It was June,2007 and a Billionaire, from England no less, had just bought Newcastle United.
Derek Llambias and Mike Ashley – two incompetents together
At last Newcastle were getting a decent owner, and he would be one of the few Billionaire owners of a Premier League club who was English – not like those clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa who had foreign owners, no this was Newcastle of Geordie Nation fame, and what could be more perfect?
Well there’s that old adage “be careful what you wish for – let it come true.” And that seems to have applied here – at least in retrospect.
When Mike Ashley came in, then Chairman Chris Mort said that wanted Newcastle needed most of all was stability – and they had to stop changing managers all the time – and seemingly lurching from one crisis to another.
Fast forward a short two years and now Newcastle United is in the Championship, having just been relegated, for the first time ever from the Premier League.
The club faces an enormous financial challenge to downsize and reduce costs with 15 players earning more than £50K/week and 7 of them more than £70K/week. This is one reason we think Ashley may want out – because he’s having big trouble balancing the books for the Championship – but that’s an opinion – and may not be factual.
Of course the first casualties of this nightmare scenario were the 150 non-playing staff who lost their jobs last Friday.
And what’s that stability?
Since Ashley came in the club has had Allardyce, Keegan, Hughton (twice), Kinnear and Shearer as managers – some stability – five managers in two years.
Mike Ashley announced last night he would sell the club as quickly as he can – and said it had been a nightmare two seasons for him and he had made some terrible decisions. Well we fully agree with him, and it’s been another nightmare for Newcastle fans, who seem to have to put up with this kind of stuff from the club all the time.
When will it ever end? *
As the club now lurches again – a ship adrift in the ocean – and going nowhere in particular – Newcastle fans will need to be very careful, from now on, what we wish for.
But how about some stability and an owner who – even though they may not know how to run a football club – will get those in who do.
That seems sensible doesn’t it?
Well, we can rule that one out – this is Newcastle United after all. 🙁
Comments welcome.
* by kind permission of Pete Seeger – from “Where have all the Flowers Gone.”
131 comments so far
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Comment #41fat ashes ass
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Comment #42Rangerman // May 31, 2009 at 12:19 PM
The point I’m trying to make is that Ashley sold all our best players (that were bought under FFS) and replaced them with fcking sh1t players.
That’s why were down!
……..
Like who?
The majority of fans didn’t like or rate Milner and N’Zogbia and neither had done anything of note in the 12 months before they were sold, N’Zogbia hasn’t been consistent since Roeder was here as caretaker
<<<<your talking shite and add emre to ur list
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Comment #43The only player sold that was missed was Given and we didn’t go down just because he was sold <<<<wel i beleive given would have got us at least 1 more point
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Comment #44<<<take your financial back groud and shuv it up ur ass
………
You can rant all you like batty but the difference between my opinion than yours is that mine is using my financial background to make a more factual opinion about whats happened, where as yours sounds like a big bairn crying because his mam won’t buy him a sausage roll from greggs with zero understanding of the financial trouble the club has faced.
I would suggest you get a copy of the accounts from over the past 4 years to see for yourself but I woudn’t be 100% sure that you would even know what way up they are supposed to be.
nimo
May 31, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Comment #45theres plenty of peope to blame but fat i we have to deal with it.
i mean this is my personal order of blame.
1 – ashley – never had the slightest idea of running a football club. had many chances to put right bt never did.
2 – FS – backed too many managers without ever giving them chance, got us into too much debt and we were still a bottom of the table team
3 – Keegan – we would still be up if kk didnt throw his dummy out. fair enough he wasnt happy bt he could of rode it out till jan see if anything would change. lets not forget the great start to seaon with 1-1 draw at manure
Spoonman
May 31, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Comment #46I’m still a little a skeptical that Ashley actually said he wants to sell. Why would he give an interview with a paper instead of our website?
Could just be another newspaper making up a quote to lend weight to their made up story.
Obviously it would be a disaster if he wants to sell, because most likely we will miss the most important transfer window in the clubs history trying to find a new owner. That would mean we’d start next season with the same squad of overpaid, slow, lazy players minus the few decent players who will be sold.
