Here are some video clips of Alan Pardew answering questions on Sky Tyne and Wear yesterday, for those fans around the world who may not have seen Alan’s interview yesterday.
Alan Pardew – appearing on Goals on Sunday
This is what Alan Pardew said on Joe Kinnear and his appointment.
On the passion of Newcastle fans and that grown men do the shopping in their Newcastle strips – what else would you wear?
This is what he said on foreign players in England.
Comments welcome.
You can also reach Ed at admin@nufcblog.com
34 comments so far
Wiz
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Comment #1The most illuminating thing Pardew said in that same interview was about Mike Ashley. Pardew said his boss doesn’t understand football, and sometimes is upset at certain features of football business life and then is provoked into doing things that are not in the interests of Newcastle United. I know what he means, don’t you? When Ashley feels he’s not getting the thick end of a deal, something he’s used to when buying and selling tat, he throws a wobbly and calls the whole thing off. This is Pardew code for ‘Ashley cocks up the deals I want to do, not Old Joe.’ And I must say that coincides with my own prejudices. Joe might be hopeless, but he’s loyal. He won’t cock up deals that Ashley wants doing.
Wiz
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Comment #2The point of the protest is to substitute protest as a source of hope. The club has said, through John Irving, that the cups are not a priority. We are slowly swallowing the news that we cannot hope to compete with the top four, even though we recently finished fifth. If we can’t compete in the league, and if we aren’t hoping to win a cup, what exactly is it we’re trying to do? This is the point. There is no hope and hope is the lifeblood for a football fan. We can take decades of failure, but we can’t take the absence of hope. So we protest. It gives us hope that we can change something at the club. All protesters will have different agendas. But together, in protest, we feel we have a chance of improving things. It’s about hope.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Comment #3jimmysmith
I’m not rubbishing it. I’m pointing out the flaw in it. And I’d be happy to speak to someone at time4change directly and discuss the flaws too. They may well be already aware of them and trying to address them though.
“4,000 Geordies went on a daytime rampage through Newcastle town centre in protest of Mike Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle United. While the march started off peacefully, a minority of fans, heavily intoxicated despite the early hour, took it as an opportunity to trash cars, graffiti slogans and in a repeat of last year’s incident, at one point confront a police horse.”
Tell me I won’t see that article in the papers on the 20th October…
I think the majority are well intentioned but I am nervous about a highly emotionally charged situation. Are they marching past a Sports Direct store?!
That’s just one of my concerns. I’ve mentioned some of the others.
Scottiedog
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:12 AM
Comment #4Repost
The march will not work!! The most this march will do is agitate the players 🙁
Looking at our team we are two players away from a great team and if we can go in for Micah & Ince / Zaha then I will have no complaints.
It does seem MANY supporters on here want change, but we need consistency first so any new player in must realise they are not going to disrupt. If we get a new owner in chances are they are going to bring in a new manager, is the manager going to like the team?? No, he is going to want to stamp his own ideas and change the system and bring in many new players. Sunderland springs to mind!!
We do not need a new manager, we need to bring somebody like Lee Clarke in who can work alongside Pardew.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:13 AM
Comment #5Wiz
But what do people actually hope to realistically achieve from this protest? There are only 2 positive results:
1 – Mike Ashley decides to run the club the way he started but with better decisions
2 – Mike Ashley decides to sell up
Now, I can’t see 1 happening because I don’t think the fans will forgive him and I don’t see a march convincing him to sell. If he doesn’t give a damn about the fans, why would he give a damn about 1,000 fans marching?? It’s a contradiction!
We are miles behind the top 6 in the most important factor in modern football, money. Spurs’ revenue is 50% higher than ours and the more those top 6 get into the CL, the worse it’s going to get.
Do you know how Spurs got to where they are now? 10 years of careful ownership with consistent top 10 finishes. They didn’t overstretch, they built gradually.
Every single club in the PL prioritises the league over the cups. The only time a club rests players in the league in order to keep them fresh for a cup is if they don’t have much to play for in the league but are at an advanced stage of a cup. It’s the opposite way around every other time. Check out the team that PL clubs put out. Everton got knocked out by Fulham in the League Cup after benching Howard, Baines, Jagielka, Mirallas, Barry, Barkley and Jelavic.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Comment #6Scottiedog
No chance Lee Clark will come in as assistant, he’s not too far off being considered for PL jobs when they come up. Why would he leave the 2nd biggest club in the 2nd biggest city who have also been in the PL recently?
You’re right though…the march is more instability. What we need is stability really, for the fan to get behind the club and to grind out some consistent to 10 (at least) finishes.
Maladoni 69
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:19 AM
Comment #7It’s a catch 22 situation. Nowt’s going to change yet the ambition of the fans shouldn’t be silenced.
I’m just scared a few heed a balls are going to grab the headlines for the wrong reasons.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:25 AM
Comment #8When you want to achieve something, here’s how you go about it.
