manorpark

A bit over the top as usual, but we should be one of the most attractive clubs in the world to buy. Not only unique in being a one club city, but we stand apart from most of the other clubs in England in both geography and passion for the game which has to be a massive factor. It would be for British buyers anyway, my only worry is whether foreign buyers would realise it. Someone like Stavely would be crucial in conveying this. You see nothing clubs like Crystal Palace and QPR getting bought up and you wonder whether the owners think just because they are in London that somehow gives them extra value? Its not over the top like. We are already in the top 20 of world club's and that's with Ashley as owner. We have one of the best manager's in the world in charge, one of the biggest stadiums, a huge huge fan base and a pretty decent foreign following. There is not a club on earth that could achieve what we could with major investment, not a club that isn't already an established power base or elite club anyway. These were the (not so long ago) days . . . http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%204/Newcastle%205/5th%20Richest%20Club%20in%20the%20world%20-%20NUFC%201999_zpsgot9hsio.jpg Interesting that, thanks for posting it. Infuriating how we didn't capitalise. We were ABOVE BARCELONA !!!!

A bit over the top as usual, but we should be one of the most attractive clubs in the world to buy. Not only unique in being a one club city, but we stand apart from most of the other clubs in England in both geography and passion for the game which has to be a massive factor. It would be for British buyers anyway, my only worry is whether foreign buyers would realise it. Someone like Stavely would be crucial in conveying this. You see nothing clubs like Crystal Palace and QPR getting bought up and you wonder whether the owners think just because they are in London that somehow gives them extra value? Its not over the top like. We are already in the top 20 of world club's and that's with Ashley as owner. We have one of the best manager's in the world in charge, one of the biggest stadiums, a huge huge fan base and a pretty decent foreign following. There is not a club on earth that could achieve what we could with major investment, not a club that isn't already an established power base or elite club anyway. These were the (not so long ago) days . . . http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%204/Newcastle%205/5th%20Richest%20Club%20in%20the%20world%20-%20NUFC%201999_zpsgot9hsio.jpg

This link has already been posted, but just reading it again, fills me full of hope . . . http://www.arabnews.com/node/1171891/sports#.WdTkVGtA2GN.twitter

Of course. We have zero intention of ever being a top 6 club. So different from the Sir John Hall era, he always talked about his intention, and the sheer importance of, Newcastle United ALWAYS being at or near the very top of the Premier league ("where we should be", as he put it) otherwise we would miss out financially and if there were any 'European Superleague' developments. It was automatic that we were always, and always would / should be, one of the Premier league's very top clubs. The very opposite of todays "inferiority complex" attitudes.

What a shame, to die so young, very unexpected at 76, these days. RIP Freddy, and thanks for being a strong and major part of the "Newcastle United with appropriate ambition" that we enjoyed in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Quite a few of them seem to think they are about to go into Administration . . . https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/administration.1392629/

Tony Green was one of the greatest players we have had over the last 47 years that I have been following NUFC. I kept these newspaper cutting from that sad time in November 1973 . . . http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%204/Newcastle%205/TonyGreen-November1973_0002_zpsissyiys9.jpg http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%204/Newcastle%205/Tony%20Green%20-%20November%201973_0003_zpsuoakoyfr.jpg http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%204/Newcastle%205/Tony%20Green%20-%20November%201973_0004_zpsx0fpngqi.jpg http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%204/Newcastle%205/Tony%20Green%20-%20November%201973_0001_zpskim9npnm.jpg

No, that ship has sailed (probably ten years ago).

There is a slim chance that Rafa will stay - he can use the TV money next summer. A very slim chance, in fact (despite all the genuine 'straw-clutching hopes" expressed above) Ashley has insulted Rafa to such an extent, he will not stay. He will want to stay (for us, for the club) but he will leave at the end of this season. He now knows that Ashley is not trustworthy, and he now also knows (as we have for years) that Ashley will NEVER change . . . so there is no point in Rafa staying. Let us all just try to enjoy his last season with us, hopefully it will give us something (good) to look back on, in the long years to come . . .

The ONLY definite thing to come out of all this sad episode, is that this is Rafa's last season with us. If he even stays the full season - though I think (and hope) that he will. He will not tolerate the level of weasel-words betrayal from Ashley again . . . would you? . . would anyone? SO, let us (try to) enjoy our last season with the great Rafa Benitez as OUR manager, something to (try to) be proud of and treasure, for the short period it will last.

