More news in the Evening Chronicle today about whether Mike Ashley will sell the club, but it now looks like a decision will not have been made by this coming Saturday.
Mike Ashley – maybe at the game on Saturday
Ashley missed Saturday’s trip to the Hawthorns as he was still in Hawaii, but he’s now back in England, and may even attend the game with Reading on Saturday at St. James’ Park.
A source said to be close to Ashley told the Evening Chronicle today:
“Mike is thinking about being in his seat on Saturday.” “He has already said that if he is to remain in charge of Newcastle, he will go to games.”
“When the club came off the market last year Mike went to the games during the run-in.”
When Ashley took Newcastle off the market last season, he notified fans via the club’s program in his notes for the home game with Liverpool on December 28th.
And it was somehow fitting in that game that we were taken apart 5-1 by Liverpool — that was a message to Mike that he should have taken – but didn’t.
Mike’s just not cut out for football club ownership, for whatever reason, and he needs to realize that and get out of the business. The Newcastle club confirmed today that there will be no notes like before the Liverpool game from Mike for the Reading game.
Tyneside businessman Barry Moat has been linked with a Newcastle takeover for at least a couple of weeks now, but hasn’t come up with the funds as yet.
Ashley’s PR people told the Evening Chronicle today:
“As it stands the process is still ongoing, although it’s a slow process.”
“As far as Mike is concerned, he either sells it or he doesn’t.”
“Then he will make plans accordingly.”
And when pressed on Moat’s bid to buy the club, a representative of the Ashley camp said:
“Barry Moat is not in the driving seat. There are still others out there but nothing is likely to be resolved before Saturday’s game with Reading.”
Nothing before Saturday?
But that means there will only be a couple of weeks left in the transfer window, so what’s going on here?
Chris Hughton’s already decimated squad could be cut even further by the time the transfer deadline on September 1st comes round, and which players will we be bringing in – if any?
And so the Mike Ashley created soap opera continues at the Newcastle club.
Comments welcome.
53 comments so far
AndyNUFC
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Comment #1Ed are you taking cod liver oil mate? Just fear for any arthritis with the amount of articles you write! Fantastic commitment though, gotta hand it to you.
Anyway Ashley is clearly in 2 minds about what he wants to do. He offers contracts to managers, yet still wants to sell?… Nah not right.
He must be able to see how long this is going on that it kills the club even more.
First and foremost we need a manager. It is the pinnacle in all of this.
komfort
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Comment #2ed , you give with one hand and take away with the other..haha..
MacToon
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Comment #3“Mike is thinking about being in his seat on Saturday.” “He has already said that if he is to remain in charge of Newcastle, he will go to games.”
Sounds like he’s a sucker for punishment, he’ll maybe have some earplugs in so he can ignore the “advice” given to him by the Toon Army!
How someone can be in a position to mess thousands of people (paying customers) around is beyond me and he doesn’t seem to care about his own investment. The sooner he’s gone the better but when will that be?
AussieToon
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Comment #4I cannot stand another week of this!
I thought it was going to be done this week? Really, this is a right mess.
The transfer deadline is getting close, we need signings, desperately.
AussieToon
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Comment #5Also read this quote in the article from the chronicle:
“Should Ashley be forced to stay on, he is likely to give Hughton, or any potential interim manager, the go-ahead to bring in new blood, and the former Spurs full-back has already had encouragement to bring in two young players in on loan from White Hart Lane.”
Who are these two young players I keep hearing about?
Jan Stavik
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Comment #6Sale before the end of the week? There won’t be any sale, stop writing this nonsense.
Fat Ash won’t get his 100m, so he’ll have to cope with the club one more year. Or not cope, as u might think.
lesh
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Comment #7I cannot understand what he hope to achieve with the attrition he’s inflicting on his club.
Does he really harbour a vision of promotion to the Prem with a severley depleted and under-manned squad?
Does he really think that his inactivity will add value to the club when he next tries to sell?
If the answer to any of those questions, then one must be concerned about his sanity.
hitman
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Comment #8DC on ssn says if ashley stays there will be no money for new players.
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Comment #9What concerns me most, are Barry Moat’s previous stipulations that if news got out of his interest before negotiations were complete – he’d pull out.
I get the impression that these Moat stories are only now leaking through, due to all hopes of a Moat around SJP having evaporated.
We better start preparing for the worst, I fear.
…get used to that fat face, we may well be seeing a lot more of it.
bozo
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Comment #10The Club was never going to sell for 100million plus whatever debt was on top of that. The whole process of selling the club has been a farce.
Azza_Jones
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Comment #11Im so sick of this….The Chronicle is Full of Crap…I can not understand why this taking so long.
Honestly im telling you guys I think Ashley is hiding the fact that all the debt he has paid is a loan which needs to be repaid otherwise this club is a bargin price. 100m and we have already just sold 21m of players this summer Oba, Beye & Bassong so that leave 80m….
How much Real M just paid for Ronaldo….Our whole club is worth less then one player. Rememer when we had the most expensive player in the world. Ashley you FAT TWAT his name is SHEARER and he wants to manages US because he LOVES US. Now sell up or give him a JOB and some money too spend before its too late!!!
chuck
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Comment #12Moat aint got the dosh, there are no others, so get used to Ashley, he is going to be with us for the forseable future.
Whatever that might bring ?
Just hope it aint O`Leary !
Exile
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Comment #13If Ashley is stupid enough to show his face at SJP on a match day, I really hope that all of the fans there show their displeasure at the fat waste of skin by pelting him with half time pies / shjtty pants / half bricks.
