct which may recieve negative publicity from any protest.
I also agree with people that when we protested at the Hull game (and I was there) it did have a negative affect but then again I do not think it caused our relegation that season. It was again bad decisions from Ashley, bringing wise in, then Kinnear and also Keegan has to take some responsibility for walking away and leaving us in the s**t. Also if you look at the team we had then we had some poor over paid players that were having their last pay days at Newcastle like Viduka, Owen, Smith, Duff, shoot from anywhere Martins, Geremi. And then there was Coloccini and Guiterez getting used to the pace of the game. So for me the team now is a lot stronger than then.
Albert’sTash(Quote)
Georgio I agree about the Hull Match. It was poisonous and counter productive. I remember battling through the hostile crowd outside the main entrance with my daughter to get in, and the atmosphere inside, not pleasant and would prefer no repeat of that. For those who say protests don’t affect the morale of the team, I don’t agree.
I really don’t see the point of a protest unless something tangible can be achieved by it.It would more likely turn into a boycoutt protest with ta load of p*ssed up chavs being interviewed on Sky TV, everyone in the country laughing at it and Ashley taking not the slightest notice. We have had enough shame and embarrasment piled on to the club without the fans adding fuel to that fire.
Best thing they could do is have a whip round, employ a good advertising agency to put together a brilliant montage of what Newcastle United is really about, the untapped potential, how whoever bought it could be worshipped if we achieved success and commission Keegan/Shearer etc to hop on a plane to visit the Sultan of Brunei (didn’t Keegan used to coach his kids or something) or someone equally as wealthy and convince them to buy it. In the real world we are stuck with fatty and he is stuck with us until a time he wants to sell and no protests are going to change that.
Geordie Deb(Quote)
Albert, you hand over money and you get to watch the team play..so you do get something in return other than contempt.. this goes back to my earlier comment regarding this fixation with Ashley.. it seemingly has become more important than the football we play..
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Roy @366 ,Exactly ,that’s the crux of the matter really .None of us really know what his intentions are .Because of this most of us assume and read into his actions all manner of scenarios . The only things we can be certain of is that -A- we know for a fact he brought the club to advertise SD that’s been confirmed by Hall . B- We know he brought Wonga on board and didn’t give Virgin an option to re bid for sponsorship again and C- It’s now pretty obvious that a big player has to be sold in order to obtain further in comings as he wants us self sufficient . Oh and we know he’s a dirty liar from the court case ,other than that it’s all hearsay up to a point. If he would only come out and give an interview to set the record straight on a few issues it would go a long way in our relations with the guy.
KIMTOON(Quote)
@368-Aye, but as frustrating as it is I don’t think there’s anything we can do but grin and bear it and pray that some day a proper fan becomes a billionaire and takes us over 😀 If not I will settle for some absolutely minted arabs..
Newkie(Quote)
Deb @370 ,Yep ,like the advert idea and an ex legend being involved too.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Aussie you can tell a mans motivations from his actions and his actions don’t point to a man that has any ambition for Newcastle other than getting his money back while attempting to spend whats left and making sure he doesn’t have to put anything of his own cash back into Newcastle. You have to remember I’m sure llambias stated that Ashley only bought Newcastle because he thought he could sell it straight away to a middle eastern buyer. Though I may be wrong.
Albert’sTash(Quote)