The Sun is reporting today that Amanda Staveley is “on the point of ending any further talks” with Mike Ashley about buying Newcastle United.
The reason is the Newcastle owner has raised the price to £400M after the club finished in 10th place in the league – the upper half of the league table – after we had struggled with relegation.
So in 6 months Rafa and our players increased the value of the club (at least in the eyes of the owner) by £100M, and he still will not agree to Rafa’s demands for his new contract?
That’s silly.
The news about the increase in price is not really new since there were rumors Ashley was becoming greedy and really didn’t want to sell the club after Newcastle have done so well this year in the second half of the season.
Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley – do they know what they’re doing?
There seems to be bad blood between Ms. Staveley and Ashley after last year’s antics, and the Newcastle owner labeled Ms. Staveley as a “time waster” in early January when he called the talks off.
However, the Sun are reporting that discussions have continued this year, but if Ashley has raised the asking price to £400M, then Staveley will no longer be interested in buying the club.
It seems Staveley has never really had the money to buy Newcastle.
The Chronicle is also reporting that Benitez thought that Ashley’s statement of last Sunday that he will “ensure every penny generated by the club is made available” means that Rafa must sell before he can buy.
That would be utterly ridiculous if that’s the case.
If this news is all true, we wouldn’t blame Rafa too much if he did go and talk with West Ham about their manager position.
Mike Ashley is too stubborn and difficult a character to deal with.
It looks like Newcastle’s golden opportunity for success under Rafa could even be ending soon.
That would be a disgrace, and Mike Ashley would have to shoulder the full responsibility for that.
We hope that Rafa turns down any approach by West Ham this week – because if he starts talking with Chairmen Gold and Sullivan, he may be persuaded very quickly to join them.
Our best hope is Rafa’s very close relationship with the fans, the players, and the City and that it is too strong to break.
In that case, he could still want to stay at Newcastle even with Ashley still around.
After all, he’s made tremendous progress in the last two seasons without much money available, and there will be a lot more money to spend from now on.
Rafa could turn down West Ham and say he still wants to stay on Tyneside.
To end on a positive note – that’s still very possible.
Comments welcome.
10 comments so far
Oldgit1
May 17, 2018 at 11:50 AM
Comment #1Repost.
@ Bobbybee, your previous post made me laugh out loud re your reference to chicken lickin, my wife used to read that book to the kids, they loved it and still ask there mum to recite the book, she knows the story off by heart, even though the kids are now in their thirties.
Thanks mate for cheering up a very poor start of the day. You are a diamond.
DubaiMicky
May 17, 2018 at 12:06 PM
Comment #2“The Sun is reporting today that Amanda Staveley is “on the point of ending any further talks” with Mike Ashley about buying Newcastle United.”
Two things, it must be true it’s in the sun, and secondly, if she has the money, show him it to prove she does, if not then it’s foxtrot oscar.
lesh
May 17, 2018 at 12:10 PM
Comment #3If the club won’t give Rafa an indication of a transfer budget, maybe they can’t – until the accounts are signed off by the auditor?
The auditor role is to confirm that a company’s annual accounts have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Acts and that they give a true and fair view of the company’s financial affairs.
If they’re not signed off, why not?
Bobbybee
May 17, 2018 at 12:11 PM
Comment #4Missed the bus again 🙂
Bobbybee
May 17, 2018 at 12:08 PM
Comment #14
Oldgit. Cheers marra, the pleasures all mine mate.
?
Just listening to this knacka slagging off our great city. He’d be well advised not to show his fat ugly mug up here again.
Apparently there’s nothing to do up here except the football club, according to him. He’s proper slagging us off big style.
Seems to forget Newcastle is the party capital of EUROPE. Nothing to do. What a dick he is. He’s never even been here, just drove past according to him. Typical cockney loudmouth. London is the world.
So now he claims he’ll come to SJP and sit amongst the lads. After that outburst I would strongly advise him to not bother for his health. Someone will chin him for sure and frankly, serve him right.
We’re not just ANYONE. We are NE1.
one fine day
May 17, 2018 at 12:17 PM
Comment #5Ffs,
It’s in the Sun.
Most of this crap about west game is coming from sites like the transfer tavern .
Simply awful sites that can’t wait to get lascalles off to Everton /Chelsea etc.total click bait.
Ed one request if you do feel the need to follow this level of shite …do we really have to have images of laurel and hardy on every stream ?
Piss at boiling point seeing those two smug tw@ts
JohnJ
May 17, 2018 at 12:18 PM
Comment #6An open letter to Mr R Benitez,
Dear Rafa,
You do not know me but certainly know you! In a short space of time you have become the sun on my horizon. The hope that I would again see the possibility of silverware won by my beloved Newcastle United Football Club. I was around in 1969 when the team I’ve supported for over sixty years won the “Inter Cities Fairs Cup”
Since then I’ve followed Newcastle United with hope…… and a dream that one day they would lift the highest prize of The Premier League title.
We were very close to doing so under the leadership of both Kevin Keegan and the late Sir Bobby Robson but sadly it was not to be.
Since you have been in charge at Newcastle United my hopes have been lifted again but I’m in my seventies now and the clock is ticking down. I have the utmost respect for what you have achieved at Newcastle United in a such a very short time!
I hope sincerely that like many thousands of other “Toon” supporters you will stay with our team and continue to lead it on to greater things!
However I appreciate the difficulties and constraints you are under and, I for one, could not blame you if you did move on to another project!
I hope from the bottom of my heart that your needs can be met at St James’ Park but I appreciate it’s basically what “The Owner” can or can’t do for you and this great football club.
I would also add that if the owner Mr Ashley really wants to sell this club that I hope he does it as soon as possible and asks for a sensible “Sale Price” So we can all move forward with renewed hope in our hearts – or is that too much to hope for?
John J
Whitley Bay
Bobbybee
May 17, 2018 at 12:18 PM
Comment #7Football changed forever with the formation of the PL. 1993 was the start of the modern era of football.
Since then, how many times have West Ham appeared in the CL? Even the EL? The first answer is like the mousse – a big round zero.
Newcastle? Nuff said really.
What’s their highest finishing position? Beat second? Not a chance. Third? Fourth? Not even close.
They wonder why we have little time for the media with idiots like that making stupid claims, live on air.
Another reason I believe nothing the msm ever have to say. 🙂
Bambams
May 17, 2018 at 12:19 PM
Comment #8I can see any delaying tactic possible raising it’s head to get through this window. Ash hates spending money.
We should of had Dubravka signed immediately but it’s probably better for Ash to wait until the last week of the transfer window ‘to save on wages’….
Although it could be Dubravka himself waiting for Rafa
I am beginning to believe this is just Greedy Mike playing with us, one step forward and two back. Hates us as much as we hate him but he can’t own us forever !
I fully expect Rafa to go, can you blame him.
Lindisfarne
May 17, 2018 at 12:22 PM
Comment #9Nothing has changed, just the range of possible future avenues are dwindling. Just one question for our owner:
WHERE IS THE MONEY??!!!!
Bobbybee
May 17, 2018 at 12:29 PM
Comment #10If Ashley wants 400m he needs to have Newcastle in the top six at least. That might tempt somebody to risk that amount. To do that, he needs to back Rafa to the hilt and that seems equally unlikely.
Looking like that ‘gofundme’ page to hire a hit man is the only way forward. 🙂