robm

You need to go to the forum profile, look and layout to turn off the censor.

Surprised the Reuben brothers would be third in that list and close to Mansour

That works for me.

Tbf to him after having re-read his initial tweets and then his responses to various people. He seems to be referring to the media's indulgence of the cans meme, rather than the fans themselves excitement over it. I still feel like he's taking his argument to extremes but it does seem to be meant in a different way to how most have initially taken it. But even still what’s the problem with the media indulging in the #cans meme? He is generally right but he needs to pick his battles better. because in his opinion the media should be asking questions about the kind of people taking over the club and their track record and not blindly cheerleading Is this the guy from the Independent because as I posted before he didn't seem to have any problems when they were linked with a 4 billion bid for his beloved man u https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/manchester-united-sale-saudi-arabia-interest-reports-latest-buy-club-mohammad-bin-salman-a8586866.html

Pinched from Reddit credit Mr_November ’Twas the night before Cansmas, and all through the Toon Everybody was edging; why, even Lejeune! The cans in the fridge, so nestled with care In hopes the announcement soon would be there

 “What a glorious morning!” we’ll say in delight When the Fat Cockney Bastard is far out of sight Passing out on the sofa, too drunk for our beds While visions of Europe do dance in our heads

 Now Fosters! Now Stella! Now, Bud, Heineken!
 On, Carling! On, Strongbow!
 On, Old Speckled Hen! With ink on the paperwork dry and pristine We’ll revel remotely, even in quarantine! Only pausing a moment to go grab a refill Or, hands on hips, to gallantly windmill. Soon Mandy & friends with their fortunes and fame Will ride golden camels down Strawberry Lane ‘Fore we get too shittered to remember our plans: Happy Cansmas to all, and to all, lovely cans

95-97. Shouldn't be any questions asked. Bang on. Loved that strip.

Wasn't there someone at Leeds failed but he was just stopped for 3 months?

Very good. Nothing really new but pretty positive stuff for a change.

Be the saviours of football if they bought Man Utd. The red carpet would be rolled out. There would be an acknowledgement that sport and politics are separate issues. Aye, it would be full of articles like this praising them: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/11/04/manchester-united-fans-may-want-rid-club-glazers-sportswashing/ The red carpet for sure. Can we please cease with this cretinous paranoid nonsense? That Delaney prick from the Independent didn't seem very bothered. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/manchester-united-sale-saudi-arabia-interest-reports-latest-buy-club-mohammad-bin-salman-a8586866.html