If that were to happen I have little doubt that we’d be in another relegation battle.
huz
May 31, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Comment #47btw i doubt that the times would create quotes from thin air. However Journalists will do anything to sell papers.
nimo
May 31, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Comment #48not to mention the players and fans
Johno Toon
May 31, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Comment #49I heard a rumor that we were getting bought out in the summer ( i posted it awhile ago ) but i didnt think it was true to be honest , but i didnt hear who would it be or anything like that
so has anyone any ideas or rumors about who may it be other than the fat controller?
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Comment #50Hang on Batty!
I’m not saying the players that were sold were world beaters!
The facts are that Milner is and has performed better in the PL than Gutierrez, Emre was better than Nolan, Faye was better than Collocini and Nzogbia is better than Ryan Taylor!
Add to that we sold the best GK in the league and that to me means we have replaced our better players with worse!
If that wasn’t the case we wouldn’t be in the Fizzy!
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Comment #51The fans didn’t like Emre either and thought he was both injury prone and did little on the pitch.
These players were sold by Allardyce anyway who wasn’t even appointed by Ashley, btw are you saying that Ashley should have stopped Allardyce buying and selling who he wanted?
As for Given, maybe we would of got another point if he had stayed but we will never know for sure, he was hardly keeping us in it earlier in the season and showed how much he really loved the club when he forced through a move to City.
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Comment #52Rangerman
Emre, Faye,Milner,Nzogbia,Give,Parker,Dyer and Solano were all sold while Ashley owned the club.
Cacapa,Germemi,Viduka,Barton,Taylor and Nolan among other flops came into the club under Ashley and we made money in every window under him!
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Comment #53Stuart79 >>The only player sold that was missed was Given and we didn’t go down just because he was sold <<<that was part i pasted off ranermans comments m8 i agree with what your saying we sold decent players and broght shite m8
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Comment #54Rangerman // May 31, 2009 at 12:31 PM
The fans didn’t like Emre either and thought he was both injury prone and did little on the pitch.
<<<your livein in cloud coo coo land
Hugh de Payen
May 31, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Comment #55Spoonman // May 31, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I’m still a little a skeptical that Ashley actually said he wants to sell. Why would he give an interview with a paper instead of our website?
Could just be another newspaper making up a quote to lend weight to their made up story.
===============
I would have been equally sceptical if it wasn’t for the direct quotes from Ashley in the story.
That would be a serious libel if it wasn’t true and I don’t think The Times would risk that.
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Comment #56Hang on Batty!
I’m not saying the players that were sold were world beaters!
The facts are that Milner is and has performed better in the PL than Gutierrez, Emre was better than Nolan, Faye was better than Collocini and Nzogbia is better than Ryan Taylor!
Add to that we sold the best GK in the league and that to me means we have replaced our better players with worse!
If that wasn’t the case we wouldn’t be in the Fizzy!
……….
The majority of fans didn’t care when all of those left apart from Given and were more than happy at the time, it’s easy to use hindsight to say we should have kept certain players but most were just as poor when they played for us, people are getting clouded judgment based on what Milner has done at Villa or Parker at West Ham yet there was no sign of consistent performances like that from them when we were getting rid of them.
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Comment #57radgyman and we will never know if we would have gone bust under fat fred
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Comment #58radgyman so now you speak for the majority of the fans yeah
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Comment #59Rangerman
Cuckoo land!
Some of the fans and I say some were happy when these players left because they were under the impression that better players were coming in to replace them.
That never happened because Ashley wanted to gamble that he could stay in the PL on a minimum spend!
It back fired! Get over ya self because I’ve based my arguments on facts.
If you sell your PL players and replace them with Championship players guess where you end up?
Spot on!
Stardust
May 31, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Comment #60Saddened at the news, Ashley has been backed into a corner, actions and consequence played out for all to see.
His actions – mistakes he made or at least very misunderstood (because of terrible PR), Keegans walk out, the ” Mob” revolution.
The appointment of JK. The appointment of Shearer, relegation to the Championship while still carrying the can for others mistakes. The fact that he isnt nearly as wealthy as he used to be, the fact that if Shearer isnt appointed he know no one will renew their tickets and the Mob will be off again.
It seems obvious that Shearers wish list, whatever it is, is simply unaffordable for him – and that again creates the same vicious cycle again.
Ashley leaves us 100mill better off in two years from his own pocket. I am sad that a man who has tried his best but misunderstood the supporters.
