madras

It's like she's said FFS I need to write an article about something, how can I slag off Newcastle this week? Oh aye I'll use the JFK thing and how wonderful Keano is with the press. Pathetic I tell ya. sums up a lot of this country. he may have swung a punch at someone,and set out with the intention of finishing a fellow professionals career with an act of actual bodily harm but he gives good interview therefore he's a good guy.

It's a shame Ashley's mantra is I'd rather give a Director of Football £0 than a good manager £0 and yet it's known that he had a club record bid accepted for a player and paid a club record for a defender. aren't we getting back into the area where we don't actually know what happened. That's never stopped UV before. I know we've had a net spend of around £10m under Ashley in 3 transfer windows. If you missed it, that's what's happened. Edit: Which club record bid was accepted? I hope we're not getting back into the area where we don't actually know what happened. modric. even keegan said they had accepted the bid.

care to tell us what he done wrong ?

It's a shame Ashley's mantra is I'd rather give a Director of Football £0 than a good manager £0 and yet it's known that he had a club record bid accepted for a player and paid a club record for a defender. aren't we getting back into the area where we don't actually know what happened.

Aye, as a mechanism for supplying instant success it has proved sadly deficient. As a mechanism for supplying almost instant relegation though, it's proving worryingly efficient. that i suppose we'll have to wait and see (and hope not). i still feel we were closer to relegation under allardyce than we are now. For largely the same reason - lack of investment in the squad. (Though I never wanted Allardyce and think he would never have succeeded). alan smith and joey barton were a canny price. there may have been a lack of investment but nothing compared to the abysmal managing. i've said before along the lines of "i'd rather give a good manager £10million than a s**** one £50million.

Aye, as a mechanism for supplying instant success it has proved sadly deficient. As a mechanism for supplying almost instant relegation though, it's proving worryingly efficient. that i suppose we'll have to wait and see (and hope not). i still feel we were closer to relegation under allardyce than we are now.

we're above spurs................which i'm sure everyone would have settled for at the start of the season

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years. Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years. Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly. Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently. I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year. Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme. But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ? you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it. It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again]. I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do. Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club. THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out. Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke. We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too. But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are. that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.) we'd been going backwards since robson's penultimate full season but you can't admit this. no. At the end of the day, we finished 7th. What are you trying to demean it for ? Anyone would think you had some sort of personal agenda ? Please tell us if you think the new board will ever finish 7th, never mind qualify for the Champs League, never mind europe more than anybody but 4 teams, 2 FA Cup Finals, and create a level of expectancy and hope that fills the ground every home game. because i'm honest. ask any mackem if the 2 seasons they finished 7th were equally as good ? no because in the first one they were good and strong in the second one they were cack,like us when we finished 7th. the season we finished 5th under robson how far behind the previous seasons nufc was that team ?....light years !,not merely 2 places. tell you what i don't know if the new the new board would allow the club to drop from third to 13th,but i know a one that defintly would,racking up debt in the process and not looking like turning it round. ps. you know my feelings about cup competitions........nice day out but they don't prove you are a good team. pps... you mustn't have read my previous post about the hall/shepherd era until the end of 2002/3 being the best in my time other wise you wouldn't have used cup finals,champs lge etc as justification FOR WHAT CAME AFTER. 7th in the league. A position achieved only once in 3 decades prior to 1992. What has happened since ? Do you think we will finish 7th under soopa mikes master plan ? i couldn't see it happening the way we were headed under the previous regime either. certainly not with allardyce. (have you included mcfauls 8th in there as it was when the top division had more teams in so ,fair enough we would have had more teams above us but ,perversly,more teams below us aswell) no, you raised the point, so I said 7th. Anybody who saw that season, knows that it was a "blip", because selling Gazza and Beardsley almost certainly condemned the club to having no chance of repeating it. Fact is, as I said, it was only bettered once in almost 40 years until the Halls and Shepherd came in. Why do you keep arguing about solid facts like this ? But that was Newcastle in those days. Completely different to the club that the Halls and Shepherd turned it into ? Correct ? how was that a blip and roeders 7th wasn't ? right then,how many times do i have to say ...HALL/SHEPHERD TURNED US INTO A CRACKING TEAM THE BEST I'VE SEEN IN MY TIME. but thats not where fred left us was it ? and my opinion is that we were going backwards and looked unlikely to turn it round....understand now where i'm coming from ?

