When you see St. James’ Park on the TV over the last many years viewers will wonder why it’s not called Sports Direct Arena – with all the Sports Direct signs everywhere.
Of course, it was called that for a short time before Ashley realized he had made another huge error of judgment at Newcastle.
But another thing that we have never liked about the owner is that he keeps creating news in the papers and it’s nearly always negative.
Mike Ashley – Newcastle owner
And in the news reports, it’s regularly pointed out he is the owner of Newcastle United.
There are stories about how badly his employees are treated at Sports Direct and then there was the Rangers episode of a couple of years ago when he entered into an agreement on a merchandise deal with the famous Scottish club.
They are still in dispute now, after Sports Direct accused Rangers of a breach of contract in July.
Rangers want to have some other company than Sports Direct sell replica Rangers kits and other branded products when the Sports Direct deal finally expires.
The complaint by Sports Direct is that they have argued they should be allowed to match any new offer from another company.
The judge in the case asked the two sides to work it out in July – but it looks like they cannot and they are back in court.
There’s a new judge on the case, Mr. Justice Teare, who has said he will produce a legal ruling soon.
The bottom line is that Ashley seems to create business problems and disagreements wherever he goes – and that includes at Newcastle United.
Maybe that’s being too hard on Mr. Ashley?
But we don’t think so and it’s another reason he doesn’t seem “fit and proper” to own a football club.
Comments welcome.
89 comments so far
Reilly
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM
Comment #1PriceOfFootball
@KieranMaguire
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct International lodges documents at Companies House that appear relate to SDI buying shares (could be it’s own) & a political donation.
DaveD1000
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:15 AM
Comment #2Just realised I wasn’t following this guy on twatter…pretty good too.
NewcastleUnitedBlog
?
@TheNufcBlog
Following Following @TheNufcBlog
hibbit
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:22 AM
Comment #3Reilly
Companies House will release these documents for public inspection within 5 working days ????????
Reilly
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:27 AM
Comment #4PriceOfFootball
@KieranMaguire
·
58s
Mike Ashley’s personal company, MASH Holdings Ltd, via which he owns SDI & Newcastle United, has year end of 24 April, so accounts originally due 24 January 2018. Nearly 9 months later no sign of them. Does he have something to hide? He passed owner & director test of EPL
Pain in the Blog
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:44 AM
Comment #5Jail #6, a couple of threads ago,
Yes, I’m watching. So far nobody has accused me of taking sides.
Jib
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:46 AM
Comment #6https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06035106/filing-history
SD seem to be buying their own shares in tranches of approx. 12M a
time – sometimes several times in the same month.
Tosun A. Wobbler
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:47 AM
Comment #7Jib…didn’t mean to light a blue touch paper there. Soz.
Jail, my post was just meant to be a kind of back handed encouragement to Toon22, whose relentless quest appears to be, on the face of it, p!ssing into the wind, which of course I hope in time it turns out not to be.
It was a half-arsed way of asking, if Ashley does go, by whatever means, what will Toon22’s tack be then?
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:51 AM
Comment #8Tosun,
Ok, I wasn’t sure what you meant by where does he go from here. He’s been posting for years now so I’m sure he’ll go back to just posting about stuff. When Ashley was doing the right thing by Rafa, I never just stopped posting.
Pain in the Blog
Oct 11, 2018 at 10:58 AM
Comment #9Average #98 a few threads ago,
You wrote “Pain in the blog
You constantly lambast toon22 who is,?yes repetitive but aren’t the ones who defend the slug at every turn too?
I fail to see where you lambast them after coming on spouting sh!t in many different guises. Not only them but clear wums, clear none NUFC supporters and general know knowts.
Did I miss it?
Of course not.
Mmmm, below average…..blah blah
Unfortunately you have nothing in your moniker I can use as a witty comeback. Especially where intelligence is concerned. Damn. Just my luck.
I’ll just go with gobsh!te”
—
Posted just after midnight. You know, it really is best to resist the temptation to post when you’ve had a skinful. And I do apologise unreservedly for “spouting shit in many different guises”. That wouldn’t really be on, would it?
