Our Toon reporter stationed in Holland, Alan Devon, suggests Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has some explaining to do.
Alan Devon:
Let's Talk Mr Ashley!
By Nu Mad
Updated Saturday, 5th July 2008
This week saw a slight change of mood on Tyneside after it was anounced Newcastle had made a breakthrough in the transfer market. After months of rumours which at various stages saw the club linked with the likes of Deco, Arshavin and Gomis amongst a host of others, finaly the official site throws out some good news.
Whilst Jonas Gutierrez of Real Mallorca is not exactly what any of us expected it was still music to the Toon Army's ears. Although more has been said about the players ability to don a spiderman mask than his ability to play football, the news was enough to swing the mood of the fans in to one of anticipation of more to come.
Since Chris Mort left his role as club chairman, it has been ridiculously quiet in terms of club-to-fans communication, leaving the London press to dominate proceedings with enough negative articles to send the Toon Army in to mental breakdown. And this is discounting the two days of Joey Barton headlines.
But there are certain stories that just keep on raising their ugly heads and some would argue that there never is, smoke without fire.
Oba Martins, Shay Given, James Milner, Michael Owen and Steven Taylor are the only five players the fans would be deeply disturbed about should the residual reports have any substance to them. There are several others players the Toon Army is fond of but these five are the only ones who would walk in to just about any other teams starting line-up.
It seems quite normal to me that the top clubs would be interested in these players and this is exactly why some sports journalists continue to churn these strories out.
It's easy work isn't it? And I know plenty of journalists that are happy to go out on the friday night, get wasted and sleep in saturday morning happy and content in the knowledge that a timed-email was sent to their editor with a 'one that I made earlier' article that took them about 3 mins to write. And the editor won't question it, since even he probably believes the stories now, the amount of times he's seen them in his inbox.
The Mike Ashley news is the big one for them. It doesn't matter that the club have TWICE denied they are looking for a buyer. Again and again these stories will pop up and they will continue to do so for as long as Mike owns the club.
The reports say that Mike Ashley was offered around 300m for the club. It's been said Mike bought NUFC for 170m and paid off around 80m in debt. It is also said that he TURNED DOWN the offer and infact put a plus 420m price tag on the club and by doing this, reports say he must be selling up. But in fairness, he would be as daft as a brush not to sell for 170m profit after only a year of being at the club and the real truth is, he won't get that much for the club from anyone and he knows it!
The club have said he doesn't want to sell but it obviously hasn't been digested by the press and maybe other investors so he has moved to over-price the club to ward off interest. Toon fans really should not worry at this stage since we only have to look at the re-structuring of the club to see that Mike is here for a good while yet. The new staff structure is still being worked on, a new Acadamy Chief just installed, a new Chairman, a Director of Football, and of course the return of Kevin Keegan.
And this the work of a man who WANTS to sell? If he had wanted to sell he would have just paid off the debt, kept Allardyce in charge and then sold the club so it seems far fetched that he has this hidden masterplan of selling up no sooner has he appointed a whole new team of staff. It's ludicrus!
Having said all of this though one thing still NEEDS to happen. Regardless of Mike Ashley's status as a recluse, he just HAS to come out and put this rubbish to bed once and for all. The fans do NOT DESERVE to be messed around by anyone. These fans are some of the most loyal football fans in the country and in the world. Fans who have stuck by their team through three seasons of humiliation whilst teams with more success in the league are greeted on match days with half full stadiums.
Newcastle United is everything to us. Mike needs to understand the Geordie mentality and he won't get that just from standing in the stands.
To sit back whilst fans wake up every day to more negative press is just not right in my book. His plan to remain based in London is never going to sit well with us and the sooner he realises that the better. The southern press have always bad-mouthed the northern clubs and always will, not for footbal reasons but for their own twisted arrogance towards all things north.
All he has to do is come out and say the club is NOT for sale and that plans are in place to recruit more top players. It's that easy!
