Jackie Broon

That's like taking a car to We Buy Any Car, being told it’s worth £2,000 then insisting “well I didn’t notice that it needed new tyres when I bought it and I've crashed it twice, that cost me £1,000 so the car is actually worth £3,000”.

I’m still holding on to the theory that the deal is done and we’re securing transfer targets behind the scenes, whilst feeding the press with negative misinformation about the takeover, to give us a better bargaining position on transfer fees. This adds up for me because I’m convinced that Rafa would be more clearly unhappy at the situation if we really were where we are reported to be with transfers, as he was in the summer and last January. I don’t buy that he is waiting for funds to become available. I can’t see PCP (or whoever they represent) buying the club half way through the window leaving us with a couple of weeks to do all of our business from scratch. Realistically, that’s not going to work out, it doesn’t add up that PCP would take that risk. The takeover has probably either already happened behind the scenes or it’s not happening unless and until we’re safe. If it’s the latter, Rafa would be publically pushing harder for funds from Ashley. I think the actual situation is either really good: takeover is done but being kept quiet until transfers are done, or really bad: the takeover will only happen when/if we’re mathematically safe (and even then Ashley would probably bump up the price and screw it up). What makes me think the good theory is more likely than the bad is the holding company. The press response that Staveley has many business interests and therefore establishes new companies all the time is bullshit, a quick search on Companies House shows that is not the case. It’s too much of a coincidence and, logically, seems likely that it would only be done if a deal is essentially complete. I wait to be proved wrong when the window slams shut and we’ve only singed Shefki Kuqi on loan.

For me, he would have to travel back in time ten years and alter the course of history resulting in an owner that runs the club in an intelligent, professional manner, maximising its commercial revenue and allowing that to be invested back into the playing staff. Who exactly do you think would do better with this current squad? Pardew? McClaren? Kinnear? Carver? That is the quality of alternatives under Ashley. I think the guy in the opposite dugout today could do just as good a job as Rafa is doing today with this squad to be honest Im sick to death of him being absolved of any blame for s**** performances week in week out. The 2 performances we have just put in this week are 2 of the most insipid, pathetic,gutless and toothless performances ive ever ever witnessed. Dress the Man City one up all you want but we conceded that game before wed even kicked off that is not football and Rafa is the guy who tells these useless fuckwits to play this way Im sick to death of watching this negative approach to every game as if we are little old Newcatsle from the northern premier league taking on the big boys...its s*** Maybe he could, or maybe we would not have been relegated with Rafa in the first place if Ashley had not sacked Hughton to replace him with a yes man who would not object to his soulless vision for the club. I don't think that Rafa is infallible but, in the real world, Ashley has demonstrated time and time again that he will not attract or appoint a manager that would to do better. Rafa showed loyalty to the fans by staying and he got us promoted at the first attempt, something only five other clubs have done in the past ten seasons, and none of the relegated clubs look like repeating this season. He has more than earned our loyalty.

For me, he would have to travel back in time ten years and alter the course of history resulting in an owner that runs the club in an intelligent, professional manner, maximising its commercial revenue and allowing that to be invested back into the playing staff. Who exactly do you think would do better with this current squad? Pardew? McClaren? Kinnear? Carver? That is the quality of alternatives under Ashley.

Attempting to draw a foul is not a dive and not against the laws of the game. If every player were booked for deliberately drawing a foul no defender would see out 90 minutes.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's dad was apparently interested in buying the club in 2008 but was put off by the £480m asking price. Even though they're vastly wealthy, they'll not be willing to just pay anything to get the deal done. Not indicating any of the above is true, but the Dubai royal family have clearly been looking to buy a premier league club for a while, and have reportedly been interested in us in the past.

I would hate to move out of the city centre. Me too. I'm reckon we could possibly do something with the East Stand to increase capacity, without affecting Leazes Terrace. Knock it down completely and build it much higher with a steeper angle...could even possibly make it two tier. It only holds something like 5000 ffs Leazes terrace has a "right to light" though. Make the east stand taller and it'd infringe 'Right to light' is a civil law matter that is for the affected property owner to enforce through the courts, or not. If it would infringe, the club could potentially come to an compensatory arrangement with the University. Loss of light is a consideration in planning applications. Each Council tends to assess it in different way depending on their adopted policy, guidance or just established rules of thumb. No idea how Newcastle go about it, just tried to access their SPDs to see but I can't download them.

slowly, brick by brick that's what I was told by some guy at St James a few years ago, anyway. Assuming you're talking about leazes terrace Leazes Terrace is a Grade 1 Listed Building. To give an idea of what Grade 1 means in terms of significance, roughly 90% of all Listed Buildings are Grade 2, about 7% are Grade 2* and only about 3% are Grade 1. They are buildings of exceptional significance. There is no realistic prospect of Listed Building Consent ever being granted to move it, which would inevitably harm its significance. Aside for that, it's f***ing massive, it would probably cost hundreds of millions of pounds to do. It is never going to happen. Nor should it, it's a stunning building that I beam with pride is part of my city every time I walk past it.

