The top outlets are usually filled with headlines only about Manchester City, Chelsea, or Arsenal etc. Sometimes it feels like the Premier League consists of only six bloody teams.
However, Brian Reade in the Mirror had a magnificent article on Wednesday that was pitch perfect in describing Mike Ashley’s ru(i)nning of Newcastle United.
There needs to be more of this. And it should be continuous and unrelenting. It should mirror Mike Ashley’s disdain for the supporters of this club and be as brutal as possible. And it would be the truth.
Here is an excerpt from Brian Reade’s article:
Yet in the 12 years since Ashley picked up Newcastle for £135million, on a whim, he has messed with their heads on such an illogical, unparalleled scale that a psychiatrist would surely conclude he gets off on it.
He sacked well-loved managers Kevin Keegan, Alan Shearer and Chris Hughton, and imposed Joe Kinnear, Dennis Wise and John Carver on them.
He renamed their hallowed ground after his sports-gear firm and sold their iconic shirts to Wonga.
He wrote off all cup competitions, gave Alan Pardew an eight-year contract and has just priced the new replica home shirt at £65, making it the most expensive in English football.
We find Brian to be spot on in this and his article reads as if was written by a Newcastle supporter.
We could add to Brian’s list but the examples would be endless. However, two come to mind that are perfect representations of how to peg Mike Ashley. They are the sale of Andy Carroll and his disgraceful treatment of Jonas Gutierrez while he was stricken with cancer.
While the sale of Andy Carroll is not in itself devious. His assertions that the money was already spent the next summer was. There was no evidence of the Andy Carroll money being invested in the club.
These two incidents are all you need to know about Mike Ashley. They are two examples that deal with two distinct aspects of his character – greed and lack of empathy – that boil down to one glaring discovery.
Mike Ashley is a sociopath. He does not care about people at all. He cares about himself and his money. That is it. This needs to be exposed. Mike Ashley cannot continue to run this club. He is unfit as an owner and a representative of Newcastle United. The Premier League, the FA, and the media need to act accordingly.
Brian continues in his article:
And through all those bizarre decisions, he imposed a Stalinist black-out on all information about the goings-on at St James’ Park.
It’s seemed deliberately vindictive.
As Keegan revealed last year, he was hurt at being “treated like dirt” by Ashley and his henchmen, and was appalled at their “disregard for people”.
The media need to do more of this but they have yet to act in accordance with Ashley’s depravity.
This is an environment where #Glazersout is trending in the UK while Manchester United are about to seal a £50M on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, a genius of a player.
Why is Ashley Out not everywhere? His discretions are deliberate and depraved.
Mike Ashley’s treatment of Newcastle United fans needs to be exposed. And it must be continuous and unrelenting!
168 comments so far
jane
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:13 AM
Comment #1still time for Rafa and Ashley to work something out. that’s where the focus should be for now.
jane
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:13 AM
Comment #2heart that if you want this to happen.
jane
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:15 AM
Comment #3bring Rafa back
RUNAWAY777
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:18 AM
Comment #4I want to see how many are at the first games of the season that will tell me what i guess will happen .
Tsunki
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:22 AM
Comment #5Still got pictures of Jonas doing that on my phone. Nighty night
spb
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:22 AM
Comment #6DO NOT BOYCOTT THE GAME. Arsenal needs to be a sellout we just need 1 fan on the minute every minute to run on the pitch from kick off and sit down on the grass. Imagine if the game couldn’t be played due to constant small pitch invasion. Who would be fined? THAT FAT BASTARD WOULD. Then the FA would play the games with a empty stadium. Guess who loses out again? THAT FAT BASTARD WOULD. No ticket sales, no food sales, no beer sales.
NY Mag
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:26 AM
Comment #7Neil,
I don’t know if you watched / heard about it – there was a new bill passed today in parliament (I just finished watching it on parliamanet TV) on football owners regulations.
Chris matherson (MP for Chester, who is an Everton fan) proposed it and gave quite a good speech on “bad” football club owners (he talked about blackpool and coventry and mentioned many other clubs including Gateshead, but not Newcastle). However, what was interesting was that while there wasn’t many people in the chamber, Chi was sitting right in front of him and she was a co-sponsor for the bill.
Nicky the ball tosser
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:26 AM
Comment #8Yes, let’s have a picture of Jonas in place of Ashley each time from now on.
The perfect instinctive reminder of just how low he can go.
Nicky the ball tosser
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:28 AM
Comment #9that picture
GeordieTwo
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:35 AM
Comment #10There are more difficult times ahead for us I’m afraid. Ashley won’t let go easily and he absolutely does not care what state he leaves the club in. The next couple of months might be the worst of his entire tenure with us. The fight is on.
