Most fans have realized that the only way back to greatness for Newcastle United FC starts with one crucial step – we need to get rid of owner Mike Ashley.
Surely what he has done since our last game on May 12th shows clearly he has no intention of Newcastle having a top team and he has forced Rafa Benitez out of the club.
Which other Premier League club wouldn’t have given Rafa what he needed to make Newcastle great again?
Not many.
But Ashley wanted to retain control of the transfers and other things – in spite of his singular lack of success over 12 painful years, and so it was goodbye to Benitez.
And just for good measure – after Ayoze Perez had his best season ever for Newcastle scoring 13 goals last term – Ashley has sold him for £30M to Leicester City who will be a club we expected to be fighting next season for a top-eight place.
No such ambitions now.
Ashley has had the club lurching from one catastrophe to another in the 12 long and painful years he has driven Newcastle down to being a very ordinary club with a very mediocre team.
And the owner has not signed a new manager yet – and yet the season starts in four weeks – and it’s also embarrassing that two of our U23 coaches will have to lead the team in the Premier League Asia Cup Trophy in the coming week with two fixtures – one on Wednesday and one on Saturday.
In a summer transfer window which we initially thought would be one of the best for Newcastle in many years, the club is yet to sign one new player.
In fact, a number of our top management choices turned down the job because of Mike Ashley.
And it didn’t take Rafa to tell anyone that Ashley has no ambitions for Newcastle other than to piggyback on top of the world-wide coverage of our home games and advertise Sports Direct to the fullest extent possible.
There are about one million Sports Direct signs at Newcastle – it’s a travesty to have the famous St. James’ Park wrapped in the robes of a company that has such a poor name in the retail industry.
We play six top-six teams in the first 9 league games of the coming season, and after that, we could well be in the bottom three.
Maybe some of the Newcastle fans groups can get together and write an official letter of complaint about the owner, both to the Premier League and to the FA.
After all, what Ashley has done at Newcastle is the opposite of what the fans want; he’s never acted with the best intentions of the club.
We want Newcastle to become a top-six club again, and Mike Ashley has no plans to do that – it would cost too much money?
He’s not thinking of the club at all – he thinks only of Sports Direct and using Newcastle United as a global billboard for his company.
This is not what owners should be doing.
He even seems to be deliberately taking actions that will kill off any ambitions Newcastle fans have left – after so many disappointments in his long tenure and especially since we hammered Fulham 4-0 on May 12th.
It must stop – and we must bring it to the national attention of those responsible for the running of Premier League clubs.
And when was the last time he attended a Newcastle game – how many games has he attended in the previous two seasons?
This is precisely what shouldn’t be allowed to happen to football clubs – be used merely as a pawn to advertise the owner’s other company.
That’s especially true when a club with the stature and rich history of Newcastle United is the club that’s being used in this way.
The possible adverse effect of an official complaint is that Ashley is so mean, selfish, and spiteful that he could attempt to make it even worse for the fans this summer.
That would be difficult but possible.
We need to do things to bring this state of affairs to national attention; then maybe someone will come in and buy Newcastle quickly – and then we’ll have renewed life in the football club.
Comments welcome.
76 comments so far
lesh
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:26 PM
Comment #41Surely the FA and EPL have YouTube and Twitter accounts – which are there for all to see comments about Ashley’s abuse of NUFC, its fans, the media companies that sponsor the game and its participating clubs which are given money to develop and grow them?
Bills Son Is Back
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:26 PM
Comment #42Any fan who signs or partakes in a complaint letter to the FA is totally deluded.
You could write a billion words of slagging MA off and it won’t touch the sides of getting the FA to even consider that he has broken any rules.
All you’ll succeed in doing is making us a laughing stock among other clubs fans.
Yeh… it might get reported on the telly by some geezer keeping a straight face…
But they’ll be rolling in the aisles up and down the country laughing at us.