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years. Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years. Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly. Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently. I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year. Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme. But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ? you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it. It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again]. I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do. Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club. THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out. Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke. We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too. But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are. that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.) we'd been going backwards since robson's penultimate full season but you can't admit this. no. At the end of the day, we finished 7th. What are you trying to demean it for ? Anyone would think you had some sort of personal agenda ? Please tell us if you think the new board will ever finish 7th, never mind qualify for the Champs League, never mind europe more than anybody but 4 teams, 2 FA Cup Finals, and create a level of expectancy and hope that fills the ground every home game. because i'm honest. ask any mackem if the 2 seasons they finished 7th were equally as good ? no because in the first one they were good and strong in the second one they were cack,like us when we finished 7th. the season we finished 5th under robson how far behind the previous seasons nufc was that team ?....light years !,not merely 2 places. tell you what i don't know if the new the new board would allow the club to drop from third to 13th,but i know a one that defintly would,racking up debt in the process and not looking like turning it round. ps. you know my feelings about cup competitions........nice day out but they don't prove you are a good team. pps... you mustn't have read my previous post about the hall/shepherd era until the end of 2002/3 being the best in my time other wise you wouldn't have used cup finals,champs lge etc as justification FOR WHAT CAME AFTER. 7th in the league. A position achieved only once in 3 decades prior to 1992. What has happened since ? Do you think we will finish 7th under soopa mikes master plan ? i couldn't see it happening the way we were headed under the previous regime either. certainly not with allardyce. (have you included mcfauls 8th in there as it was when the top division had more teams in so ,fair enough we would have had more teams above us but ,perversly,more teams below us aswell)

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years. Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years. Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly. Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently. I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year. Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme. But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ? you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it. It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again]. I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do. Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club. THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out. Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke. We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too. But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are. that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.) we'd been going backwards since robson's penultimate full season but you can't admit this. no. At the end of the day, we finished 7th. What are you trying to demean it for ? Anyone would think you had some sort of personal agenda ? Please tell us if you think the new board will ever finish 7th, never mind qualify for the Champs League, never mind europe more than anybody but 4 teams, 2 FA Cup Finals, and create a level of expectancy and hope that fills the ground every home game. because i'm honest. ask any mackem if the 2 seasons they finished 7th were equally as good ? no because in the first one they were good and strong in the second one they were cack,like us when we finished 7th. the season we finished 5th under robson how far behind the previous seasons nufc was that team ?....light years !,not merely 2 places. tell you what i don't know if the new the new board would allow the club to drop from third to 13th,but i know a one that defintly would,racking up debt in the process and not looking like turning it round. ps. you know my feelings about cup competitions........nice day out but they don't prove you are a good team. pps... you mustn't have read my previous post about the hall/shepherd era until the end of 2002/3 being the best in my time other wise you wouldn't have used cup finals,champs lge etc as justification FOR WHAT CAME AFTER.

lets spin it. we must be top of the negativity league

If we have the level of injuries this season that we did that season (and don't do something about it in January), there's absolutely no way we wont get relegated, regardless of who the manager is. That's how much we've "strengthened" the squad under "Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner". we didn't have those injuries all season and we were pretty crap even with a fit squad . i'll go on record as saying the hall/shepherd board until the end of 2002/3 has been the best i've known. but since then it's been a nose dive and a one from which i couldn't see that board pulling round.

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years. Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years. Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly. Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently. I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year. Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme. But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ? you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it. It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again]. I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do. Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club. THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out. Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke. We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too. But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are. that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.) we'd been going backwards since robson's penultimate full season but you can't admit this.

Muck you need to learn to read properly. Whoever's FAULT it was, the present global financial situation will impact on every industry and especially those financed in the way Premiership football is. Ashley's proposed structure looks increasingly sensible with what is going on, whether that was by foresight or accident. Even Manu, Chelsea etc will be looking very carefully at their books and spending in the near future. Clubs in debt and operating with disproportionate salary bills could be in big trouble before long. yep, every business should look at their spending in a recession, a lot of them that will go under as they stop investing and give their competitors an advantage. Speculate to accumulate, NUFC clearly haven’t recently, but his has to be done – albeit sensibly. But the Hall/Shepherd way was to the other extreme. “Ashley's proposed structure looks increasingly sensible with what is going on, whether that was by foresight or accident.” sorry, to me and many others he’s out of his depth running a football club and is going back to what he knows best. He should keep away from gambling on shares in banks as well – stick to nylon sportswear and trainers. on the back of the papers reporting his losses. do you think this was his one forray into that area or had he done it before and profited (but not reported as "billionaire makes more money" isn't really a catchy headline) There have been many headlines about Ashley making wads of money, only related to his sportswear empire, as well as with the roulette wheel – along with the banking investment not exactly “sensible”. do you think he's won before on market spreading ? or do you think he's lost all the time ?

