The Mag and true faith fanzines have rightly called for Ashley’s business interests to be targeted by the fans of Newcastle United and other supporters who would like to help in the effort to get Mike Ashley out of Newcastle.
Mike Ashley – his business interests will be targeted
The joint statement by the fanzines is as follows:
Like many Newcastle United supporters we have been sickened by the events of the last week and the departure of Kevin Keegan from his position as manager of our club. We believe Kevin had little alternative but to resign given the gross incompetence and mismanagement of Dennis Wise, Executive Director of Football and Derek Llambias, Managing Director who like Kevin were appointed by Mike Ashley.
While Kevin Keegan remained at Newcastle United the fans trusted that the club was moving forward at last, with Keegan’s departure all trust has gone.Both The Mag and true faith believe there has been a fundamental break in trust between board and the support.
Both true faith and The Mag have been inundated by requests from supporters keen to take action against those within the boardroom of Newcastle United.
Having read many hundreds if not thousands of e-mails sent into both fanzines we are recommending the following action in protest at its appalling treatment of Kevin Keegan and the entirely unworkable structure it has established at the club, namely around the club’s transfer policy.
That initial action includes:
* An immediate and indefinite boycott of all Newcastle United merchandise to include replica shirts, other club clothing and any items sold at official NUFC outlets. It will also include the non-purchase of all Newcastle United programmes and magazines as well as food, drinks and beverages of any description. This boycott will include raffle tickets, lotteries and any other products associated with Newcastle United Football Club. This to include also a boycott of all club bars including Shearer’s Bar as well as club cafes, official club tours, visits to the NUFC museum and any other activity which generates an income for Newcastle United.
* This boycott to be extended to any retail outlet or product owned either in full or in part by Mike Ashley e.g. Sports Soccer, Lillywhites etc.
* We do not advocate a boycott (this is backed up overwhelmingly in the emails we have received) of the game against Hull City at SJP on Saturday 13/Sep/08. Newcastle United’s players have done nothing wrong and certain individuals have behaved impeccably given the manner in which their manager and team-mates have been treated this last week. They remain deserving of our support.
* We advocate supporters vocally expressing their disgust against the current regime whether they are at the match or not, which will act as a clear demonstration of the antipathy of supporters towards Ashley, Llambias and Wise. There should be no abuse directed at any Newcastle United player.
* We insist that Mike Ashley does not attend away games amongst the traveling support. He is not a Newcastle United supporter and as far as true faith and The Mag are concerned he is not welcome amongst our ranks. If any effort is made by Ashley to attend future away games we would recommend the away support to vocally remind him he is not wanted amongst us. We do not advocate violent disorder of any description.
Michael Martin,
Editor, true faith
Mark Jensen,
Editor, The Mag
We don’t know what the chances of forcing Mike Ashley out of Newcastle are, but it’s certainly worth the try.
There’s always a chance that some buyer, maybe not even yet identified, will come in and offer the owner something that is acceptable to him, and the nightmare of having Mike Ashley as owner of Newcastle United will be over.
We hope that will happen sooner rather than later, so we can salvage something, like keep Michael Owen at the club, as one example.
Comments welcome.
280 comments so far
little willie
Sep 9, 2008 at 3:52 AM
Comment #81Well done for getting rid of Terry Mac, Wisey.
little willie
Sep 9, 2008 at 3:55 AM
Comment #82craig chisholm – I’m saying it’s interest free instalments so why rush out to pay it off when that money can be making interest in the clubs account?
It’s signed up and in our favour so why rush to pay it off? Could be picking up as much as 10% interest.
vic
Sep 9, 2008 at 3:58 AM
Comment #83tom toon, all-wise fans etc,
what a rediculos comments
Look how MA is managing this mess he created in the Club. Has he ever make a clear statement what is going on? Not at all. He is in Hoolywood now.
He failed to keep Kevin who is the legend . Legend not in Newcastle but in England and in the World footbal. KK is respectable by people around the Earth but they treat him like a s..t.
Look on the players morale after KK dismisal. Did MA came to dressing room to chat with players ? Not at all – he is not interested in Club ‘s morale. He is interested in Hollywood busines, drink shamaine in Night Clubs with girls somewhwre in NY etc. etc, etc… Newcastle is not important for him. He wanted to sell Owen and other lads behind KK shoulder without decent replacement… Please read carefully what Sir Bobby said about turmoil created by MA/his mismanagement… Sir Bobby is the Legend who has the Geordie blood the same like Shierer and King Kev. Please read it carefully again and again. Probably it will clear yours brain.