How will Newcastle United operate under Saudi ownership and what is their vision for the club? Fans should not expect levels of spending comparable to Chelsea and Manchester City after their takeovers ByJason Burt, CHIEF FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT23 April 2020 • 7:00am Premium The sale and purchase agreements have been signed, the paperwork exchanged and the deposit paid. The next step for the proposed £300million takeover of Newcastle United is the completion of the owners and directors test. Despite the interventions of Amnesty International and beIN Sports, who have both written to the Premier League to express their concern, the deal is not believed to be in jeopardy. So far there are no so-called ‘red flags’. So what will Newcastle look like if there is a change of ownership and how will it be run? Inevitably the recent focus has been on Yasir Al-Rumayyan who is the governor of one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. After all, the Saudis are the most powerful and controversial moneymen in all of this. It was The Daily Telegraph, back on January 27, who revealed that Al-Rumayyan would become chairman of Newcastle once, it is hoped, the takeover of the Premier League club is completed after the price was renegotiated down from £340million in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. However the 50-year-old Saudi financier is expected to be a non-executive chairman – his day job is running PIF whose investments range from a five per cent stake in Uber to the Japanese SoftBank group. Al-Rumayyan sits on the board of both ventures and also chairs Saudi Aramco, the state oil business, which claims to be the biggest company in the world. Al-Rumayyan will help lead the strategy but he is not going to be in Newcastle signing cheques. Instead the club will operate with a European corporate governance structure of a chairman and a board of directors. It is what is known as a “process-driven” approach with Al-Rumayyan explaining how the PIF works in a recent interview on Bloomberg’s “The David Rubenstein Show”. “We have layers and layers of investment diligence,” he said with each decision on whether to buy into a company going to “an investment committee and then a board”. Newcastle's takeover has attracted widespread condemnationCREDIT: PA The responsibility for running Newcastle and implementing the long-term plan to make the club a competitive force in English and European football will fall on Amanda Staveley, whose company, PCP Capital Partners, which she operates with her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, will take a 10 per cent stake and will be the operating partner. PCP will run the club on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the group, acting like an asset manager. The fact that Staveley is, as one source puts it, “stumping up the cash”, along with the property billionaires the Reuben Brothers, who are also buying 10 per cent and will have a place on the board through Jamie Reuben, is important to the Saudis. They will be the majority owners with 80 per cent of the club in what is an all-cash bid that leaves Newcastle debt free but despite their vast financial power the Saudis like to work in partnership with others even when it comes down to sharing the legal costs as has happened throughout this bid. It should also be remembered that while Newcastle will be a high-profile and strategic investment for the Saudis it is not a ‘big’ deal for the PIF which has assets of $330billion and spent $3.5billion on its stake in Uber after Al-Rumayyan used the app and liked it. How Newcastle operate if the deal goes through and Mike Ashley, who remains in Miami during the lockdown, is finally bought out will be fascinating and not least because Staveley, who will be on the board, has never run a football club before. In saying that she probably has not been given enough credit for the role she played in the early days of Abu Dhabi’s buy-out of Manchester City in 2008 while PCP have a number of experienced people who have run big businesses but who are not well-known. With Newcastle the approach is already more structured. This is a group of investors who have a very clear vision of what they want to do with the club and there is a detailed plan in place to recruit an experienced team to upgrade all aspects once the green-light is given. In saying that it will not be done quickly. They will want to get a feel for how the club works – which is why managing director Lee Charnley will be retained for the handover – and take the temperature. Eventually a new chief executive is expected to be headhunted. Despite the legitimate concerns over ‘sportswashing’ and the Saudis human rights record there does not appear to be any material reason to block the bid. Britain trades with Saudi Arabia and the PIF, PCP and the Reubens are all highly credible investors. The Premier League’s focus will be whether the funding is there and the owners are legally allowed to do business in the UK. Undoubtedly the takeover has been complicated by the coronavirus lockdown but that has also given the would-be buyers time to consider their plans which have clearly had to be revised because of the change in the economic landscape. Loss of revenue from five home league games alone has to be factored in while they cannot physically even get into St James’ Park before the restrictions are eased. A priority will be to speak to manager Steve Bruce but that cannot happen until the takeover is completed. It is said Bruce is fearful of losing his job but he will be given time and will be expected to outline his plans on how he believes Newcastle can progress. Contrary to reports there is no shortlist to succeed him as manager and Rafael Benitez, for example, has not been lined up for a return or Mauricio Pochettino to take over. Whether Bruce remains beyond this season, whenever it resumes, clearly remains to be seen but it would be no surprise to see a plan put in place to hire a director of football or sporting director as that would fit into the kind of governance structure favoured by the PIF. There are obvious easy wins such as taking staff out of furlough, tapping into former players and bringing them back on board and laying out a vision that would see Newcastle promote itself as the ‘club of the north’. That would also take significant investment in the training ground and club’s academy and hiring more staff and, again, points to a long-term plan. Money will be spent in the transfer market but fans should not expect the levels of spending that followed the Manchester City takeover or Roman Abramovich’s arrival at Chelsea. Times have changed, even if the new owners wanted to. Even so there will be an intense interest to see how they go about turning Newcastle into a force.

Didn't he lose £150 million on Debenhams shares already? Can't see him touching that again unless he can screw the lenders who took control.

Doesn’t he have that massive tax bill to sort out with Belgian authorities? For that matter don’t we have a few tax issues that have seemingly disappeared in to nothing. Think most of that got sorted unfortunately. Last report said the bill had been reduced by 75% to £181million and they expected most of the rest to be cancelled as well.

South Shields beat fc United of Manchester 5-3 to go 12 points clear. Cracking game and crowd of 3274.

f***ing hell, that should be a landslide man. Not on Twitter, what are the results? 67% Rafa 33% Bruce

Remember when we were used by Man Utd to flush out the price for Rooney. They (Saudi) have made about 4 or 5 bids for Manchester United. 5 billion was a figure I heard mentioned and still the Glazers wouldn’t negotiate. Maybe this is like the Rooney thing expect going the other way. It’s a leak to the media to put pressure on the Glazers as a buyer like Saudi is a one time thing. Nothing good ever happens to this club. Not like this. So let’s assume as far as NUFC is concerned this is bullshit. Mind that time you talked a load of shite about a takeover? Yes we all do ;D

