As has been their mode of operation since Derek Llambias became Managing Director at Newcastle United, the club has so far said very little to the fans, even when the manager has just resigned.
Newcastle have missed the calming influence of Chris Mort since May
If there was ever a time when the club should explain to their fans what is going on at the club it is now, but no this lot of incompetents, who seem determined to ensure that everybody knows they have no idea how to run a football club, and are running our club into the ground in the process.
There is news in The Sun that Ashley was at a night club in New York on Thursday evening after Kevin Keegan had resigned his post at Newcastle.
And The Sun have some evidence, such as the bill, that Ashley spent over $2,500 on champagne, and was helped out of the club at 3:00 am in the morning. not in a sober state.
When Mike should have been sorting out the huge business problems he has created for himself at Newcastle United, he chose to go and get drunk, hardly a wise (excuse the pun) or good decision.
We cannot see how he can show his face again at Newcastle games without at the least getting insulted by Newcastle fans, who are just furious at what he has done to this proud club. And sitting with the fans again, we’re sure will be explained to him by his bodyguards, would hardly be safe.
Newcastle assistant manager Terry McDermott again took training yesterday, while speculation over Keegan’s successor has intensified, and we understand that former Tottenham coach Chris Hughton will take charge of the team for the Hull City game a week today at St. James’ Park.
We know there is talk of a boycott at that game, but a demonstration following the game, in the car park would be more effective, and put pressure on Ashley to sell the club. It would get wide publicity, and would then be in all the Sunday papers the following day, and would alert potential buyers of the club that indeed a buying opportunity of Newcastle United was real.
All last week there was an absence of leadership shown by the Newcastle Board, which has only intensified since Kevin Keegan left the club on Thursday evening. And in business, you cannot just go and hide in a corner and hope for the best in difficult situations like this.
Good strong businessmen come out, look at the situation, and plot a course of action, usually both short term and long term, to get out of the mess. That’s why they are usually paid big bucks, but we have to say we are hardly impressed with the executives in charge at Newcastle United right now.
We were impressed with Chris Mort, who regularly communicated with the fans, and in fact did some very good things behind the scenes regarding charity and also put the current organization structure in place.
We think the structure with a recruitment team is just fine, but Kevin has to have final say and the recruitment executives’ role is simply to help Kevin Keegan. And that’s what Chris said when he was explaining the new organization to the fans.
And until now we think Ashley has done most things right, so we still cannot believe how he has allowed Kevin Keegan to walk away. Why didn’t he exert more influence in the negotiations, even when he was in NY?
With a 5 hour time difference it’s rather easy to have phone calls at say 6:00am in NY when it’s 11:00am in England, and with cell phones that becomes even easier. I’ve done that many times before in the role I had at IBM, and you find the time, when the issue is an important one.
When will we next hear from our leaders at Newcastle United? We have no idea, but the longer it goes, the worse it will get for them, we can guarantee that.
We think Ashley has only two choices to remain owner at Newcastle United - bring Kevin Keegan back and give him full control on the playing side, or sell the club to somebody who will indeed do just that.
We still don’t think we’ve heard the last of this.
Comments welcome.
221 responses so far ↓
1 Isaac Hunt // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:13
Al Capone
2 GeordieGraham // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:14
get out of this club you fat prick and take that poison dwarf with you. i hope that indian buys us. has anyone been up 2 st james 2 protest?
3 Ian // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:19
I disagree about the boycott, I think an empty stadium will rock the whole premiership.
I also think that if Ashley loses a few £100,000 every home match, which could amount to as much as £800,000 per game if after taking in to account season tickets already paid he will move from selling part of the club to selling all of it, apparantly he is thinking of washing his hands of it all now.
The only reason we arent sold is because he wanted to keep a controlling share of the club.
It is obvious he doesnt like spending money, it is obvious he isnt as rich now as he was when he bought the club as his other businesses arent going well and he didnt get a good review in the business papers about his flotation, losing extra hundreds of thousands of pounds each home game will encourage him to sell up quickly, I wouldnt be surprised to see it sold within one month.
If the ground is full of protestors then he has the income still and can wait until the right offer comes in.
4 Isaac Hunt // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:19
They don’t know what they’re doing and they don’t know what what to do. They’re like little kids who start a grass fire that gets out of hand. What do they do? They run away and hide and hope the problem will go away. I doubt that we ever see MA in toon again. His goons will do the dirty work for him.
5 Danso // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:19
ASHLEY OUT!
6 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:20
i think ive read one sentance from our chairman llambias , the day he got the job .
the fact he’s got no experience in football stands out a mile .
and what connection to the north east do we have at that club now ?
7 ginkoh // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:20
If I’m not wrong, Mike Ashley is Tottenham supporter and Llambias is Westham supporter, then Dennis Wise no doubt he’s Chelsea man. So I don’t see why they should care about this situation.
One thing I don’t know why is why Newcastle United always trouble or we’re on cursed ??
8 Isaac Hunt // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:21
GET YER TANK OFF MY LAWN!
9 Bren // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:21
Regardless of structure, the communication is the biggest problem - both within the club and with the fans. To the best of my knowledge the main powers in the NUFC boardroom have communicated in the following ways in their time at the club:
Mike Ashley - one controlled print interview
Denis Wise - a couple of small print interviews
Derek Llambias - nothing
Tony Jiminez - nothing
Do they expect loyalty when they show such contempt?
10 dave v // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:22
Ashley has been asset stripping the club and will sell to the highest bidder soon!
Keegan will also return as a real manager with a huge budget to put us amongst the top six, the top four plus us and Man City.
Keep the pressure on lads, get this bunch of spivs out of our club.
11 Davies // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:25
Unfortunately, if he doesn’t want to sell, nobody can make him.
The problem that we now have is that if Ashley chooses not to sell the club and we try to force him out, we could well be a contributing factor in running the club into the ground as well.
The support for Ashley is now paper thin, if not non-existent. I have supported him throughout, however, I cannot now stand by and watch our club be destroyed because he will not do the only thing that start to put us back on the up, and sell to one of the numerous potential buyers.
NUFC. com are reporting that Ambani is a fan of Keegan and would try to bring him back if he were allowed to buy the club.
I doubt whether Keegan would walk back into this mess now unless he were given rock solid assurances. I just don’t see it happening.
Everything the supporters do to force Ashley out must be given serious consideration from here on in. Otherwise, we too could end up damaging our club.
Please don’t boycott the matches. It’s not the team’s faultthat any of this has happened and they need our support.
12 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:26
I am one of those who consistently gave Ashley the benefit of the doubt. I am now embarrassed that I was so loyal. I refuse to become cynical as a result - he will not have that power over me. The continental structure could work, but not like this.
I have listened very carefully to the arguments in recent days and I am clearly on the side of the boycotters. Although I do not have a season ticket I regularly go to the games ad hoc and will not be going until Ashley has gone. I don’t know how many season tickets have been sold this season, but there are a lot more tickets available in all areas of the ground this year.
