The Newcastle United Blog

83 responses so far ↓

• 1 Ever seen a mackem in Milan? // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:13

  It will help us in the long term but he still has to pull his finger out for some signings this summer as i dont think we will get any investors before the end of the transfer window.

• 2 ToonKing // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:16

  so whats the QPR model ?? selling a few shares to a rich guy ?? some model that is , i could do that.

  MA should follow my model: invest 60-70 Mil in players for a couple of years, get in the CL, win a few trophy’s and money will flow.

• 3 gorskino10 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:17

  Ed
  http://tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=101918
  we have got Metz defender Sebastien Bassong on trail for a few weeks he is 21yrs old and plays for Metz.
  Stats

  Date of birth 9 July 1986
  Place of birth Paris, France
  Height 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
  Playing position Defender

  Also has played 72 times for Metz scoring only 1 GOAL.

• 4 Fernando // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:18

  You will be playing in black and white hoops from now on!

• 5 Ever seen a mackem in Milan? // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:19

  ToonKing buy him out that sounds good to me

• 6 autibo // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:19

  i know its only wikipedia but they’re saying we’re all set to agree the signing of a brazilian centre-back called Emilson Cribari from Lazio for £5m…agent quotes in aswell!!

  anyone know anything…???

• 7 ToonKing // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:19

  gorskino10, he plays for Metz , he just declined a move to Dinamo Bucharest. I don’t think he’s good enough, but i’ll leave the assesment to KK.

• 8 ToonKing // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:21

  dunno if this is true, but if it is Ashley just climbed the list of my favorite people.

  Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has dismissed reports he’s a closet Tottenham fan.

  “It’s not true,” he said. “I absolutely hate Spurs and always have done.”

  http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=101926

• 9 Danish_Magpie // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:22

  Cribari might be a good signing but if the source is Wiki… Don’t believe it.

• 10 domtoon // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:23

  Argh we really are the Premier League’s most impatient fans!!

  ToonKing look what happened last time we invested umpteen millions in ‘top’ players. FFS landed up in debt and we won NOTHING. I admit that come end of transfer season if we haven’t brough the right players in, we may be in deep crap for next season, but ‘right players’ doesn’t mean the most expensive players around.

  He’s making us sustainable yet competetive at the same time. Look at the big picture and realise things will improve surely but slowly, steadily but firmly.

  At least he’s not selling but looking for extra investment which may then allow him to invest big bucks but you have to trust that the owners know what they’re doing. Why second guess them? I’m happy with their silence as long as they produce the goods and in order to see that we have to give them a chance.

• 11 The real big AL // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:23

  U lads see what ashley said about the spuds. Says he hates them and always has!! ha ha. Just like the rest of us then.

• 12 ToonKing // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:23

  i really hope that Emilson Cribari news is BS, he is a terrible player.

  http://wordpress.com/tag/emilson-cribari/

• 13 Ericles // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:24

  I can understand Mike Ashley wanting to share the financial burden of owning NUFC. However, not being a capitalist myself (just a life-time working class fan) I am not up with things like QPR-clones etc. For us outside the boardroom it is a question of putting money into transfers at the moment, not of getting investment into NUFC coffers (though selling Smith may help a little). Who will put their money into a club that seems unable to pull its fingers out and shove them into the transfer market? Success brings investment and partners. Success means getting the right players with the right attitude, those more concerned about KK’s plans and the hopes of the fans rather than a what a barmaid has up front!

• 14 ToonKing // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:25

  yeah domtoon, except they weren’t top players, they were crap. With this new scouting system and bla bla i would buy genuine top players

• 15 Ever seen a mackem in Milan? // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:26

  See Mike Ashley hates Spurs as much as we do lets hope they go bust too kill the spuds!!!!!!!!

• 16 gorskino10 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:32

  Sorry i did mean Metz as i put that at the bottom to.
  i mean 72 games and 1 goal even for a defender thats bad.
  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=m48KsgYqx48
  no wonder why he dont score only video i can find is him missing a pen by miles lol.
  Not found much on Emilson Cribari but if we have dealt with Lazio (for Rosenhal) then instead of him buy Lorenzo De Silvestri hes only 20 looks a good player.

