After Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan’s tirade against Newcastle owner Mike Ashley a month or so ago, he has come out today and said he actually likes Mike.
Dave Whelan – Wigan Athletic Chairman
And as we expected, Dave doesn’t want to see Newcastle United relegated, but when our players have almost given up on themselves, that’s going to be very difficult.
God helps those who help themselves – so Newcastle cannot expect any help from the almighty in terms of luck and such like in their final games. Not until, they start playing with some spirit that is, and even start earning their wages – what a concept!.
Dave Whelan is very sympathetic about Newcastle United as he told Sky Sports:
“Newcastle are such a big club, it would be a crying shame if they go down.” “They’ve got a wonderful, wonderful set of supporters.”
“I can’t imagine them going down. I know it’s happened before, but I sincerely hope they don’t go down.” “I think West Brom are already down. Middlesbrough and Newcastle look very, very likely, which is a shame because it’s so awful fighting relegation in the Premier League.”
“I’m very sorry for any club that goes down. It’s heartbreaking.”
Dave also wisely played down his disagreements with Mike Ashley at this time, and Dave tried to put the record straight about his relationship with the Newcastle owner, who we all know has made some costly gaffs this season, which will most likely result in Newcastle being relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their history:
“I don’t dislike Mike Ashley,” “I think he’s a very, very shrewd businessman.”
“I get on very well with him actually, we’ve had one or two good nights out.”
It seems like the Newcastle players are feeling sorry for themselves and they are playing like that too. They must have believed too many of their own headlines at the beginning of this season. We’d be much happier if they took the field in each of the last 4 games and tried to get their respect back, and at least give an attempt to earn the huge wages they receive.
Right now it looks like Alan Shearer has become the chief baby-sitter at the club, and Alan has of course deserved none of this nonsense he is having to endure, for the sake of Newcastle.
The sad thing is relegation could decimate the Newcastle club.
We should look at what Leeds United did when they were relegated some seasons ago, and do everything the exact opposite. 😀
But there’s no doubt the Newcastle club will face many pressures if they end up in the Championship, and they will need to downsize almost everything quickly to manage within the greatly reduced revenues that will flow into the club.
And we can forget about being the 17th richest club in the world – as all that will come to an end.
There’s no doubt the City Of Newcastle itself will be decimated by relegation, not to mention the fans, who again have been let down badly by the club they have supported so well over the years.
But make no mistake – this is the ultimate indignity.
Comments welcome.
35 comments so far
komfort
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Comment #1mr whelan , it’s NeeUseF#ingCrying…
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Comment #2Why not komfort?
I feel like crying! Being screwed by Ashley has that effect on you!
Well on normal fans anyway, it probably puts a fckin big smile on Sawdusts face!
Johann
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Comment #3It´s infuriating reading about Michael Owen and how he carps about “if given chances I will score”….blaa SO WILL ANY AVERAGE FORWARD! Are you kidding me? You don´t have to be a super forward to finish some chances. Owen is merely a decent forward and I´m frightnened how Shearer can´t drop him. We will get relegated unless he drops his mates.
Owen brings absoloutly nothing to the team. He carps about chances. But he doesnt seem to realize that the forwards have to hold up the ball so the wingers and midfielders can get upwards and into position. That will give him chances. Does he that? No when he gets the ball he drops even deeper instead of holding it up. Martins is a lot better at that. And that´s one of the reason that makes Viduka frightning good.
Owen as well doesn´t even make chances for himself. He just seems to wait for it to fall for him. And when it does he doesn´t finish it. I was sure he would actually! Most decent forwards do finish those kind of opportunities! 🙂
Toon Graeme
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Comment #4Ive just cancelled my NUFCtv subscription.
Got more to do with the fact that I have no real interest in the artcile posted on it now.
komfort
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Comment #5stuart , ya reet mate but…
its’s N – -U – – F- – – -C- – – – –
Micky Toon
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Comment #6Whelan only likes us because if we go down and with shearer at the wheel there is no chance of Bruce coming to us.
RyanToon
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Comment #7dave whealan can do one
Sav
Apr 29, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Comment #8They say when you are in deep trouble is when you find out your true friends. But wasn’t Dave Whelan just quoted a few weeks ago that Ashley had ‘no class and got the results he deserved’. (I’m not disputing the accuracy of that assessment, just the recent conversion of the bloke who made it).