Sometimes the only way is to go in hard for a tackle and that’s what we have to do. The best way to support the team is to take hard action in the short term, so we all, including the lads, have a better future.
I’ve already cancelled my NUFC TV subscription, but will keep my Setanta subscription and will follow the games on Radio Newcastle. In the short term that’s the best way to support the lads.
Great to hear from Shearer. He’s right not to want the job just now.
13 filthy mag // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:29
Well said Daiv. I have a gut feeling that this Reliance phone chap from India will make an offer next week. I also feel that Ashley will have had enough especially if this isnt sorted by the Hull game. There is a split between those that want to boycott and those that dont. So I foresee a considerably reduced attendance but not a total absence. Ashley will get fed up of having his name dragged through the mud as it will affect his standing in the business market and damage his reputation.
I hope he goes sooner rather than later.
Please please please Anil Ambani come in and sort out this situation. Allow the King to return and do his job properly
Bring back the entertainers.
14 hammy // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:29
Wish Kev would come out and spill the beans,
unfortunately fat boy’s lawyers are probably better than KK’s…….
15 Isaac Hunt // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:30
Kangol, Lonsdale and Karrimor (100% ownership). Blacks and Millets (25% ownership). You know what to do!
16 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:31
forgot to say , really good article ed ,
makes me glad this little old blog grew into such a large site for fans all over the world to have their say .
17 The Entertainers // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:32
Another good article Ed,
I’ve been saying this well before the Keegan mess and my opinion was only been firmed by this.
Can anyone tell me what Llambias has done at this club, apart from run Kev out the job with his weak attempts to keep him. A BLOODY LETTER!
It has become clear to me at least, there are certain people i will never accept at this club, whether Ashley remains or not:
Llambias and Wise…
I cant see how it can work, with some many of the hierarchy living or based in the south. You would have thought there would be plenty of southern clubs to ruin!
There must be times (like now) that the club has no-one in charge……its ripe for a mutiny!
As for Ashley in the States, that just shows how much he cares for the club. In a time of trouble where our leader, p****ing his money up the wall in some swanky club……..real statement of commitment mate, cheers.
18 hammy // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:33
I must say as a Newcastle fan I have always loved the Indian culture and plan to have lots of holidays there in the future with my new Indian friends.
I also like to ring up call centres for no apparent reason so I can chat to those nice Indian folks on the other end of the phone.
19 Mick_Bell // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:33
Just want to say again that i am 100% against a boycott of any games, this will only go to alienate the players from the club, even more so that what they already probably feel, this I not their fault and they shouldn’t be punished for it! Get there against Hull and remind the players why we are there…for them, then do the demonstration! Totally agree with you on that point Ed!
20 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:33
At the end of the day, if KK wants old style management he shouldn’t have walked away all those years ago. Bring on the next manager
21 Isaac Hunt // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:34
RobB: I agree, hit them hard as soon as possible. The best way to hit this spiv is in the pocket. Boycott everything he has an interest in.
United we stand
22 Issac Kite // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:35
We need for this to go national and boycott all his shops in the uk, not just tyneside. The rest of the country feels for us and are not laughing at us as the press suggests
23 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:36
The use of words here is interesting. People talk about old-style v modern. Perhaps it should be British v continental. Note that everyone agrees the premiership is the best league in the world. I wonder why?
24 AdamCF // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:37
Sorry guys.. I’ve just gotten to the point where I want to see 11 players in black n white out there on the pitch fighting for their life against Hull next week. I just want this week to be over and get back to what we’re all really here for.
25 BILL // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:38
Boycott the matches !! is one of the ways to hit Fat Ashs pocket and dont suck on the free pint
26 Steve // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:38
Great post Ed. I for one cannot believe the absence of leadership coming from the top brass.
The place is being run by cowboys. There are only two ways forward for this club, either lose Ashley and be purchased by an owner more willing to invest (and care) about the club, or for the current board to appoint a foreign puppet.
I for one prefer the former…
27 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:39
Issac Kite
“We need for this to go national and boycott all his shops in the uk, not just tyneside. The rest of the country feels for us and are not laughing at us as the press suggests”
no, everyone is laughing, trust me
28 Isaac Hunt // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:40
Isaac Kite: He also has shares in Adidas. Where would we be without our three stripes charvers. It won’t effect me though. I get mine from the washing lines
29 hammy // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:40
Issac,
It would be great to boycott his shops but he’s shut down the likes of Dixon’s, Mcgurks, SportsWorld, InterSport, JJB. etc etc……
This guy looks like a Del Boy made good….
“This time next year Rodders I’ll be a Billionaire”
unfortunately for us he did, the moron has no class or balls…..
30 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:42
Adam CF
the reality is, by the time the Hull match comes around, not may will care about this anymore as they will be so deprived of football. So you will not be by yourself in that stadium, it will be at least 3/4 full, and after a couple of wins, back to full capacity.
31 hammy // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:42
Bill,
No, drink the free pints, just don’t pay for any….
32 Angryman the Angry fan // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:43
The leadership of Newcastle left mid week.
The only man on the planet who knew how to lead Newcastle was driven out by a bunch of Cockney shankers who are only interested in one thing!!
MONEY!!!
I notice the regulars like SPYRO & JONAS and the other pro CASHLEY BRIGADES posts are very few and far between these days, are you guys worried that alot of us have good memories and remember how STRONGLY you lot backed CASHLEY!!
ME, I too have been very quiet because to be honest, I am still sick to the stomach of certain people coming on here trying to shove down my throat that CASHLEY still done good for the club by paying off the debt!!
Give me debt and a very good, strong and skillfull football team before paying the debt anyday!! Thats what I pay to see, I dont pay to line some fat cockney and his ugly dwarfy little cockney geezer mates’ pockets!!
CASHLEY OUT!!!
33 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:43
what you on about angry, im on here all the time
34 clinta // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:44
‘ the get a new buyer and bring back KK’ brigade, ed included are wrong on this one i think.
It would be a huge mistake to bring KK back, yes, he did well when he was here, but let’s look to the future and hopefully (if anyones stupid enough?) well get a manager that’s right for us.
I know KK did well, and was a popular choice with the fan, but i wasn’t that keen and do no think he was the right appointment or is ‘newcastle’ for that matter.
35 hammy // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:45
Howay lads, nobody’s died……yet
36 Jack // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:47
I was talking about it with my friend last night. We really do miss Chris Mort. I think that’s what the difference is. Mort came out and said repeatedly that KK was in charge, and I think Keegan and the fans respected him. He had the sort of personality that could deal with and keep happy a character like Keegan and characters like Wise and Ashley. As well as that, he had a really good relationship with the fans.
Since he’s gone, Llambias has come in and I don’t even know what he looks like. It’s obvious from the start of his reign that he doesn’t know what he’s doing, and he’s fine with letting people take the control away from Keegan, which ultimately caused him to leave. I don’t think this would have happened with Mort there.
I don’t blame Wise as much as everyone else does. As far as I’m concerned, he was hired to help with transfer dealings and he’s just been working on them. I don’t blame him for accepting the job in the first place, and it was going really well until Llambias took over.