  Emilson Cribari
  “but positionally he is quite awful at times. His centre back partnership with Guglielmo Stendardo in the first half of the season resembled that of Jean-Alain Boumsong and Titus Bramble at Newcastle Utd a few years ago” great that guy looks rubbish being named in worst Series A 11 lol

• 17 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:32

  I reckon that Cibrari claim is a hoax!

• 18 Gateshead Mag. // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:32

  I love how he said he hates spurs and always has done.

• 19 Graham // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:34

  Well said Domtoon. For so many years we’ve lurched from disater to disaster to scandal (mainly off the field). For the first time in my living memory (32 years give or take) NUFC is being run for the future and not for the very short term.

  The one word in Domtoons post that means so much is “sustainable”. We haven’t been that for decades and looking to the future it has to be good for the club.

  Ashley has spent about £250m of his own money in slavaging NUFC from impending administration and probably a points deduction as well (Luton Town went tits up and have just got a 30 point decuction going into next season).

  I think he’s entitled to have a little bit of stability at the club and not go spending another £100m or so on signings that may not win you anything as we know all too well…..

• 20 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:34

  Has anybody noticed how QPR have signed more players than us!

• 21 Punk Skunk // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:36

  Who buys defenders to score goals?..
  …That’s a strikers job, defenders rarely need to be that far up the field!..
  …Anyhoo, it’s midfielders we want/need!..

• 22 Fernando // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:37

  Mike Ashley was being sarcastic. He used to have a season ticket at spurs. He is 100% a spurs fan.

• 23 gorskino10 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:38

  Yeah and they bought shed loads last season in Jan too when all we got was a few youngsters.
  we defently need Inlar or a new holding midfielder and a new playmaker and striker. then if we have any cash buy a defender or trade Milner for one.

• 24 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:38

  @Graham: the more intelligent of us FANS aren’t asking for £100m worth of trophy signings. We’re looking for players to come in and plug the gaps. Anybody with any football knowledge will tell you that we have an unbalaced squad and not enough players….period!

  We desperately need at the very least 2 more midfielders with creativity and a LB. But we’re getting no where at the minute!

• 25 Graham // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:39

  Gorskino010 - 72 games…. thats potentially a season and a half if he’s played consistently. I dont see a problem with that. Darren Peacock played 171 games during Keegans last reign and scored only 4 goals.

  Marcelino played 19 times and didn’t get a single goal…… No, wait, maybe he isn’t the best argument I have ever come up with

• 26 Davies // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:40

  HA! My faith in Mike Ashley has been vindicated yet again.

  He wouldn’t have bought in if he didn’t want to make a suddess of it. Even if his plan is to sell the club eventually, he know that nobody would ever buy if the club wasn’t doing well. I really think he will back Keegan. WE’ll just have to see what the end of the transfer window brings.

  Be patient, he knows we won’t do anything with a paper thin squad, and he knows Keegan won’t want just any old player. I think we’ll pleasantly surprised before the end of August.

• 27 Punk Skunk // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:41

  Inler & Larrson would do to start with!..
  …Derdiyok up top!..

• 28 UTD111 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:41

  Whilst Mike has revised the management structure at United and made it much more professional and business-like, it seems to me the bit that still needs beefing up is the communications/PR arm. We shouldn’t be hearing a defence like this from a casual conversation between the owner and some tame journos - it should be carefully handled by comms professionals working for the club. As for following a particular model, I particularly like that lass in the Marks and Spencers adverts :o))

• 29 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:42

  If MA wants stability and sustainability then he has to invest now. Yes he’s invested £250m to buy and rid the club of financial difficulties. But he needs to invest in what keeps the money rolling in…..PLAYERS!

  We don’t have enough of them and we don’t have any playmakers! If we don’t create chances, then we don’t score goals!

• 30 Ashton // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:43

  Everyone hates spurs and Fernando how do you know that ” He used to have a season ticket at spurs ” ?? fickel

• 31 Graham // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:44

  Kash2 - you obviously have insider knowledge knowing that we’re going nowhere.