And they’ll be holding their fat stomachs in mirth at the FA.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:27 PM
Comment #43Surely the club would turn round to any body accusing them of not being competitive and point out where we finished? I’d we weren’t being competitive, what were the teams below us doing?
Ashley needs to go, but we won’t get anywhere by petitioning the league and FA. The focus is so distracted and all efforts are so disjointed still.
Who do you think gets the emails anyway, they’d never get past some low wage admin staff who would just stick them in the junk folder.
Our Toon
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:27 PM
Comment #44Bills son
At least this letter is trying to achieve something, as for the club not having any debts……utter nonsense. The asking price is astronomical because Ashley wants back what he’s put in plus a little extra. It may not be debt in the profit and loss sense but it’s still debt.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:28 PM
Comment #45There’s no harm doing it, but thinking it will have any impact is fantasy.
toon22
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:28 PM
Comment #46Bills
Don’t protest?
Who else might say that kind of thing ?
toon22
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:30 PM
Comment #47It’s cost nothing and people like bills don’t want it
What’s to lose ?
Or maybe you fancy another 12 years of Jabba
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:31 PM
Comment #48Toon22,
Assuming that’s at me. There’s no harm doing it. Thinking it will make a difference to whether or not Ashley is here for 12 more years is fanciful to say the least.
Markaccus
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:32 PM
Comment #49Done my email now as it was fresh in my mind.
I imagine it will be laughed off initially, but if enough do it, then it will at least get them looking in our direction.
Our Toon
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:33 PM
Comment #50Bill’s
Laughing stock? You been living under a rock for a decade.
The circus comes to town under Ashley every 6 months, we are already a laughing stock. Have to say you sound like you agree with Ashley’s methods but if you dont then maybe you just need to get a bit of backbone mate.
Defeatist mentality!!
Bills Son Is Back
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:33 PM
Comment #51Lil earlier, nail on the head.
Our Toon – The asking price is astronomical because Ashley wants back what he’s put in plus a little extra. It may not be debt in the profit and loss sense but it’s still debt.
If that’s what you think debt is you need to have another think.
Anyone selling a house wants back what they’ve put in plus a little extra (as much extra as they can possibly get more like it).
£350M for a Prem club, with serious Sky money, a squad worth £100M+and 52,000 fans??
|Cheap, no. Overpriced, hardly.
GeordieTwo
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:33 PM
Comment #52It’s tough sledding on here and for every supporter right now. We’re rightfully outraged at Ashley’s behaviour but the only thing that might actually change his attitude is a complete boycott. The TV cameras will be merciless. Everyone will see what is happening. There is no way to hide it. A large demonstration outside the ground would help as well. I think Ashley knows this is spiraling downward now. I don’t see any recovery possible from this. He’s shown no ability to change over the last 12 years and now he’s just dug his heels in. Squeeze him harder.
Genjikai
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:34 PM
Comment #53Lesh thats exactly what ive been doing lately.
Commenting on others post and stuff .
Like the other day couldnt believe i was saying good luck to a villa fan as people where saying they are going to be another fulham and he was defending.
Obvs i hijacked the post but put my points across and they started to engage.
They didnt realise what the toon was really like under ashley.
They where shocked to find out this is the second year
We are the 19th richest club in the world.
In the end they were asking where the has the money gone.
Binney
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:35 PM
Comment #54At least it will take us 2 full seasons to be as shite as Sunderland Billy boy!
Our Toon
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:35 PM
Comment #55LG
It’s better than doing nothing, if anything it araises awareness. Any pressure is better than no pressure
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:35 PM
Comment #56There’s nothing to lose, but a more productive idea would be to come up with plans for a structured and targeted protest movement. Get some ideas down in writing, build a focus of specific targets to put pressure on, rather than a scatter gun of everything. Develop different and inclusive ways to demonstrate our anger.
Then, once you’ve done that, send it to all the fans groups, post it on here, publish a link to it on twitter.