Also, Ashley’s a disgrace for not personally sorting this out. “done everything to keep Kevin”….. yeah. Clearly.
37 Ed Speed For PM // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:47
Am sick of hearing about Keegan now!
I like him, but lets move on.
and talk of boycotting is ridiculous, get a grip!
38 silverwear this year // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:49
I can’t see keegan coming back, which is upsetting. I also think that the factt we are in this state is a disgrace, we are the f**king laughing stock of the prem. Ashley has to go for what he’s let happen under his control.
39 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:49
Davies ,
if any damage is done to the club by the fans its easily repaired by the very same people .
i think maybe we need to sit back and realise the only good thing at this club now is the fans .
the infastructure at boardroom and ground level is a bunch of ashleys mates , job’s for the boys .
for all the talk of the new scouting system , it still consists of the very same scouts we had at the club pre ashley , only now we have vettere fresh off a 4 month stint with real madrid , probably working through a list of kids he managed to remember from their books .
jiminez an old chelsea steward turned property developer , apparently brought in to ‘close deals’ , lets not overlook the fact he’s ashleys mate and got to know dennis wise at his time with chelsea .
and dennis wise as director of football …… a really poor footballer in his day , hated by us venomly in his time on the pitch , who had a spell at milwall then got leed’s relegated .
any good will the club had forged with the community is worthless now , even our local city council had to remind them they had been given the freedom of the city , even tho the clubs regime no longer have any connection to the city , at the same time reminding them the man they were treating so badly was a great asset for decade’s to newcastle ,
ive never known a manager get so involved with the city as keegan does.
there is no more damage that can be done to the clu that isnt easily repaired by the fan’s full support behind a new regime .
as long as the team isnt relegated this year , full gates for a new owner can turn this ship around straight away .
and lets not forget where the root of these problem lies , keegan was only complaining about what every fan was thinking , where is the investment ? why do reports have us down as 10million net spend in the tranfer market since ashleys purchase ?
why does he think just becasue he didnt take due dilligence with the account that a interest free loan to the club to save himself a few quid is a good enough excuse to us for lack of investment ?
does he think we dont know the likes of belgravia considered 235mill bids for the club as they had taken the debt into account ?
why is ashley giveing chest thumping statements of ambition , like going to chelsea and having a team to compete with them ? only to instruct his ‘buddies’ to scour the leagues looking for bargain buys and getting players todo webster rulings on their clubs .
as it stands i see minimal investment ,
and reduced outgoings .
screams of a club being asset stripped and set up for sale .
40 Dan13 // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:50
yea I agree Ed speed
41 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:50
Spyro - Go away you southern dickhead.
42 Nick 69 // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:50
spyro- its becomin more and more clear that u havent got a f*kin clue about wat nufc means up here in newcastle if you think tht everyone will forget this end fill the stadium, dont talk about stuff u know nothing about, u will never ever understand cos ur not a geordie and never will be. if u were up here ud realise how p*ssed off ppl r, and it aint goin away trust me
43 mushy // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:52
@Angryman
Ashley did do us a favour by getting us away from thieving FatFred. Thank You.
But now he has screwed up big time. And he now finds himself in a corner where the best way out is to sell-out to the highest bidder.
The world is not black OR white, and doesn’t consist of goodies and baddies.
44 DaveyG // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:52
@angry
Oh, no Spyro/Dragoner hasnt been wrong again about a Newcastle regime has he?
I remember a while back when he actually quoted BSA was doing a cracking job on and off the pitch….this was just before we went on one of the worst losing streaks in the clubs history.
The lad is a Cockney Student man, a mixture of 2 things here Cockney…..student….says it all hasnt a clue!!
Oh how envious I have been watching the likes of Daiv…angry man …..and HPS prove you wrong I sooooooo have missed proving you wrong Dragooner!!
Ya Cockney stooody mappppppet!
45 Nick 69 // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:52
51times- see thts the problem with these outsiders supportin the toon, thy think thy know wats goin on but thy hav no clue, thy think this is goin to blow over and be forgotten, thing is thy may support the toon but, its more than tht 4 us geordie, we’re born and bred on nufc, its in our blood, its not just a team we watch, its more like part of the family
46 BILL // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:53
Any one know why Arthur Cox left or did he see the writing on the wall
47 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:53
“if u were up here ud realise how p*ssed off ppl r, and it aint goin away trust me”
(roll eyes) ok, we will see.
51 times
i have seen the type of comments you post on here in recent months, and it has become evidently clear that…you are scum. This is the last post i will send your way you sad fool.
48 Dan13 // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:54
Nick I agree, i was born andbred in Newcastle
and i’m certainly proud of it!
49 mushy // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:58
Calm down girls (Spyro & 51)
Just remember exactly who your anger and frustrations should be directed towards
50 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:58
you know i never knew spyro wasnt a geordie , you would never have thought with how much he likes to think his opinion counts so much .
you dont even goto the games yet your telling everyone from the city to ?
51 Dan13 // Sep 6, 2008 at 11:59
lol hadrian that made me laugh:)
52 ArtyH // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:00
I have looked at the comments above and have watched the events of the last few weeks. My take on the situation for what it is worth is this, a boycott of the next two or three matches is a MUST. It will definitely hurt everyone in the short term but will surely force Ashley to sell up and hopefully to the Indian group who appear to have a more sympathetic view of the feelings up here on Tyneside. Please note I say appear as no one will know until it happens or if it happens.
The present group of mis-management have shown utter contempt for our club, our favourite manager and every fan of NUFC, in short they looked at the Geordie nation as a money making cash cow. It time to show them the they made a big mistake , but it must be done in the correct way.
A BOYCOTT FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT THREE GAMES! That would send shock-waves around the world of football, and show Ashley we would not put up with his antics in the board room, it would surely FORCE him to sell and at a reasonable price.
Best case scenario would then be that Ambani would buy the club and somehow reinstate KK as the manager and let him get on with the job he was made for. Lets face it no one in the football world would have stayed at NUFC ( or would be willing to join ) as manager to be a puppet. Shearer has already said as much, under this administration it is a shambles. We have got to face it, at this moment in time we are a laughing stock! Who can blame the footballing world, it the truth!
The only way to put this situation right is to get new owners and put in a manager who will have the control over who comes in and goes out the door!
Myself I hope it is Ambani, who appears to have a little understanding of the situation up here, and if he does get the club, I hope KK is persuaded to come back as a real manager. Then and only then will we see NUFC rise out of the crap we now find ourselves in.
53 IanG // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:00
The more I think about the decision to let Keegan walk the more I think Ashley had already made up his mind to sell the club, lock stock and barrell and indeed negotiations may be even more advanced than we think.
Think about it, who in their right mind would back Wise over Keegan. Totally illogical. But Ashley is a tight fisted tw** so if the club is acquired Wise and anyone else departing have his severance settlement paid by the new owners (not by Ashley so he saves a few million there). Ashley also believed or was advised that Keegan would have no claim for severance because he resigned.
