The Northern Echo is reporting today they think that three interested parties have held talks with Mike Ashley over the last couple of months.
Two of those parties have entered into non-disclosure agreements so they can take a deep dive and look at Newcastle financial records.
They must keep what they find confidential and not disclose what the information to anyone – the definition of a non-disclosure.
Mike Ashley in his interview with Sky Sports last night said the talks with some party were “at a more progressed stage than they have ever been.”
Arthur Blank – potential new owner of Newcastle
It could be that Ashley broke the news to get other potential investors involved which will help raise the price he can sell Newcastle for and also should quicken the sale of the club.
Ashley also said he would like to get the deal closed before January, but if the talks are not at a really advanced stage that will not happen.
It’s also going to important for Newcastle to get back to their winning ways becasue a move up the table will very much help a takeover.
Arthur Blank, the New York billionaire is one person said to be interested in buying Newcastle outright with his own funds.
But the Northern Echo report he is not one of two parties who have signed disclosure forms.
Here is an excerpt from the Northern Echo report:
“There are at least three interested parties have held discussions with Ashley and his representatives in the last two months, with at least two signing non-disclosure agreements.”
“Blank is not believed to be involved with any of the groups that have signed NDAs with Newcastle officials.”
And Ashley’s surprise comments could have been an attempt to ascertain just how serious his interest is.”
Hopefully, the three interested parties will move quickly with one of the interested parties doing the deal as soon as possible.
It will be fantastic news for Newcastle fans if the new owners present themselves before the end of the year.
But there’s a lot of hope in that comment.
Comments welcome.
50 comments so far
Lindisfarne
Dec 4, 2018 at 10:57 AM
Comment #1Unfortunately Pepe is right, the owner has no intention of selling. Distraction, division and disruption are his game.
Moonraker15
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:03 AM
Comment #2Lindisfarne
I share your caution re takeover but surely Ashley couldn’t get away with it again after going on SSN!
He would lose all credibility if he now doesn’t sell !
ShirebrookToon
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:05 AM
Comment #3If it turns out to be another lie and no takeover materialises and it’s the 1st of Feb and we haven’t made any investment in Jan. All hell will break loose
Lindisfarne
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:05 AM
Comment #4There are always ‘other interested parties’ in the background, they are there to hurry any potential new owner into signing up to a shell without the commercial and merchandising revenue.
Rotonda heights
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:07 AM
Comment #5moonraker
sports direct named and shamed as uk’s most loathed retailer and ashley himself as worst pl club owner.
the guy has zero class and just doesn’t give a rats what anyone thinks.
Lindisfarne
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:07 AM
Comment #6“every last penny”
ShirebrookToon
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:08 AM
Comment #7“It’s not wallpaper”
ShirebrookToon
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:08 AM
Comment #8“I’m not Santa Claus”
beermonkey
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:10 AM
Comment #9All he has to do a week before the end of the window is claim they were tyre kickers and didn’t have the money to take us forward no time to improve the squad apart from last min loans
It’s the perfect window for Ashley
As the frog keeps telling us its not ashleys fault
Rotonda heights
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:10 AM
Comment #10shirebrook
no it won’t. we’ve proved as a fanbase we are not united and some are seemingly happy for ashley to carry on in his own sweet way and won’t make any waves at all.
Veltman
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:11 AM
Comment #11Jesper – can you tell me why you said I was easily conned the other day?Was thinking about it this morning out of blue.
As for the green thing,I won’t worry about him anymore.Let him jump and drum as he pleases.I think I found out his true color.When more people/the right people expose and find out,they will put him in his place.But if he bothers you in some way,I am happy to give my lending hand.We need to stick together.
That is what I learnt in the last few weeks.
Rotonda heights
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:11 AM
Comment #12”i’m not god”
Lindisfarne
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:12 AM
Comment #13No one should believe a single word the owner says, he has continuously told half (if not 1/5) truths and knows that he can not be held accountable. I would guess that he will make another profit in this transfer window, maybe selling Lascelles to Man U and then look to sell in the summer, or not.
ShirebrookToon
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:12 AM
Comment #14Rotonda
Exactly. Just re read my post and the eye roll emoji 🙄 didn’t appear. The comment was meant to be sarcastic
😳
ShirebrookToon
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:13 AM
Comment #15“I’m a power drinker”
ShirebrookToon
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:14 AM
Comment #16“I know how to save the high street retailers”
ShirebrookToon
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:15 AM
Comment #17“Grab the bulls by the horns”
Lindisfarne
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:21 AM
Comment #18“the club needs to be self sufficient” whilst diverting funding into SD.
RobLeenio
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:25 AM
Comment #19“We need to stick together”
Oh, no – that was Veltman, who alienated half the blog with his rampant bigotry the other day.
RobLeenio
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:26 AM
Comment #20“Bleurkckckck” – that’s our saviour Ashley, as he puts out yet another fire.
hibbit
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:26 AM
Comment #21well put together worth a read !!!
https://www.themag.co.uk/2018/12/mike-ashley-talking-to-2-interested-newcastle-buyers-and-explained-why-he-went-off-script-in-sky-interview-report-newcastle-united/
Veltman
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Comment #22Robleenio – that messages applies to you too if you are interested.
hibbit
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:33 AM
Comment #23The frog will have a field day if this one goes pear shaped 😀
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:36 AM
Comment #24So I take it he has just pocketed all the tv money for this season and then wants to sell for 300 million ? So really it will be 400 odd million he gets ?