Look on the last hysterical Statement “In fact…, in fact…)…. Is it serious Board who wants to “move forward”?. I do not think so.
It is a shame to have the same sort of Board and the owner, who are interested in gambling, drinking etc. but unable to respect fans, players and the Manager.
sirjasontoon
Sep 9, 2008 at 3:59 AM
Comment #84Take a Swipe at Me
You are blatantly a Toon insider talking that nonsense.
Your comments are boring, Mike has got to go and Tell him to take his cronies with him.
Can’t wait for Saturday then the proverbial will really hit the Fan,
Night
TB
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:13 AM
Comment #85Well said Tripp. I pretty much agree with you completely. And i wouldn’t doubt if KK had the biggest ego of them all.
Like you said, communication has been the biggest problem with MA. As for what he has done with the club, i dont really have much of a gripe.
We brought in some great players for a good price.
If we get a couple more players like Spidey and Colo, and get rid of big wage wastes like Smith, we will be a consistent top 8 team… and then we can spend more money due to players wanting to play for us.
ziad
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:19 AM
Comment #86Ashley OUT !! he screwed up… and i think to go forward he will need to invest more !!!! that the issue really. Not kk not the awful statements seriously i dont care if we had some debt , he promised CL in 3 years and it looks like were heading the other way … fast!
Taiwantoon
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:45 AM
Comment #87@craig chisholm
I am with you.
They can not run the club like it is FM, and plz Zico is never as good as KK as a manager!
Nomads
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:47 AM
Comment #88Quite surprised there are still Ashley fans out there, what he has done is pathetic, his treatment of the manager and the fans. The fans are the club’s biggest assets, without them there would be no Newcastle United.
There’s no big deal about wiping out the debt, obviously it would be worse if he hadn’t, but that amount would definitely be recovered with interest if he sells the club. In addition, since he owns 100% of the club, it is also in his own best interests that he does not pay interest payments on the debt, it would only devalue the club and hence his own net worth. He could saddle the club with debt and run off, but he would face lawsuits from the creditors and perhaps be forced to pay them from out of his own pocket. Thus, the only way he loses out is that the 100m is not invested in other income yielding sources, not that it matters, he would probably blow off that amount at the casino anyway.
His idea of following the Arsenal model actually sounds good on paper but his execution of it leaves a lot to be desired. I have nothing against the build up slowly from the bottom kind of scenario, however, not strengthening a very thin squad when you’re running a very small transfer deficit is too extreme in my opinion and reeks of stinginess. Not even Fergie or Wenger would be able to perform miracles with the squad and if a string of poor results persist, KK would be the one incurring the wrath of the toon army instead. That being said, the way the club was being run, there was no way KK could have stayed and having the cheek to put the blame on him and perhaps still sue him for leaving is ridiculous. Communicating with the fans only when they want us to open our wallets shows their immense lack of respect.
My main dissatisfaction is the treatment of KK, him being a geordie legend and all. If the club felt he wasn’t suitable in a continental structure and there were conflicts of interest, by all means, as the employer, they have every right to sack him, but pay him his 8m compensation and do it in a less acrimonious way.
It looks like the only way some of you will be against Ashley is if the club gets relegated. On the other hand, if they perform well in the future, all would be forgiven and all the Ashley supporters will be on here yelling “i told you so”. This does not change the fundamental problem which is what he is and what he has done, and therefore history would probably repeat itself.
Ganiyu
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:47 AM
Comment #89I love ashley.good man saving us from debts
PapaToon
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:53 AM
Comment #90I think there should be an IPO of Newcastle where the allocation is fixed so no one is a major shareholder that way the fans who care about the club have the greatest say.
We do not need to worry about a billionaire to save us.
Ganiyu
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:53 AM
Comment #91Witout a coach i predict a top 6
Ganiyu
Sep 9, 2008 at 4:55 AM
Comment #92Newcastle 6 hull city 0
Tommy_PA
Sep 9, 2008 at 5:09 AM
Comment #93Whether or not you think Keegan was the man to take us to the top level, one things for sure at the end of last season he got us going the right direction, away from relegation! Hell even some of the defeats under KK were less painful to watch as compared to the grimness of some of the wins under Allardyce.
My gut tells me that the people at the top have now removed anyone who may have had any identification with the fans at a “grass roots” level. Consider yourselves notified of a change of status to customers, which makes the recommendations to hit back at Ashley through his pocket even more apt.
