Mike Ashley confirms he wants to sell NUFC - see OP for full statement

[Tsunami]

Why didn't Ashley come out with such a statement about his feelings, plans, debt & transfer kitty when it was really needed; i.e. before this fiasco. If we knew what the score was we could have supported it or at least understood our limitations.

He has put this out to make him the victim. He could quite easily have avoided all of this. The club insider referred to KK last days as The Madness of King Kev and rolled out those ludicrous transfer targets. Change of tack from ridiculing KK to trying to get him back & now making him the victim.

 

I hope that a new buyer is found fast, if so & Ashley remains a fan I'd quite happily have him beside me. I suspect however we'll not see him as & when we've been sold. If we don't get a buyer then Ashley has clearly tried to place an onus on the fans to allow him to run the business along his business plans & any further disruption and its effects are down to us. In lots of ways he is right.

 

This to me is PR on an emotional scale & a says things that should have been said 18 months ago. He's playing games with us.

if he had everyone would have said "heard it before from shepherd. i'd rather you said nowt and we'll judge you by your actions"

 

When he took over we were crying out for such a statement, his actions would by & large have borne out the statement & we'd all have known what to expect.  He's playing with us.

[Guest LucaAltieri]

Lifted this formm another website  It some up my feelings exactly.  (Copyright royalties are in the post Mr Rice).

 

Written by Scott Rice

Sunday, 14 September 2008 17:35

It has been ten days since the resignation of Kevin Keegan and this represents the first statement released from the club, with any official name attached. While the gesture, far too late to build bridges, is grudgingly appreciated it seems even now you do not understand the club, by which I mean the club’s main asset, its large bodies of fans. I take this opportunity to reply on behalf of those who share opinions similar to mine and who love the club like I do.

 

 

1.We the fans realize that the financial state of the club was precarious. We realized that before you bought the club (just not the extent you have subsequently revealed), We understand that this has come about due to the inept policies of the former owner and the ensuing managerial revolving door. This is why we are particularly disappointed that your board structure was such that it resulted in the departure of one of the few managers whom the fans identify as a success.

 

2.We the fans were happy with the mooted “Arsenal” model and contrary to your claims did not expect or demand vast sums to be lavished on the squad. We note, however , that Arsenal does not have a director of football and has appointed NOBODY who can overrule ****ne Wenger in contract or transfer decisions.

 

3.We the fans had two expectations for the transfer window. The Kevin would be given a reasonable transfer kitty (our net spend is close to zero) and that transfers would work as you yourself had described them. There is no evidence of the £20m investment, the TV windfall or the 3 year season ticket purchase taken up by many fans being invested in the first team squad. Initial investment was far more important than year on year contribution given the fragile state of the first team squad and the insufficient cover for key positions.

4.We the fans are disappointed that you did not take the one step that would have resulted in this situation being immediately resolved to everyone who matters at the club’s satisfaction. The removal of Dennis Wise and the introduction of a structure that answers to the manager in ALL football related matters.

 

This is why we are grateful that you have offered the club for sale and claim you will represent our best interests until that sale completes. It is our hope that this is more honest than previous statements about the club. It is our belief that you do not understand the club sufficiently, in light of the above, to lead us into a successful future.

 

Utter, utter, bollocks.

 

How they can say that sacking Wise would get Keegan back is beyond me. Have they been speaking to Kev in private? I certainly haven't seen his list of demands anywhere in the public domain.

 

Grade 'A' bullshit.

[Benwell Lad]

In an ideal world, the next owners will be local backers who can afford to put a decent wedge into the club every year.

 

 

How much is the bloke who owns Sage worth?

 

There is not going to be a Geordie white knight riding in to rescue us, nor a consortium either.

Wylie is probably the only noorth easterner in that league nowadays but I doubt he would touch it with a barge pole having seen whats gone on in the last days.

 

The fans (some) wanted Ashley out. They may soon think they should have been careful about what they wished for.

 

plenty of people also wanted the last lot out, and should have been careful what they wished for.

 

Simple fact is we are back to square 1. We are looking for an owner who will have good intentions for the club, and also crucially understands football and the need to support their manager.