Is that everything back to the club though merchandise ,crest,stadium etc?
What about the player instalment money that we receive every window for players that we haven’t seen the benefit of in strengthening the team ?
Jib
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:40 AM
Comment #25Saturday, March 23rd is an International weekend
and NUFC have invited Newcastle Falcons Rugby
to play their fixture against Sale Sharks at SJP
at 17.30.
For anyone who has never attended a first class
Rugby Union fixture I thoroughly recommend it.
Last season e record cowd of over 30,000 watched
the Falcons beat Northampton Saints 25 – 22
It would be great if that could be exceeded
Entry starts from just £10 for adults and £5 for children
Jail for Ashley
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:41 AM
Comment #26He doesn’t need an excuse not to invest in January. he didn’t have one in the summer, he just didn’t invest. A group of people were so peed off about that they formed TMG, other fans decided to mock these people as a waste of time and even turned on them. Why does he need an excuse not to invest he just won’t if he feels he doesn’t have to. It’s more like that small group of protesters got up his nose and annoyed him so he pulls off this stunt to wind us all up.
Jail for Ashley
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:45 AM
Comment #27LCBP,
Aye, the Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Mitrovich money, is that to an umbrella company or to us. he’s got no intentions of selling.
Moonraker15
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:45 AM
Comment #28Rotunda
The fan base is united in their opinion about Ashley. They are just not united on actions but make no mistake they will all unite in support of a new owner. You do us a mis service re being “happy” with Ashley!
RobLeenio
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:46 AM
Comment #29LCBP, I guess these are all details that need to be worked out.
I think the club crest is not so much of an issue – all a new owner would have to do is change one of the colours slightly and all of a sudden there’s a new crest, identical to the old one but different for copywrite purposes.
More important to me is the removal of Sports Direct as a malign influence on the club, the stadium, the shop and the online store and the return of the Strawberry Place deeds. How much all that would cost a new owner, I have no idea. The contracts with SD will need to be paid up in full, for instance, as they are independent of Ashley’s ownership of the club (SD being a separate legal identity).
Also the corkage rights, in-stadium food concessions, proceeds from programme sales, all these things which Ashley has nicked over the years.
Jail for Ashley
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:48 AM
Comment #30Jiblets,
Was that a first class fixture I was at against the Wasps, it was ok but I’m not quite sure if it was first class mind.
hibbit
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:51 AM
Comment #31Rotunda
other than the odd few on here.
i don’t know one fan that’s happy with Ashley either in the ground or in the city not one
Jail for Ashley
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:52 AM
Comment #32*small in group of protesters in London yesterday.
Jail for Ashley
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:55 AM
Comment #33hibbitt,
There’s a lad does the away games, he’s happy with Ashley, I remember ‘discussing’ the subject with him when Carver was in charge at Hull, 3-0 or 3-1, he said we’ll never be relegated while Ashley was owner, that was his proud boast. He denied he said it that Wednesday night in Barnsley.
Jib
Dec 4, 2018 at 11:58 AM
Comment #34Jail
First class refers to the level of the event
not the entertainment value.
Clearly for folk who have little idea of the
laws of Rugby it’s not quite as enjoyable.
However if you only slightly enjoyed your
Kingston Park experience I feel sure the
enjoyment at SJP will be greater.
hibbit
Dec 4, 2018 at 12:03 PM
Comment #35fair do’s Jail but i’ve not come across one, must be few and far between
RobLeenio
Dec 4, 2018 at 12:05 PM
Comment #36Jail “he said we’ll never be relegated while Ashley was owner” – if this is the level of ambition folk have, then heaven help us.
On your note on the protests in London yesterday, well done to anyone who managed to get out during the working week and get the NUFC voice heard once more. I bet it was a surprise to Ashley to see anyone there and can’t have been easy to organise on short notice, so a great effort.
I do feel these small, agile and persistent, up close and personal demonstrations are more effective than anything in the ground, while also being completely isolated from the team.
The next Mike Williamson
Dec 4, 2018 at 12:19 PM
Comment #37I said at the start of the season it looks like he’s pocketing the 50-100m (approx) transfer surplus and knocking the asking price down by the same amount. It was a gamble, but with BEnitez at the helm and a January window to put things right if necessary he seems to have took that risk. If it works, thank God. Seems he might have played his cards right assuming he does want out. I reckon if no bidder is serious enough he will spend the surplus and try the same trick again next summer.
The next Mike Williamson
Dec 4, 2018 at 12:25 PM
Comment #38I don’t usually go in for the conspiracies, but I do think there might be a bit one-upmanship on the magpie group with this announcement. I agree with Jail that it’s not necessary for him to do this as the magpie group messed their move up. If it was a game of chess they’ve blew it by having a demo during a 3 game winning streak. It should have been cancelled. They’ve already lost the game but this is a hammer blow from Ashley to his enemies. He seems quite vindictive and I can imagine he’ll get pleasure from seeing them flop.
bettyswallocks
Dec 4, 2018 at 12:34 PM
Comment #39TNMW…………. So are you suggesting there is no sale in the offing ?
Optimistic Panda
Dec 4, 2018 at 12:35 PM
Comment #40Canny article in the Mag about Ashley etc, I’d post a link but it upsets some