Markaccus
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:36 PM
Comment #57LG
I think it’s about being competitive with the means at your disposal. On the surface I am sure Ashley makes it look like we are living within our means and doing the best we can, but I am convinced with deeper inspection they’d see a lot is being held back.
toon kk
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:36 PM
Comment #58We won’t have a club left, or one as we know it if Ash is still here in 12 years.
Bambams
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:37 PM
Comment #59Nothing AshLIE does is accidental or a mistake.
Other PL owners would love our fan base, ‘our one city one club ‘.
AshLIE would rather ruin our club than accept £350 million – it’s been proven.
I also genuinely believe he does not want to sell to a wealthy buyer for fear of embarrassment – without much effort and only a bit of backing, this club once it is ran in a professional way would break into the top four. I have no doubt, we used to be there.
There would be so many comparisons with the ownership of AshLIE that failed, this would not do his business interests any good to show him as an absolute failure.
He knows this.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:38 PM
Comment #60Our Toon,
It may be better than doing nothing, but there are more productive ways to achieve our aims. It only raises awareness if they aren’t just deleted straight away.
Personally, I’m going to try make it back down to London and go to the Orange Tree tomorrow. If Wayayman and the London Mags can build momentum and make this a regular gathering, this is the second time, then that will apply more pressure. More effort, but it’s worth it.
yogz69
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:39 PM
Comment #61We need Ed or Neil to compose a draft letter for everyone to use and all send it. I assume that they are the most articulate on this blog plus send it round your mates as not every toon fan follows this site. Toon22 this is actually a cracking idea!!
GeordieTwo
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:47 PM
Comment #62Boycott Mikey until his nuts fall off. Then squeeze him some more. A letter is fairly feeble surely? It can be tried but what have the Parliamentary ructions with your MP led to? Nothing as far as I can tell. But try it and see. It can’t hurt and it may add to what is already happening. An avalanche starts small but grows fast.
lesh
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:49 PM
Comment #63@41
Youtube?????
Should’ve said Facebook.!
Bills Son Is Back
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:50 PM
Comment #64Our Toon,
Get a bit of backbone??
You’ve got to have one to post what I do.
You don’t need one to post most of the nonsense on here.
onmeedsun
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:51 PM
Comment #65Bills son is back. Agree that we need to balance the books but I may as well be owning the club if all you do is spend what you receive. Other owners spend a little bit on facilities and squad to grow their clubs, and ultimately will end up getting more back when they sell. Ashley expects to get more back (£350m v’s £250m invested) when the club is no longer a top 8 club. We were before he came. This is why he can’t sell. Asking for too much for a club that could get relegated any year. NUFC is the only thing he won’t invest in. If that Debenhams cash had been invested in the club, we’d have top rate facilities, a competitive squad and a world class manager. You then look to build from there. His other failing is his inability to build trusting working relationships with managers. If he could do this his managers would understand why their budgets were set at certain levels and accept it. They just don’t trust him to keep his word due to his track record. Yes you can have £50m plus player sales. Oh, didn’t I tell you that includes their salary over their contract term! He’s just a loathsome human being.
Bills Son Is Back
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:53 PM
Comment #66Ed – Most fans have realized that the only way back to greatness for Newcastle United FC starts with one crucial step – we need to get rid of owner Mike Ashley.
I asked Ed this question… anyone want to have a bash at telling me when the greatness period was.
Serious question.
And Ed…
Seriously….
Can you tell me when this period of ‘greatness’ was.
Winning the Fairs Cup in 1969 but nowt since?
Three FA Cups in 5 years in the early 1950’s but never since?
Winning the league in 1927 but never since?
Even KK and SBR, as good as those years were they can’t be classed as ‘greatness’…
We won nowt then either.
So come on Ed….
When was the greatness you refer to.
Simple question.