Otherwise I am convinced a boycott of matches will have a phenomenal impact - the suggestion of people dressed in black or orange or waving cards is not going to have anything like the same effect or create the same headlines.
54 Hobs // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:01
What was Ashley’s intent? To make money.
How? Well first I thought that it would be by european qualification, but with City’s new owners that seems to be an expensive investment.
So how do we make money? We get rid of all the high earners, and gather their transfer money. Then make a team that will easily survive in the PL, but not challenge for european football. Keep the players on low wages, gather young talent and sell them for a profit when they mature. The club will be in the vaakum on the table, but will bring in a nice profit every year.
Little work for Ashley, little thrill for the fans, but the fat guy gets his money.
That’s why Keegan isn’t allowed to chose who stays and who goes. Wise is there to get in players that will increase in value, Llambias is there to sell them when he sees a profit. Mike Ashley takes the money, and there is a giant tank parked in the centre circle on St. James’s Park!
Note: I have defended Ashley on occations here, even when I know he was only here to get a profit. But my belief was always that he would do so by strengthening the team and get TV/prize income. I see now that there was always an easyer way for him to get his money, and that is what he is doing now.
Sadly we are now a farmer club to the top clubs, and even more sadly this is the way to make money in the PL nowadays.
55 ed_speed // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:01
‘mon the lads
56 ExiledGeordie // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:02
The problem is that i think the Fat man will want a crazy sum of money to sell and i dont see anyone paying it.In my opinon the only way to force him to sell at a reasonable price is to hit him in his pocket by staying away and not buying from any of his sports shops.He has lost alot on the stock market lately according to the papers so if Newcastle starts to cost big time then i think then he will go.
The man has a huge ego and i dont think he will care that we want him gone but losing money is a different story.
Please Fat man just do the decent thing ,sell up and sod off
57 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:02
Good, I don’t want to talk to cockney scum anyway.
58 reillers // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:02
We haven’t heard a word from the players either. Nothing, not a peep. You think by now one of the senior players would have said something, or maybe they’re thinking it’s better to not say anything at all, maybe they’re waiting to discuss it themselves and are waiting for the lads on international duty to get back or maybe they’re still in complete shock. But whatever it is the silence from the players is making me a wee bit edgy.
59 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:03
actually i do go to games, obviously not all, mostly away, and i will be at Hull supporting the team, not taking part of this ridiculous boycott fiasco…which by the way will FLOP anyway
60 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:03
hadrian - Southerners like to think they know better than us “thick Geordies”.
61 Angryman the Angry fan // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:05
Mushy
And your point is??
THIEVING FAT FRED, mmmmm be very careful on that ine mate, you dont know who maybe reading this ;-).
One thing I will say in Fat freddies defence, when was the last time he sold our best player??
When he had the money, he DID invest in the team, yes he did have debt, 27m i think we owed on players, (Or so the fat cockney claims, can you take his word at face value??) party of the 80 mill debt!! 40 m of that we get from the premier league, so thats 40m left to find, 1.65 transfer profit so far, debt sat at 38.35, he tried to sell Micky O for 12 m to spuds, leaves 26m debt, 4m for jey barton to portsmouth,22m, season tickets sales, corporate boxes, merchandising, price increase, three year ticket sales……need i go on.
He cant have much debt left to cover, but what that does indeed look like to me and the vast majority of this clubs supporters is blatant asset stripping and book balancing……….
I hope he ios doing it for one reason, the fat B*stard wants rid!!!!!!!!
So keep your “world isnt black n white,” comments there’s no goodies n baddies…mate, I am like FAT MIKE i dont care what you think, all I know is he is doing a good job of shafting my club, so in my eyes, he aint no good for my club, he is a baddie and yes, i am writing it in Black & White!!
62 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:06
reillers
all the players were sent a text from the club instruction them not to give interviews , with threats of fines for 2 weeks wages .
63 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:07
so what is your attechemnt to newcastle exactly spyro ? like our strip ? or family in the north east ?
64 ELTSACWEN // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:09
when is mike ashley gonna sell up and go back down south
come on anil do us a favour
65 hammy // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:10
Taylor and Harper have probably been gagged from talking to anybody…….not such a bad thing in Taylor’s case, he’s probably “massively gutted”………
66 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:11
hmmm, im going to pick…i like the strip
67 mushy // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:11
I think boycotts will work. When it comes to the choices of not going to the Hull game OR wearing red and orange OR not buying Ashley products etc etc I don’t mind. In fact I say do them all, anything to raise the profile, keep the situation in the media’s eye and eventually if we push enough buttons long enough and hard enough, one of them will really be too much to bear.
He will sell, but only if we leave him with no viable alternative.
68 35yrsofhurt // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:11
We all need to be united,
1) DO NOT BOYCOTT any match, the players and coaching staff need the Toon Army more than ever.
2) Take a leaf out of how the Liverpool Supporters reacted to disgustingly bad reporting from The Sun newspaper re the Hillsborough tragedy, to this day none of them buy the paper. Do not buy any match programs,beer(inc staying out of Shearers bar),food and merchandise off this con man. He is only in this for financial gain, so hit him hard over a sustained period of time he will have no option but to clear off.
UNITED WE STAND…….
69 ANDYGLOSTOON // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:12
I bet most of the people calling for a boycott of matches havn’t got either a season or match ticket.easy call for them!
70 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:12
i only ask as you shout so loud , its fair to say it gives a false representation of people in the citys opinions .
71 Rob // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:13
Any kind of boycotting matches is useless at a club like NUFC due to the amount of season ticket holders.
I’ve already paid my money for my ticket and so not attending is essentially me paying a sackload of money into fat ashleys pocket and not bothering to turn up.
I will still be attending newcastle matches, but showing my full support for the players there whilst showing my disgust for the cokneys that run our club.
GET ANIL IN!
72 mushy // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:15
@angryman. Thanks, when i typed thieving I maent to type thriving.
73 dick // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:16
Cant think of any other club that has boycotted there team , theres been plenty where the crowd has fallen off when the team is not doing well, but boycots no. The vast majority of the crowd has already paid for their ticket already and will go to the game, the crowd will drop off definately but the first important game it will be back again
74 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:18
hadrian - He probably thinks of himself as some sort of hero, coming up here into our desolate slums to give us a leader, somebody to talk to the press properly and stop all of this protest lark so we can all go sign on, because after all us Northerners don’t have jobs. There is also the press to consider, we now have Spyro to speak to them for us! We don’t need our own opinions because Spyro will think for us.
God Bless you Spyro, you are a saint.
75 Oblongfanny_Martins // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:18
Ive read this blog for a long time now and dont often comment on other peoples posts but spyro your not a season ticket holder you say “actually i do go to games, obviously not all” probably means you have been a couple of times, everyone Ive talked to in the pubs, clubs of Newcastle want a boycott so keep your southern nose out of our buisiness. We need ashley to get out and a boycott will hit him in his pocket, and thats the only option we have.