Ashley’s mates famously include Dirty Dennis Wise and Derek, ‘Slippery’ Llambias, so Davo will fit into their company reet well on another ‘millionaires night out’. But more likely he’s just come along to gloat.
One glimmer of hope for this weekend, bearing in mind the chance of the odd freakish result, is the possibility we can hold Liverpool to a draw and stuff their title hope in return for the famous 4-3 which did for us. Collymore is still dining out on it and they say revenge is a dish best served cold. This one’s been in the freezer more than 10 year.
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Comment #9No he doesn’t Ed, it just another one of Whelan’s pathetic attempts at being Machiavellian. He isn’t very good at it, but some fools still fall for it.
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Comment #10workyticket // Apr 29, 2009 at 12:35 PM
No he doesn’t Ed, it just another one of Whelan’s pathetic attempts at being Machiavellian. He isn’t very good at it, but some fools still fall for it.
He’s worth 200m so he’s doing something right!
Stevo
Apr 29, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Comment #11What’s leatherface on about now………………z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Comment #12Stevo
He can just see through Ashley like everyone else!
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Comment #13Stuart79 // Apr 29, 2009 at 12:52 PM
“He’s worth 200m so he’s doing something right!”
Yes Stuart, but Ashley has made alot more, especially since he reported Whelan to the DTI for price fixing. That, and JJB’s continuing, fierce rivalry with Charver Direct are the real reason behind Whelan’s obsession with our dear leader. It certainly isn’t a keen interest, or love for Newcastle United! If this is your logic, you must think that Ashley is doing even more right too? 😉
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Comment #14Stuart79 // Apr 29, 2009 at 1:02 PM
“He can just see through Ashley like everyone else!”
LOL. You obviously don’t know much about their history then.
Stevo
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Comment #15Whelan & Ashley are both mugs. Maybes its a bit of sexual tension.
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Comment #16workyticket // Apr 29, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Stuart79 // Apr 29, 2009 at 1:02 PM
“He can just see through Ashley like everyone else!”
LOL. You obviously don’t know much about their history then.
Course he can see through him.
That’s why he got it in writing that Ashley was nothing to do with the guy who bough JJB off him.
He reckons he’s a shrewd businessman. They don’t buy football clubs to lose a fortune!
That just backs up my theory that Ashley has always wanted to spend as little as possible on the club and sell it for a decent profit.
Well his gamble has back fired in spectacular fashion!
ian
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Comment #17Ashley should have, instead of going to Shearer, gone back to Keegan, said he will settle with him out of court now if he would run the team for the last few games, if he owed him £4m then he should have offfered £6m, Keegan would have been the hero if he kept us up then walked, Ashley would get another go at selling or getting it right again.
Shearer must do something different next game, I would start Martins and Nile Ranger against Liverpool with Lovenkrands in central midfield, then if Nile does ok keep him on until the second half, have Nile run at everyone for everything over the half way line, Martins to only run for goals on the counter, try and keep a little back, bring Viduka and Owen on in the second half, if Nile Ranger is doing well keep him on and bring on Viduka only.
Carroll isnt very quick if Nile Ranger is faster he needs trying as a young player harrying defenders will wear them down before the other strikers are brought on fresh.
We need some tactic of one sort or another. Lovenkrands acn score, he has played in midfield, he has got good movement and can pass and score so he needs to be on the pitch not on the bench.
Come on Shearer try something braver. Also when is Lua Lua back off loan??
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Comment #18Stuart,
“Mr Ashley and Mr Whelan have been feuding for nearly ten years since the Newcastle United owner blew the whistle on a price-fixing ring he ran with Mr Whelan and other sportswear suppliers and manufacturers.
Nine years ago Mr Whelan, Mr Ashley and other sportswear retailers held a meeting at the home of David Hughes, a rival and the founder of Allsports, to fix the price of football shirts.
The meeting did not go well. Mr Whelan told Mr Ashley: “There is a club in the North, son, and you’re not part of it.” Mr Ashley’s next stop was the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), where he blew the whistle on the price-fixing ring.
The OFT won its case after its investigators seized Mr Hughes’s diary, which said in an entry scored out in three colours of biro: “Agree Man United and England prices with everybody.”
