The Newcastle United Managing Director Derek Llambias has issued a mission statement for the club, on the Newcastle official site.
Derek doesn’t communicate much with the fans, but when he does it always seems to be a long statement, as this one is, being over 1600 words.
Here is the Newcastle mission statement in its entirety:
Introduction
Now that the summer transfer window has closed and the new Premier League season is underway, the board of Newcastle United Football Club wish to present this review of our progress and set out our aims for the 2011/12 campaign and beyond.
Our return to top flight football was an exciting and successful one. Our target last season was to maintain Premier League status and we achieved that, and more. Finishing 12th in the Premier League was a significant achievement for a newly-promoted club.
Success requires real team effort and we witnessed that right across the club – from the spirit and determination in the dressing room and the passionate support in the stands, to the often unsung efforts of the hundreds of staff we have working for the Club through the week and on matchdays.
Everyone associated with Newcastle United wants success for this Club and we can assure supporters that the board is fully committed to achieving that success.
To make our ambitions clear to supporters and stakeholders, our aim for the 2011/2012 season is at least a top ten finish in the Barclays Premier League.
Club Finances
When Mike Ashley bought Newcastle United in 2007 he arrived with a clear five-year plan to get Newcastle United on a sound financial footing and the Club is now in far better shape financially than it has been for many years.
Our aim is to make Newcastle United self-financing. We cannot continue to acquire debt year after year and rely on additional financial support from the owner.
In 2008/09 we reported an operating loss before player trading of £37.7m. In 2009/10 that loss was £33.5m. Once audited, our accounts for 2010/11 are expected to show an operating loss of just £4.7m and this year we hope we will be close to breaking even.
We are pleased that the Club is working towards being able to operate within the boundaries of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, even during these challenging economic times.
Over the coming year we will continue to build the Club sustainably – on and off the field. We have a realistic view of what we can achieve at Newcastle and the time-frame required to achieve it. We have a strict spending policy and will not take a reckless approach which permits spending beyond our means. It is a sensible long-term plan for success and we have absolute confidence that this is the right model for Newcastle United.
Summer transfers
Our priority during the summer transfer window was to secure exciting young players with huge potential that add real strength to the squad.
There are certain perceived ‘big’ clubs that have no financial constraints whatsoever. But for us as a club rash, short-term spending is not the answer and the days of Newcastle United acquiring ‘trophy’ signings who command huge salaries for past successes on the pitch are over.
Such players have generated excitement and anticipation in the past, of course, but ultimately they have left the Club poorer and with little to show for it in terms of our standing in the league and cup competitions.
Our focus now is to bring in players who can develop and fulfil their potential at Newcastle United. This does not however discount players of any age who we feel can add experience to the squad.
The board, the manager, our technical staff and our scouting team worked very well together to ensure we brought in seven top class players who represented excellent potential for the Club.
Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux, Demba Ba and Gabriel Obertan were all brought in early in the window and they have settled quickly into the squad and performed well on the pitch. Medhi Abeid, another early signing, is already showing that he is a great prospect and we hope he will be pushing for a place in the first team this year.
We were delighted to bring Davide Santon from Inter Milan to the Club towards the end of the window and we are looking forward to seeing him perform over the coming weeks. We also brought in goalkeeper Rob Elliot from Charlton Athletic who is ensuring we have healthy competition for the number one spot.
Unlike many clubs in England, we endeavour to pay transfer fees in a timely manner rather than spreading payments over an unrealistic number of years. This is a far healthier financial model which gives us greater certainty over spending in future years.
When Mike Ashley took over the Club, we were still paying fees for players who had already left. This is now, thankfully, a thing of the past. However the same cannot be said for all of the players we sell to other clubs, for whom we ordinarily receive dated payments over a period of years.
The Club’s considerable wage bill this season has risen by seven per cent as a result of the salaries of our new signings and the wage increases awarded to existing players on new deals, such as the six-and-a-half year deal we agreed with Cheik Tiote in February.