? can anyone who has access to it copy in the article The sixth floor of Academy House, Sports Direct’s latest headquarters in London’s Oxford Circus, is packed with City folk, and a respectable number of journalists - perhaps too many for Mike Ashley’s liking. The gathering is an update on how the business is doing. Of late, Ashley appears to have been making a concerted effort to say as little as possible during such meetings, a sign perhaps that the efforts of his new-ish PR to moderate his outbursts are working. Known for his colourful diatribes against a range of people who doesn’t align to his world view, the retail magnate visibly tries to rein it in when his top team are answering probing questions. When he does, his answers are tentative, conciliatory even. “I’ve got to be very careful here before I answer.” “I’m not trying to be difficult but…” When he can’t get away with evasive answers, he resorts to repetition, like a broken record, hoping the message will sink in. “I don’t think we should get tied down to specific numbers.” And again. “I don’t think we want to get stuck on specifics numbers, it’s very dangerous, it’s the sort of thing I did in the past.” When he goes rogue, this time about share price predictions, a discreet glance from his minders keeps him in check. “I’m getting nodded at not to say the share price. But an enormous share price…" He looks again. “I’m not allowed to use the word ‘enormous’. No. A lot higher than it is now, how about that?” Another glance. “OK, so we’re clear. A lot higher than it is now.” The Sports Direct tycoon’s relationship with the media has always been fraught, emotional even. He fears being vilified in the press, so keeps everyone at arm’s length. At one point, he bemoans being made “a panto villain”, then tells everyone they are clueless about business rates. Ashley is no stranger to unorthodox behaviour, which has earned him the 'Mad Mike' moniker. In September, he banned journalists from the annual general meeting with shareholders without giving a reason for it. Listed companies do not have to allow journalists into their annual general meetings, but most generally do. Two years ago, he cancelled an open day for media and investors after “conflicting demands” for time. After an animated meeting with shareholders in 2016, he invited the press over to the company's Shirebrook warehouse in Derbyshire, to show them around, during which he unloaded a wad of £50 notes as part of a security check. Back in 2013, his executives banned some local papers from attending Newcastle United matches if they continued to write negative coverage of the team and the club, which he also owns. Half way through the conference, the masks slips, he loses his cool and goes off-script as soon as a hack asks a follow-up question. His main gripe is that “due diligence” related to his recent buying spree has come up. The mood shifts. He doesn’t smile anymore. “No, enough now. You are going to ruin it for the media. Why do you want to ruin it for the media?” They talk over each other. “Why are you going to ruin it for the media? It’s an investment day, it’s not a media day. Okay? Get the balance and be fair.” He becomes a bizarre version of Lord of the Rings’ Gandalf, confronting Balrog, the demon, and threatens to ban journalists from Sports Direct towers if they don’t behave - ‘you shall not pass’ style. “Press are dominating the results a little bit too much, maybe it wasn’t the greatest idea to invite the press to the half year results. We’ll probably limit it to full year results. “As I say, this isn’t a panto and I’m not a panto villain. If from the investors we can have some more serious business questions.” Journalists appear to be a nuisance to him. He does not cope well with criticism and anyone questioning his business decisions. He answers a few more. Then, looking like someone who has just remembered how to solve an algebra equation in a maths exam, he reverts to being jovial, and invites journalists to ask “positive” questions. As if his little outburst never happened and all is forgotten. With a bit more finessing from his minders, he might get it right next time.

From Telegraph Mike Ashley paves way for swift exit from House of Fraser Mike Ashley regrets his decision to buy House of Fraser 7 October 2019 • 9:15am Almost all House of Fraser stores could shut after the crucial Christmas shopping season, as Mike Ashley's bad bet on the chain appears headed for a sorry end. Sports Direct, which paid administrators £90m for House of Fraser after it collapsed last year, took control of 64 sites including 59 stores, three office buildings and two warehouses. Seven sites are now empty and Sports Direct is either not paying rent or is about to end the leases for the vast majority of the remaining ones, fresh papers from administrators EY have showed. This allows for a quick exit. Mr Ashley has already said he plans to close several House of Fraser stores after December. The business is launching an upmarket spin-off from the old House of Fraser brand, called Frasers. It has plans to overhaul just five next year, with the first one expected to replace the outgoing Debenhams in the centre of Wolverhampton. In July, Mr Ashley admitted he regrets his decision to buy the chain and described the state of the business as "nothing short of terminal". "If we had the gift of hindsight we might have made a different decision in August 2018." Sports Direct is still scrambling to find an auditor after Grant Thornton, which had been advising the retailer for years, formally quit last month. If it fails to find one, its future as a listed company could be at risk.