Muck you need to learn to read properly. Whoever's FAULT it was, the present global financial situation will impact on every industry and especially those financed in the way Premiership football is. Ashley's proposed structure looks increasingly sensible with what is going on, whether that was by foresight or accident. Even Manu, Chelsea etc will be looking very carefully at their books and spending in the near future. Clubs in debt and operating with disproportionate salary bills could be in big trouble before long. yep, every business should look at their spending in a recession, a lot of them that will go under as they stop investing and give their competitors an advantage. Speculate to accumulate, NUFC clearly haven’t recently, but his has to be done – albeit sensibly. But the Hall/Shepherd way was to the other extreme. “Ashley's proposed structure looks increasingly sensible with what is going on, whether that was by foresight or accident.” sorry, to me and many others he’s out of his depth running a football club and is going back to what he knows best. He should keep away from gambling on shares in banks as well – stick to nylon sportswear and trainers. on the back of the papers reporting his losses. do you think this was his one forray into that area or had he done it before and profited (but not reported as "billionaire makes more money" isn't really a catchy headline)

bollicks really...."demand so much so quickly" reality is "give us improvement and we'll be happy"

I don't, I really, really don't, understand why you can't separate peoples criticism of the last days of the Shepherd era from the whole. you liar. you understand full well.

He said he'd put £20 million a year in, that's more than anybody else has done before. its also more than anybody has "said" they would. Shame it stopped at "said" though - so what is your point exactly ? Its not like you to ignore cold hard facts ie he hasn't put in this money, any more than the clubs league positions before the board you slate weren't massively superior to their predecessors Its quite amusing the way this thread has changed. From people still making out that he put his own money in out of the goodness of his heart he's looking for a return alright - nowt wrong with that - but stop making it out to be an act of charity. As Teasy says, if he walks away with a big profit overall what will you say then ? Surely you and the others can't be that blind ? On the other hand Simple fact, is that the club is in its biggest crisis since 1991, and unless Joe Kinnear does a damn good job, the most dissafected bunch of players since 1977. I take it 1991 doesn't ring any bells ? Think owners. did fred make a profit out the club ? not just on sale but year in year out. if he hasn't put money in then neither did fred and bearing in mind his one and only league position was level to fred's last one it must mean you haven't grasped the point you were attempting to make. (or was the one season under ashley a better finish than the previous one ?) once again, you miss the point. I don't have a problem with people making a profit out of the football club, so long as they compete with the other big clubs and give it their best shot at challenging. It's you, and others, who keep harping on about the last board making money out of the club and denying point blank that investments Ashley has made into the club, is for exactly the same purpose. Meanwhile, on the field, which is presumably where your emotions and desire for success lies, he has got nowhere near matching his predecessors. So who got it right and who got it wrong ? we competed in transfer fees whislt not competing in competition (ie we were crap) on the field, from euro champs lge to 13th in the prem. who presided over this dramatic fall from grace ? no, you see you're wrong. It was from one foot in the 3rd division, a club that even its own supporters couldn't stump up 2.5m quid for never mind with the assistance of all the businesses in the city, into a club with one of the best grounds in the country, and expectations of european football to a degree that finishing 5th and not making the Champions League warranted booing from all the morons who hadn't a clue i've never denied where we were and i've congratulated that board for how far they took us....................now tell me about about going backwards from 2004,lets talk souness,roeder,allardyce and spiralling debt. lets talk about freds more recent past

He said he'd put £20 million a year in, that's more than anybody else has done before. its also more than anybody has "said" they would. Shame it stopped at "said" though - so what is your point exactly ? Its not like you to ignore cold hard facts ie he hasn't put in this money, any more than the clubs league positions before the board you slate weren't massively superior to their predecessors Its quite amusing the way this thread has changed. From people still making out that he put his own money in out of the goodness of his heart he's looking for a return alright - nowt wrong with that - but stop making it out to be an act of charity. As Teasy says, if he walks away with a big profit overall what will you say then ? Surely you and the others can't be that blind ? On the other hand Simple fact, is that the club is in its biggest crisis since 1991, and unless Joe Kinnear does a damn good job, the most dissafected bunch of players since 1977. I take it 1991 doesn't ring any bells ? Think owners. did fred make a profit out the club ? not just on sale but year in year out. if he hasn't put money in then neither did fred and bearing in mind his one and only league position was level to fred's last one it must mean you haven't grasped the point you were attempting to make. (or was the one season under ashley a better finish than the previous one ?) once again, you miss the point. I don't have a problem with people making a profit out of the football club, so long as they compete with the other big clubs and give it their best shot at challenging. It's you, and others, who keep harping on about the last board making money out of the club and denying point blank that investments Ashley has made into the club, is for exactly the same purpose. Meanwhile, on the field, which is presumably where your emotions and desire for success lies, he has got nowhere near matching his predecessors. So who got it right and who got it wrong ? we competed in transfer fees whislt not competing in competition (ie we were crap) on the field, from euro champs lge to 13th in the prem. who presided over this dramatic fall from grace ?