Another entry, scored out with marker pen but revealed by forensic-science examination, read: “Phone Mike Ashley to review Man United launch and other issues.” ”
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article5977843.ece
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Comment #19Sorry Stuart, Ashley reported Whelan to the Office of Fair Trading, not the Department of Trade and Industry as I stated earlier. Silly mistake.
Stevo
Apr 29, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Comment #20ian –
Sorry mate but keegan played a big part of the S**t we are in at the moment. I don’t ever want to see him at NUFC are anything do to with NUFC ever again. And the fact that he’s suing the club for the millions which would have been our funds for new players in the summer (if we stay up) or funds were desperately going to need should we drop makes me sick. Oh but I forget he loves this club………….
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Comment #21Worky
It’s more than clear he doesn’t like him. To say he does i a blatent lie.
He doesn’t trust him and I’ve seen him on tv in the past saying that NUFC fans shouldn’t trust him as far as they could through him.(which wouldn’t be very far)
Whelen changes his opinion on him everyday. But it’s clear there’s tension.
The only thing I would say is that Whelan might not run a sports retailers as well as Ashley but he sure runs a football club better!
Gunners
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Comment #22I bet he likes Amy Winehouse too.
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Comment #23Stevo
The very fact that KK will get some compo suggest that what Ashley did was wrong.
How can KK be blamed?
stevep
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Comment #24@ian – “Carroll isnt very quick if Nile Ranger is faster he needs trying as a young player harrying defenders will wear them down before the other strikers are brought on fresh.”
oh yeah and I heard that bloke down the road can do 100 yards in 10 s flat so if he’s quicker he should play and that other kid i saw in the reserves has a funny haircut so no doubt he’s creative and should play – oh and that bloke in the chip shop who keeps the pepper pot up with his left foot can play left back
Sorted!
stevep
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Comment #25and whelans a c*nt – he sold Palacios, Heskey and replaced em with Mido and N’Zogbia.
Funnily enough their seasons gone completely downhill since they left.
He’s no different to Ashley
Stevo
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Comment #26Stuart79
Regardless of whether KK walked or was pushed doesn’t matter. The fact that he is willing to rinse ‘the club he loves’ of millions tells me he’s not really bothered about the club as much as he says he is, so he probably did walk. He won’t get a penny.
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Comment #27Stuart79 // Apr 29, 2009 at 2:04 PM
“The very fact that KK will get some compo suggest that what Ashley did was wrong.”
It’s still not known who will have to pay compensation to whom Micky Toon, but Keegan actually has a very weak case on legal grounds, whatever the rights and wrongs from our perspective. For a start, he wasn’t even employed by the club for a year, which is a usual requirement. If Keegan was hoping to embarass the club into an out of court settlement, it certainly isn’t working so far.
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 2:42 PM
Comment #28Sorry, I meant Stuart, not Micky Toon.
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Comment #29Worky
I thought Llambias had said it’s looking like we’ll settle out of court and it will impact on our transfer spending this summer.
I have been told that he has a reasonable case. He’s followed all the protocol ie trying to find a solution with his employers and other thigs.
On the one year employment I have been told that if the claim has something to do with his terms and conditions then the one year rule will not apply.
KK is claiming he had final say on transfers in his terms and condiions (contract)
This will be settled out of court
workyticket
Apr 29, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Comment #30Stuart79 // Apr 29, 2009 at 3:05 PM
“Worky
I thought Llambias had said it’s looking like we’ll settle out of court and it will impact on our transfer spending this summer.”
Stuart, he said
“We are hoping to reach two important settlements in the next week or so which potentially could cost the club a lot of money.
“One of those is the settlement with Kevin Keegan and the other is the fee for Jonas Gutierrez. We are talking about millions of pounds here and, if we have to pay out a vast sum of money, that will hit our revenue elsewhere…”
That was in February.
Stuart79
Apr 29, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Comment #31So he’ll get a settlement- no specialist employment lawyer would take this case if he hadn’t been down the correct road.
We shall wait and see….
Sawbuck
Apr 30, 2009 at 6:57 AM
Comment #32Ashley has always intended to lampoon then wreck the club.
Find another way to explain his actions.
Tom_Toon
Apr 30, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Comment #33/
Tom_Toon
Apr 30, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Comment #34//
Tom_Toon
May 1, 2009 at 9:25 PM
Comment #35#