  Who predicted our first signing? No-one. We don’t know whats going on as far as transfers are concerned - surely that is a good thing as this is the way it should be done.

  I realise we have to plug the gaps and am not expecting (or wanting) £100m to be spent. But I am patient enough to accept that it will happen when it happens otherwise Keegan wouldn’t be here - his dummy would be spat out somewhere along the A69 likr the last time he was told he wouldn’t be getting what he wanted.

  I have total faith in KK and co. to bring in what we need before the transfer window closes.

  And as far as plugging the gaps in concerned, I didn’t realise that Enrique had left us if we desperatly need a LB

• 32 gorskino10 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:45

  I know about Peacock but now-days modern defenders need to be more effective at scoring like Terry has.
  Not saying he record is bad or nothing but we have Faye who can play the same place as him so no need for him, im waiting on Inlar,Dirdiyok,Aimar

• 33 Punk Skunk // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:45

  Did Ashley even say any of this?..
  …Who believes what rags say?..

  …UTD111, you are dead right man, we need proper PR…Then they can tell the rags nowt aswell!.. …Soz mate, i totally agree with you!..

• 34 AndyT // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:45

  The other thing I wonder about with him looking for investment is what the situation is going to be with Northern Rock. While they have confirmed that they will honor existing commitments, I can’t see them being in a position where they are capable or have the desire to sponsor the club after the end of the current deal. Nor do I think that they would be right for Newcastle. While I think it is still a strong brand in the North East, both nationally and internationally it has become a symbol of failure and will not act to promote Newcastle United. I also do not think that they will be able to afford the level of sponsorship that I hope Newcastle United will be able to attract at that point.

• 35 ToonKing // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:45

  fernando is a spurs fan Ashton. ignore him.

• 36 Punk Skunk // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:50

  AndyT, it’s not like we won’t be able to find another sponser mate, in fact, i’ll wager they’ll find us, about 1 second after NR move on!..

• 37 Fernando // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:50

  Toonking-so is ashley. Google mike ashley and you shall see. And you are such a tell tale

• 38 Graham // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:51

  AndyT I agree. I don’t think Ashley is looking to sell up some of his shares to investors but he’s looking for more “corporate partners” and sponsors. Look at Man Utd. they have more sponsors than a F1 team!

• 39 dontoon // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:51

  Yeah the club is being looked after, but I think its safe to say we cannot spend 30-40 mill we will have to make up our funds through player sales and hope our scouting system picks out a couple of gems. If we not got debts and finish top 8 consistently, getting good cup runs surley that should bring in some money.

• 40 AndyT // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:52

  Punk Skunk
  If Ashley din’t say i, then I think the times would be on very dodgy ground quoting him. If its made up its usually in the paper as - a friend of Ashley said “Mike thinks blah” or an insider (insider oura imaginationa) said “Mike supports Accrington Stanley”

• 41 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:53

  @Graham: I just expected more from our player recruitment team which Mort and Ashley assembled. However, it has coem to fruition that they have actually been in Dubai seeking investors. So who’s involved in player recruitment and who’s involved in seeking investors for the club?

  We’re not gettting good press at the minute, and we’re not being told a damn thing. Yet season ticket prices were increased and deadline day is approaching. It’s not painting a good picture for paying fans, is it? Having KK back isn’t enough for our fans to stump up the money, especially when the cost of living has gone up by 10% as well!

• 42 Hadji // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:54

  Fernando is a Spe.m who want to develop into a Geordie one day.

• 43 Spyro // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:55

  read zoggy’z comments

• 44 Graham // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:56

  Kash2 - I agree with your opinion. However, we can’t go back to the days where everything that went on at SJP was publicised by either FFS or the “insider”

  The trouble is weve gone from knowing everything to nothing. A bit of fine tuning is maybe needed in this dept.

• 45 Maestro // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:56

  Everyone hates spurs!

  According to this guy, Inler is staying…

  Udinese general director Pietro Leonardi said: “There is no negotiation with Newcastle. This is an absurd story. I have even heard mention of a figure of five million euros - it’s ridiculous. “Furthermore the player’s wish, which he has reiterated on many occasions, is to remain with Udinese.”