And STOP allowing 'club insiders' to tip off the London tabloids about details of meetings....does he not realise that they are only going to twist these statements and turn them in to ammo?
Please Mike, allow us to go on holiday and relax for once!!!
Whilst Jonas Gutierrez of Real Mallorca is not exactly what any of us expected it was still music to the Toon Army's ears. Although more has been said about the players ability to don a spiderman mask than his ability to play football, the news was enough to swing the mood of the fans in to one of anticipation of more to come. Since Chris Mort left his role as club chairman, it has been ridiculously quiet in terms of club-to-fans communication, leaving the London press to dominate proceedings with enough negative articles to send the Toon Army in to mental breakdown. And this is discounting the two days of Joey Barton headlines.
But there are certain stories that just keep on raising their ugly heads and some would argue that there never is, smoke without fire.
Oba Martins, Shay Given, James Milner, Michael Owen and Steven Taylor are the only five players the fans would be deeply disturbed about should the residual reports have any substance to them. There are several others players the Toon Army is fond of but these five are the only ones who would walk in to just about any other teams starting line-up.
It seems quite normal to me that the top clubs would be interested in these players and this is exactly why some sports journalists continue to churn these strories out.
It's easy work isn't it? And I know plenty of journalists that are happy to go out on the friday night, get wasted and sleep in saturday morning happy and content in the knowledge that a timed-email was sent to their editor with a 'one that I made earlier' article that took them about 3 mins to write. And the editor won't question it, since even he probably believes the stories now, the amount of times he's seen them in his inbox.
The Mike Ashley news is the big one for them. It doesn't matter that the club have TWICE denied they are looking for a buyer. Again and again these stories will pop up and they will continue to do so for as long as Mike owns the club.
The reports say that Mike Ashley was offered around 300m for the club. It's been said Mike bought NUFC for 170m and paid off around 80m in debt. It is also said that he TURNED DOWN the offer and infact put a plus 420m price tag on the club and by doing this, reports say he must be selling up. But in fairness, he would be as daft as a brush not to sell for 170m profit after only a year of being at the club and the real truth is, he won't get that much for the club from anyone and he knows it!
The club have said he doesn't want to sell but it obviously hasn't been digested by the press and maybe other investors so he has moved to over-price the club to ward off interest. Toon fans really should not worry at this stage since we only have to look at the re-structuring of the club to see that Mike is here for a good while yet. The new staff structure is still being worked on, a new Acadamy Chief just installed, a new Chairman, a Director of Football, and of course the return of Kevin Keegan.
And this the work of a man who WANTS to sell? If he had wanted to sell he would have just paid off the debt, kept Allardyce in charge and then sold the club so it seems far fetched that he has this hidden masterplan of selling up no sooner has he appointed a whole new team of staff. It's ludicrus!
Having said all of this though one thing still NEEDS to happen. Regardless of Mike Ashley's status as a recluse, he just HAS to come out and put this rubbish to bed once and for all. The fans do NOT DESERVE to be messed around by anyone. These fans are some of the most loyal football fans in the country and in the world. Fans who have stuck by their team through three seasons of humiliation whilst teams with more success in the league are greeted on match days with half full stadiums.
Newcastle United is everything to us. Mike needs to understand the Geordie mentality and he won't get that just from standing in the stands.
To sit back whilst fans wake up every day to more negative press is just not right in my book. His plan to remain based in London is never going to sit well with us and the sooner he realises that the better. The southern press have always bad-mouthed the northern clubs and always will, not for footbal reasons but for their own twisted arrogance towards all things north.
All he has to do is come out and say the club is NOT for sale and that plans are in place to recruit more top players. It's that easy!
And STOP allowing 'club insiders' to tip off the London tabloids about details of meetings....does he not realise that they are only going to twist these statements and turn them in to ammo?
Please Mike, allow us to go on holiday and relax for once!!!
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