Manager and coaching staff
The board was pleased to appoint Alan Pardew as the manager of Newcastle United in December 2010. Since arriving at the Club, Alan has strengthened the coaching and backroom staff and has implemented a number of new techniques which have transformed training procedures at the Club.
Alan Pardew, John Carver and the rest of our senior coaching staff, together with Graham Carr, our chief scout, are all on long-term contracts. This brings stability to the Club and shows the faith we have in these individuals.
Youth development
We have some excellent young players amongst our current crop who have come through the Club’s Academy system, some of whom have now broken into the first team, including Sammy Ameobi, Shane Ferguson and James Tavernier.
The board will continue to focus on strengthening the Development Squad to make sure we identify and nurture the region’s wealth of talented youngsters, as well as bringing some of Europe’s most exciting young prospects to Newcastle.
Training facilities
Last year the team experienced interruptions to their training schedule due to heavy snowfall and freezing conditions. Over the summer months we installed undersoil heating at the training ground which will ensure that winter training schedules this season are less adversely affected by bad weather.
Investment in our analytical equipment and staffing is reaping benefits too. We now have far greater statistical information about the team thanks to high-tech monitoring equipment and computer analysis, which means we can tailor training programmes to individual players and get the maximum performance from the team.
Supporters
Our supporters yet again demonstrated tremendous loyalty and commitment to the team last season, with attendances at St. James’ Park averaging close on 48,000. This support is greatly appreciated and is the envy of many clubs up and down the country. It would be impressive in any year, but during a recession when personal finances are still so stretched, it is even more so. The board, the manager and the players would like to thank fans sincerely for their support.
The board introduced a groundbreaking ten-year fixed-price deal for season tickets this year, for the first time payable in 12 monthly instalments. This was a genuine initiative aimed at rewarding fans’ loyalty, providing them with some long-term certainty on ticket pricing, and offering more manageable monthly payments so that fans could continue to support the team at a time when the economic climate is making financial decisions even tougher for our supporters and their families. It has proved extremely popular, with more than two-thirds of all season tickets holders having taken advantage of this deal.
The capacity of the Family Enclosure has been increased from 5,000 to 6,500 seats, making it the largest dedicated family area in the Premier League. Demand for tickets in this area during the 2010/11 season regularly outstripped supply, and we wanted to ensure that all families who wished to enjoy football at St. James’ Park could do so in a family-friendly environment. As a result of this initiative we now have an additional 1,000 children and their parents as season ticket holders in the Family Enclosure this year.
There is also now a new section of seating for supporters aged between 18 and 21-years-old. Season ticket prices in this section are more than £200 cheaper than a full adult season ticket in order to help young adults make the transition from the family enclosure to full adult seating at a price they can afford.
These initiatives are our way of thanking the fans for their support and making their visits to Newcastle United Football Club more accessible and affordable.
Conclusion
The 2010/11 season was a positive one for Newcastle United on and off the pitch. Our targets for the season were exceeded as the Club consolidated its position in the Premier League. We have set ourselves the target of at least a top ten finish this season and all our efforts will go into achieving that. The excellent start the team has already made in our first few fixtures bodes very well.
We are fully aware that Newcastle United holds a unique place in the lives of Geordies around the world. Our supporters are the lifeblood of the Club and the board understands that it has been charged with ensuring their Club is properly run and continues its growth both on and off the field over the next year and beyond.
In declaring our aims for this season we are demonstrating our commitment to taking this Club forward from what is now becoming a stronger and more healthy position.
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It’s always good when the club communicates with their fans, and this is exactly what the club should be doing.
Comments are welcome.
68 comments so far
bills-son
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:49 PM
Comment #1Fans wanted communication – here it is.
ginkoh
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:52 PM
Comment #2We’re on the right track now. Keep going lads ! HWTL !
niffnoff
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:54 PM
Comment #3Holy….
Can someone wake me up, I think things are happening?