But thanks for the advice. Your mate, Gobshite.
RobLeenio
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:14 AM
Comment #10Pain, I saw that post last night and did wonder who he was referring to as “the ones who defend the slug at every turn”
I’ve seen Toon22 mention these people too. It’s funny, because I have never seen anyone on here doing that. There are those who would blame Ashley for the weather and those who realise that, while he’s a horrible influence on our club, some of the criticism of him borders on the hysterical, but I don’t know of a single poster who has steadfastly backed Ashley through thick and thin.
The issue I have had with Toon22 is that the more reasonable (as in less Ashley-extreme) posters and the Rafa critics are the ones who have been getting it in the neck, in the absence of real Ashley supporters.
Although, it has to be said, Toon22 does seem to have toned it down somewhat recently, is posting less frequently and is varying his posts more, which is to his credit, is appreciated and makes me far more likely to read and enjoy his posts.
DubaiMicky
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:24 AM
Comment #11Apols if this True Faith piece has been mentioned before, I really think a complaint needs to be made to whoever you make complaints to. I have no idea.
Have a read and if anyone thinks that Ashley is good for the club they need to hand their heads in shame.
http://www.true-faith.co.uk/where-the-money-has-gone/
Pain in the Blog
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:28 AM
Comment #12Rob,
I agree that it is difficult to determine who these Ashley apologists are. There are some (Jib springs to mind) who occasionally refute the more hysterical accusations against Ashley as rabid and often misguided allegations. But that is not defending Ashley. It is criticising stupidity and exaggeration.
And yes, Toon22 is improving. If he could only realise that continually posting “it’s never Ashley’s fault” is not clever and it’s not funny (to quote Graham Chapman) then I would be able to read his posts.
Lilongwe Geordie
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Comment #13Dubai,
It has been a long time since I saw anyone on this blog say Ashley was good for the club…..
RobLeenio
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:45 AM
Comment #14Micky, I haven’t seen that piece before but I don’t follow all the links that are posted.
If the analysis is accurate, it seems at least morally dubious. Is it illegal, however? I’m neither a lawyer nor a forensic accountant so I wouldn’t be in a position to comment.
I would think that the place to complain would be the FCA or the DCMS or both, but I think a complaint would require some kind of legal basis, which will be hard to put together without access to the full accounts of all the different companies involved.
Jib
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:45 AM
Comment #15Micky
This was discussed last night
The point I made was that any
serious sea-change at NUFC
is harmed by sites like
true – faith pouncing on everything
and frankly making themselves look
foolish.
I’m also quite surprised at someone of your
back-ground getting all hot under the collar
over an obvious Capital Gains avoidance
scheme involving amounts that NUFC players
earn in a few months.
There are real issues with MA’s governance of
NUFC and stuff like this is a stupid distraction.
DubaiMicky
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:49 AM
Comment #16Someone of my background Jib? Please elucidate.
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:53 AM
Comment #17Tonight’s True Faith talk-in event at the Tyneside Irish Centre is now sold out.
In addition to local “faces”, The Guardian’s David Conn and Liverpool and Glasgow Rangers fan group reps with experience of club ownership issues previously will debate “how to take the fight to Mike Ashley.”
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:54 AM
Comment #18*From http://www.nufc.com
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 11:56 AM
Comment #19billson was the last person to argue vehemently that Ashley was good for the club. He hasn’t been seen for awhile.
Genjikai
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:00 PM
Comment #20Im not an extremist i just hate mike ashley for what hes done ( or put it this way not done) at our club.im sorry for supporting my team and wanting the best for them. I dont shout at other posters or shout then down . My point is if ashley is staying for the long haul he must change. He must invest in the squad either out of his own money or every single penny the club majes. I dont get how that makes me an extremist. You dont know me. You dont k ow my values in life.
griff
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:07 PM
Comment #21While the Ashley Fanclub is thin on the ground here, there are Ashley apologists. You are simply too kind Pain in the Blog. You almost make out Jib aka Jeff as reasonable. That said, it is highly amusing when he starts up. Except for the poor souls that he bullies.