Of course, it would be just as effective if he was the only person there and everyone else boycotted to show him exactly what we think of his staying in charge.
That won’t happen of course – too many sheep will say that “the lads need us” or “we support the club, not ashley”
belfast toon
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Comment #14Out of ashleys short list I’d have strachan
I’ve given up hope on being sold welcome to another season of fcuking hell guys and you can thank your uncle Ashley
reetpetite
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Comment #15Yaaaawwwwn. Another day another takeover story.
I predict that Ashley will be unable to sell and will still be in charge come the end of the season having spent no money and with chris hughton guiding you to a mid table finish.
RyanToon
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Comment #16reepetite
i see tottenham are getting favours from the fa
komfort
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Comment #17reet , your probably right…unfortunately.
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Comment #18You’re probably not far off, reetpetite.
lesh
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Comment #19hitman // Aug 11, 2009 at 1:24 PM
DC on ssn says if ashley stays there will be no money for new players.
And Ashley may keep the club in the hope of promotion next year?
Is the man mad or does he know something no-one else does?
reetpetite
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Comment #20ryantoon- is that your way of saying i was right and you were wrong.
I see lescott has handed in a transfer request as i said he would. He will be a city player before long.
Apparantly jenas is going to hand in a transfer request soon and will be off to villa.
punk skunk...
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Comment #21The usual suspects plus london teams & flavor of the year always get favors from the fa…
…I’d have Strachan off of that list too!..
Azza_Jones
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Comment #22Cristiano Ronaldo is worth more then our WHOLE club, players, stadium, etc, etc!
I feel sick! Can anyone wake me and tell me that the last 5 years has been a bad dream!
punk skunk...
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Comment #23Moyes doesn’t accept lescott’s request, mwah…He’s gone davey, accept that he wants big money!.. Same old Same old…Money talks…
hitman
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Comment #24lesh the mans a fool,hes hoping we go up this season without investment in the first team .its madness.
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:56 PM
Comment #25Hitman and Lesh, that sounds like a ‘get ready for it’ if I ever heard one.
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:56 PM
Comment #26Hitman, it’s even more insane considering his player-sale frenzy
hitman
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:02 PM
Comment #27we had a paper thin squad last season, now we have an even thinner squad this season, does ashley know you play more games in the championship.the man is a complete fool
geordie jock
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Comment #28Sky sports News says no money for players if Fat B*****d stays. Wow what a statement, The Fat B*****d has been hear 2 years and there hasn’t been any money for players. If and it’s a big if, Ashley goes to the match i hope he gets everything coming to him. I hope the fans give him absolute hell.
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Comment #29Ashley never had any intention to sell the club, this whole facade has been a smokescreen to mask the stench of relegation and the mass player exodus that follows.
Manipulative b@stard.
(I’m now beginning to believe)
komfort
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:06 PM
Comment #30he’ll be gambling (again) that we wont get relegated with a sqaud of about 16…dickhead.
batty
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Comment #31ashley has tryed to ware us down to the point we will be pleased if he is to get david oleary in or even jokiner
Tino 11
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Comment #32Lads, what’s the matter with you! Remember according to Stardust and his fellow MA lovers this is all our fault (the mob).
Even though,
Every other player, manager, chairman, pundit, journalist, accountant has blamed Ashley and DL for the problems.
Accountants in the city have complained about Ashley’s lack of information in the sports direct accounts, he is obviously trying to hide something.
Not one fan asked for any of the decisions Ashley took, despite MA lovers saying he did what the fans want.
waddler
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Comment #33Ashley if he cannot sell will bring in loan players, he thinks he doesn’t need to spend to get us promoted.
He sees the kids as being ready and a few loans being enough to get us up and then sell, but l wouldn’t hold my breath on that one either.
How about young Dennis Wise back as manager, Ashley obviously appreciates him, his thuggery, obvious disregard for any sense of moral obligation to tell the fans what the plan is.
You could call the lot of them the antithesis of what Sir Bobby Robson stood for, our club is no longer ours, its a tool for Ashley to gambol with and also take great pleasure in rubbing our noses in it.
What do the supporters do if he is still there when the transfer window closes, l know my reaction will be never to set foot inside our beloved SJP until we have genuine owners who appreciate the fans and don’t abuse our loyalty for there own ends.
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM
Comment #34Tino, you’re right mate. Deep down I know it was the fans’ fault.
Waddler, if Ashley sees the kids as ready to come through I’m even more bemused as I was on Saturday, at Hughton leaving Stroller on for 90 mins (but swapping Carroll for Barton), giving Ranger about 5 seconds, playing Clownicini instead of Kadar, completely ignoring Vuckic or Inman, and consigning the much needed pace of LuaLua to the bench.
I await our first game of the season with bated breath……….
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 2:59 PM
Comment #35* I meant…”is the fans fault”
Rodzilla
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Comment #36*fans’
FFS
doofa the loofa
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:09 PM
Comment #37@Azza_Jones
wakey wakey m8, its all a dream….
wat like that?
Stuart79
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:10 PM
Comment #38hitman // Aug 11, 2009 at 1:24 PM
DC on ssn says if ashley stays there will be no money for new players.
That’s precisely why it just doesn’t make sense for him to stay.
Although when does sense and Ashley go together?
doofa the loofa
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Comment #39every fan who buys a ticket is paying the wages of these twats wages. fans have power but seldom come together. wat a shame…i blame the lasses…lol
bowburnmag
Aug 11, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Comment #40I love rumour tennis me.