afar

This unfortunately is exactly the the scenario I see happening, Ashley won't sell for a price that doesn't see him make a tidy profit. I hope I'm wrong but I seriously think we may be in for a hell of a battle to stay in the PL this season.

I don't think we'll do that well TBH, unless things are sorted soon.

Not many of them are particuarily good ideas. One thing I think they should do is use exact timings, in this day and age there's really no excuse for not doing so. Instead of 90 mins games, to halfs of football well the ball is "live" for 30 mins.

Not trying to defend him but he quoted the clubs accounts. If he's wrong then what are the real figures you refer to. No point bashing someone without providing the proof to back it up.

I'm not sure I believe the figures being mentioned there, what Ashley puts the club up for and what he sells at are probably a ways a part however I would grow more suspicious of his motives all along if he was looking to make this kind of profit on the club.

So is anyone up for a old board/new board debate ? What will happen when/if Ashley sells up, will we have an old board/older board/new board debate ?

another holiday. He just loves to get a bit of sun on his back

I honestly don't think he'll hang around. If he feels as strongly about it as the statement makes out, he'll be desperately trying to flog the club before the next home game. Does nobody else think that maybe, just maybe, he isn't going to sell, but he's put out this statement in the hope that it will get people off his back and it will all eventually blow over. If you read the full statement, he certainly leaves the door open to staying on. I doubt it is a ploy though to garner support, if it is it's not been fully thought out. I would not be totally shocked to see Ashley still in charge come May 2009.

I honestly don't think he'll hang around. If he feels as strongly about it as the statement makes out, he'll be desperately trying to flog the club before the next home game. I think he cares about making a profit on the sale more though, he'll not take a loss just to allow us to move on. He's a tough negoiator, but it's a dangerous game he'll be playing as if we go down, which is extremely likely if the current mangerial situation is allowed to continue for too long, he'll stand to lose millions. At this moment in time we are in a horrible position, I doubt Ashley is thinking about anything other than whats best for him right now, not that I blame him for that but that might not be in the clubs best interests.

Agree with all of that apart from the Allardyce bit tbh. I don't normally like to put anyone down for their opinion but I'm truely amazed at that comment, actually just noticed the poster, not so surprising.

that is truely a dispicable piece of writing. This part is particularily ironic "The banners castigating Ashley for being a southerner during Saturday's comically self-important protest were the final straw for many of us who have long endured the tedious soap opera on Tyneside." Yet the writer felt complelled to write this article about us despite his boredom with the affairs of a "not massive club".

oh dear god no. Apart from the fact that it'll never work, I couldn't think of worse owners of a football club than the fans, we are way too emotionally attached to make any rational decsions.

Wasn't that yesterday ? Old news, trying to get DIC to buy us but they weren't interested. I don't know but he is in Dubai and i've been told that he was seen today, still didn't take the trip back i guess. Could be there for any one of a hundred reasons. Aye apparently the duty free shop this is well worth a visit.

That ship has sailed. He's as good as gone. And tmonkey I'm not just talking about the hull game, he's a class apart all the time imo. I think we'll see a lot of people eating humble pie of this one

Wasn't that yesterday ? Old news, trying to get DIC to buy us but they weren't interested.

what's going on ? What are they doing, do they have a banner that reads "Geordie mafia out" ?

Not wanting to defend Ashley or anything but there are a couple of inaccuracies there. 1. The interview with MA does not say Wise worked solely with the Academy, it is says "his task is to help bring new players to our attention AND to oversee the Academy ". The and being the important point, this doesn't restrict his role to looking for players for the academy. 2. If you read the full statement from Ashley he says he's will to put in 20 million to the club, no where in that can you assume that it for transfers. What he's basically saying is he's prepared to lose 20 million a year on the club, so the balance sheet will never show profit of -20,000,001 or greater.

I rarely agree with anything Moncur says, I'm not about to start with this ridiculous statement. was he not there on Saturday ?

The problem though may not be as simple to solve as throwing money at it. The crowd are disenfranchised, the players are disinterested, the club is in turmoil, it's all a recipe for disaster at the moment.

I agree with what people have said, best player on the pitch. We'll miss him greatly, I suspect that he could leave in Jan on a short term contract to a team having a good season.

Has this been posted linked on the main BBC sport site, blog by the regular smoggie columnist, usual crap, getting lots of pats on the back for fans of other clubs. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/robborobson/2008/09/taking_the_mike.html

Obviously you are refferring to me, after your latest pathetic post (nowt new there then). When the hell did I relate the damage done to anything ? The FACT and it is a FACT of the matter is that Guthrie had no intention of playing the ball, he just wanted to go through the player. I don't care if he's got a broken leg or a slightly bruised calf, it was an awful challenge and deserves a hefty suspension. Take your bloody Black and White specs off, if that had been an opposition player making that 'Challenge' (and I use that word in it's loosest sense), then you and the rest of us would be up in arms, and rightly so. Calm down love. I'm not disputing it was a very bad tackle and I'd be annoyed if it was one of ours who got chopped down but I wouldn't be crying about it on the internet and wanting him banned for months. We've seen it happen loads of times with our lot dishing it out and taking it. I've made my opinion as clear as I can - and to be perfectly honest, I couldn't give 2 f***s if you agree or not. That's fine because as far as admins go, I respect a James post more than any of yours, that should say it all.

Obviously you are refferring to me, after your latest pathetic post (nowt new there then). When the hell did I relate the damage done to anything ? The FACT and it is a FACT of the matter is that Guthrie had no intention of playing the ball, he just wanted to go through the player. I don't care if he's got a broken leg or a slightly bruised calf, it was an awful challenge and deserves a hefty suspension. Take your bloody Black and White specs off, if that had been an opposition player making that 'Challenge' (and I use that word in it's loosest sense), then you and the rest of us would be up in arms, and rightly so.

I'm sorry but that's a pile of steaming s***, Guthrie's intentions were to hurt the guy that's got bugger all to do with this contact sport BS you spouted. I honestly think he deserves a very long suspension for this one. Good luck trying to prove that. Dear me!! OK, whatever.