• 46 Spyro // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:57

  http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_3805395,00.html

• 47 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:59

  @Graham: Completely agree. Hopefully somebody somewhere has the vision to do so!

  Seems like Zoggy is being a PRAT again!

• 48 ToonKing // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:01

  feck you Zog, piss off then….

• 49 Fernando // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:01

  Haha. everyone hates spurs apart from your star players who want to join us. Whats the matter with the lad? Spurs are rubbish with rubbish supporters, a rubbish ground, who never win anything and cant fill there ground. ( i am being sarcastic like ma was when he said he didnt support spurs).Zoggy wouldnt even make our bench!

• 50 domtoon // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:03

  dontoon you (kind of) stole my name :op

• 51 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:04

  @Fernando: You can have him!

  Apparently Mark Bosnich is being lined up as GK coach for SPurs!

• 52 Will // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:07

  “insider oura imaginationa” = quality.

  I like Mike Ashley for coming out about this, puts to rest whatever rumours fly around. Let’s hope if we do get another investor the relationship doesn’t end up like Liverpool’s owners’.

  @fernando - His family LIVE IN LONDON, so where do you think he wants to be? I don’t blame him but Tottenham are obviously his fall back option. What were the scores last year?

• 53 Fernando // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:07

  kash2- we have just got a new goalkeeper coach so you are a liar.

• 54 domtoon // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:08

  Zoggy doesn’t make our bench either, so you’re welcome to him Fernando. Perhaps you can play him when we thrash you next?

  Ahem. Winding up aside, yeah, if Zoggy wants out, let him go.

  And good point Graham - I think you’ve hit the nail right on the head. We’ve gone from being the laughing stock of the southern press (all the info being leaked) to the gossip stock (where no one knows much of anything) and us Toon fans don’t know where we’re at! Especially when we glean info from Ashley with one to one interviews released on the Times website on a Thursday evening!!

  Hopefully, as with the many other areas currently being reformed, this too, will also see some attention as the new season approaches :).

• 55 Hadji // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:09

  Fernando….You’re not a man at all,you have no dignity or pride whatsoever.
  If you had you wouldnt be coming uninvited here,but you being a Spurs fan cant really blame you can i.Too bad i dont wanna break the coment policy otherwise i would send you a very nice message in Spanish.

• 56 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:14

  @Fernando: PUTA!

• 57 Martin // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:15

  I’m not a great believer in the old conspiracy theories…

  BUT - has anyone noticed that Mike Ashley seems to react a lot to general fan consensus…

  People complained about Modric being taken off us because the signing was shouted about in the press - he kept Guttierez silent!

  People were ripping him for not talking to the press - he’s done it twice this week!

  As the owner of a fairly large premiership club, it would make sense to have people telling how the fans feel - so do you think perhaps he has a couple of ‘insders’ reading through sites like this and giving him pointers on what to do to satisy us?

  It’s just a thought but then again, it was the supporters meeting with the board the other day, and someone might have said off the record that fans needed to hear him speak himself!

  Either way I like the guy!

• 58 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:19

  Fernando is the mole!!!!

• 59 Kash2 // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:20

  @Fernando: Do you know who Paul Kemsley is?

  Do you know who Alan Sugar is?
  What about Gary Mabbut?

• 60 domtoon // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:21

  I think MA will respond to our needs, even those which we don’t think is a priority, namely stability and sustainability. Unfortunately those two words do not really gel with what some supporters are demanding in the sum of £50+ million. Not sure we need £50+ million to achieve our targets for next season, but it sure as well wouldn’t hurt. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the coming weeks brings…

• 61 The Entertainers // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:21

  On the topic of QPR model.

  I’m all for that and it does show this guy is not all ego. He wants to achieve things with Newcastle and he been honest enough to say that he needs more investment from others to really challenge the top 4!

  Go for it Ashley, i have complete faith in him and his decisions so far. Granted things havent changed here at the speed Man City and Chelsea did, but we were a very unstable club and we are gradually gaining that stability and are still moving forward.

