manorpark

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premiership/article2631118.ece Shepherd supports Ashley to launch 'new Magpies era' By Andy Hunter Published: 08 June 2007 The billionaire retailer Mike Ashley took a significant step towards absolute control of Newcastle United yesterday when he bought out Freddy Shepherd and the chairman declared him the man to launch "a vibrant new era" on Tyneside. St James Holdings Limited, the company created by Ashley to acquire Newcastle shares, announced to the Stock Exchange that it had agreed to pay just over £37m for the Shepherd family's 28.06 per cent stake in the club at 101p a share. That investment gives the 25th-richest man in Britain almost 70 per cent of the company, following the 41.6 per cent holding he purchased for £55m from Sir John Hall a fortnight ago. Ashley, who made his fortune with the Sports Direct International retail chain, will assume control at St James' Park once he passes the 75 per cent threshold and can complete his ambitions for a £134.4m takeover, and to delist the club back into private ownership when he has acquired 90 per cent. Both targets now appear within Ashley's grasp, after Shepherd not only relinquished a 16-year financial interest in Newcastle but gave his support to the takeover and urged remaining shareholders to follow suit. The colourful and controversial chairman, currently recovering from pneumonia and a collapsed lung, initially opposed Ashley's bid for control but has reconsidered following a series of face-to-face meetings with the businessman. "As chairman of Newcastle United, I have always tried to act in the very best interests of this great football club, and stressed that should the right person emerge, then I would support them fully," Shepherd said. "I believe Mike Ashley and SJHL, along with new manager Sam Allardyce, can deliver a vibrant new era at Newcastle United and I sincerely hope that together we can all enjoy successful times." Shepherd's change of heart came after Ashley increased his offer from 100p a share and provided assurances he would be retained as a salaried chairman, although that position will be reviewed once the sports tycoon has, as is now anticipated, gained complete control of Newcastle. There is an unmistakable and rapid sense of change on Tyneside that applies not only to Ashley's takeover attempt. In his first week at the helm Allardyce has signed Mark Viduka on a free transfer from Middlesbrough, agreed a deal in principle to sign Joey Barton from Manchester City and last night it was confirmed that Bolton defender Tal Ben Haim should complete his move to St James' Park on Monday. "He is a free agent and he is available," Allardyce said of his former employee. "He has got three or four years of experience in the Premiership." Barton will finalise a £5.5m transfer once he has agreed the terms of his departure from Manchester City while the Newcastle manager met Viduka in London yesterday to secure the Australian international on a two-year contract, with the option of a third.

"PEANUTS . . PEANUTS . . . TANNER-A-BAG" (So I remember me grandad telling me . . )

Could not agree more, that is exactly what I have been thinking needs doing. Also, what about these two statues??

I was more excited in the other thread. This one is dull. Utter s*** isnt it. James has killed of the discussion. Well done pratt. Can it not be re-opened - and 'merge' these posts onto it??

I was more excited in the other thread. This one is dull. Mebbe - it was all "new" in the old one wasn't it. We are getting used to it all, a bit, now. Well actually . . . I'm not!!!! (opens another can!)

Thats what I thought Allerdyce said. This new BBC article is quite certain though - he is having a medical NOW!

Was the old thread a record at all?? No, but after the discussion about match day threads i thought it would have been easy to keep the debate going. Mind you, it was James who locked the thread, probably because most of the discussion was going over his enormously deformed head. May not have been a 'record' but it was a great thread to take part in (2741 Posts / 36,908 Views / 110 Pages!) A lot of the pleasure of taking part in the thread, was probably the subject-matter Hey, isn't it a GREAT close season!!!!!!!!!! Best for years . . . .

Was the old thread a record at all??

Hmm, not sure - he still seems to be quite a private man, and despite this takeover and visits to the North East, he still hasn't been photographed. If he can appoint a Chief Exec quick enough, and/or in time for completion of the takeover, then he may leave any announcements to them. However, I'm sure I read soemthign early days saying he would attend matches up here - will probably just have the windows of his private box fitted with two way mirrored galss!!!! I think that he (Ashley) intends to write a little about his vision and plans for the club, in the "offer document" that is being posted out today to shareholders. That should be a very interesting read. I am looking forward to that - just about the first direct words (apart from those in his letter of 23rd May) about 'our' future, from our new owner!