76 Geoff Forster // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:18
All we can do is keep protesting.
Keep angry at Ashley.
Don’t let them get away with this disrespect.
All the players for sale - disrespectful.
Selling Milner and not buying Keegan’s targets - disrespectful.
Upping the price of season tickets promising WOW transfers - lying to fans - disrespectful.
They’ve pulled your pants down.
What are you going to do?
Bend over and take it?
Or you can get angry and hit them where it hurts.
Then stay angry and keep on hitting.
Do not let these southern tossers shaft us.
Keeeeeeeeegan!!!!
Ashley Out!!!!
77 toon head // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:21
the boycott probly will flop
78 ANDYGLOSTOON // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:21
Next saturday we have to give the biggest cheer ever for our team,just to show we are 100% behind them,if we dont i am sure the new boys will become disillussioned
79 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:21
Hadrian
I have studied marketing for years now, and let me tell you, although there are different people with different beliefs all around the country. At the end of the day, people are people. That is why i know it will be at least 3/4 full when we play Hull. Doubt me if you like and try to reassure yourselves with comments like “your not even a geordie so you dont know” blah blah blah, but we will all see in a weeks time
Of course if i am wrong i will hold my hands up and admit it
80 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:21
wait, I mentioned the press twice! Well, how silly of me. You know how it is Spyro, I don’t have your Southern education. We Geordies just like to binge drink and work down mines.
81 BILL // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:21
Fat Ash wont be at the Hull game ? as he is away on Biz so he will not see any protest at the match ? so hit his fat pocket Boycott and dont let his have our cash
82 Sav // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:23
Sad to think we are hoping an Indian telecoms millionaire will somehow have more ‘affinity with the Geordie fans’ than the present owner of the club. What a joke football has become. A sad joke.
As for Llambias, the guy with the ‘Halifax’ smile and the owl-eye specs, he is schooled in the Casino industry, where the management stay well out of the limelight and an inherent assumption that all your staff will try to rip you off is an essential ingredient to success.
83 John L // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:24
Keep up the protests! And remember the short term pain, even if it hurts the club now, will benefit the club if we get rid of Ashley.
The publicity and protests will succeed in several ways…
(i) Embarrass Ashley as a businessman
(ii) The boycotts will hurt him financially
(iii) UNSUITABLE buyers will be less attracted after seeing clearly what the fans want
(iv) The protests will force Ashley to act quickly before the value of the club falls - buyers will begin to realize he needs to sell
(v) The media hype will intensify the situation and keep the focus on him - it’s what we need right now
We have an opportunity to show any new owners that they are custodians and the fans are the true owners of our club.
The iron will only be hot for a short while … if this opportunity slips away then we’ll be in for at least another full season of discontent.
This is all about money…the prize for us is to secure a new owner who is wealthy enough to be not so hung up on money that his business model and decisions are primarily based on financial constraints.
I don’t want us to be another Chelsea, but lets be honest - why would we want to be penny pinching for Ashley’s profit like we are, when we could enjoy an environment where the owner doesn’t cr@p himself if we don’t make a vast profit at year end.
Keep it up lads - short term pain, long term gain.
John
84 hadrian // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:25
spyro , we were 5k down vs bolton .
thats nice you have studied marketing tho , really give’s you a great insight to peoples feelings up here .
all your marketing knowlege has nothing on a night in the pub up here with people who goto the game week in week out . or a day at graft with fellow fans .
85 GeordieGraham // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:25
the ronny gill is reportin that if ambani buys us there is a chance king kev will come back. im hopin nd prayin this will happen
86 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:26
like i said, we will see
87 Spuggy // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:26
Only in this for gain - your right there, made the mistake of buying a bottle of coke at St james before the valencia game - £2.10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats a disgrace.
88 NE1 // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:28
My Take:
Pack SJP to the rafters next Saturday….
Sing for the full 90 - support the lads… get the 3 points… then make our feelings to the owners known.
We need the points first and foremost… fatty can get the abuse when we’ve won
89 toonoot // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:28
I remember worse times than this. For instance, that night game I got caught short in the Leases end and had take a p*ss though a rolled up copy of the Chronic. It just went on an on. I never read the Chronic again. Well, not that copy any way. I still can’t face Anal Olivier.
I once threw a half bag of peanuts at Frank Clarke and got taken to Pilgrim Street nick. I didn’t get charged though and went back to the ground and climbed in over the wall in Strawberry Lane. I fell 12 feet and almost knocked myself out. Oh happy daze.
Incidently, I always nicked into matches. I never paid until I was a dad and started taking my kids.
Boycott? Shmoycott!
90 IanG // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:29
@ Dick - I can’t think of any other teams suppoprters who have been railroaded over and abused like we have been. And let’s see how a boycott would focus Ashley’s mind when he loses hundreds of thousands of pounds
@35yrsofhurt - point 1 - I disagree, players and coaching staff have been gagged - they would completerly understand a botcott and probably welcome one
@ ANDYGLOSTOON - not sure what difference it makes having a season ticket or not - the object is to send a strong message - empty stands is the most powerful one possible.
91 mozza // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:29
the longer ashley refrains from selling the club, the worse the mood will get, i agree with mushy that the club will be sold to the highest bidder, which may not necessarily be the indian contingent, i expect something to be done by next week, who knows he may even be in talks with potential buyers right now, heres hoping
92 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:29
Billionaire Sav, the sixth richest billionaire in the world.
93 NotAGhostToon // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:29
My idea, would be instead of all these extravagent colours and noises etc. just have people link arms with each other like one big human chain and maybe either stay quiet and stand, or maybe sing the blaydon races or something. All these other ideas are good but we need something which shows unity but gets noticed.
94 AdamCF // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:30
I think you might be on to something there NE1
95 BILL // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:33
IanG
I second what you say
@ Dick - I can’t think of any other teams suppoprters who have been railroaded over and abused like we have been. And let’s see how a boycott would focus Ashley’s mind when he loses hundreds of thousands of pounds
@35yrsofhurt - point 1 - I disagree, players and coaching staff have been gagged - they would completerly understand a botcott and probably welcome one
@ ANDYGLOSTOON - not sure what difference it makes having a season ticket or not - the object is to send a strong message - empty stands is the most powerful one possible.
96 mozza // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:34
all in all,. boycott or protest after, either way the press will exaggerate it to epic proportions anyway and for once do us a favour, increasing the pressure on MA to sell
97 Sav // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:34
A couple of losses against the mid-table mediocrities we face in the next 3 or 4 games could see us going down faster than Ashley’s pint.
I wonder if Hughton will leave the captaincy with Owen, given that its been leaked the club were eager to flog him and he’ll surely be talking to Man City or whoever as soon as he can in January. Who’d blame him?
I don’t want to see the team lose, but I’m worried that a lot of the righteous indignation and positive anger fans are showing now will dissipate with a couple of flukey results. Stay angry. We’ve plenty to be fuming about.
I hate having anything but positiive feelings about the team winning yet I am sure half the fans will be won over by a handy win over Hull and maybe scraping past Spurs in the cup.
