Yesterday, former Roma owner James Pallotta made some intriguing comments about his pursuit of a new club. The American businessman sold his stake in Roma last summer and admitted that owning a Premier League club interests him.
He actually referenced Newcastle by name as the type of club he’d like to pursue, one with a rich history and great fanbase. He also jokingly said he’d already put in an offer for Newcastle before quickly making it clear he was kidding.
However, Pallotta’s statement does little but increase speculation about Newcastle’s future, especially while our Premier League status remains uncertain. While Ashley is still reportedly desperate to sell Newcastle, it appears he’s only focused on one deal at the moment.
The Northern Echo is reporting that Ashley has all of his eggs in the Saudi takeover basket. He remains fully committed to resurrecting the deal he agreed upon this time last year.
As Ashley sees it, he’s agreed to this deal and it should have been signed off by the Premier League. For reasons that reek of politics, the Premier League slow-rolled their owners’ and directors’ tests while asserting that the Saudi state must provide paperwork as an entity of the consortium.
That is where the standstill remains with Ashley pursuing legal options to get the takeover back on track. However, at this point, it seems unlikely but I’m primarily taking that approach to shield against further bitter disappointment.
The reason why this consortium – which consists of the Saudi PIF, Amanda Staveley’s PCP Partners, and the Reuben Brothers- remains so enticing to Mike Ashley is simply that they have the funds to meet his asking price.
After the first attempt by Amanda Staveley, Peter Kenyon and GACP Sports, Henry Mauriss, and BZG among others, Mike Ashley has found the group that can meet his demands. He seems bound and determined to fight for this takeover until all potential avenues are exhausted.
320 comments so far
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:36 PM
Comment #81You beat me to a couple of points there Jail, while I was writing mine đ
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:37 PM
Comment #82tackle …
yep we did, did we enslave them nope we stole all their oil though …
Munster Mag
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:38 PM
Comment #83Oi Tom you forgot the Irish famine!
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:38 PM
Comment #84cleveleysbob,
“When two tribes go to war”
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:38 PM
Comment #85Just wait till the Vogons get here and build their highway – then you’ll see some genocide.
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:39 PM
Comment #86munster …
nope mate i didnt its in that list i put on , click the link and you’ll see it …
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:40 PM
Comment #87Tackle, yep letâs get that little blue planet Earth out of the way 1st. Thatâll teach em! đ
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:41 PM
Comment #88I think the Vogons would be marginally worse than Ashley to be fair.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:42 PM
Comment #89I hope Wilson is back for Sunday.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:42 PM
Comment #90Tfb,
Have you read the book.
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:44 PM
Comment #91were you the school teachers pet ? …
Wor B
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:44 PM
Comment #92I want the Mayan’s.
Folk not pulling their weight in the club will soon have their heeds bouncing down a step pyramid.
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:45 PM
Comment #93Jail
Read some of it, but then watched the TV series.
Not a big reader really.
stan anderson
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:45 PM
Comment #94Aye we Brits have a dark history.
Good in some ways but fn evil in many.
Even against our own people at times.
Not proud of our history.
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:48 PM
Comment #95I suppose, as we seem transfixed by relatively recent events, I should have included Persian/Gaul/Macedonian/Byzantine/Ottoman/Greek, the list is endless, our ravages whilst appalling, pale into insignificance to what went before us.
Also, we taught, modernised and introduced governmental reforms to most parts of the Empire. All those before us (apart from possibly the Romans) just laid waste and pillaged everywhere.
History is great, but itâs too easy to get fixated on âshort termâ events.
In global historic terms, the British Empire was a blink of the eye.
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:50 PM
Comment #96cleveleysbob
you missed the Vikings off your list đ
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:50 PM
Comment #97Tackle/Jail, I loved the TV series, Marvin the paranoid Android creased me up đ
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:51 PM
Comment #98GT and the Goths and a great many others no doubt đ
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:51 PM
Comment #99geordietom,
I already answered you, I thought you didn’t want to go round in circles? I know why that is, it’s because you’d spend all footin day looking for the corner đ
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:51 PM
Comment #100GT
Vikings, not really an empire – more of a horde.
Their speciality was to merge rather than take over.
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:52 PM
Comment #101Youâve got to love this blog, from Saudi ownership to world history lessons in a flash, bloody great đ
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:54 PM
Comment #102C/bob
all via Hitchhikers Guide and Wilson’s fitness update.
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:55 PM
Comment #103NOW NOW jail no need to swear is there , whats up did i hit a sore point ?
simon376
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:55 PM
Comment #104Thanks Mund, know you can do your stuff on twitter
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:56 PM
Comment #105In America, we didnât introduce war to them, the tribes had been fighting each other for 100âs of years before the Europeans turned up.
What we did, was introduce them to guns! Look how thatâs gone!
simon376
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:56 PM
Comment #106How about Retro Newcastle or Newcastle United a look back in Tyne
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:56 PM
Comment #107GOTHS dont like their music …
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:58 PM
Comment #108jail …
can you refresh my memory i must of missed your answer , a simple yes or no will suffice …
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:59 PM
Comment #109Or were you a lowly milk monitor ?
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 4:59 PM
Comment #110Good name for a band that, just realised I wrote âGT and the Gothsâ
Some potential for heavy metal there đ
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:02 PM
Comment #111GT
That site link you put up about the various empires is based on a public voting system.
Us being 2nd is not a true appraisal in reality.
Not saying we weren’t bad as an empire – just not as bad as made out on there.
cleveleysbob
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:02 PM
Comment #112Simon I like the 2nd suggestion. I think youâve got to get the club name in or people will think itâs a fashion channel đ
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:04 PM
Comment #113cleveleysbob,
The Indian tribes were just descendants of the Mongol tribes who’s ancestors carried on fighting each other until the Chinese, Russians and others wiped all them out. It’s been never ending. Even the seemingly peaceful Aboriginie tribes used to fight each other over territory.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:06 PM
Comment #114OK, geordietom I’ll keep it really simple, just for you, no that’s spelled N O, ok đ
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:07 PM
Comment #115tackle …
after reading back on that article i think you maybe right , seems like theres a lot of people out there dont like us …
simon376
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:08 PM
Comment #116Bob just set up an account on youtube for retronewcastlealookbackintyne
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:08 PM
Comment #117Simon
Toon Recall
Match of the Yesterday
Old Toon Times
Golden Toons
Gather all the suggestions, keep putting them together and mixing them up – something will come out of it all.
Tackle from behind
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:10 PM
Comment #118The Eskimo Empire didn’t get too far.
They tried invading but it got too warm and their houses all melted.
geordietom
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:10 PM
Comment #119well if thats a no how about pencil sharpener monitor …
onmeedsun
Apr 6, 2021 at 5:10 PM
Comment #120Cleverlys Bob
Would be nice to think that depriving the club of income would force Ashley to sell. But he would just cut costs to fit the lower income and we would be even less competitive. And no one would come close to meeting his ÂŁ300m asking price.
I hate the guy but our best chance of getting a better owner is to keep the club in the PL and for any prospective owner to see the magnificence of our support. So we have to keep going, as hard as that is.