I think that we're witnessing the beginning of the end for SD in all honesty, the brand is now toxic.....the beauty is, Ashley won't admit to himself that he's wrong and continue to chuck money at it. I think they'll be gone from the high street within a few years personally. They won’t. They may downsize, they may be bigger online than in store, but they won’t collapse. Like it or not, theirs plenty of people out there who want cheap sportswear and won’t/can’t pay JD prices (SD own 30% of JD). You have to remember that Sports Direct also own Flannels, which is the new store on Northumberland Street is anything to go by, is proving to be popular and on the up. It would take for Primark to have an extensive range of sportswear available (only small) and for the likes of the Premier League to operate their own store for merchandise (much like the NFL, NHL etc) for Sports Direct to fall apart. Even then I still think they’ll have a decent market share. Don't think that is correct. Do you have a source?

From The Telegraph It's high time for Mike Ashley to end this very public spectacle Christopher Williams Deputy Business Editor Christopher Williams 15 July 2019 • 9:02pm Mike Ashley claims it is “very boring”, but there’s never a dull moment in Shirebrook. The former Derbyshire colliery town is now best known as the Sport Direct tycoon’s favourite place to dig himself into deep holes. Lately he seems hell-bent on his own tracksuit-clad journey to the centre of the Earth. Bizarre announcements from Sports Direct are nothing new, of course. Barely a week goes by without the retailer troubling its shareholders with some foolery, often requiring correction via a further announcement within hours. On some level, investors who have remained on board to indulge the madness of King Mike must enjoy the show. Yet perhaps, at last, Ashley’s excesses are catching up with him. Just consider developments at Shirebrook over the last fortnight. First, the long-serving head of retail operations, Karen Byers, a woman described by the founder of Sports Direct himself as “the glue that holds it all together”, suddenly left the business. Days later it was revealed that Cameron Olsen, the company secretary, stepped down on the same day, for personal reasons. Two senior departures in quick succession could just be bad luck. But today's announcement that the company’s financial report will be delayed by up to a month is a signal of serious problems. Naturally, on planet Ashley, he is not the author of this crisis. The update identifies more culprits than a Sports Direct security guard, yet few can be found in Shirebrook. Sports Direct is apparently unable to produce its accounts as scheduled because of regulatory scrutiny of audits and its auditor, Grant Thornton. In fairness, Sports Direct does admit that “the current uncertainty as to the future trading performance of this business” is a factor too. However, when a listed company discovers it is missing its targets it normally rushes out the announcement to keep the stock market informed. Sports Direct instead claims it as a reason to keep its investors in the dark. On top of that, Ashley argues that the takeover of House of Fraser, a move he planned and plotted for months before the department store chain collapsed into administration last year, has also made producing reliable accounts on time too difficult. Does this amount to an admission that he has overreached himself by acting as the high street’s grim reaper, harvesting whatever value he can from damned retailers? Does it mean the end of his tantrums over Sports Direct’s failure to seize control of Debenhams before it fell into the hands of its lenders, a gamble that squandered tens of millions of pounds? Surely Ashley can now see collecting more stricken businesses is likely to add to his own troubles? The answers are now beside the point. Sports Direct’s failure to deliver its results on time and the scattergun of excuses that accompanied the announcement was rightly received as a sign of problems at the centre of the Ashley empire. Behind the bluster, the announcement hinted that the core Sports Direct business is failing to meet its forecasts. Investors marked the shares down by 9.6pc, to leave them close to their lowest level since 2012, but that was a guess. The true extent of Ashley’s challenges will not be known until he has finished arguing with Grant Thornton some time between July 26 and Aug 23. In a normal listed company with proper governance, at that point Ashley would have some very difficult questions to answer. Sports Direct is not a normal listed company, however, and Ashley’s power is complete. With the share price headed south, a management and board stuffed with cronies, and a baffling obsession with buying distressed retailers, it is now impossible to escape the conclusion that Sports Direct does not belong on the stock market. Thanks to its decline, Ashley could end the farce and take it private for half a billion pounds, a third of what it would have cost him four years ago. Shareholders would grumble, but Sports Direct has always been famous for its giant mugs.

Any interested buyers first move should be to pay a £5million contract to kill this cunt.

Quite a few of those daft enough to want him because he is local will be pissed off at him managing Sunderland.

They go on general sale on the 15th July. Renewal final date was 4th but looks like it's still open.

The quote for that anywhere? https://www.football365.com/news/benitez-gives-newcastle-fans-film-his-full-support

I was on the 10 year plan and cancelled mine in January. Couple of lads next to me packing in as well. I really think there will be a big drop in crowds.