98 John L // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:35
Boycott the game !!!
Look. Sod the players for a minute, they aren’t babies, or little kids who will cry if their mum’s not there.
This is about the direction this club takes from now until the owner sells up, which could be years if we don’t get him gone.
Sod the 3 points.
Look at the bigger picture.
99 Fans Should Own the Club // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:35
Why aren’t we organizing to buy out the club ourselves?
We–the fans–should own and run the Club on the Barcelona model.
What other club in England even comes close to the adoration we have for our club?
Why shouldn’t we own the club together–voting for our board and contributing to the decisions of the club instead of letting some unaccountable rich man make our decisions for us?
It’s time to make fan ownership a reality at Newcastle United.
We can be the anti-Citeh, the anti-Chelsea. Enough with the billionaire boys’ club owners who don’t give a damn about the club.
Newcastle Fans should own Newcastle United.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/54310-newcastle-fans-should-buy-our-club
100 toonoot // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:37
Nah. Go to the Hull match. Wear a white shirt with your blog name printed on the back and the front. Then we can have a good laugh knocking sh*t out of each other. 51 times, 52 times, 53 - howair, one of ye lot take over!
101 mushy // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:41
It’s amazing how much power we have.
Think on this for a moment… put your hand up if you have NOT seen Batman and Robin outside SJP? (I don’t see many hands, then again, I am sitting alone in my bedroom).
My point is, the media are desperate for news, ANY news. So we don’t have to beat ouselves up over what is the single best course of action.
ANY bleedin action will do, just keep it pro-toon, anti-ashley and something that tickles the media hacks.
Power to the fans. Ashley out. Real money in. Watch us fly.
102 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:43
Love you too, toonoot.
103 mozza // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:43
there’s more in fighting on this blog now than ever, probably caused by the frustration by the big s**te sandwhich we’ve all been served this week, should respect each others opinions though, petty bickering just makes us look, well petty really, vent you’re anger at the muppets in charge not each other ma, i say protest after the match in huge numbers
104 Phil,Gosforth // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:44
Spyro has never been anywhere near SJP ( unless he’s a MA employee?)
I think basically everything you write is totally way off the mark of the people IN NEWCASTLE I speak to.
You say you go to some games but not all.Watching MOTD m8 doesn’t count,you know.
105 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:44
The people who can really make a difference in a boycott is people like me who don’t have a season ticket but do attend regularly. Mike Ashley will get no more of my money. Season ticket holders can’t really hit his pocket. I doubt if we’ll need to boycott more than a couple of matches. And the team will certainly understand that we’re doing it in support of them - not against them. Obviously a long term boycott by season ticket holder would be counter-productive.
106 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:46
Mozza - you’re right. As long as we’re taking action the media will be interested. They’ll be there in droves at the Hull game to see the empty seats and to ask why supporters are going in.
107 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:46
mozza - My anger is directed at southerners coming up here and telling us what to do i.e. Ashley, Wise, Spyro etc
108 KK FOREVER (Ross) // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:47
spyro-i normally agree with you but this time i have to agree with the other lads.
you really do need to have been in the NE to have seen the affect keegan walking has had on people. the place has been in complete chaos, to the point even the council decided to intervene.
its dominated every paper, every local news channel, every local radio station, and its been all anyone has spoken about on the street, the place has been turned upside down.
I am also confident of the boycott coming off.
i beleive it was dingo yesterday who posted about him setting up the protest of orange shirts? being interviewed by metro radio, century radio, and it being in the chronical. Every pound for shirts would go to bobby robson cancer fund i think you said?
This should be hugely successful. if given the right promotion over the next week, every single person attending that game will give money to sir bobby and take a shirt.
109 toonoot // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:47
51: Spyro is spinning in his grave so don’t take a fence.
110 Cooper // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:47
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/54310-newcastle-fans-should-buy-our-club
Absolutley ridiculous.
111 mozza // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:47
just hope that david craig isn’t covering it, i’m sick of the sight of his dish outside the ground, talking to the stupidest collection of viz comic type tools he can find
112 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:47
mushy - must agree!! weve got to do anything and everything!! we must use the media to benefit the fans and get the fat wanker to sell up!!
113 John L // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:49
Sheep !!!
Go to the match, and Ashley will be smiling in his luxury surroundings thinking “Daft geordies, they will put up with anything”
Get rid of this misplaced idea that the team desperately NEED us there. Sure it’s vital long term.
The club needs us to force a quick change of direction now. That is much more important.
114 Spyro // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:50
“You say you go to some games but not all.Watching MOTD m8 doesn’t count,you know.”
oh no! why didnt someone tell me this earlier!? all this time i thought watching gary, alan etc on the T.V meant that i was indeed a true supporter, now what!?
115 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:51
Its interesting that the media is mainly targeting their venom at Ashley rather than the fans. I wonder how long that will last? Even KK is getting off lightly at the moment.
116 azim // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:52
he is not 6th richest man it the world but somewhere around 18 richest person in the world….in fact abramovich is richer than him
117 Victor Meldrew // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:52
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/54310-newcastle-fans-should-buy-our-club
I don’t believe it!
118 magsie // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:53
Think the colour Orange might put off any Catholic supporters of the toon buying 1 me thinks!
119 mushy // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:54
@mozza
I agree, it is embarrassing David Craig interviewing what you call “viz comic tools”, but in this current mess it is better than nothing. Look on it as a means to an end. The end being to get AShley out.
120 John L // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:56
We’re on the same page mushy.
121 filthy mag // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:56
It would be interesting to hear what the players have to say about this situation. I would suspect that they are of a similar feeling to KK. With this in mind I feel that the boycott would not dismay the players and they would understand. They train every day without 52,000 fans, so whats one or two matches
122 tracey // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:56
Comments by Karren Brady on Ashley, showing that other clubs don’t like the classless prat either.
“So why was Ashley not turfed out? And why on earth must he keep offending other clubs by his general behaviour?
ONE thing money cannot buy is common sense. Today the story is that Ashley has sacked manager Kevin Keegan. Ashley’s head must have been spinning like the roulette wheel he spends so much time on”
On the boycott issue, club owners rely on the fans disorganisation and disunity, knowing they can rely on their drug-like devotion to their clubs. If fans ever got organised they could be a real power, but as we see by the people here who say they have to go to games because “the lads need us” (jesus wept) it’ll never happen.
123 mozza // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:58
@51 times, my anger would be directed at them whether they were southern or from the outer hebrides, my point being an arsehole is an arsehole no matter where they were from, i had some good cockney pals when i was a squaddy and i joined up totally anti cockney, i was wrong pal they’re not all arseholes same as all scousers are’nt thieves and all jocks are’nt tight, not that i’m saying this is your view, i’m just illustrating the point that i was ignorant in my views years ago
124 Robz // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:58
2 hours of demonstration outside SJP before the next home game against Hull, then enter our fortress, and make the noice only the proud mouths of the north can make. Tell Ashley what we mean. Boicotting this game wont help us win against Hull. And even though it might give Ashley a week or two extra time to find the right investors, that’s not a bad thing for us.
