Mike Ashley is now back from Hawaii and we expect a decision within days as to whether he will keep the Newcastle club and prolong the agony for Newcastle fans.
Barry Moat – he’s our last chance
It appears that Ashley hopes he can get a good deal for the club from Batty Moat on his return from holiday in Hawaii at the weekend. The negotiations a timely boost as they reach a delicate stage, and we understand that Seymour Pierce’s Chairman Keith Harris is actually recommending the sale to Mike.
We hope all this is true.
Moat, a close friend of Alan Shearer, who managed the side for the last 8 games of last season, is now the front -runner and maybe the only runner for the club, but so far he has not been able to strike a deal with Ashley.
A source close to the talks said that Moat has followed up with several offers and we have to hope he can improve his offer this week to capture the clu8b and put it back in Geordie hands.
A source close to the talks said to the Telegraph today:
“Ashley has been stamping his feet saying he wants to get a sale done but the reality is that he’s not accepted an offer yet.”
“Moat would be a good buyer of the club. He has the right backing but nothing has happened because Ashley has not accepted an offer.”
“Now they are trying to get to a point where there is an offer that Ashley either accepts or rejects. With just three weeks of the window left something needs to be done this week.”
Ashley has hired investment banker Keith Harris to sell the club on his behalf but the £100M price tag he placed on St James’ Park has not been met and he will not get that now for the Newcastle club.
The source continued:
“He’ll struggle to get anyone to meet the £100 million,”
“The price range is between £70 million and £90 million but that’s dependent on him slashing the wage bill by getting rid of more big earners.”
Former Leeds and Aston Villa manager David O’Leary has emerged recently as a candidate for the vacant Newcastle job, although it doesn’t look like he’s yet been approached with a formal job offer.
If Ashley retains control, he is expected to ask O’Leary, or another experienced manager, maybe the available Alan Curbishley, formerly of West Ham, to take control of the troubled club.
By our next game on Satrurday against Reading we think the ownership issue will have been solved – one way or the other.
If Ashley remains in charge that word “solved” is probably not an appropriate choice of words though.
Comments welcome.
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28 comments so far
baldynapper
Aug 10, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Comment #1Please just hurry up and sel the flaming club and do one MA!
jckie15
Aug 10, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Comment #2Dangerous times ahead…..i def think it will be sorted by wednesday at the very latest, however i think it will be solved by Ashley keeping the club…..although i do believe he will appoint shearer if he keeps it as i dont think he has the b*lls to f*ck yp any further and appoint someone else….he knows he has got us in a right mess and will never ever be able to redeem himself in the toon fans eyes, but will try anyway and gain some dignity at least by appointing shearer. good display from the lads against the brom, but its nee good if we dont follow it up with a win against reading….both temas are tipped for automatic promotion so be good to see us mix it up with them! one option is ashley is selling £20 mil worth of players to pocket the cash then sell th eclub for £80 mil to moat, that way he still gets £100 mil but with a reduced wage bill and moat wont really lose out as the players gone just whinged on anyway….dont get me wrong i like bassong martins and beye but if they had actually put some effort in this season we would have stayed up so they are to blame that we are in the championship, yet dont have the b*lls to try and put right their mistakes…..wouldnt have kept martins anyway like as he is sh*t couldnt score in a brothel….worst number 9 we have had i reckon like! glad he done one to germany!
King Bob the first
Aug 10, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Comment #3yawn I still read it though 🙁
lesh
Aug 10, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Comment #4A pie in the sky wish that Moat can come up with the 80/ 90m Ashley wants and then slash the payroll thus recouping some of the outlay which may be classed as a short-term loan to the club?
Not really sure if that’s even possible if not practical or probable?
batty
Aug 10, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Comment #5It appears that Ashley hopes he can get a good deal for the club from Batty Moat on his return from holiday in Hawaii at the weekend. The negotiations a timely boost as they reach a delicate stage, and we understand that Seymour Pierce’s Chairman Keith Harris is actually recommending the sale to Mike.<<<< yes me secrets oot me and moat are buying the club ed
nufcc
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Comment #6i think ma will sell if keith recommend. he has no mind of his own
davis_toons
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Comment #7Every time is next week…then the week after ..then again next week…then the week after…
premierleaguejobs.com
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Comment #8It makes me laugh all of this. We don’t know that Moat is the last chance, as the current incumbent of our beloved Football club has failed to let us know what is going on. The lack of any kind of leadership or even a PR guy is baffling. The thing is this has a knock on affect long-term for Ashley and Llambias’, in terms of Ashley’s business dealings., who in their right mind will deal with this fool?! and Llambias, well, we know people tell porkys on their C.V’s, but this guy tells porkys to anyone who will listen (we’ve received more than 2 bids over 100million) So Ashley sells up, and Llambias goes looking for a new casino job, or something less shady, market trader maybe.
