Mike Ashley

[Burgess Hill Seagulls]

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Newcastle | Mike Ashley statement

After reading this can you help not feeling sorry for him? Or is it just me!?

 

[Fatboy Quim]

i was about to say exactly the same thing. I don't know why particularly, but I do feel for the man. I think he has definitley been beaten by his naivity rather than any maliciousness and I do believe it when he says he has the clubs best interests at heart.

I am however waiting for someone to tell me my sympathy is misplaced and why.

 

[Beach Hut]

Feel very sorry for him, puts in a lot his own money and gets total grief.

 

[Fatboy Quim]

"I am now a dad that cannot take his son to the football as I am advised there is a risk of being assaulted"

"There is no need to demonstrate against me again. I have got the message"

Very good PR or genuine sadness??

 

[clippedgull]

He should just send them into receivership, then they might just appreciate what they have lost!

 

[timbha]

typical Geordie reaction to everything - blame the bosses!

KK gives the impression of being one of the lads, a true Geordie, a down trodden worker, etc, etc - we'll probably never know the true deal that was agreed when MA took him on but I bet it wasn't that KK would have total control over signing and selling players.

 

[Fatboy Quim]

He should just send them into receivership, then they might just appreciate what they have lost!

but the Newcastle fans are the greatest and most loyal in the land, y'know

 

[Bluejuice]

He's not blameless but I do see his point.

If Dick Knight had put the sort of money he's ploughed into Newcastle into our club and was getting this sort of shit for it I'd be pretty disappointed for our fan base.

It's difficult to relate to it when our club hasn't had competitive money behind it in many many years.

The loaded statement that I think will tug on the heart strings most is:

I have really loved taking my kids to the games, being next to them and all the fans. But I am now a dad who can't take his kids to a football game on a Saturday because I am advised that we would be assaulted. Therefore, I am no longer prepared to subsidise Newcastle United.


and I must admit I feel for him there. It is a sad state of affairs that he can't take his kids to St James' Park anymore, and it isn't like he's done a Bill Archer and REALLY f***ed over his club. It's a different kettle of fish altogether.

Sometimes I think other football fans need to put things into perspective. The man has pumped shedloads of money into a failing business model and because he has failed to keep the club's darlings happy he is suddenly reviled as a monster.

Well if splashing ridiculous sums of money on world class players is reason to hate your chairman then might I suggest Ashley comes down to the south coast where I would personally welcome him with open arms.

 

[Fatboy Quim]

He's not blameless but I do see his point.

If Dick Knight had put the sort of money he's ploughed into Newcastle into our club and was getting this sort of shit for it I'd be pretty disappointed for our fan base.

It's difficult to relate to it when our club hasn't had competitive money behind it in many many years.

The loaded statement that I think will tug on the heart strings most is:

I have really loved taking my kids to the games, being next to them and all the fans. But I am now a dad who can't take his kids to a football game on a Saturday because I am advised that we would be assaulted. Therefore, I am no longer prepared to subsidise Newcastle United.


and I must admit I feel for him there. It is a sad state of affairs that he can't take his kids to St James' Park anymore, and it isn't like he's done a Bill Archer and REALLY f***ed over his club. It's a different kettle of fish altogether.

Sometimes I think other football fans need to put things into perspective. The man has pumped shedloads of money into a failing business model and because he has failed to keep the club's darlings happy he is suddenly reviled as a monster.

Well if splashing ridiculous sums of money on world class players is reason to hate your chairman then might I suggest Ashley comes down to the south coast where I would personally welcome him with open arms.

I agree with all of that, a real sense of perspective is lacking here

 

[cjwoolven]

yeah, i agree with that too... cant help but feel sorry for the guy.

 

[Timbo]

Newcastle fans are turning into knob jockeys of the 1st degree. They're just another run of the mill football club who are having a decent spell at the moment and all of a sudden they all think they're Barcelona. Get over yourselves for fucks sake. Ask a Scarborough supporter if they would have minded someone putting up £130 million for nothing in return.

 

[Bozza]

The problem is that Newcastle fans will not see it that he has put much into the club. Or maybe didn't until today, anyway.

After buying the club, it seems most of Ashley's cash has gone on reducing and servicing prior debts. Fans probably weren't aware of this and would only be looking at the big names, signing, and good players leaving when they made their "how much cash is Ashley spending" appraisal.

I can't believe there were many who had any awareness of £250m having been pumped into the club by Ashley.

 

[Bluejuice]

But the Michael Owen deal was widely known to be a very good wage for a player who was desperate to leave his club at the time, and I don't think there are many teams in the Premiership who would have been disappointed to see him turn up

 

[Mr Burns]

I hope he sells it to the highest bidder, and Newcastle fall flat on their faces, because if any set of fans deserve to be screwed over and totally f***ed up, its Newcastle.

I was told a little while ago by someone who knows him quite well, that Kevin Keegan is a quote "backstabbing weasel". He is and I quote again, "all smiles to the camera, but behind the scenes he's a f***ing ****".

NOw, I personally can see that in Keegan, in the way he behaves on camera, and I think he might have met his match here.

But other than Palace, I would love to see a NEwcastle do a Leeds United, 'cause that what the majority of their whining fans deserve!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It very much sums up the whole pantomine that masquerades as the best league in the world. I feel sorry for Ashley. Did the Newcastle fans bother to find out what he had done for the club, before going ape?

 

[El Presidente]

I hope he sells it to the highest bidder, and Newcastle fall flat on their faces, because if any set of fans deserve to be screwed over and totally f***ed up, its Newcastle.

I was told a little while ago by someone who knows him quite well, that Kevin Keegan is a quote "backstabbing weasel". He is and I quote again, "all smiles to the camera, but behind the scenes he's a f***ing ****".

NOw, I personally can see that in Keegan, in the way he behaves on camera, and I think he might have met his match here.

But other than Palace, I would love to see a NEwcastle do a Leeds United, 'cause that what the majority of their whining fans deserve!

I get the impression you would 'love it' if they got relegated Mr B!

 

[Easy 10]

Ashley apparently had NO IDEA they were still paying off transfer fees for some of the players at the club, and didn't realise that when a club agrees a fee of x million for a player, the cash doesn't change hands overnight but is usually fixed over a certain period - this apparently came as something of a shock to him after he'd bought the club, and was a financial burden he simply had not factored in.

Seems there were a few things not in the brochure. A victim of his own ego and naivity.

 

[Rowdey]

Ashley apparently had NO IDEA they were still paying off transfer fees for some of the players at the club, and didn't realise that when a club agrees a fee of x million for a player, the cash doesn't change hands overnight but is usually fixed over a certain period - this apparently came as something of a shock to him after he'd bought the club, and was a financial burden he simply had not factored in.

Seems there were a few things not in the brochure. A victim of his own ego and naivity.

Seems incredible considering he's a Multi-Millionaire businessman... Basic stuff on the checklist when buying a company isn't it..

A fool and his money...

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

I think its a lot about naivety and I think he has been 'played' by Keegan and Wise against each other. Think he's a genuine nice guy.

But again I say... Fans shouldn't be owners.

 

[Brightonfan1983]

Despite what Newcastle fans think, they ARE where they belong - mid-table, a bit shit for a club of their size. If any club had their fans, it too would have gone through umpteen managers in a very short amount of time.

Wish they'd stop moaning. Wish they'd get relegated to be honest, that'd kick some reality into them.