If I wake up tomorrow and find this was a dream. The fan will be hit!!!
Mind you to wake up and think Shola scored a beauty of a goal… sometimes you might think you were dreaming 😉
Ben3arfa
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:55 PM
Comment #4Good for them to communicate, but we still dont like u Llambias .. keep trying
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:55 PM
Comment #5Just got in from the match, OBERTAN IS SHIT
GeordieGerman
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:57 PM
Comment #6So there was I sitting on the fence during the transfer window. Climbing down on to the Ashley haters side after it and now I have the clamber back over the fence.
GeordieTwo
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:57 PM
Comment #7Llambias is just repeating what he said in the answers to the questions. No mention of the supposed last minute panicy attempt to sign Bryan Ruiz or why they failed to sign a CB for cover. Reducing operating costs has worked out well and I agree with the idea of not signing over the hill aging stars for high wages. But is Llambias a knolwdgeable football man? I don’t think so. He wouldn’t get a job with any other club. Just being a pal of the owner isn’t enough. He is definitely one of the weak links in management. No one will care as long as we are winning but if things get tough in the winter we might see a change in attitude.
jammylambo
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:58 PM
Comment #8i sense this is just what people have wanted to hear , its a bit late , but hey better late than never , great result today and great news from the board. brilliant sunday !
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Oct 16, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Comment #9Must say this is a very healthy step taken by the Managing Director. Great result today, communication with Llambias, unbeaten in the league and in 4th…this doesn’t seem like Newcastle United! hahaha loving life atm!
Indian Magpie
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Comment #10@ Geordie two
it is still a positive development
Hugh Jorgan
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Comment #11I have watched our game with Spurs, we must be commended from every angle.
Once again, the biased southern BBC reporters did not witness the same game as me.
GeordieTwo
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Comment #12I have to agree GG. I have been convinced by the new approach taken. It is working but I still don’t see Llambias as a managing director. Can’t see him being moved out though unless things go terribly wrong. Other than that small complaint I’m over the moon with our start.
GeordieGerman
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:01 PM
Comment #13Geordie-Jake, Obertan isn’t poo poo. Just indecisive. He rushes forward (with incredible speed) then his game plan stops.
ginkoh
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:02 PM
Comment #14@Ruddy Marveaux-lous you forgot Mckems lose too hahaha
GeordieTwo
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:03 PM
Comment #15Overall things are looking very positive Indian Magpie but I’m not now and never will be a Llambias supporter. Other than that as I’ve already said I’ve been convinced that the owner has taken the right approach with finances and Pardew and Carver are doing a brilliant job.
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:03 PM
Comment #16GG- everytime he got the ball he lost it 🙁
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:03 PM
Comment #17Hugh let the southerners rant and rave about whatever they wanna they can’t change the facts that we outplayed them, out passed them, bossed the midfield and on another day we would have easily came away with all 3 points. If we play like that against the teams that are supposedly going to be around us in the league the likes of Bolton, Everton, Stoke etc then we will definitely be in with a shout for that Europa League spot, although I don’t wanna get ahead of myself but I’m just buzzing!
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Comment #18Yeah the Mackems lost too! ahhhhhh what a day!!
GeordieTwo
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Comment #19Sunderland’s season is falling apart. One or two more bad losses will see Brucie out of a job. Their owner must be pulling his hair out.
GeordieGerman
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Comment #20Geordie-Jake, but because of indecision.
Hugh Jorgan
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:06 PM
Comment #21@GeordieJake
You what ?
He ran his b*llocks off for most of the game !
Fantastic contribution.
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:08 PM
Comment #22Obertan didn’t lose the ball every time he had it, in fact I thought he was much better today than he was at Wolves so let’s not be harsh on Obertan just because we really want Marveaux in the side so be fair.
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:08 PM
Comment #23Hugh Jorgan- Funny how he didnt get a cross in, then in the 1st half he kept on the inside instead of stayin on the wing and then he neva used his pace. He just didnt want to know, Marveaux FTW 🙂
Hugh Jorgan
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:08 PM
Comment #24Geordie Jake
You are a complete and utter knob !