  Regarding Zog…..sell him. Hes a great player, but his desire to play in London will never disappear until he achieves this.

  I much prefer players who are 110% committed to the club.

• 62 Hadji // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:23

  I think finding a proper financial partner would remove a huge weight from MA’s back.
  But on the other hand it could be a sword with 2 blades.

• 63 AndyT // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:24

  Punk Skunk, they are not exactly beating a path to our door right now, nor have they for a while.

  I would like to see us bring in more (and more importantly unique) sponsorship.

  If you look at the clubs “partners” at the minute you have:

  Northern Rock - fair enough, good deal done at the time, but nothing for the future.

  Adidas - Well mike has a big share, but we are hardly the only club they sponsor, nice we get all of the training kit but offers no advantage over our rivals.

  Carling - Well duh its the Carling premiership, every club gets the “partnership” and the cash.

  Collingwood Insurance. A small Newcastle based insurance company with its head office in Gibraltar for tax avoidance, who sponsor and usually pick completely the wrong man of the match

  JAXX online gambling - not sure if NUFC have anything other than the standard partnership that they offer which is basically a referral fee for anyone that goes to their website from yours and joins.

  Football Village Spain - taken directly from its website “Its uniqueness stems from the fact that it is exclusively endorsed by many leading UK football clubs including Arsenal; Aston Villa; Birmingham City; Bolton Wanderers; Celtic; Derby County; Newcastle United; Rangers; Sunderland; Tottenham Hotspur; West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United.” So no Chelsea, Man U or Liverpool, but doesn’t look like a deal that will see us breaking away from our rivals financially.

  MBNA - who lets face it offer a credit card with just about every logo in Europe on it. If you go the the MBNA website, the football club they mention is Liverpool, so again while not loosing out, its hardly helping us get ahead.

  Sports Direct - ha ha enough said

  Want to really know why there are no transfer funds (or why MA will have to dig into his own pockets for them). Because for years Freddy Shepherd has been using the easy options of borrowing money or taking the stuff being handed on a plate to every club and enjoying his time on the beach in Mallorca, rather than actually doing some work and generating some major corporate sponsorship for Newcastle United.

• 64 steve k // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:32

  I’m very skeptical of Ashley at the moment. He is setting us up for another season of failure. If he’s not interested in splashing out the double figure sums for players then sell us to someone who wants to win titles.

• 65 Hadji // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:32

  Pablo Garcia is available on a free transfer,he’s 31 though but not a bad substitution for Butt.Worth a try,just remember when we missed Aldo Duscher on free last year.

• 66 domtoon // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:48

  Regarding sponsorship, 3 words:

  Newcastle
  Brown
  Ale
  .

• 67 Hadji // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:52

  Domtoon…..NBA…..Nice sponsor though,how bout Lebron James to be our main mascot

• 68 Yorkie Dave // Jul 11, 2008 at 12:05

  Paul Kemsley is a big Spurs fan and MA is his best mate and i wouldnt be suprised if MA used to go to the games with his mates but the guys was a reclues he stated that he supported no one and wanted to grow to love a club and his club is NEWCASTLE UNITED!!!

• 69 SteveD // Jul 11, 2008 at 13:11

  “Hopefully that will be the end of that story”

  For now, until the media can think of a new angle of attack.

• 70 ChrisL // Jul 11, 2008 at 13:16

  I preferred the idea of copying the Arse… QPR’s just not the same

• 71 Ian // Jul 11, 2008 at 13:27

  Steve K I am the same as you with the football side, we had a really bad season last year, if one key player had picked up an injury we may have been down and out.

  We need more daylight between us and the bottom of the table next year and no-one can do that on pennies. Unfortunately hate what players earn or not that is what we have to pay.

  I am pleased Ashley is more open, I personally have nothing against him and if he wants to stay for the long haul with partners then it makes no difference to me.

