The People is reporting this morning that Mike Ashley will use every penny he receives from the St. James’ Park naming rights to buy new players for Newcastle United.
Tesco Park
Our response to that is – pull the other leg, it’s got bells on.
That’s a very hollow promise indeed because how would we ever know if that particular source of revenue would be used only for new players – we don’t and never will with the Ashley regime.
And to change St. James’ Park to Tesco Park or something like that is downright insulting to Newcastle fans.
But will the clueless Mike ever learn – no.
But let’s see what the latest quotes are from that unnamed source (read Ashley mouthpiece) is saying today – if only to try to be fair:
“Mike recognizes what the name St James’ Park means to the Newcastle fans and he understands why there is some anger.”
“But all he is asking is for the fans to sit back and take a realistic look at the situation.” “It is costing him £3M a month out of his own pocket to run Newcastle “
Editor note: we don’t believe that for one moment
“And he is trying to look at other ways of raising revenue – the St James’ Park name is one of his few valuable assets.” “But he is not going to flog the name of the stadium to the first bidder.”
“He is looking for a significant figure for the stadium naming rights and if he gets it, all the money will go to help Chris Hughton strengthen the team.”
“Mike has to run the club as a business and at the moment it is probably in a better state than 50 per cent of teams in the Premier League.”
“Yes, Mike has made mistakes, none more so than the appointment of Dennis Wise as director of football, but what has not been a mistake is the way the club is now reaping the rewards of unearthing young talent.”
“Mike is absolutely delighted at the way the likes of Ranger and Andy Carroll have come through.”
But Ashley hasn’t ruled out a sale of the club in the future – and that’s more like wahat we want to hear.
The Ashley source continued:
“If someone with real financial clout came in, like Sheikh Mansour did at Manchester City, then Mike would sell it overnight.”
“He accepts that the Newcastle fans are never going to love him, not until he gets the club back into the Premier League.”
“But he just wants the fans to love their team and he has been thrilled by the way they have done this season.”
We don’t believe a word Mike Ashley says anymore, but we hope Barry Moat is continuing to get his money together.
And maybe that Arab Sheikh and Newcastle United fan is around somewhere.
14 comments so far
Zangwill_Ho
Nov 1, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Comment #1IT WILL NOT BE HAPPEN, ALWAYS SAY.
I NEVER BELIEVE IT
Tooony
Nov 1, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Comment #2If that happens, our club won’t be the same.
MA out of NUFC!!!
sirjasontoon
Nov 1, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Comment #3“The fans will never love him until he gets newcastle back into the premiership”
We have already been in the premiership under his scrooge like regime…he could deliver the champions lge next season and I would still hate him.
ASHLEY OUT.
magpie6699
Nov 1, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Comment #4Dear Mike,
we still won’t love you even IF we scrape back into the premiership. Remember, we already were a premiership club when you bought us – and you were going to be the billionaire who was going to get invest in us as a plaything, get us back into Europe and allow us to compete with the likes of Arsenal, Man U and Chelski. And now you expect us to be impressed if we are lucky enough to yo-yo out of a poor Championship up into the Premiership? To do what? Struggle on a shoestring because you think that top football clubs can be run to make a fat profit?
And we should be grateful and impressed that £6 million a year for selling the ground name will go on players? If you include a four-year contract, that might have bought us the left foot only of Andre Arshavin ( my favourite player and one we were loosely linked with not so long ago). It wouldn’t even pay for Joey Barton to be paid off!
Forgive me for sounding underwhelmed.
Yours bewilderedly,
A. Toonfan
dave 1961
Nov 1, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Comment #5Ii suggest Ashley opens his eyes as what we have been served up this season is crap on a plate it shows the squad as poor the coach as a coach so what does he do, makes him permanent, yes an Ashley puppet. so we don’t believe this, as Ashley is a liar. so we will never believe him never.
ChrisToon1988
Nov 1, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Comment #6According to bbc gossip column adidas are in pole position to name it “the Adidas arena” i like it lol – it’s catchy 😀
will die for the toon army
Nov 1, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Comment #7We have made 60m out of the transfer market why are we still in debt.
dave 1961
Nov 1, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Comment #8we are in debt because we are paying for decades of failure & paying for players who have been flops, the same as we are now about to give Hughton money to spend on players who will flop, that’s what happens when you appoint some one as manager that has not got a clue.
Geordiedoonsooth
Nov 1, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Comment #9What a load of old b*ll*cks
Rangerman
Nov 1, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Comment #10We have made 60m out of the transfer market why are we still in debt.
…..
How do you work that one out?
Rangerman
Nov 1, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Comment #11“But all he is asking is for the fans to sit back and take a realistic look at the situation.” “It is costing him £3M a month out of his own pocket to run Newcastle “
“And he is trying to look at other ways of raising revenue – the St James’ Park name is one of his few valuable assets.”
……
This comment makes a lot of sense.
For us to compete then the club needs to up it’s revenue and if the naming rights to the stadium can bring in anywhere near £6 million a year then the club should go for it.
It will still always be SJP to me, like the Gallowgate was always the Gallowgate and not the Newcastle brown ale stand.
stuart no9
Nov 1, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Comment #12rangerman
i find it incredulous that a NUFC fan is naive enough to believe ashleys motives, and that it is acceptable to come in and change 120 years of history for the sake of a few quid (for Ashley’s pocket). Perhaps you were not born and bred in Newcastle, this would certainly explain your strange views!
Alex
Nov 1, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Comment #13If the name of SJP is sold then surly that would only lessen the value of the club as a brand name world wide . Football fans around the world know the name of the ground , they know that we play in black and white stripes , if either of those where to change then it would cost the club in sales of Tshirts , scarves , hats and the like . Lets face it which mug would buy a shirt with the Addidas Arena printed on it .
Paul141726
Nov 1, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Comment #14Naming rights for the stadium (6 million has been flung about) will undoubtedly go toward unearthing some younger talent and NOT to strengthening the first team. Also, I don’t believe we will “love” MA if we get back to the Prem. All of his lies will NEVER see him adored on Tyneside.
Also, if he thinks Wise was such a poor hire, why is he still paying him monthly apparently?
And lastly, if a sheik or some other mega billionaire comes in to buy the club, you can be sure that the fat one will ask for an amount far north of the 80 million that Moat could not get together. (Which brings to mind a question; I’m in the U.S.-has Moat said ANYTHING to ANYONE as to why he failed to purchase the club??)