Mike Ashley has just issued an open letter to the supporters and staff of Newcastle United – on the Newcastle web-site.
Mike Ashley – Newcastle owner
Here is what has just been placed on the Newcastle web-site
“I am writing to you in the immediate aftermath of the relegation of our Club – a bitterly disappointing outcome for all of us.”
“Newcastle United rightly has a proud and long tradition of competing at the highest level and I therefore understand and share the pain that supporters will be feeling at this difficult time.”
“Many of you have expressed strong views about what we could have done differently. I respect those views but I would like to reiterate that it has always been my intention to try to achieve the very best for Newcastle United.”
“We invested heavily in the squad over last summer and again in January, but we have been unable to secure Premier League status despite the recent efforts of the team under the formidable stewardship of Rafa Benitez.”
“I’ve said in the past that when I take on a challenge I am prepared to go through both good times and bad.”
“There can be no doubt that relegation is a terrible blow but I want to assure you that the Club will now be doing everything it can at all levels to try to ensure a swift return to its rightful place in the Premier League.”
“We have done it before – we can do it again.”
“In the meantime, I thank the fans for their passionate support, in particular for Rafa and the team at recent fixtures, both home and away.”
“Clearly it is now time for a period of careful consideration whilst we reflect upon the lessons that need to be learned from the last 12 months to restore this great Club to the very top flight of English football.”
It’s hard to know exactly how to react to that statement from Ashley and it would have been good for the owner to have taken full responsibility for the disaster and apologized to both fans and staff – some of which will now lose their jobs.
That would have helped – but the facts are we have had two relegations in seven years under Ashley and yet only six relegations in the 124 years glorious history and achievement of the Newcastle United Football Club.
Mike’s ownership of the club has been a complete disaster.
Comments welcome.
34 comments so far
hibbitt
May 13, 2016 at 3:51 PM
Comment #1bishop saying what he thinks we want to hear more PR bullshit
Average_Contents
May 13, 2016 at 3:51 PM
Comment #2Fcukoff you fat slug and stick that fcuking guff back up Bishops arse.
What a load of shite.
Get out of our club!
Hwtf
Hwtl
AndySco
May 13, 2016 at 3:56 PM
Comment #3Bit of an empty statement, they just couldn’t quite get a proper one over the line…
I’m interested to see what team gets picked for Sunday. Is Armstrong free to play now that Coventry have finished for the season? Hope sissoko and gini get dropped, nothing to gain by playing them.
SPRINGY
May 13, 2016 at 3:56 PM
Comment #4aye… looks like they are a little worried what the might happen at the match sunday so are putting statements out to try and quell the anger…..did rafa do his prematch interview today…..was anything said?
reilly
May 13, 2016 at 3:58 PM
Comment #5Stick it reet up ya harris
Blackley and Brownlie
May 13, 2016 at 3:58 PM
Comment #6“Clearly it is now time for a period of careful consideration whilst we reflect upon the lessons that need to be learned from the last 12 months to restore this great Club to the very top flight of English football.”
It would be seriously illimunating, and no doubt comical, to see the results of last year’s “period of careful consideration” and to see how it compares. A rare insight into great footballing minds at work.
chicousa
May 13, 2016 at 3:59 PM
Comment #7If the statement had accompanied Charnley’s, Carr’s and Moncur’s heads on a platter I might have paid more respect to what the club or owner says. But words are all we ever get from this lot!
Ashley, Charnley, Carr, Moncur and their staffs out!!!
SPRINGY
May 13, 2016 at 3:59 PM
Comment #8andysco
not sure about arma but thing the premier league will twist there tits if theres a weakened side put out by us, as spurs are still fighting for positions.
SPRINGY
May 13, 2016 at 4:01 PM
Comment #9think not thing…ffs another bollick…..having a mare the day!lol
Jib
May 13, 2016 at 4:02 PM
Comment #10Springy
There is no need to quell the anger.
Average Contents starts night shifts on Saturday.