My point is, these guys are ruining their reputation, and believe it or not, as businessmen, in 2007 they both had a relatively good reputation in the city. Ashley because he took calculated risks, and Llambias because he was no-nonsense. Now they have no reputation and no one will ever deal with them, which is why, I fear, in my humble opinion, that the club will be taken off the market and kept by Ashley. Simply because he has no other options. Scary
Rodzilla
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Comment #9…bound to just be more speculation. Surely this media merry-go-round can’t continue too much longer. Regarding managers, JFK has already said he can’t work for 3 months, so that’s him out of the running, surely. Shearer, Curbishley and Strachan in that order for me.
It’s chicken-counting time………..
batty
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Comment #10shearer shearer shearer and the dipshits who dont want him can go suck fat ashes c0ck
komfort
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Comment #11ed , you got batty on the brain !…you must be as demented as the rest of us…
Spitfire
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Comment #12Its time now for all true Geordies (with money) to come to the aid of the sinking ship. Here is a random list of Geordies who could chuck in some money if they really wanted to. The amounts are arbitrary just based on a guess of what they could afford. I have included Shepherd and the Halls in the list as they are culpable – having contributed to us being in this mess in the first place So… in no particular order :
Barry Moat £50m
Freddy Shepherd £25m
John Hall £10m
Douglas Hall £5m
Alan Shearer £5m
Sting £10m
Ant £3m
Dec £3m
Cheryl Cole £3m
Jimmy Nail £1.5m
Tim Healey £1.5m
Mark Knopfler £10m
Robson Green £3m
Brian Johnson £4m
Chris Donaldson £2m
Simon Donaldson £2m
Graham Wylie £4m
Total £142m
That’s £100m to buy and £42M for running costs and new players
Bingo – sorted!
RyanToon
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Comment #13LMFAO
Batty Moat 😉
RyanToon
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Comment #14Batty
I know you had a big pick up of jeninsky but didnt realise it was that big 😉
premier
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Comment #15if AS did care that much about the club surely he could be leading a buy out consortium or at least talking to Moat about how he could help.
nufc2009
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Comment #16http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/3161870/ TIMMY KRULL
Nick D
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Comment #17My only concern with Searer is that he will try and keep playing Harper and Butt. We all saw Kul should be number one now and that Smith
should keep Butt’s place as DM.
There are also others like Ranger, Lua, Kadar who are right on the verge of making the breakthrough like Timmy Krul and I just hope that A. S would give them their chance. I don’t think we need to spend absolute fortunes, just gradualy ease the young lads in and around Smith. I never thought I’d say that before!
RyanToon
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Comment #18Wouldnt mind Cheryl Cole as owner 😉
UTD111
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Comment #19Spitfire…..
You forgot about me – I’m good for a tenner!
waddler
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Comment #20Spitfire, l hope Moat, if he becomes chairman does exactly that. He may not be able to attract most of the people on this list to invest, but you are definitely on the right lines.
Moat needs probably to have a board made up of at least 6 investors although this could be built up over the long term.
Hall made the error of not attracting additional investment when Ferdinand was sold under Keegans leadership and then became a PLC, I hope Moat has learnt this and is not an ego-maniacal empire builder.
Moat get it right this time.
RyanToon
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Comment #21http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11719_5482967,00.html
8m?!? there having a f ookin laugh! 3 mil max
UTD111
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Comment #22Nick D….
“just gradualy ease the young lads in and around Smith”
Just what are you insinuating here LOL???
Trent Toon
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Comment #23IM SICK OF THE FAT MAN, HE MUST SELL. MOAT WILL BE A GEORDIE LEGEND IF HE SAVES US, AND GETS SHEARER INSTALLED.
onepeterb
Aug 10, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Comment #24Dalglish (andFFS) sold Sir Les
Whumpie
Aug 10, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Comment #25I’m just hoping that some of these reports are true and that Moat is still in the game at all after his name was published.
I agree with Ed that I do actually feel something will happen THIS week, after so many weeks of hearing ‘NEXT week’. Possibly even today or tomorrow; who knows? Mind you, when I flew back from Hawaii I left on Saturday and got home on Tuesday, so praps not.
spiderpig
Aug 10, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Comment #26the only way i can see ashley keeping the club is if he gives us a decent chairman,and then a decent manager.would like to see shearer at some point but he may benefit from managing somewhere else first.curbishley would be my choice
Whumpie
Aug 10, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Comment #27I wish you hadn’t mentioned Cheryl Cole. I was having enough trouble concentrating as it was…
bimpy474
Aug 10, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Comment #28Whumpie
Bet you didn’t travel back on your own private jet though 🙂