Go back to school
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:09 PM
Comment #25Raylor had a mint game 2day
WWJBD
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:09 PM
Comment #26As a drunken negger am gonna say it…barring Obertan we were top draw! Sholas goal was brilliant Ba’s goals was beautiful as was Defoe’s…the pen was stupid by Saylor but by christ did we respond!
Happy to be wrong with my prediction HOAY THE TOON
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:10 PM
Comment #27Hugh Jorgan- Actually I’m back tomoro
boater
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:10 PM
Comment #28A draw which feels like a win. Excellent result in the end..and a like-for-like performance against a genuine top 5 premier side..especially coming from behind twice.
I get why people get frustrated with shola at times – but I never understood why people bash on him with such disdain. Looked at his twinkle toe best today and (dare I say it) like he’d shaken off that injury. Top class supersub performance from him.
Colo, tiote – just rolls royce players.. Krul’s heroic run out to deny Defoe was crucial as it would have put spurs 3-1 up.
Proud and elated – could have got a winner in the end, maybe that’s greedy.
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:10 PM
Comment #29“He just didn’t wanna know…”
Were you watching the same game as everyone else?
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:11 PM
Comment #30Ok WWJBD give us your pearls of wisdom…what did Obertan do wrong?
Hugh Jorgan
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:11 PM
Comment #31Geordie Jake
Have you actually ever been to Newcastle , never mind the ground ?
ginkoh
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:11 PM
Comment #32I have to admit Raylor’s form is above my expectation today. Good job !
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:12 PM
Comment #33Well say what u want but everyone around me was sayin he was shit
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:13 PM
Comment #34Hugh Jorgan- Look here u tit, I was at the game 2day
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:13 PM
Comment #35ginkoh- Indeed
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:14 PM
Comment #36Must admit if Raylor keeps putting in shifts like he is doing (although he didn’t do enough for the Defoe goal) then Simmo could be the one losing his place to Santon. Cabaye was very quiet in the second half but our midfield pairing bossed theirs would want Cabaye to impose himself a bit more like Tiote does.
Dannyo
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:15 PM
Comment #371. On the statement:
Great that the board are learning from their mistakes, and this is the 3rd statement they’ve released in a two month period. There’s nothing in there that’s blowing me away, but it’s a welcomed addition to a club who’s so dearly loved by their supporters. Credit to the board for doing this by all means, but they still have ways to go before earning back all the supporters trust, lets say a couple of seasons and a trophy in the cabinet.
2. On the match:
Am i the only one that has the sort of feeling that we’ve won today? Yes, it was a draw, and frankly, both teams could have nicked it in the end, but the display of our lads was immense. Some individual mistakes, yes, but these things happen and we got punished for that by one of the leagues most offensive sides.
The reason i feel we’ve won today is that we’ve seen consistensy, we’ve shown we can handle players like Van der Vaart, Modric, Parker, Adebayor, etc. This is against a club who’s realistically battling to enter the top 4, but we effectivly shut them out. I’m rising the bar to a top 8 finish now. We’re showing consistancy, we have some EXCELLENT players, we have players on the bench that can still improve the squad.
I might have even gone for top 6, but it’s too optimistic, given the fact that we’re yet to have a crucial injury.
HOWAY THE LADS!!! It’s on now!
Geordie-Jake
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:15 PM
Comment #38Bale was quite quiet 2day
Barras
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:15 PM
Comment #39I think the thing which was most clear is that R.Taylor could possibly be a better defender than Danny Simpson. Therefore it should be Simpson who loses his place to Santon next week.
WWJBD
Oct 16, 2011 at 7:16 PM
Comment #40He didn’t do anything wrong he just isn’t a starter for me. Decent movement but does very little with the ball when compared to ther brief moments when Marv or Hatem has played
And to ur sarcastic tone jog on son opinions differ deal with it