The demonstration will give us loads of publicity like Ed said, and we will also cheer our heros in black and white to victory against Hull.
ASHLEY OUT.
Howay the lads!
125 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:58
azim - http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Anil-Ambani_VX6G.html
126 mozza // Sep 6, 2008 at 12:59
i’ll concede that mushy if it keeps the interest there i’m all for the greater good
127 Fans Should Own the Club // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:00
Aye, the “bleacher report” model looks silly, but another model could work.
An interesting article from a while back–more reasons unaccountable rich men shouldn’t run the club.
Lifted straight from the guardian:
How the Geordie Nation turned into a cash cow
The Newcastle job has become one of the biggest around after the Halls turned football into regional conflict
David Conn, sports news reporter of the year
The Guardian, Wednesday February 8 2006
Article history
What is it then about the Newcastle United manager’s job, fulfilled until relatively recently by Willie McFaul, Jim Smith and other domestic gaffers, which has become so overblown that the club’s chairman, Freddy Shepherd, can describe the St James’ Park vacancy as “one of the biggest in world football”?
On Saturday, during Newcastle’s 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, with Alan Shearer accepting the worship of a 54,000 crowd for breaking Jackie Milburn’s club scoring record, a heartfelt rendition of Blaydon Races cascading down from the Leazes End, you could believe the claim. Mass self-delusion this may be but it is a powerful brew.
McFaul and Smith, who grew care-worn in the late 1980s trying to keep Newcastle in the old First Division watched by crowds hovering around 20,000, must wonder at the transformation. Its genesis lay in the 1991 takeover by the property developer Sir John Hall, who bought 79.2% of Newcastle United for an estimated £3m after a bitter battle with the patrician former owner Gordon McKeag and installed Kevin Keegan as the manager, reawakening the Toon Army’s natural inclination to hero worship. Hall, a national figure at the time and said to be Margaret Thatcher’s favourite businessman, hammered the idea that, more than a football club, this was the vanguard of regional revival. “The Geordie nation, that’s what we’re fighting for” went one choice line of rhetoric. “London’s the enemy! You exploit us, you use us.”
Michael Martin, the editor of the True Faith fanzine, recalls his own Geordie blood stirring as Keegan’s rejuvenated side galloped into the breakaway Premier League. “John Hall tapped into something latent, the pride and the apartness of the north-east. Newcastle was depressed; industries like mining and shipbuilding had been destroyed. We bought into the idea of the club as the flagship of revival.”
Membership of Hall’s Geordie Nation came at a cost, in hyperinflated ticket prices, with bonds at £500, season tickets on credit from the club at 19% APR and at Newcastle, like no other club, replica shirts were adopted as required uniform. When the fans in black and white stripes rise to acclaim their team in the expanded St James’ Park the Toon Army becomes a living symbol of modern football: a giant barcode.
Hall promised to invest the money in the team and, after Keegan’s infamous crumble in 1995-96, Hall unveiled the £15m signing of Shearer, the Geordie talisman. Eight months later payback began for the Halls. The north-east’s warrior football club was floated on the London Stock Exchange, after which the Hall family company, Cameron Hall Developments, still owned 57%. It turned out that the Halls had put money into the club only as loans and the new money raised by the float - much of it from fans who immediately lost fortunes as the share price fell - went partly to repay the Halls.
Shortly afterwards Sir John Hall retired to spend much of his years under a non-Geordie sun, in Marbella. He left Cameron Hall and the club to his son Douglas to run. It was not long before Douglas and Freddy Shepherd, then a director and less well-known minority shareholder, became the first football victims of the News of the World’s dressing-up cupboard, bragging to an “Arab sheikh” in a Spanish lap-dancing bar about the Toon Army’s gullibility in buying replica shirts and calling Geordie women “dogs”. The grossness of that boardroom image soured a mood already in a post-Keegan hangover, as Newcastle twice finished second in the Premiership then laboured prosaically under Keegan’s successors, Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit.
The Halls had pledged to the City not to sell any shares until late 1998. That December, as soon as they could, they did, selling 6.3% to the cable company NTL, making £10m. Not widely noticed then was that the Halls had agreed to sell out completely should NTL bid for the whole club, which would have made the family a further £79m. It did not happen but the following year the family sold a further 3.26% of the Cameron Hall holding to NTL, making £5.28m. Douglas personally sold a stake for £637,516.
The Halls had taken over Newcastle just a few years earlier, in an era when businessmen were still hailed as philanthropists for buying into football, and they have gone on to make massive money out of the club. The plc has declared a dividend every year after flotation worth millions to the major shareholders, the Halls, and Freddy Shepherd and his brother Bruce, who have steadily increased their holding. More recently, Freddy Shepherd and Douglas Hall have earned prodigiously as directors from their salary packages.
Remarkably Cameron Hall, which seemed to bestride the north-east in Sir John’s heyday, has slunk into a comparative wreck, making huge losses in 2000 and 2001, which they staunched by selling property. The football club seems to have changed from being a Hall marketing tool to the family cash cow. In June 2003 the Newcastle board announced that the club itself was buying some Hall family shares, paying £4.5m. Cameron Hall’s accounts that year showed a loss of around £3m; the latest accounts, for 2004, are late.
Douglas Hall has moved his residence off shore to become a tax exile. He is paid his half-a-million-pound salary package via a club subsidiary, Newcastle United (International) Ltd, registered in the tax haven of Gibraltar. His own tax planning accountant, Timothy Revill, who is based in Gibraltar, is a director of Newcastle United plc. Revill chairs the remuneration committee that determines Hall’s salary.
At any other club you would expect more of this to be known. At St James’ Park, Shepherd has won himself some credit by staying stubbornly put and insisting that he wants only to make the club successful. You get the sense that the financial mining of the club does not matter that much to too many fans. The Toon Army - apparently ageing like elsewhere as a generation has been priced out - seems still largely sold on the idea a huge part of their regional identity is wrapped up in the club. They are desperate for some success on the field to justify the journey.