GeordieTwo
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:54 PM
Comment #67If you’re going to get at Mike with the FA you’re going to have to uncover serious wrongdoing not just things like: “we don’t like who he wants to appoint as manager” or “he doesn’t have a good transfer policy”. What is the malfeasance you’re trying to uncover? Fiddling NUFC’s books? Tax evasion? You would need a forensic accountant and access to the finances for any of that.
Bills Son Is Back
Jul 13, 2019 at 5:56 PM
Comment #68onmeedsun
I’ve never said we need to balance the books.
What I have said is that we are a financially stable club in the Prem, in the same position and better off financially than when MA Bought us.
So why would the FA consider us a case for investigation?
They won’t.
GeordieTwo
Jul 13, 2019 at 6:02 PM
Comment #69Anyway good luck with whatever you do. Ashley knows this is looking grim again now. If we slide into the relegation positions he’ll have the same problems he has created before. He loses money (lots of it) if we go down, we would be in danger if we didn’t come back up, and now it’s very unlikely he’ll ever get a decent manager to come to us again. It’s really a no-win for him but he has to decide that. Ashley’s options are clearly becoming fewer and fewer. Let’s see if he’s figured that out yet.
Moonraker15
Jul 13, 2019 at 6:05 PM
Comment #70Bills
“We would be a laughingstock” !
I’ve got news for you! We already are because of the attitude of fans like you! This man has no fckin conscience when it comes to money; he has lied to us for years and to all the managers who worked for him.
Every bit of negative publicity hurts him. Remember how he cringed when his employees at the SD warehouse kicked off?
Please don’t knock our efforts to rid the club of this curse.
One thing for sure; your approach will never get rid of him!
Have you got any ideas?
MidlandsMag
Jul 13, 2019 at 6:11 PM
Comment #71twotonearmy@31
I agree. One well-worded letter signed by many may have more impact. There have been some good write-ups at The Mag that have summed our situation up.
Moonraker15
Jul 13, 2019 at 6:22 PM
Comment #72Bills
Greatness is different in the mind of everyone! Not to be confused with successful!
In my mind, when KK was at his peak as a manager and Newcastle United could beat anyone, and I mean anyone, we achieved greatness for a short period. Everything about the club was great at that time; we even broke the world record transfer fee and every player would wish to play for us!
Also SBR gave us greatness through the admiration of the world because he himself was great!
Don’t fckin tell me we’ve never had greatness! Teams have won trophies and never got anywhere near our level.
To us true supporters we’ve had it and we want it again! Cynics like you should support ordinary clubs!
Howay the toon!
bill
Jul 13, 2019 at 6:53 PM
Comment #73A question: do you think NUFC is better off with or without Mike Ashley?
oldarse
Jul 13, 2019 at 7:56 PM
Comment #74Bills Son Is Back this
Dick head is Balooney isn’t it
onmeedsun
Jul 13, 2019 at 11:48 PM
Comment #752 periods of greatness. Edwardian era and the 50’s. And in the periods after both world wars our average crowds were in the top3, and that’s in the days when the club would deliberately understate their attendances for the benefit of the tax man. Good old cash turnstiles! Problem was that these great legacies were never built on due to the small minded idiots who ran the club who simply had no vision. We were up there with ManU, Arsenal and Liverpool. They built lasting legacies. Our lot just argued with the council and lost the rights to host the 66 World Cup. We’d have had a bigger ground when it really mattered, and competed with those other clubs in the 70’s and 80’s, when football started to be televised at home and abroad. We missed the boat. So this club has great potential as it’s never been fulfilled on a sustained basis, but it needs the right leadership to unlock it, and that man is not Ashley! Yes there are other economic factors at play now like living in London etc, but we are a one club city with a city centre location. We are unique as is our mad support. There is no other club in the world who would pull in 52k every game with no trophies for 50 years. This is all part of the NUFC brand, not Sports fu**inf direct. Vision and leadership – simples!
terencelim
Jul 14, 2019 at 4:01 AM
Comment #76Being an Ashley asslicker Bill son has been proven wrong and he thinks saving his face is more important than saving the club