1 – decide on the goal of the project
2 – get a group of people on board who share this goal
3 – tweak the goal slightly with input from this group
4 – investigate all possible ways to achieve this goal
5 – assess the possible positives and negatives of each way
6 – choose the best way
7 – assess whether the chosen way is actually viable and worth the potential risk. Abandon it if it’s not.
8 – ensure you have a clear message that everyone understands and will follow
9 – execute the plan
You don’t just decide “We need to have a march” and then get a group of people together with different agendas and try to work out a common agenda. I expect to see “Mike Ashley Out” banners and hear the chants despite this march supposedly not being about that.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:26 AM
Comment #9Maladoni 69
Agreed. I support the right to have a march, I just think the chance of any positivity coming out of it is very small indeed and the chance of something negative happening is quite a lot larger.
MacToon
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:28 AM
Comment #10“– one minute we are bringing 5,000 scousers, now no mention (probably a good thing)
– talk of 10,000 plus, now “hopeful” of at least 1,000”
Considered coming back on the blog to post again but can’t compete with such wisdom and ability to report fantasy as fact. I shall therefore leave it to the fantasists once more, and people wonder why the blog is so quiet nowadays!
Belfast
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:28 AM
Comment #11I agree with the march, but I doubt it will make much difference. If everybody on that march cancelled their season ticket, the fat man might get a bit worried. That’s never going to happen though…
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:29 AM
Comment #12From previous thread :
I think Pardew has came up with his greatest excuse yet, saying our love of the club puts to much pressure to get results.
Is he for real ? , what are we meant to do like ? , turn the NUFC fan switch on the back of our head down a few notches. Where does he come up with this garbage ? .
Thinking he can manage a PL club and not get criticized when we have our worst home defeat for 70 odd years and stuffed on our own patch by the Mackems. What planet does this guy live on ? .
Slank
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:31 AM
Comment #13Scottie @ 4
‘The most this march will do is agitate the players ‘
Players, possibly with the exception of motormouth Barton, pay little or no attention to marches.
Many of the players have a loose grasp of English and it is highly unlikely that they read British newspapers or watch British TV.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:33 AM
Comment #14MacToon
Feel free to comment! I would like some clarity. Some people claiming to be ITK about time4change posted that the Spirit of Shankly group had agreed to send 5,000 scousers to support the time4change march and that the time4change people expected to at least match this number. Personally I would find it quite sad if we only matched the numbers that an away fan group contributes but that’s a different point…
So hence my point that people were referring to 10,000+ and the Chronicle now says “hopeful” of at least 1,000.
These are both facts. I can produce the Chronicle article and I’m sure I could find the posts that people made about the 5,000 scousers.
What we don’t know are the actual facts from time4change, hence my very careful and correct wording.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:34 AM
Comment #15Belfast
Nope. Never going to happen mate. And it’s still a drop in the ocean compared to the TV money. Sadly, the revenue from the fans of our own club is much less relevant than the revenue from staying in the PL…
toon kk
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Comment #16I didn’t used to think this but I think we should be cheering for MA, he’s the type of bloke if he thinks he’s wanted he will do things for the club otherwise he’ll dig his heels in. Remember Mash owns the club and he needs to be felt part of it to start supporting it.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Comment #17toon kk
I kinda agree, but it’s never gonna happen.
I think he’s a bit like the weird fat kid at the park who happens to own the only football in town. You might not want to play with him but if you don’t then you don’t get to play football at all…
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:43 AM
Comment #18@ kk
This isn’t a dog that gets abused yet still goes back to the owner every time you know.
Why should we make Ashley feel wanted when all he does is constantly embarrass and fail NUFC fans ? . You think if we start chanting “oh Ashley we love you” he will drop £30 million in January ?.
Somehow I don’t think so.
Belfast
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:46 AM
Comment #19Think it would better if they put all their efforts into finding a new owner to be honest.
But the march could be a good start hopefully…
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:50 AM
Comment #20Belfast
How can a bunch of fans find a new owner? Oh yeah…they could ensure that the march adheres to the message that they originally set out, that it’s to highlight the positivity of the club and the city. I can only wish that is the message that is put out.
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:51 AM
Comment #21The only, and I mean only way Ashley could manage to win back some fans is if he does this :
. Either comes out with a written or spoken statement apologizing to NUFC fans saying he was naive about owning a football club.
. Say he is looking to make us competetive in the PL and get our hands on a trophy.
. Will spend the same as clubs around us in the PL and explain what happened to the Carroll & TV funds.
. Tell us why he did some of the crazy things like bringing back Kinnear or renaming St. James’ .
. If he is looking to sell up and when .
If he does this or something similar then he may get some sympathy or foregiveness. But until then he deserves everything he gets IMO.