Rafa has now learnt what we have all known for years, Mike Ashley has his OWN agenda, and none of us know exactly what it is . . . when he (occasionally) speaks, he says things that are easily capable of many different interpretations. In other words, he effectively fools everyone into thinking he intends to do things (improve our clubs achievements) when he really does not intend that at all. He will do as little as possible to try to maintain Premier League Status, for the money, that is all. Rafa has now learnt this, and he will (because he cares about the club and about us supporters) probably stay till the end of this season, then he will HAVE TO leave. He will have no choice, sadly for us.

Plus 9.5 for Thauvin. Plus we spent £6.2m for Atsu

Yes, it sounds like he is moving for (some kind of) 'personal / family reasons'.

Now we know how Everton have been spending so freely. Their 'net spend' this summer will probably be "tuppence".

Last season Everton won £132.1m in prize money. After the 1996/7 season, our club as a whole was worth just over £41m, and that was as 8th richest club in the world. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/03/99/murdochs_big_match/270623.stm And in 1998 we were the 5th richest club in the world, see attached . . . . http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=72784611&postcount=208

I don't think they will have ANY chance of getting promoted. Proper big clubs like Leeds (for years) and Aston Villa, and lots of other clubs with good teams, get nowhere near promotion. Sunderland, it they are lucky, might well be mid table next season, from what I can see!

I think a better option would be to re-locate their training base to Newcastle. It would achieve all those same objectives (some where players and their wives want to live) yet be slightly closer!!

Rafa's comments about transfers, after the QPR match is very worrying. I cannot see him being able to stay with us, if this is how he now feels. COMMENTS . . . In the interview Benitez signalled his frustration at a failure to add to his squad during the January transfer window, indicating he was hoping to strengthen but wasn't given the backing by the club to do so. "My decision was very clear, [but] it was not my decision," he said. "I said what I wanted and needed, and what the team needed, and that was it."

Because, he is a football person and he cares about how he spends his life, what he does with his life, and he intends to get us promoted. Then, if the rumours of the recent Ashley involvement in transfers policy are true (as seems worryingly likely) then he will be off . . . straight away. So he's quite happy to be a patsy in the short term ? He's not the man I thought he was then, He is the man I thought he was. Read what I wrote again. Rafa has standards of life, unlike some other football managers, one in particular who just "upped and left us" . . twice.

Glad you are happy

Because, he is a football person and he cares about how he spends his life, what he does with his life, and he intends to get us promoted. Then, if the rumours of the recent Ashley involvement in transfers policy are true (as seems worryingly likely) then he will be off . . . straight away.

A surprising number of people have said to me that there is no transfer activity because of the fact that Mike Ashley has "got involved" again, as was said a few weeks back. Many people thought it could not be true, that (even) Ashley would not have been so stupid as to interfere (ever) again, with transfers. Seems like the 'rumours' were true. It seems likely that, because of that, Rafa is now dispirited enough to not 'force through' transfers that he thinks we need. Many people now feel that Rafa will see us promoted (with or without transfers-in this January) and will then be off, straight away. Ashley has interefered, the "stain" of his new involvement (and I know he is the owner !!) will be too much for Rafa, as he will know it means that we will be permanent failures . . . again. It is a great shame, the dreams of us becoming a 'proper football club' again, appear to have been dashed. Speculation? Yes indeed, but it seems to be quite possibly what is happening, to be quite likely what is actually behind this strange transfers failure.

This is all very obvious and very basic. Mourinho is always the level and type of Manager that should be at Newcastle United, but that is obviously not what Ashley believes, thinks, or wants. Under Ashley, that is also what an awful lot of Newcastle United supporters (particularly the younger ones who have known nothing better) have come to believe and accept - Managers like Mourinho are now TOTALLY out of our reach. Ashley's total obsession with "aiming for 4th bottom" every season has infected the club and many of us supporters so comprehensively, that many of us can never imagine anything better! It wasn't very long ago, the Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan eras, but it might as well be 100 years ago. If we do really well for the rest of the season, and fulfil Ashley's ambition (and therefore stay up) we can expect pretty much the same again next season, no matter who the manager is. Reality really hurts (well, it hurts me) but I don't expect everyone to agree. People have almost forgotten . . . . .

No-one watches the Championship. Yes, I was going to say the same thing, except I was going to say "no-one watches the 2nd Division". It is only when you use that Division's REAL name, that you realise what a low-life thing it is. I know it is now called "The Championship", but that name totally inflates the 2nd Division to make it sound like something that it is not.

The NewcastleGateshead HILTON is a spectacular venue for photos.