RUNAWAY777
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:35 AM
Comment #11spb
So lets get fans banned great idea not , ust keep away dont bye shit tops what you can get from china for £10 hit the cockney twat where it hurts the most his pocket and iam sure if the grounds empty on sky TV the F.A would deffp step in .
Tony Baloney
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:39 AM
Comment #12Jane on the wind up. Should have been on a couple of hours earlier and she might have gotten a bite.
FloridaToon
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:42 AM
Comment #13My only hope is that somehow Rafa not signing a BS contract has ruined MA’s plans and he now realizes he must sell.
Tony Baloney
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:43 AM
Comment #14I have gone through the numbers before and a boycott will not hit Ashley hard in enough in his pocket to matter that much. The other argument is the optics and how it will look to Sky with thousands of empty seats. If we remain Managerless with no signings for another month that will take care of itself with us caste adrift after 10 games and Sky picking other games.
NY Mag
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:43 AM
Comment #15Tony,
A bite you say…..I think a few hours ago she would have been eaten alive 🙂
JackBall
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:46 AM
Comment #16havn’t posted during this entire takeover “thing.” i’ve been hoping to hear something definitive, but have been seething since the club told us that rafa won’t be back.
the below is from the mag. i know we have many posters here that are those people rob douglas is writing about. i respect their loyalty and passion. and maybe its not fair for me, a non-native newcastle fanatic, but it will be hard for me to watch next year unless something changes. and true, i can’t see the games live, i’ve watched every game, most twice, for years, and it will be painful not to plan my day to watch the next one.
quote:
Message for Newcastle fans – Don’t come out with the rubbish of…
Enough is enough.
As many Newcastle fans have said this week, it’s time to make a stand.
Whether that means joining a protest meeting, a march, or just not following the club anymore, now is the time.
If you don’t physically and mentally walk away from Newcastle United now, after the treatment of Benitez this week, after the contempt shown to the fans and after the complete unwillingness of Ashley to even vaguely acknowledge that the club is looking to attempt to compete, you never will.
Don’t come out with the rubbish of having ‘been a supporter for 40/50 years’. So have I.
Don’t come out with the rubbish of ‘supporting the team not the regime’. That’s just supporting Ashley.
Don’t come out with the rubbish of ‘I’ve always gone to the match and Ashley won’t change me’. That’s supporting Ashley kicking out our best manager in 15 years.
Don’t come out with any more rubbish. Just make a stand. Now.
If anyone buys a kit or goes to a match now while Ashley is the owner, they want shooting.
Don’t moan about being tied in to a long-term season ticket deal. Either cancel it or don’t attend.
Don’t complain about it being your heritage, or something you take your kids to. It’s the same with me…and my 17 year old lad. He’s only known Ashley’s rule and he loves going to the match but he’s had it now.
And don’t even start talking about who we want as the new manager.
The mantra now has to be ‘If it’s under Ashley’s ownership, I don’t care.’ And I don’t.
Even mild mannered people who try to support through thick and thin, who do the right thing and who always keep in mind that, in the end, it’s only a game and not life and death, have a limit.
Although we’ve known it for so many years, this week has proved beyond any doubt that Mike Ashley is an utter disgrace, shows contempt for the fans and has zero ambition for the club.
If you don’t make a stand now, after this, you never will. Just do it.
jane
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:47 AM
Comment #17i still believe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4
jane
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:48 AM
Comment #18Tony the nutters were on earlier.
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:49 AM
Comment #19Surely nobody would come fishing for a bite on here lol.
I quite enjoyed putting a certain loon in his place earlier with my 50p comment.
jane
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:49 AM
Comment #20why would wanting Rafa still to stay be a wind up?
FloridaToon
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:51 AM
Comment #21Tony
I agree that optics are more important that the affect on his wallet. Without the matches on TV who will see all his precious SD adverts? He has to be annoyed to the point that whatever cash he is getting isn’t worth it.
one fine day
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:53 AM
Comment #22Jane
post 1
I mentioned here a couple of days ago (cant be bothered trawling back) that going off the timelines of when this was announced and ashlet having fled stateside ,it was not beyond possible that he had simply had a skin full and sent his instructions to kba /charnley to issue this in the early hours of Monday morning uk time.
He does appear to me to be an even bigger prick when drunk.
Only now once the haze has cleared will he be realizing the consequences of what he has done.
Even if he was willing to admit he made a mistake (never) it would take one hell of a diplomat to sort this between him and rafa now.