 

Its all a bit sad. Ultimately, the only losers are us, the fans. Some of us have stumped up a lot of money, and not been given what we quite reasonably expected to get for it.

 

 

 

Well from Ashley's statement, it sounds like Ashley was unable to make investments in our team due to how badly the previous lot f***ed us up.

 

I'm grateful he came in when he did, because things could be much worse.

 

We'd have been f*cked without Ashley's investment.

A nice way to show our appreciation.

[Mick]

By the way why do people think Keegan should have been given control over transfers when up until January he hadn't watched a game of football for 3 years? 

 

I suggest you do a google to see when certain people arrived.

[Ketsbaia]

I kinda feel ashamed now, I feel sorry for the guy. Of course, selling is the right decision at the moment, but despite a good start here, he made a few high profile mistakes that have forced him out.

 

But if he'd said this earlier, there wouldnt be as much hostility towards him. Nobody from the club said anything and that was fatal to MA i reckon. The enemies are Wise, Llambias and Jimenez.

 

He seems like a top guy who genuinely loves football and its a shame to lose a guy like that from football, especially when clubs are quickly becoming play-things for the rich. He mentions how passionate our fans are, the flip side to that is when things dont go well....you're a mong-target!

 

So thanks Mike, for keeping the club afloat. Its been a tricky couple of weeks and you've paid the price for it. You seem like a good guy who maybe listens to other people too much. Good luck with your life and please sell us to the right person, not necessarily the one with the most money  

[DJ_NUFC]

Communication was the main issue here. And people's (mongs') inability to think and the expert ability to eat up whatever they're told by the media.

 

To this day there has been no confirmation about the following stories:

 

A) Wise and his evil masterplan and domineering presence

 

B) Keegan's superstar wishlist which included Maradona

 

C) KK didn't want to sell Milner but was forced to face the media and take the blame.

 

D) The long list of exodus Llambias framed, notarised, and handed to KK which prompted him to punch Llambias in the face and walk out.

 

E) KK's bust-up (physical or purely oratory) with the 'board members.'

 

F) Xisco & Gonzales being 'nobodies' in KK's mind.

 

The list continues. The only statements from the club and Keegan have been extremely diplomatic, guarded and without blame for anyone but the veiled circumstances which nobody knows anything about.

 

Yet it took the assholes about half a day to start protesting and chanting 'Sack the Board' at the top of their voices. Unemployed, Army-joining, clueless fucks.

 

Can we please, for the sake of sanity, wait to judge all parties when some semblance of truth comes to light?

 

Sadly, all Ashley had to do was descend down the steps of St. James' or go on Sky and open a dialogue with the fans. Or even release a statement of what has gone on behind the scenes. The fans, majority of them, would have been placated and the sane ones would've been happy to give him as much time he needs to sort things out, with or without Keegan.

 

Rationality has been lacking from everyone in this matter, KK, the club and, especially, the fans.

[wyn davies]

he'll get his dough back when he sells the club, as for some of the debts a very small portion was caused by present board Ashley included ditching Fat Sam and his hangers on therefore paying up contracts, etc etc

[Ketsbaia]

I kinda feel ashamed now, I feel sorry for the guy. Of course, selling is the right decision at the moment, but despite a good start here, he made a few high profile mistakes that have forced him out.

 

But if he'd said this earlier, there wouldnt be as much hostility towards him. Nobody from the club said anything and that was fatal to MA i reckon. The enemies are Wise, Llambias and Jimenez.

 

He seems like a top guy who genuinely loves football and its a shame to lose a guy like that from football, especially when clubs are quickly becoming play-things for the rich. He mentions how passionate our fans are, the flip side to that is when things dont go well....you're a mong-target!

 

So thanks Mike, for keeping the club afloat. Its been a tricky couple of weeks and you've paid the price for it. You seem like a good guy who maybe listens to other people too much. Good luck with your life and please sell us to the right person, not necessarily the one with the most money  

[NE5]

In an ideal world, the next owners will be local backers who can afford to put a decent wedge into the club every year.