He said he'd put £20 million a year in, that's more than anybody else has done before. its also more than anybody has "said" they would. Shame it stopped at "said" though - so what is your point exactly ? Its not like you to ignore cold hard facts ie he hasn't put in this money, any more than the clubs league positions before the board you slate weren't massively superior to their predecessors Its quite amusing the way this thread has changed. From people still making out that he put his own money in out of the goodness of his heart he's looking for a return alright - nowt wrong with that - but stop making it out to be an act of charity. As Teasy says, if he walks away with a big profit overall what will you say then ? Surely you and the others can't be that blind ? On the other hand Simple fact, is that the club is in its biggest crisis since 1991, and unless Joe Kinnear does a damn good job, the most dissafected bunch of players since 1977. I take it 1991 doesn't ring any bells ? Think owners. did fred make a profit out the club ? not just on sale but year in year out. if he hasn't put money in then neither did fred and bearing in mind his one and only league position was level to fred's last one it must mean you haven't grasped the point you were attempting to make. (or was the one season under ashley a better finish than the previous one ?)

Chez and Liam O do know what they are talking about, it's what they are paid to do. in the midst of the biggest banking crisis for how long ? based on what. financial people knowing what they were doing. nowt to do with the debate,just couldn't resist.

He was looking to sell in the summer if InterMedia Partners are to be believed. He then confirmed he was looking for an "investment partner" if he is to be believed. I don't see what your point is in relation to what I said? Its all just speculation you're relying on, is it not? I believe he was looking to reduce his stake by finding investment partners. I also believe he did try to flog the club to this American crowd. It is all "IF" you're relying on, is it not? Not really, I'm relying on what he said his plans were, rather than what some other people are saying his plans were. People who, if the story carried any real weight, would have had to sign a confidentiality agreement anyway. You said "IF" Keegan was still here. Keegan is gone & he is selling up this is all happening now. He wanted partners because as he said football is expensive, so he was looking to reduce his stake in Newcastle United or was he expecting people to pump cash in for zero shares? As I said the whole Keegan fiasco gave him a reason to sell the lot. If anything - thats a reason not to sell the lot, in fact its a major reason not to sell the lot. We can go in circles for a lifetime if you keep replying, I understand your viewpoint. I have a fluid mindset which means my opinion can change, I have seen your 40 pages with NE5 & your unwillingness to alter your opinion (as NE5 does) which makes it a waste of my time chatting with you after the first 5 or so replies. You haven't grasped the concept that every sale can not be done at peak selling time sometimes people sell because they no longer want something. Oooo very cutting. Pretty ironic to be to be honest, i dont see your mindset changing that much - despite being challenged by different people. Im actaully struggling understand the concept of a billionaire businessman who is willing to "cut his losses" and isnt looking to maximise his profits on a sale. What kind of a businessman does that?? I did say: "I understand your viewpoint." So he is a businessman, here was me thinking Mike was doing this for fun, willing to take a £20 million hit every season. I am off to kip now, goodnight. abramovich is a businessman, as is fred shepherd.....what's your point

no. barton has been out too long to come straight back in to a match situation. bench for this one and bring on as needed.

You really haven't got a clue what you're talking about in terms of the debt part of what he's done have you? Why don't you explain it then? He's paid off a debt which then increases the price of his own asset, where am I wrong? Enlighten me. Easy 1) there's actually little difference between the rubbish in your first paragraph rather than "a big difference" like you say 2) he wasn't "forced to pay off the debt" 3) the idea he's not risked a penny is quite frankly stupid. As an example, if we got relegated last season, do you think he'd have got that money back? 4) how do you know the share bet was "very" dodgy at the time? Do you believe everything you read in the papers? All financial transactions carry a risk. Just like paying that debt off did. on point 4. i wonder if it was his first go ? or if maybe he's "won" in the past. bit like slagging for someone off for losing £1000 on a horse race when they've made £10,000 off racing in the previous week. or do you think printing a story about him winning money wouldn't be newsworthy ?

The only thing Ashley likes to throw tons of money at is stock share gambling. he threw lots of money at karrimor,lillywhites,kangol etc. Did he?, to what extent and on what? Cheap stock to sell on at a profit? to buy them outright and they are still part of sports direct group.