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:10 PM
Comment #22griff,
Pointing out that he sees it as understandable that Ashley would with hold transfer funds until Rafa signs a new deal is definitely the views of an apologist.
Mag :P
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:11 PM
Comment #23There shouldn’t be more reasons. The way he has owned our club these past 11 years pretty much spells it out that he’s a shite owner.
His interests don’t lie within the club doing well, he wants us to scrape the league every season so that he gets a nice sum of cash. He uses the club as an advertisement for sports direct where his heart is truly set on. We’re nothing but profit to him.
Genjikai
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:13 PM
Comment #24Mag be careful with them views of yours. You may be an extremist too.
Genjikai
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:14 PM
Comment #25Think people need to realise the difference between extremism and being passionate about a subject there is a difference.
Average_Contents
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:26 PM
Comment #26Pain
No drink for me I’m afraid. The reason it was so late is, I’m working away and like a naughty below average intelligence boy, decided to stay awake longer than usual.
The “spouting bullsh!t” element of my post wasn’t aimed at you, well not directly as I said, THEY, as in the billy bullsh!tters, wums and none NUFC fans (pretty clear who they are) come on spouting yet you say nothing.
God forbid eh
Bambams
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:37 PM
Comment #27Ash is only in it for the money generated by SD by the free advertising…..
Absolutely nothing more
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:39 PM
Comment #28While Jiblets is trashing sites like True Faith and groups like TMG as being anoraks and foolish, they’re selling out protest meetings. I bet the thick footers put together haven’t read a page of Cervantes never mind write an essay in ancient Greek.
hibbit
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:40 PM
Comment #29A/C
THEY, as in the billy bullsh!tters, wums and none NUFC fans
WelshGeordie/ToonLegend
defiantly shoehorns into that category
Jib
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:41 PM
Comment #30“Jail for Ashley
Pointing out that he sees it as understandable that Ashley would
with hold transfer funds until Rafa signs a new deal is definitely
the views of an apologist.”
You are such a berk
Everyone else realised I meant that it’s understandable that
a guy of Ashley’s ilk would etc. etc.
Micky
I meant someone who’s in business
toon22
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:42 PM
Comment #31When MAs gone I’ll shut up about him
But I do mean gone with out strings
As I’ve been bleeding on for some time now
Wonder what’s in those accounts
Wonder why nobody will audit his company
Wonder why the old auditor is not n court with SD not co operating with court rulings ?
It’s not because everything’s hunky dory
toon22
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:43 PM
Comment #32JIB you’ve got previous pro MA views
You picking and choosing ?
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:47 PM
Comment #33Did you ask everyone else Jib?
DubaiMicky
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:52 PM
Comment #34Jib, I run an ethical business, from the sourcing to the delivery methods, the packaging, the lot, I also give shares to our employees (we have under 20), and quarterly bonuses/nights out etc.
Most of all, something that is sadly lacking here, I also pay a living wage.
Likening me to an asset stripper is just a little silly.
Jib
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:54 PM
Comment #35I didn’t liken you to anything
you silly paranoid sausage
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:55 PM
Comment #36Wiggle wiggle Jibbery.
Lilongwe Geordie
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:57 PM
Comment #37There is nowt illegal in what True faith have uncovered in that article, but it certainly confirms that Ashley isn’t acting in the best interests of NUFC.
The club should wipe its own nose, and any revenue generated will be put back into the club. Fairly certain those lines have been trotted out before. All good and well – I actually wouldn’t have a problem with that. But given that it doesn’t happen and the revenues that the club could make are reduced by this activity (and all the other well documented activities that limit our revenue) then it is fairly clear that very little happens with the club as the primary consideration.
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 12:58 PM
Comment #38Proving to be the master debater today Jiblets. How lucky we are to have you.
toon22
Oct 11, 2018 at 1:00 PM
Comment #39Does it matter?
Jail for Ashley
Oct 11, 2018 at 1:00 PM
Comment #40It’s ok Lilongwe, the players earn more than he fiddles.