That is why the job is so big. Any manager prepared to take it on will carry the wider hopes and historic frustrations of a powerful human soundbite called the Geordie Nation. That is pressure but it is also a major attraction. For anybody able to win something, anything, adulation, of Shearer and Milburn proportions, awaits.
david.conn@guardian.co.uk
From big spenders to big earners
Since Newcastle United were floated on the Stock Exchange in April 1997 the Hall family and Freddy Shepherd have earned from the club as follows:
Sales of shares by Cameron Hall, Sir John and Douglas Hall’s company:
December 1998 Sold 6.3% to NTL: £10m
December 1999 Sold 3.26% to NTL: £5.28m
December 1999 Douglas Hall sold 0.39% to NTL: £0.57m
June 2003 Sold 11.4% to Newcastle United itself: £4.5m
Total earned by Hall family in sales of Newcastle United shares £20.35m
Sales of shares by Freddy Shepherd Nil
Shepherd and his brother, Bruce, have increased their shareholding, via their company, Shepherd Offshore, from 7% at the time of flotation to 28% now
Dividends paid by Newcastle United plc to shareholders 1998-2005
Total to Halls: £13,698,280
Total to Shepherds: £5,489,239
Salary packages paid
Year Hall Shepherd
1999 £23,533 £23,533
2000 £35,000 £75,000
2001 £110,000 £232,868
2002 £524,257 £591,639
2003 £591,667 £668,920
2004 £635,465 £717,145
2005 £495,951 £552,954
Total £2,415,873 £2,862,059
Totals made from Newcastle United
Sir John, Douglas and Cameron Hall: £36,466,153
Freddy Shepherd and Shepherd Offshore: £ 8,351,298
Total £44,817,451
Figures compiled with assistance of Ian Ferguson from http://www.nufc-finances.org.uk
128 Punk Skunk // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:01
Next manager now, please!..
…Who’s it to be?..
129 graeme // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:01
The season ticket holders have allready stumped up the cash to watch ALL the games, so cant blame them for going as not going doesnt cost Cashly a penny. Just dont buy anything at the ground. NO progs, NO food, NO drinks.
If you havent bought a ticket, then dont buy one.
The ONLY thing MA is interested in is MONEY. Its money that gives him the lifestyle and noteriety he seeks and loves. Why else would he blow $200,000 + on a Crystal piss up in New York on thursday night with people who havent a clue who he is. The fact that our club was collaping about out ears was completely irrelevant to him at the time.
As far as he is concerned, one of his minions has been to sort it out and it has been/ will be sorted. He doesnt give a sh1t about the club, the fans, the players, other than how much MONEY they generate for him to enjoy.
Hit him where it hurts, the ONLY place he would notice. Hit him in his POCKET, give him shed loads of grief and bad publicity, boycott his companies, even picket outside them. He will soon get sick of having to answer all the press about the negative publicity. He WILL sell up.
130 Nick 69 // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:01
spyro- ur not and never will be a true supporter, see the only opinion tht matters is the opinion of us proper fans, who are at st james every other week, and spend out other wkends travelin the country watchin the toon, not like you goin to a few away games, im guessing of which most r in london, and ur probly sittin with the oppostions fans.
131 Fans Should Own the Club // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:03
Very interesting web site…
http://www.nufc-finances.org.uk/
132 mozza // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:03
punk, hopefully hiddink when the indian lot take over, far fetched i know but you’ve gota hope
133 mushy // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:07
Tracey, I agree with your sentiments 100%.
But I don’t think we need to be well organised to achieve our goals in this case.
Which is better:
a well constructed, well thought out statement from an official supporters petition expessing their dissatisfaction with the current regime. OR
men dressed in fancy dress, women crying, bairns carrying flags, dogs wearing posters etc etc all showing anti-Ashley messages?
Well the intelligent side of me says it should be the former. But I’ll bet my life on which approach gets most column inches and most TV air-time.
Bring on the loonies, the inmates are taking over the asylum.
Ashley out!!
134 51times // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:09
Nick - The amount of people who can watch the Toon live every week home or away are finite. If that was what you needed to do to be a proper fan, we would have a very small fanbase.
135 Punk Skunk // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:10
He’s who i’d have like Mozza, good shout!.
…Just hope it happens soon, we gottaget back on the horse…Before the players feel the unrest too much!..Gutted for them!..
136 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:10
THE TOP TEN RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD 2008
(March 2008)
When I listed the top ten world’s richest people 2007, I noticed that the gap to the long-time world’s richest person, Bill Gates, was closing. True to those signals, Forbes.com recently announced the top ten world’s richest people for 2008, and Bill Gates is no longer at the top. The richest people are (courtesy Forbes.com):
1. Warren Buffet … $62 billion
2. Carlos Slim Helu … $60 billion
3. Bill Gates … $58 billion
4. Lakshmi Mittal … $45 billion
5. Mukesh Ambani … $43 billion
6. Anil Ambani … $42 billion
7. Ingvar Kamprad … $31 billion
8. KP Singh … $30 billion
9.Oleg Deripaska … $28 billion
10.Karl Albrecht … $27 billion
137 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:10
Fans should own the club - I don’t agree with your name - just look at the disarray on this blog - we’d never agree on anything and get more frustrated. But thanks for finding and sharing that article - amazing!
138 shirts // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:11
I wonder if season ticket holders (at least the recently purchased ones) could dispute the charges on their credit cards and stop the payments going through?
139 Fans Should Own the Club // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:14
RobB–glad to talk it over.
You know at Barca there are always rabid arguments between the members but they are still one of the greatest clubs in the history of the game.
That’s constructive argument… and in the end, big decisions like club Presidency and board membership would be put to A VOTE–not left to the whim of some unaccountable billionaire.
140 Black and White Blood // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:15
As of today, our petition to oust Ashley and Co is well on its way to gathering 4,000 signatures in only three and a half days. At present, the petition is in the top 4 most active petition of over 2000,000 – Ashley I think that speaks for itself, GO!
We as fans must remain united to have any chance of forcing these out.
http://www.petitiononline.com/DWMANUFC/petition.html
141 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:16
Fans should own the club - again good information. The fact that Ashley saved us financially is certainly not a reason to support him in everything else he does. My beef with him is his incompetent organisational management and the cronies who oversaw it.
142 Leo // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:17
anyone not think its strange how there is no information about how the club is looking for a new manager etc, just like west ham and just like when we have had to find a new manager previously.
either
marcelino was appointed because they had him all ready
or ashley is selling, has to be something like that
143 HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:17
Come on Anil Ambani buy our club!!! PLEASE!!
Free Curries for season ticket holders!!
144 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:18
Fans etc 131 - Point taken - even as I was writing my comment on the guardian article I was thinking that that’s just a model of democracy. Should work if people believe in it. Perhaps we can persuade Ashley to donate the club to the fans!
145 Karl // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:22
Best option will be if those with a season ticket attend the matches (since the tickets are already paid), but do not spend a pence at SJP. The rest of us don’t buy any tickets. And none of us spend any money where MA have any interrest. Then a demonstration outside SJP after the match.
We need to support the team, and to make a statement to MA.
Keegan back!
146 RobB // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:23
Karl - I think that’s the way its going to work - people are pretty entrenched in their position now. I think that’ll be effective anyway.
147 Fans Should Own the Club // Sep 6, 2008 at 13:24
Something tells me donation is not in the cards, but it’d sure be nice…
A few other comments on the blog have sort of run in the direction of interest in fan ownership. I’m really wondering if there are others out there.
I think boycotts & protests are all good to consider in the short term, but what next?
Becoming another play thing to a billionaire is pointless. Look what they’ve done to the club already.
If any club in England is “More than a Club,” to borrow Barca’s motto, then it certainly must be Newcastle United.
What other club packs its stadium religiously as we do?
What other club has suffered as we do?
NUFC is and should be “more than a club.”
We should own the club…