Didn't Shola come from the Academy? . . . . er yeah, see what you mean!!!!!!!! Actually, not sure he did come via the Academy?

Without doubt, West Ham are a vastly better supported club than Chelsea. In fact as clubs (amongst London clubs) they are probably at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum. The current Chelsea, are a false and temporary aberration. Things like that NEVER last. i am only staying in the south to wait for it to happen man utd may be hated up north but chelsea are an abomination the fans as well are ... words fail me ... imagine 15000 denis wises (should be 45000 for the players they have but it is chelsea) redmayne - I think we are definitely in agreement on the subject of Sh*tski !!!! check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNCkPGNIvWI&NR=1 Sums them up - don't you think . . . hope we are strong enough by next season to sort them out. We have a bit of work yet to do though!

Without doubt, West Ham are a vastly better supported club than Chelsea. In fact as clubs (amongst London clubs) they are probably at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum. The current Chelsea, are a false and temporary aberration. Things like that NEVER last. i am only staying in the south to wait for it to happen man utd may be hated up north but chelsea are an abomination the fans as well are ... words fail me ... imagine 15000 denis wises (should be 45000 for the players they have but it is chelsea) redmayne - I think we are definitely in agreement on the subject of Sh*tski !!!!

Without doubt, West Ham are a vastly better supported club than Chelsea. In fact as clubs (amongst London clubs) they are probably at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum. The current Chelsea, are a false and temporary aberration. Things like that NEVER last.

No-one will see us as "a West Ham". West Ham are a small club (half the time in the 2nd Division) who have suddenly got a bit of money. We have always had ("earned") a lot of money - we will just have a bit more now! (perhaps a LOT more, but it is still only a progression from what we had, unlike the West Ham scenario). We will not be seen as a Chelsea, as part of that particular obscenity was, that they were in an almost identical position to Leeds, at the same time as Leeds (the 'figures' were almost exactly the same) and Abramovich suddenly paid off all their debts and then started spending huge amounts of un-earned money (over-the-odds) on players, while Leeds went the natural way that both of them should have gone. The extra money we have will, I imagine, be more of a top-up (albeit a big one, maybe) with Allerdyce still portraying the public image (VERY important) of "getting value for money". Handled correctly, we should be able to have all the Chelsea advantages (more so, as allied to our much larger stadium, support, revenues, etc) without being seen as "doing a Chelsea" , with all those associated (perceived) disadvantages. no offensae but you should check west ham history they aren't a small club huge support in the south east... if they had a 50K stadium they'd almost always fill it probably a bigger club than the north london two in terms of support (and im not a hammer - i just live in London) Yeah, I lived in London for years. Wapping, Hackney and Ilford - so I know 'The Hammers', they were my local team for a long time, though I had no affection for them, just went with local friends who supported them. I feel I have a clear understanding of where that club sits in the National hierarchy. Locally, down there, I do not feel they have ever, in my lifetime, been as 'big' as Tottenham and Arsenal, but have a localised and quite passionate (if, a bit 'vicious' and too knife-friendly) level of support.

No-one will see us as "a West Ham". West Ham are a small club (half the time in the 2nd Division) who have suddenly got a bit of money. We have always had ("earned") a lot of money - we will just have a bit more now! (perhaps a LOT more, but it is still only a progression from what we had, unlike the West Ham scenario). We will not be seen as a Chelsea, as part of that particular obscenity was, that they were in an almost identical position to Leeds, at the same time as Leeds (the 'figures' were almost exactly the same) and Abramovich suddenly paid off all their debts and then started spending huge amounts of un-earned money (over-the-odds) on players, while Leeds went the natural way that both of them should have gone. The extra money we have will, I imagine, be more of a top-up (albeit a big one, maybe) with Allerdyce still portraying the public image (VERY important) of "getting value for money". Handled correctly, we should be able to have all the Chelsea advantages (more so, as allied to our much larger stadium, support, revenues, etc) without being seen as "doing a Chelsea" , with all those associated (perceived) disadvantages.

At first, I thought it was a very "plausible and realistic-sounding" mickey-take by a Spurs or Everton supporter. Just gently putting us in our place! Maybe it is. I'm not looking for an argument with anyone, but I just find it difficult to accept that statement about Everton/Spurs, as being genuinly "positive".