He must just be It will be interesting to see if Ashley is prepared to lower his demands in order to sell up for a reasonable fee. I can't see PCP hanging around until the summer, if the deal's not done before Christmas, realistically it's probably off. They won't want a club in the championship, and Ashley won't want to sell for an even lower fee either. I can't see why they would want to hang around and wait to see which division we are in before going through all this again. Ashley has to lower the asking price or agree a relegation clause basically. Otherwise he'll have to rebuild the club without Rafa and with a furious fanbase on his back. He must just be holding out until the last minute to squeeze every last penny he can out of PCP. He's been trying to sell the club since the day he opened the books and saw he's been swindled by the Halls. This is his first, and probably last, serious chance to get his money back, and possibly make a profit. He's not going to let it slip away knowing that he'll have to heavily invest to keep us up.

Isn't that more than Harry Kane? For a manager who hasn't finished above 10th in the league since he left Bolton 10 years ago.

Not selling = almost certainly losing Rafa and probable relegation or having to invest heavily to keep him and stay up. If PCP are the only serious potential buyer they have him over a barrel and he'll know it. The gambler in him must be bluffing to squeeze every penny he can out of them, knowing that he really has to be out by January.

The value of anything and everything is based on what a buyer is willing to pay.

Maybe that's where the 'well short of £300m' comes from. Ashley was aiming to get around £300m before them paying the debt, they're offering £300m including the debt payment.

Didn't he buy the club for £240m, and then pay off debt worth £110m through his interest free loan? Would be interested to know how much he has put in, but it's irrelevant really - the amount of money he's been robbing for the club year-on-year. The first bid was never going to be the 'right' one to him - we just have to hope that this strong signal of intent means they're prepared to go the extra mile for us and fingers crossed the fat c*** will agree to 'meet in middle' somewhere. He bought the club for £135m. He's in line to more than double his money after the s**** he has served up for 10 years, and it's still not enough for the c***. He effectively paid a lot more than that for the club though mind, with the debt. Which has risen in his tenure, due to his own failings. And was his fault, since he didn't check the books properly. I get the impression the debt is not factored in to the price of the club. They would have to pay Ashley back the loan, either now or later, in addition to the cost of buying the club.

Didn't he buy the club for £240m, and then pay off debt worth £110m through his interest free loan? Would be interested to know how much he has put in, but it's irrelevant really - the amount of money he's been robbing for the club year-on-year. The first bid was never going to be the 'right' one to him - we just have to hope that this strong signal of intent means they're prepared to go the extra mile for us and fingers crossed the fat c*** will agree to 'meet in middle' somewhere. He bought the club for £135m. He's in line to more than double his money after the shite he has served up for 10 years, and it's still not enough for the cunt.

Top 6 = European football = certain relegation according to Penfold's spreadsheet.

To be fair, Yedlin should have been off for a second yellow last week.

If he sells for £300m (plus the 'interest fee loan') he'll have walked away with £166m profit, plus 10 years of free advertising. He took over a club that had finished top 6 in half of all its premiership seasons, and top 4 in a third, had made the FA Cup final twice, semi final twice and quarter final twice in the previous ten years and was top 20 in every world football rich-list published. He's taken us to two top half finishes and two relegations and four FA Cup match wins in his time. But, 'better the devil you know'.

Depends how well the books have been kept and if they add up. If everything is ship shape and accountable then her accounts should have a pretty straight forward job. If they find discrepancies then these will have to be investigated and Ashley answer their questions. Could be a while, we just don't know. Unlike when Ashley took over, I doubt there would be any big surprises in the books. All of our transfer fees are clearly paid upfront, the only debt we'll have is the 'interest free loan' from Ashley which they'll already be well aware of. There's the HMRC investigation issue but they must be satisfied that it can be resolved or they wouldn't have got to this stage.

looks mental http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/30/article-2317258-06538A5F000005DC-453_233x423.jpg http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01967/Amanda-Staveley_1967929a.jpg Scary as f*** eyes Looks a bit like an ex of mine... who was a compulsive lying bunny-boiler.

I would guess this - and the money raised last summer in sales - is what Benitez keeps referring to about what Ashley 'told him' was going to be available. Theoretically the money is already ours but I bet they're playing silly c***s about it not being actually here yet. Moving the goalposts. Almost certainly this is the case. Handicapped by our owner for absolutely no reason at all. There is a reason; he and/or Charnley has come to the conclusion that the profitability sweet-spot is bouncing between the Premier League and Championship. Penfold will have a spreadsheet proving that the costs of building a squad capable of guaranteeing safety outweigh the financial benefits.

A zombie club existence.... simply surviving, stinking the place up with a Sports Direct sticker affixed to it's rotting arse. That was his previous strategy, I think that's changed. Rather than setting us up just to survive we're being intentionally set up to be a yo-yo club. He'll pocket the cash while we're in the Premiere League, accepting that we'll probably get relegated but doing just just enough for us to be in a position to bounce straight back each time.

I've been 3 times and witnessed a 1-0 loss on each occasion. Hnng. I live in Wigan, I've only managed to see one Newcastle visit since I have, with the others all falling when I've been back in Newcastle for christmas, but the one I did go to I actually got the assist against Newcastle in a 1-0 loss. I was in the home end, Bramble I think (playing for us) fouled one of their players and the ball flew straight to me, I caught it and threw it straight back, Ryan Taylor (playing for them) took the free kick and sent it over the wall and into our net with me having had the last touch on the ball. Fortunately I'm in the away end this time and I'm going to duck if the ball comes anywhere near me!

Reminded me a little bit of Beardsley vs. Portsmouth.

Just found some highlights. The England goal was Owen > Bowyer > Smith, it was like a future Newcastle flop convention!