He gave them credibility they had intelligence, they do not. He believed they would see he was genuine as he has never lied – they did not. He believed that paying off the debt and saving the club – they would be grateful – they were not.
Today is the lowest point I have had for years – its a day where the world sees not what magnificent support we have, but what an utterly self centred ungrateful set of fans, of which I form one of the collective.
To listen to and read the poison spouted by the likes of Stuart over a season and then to think that we are in the same unmanageable position again.
Ashley has fell on his sword for the best of the club and himself. I just wish he would give the sword to many of our fans – “the best in the world” to everyone inside Newcastle, but “the most moronic and ungrateful” outside.
Shame on us all.
Johno Toon
May 31, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Comment #61Not taking sides here but didnt parker want to move back to london and that is why he was sold becasue he hadnt settled in the area?
Spoonman
May 31, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Comment #62Rangerman
I remember plenty of fans were very upset when Milner was sold. It was only a few days earlier that he had tore apart coventry in the cup, not to mention the way keegan was deceived into thinking the money would be put back into the team.
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Comment #63Rangerman
Emre, Faye,Milner,Nzogbia,Give,Parker,Dyer and Solano were all sold while Ashley owned the club.
Cacapa,Germemi,Viduka,Barton,Taylor and Nolan among other flops came into the club under Ashley and we made money in every window under him!
……..
Most were bought and sold by Allardyce who Ashley didn’t even appoint.
The problem with your point of view is that you seem to blame Ashley for the players bought and sold by Allardyce even though he let the manager get on with it yet moan that he didn’t let Keegan do the same.
You either want the manager buying and selling his own players or you don’t, if you do want the manager buying and selling his own players then you have to make to manager responsible for the players that didn’t work out.
As for spending money, it’s because the club doesn’t have any and any money Ashley put in (more than anyone else ever connected with the club) has been taken up by subsiding the running cost.
I’ve already explained that.
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Comment #64Good god Stardust!
Fell on his sword!
Ya mean he realises he can’tmake money out of the club so he cuts and runs!
He’s not had any stick since we went down yet he’s cutting his losses.
The stick I gave him over the seaso is wholly justified due to this latest decision.
He wanted to make money out of the club he hasn’t and now he’s doing one.
The best thing to come out of this is that he has lost a fckin fortune!
Every grey cloud and all that!
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Comment #65The fans didn’t like Emre either and thought he was both injury prone and did little on the pitch.
<<<your livein in cloud coo coo land
……..
Funny that because the people I work with, the people I sit around in the Leazes end and the people I go out drinking with all thought that, as well as the general opinion on messageboards.
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Comment #66No Rangerman
Alladyce had to sell the clubs main assets to fund his own spending. Ashley told him that.
Before he bought Alan Smith he had to sell Dyer to West Ham. Ashley was in charge for all these transfers.
I think you’re just ignoring the point to make ya argument stack up
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Comment #67radgyman and we will never know if we would have gone bust under fat fred
….
Well yes we do know that because it’s all in the club accounts that the club couldn’t afford to go on the way it was, as I’ve told you Ashley has to agree to be the clubs guarantor to stop Ernst & Young putting us into administration back in January, this is fact and it’s in the accounts in writing.
Who would have offered to be the guarantor out of Shepherd and the Halls?
Neither have got that sort of money.
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Comment #68Stardust // you nearly had me crying then m8 pick your self up we still have our health at least if ashley sells he wont lose any more cash m8 and he still has a 750 000000 fortune left m8 that should keep him going for a few years this is not a dig at you so pick yourself up fella
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Comment #69No Rangerman
Alladyce had to sell the clubs main assets to fund his own spending. Ashley told him that.
Before he bought Alan Smith he had to sell Dyer to West Ham. Ashley was in charge for all these transfers.
I think you’re just ignoring the point to make ya argument stack up
……….
Because we have no money and are losing it by the millions, how many times do you need to read it before you realise that.
Allardyce spent about £9million net btw.
batty
May 31, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Comment #70if only ashley had of backed KING KEV instead of wise
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Comment #71I remember plenty of fans were very upset when Milner was sold. It was only a few days earlier that he had tore apart coventry in the cup, not to mention the way keegan was deceived into thinking the money would be put back into the team.