Oh JOY. The great days are nearly upon us. . . . If this is 'realism' (I pray not) - then give me fantasy anytime.

Can never quite see what people mean by "capital pull" (etc). In the years I lived there, I realised that it was - and most people agreed with me - a total sh*t place for anyone to live. Newcastle, to the contrary, is developing more and more into being "the" place to be.

"Agreed / Agreed / Agreed!!" There has been, and even now still is, such a lot of 'automatic' inferiority-complex thinking, speaking and writing, around this club for so long. I have to say, I can sort of understand why! But that is no excuse. POSITIVITY, is hopefully going to become newly-fashionable around here, from now on?

I can fully understand your excitement Jamie and it is great to read it, but as some of the other posters have said, I also feel that it is very difficult to forecast anything for next season, at this stage. (1) We have a newly appointed manager who has been on holiday most of the time since he joined us, so his plans are (though well speculated on) still quite unknown. We don't even know how good he will be at the job. Yes, we think he is VERY good (most of us do) but we do not know, yet, how he will perform here at NUFC, as he has not started yet. (2) We are in the middle of being taken over (final outcome still unclear) so the whole company (club) is in a state of flux, from the top down. We may end up with huge amounts of money to spend, We may not, who knows at this stage? Either way, we then go back to my point above about the manager - in relation to his ability to spend whatever levels of money are available, to attract the right players. We don't know. So, it is immensly difficult to provide a rational forecast at this stage, don't you think? One thing I will say though - isn't it 'sad' how far we have fallen in the last three years or so? This thread really reveals that, in terms of peoples expectations for next season. Not long ago "Champions League Qualification" was thought of by many, as being the MINIMUM objective for each season!!!

Helpful, thank you. Is it not possible to stick to talking about the issues? No harm was intended in emphasising a point previously made, in response to subsequent comments from others!

I'm with you Dave. I also agree that we must not sell him. We need him to remain to help attract other world class players to the club, over the summer. OK, I know we have always been rich and have always bought 'big' players, and I know we have been in Europe (Champs League or UEFA) for most of the last 11 years - and MAINLY, I know we are probably about to become "even richer". However, we are not even in the UEFA Cup next season, so a lot of players that we (Ashley/Allerdyce) will need to attract, may well be put off by that situation. So, we need Owen here, to act as a sort of 'magnet'. Conversely, selling him now, would not only take away that magnet, but it would massively send the OPPOSITE message to exactly the sort of player we need to be recruiting. The first Ashley/Allerdyce season, is going to be a difficult (transitional) one. For these reasons, we really must not sell him, whether we (as individuals) like him (and his attitudes) or not!! We need to move onward and up, not backward and down.

I'm with you Dave. I also agree that we must not sell him. We need him to remain to help attract other world class players to the club, over the summer. OK, I know we have always been rich and have always bought 'big' players, and I know we have been in Europe (Champs League or UEFA) for most of the last 11 years - and MAINLY, I know we are probably about to become "even richer". However, we are not even in the UEFA Cup next season, so a lot of players that we (Ashley/Allerdyce) will need to attract, may well be put off by that situation. So, we need Owen here, to act as a sort of 'magnet'. Conversely, selling him now, would not only take away that magnet, but it would massively send the OPPOSITE message to exactly the sort of player we need to be recruiting. The first Ashley/Allerdyce season, is going to be a difficult (transitional) one. AlanShearer9 says - "Not truly world class imo. World class finisher maybe". That is exactly what he is, a world class finisher. We need more world class players, in OTHER positions, having him here will greatly help that happen.

I'm with you Dave. I also agree that we must not sell him. We need him to remain to help attract other world class players to the club, over the summer. OK, I know we have always been rich and have always bought 'big' players, and I know we have been in Europe (Champs League or UEFA) for most of the last 11 years - and MAINLY, I know we are probably about to become "even richer". However, we are not even in the UEFA Cup next season, so a lot of players that we (Ashley/Allerdyce) will need to attract, may well be put off by that situation. So, we need Owen here, to act as a sort of 'magnet'. Conversely, selling him now, would not only take away that magnet, but it would massively send the OPPOSITE message to exactly the sort of player we need to be recruiting. The first Ashley/Allerdyce season, is going to be a difficult (transitional) one.

I assumed he was just joking . . . . . ?