What’s so great about the continental system? Surely the repeated peformance of the PL big 4 in Europe should be causing the Europeans to think about changing their system? Chelsea found out quickly that having Mourinho in the front office with Grant hovering in the back office could quickly lead to trouble. I would say without the in-fighting between the two that the PL would have had a different champion last season. Seems to me that the key is having a strong manager with vision, the best funding the club can reasonably afford, a supportive chairman above, and a support team of the managers choosing below. Then let them get on with building a team of loyal and committed personnel on the field. KK may not be perfect but I think he was getting a closer to the better model, and would have got a lot closer given the chance.
Please read the full Sir Bobby article on the “system” and people MA put in place, not the abridged stuff kicking around in some of the press, as it is a beautiful thing. I particularly like the piece where the Director of Football stole Sir Bobby’s seat at the back so he could sneak off instead of watching a whole preseason game. Now there’s a big difference; a lifelong fan who wants to support the club [that treated him somewhat shabbily in the end] and the team, whilst the guy who’s being paid a million can’t be bothered to do his job of supporting the manager. I bet KK and his team watched more second string games than the DoF for whom it was his greatest priority.
Read it and maybe you’ll maybe get more of an idea of what MA has done wrong. He made the executive appointments, he set up a bunch of liars and schemer’s with no experience of running a football club in place, and he has now removed anybody who could be considered as being trustworthy.
As far as what Ashley has done wrong, oh my lord!
You say he is business savvy, fine I can see where that comes from. However there is always an element of horses for course in business. MA is a low cost, low margin, wheeler dealer, entrepreneur type. He has also been branded as a notoriously risk averse operator. So when did the EPL become low cost and risk averse business venture. Not all businessmen succeed in all types of business venture, Donald Trump anyone!
As for paying off debt etc., I believe he knows more than his “lack of due diligence” would suggest. I would bet he knew the total price including debt repayments [risk averse], I am sure he had a worst case scenario worked out. Given what he is doing now I would say he is on his way to a medium term good return scenario. He is reducing cost and was probably on his way through an asset stripping exercise until KK rudely interrupted him. He looks to be on a course to maintain mid table PL at best with minimum investment using all excess TV money etc. to pay down debt etc. Every other investor that moves into the PL and buys a team is raising the stock in all the other clubs right now, demand and supply, and MA will be aware of this. He will sell when the number is right.
I was once taught that “the business of business is business” as a justification for company’s not seeking to exceed legal requirements for environmental waste “dumping”. If business is your angle for NUFC then be prepared to put up with a whole heap of **** in your back yard.
Tom_Toon, have you ever managed real people or is it strictly a computer simulation thing?
I work in an environment where if things break down people really do get fired [not with a multi million pound payout that will give them time to mull their next step over either]. I have a team of people working for me, and if I need to move one on because they aren’t making the grade I ask HR to help me through the process, or if I need to recruit I ask HR to find me suitable candidates. Nobody, not even my boss, forces me to take anyone or let somebody go [unless the company is really in the toilet], it’s my final decision because if it all goes wrong it isn’t going to be HR getting their marching orders it’s me and the people at the blunt end. That’s why they support and assist me. Things work well when the management chain is based on true accountability.
Connect the dots, we all want success, but the thing about NUFC and it’s supporters is that we want to do it with style, grace and honour. Or maybe I’m wrong and we’d have been better off if KK had never shown up. Then we could all be wishing instead for the glory days before we got relegated to the third division.
MichaelOWaN
Sep 9, 2008 at 5:13 AM
Comment #94We need Warren Buffett to buy the club.
Sav
Sep 9, 2008 at 5:20 AM
Comment #95I’m no mathematician, but if Ashley bought the club for 135 million and only subsequently found out it had hidden debts of 80 – 100 million which he says he has paid off, how come the price being generally quoted for the club is now 240 million?
Surely it is still worth just 135 million?
Secondly, call me a conspiracy theorist, but there have been so many totally party-line blog entries on this and other sites spouting pro-Ashley rubbish, I find it hard to believe that Derek Llambias and his buddies are not behind most of them.
Hell, he does f..all else.
It seems the ‘club insider’ and the ‘unnamed source’ is his idea of communicating with the fans, so filling in blog entries under assumed names is completely in line with club policy.
McN41R
Sep 9, 2008 at 5:40 AM
Comment #96Are all fanzines and supporters Clubs acting in Unison. If they are not then everybody is wasting their time.