• 72 nightfall // Jul 11, 2008 at 13:48

  MA already saved us, so why would you be sceptical about him..if there wasn’t for him, we’d be competing with leeds this year… …BUT if it’s true that he said he hates spurs…i for one am dissapinted with this statement…i mean…no ambasador for any club should say that…childish statement…

• 73 Ronny boy! // Jul 11, 2008 at 13:50

  QPR model! what a joke…inviting potential investors is not a simple idea of someone just putting money in the club. It would take months to strike a deal. I know they are developing the club in the long term. but how would a potential investor work with ashley. He says theres no money to be made in football and its a rich mans tool, but why dilute your position in a club with huge potential to be on level with the top 4 in terms of revenue in the future. Ashley is just a p***yhole.

• 74 ChrisL // Jul 11, 2008 at 13:58

  Nightfall, I know what you’re saying…. but it was Spurs.

• 75 nightfall // Jul 11, 2008 at 15:40

  ChrisL -

• 76 Ian // Jul 11, 2008 at 15:54

  Nightfall, again your speculation about us being down with Leeds is all from the papers, Freddy and co may have been able to bankroll the club forever, they lasted long enough before, this guy (and i hope he finds a partner and stays) is having cash trouble in just over a year and hasnt signed anybody like Owen or Shearer.

  I hope Ashley gets it together and quickly, hopefully him being honest allerts some people who may have an interest in our club and with the new investor maybe things will improve, however I cant see Ashley throwing in much of his realised capital from a partnership either with what is happening across the rest of his business.

• 77 AndyT // Jul 11, 2008 at 17:11

  Ian,

  Can you please be more specific about the money trouble you think that Mike Ashley is having? He is the 54th richest person in Britain with a total wealth over 1 billion. As I posted in the other thread Sports Direct has had a poor year and will only be making 86 Million pre-tax profit. The dividend is 4.1p per share. Mike Ashley has a little over 400 million shares. That’s £16 million before tax in dividends from that alone. Even after blowing 129 Million on an HBoS bet, Buying Newcastle for £133 million, clearing £80 million in debt, plowing £100million back into sports direct, he still has more ready cash than Freddy Shepherd would have if he sold everything he and his familly owned. The statements you are making here mean one of two things. Either you are prurposely out to discredit Mike Ashley by making completely misleading statement about him, or you do not have the first clue what you are talking about.

  Also with the Shepherd Familly having a total net worth of £55 million including the £33million they got from SELLING their stake in Newcastle United, that they could have bankrolled the club which had debts of £80 million when it was making profits of around 6 million a year. You appear to dismiss these staments as from the papers when they are from the accounts of Newcastle United and the published data from Forbes. Yet you oversensationalise press reports about Mike Ashley while ignoring the hard financial facts.

• 78 Ian // Jul 11, 2008 at 18:56

  Andy T, you seem to want to continue to promote Mr Ashley as some sort of saviour, unless he turns the club round he isnt, and to date he hasnt, not that he wont in the future.

  The facts that you state above are of no relevence at all to this conversation, whatever money Ashley is worth isnt going to be put in to Newcastle United, he wants other investors and to reduce his exposure.

  The Shepherd family have if anything been more generous to Newcastle United if you want to look at personal wealth relative to holdings in Newcastle United and have within the business managed to buy large signings without getting the club in to financial problems and without having the backing of a billionaires fortune, they have done this with sound business moves within Newcastle United and of course with the other shareholders.

  If anything, if we are going to talk fortunes relative to success, it doesnt look like Ashley has much confidence in his ability to run Newcastle United as a profitable business organisation, otherwise he would pump a little money in and move up the table, in three years time when the youth policy pays dividends if it has been operated properly he should be quids in, if he is correct and that is a good business policy.

  The money problems that I speak of are simple, they are within the confines of the club, which is all I am interested in, he isnt willing to put any more money in, he wants to sell a percentage of the club, the team isnt strong and if it doesnt get strengthened then we may end up in trouble, so we need an investor quickly so we can strengthen the squad before the transfer targets are gone and or the window closes.

  I am not trying to discredit anyone, you seem to want to argue for arguings sake and seem to be some sort of wealthy person worshiper not concentrating on our club.

  What he is worth and what is he is willing to put in to the club are two different things. You want a billionaire who will not invest in the club, just one who owns it, I dont care what their personal wealth is, I just want someone who can buy either all or part of the club and is actually interested in the club.

