My take on the latest takeover claims - More lies from Mike Ashley?

By Archie Brand 

I recently read an article in the Chronicle from Lee Ryder discussing a buzz circulating that Ashley has dropped the asking price for the club to 300 million.

The article is littered with phrases like “fans are reacting to talk that…”, “speculation that”, “no confirmation”, “prompted a suggestion that”. The entire article is pure conjecture, non-specifics from start to finish.

He even threw in “Llambias had also said earlier that year that by 2014 the club would be challenging for everything”. Then on the next line Ryder quotes “He (Llambias) said then: “In five years’ time I would hope we would be challenging for everything”.

My concern here is that either Ryder can’t see the difference between the two, or he can, but he thinks that WE can’t. Either way - Chief Sports Writer? Really?

I hope I’m going to win the lottery, but surely it would be a bit harsh to criticise me if I don’t.

In any article that I write that does not go out of it’s way to slate Ashley directly, and yes – there are a few, I often feel almost obliged to state my position on our owner, otherwise (and sometimes even so) the general response from readers suggests that I either work for him, am in some way related to him, or I otherwise allow him to use some of my personal orifices for his own amusement. Let me assure you that’s not the case. He’s never even asked.

Personally, I think being a Newcastle fan is difficult enough at the moment without the likes of Ryder and his lot creating stories out of nothing and trying to wind up the fans in a bid to justify the requirement for journalists. And from this point of view some of the fans are not much better.