😀
AndySco
May 13, 2016 at 4:02 PM
Comment #11Springy
I think his interview is tomorrow. Some might say dropping a few of our purples would actually make the team stronger haha
davetoon
May 13, 2016 at 4:03 PM
Comment #12He is hitching his wagon a little to Benitez so I would imagine the parting payment will include a clause where Benitez says it was solely his decision and the club tried to keep him
SPRINGY
May 13, 2016 at 4:05 PM
Comment #13haha….now now jib!lol
andysco
aye your probably right and tbh i’d rather see a team that maybe going to play next season
bettyswallocks
May 13, 2016 at 4:08 PM
Comment #14Rotonda……. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion that’s what blog’s are for. It just seems to me that most of your opinions and theories are inaccurate, repetitive and obsessive.
To play freeflowing, attack-minded possession based football can be pretty to the eye when used to good effect and when the team is winning. However as many frustrated Everton fans point out , 16 passes to get the ball across the halfway line and then giving it away and losing the game makes it hard to accept.
To play like Barcelona requires players of their calibre , not just a modern coach. Without the world-class skilful players that all the top clubs are after then someone like Rafa is what we need as he seems to have the knack of blending attack and defence and getting results.
I have to give you credit for backtracking on Armstrong but you was extremely vehement in your condemnation of him before he kicked a ball.
lesh
May 13, 2016 at 4:10 PM
Comment #15How many times has Ashley and his so called board to learn lessons?
Have they ever learned and improved? Nope, same mistakes over and over again.
He should have learned that his structure is wrong, transfer policy’s wrong and his MD, Charnley out of his depth.
Deal with those lessons and the Club might start going somewhere other than down.
StuW
May 13, 2016 at 4:12 PM
Comment #16This statement is exactly what he thinks the fans want to hear, the usual “swift return etc”, which is great and all, but why did it happen in the first place?
Because the lack of quality leadership from top to bottom of the club over the past 10 years, has slowly seen the decline. The board, management, everything has been 100% wrong, transfers and players have only been interested in picking up their wages every week, barring a select few (those who have been rapidly sold for profit).
How can you expect to progress, when the players who show the quality to help us progress are sold as soon as an “acceptable bid” is made by another club? And players who do join for bigger money, flounder in the Premier League (Cabella, Thauvin to name just two).
The inability to sell or release the players who are no good(Coloccini). But the biggest issue(playing squad wise) has been selling the players, and then failing to replace them with a like for like or better replacement. Only once have we acted to replace a sold player, and it took 4 months(Debuchy>Janmaat).
ANd the flawed “scouting network” led by the dinosaur Graham Carr…I’d rather have his son(TV’s Chatty Man Alan Carr, for those that don’t know) running things. Failed signing after failed signing, and countless players that we “couldn’t get over the line”.
The inability to sign a proven PL manager has been an issue. We keep hearing the “we want to progress”, but we end up stuck with “yes men”, such as Joe Kinnear, Alan Pardew, John Carver, Steve McClaren among others. Only now has it seemed like we have the manager that we need, only about two months too late to save the club from the drop.
Rafa Benitez needs to be given every assurance he asks for, so he will stay in the job, and the whole board needs removing, and re-building. Let Rafa bring the players he wants, let him sell them. Let him bring any coaches, scouts, ballboys, or whatever to the club. He has a proven track record of winning games and trophies. This club has been crying out for that since Sir Bobby Robson.
What’s the point in the “Ashley Out” campaign, he’s going to sell when he is good an ready…so we have to support what we have, providing the changes are made to ensure the club returns to the Premier League next season.
Graeme
May 13, 2016 at 4:17 PM
Comment #17Welshie – just to make your day mate!!!