 

 

How much is the bloke who owns Sage worth?

 

There is not going to be a Geordie white knight riding in to rescue us, nor a consortium either.

Wylie is probably the only noorth easterner in that league nowadays but I doubt he would touch it with a barge pole having seen whats gone on in the last days.

 

The fans (some) wanted Ashley out. They may soon think they should have been careful about what they wished for.

 

plenty of people also wanted the last lot out, and should have been careful what they wished for.

 

Simple fact is we are back to square 1. We are looking for an owner who will have good intentions for the club, and also crucially understands football and the need to support their manager.

 

Its all a bit sad. Ultimately, the only losers are us, the fans. Some of us have stumped up a lot of money, and not been given what we quite reasonably expected to get for it.

 

 

the big mistake is to expect. we two have been in this long enough to know that.

 

all I personally, reasonably, ask, is for them to support their managers in the manner befitting one of the biggest clubs in the country.

 

If they can't do that - or are unwilling to do it - then they are wrong for us.

 

 

[BONTEMPI]

Pleased but not surprised he's come out with this now and not when Keegan first went.

 

Sorry Mike but you dropped the biggest clanger you ever could by not investing a sizeable amount for your manager and then ultimately underming him in favour of a jumped up cockney weasel.

 

You've been waiting all along to see the reaction at the Hull match to see if you could somehow ride the storm, but you have finally got the message that we don't stand for any shit that drags this club down.

 

Now the only thing you could do to appease the fans is sell to a worthy buyer and while you're at it take that shitty Sports Direct sign down it's tarnishing St James's Park.

 

 

[Tooj]

By the way why do people think Keegan should have been given control over transfers when up until January he hadn't watched a game of football for 3 years? 

 

He hadn't been to a game of football for three years. Not actually watched a game of football. Get your facts right first kidda.

[Guest LucaAltieri]

Communication was the main issue here. And people's (mongs') inability to think and the expert ability to eat up whatever they're told by the media.

 

To this day there has been no confirmation about the following stories:

 

A) Wise and his evil masterplan and domineering presence

 

B) Keegan's superstar wishlist which included Maradona

 

C) KK didn't want to sell Milner but was forced to face the media and take the blame.

 

D) The long list of exodus Llambias framed, notarised, and handed to KK which prompted him to punch Llambias in the face and walk out.

 

E) KK's bust-up (physical or purely oratory) with the 'board members.'

 

F) Xisco & Gonzales being 'nobodies' in KK's mind.

 

The list continues. The only statements from the club and Keegan have been extremely diplomatic, guarded and without blame for anyone but the veiled circumstances which nobody knows anything about.

 

Yet it took the assholes about half a day to start protesting and chanting 'Sack the Board' at the top of their voices. Unemployed, Army-joining, clueless fucks.

 

Can we please, for the sake of sanity, wait to judge all parties when some semblance of truth comes to light?

 

Sadly, all Ashley had to do was descend down the steps of St. James' or go on Sky and open a dialogue with the fans. Or even release a statement of what has gone on behind the scenes. The fans, majority of them, would have been placated and the sane ones would've been happy to give him as much time he needs to sort things out, with or without Keegan.

 

Rationality has been lacking from everyone in this matter, KK, the club and, especially, the fans.

 

Holy shit, the voice of reason. What took you?

[Taylor Swift]

Communication was the main issue here. And people's (mongs') inability to think and the expert ability to eat up whatever they're told by the media.

 

To this day there has been no confirmation about the following stories:

 

A) Wise and his evil masterplan and domineering presence

 

B) Keegan's superstar wishlist which included Maradona

 

C) KK didn't want to sell Milner but was forced to face the media and take the blame.

 

D) The long list of exodus Llambias framed, notarised, and handed to KK which prompted him to punch Llambias in the face and walk out.

 

E) KK's bust-up (physical or purely oratory) with the 'board members.'

 

F) Xisco & Gonzales being 'nobodies' in KK's mind.

 

The list continues. The only statements from the club and Keegan have been extremely diplomatic, guarded and without blame for anyone but the veiled circumstances which nobody knows anything about.