  I think you belong posting elsewhere, commentating on celebs or the rich list, we are talking about Newcastle United, the transfer window and the future of a premiership club.

• 79 Gallowgate31 // Jul 11, 2008 at 19:11

  wahey I hate spuds too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• 80 Gallowgate31 // Jul 11, 2008 at 19:26

  I am completely torn here, I would love the Toon to win something on merit rather than the chelski way , but then again I would just love it love it …if we actually won something !

  The answer has to be to strengthen the first team as and when needed and buy for the future, we are already buying the future stars but we still have to sort out the short term, spend 50 mill on some stars then win one FA cup or get a top 6 finish and we will be flying, MA just needs to back us with another 50 mill……. rightly so FS has done this before, so I ask was Fat Freddy more dedicated?

  MA says he has an expensive seat at SJP, but without the right backing it is gonna become even more expensive, loads of blokes are already considering cancelling that direct debit, and all before the first ball is kicked…

  Heres hoping MA will be the savior, he has so far only half proven to be !

• 81 AndyT // Jul 11, 2008 at 22:17

  Ian,
  We are just going to have to agree to disagree. I absolutely want the best for Newcastle united, both in this transfer window and for the longer term. I can not accept any of the arguments you make in favour of the Shepherd family in relation to the finances, prospects and success of Newcastle united, especially in comparison with the current owner, which is all I have ever argued with you about and is fundamental . In my opinion where I have offered sound finacial reasoning you have offered speculation with no substance.
  You say that I am obsessed with the rich list or celebrity status instead of Newcastle United and you are interested in what the owner is willing to put into the club, all i am highlighting is that the current owner has already put in more than the entire net worth of the person you see as an alternative. I also beleive, again based on analysis of the accounts of Newcastle United from the last three years as a PLC that if the club had not received a significant cash injection, one that neither the Shepherd nor Hall families, nor as seems to be at the heart of your desire, any other wealthy Newcastle supporter would be able to provide, they would have put the club in a position where a hostile takeover would be inevitable. You may be right that I see Mike Ashley as a saviour, but not because I think he has every Newcastle fans best interest at heart, but because the previous owners had got themselves into a position where if they were still at the helm the club would not have any transfer funds available at all right now. We have signed 2 players, got Taylors contract sorted out, have 5 weeks to go to the start of the season and 7 to the end of the transfer window and with nothing other than rumour to substantiate your arguments you are repeatedly posting about the mismanagement of the club and its financial hardship. And you want me to go and post elsewhere. Please read the dictionary - look explicitly for the word SUPPORT.

• 82 AndyT // Jul 11, 2008 at 22:26

  Gallowgate31
  Sure Shepherd pulled a few big cash transfer windows out of the hat. Spent big on the first team - what did it win us?
  What did it cost us?
  Ashley Hasn’t pulled an Owen or a Shearer out of the air to liven up the transfer window - remind me again what they have won with Newcastle.

• 83 Ian // Jul 12, 2008 at 9:23

  Andy T, my comparison with the Shepherd family is limited to the fact that he was the last chairman, Freddy was not (as you know) the sole owner, of course Ashley is going to be compared to them, it has nothing to do with anything else, even though you persist in trying to make it something else, I really do wonder if you are an Ashley fan or family member as you seem to take this very personally, I am certainly nothing to do with the Shepeherds, what have they achieved??? They have stayed in the premiership and climbed to a strong fifth, that is a hell of an achievement and they stayed in the premiership for years.

  Within one year of Ashley’s ownership we are staring relegation in the face and dont appear to be going to strengthen the squad at all and may actually go in to next season with a weaker squad.

  If it is a choice between club debt or going down I would prefer a small loan as the loss of income if we drop and the outside investment required to get us back up will be enormous, you as a John Hall fan will know above all others how much he had to speculate in the early days, even though he made a good return in the end, I cant see anyone with that financial clout at todays prices coming forward again.

  There is nothing personal against Ashley, it is the club, the premiership and finances only, the future isnt looking good at the moment.

Leave a Comment