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:52 AM
Comment #22Big Pappa Cissé
Fans are bleating about Mike Ashley not getting the fanas…well sure, he doesn’t and he never will. He’s a peculiar person who isn’t like the rest of us which is probably what makes him the financial success that he is.
But while he refuses to understand the fans, why don’t more of the fans try to understand him? Not just react to his decisions but empathise with what motivates him.
I think it’s too late anyway…but I wonder if things might have been different if the whole KK mess hadn’t happened…
Ibizatoon
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:53 AM
Comment #23TDS…As things stand, any decision Ashley makes is basically left unchallenged. At the very least, letting him know that there are fans willing to stand up and be counted should focus his attention a little more.
That alone won’t change much, but it’s a start.
With 5 days to go, all I want to say is those who are unhappy and want change, unite and let your voice be heard. Remember, you are representing the club and what we stand for, keep in with the spirit of the march and let’s hope some positive change will come of it
Slank
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:55 AM
Comment #24Belfast @ 19
‘Think it would better if they put all their efforts into finding a new owner to be honest.’
And how would they do that?
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:56 AM
Comment #25Big Pappa Cissé
Banging on about the money again. It’s clear what has happened to our money, it’s been spent!
The fact is that Ashley has taken just £11M out of the club to pay off his short-term loan. The remaining £18M was due to be taken this season but that has now been deferred.
The club’s money is not the same as Ashley’s money. The money from the sale of Carroll has been spent on the club one way or another and the extra TV money hasn’t arrived yet.
Our wage bill is higher than every club outside the top 6.
Scottiedog
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:58 AM
Comment #26@ BPA 21 – What good would MA coming out and making a statement do?? Most of the people are blinkered and just want him out.
@ Slank 13 – Bit racist??
ToonDarnSarf
Oct 14, 2013 at 11:58 AM
Comment #27Ibiza
But one of the big criticisms from the fans is that Ashley doesn’t care what the fans think. So why should he care what 1,000 fans think on a march??
Especially when many of those 1,000 fans are not going to be chanting for Mike Ashley to show more ambition and engage with the fans, they’re going to be chanting for him to go jump off the Tyne Bridge…
Ibizatoon
Oct 14, 2013 at 12:01 PM
Comment #28TDS…The problem with that is its much easier to understand the fans than it is Ashley.
The majority of fans were willing to give him time to implement his plan and could see the sense in it. However, he has for 2 years now lost whatever faith fans had in him.
That isn’t to say he doesn’t have a master plan, just that not one of us has a clue as to what his intentions are other than being self sufficient. I’ve seen more the past 2 years to make me question what will come next rather than he excited by it and that is only down to his actions or lack of action in certain areas.
Slank
Oct 14, 2013 at 12:05 PM
Comment #29Scottiedog @ 26
Racist – what are you talking about.
Have you ever lived as an Expat in a foreign country?
If you had you would know that expats who don’t speak the local language don’t read the local papers or watch the local TV because of their lack of the local language and also their interest is primarily in their home country.
I would imagine that our French players football interests are centred on the French league and the preparations of the French national team.
Belfast
Oct 14, 2013 at 12:07 PM
Comment #30Sound out anyone who’s interested in buying a football club and ask to meet them maybe ?? encourage them that Newcastle is the club they should be most interested in?
Beg if you have too. Or is that not possible ?
Belfast
Oct 14, 2013 at 12:10 PM
Comment #31I’m sure Steve Wraith could arrange it lol…
Scottiedog
Oct 14, 2013 at 12:18 PM
Comment #32@ Slank 29 – Do you not think there are French blogs just like this stating that Newcastle fans hate there clubs owners and want to riot!! Many of the players speak basic English and the ones that cannot will tell the others!!
All protests do is ignite anger and bad feeling.
Ian Toon
Oct 14, 2013 at 3:43 PM
Comment #33Rob- Do you really believe that the presumed shield of web anonymity makes you feel emboldened to say the nasty things you do?
The club clearly outlined its self-financing strategy when it published a mission statement that talked of no longer financing losses by increasing debt year after year. It referenced a “five-year plan to get Newcastle United on a sound financial footing”, which by and large they have succeeded in doing, though relegation was not part of the original strategy.
You have failed to communicate any such clear mission statement and instead have sought to utilise bully boy tactics in the pubs and elsewhere.
You really have spent very little time to win the hearts and minds and the so called poster boys on here have posted in a limp way as I have previously highlighted .
Take a look at the Evening Chronicle today- the headline ” The good life in Geordie land :
Newcastle named as offering it’s citizens one of the best qualities of life”. That’s the sort of message you should be promoting and with pride – we have impressive hospitals, colleges and universities and a cracking football team.
K T Cat
Oct 14, 2013 at 7:17 PM
Comment #34Ed, thanks for sharing this. I’ll admit I’m a Pardew fan. I loved how cool and self-assured he was. No cliches, no wild excuses, just honesty.
Linked.