I think that only the combination of the above and non attendance at matches is the only way to hurt Ashley. If people want to support the team then. Its a big car park outside. I am sure the players know it has nothing to do with them.
evildick
Sep 9, 2008 at 6:28 AM
Comment #97we may replace KK, but we can’t replace the trust – which has been well and truly broken, between the board and the fans.
one of us has to go, the fans or the board. it’s terminal.
Charlie
Sep 9, 2008 at 6:44 AM
Comment #98I think Ashley is trying to sell Owen because Owen wont sign another bloody contract. I’d rather have sold him for 7 mill and used the money for a replacement than see him walk in January which lets face unless Ashley finds a friggin amazing manager and buys some serious players is going to happen.
90% of us want to see Barton goes and I agree with Ashley on that one.
Kev is too emotional. He should have stuck by the players and the club instead of walking. If he really asked for Lampard, Henry and Beckham he has lost his mind and maybe Ashley did not envisinge this for his club. Buying over the hill players who are no doubtly skillful but a quick fix at best.
Keegs wanted to be in the top 4 by January by spending stupidly. Ashley thinks it should take 3 or 4 seasons and investment in youth is the way to build a good team.
Socrates
Sep 9, 2008 at 6:56 AM
Comment #99“FOR ALL KK WAS WORTH..THE ONLY THING HE COULD DO WAS MOTIVATE THE TEAM…ESSENTIAL…BUT HAS PROVED TIME AAND TIME AGAIN THAT WHEN IT CAME TO FITTING THAT FINAL PIECE OF THE JIGSAW…HE JUST CLDN’T”
—-
Total nonsense.
In his first spell as NUFC manager he saved us from relegation to the 3rd tier, got us promoted to the 1st tier, made us the second best team in the country and had a win %age of over 50% … all within just 5 seasons at the club.
That’s an astonishing achievement by any standards.
Furthermore, he had us playing entertaining football and established a fantastic relationship with the fans.
vic
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:04 AM
Comment #100CASHLY, deWISE&LAMBias OUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Socrates
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:06 AM
Comment #101“KK left Newcastle because the board wouldn’t let him speand 200 million on over priced players”
That’s a lie.
He left because his final say on players bought and sold was removed.
Len
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:26 AM
Comment #102I recall a direct quote from MA saying he had replaced external debt with an interest free loan of 100 million from him. Plus the money we owe on transfers.
Mark
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:35 AM
Comment #103Its coz hes not geordie and hasnt spent the required 100+ million to show that hes ‘commited’ to nufc
Ageordiedoonsooth
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:45 AM
Comment #104Tom Toon asked what has Ashley done wrong. The BIG thing he has done wrong is to think he can run the club remotely. The management & by that I mean the Team Coaches & Manager, The Chairman & the Director of Football MUST live within an hour of the club. Sir Bobby Robson wrote a great article in the papers stating that when he was manager it was in his contract that he had to live within 20 miles of SJP. THat is the main reason why Ashley has to go or make Wise & co move up to the North East. He states that bhe wants to run Newcastle as a business, in business the Directors & Senior Managers work at their place of business not 300 miles away.
mitch
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:53 AM
Comment #105I am sick to death of ashley and his cronies tom toon you are a tool along with your pro Ashley mates What you fail to see is everyone hates a liar and MA and cronies are that they have lost are trust you see KK always said it the way it was as did arther cox and trust is the most important part of any relationship but now its gone. We can see Gollum=wise and the others trying to weave there way in to our club appoint poyet his mate it has all been done underhanded. THE TABLOIDS some one mentioned we tke to much notice of them no we dont but if we did who else do we listen to as noone from NUFC is answering
Marty
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:55 AM
Comment #106ONE THING IS GRAND is PROTESTING but you guys with the PETITION want to DESTROY him and his BUSINESSES.
You want to BLACKEN his NAME.
Dont think this all gives POTENTIAL buyers a wish to buy us out when our fans act in REVOLT against the owner……
Remember we are Geordie faithful we are not the Scumbags of MAN U n SPUDS
Len
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:59 AM
Comment #107My take on MA business plan. Why would you want to waste your time, energy and a small fortune supporting a business plan? We are not the football club SBR supported as a boy. We are just a cash cow.
Marty
Sep 9, 2008 at 7:59 AM
Comment #108SELLSELL SELL MA…..
But we gotta go to the gamen support the Black n White stripes
ed_speed
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:13 AM
Comment #109morning lads
The Entertainers
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:15 AM
Comment #110Still nothing regarding Terry Mac on the offical outlet.
Thanks board for respecting the fans and keeping us up to date with recent departures.