………
Coventry in the cup!
When was the last time he tore apart a Premiership team while playing for us?
I’m interested in hearing your answer on this one.
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Comment #72Rangerman
Because we have no money and are losing it by the millions, how many times do you need to read it before you realise that.
Allardyce spent about £9million net btw.
He bought the fckin club you mong!
You don’t buy a football club to not spend any money.
He is the only billionaire to buy a club without doing due dilligence and suffer the consequences!
He has no defence, due dilligence is a fundamental must for any businss purchase he didn;t do it!
Does that mean the football club and its’s supporters had to suffer due to his monumental error????
Stardust
May 31, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Comment #73Batty – I am upset at how disgusting, moronic, xenophobic and vile a significant of the leeches that call themselves fans are. they suckle the club dry every day. Ashley cando nothing but leave as if Shearer is not appointed they will revolt, not buy tickets, with a wage bill of 74million.
Our so called “fans” have everything to be ashamed of, yet they are trying to claim victory at a time they have nearly killed our club. what kind of people are they.
I have never been so ashamed to be associated with NUFC. Not because of a man who will leave us 100m better of, but because of large proportion of scumbag leeches that demand without upholding their end of the bargain – to support NUFC unconditionally.
Simo
May 31, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Comment #74This is the past lads, can’t be changed whatever we wish or wished for. I admit mistakes were made right from the beginning of Ashleys ‘reign’ but now we gotta look towards the future however glum it may look.
I have a enquiry, the concept of the ‘fans owning the club,’ how does it work??
Stardust
May 31, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Comment #75Stuart – I can honestly say I would take great delight in smashing your face in.
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Comment #76Hey stardust!
I hope you’re not taring me with the brush of them fans not renewing tickets ect if shearer isn’t appointed?
I made my commitment to the club for three years last June!
I think it’s more important we get the ownership issue dealt with before we even look at Shearer.
He fcked up! He’s admitted it, why can’t you?
nimo
May 31, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Comment #77lets be honest guittirez looked gr8 when we signed him, collocini every1 was raving about him, xisco everyone who believes youtube is the way to scout wa raving and then january nolan and taylor everyone thought they woud be good signings. truth is there garbage, cant blame ashley for this. can blame him for wise like bt he thought he was doing good business. parker was prob the most consistent performer while he was here he was class and i was very sad to see him go. as for milner i think the majority was sad to see him leave zogbia glad to see him go but given i do believe could of kept us up he is tons better than harper who seems to just lack any confidence and communication skills. but again not totally ashleys fault cos with the exception of given all these players wanted to leave
Stuart79
May 31, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Comment #78Stardust // May 31, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Stuart – I can honestly say I would take great delight in smashing your face in.
Now that has just cheered me up!
I’ll lend you the step ladders if you want.
Funny how people get aggresive when they’ve been proved to look ridiclous over a season!
Ha Ha Ha!
Hope you fall out of the tree too!
Spoonman
May 31, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Comment #79Anyone who can argue a case for Mike Ashley is clearly naive and delusional.
He has been dishonest about his motives, he constantly twists his story, claims to do one thing eventhough he is doing another. And worst of all he has made horrible decision after horrible decision, he sat idly by while Allardyce made clearly awful signings, but then wouldn’t allow Keegan to make his own signings.
He undercut the manager”s power with the bizarre and horrific appointment of Wise.
Then he took the decision to put Joe Kinnear in charge and then continued to sit back while the team picked up less and less points including numerous occasions when we drew games we were winning or lost games from stupid, late goals.
We have the worst squad of players that i can remember for a long time, but also probably the most expensive.
We are in the championship.
People may say he cleared debt etc. but so would any other owner we got after shepherd, they would have had to. But i doubt any other person in the world could ruin a club in such a short amount of time, the way this man has.
And now he is going to make things even worse by trying to sell, at a time when we need to be rebuilding the squad. Now recruitment will take a backseat which will only increase our problems in the long run.
I hate this man for what he has done.
Rangerman
May 31, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Comment #80I’ve said he made a big mistake by not taking due diligence and I doubt he would have bought the club if he had.
I think since then he’s been open to offers for the club and any money that he was hoping to put in out of his own pocket has been swallowed up by running costs.