The hardest part is to sort this without either side losing face .its impossible as i think
1. rafa is a proud man and has lost all trust .
2.Even if he went back ,kba would be putting it around via the usual outlets that rafa pleaded for his job back etc.
3.Only a well worded apology from ashley to team rafa in the press would come close and we know that will never happen.
I say forget this route let the place burn and hope for a take over .its the best way to get mr benitez back and we as club would be more united and stronger than ever
(discounting the reports of shots fired at some lakeside hovel in norway)
one fine day
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:55 AM
Comment #23Anyone think maybe captain amerimag could be a creation of geordie 2 ?
either way he is entertaining if a little zany
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:56 AM
Comment #24You should google funny Norwegian place names, the literal translations are brilliant.
Tony Baloney
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:56 AM
Comment #25He is replacing/cleaning the SD signs at the ground. He must think they are staying up. He did say they were paying for advertising. The going rate? I think this is a check mark in the column of Ashley is staying, but even if we are sold he will be hell bent on doing a deal to keep his signs up and probably some merchandising agreement.
FloridaToon
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:58 AM
Comment #26I think Cpt. amerimag is on one end of the spectrum and toon22 is on the other…..the rest of us fall inbetween.
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 27, 2019 at 12:58 AM
Comment #27Tony
Sadly I think you’re right but the picture of that crap in a skip warmed the heart a little
Tony Baloney
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:00 AM
Comment #28I posted earlier that The Mag have an article saying Luke Edwards is a shill for KBA and I think they might be right. There is a link to The Mag at the bottom right of this page.
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:00 AM
Comment #29Florida
I have no idea how to view the captain, overly self medicating optimist or high calibration satirist.
Welcome relief either way.
FloridaToon
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:01 AM
Comment #30Does SD have a customer support email?? Imagine sending them (and NUFC) 50,000 or 100,000 emails a day and them having to comb through each one to determine which is legit and which isn’t.
FloridaToon
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:02 AM
Comment #31droppy
I have no issue with either. They are special in their own way.
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:03 AM
Comment #32Caliber not calibration
droppy in Wallsend
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:05 AM
Comment #33Floridatoon
No they are both fine.
Although Toon22 is much better when he engages rather than the barrage of the same questions.
I’m even thinking of a fun answer to who MA will sell us to next time.
NY Mag
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:08 AM
Comment #34Floridatoon,
I’m responding to your post (but I know many people have said this)
I don’t believe that the SD adverts at the ground are for the benefit of the sky cameras (of course it is the sky cameras as they are the ones who are there)
I believe it’s for the benefit of the viewers in other parts of the world (especially Asia) – so whether sky broadcast the match or not, he will not care a jot.
Tony Baloney
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:10 AM
Comment #35What the hell. Here is the link to The Mag ripping into Luke Edwards:
https://www.themag.co.uk/2019/06/mike-ashley-pr-people-now-pushing-rafa-benitez-new-manager-propaganda-to-media-newcastle-united/
FloridaToon
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:11 AM
Comment #36Ny Mag
My point was if the game isn’t broadcast no one will see them.
NY Mag
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:14 AM
Comment #37OFD,
I’m not sure where this rumor started from about Ashley being in the US (on holiday), but I’m not sure it’s true – his “chopper” sometimes doesn’t get used for weeks on end (I’m sure there’s a lot of jokes to be made about that)…..but there’s been a flurry of activity both Monday and today., backward and forward to shirebrook and various places in central London (including heathrow) and even over towards Liverpool today – that doesn’t look like the activity of someone who is sunning himself in Miami.
NY Mag
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:17 AM
Comment #38Florida,
The problem is, the games are broadcast in various countries around the world (even if sky in the UK don’t show them).
The biggest EPL games in Asia are the Saturday 3pm kick-offs (which sky are not allowed to broadcast)
FloridaToon
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:21 AM
Comment #39NY
I understand but not sure I am communicating my point. I don’t think anyone would televise a half (or completely) empty stadium. As you are probably aware here in the US NBC covers the PL. I don’t think they would be showing any matches with thousands of empty seats but maybe I am wrong.
one fine day
Jun 27, 2019 at 1:22 AM
Comment #40ny mag
I have seen a few stadia and events starting to use the tailored advertising so as much as i wanted to believe the signs in the skip i was thinking maybe something like this technology could be the more likely reason .
anyways we will see.
Anyone wondering what this is its basically that the boards are almost blue screen around the pitch and so depending on who is taking the broadcast the advertising will differ.
it also boosts revenue in that you can have multiple advertisers tailored to each different country etc someone watching it south america will see different adds to those watching in hong kong etc.