Oh and exactly what the club are doing to mend fences and move forward……sorry asking for too much again……….Regardless of other more high profile events, the PR reason alone would give me cause to ask for your removal. Your treatment of fans is shocking!
toontony
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:19 AM
Comment #111According to reports newcastle met poyet in london last night and he could be ready to take the job.
Reports say he is a very good friend of Jiminez who had a cotraversial role in getting rid of keeegan, i think this has been the plan all along jobs for the boys.
Roll on Saturday lets be heard and get these arseholes out………
radge
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:24 AM
Comment #112I’ve been watching this board for a while now, with the occasional post criticising keegan for walking out on us. I agree that MA and his team have made a lot of mistakes, but i don’t accept for a moment that he, or anyone else hasn’t been working with the interests of the club in mind, and for it’s benefit. Why would they? Why would Wise think “i know, i’ll sign a bunch of really crap players…that’ll do my chances of keeping my job or getting another one the world of good”. In my opinion, Keegan has acted purely in his own interests, and to walk out of us is the reaction of someone who doesn’t give a jot about the club or the fans.
I despair when i read some of the comments here. It makes the majority of fans sound like self-righteous, parochial rabble-rousers. Stuff like criticising the board because they’re from London, whilst pleading someone from Mumbai to buy us who we all know nothing about, including Shearer9’s classic comment about whether he actually speaks english!!?!
Zico, who achieved more in football as a player and a manager than Keegan, wouldn’t have a problem working within the system put in place by Ahsley. My only concern about him is that he’s actually interested in the job. Anyone who wants to come to newcastle and manage a club supported by the half-witted mob that we’ve got clearly needs help!
HeronMag
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:29 AM
Comment #113So the camp seems split today.
One the one hand we have the pro-Ashley supporters who see Ashley’s refusal to relent to Keegan’s demands as pragmatic business sense.
On the other, you have the majority view that KK was appointed as a PR stunt and has since been undermined by a series of back office appointments diluting his influence over the club.
I have no doubt that to the board, their action was prefectly justified. That egotistical dreamer Keegan making silly demands like wanting to be given the authority he was promised. Who was Keegan to challenge the attempted sale of vital members of his first team squad? Keegan should have been delighted to see players he had never wanted arrive at St James Park without his agreement, leaving no money for other purchases. Of course I’m sure through all this the fans can take an average 10% increase in prices, way above inflation.
Keegan is a man who has always worn his heart on his sleeve. When he says he had to resign for the good of the club I trust him. All of the fans who don’t trust KK I assume are either foreign or don’t remember his previous tenure.
Keegan has exposed the actions of this clubs board for all to see. I for one have complete faith in the man and can admit to having made a massive mistake over trusting Ashley’s board.
Newcastle United will go on – with or without Ashley. But Keegan has given us ample warning of his style of ownership. I think MA has seriously underestimated the importance of the fan’s opinions on this one.
Time will tell.
mitch
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:29 AM
Comment #114nepotism at it best you twats we will have our revenge mark my words the toon army will not stand for it we are loyal ,passionate ,and let our views known the qualities MA and co do not know or possess lets get behind the players and sing are hearts out for the lads on saturday new players as well
The Entertainers
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:29 AM
Comment #115Anyone who uses a Newcastle United blog site, who appears to have complete distain towards large parts of the organisation (the fans) is clearly a half wit wasting his time
bill
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:35 AM
Comment #116Take a swipe at me if ALL-WISE fans and Tom Toon look like Ashley lackies to me.
xisco biscuits
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:35 AM
Comment #117not sure how you lads feel but for me, the worst things about ashley and his cronies is the contempt with which they treat the fans. they don’t release statements for days on end, and then when they do finally release one they simply insult our intelligence by backtracking on things they had said in previous statements. sheer arrogance by untouchable london-based gangsters who are completely unaccountable for their actions!!
mitch
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:35 AM
Comment #118That half witted mob you talk of ( and you do look down on as you obviously think you are superior) Why should they not have there view they are fans of NUFC and just because they express them self in a different way the only they know how what makes their view any less than yours you are the idiot for thinking your opinion means anymore than anyone else’s
mitch
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:37 AM
Comment #119well said xsico biscuits
toontony
Sep 9, 2008 at 8:41 AM
Comment #120All ashley is doing is lining his pockets and running the club down,keeping costs down and ripping us fans off for the next 3 years with season tickets so he can sell for a profit.
Ashley and his cronies will never be welcome in newcastle again filled the fans with false promises and treat everyone like dirt on the way…