Which throws up major concerns as regards 'who would fund the club when - like NOW - someone has to find £25m to keep the club alive?'
Chris Hughton has praised Ashley for saving us from a similar situation that Portsmouth find themselves in.
Newcastle still have an annual wage bill of around £40million, which is massive by Championship standards, despite seeing their income slashed by relegation.
Hughton: "That's an indication of where we are at this moment.
"We are a club in this division with a very high wage bill, and that's something we have all been aware of.
"You have got an owner who is still having to put money into the club and that's reassuring because at the moment, what we want to be doing is concentrating on the football.
"There are going to be issues that have to be addressed, and the owner is addressing them."