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-newcastle-united-boss-steve-11328834
Tsunki
May 13, 2016 at 4:17 PM
Comment #18Picture caption-
“Forgive me, Father Ian Toon, for I have sinned against your Eminent Pontificatience and have sullied the word of McCardew….”
lesh
May 13, 2016 at 4:19 PM
Comment #19Davetoon
lesh
May 13, 2016 at 4:20 PM
Comment #20Davetoon
You’re a cynic and probably not far from the reality
Jail for Ashley
May 13, 2016 at 4:20 PM
Comment #21So no mention of trying everything they can to retain Rafa’s services then. He has simply not tried his best for the club, ordering third round exits of our only chance of silverware is not trying your best. Lessons to be learned from the last twelve months ??? Wtf he’s had nine mistake riddled years to learn from
Tsunki
May 13, 2016 at 4:21 PM
Comment #22He’s sharing our pain. We’re in it together. Bitterly disappointing for us all. Yeah.
The lines about Rafa spell doom for those hoping he’ll stay. it’s a warm up for the inevitable goodbye.
“Hi Iain, come right in we’ve been watching you for a while. Rocket Scientist, you day?….”
Tsunki
May 13, 2016 at 4:22 PM
Comment #23Speaking of rocket surgery, Mike, have a quick tap on your calculator, that’s not 12 months, it’s 120.
Tsunki
May 13, 2016 at 4:22 PM
Comment #24Ashley, this is my personal message to you. Get Out!
davetoon
May 13, 2016 at 4:25 PM
Comment #25@lesh I think everyone agrees deep down but prays it will be different this time around .
dok - the horrid colonial
May 13, 2016 at 4:32 PM
Comment #26personally,
I think MA’s statement is spot on.. he has seen his shortcomings, he has a plan to get us back, he understands our pain and he is going to give it his level best… we shouldn’t doubt him, as he always triumphs over adversity…
in other news, hell has frozen over, Darwin has proven pigs indeed fly, and the unwashed are simply misunderstood…
JAMSHA
May 13, 2016 at 4:35 PM
Comment #27THE FAT MAN WILL NEVER EVER LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKE ANOTHER PR STUNT TO BUY TICKETS
PUMMELLER
May 13, 2016 at 4:45 PM
Comment #28FCK OFF OUT OF OUR CLUB.
PUT MUGS IN CHARGE AND GOT WHAT WE DESERVED.
INVESTED HEAVILY – YES
IN THE RIGHT PLACES?? – NOT AT ALL
USELESS MANAGEMENT TOP TO BOTTOM
CAC
May 13, 2016 at 5:34 PM
Comment #29I hate the time of careful consideration part. It’s tim for swift action. Namely get rid of Charnley needs to be gone. Now.
goommy
May 13, 2016 at 7:21 PM
Comment #30Whatever, if Rafa stay everything is ok for me..
ashleysmate
May 13, 2016 at 8:33 PM
Comment #31What a cockney tosser he really is…. He has no designs to move this club forward. also for a multi billionaire business man.. how nieve has he been in letting hammy hamster run one of the the world’s top 30 clubs?? and along the way lose £100,000000.. The guys an idiot. A huge bottle of Domestos needs to be poured over SJM to cleans us from the arseholes’s running my beloved NUFC… Never give in…never give up hope
emphraser
May 13, 2016 at 8:37 PM
Comment #32Yes, Ashley is a tw@t. But please don’t think for a second the fact he didn’t once mention the staff went unmissed. “Staff” in the headline, but not in the statement. Guess this site’s latest approach to arbitrarily adding author inference following oft used hyphens will be a steady diet of this sort of thing: “…both fans and staff – some of which will now lose their jobs”
Much like the seemingly subtle (it wasn’t, by the way) criticism of those with the courage and foresight to protest Pardew and Ashley as needed.
Are you upset Ed? Good. You should’ve been upset years ago.
ashleysmate
May 13, 2016 at 8:39 PM
Comment #33If Raffa stays he will run rings round this idiot.. He’s as thick as two mackems stuck together
My NUFC…MY ENGLAND
ashleysmate
May 13, 2016 at 8:42 PM
Comment #34I would love to join in but I haven’t a clue what you’re on about….sorry