 

Yet it took the assholes about half a day to start protesting and chanting 'Sack the Board' at the top of their voices. Unemployed, Army-joining, clueless fucks.

 

Can we please, for the sake of sanity, wait to judge all parties when some semblance of truth comes to light?

 

Sadly, all Ashley had to do was descend down the steps of St. James' or go on Sky and open a dialogue with the fans. Or even release a statement of what has gone on behind the scenes. The fans, majority of them, would have been placated and the sane ones would've been happy to give him as much time he needs to sort things out, with or without Keegan.

 

Rationality has been lacking from everyone in this matter, KK, the club and, especially, the fans.

 

Jesus, that's a good post.

[ChrisJbarnes]

ashley should go on dragons den.

[DJ_NUFC]

Communication was the main issue here. And people's (mongs') inability to think and the expert ability to eat up whatever they're told by the media.

 

To this day there has been no confirmation about the following stories:

 

A) Wise and his evil masterplan and domineering presence

 

B) Keegan's superstar wishlist which included Maradona

 

C) KK didn't want to sell Milner but was forced to face the media and take the blame.

 

D) The long list of exodus Llambias framed, notarised, and handed to KK which prompted him to punch Llambias in the face and walk out.

 

E) KK's bust-up (physical or purely oratory) with the 'board members.'

 

F) Xisco & Gonzales being 'nobodies' in KK's mind.

 

The list continues. The only statements from the club and Keegan have been extremely diplomatic, guarded and without blame for anyone but the veiled circumstances which nobody knows anything about.

 

Yet it took the assholes about half a day to start protesting and chanting 'Sack the Board' at the top of their voices. Unemployed, Army-joining, clueless fucks.

 

Can we please, for the sake of sanity, wait to judge all parties when some semblance of truth comes to light?

 

Sadly, all Ashley had to do was descend down the steps of St. James' or go on Sky and open a dialogue with the fans. Or even release a statement of what has gone on behind the scenes. The fans, majority of them, would have been placated and the sane ones would've been happy to give him as much time he needs to sort things out, with or without Keegan.

 

Rationality has been lacking from everyone in this matter, KK, the club and, especially, the fans.

 

Holy shit, the voice of reason. What took you?

 

I've been at work. Ensuring people's home phone services function properly. Civil servant et al.

[cp40]

ashley should go on dragons den.

 

 

They would in all seriousness, Tell him to shut the club down altogether, and go and do something else.

[mofo]

Must admit I do feel sorry for him BUT he's brought it on himself, not so much the keegan fiasco but the non communication with the fans.

Lets not forget he's the one who brought lambias (spelling) in, the man who should be talking to the fans.

I'm a massive Keegan fan, I know he's not the best manager but I do think he was the best manager for newcastle.

 

All too little too late imo...

[2sheds]

The only statements from the club and Keegan have been extremely diplomatic, guarded and without blame for anyone but the veiled circumstances which  nobody knows anything about.

 

The club's statement listing their 'facts' contradicted their earlier public statements and were issued in order to blame Keegan.

[DJ_NUFC]

The only statements from the club and Keegan have been extremely diplomatic, guarded and without blame for anyone but the veiled circumstances which  nobody knows anything about.

 

The club's statement listing their 'facts' contradicted their earlier public statements and were issued in order to blame Keegan.

 

Aye, again, diplomacy won due to legal issues.

 

Still no substance though. Blame does not equate to truth, and it certainly isn't enough incriminating evidence to march to the castle calling for the Majesty's head.

 

Having said that, this whole thing would've been handled properly by a mature individual: the old fashioned football owner who puts his emotions aside, takes heat from the supporters with his head held high and steps out to face the noise.

 

 

[Guest LucaAltieri]

Just a quick question:

 

Are those of you that are saying "the communication wasn't good enough" the same lot who thought it was great when we were telling the media fuck all RE: transfers?

 

What exactly in their track record made anyone think that 1) they'd release a statement about the situation 2) that the media (who we all hate) would report whats going on accurately without causing trouble?

 

We announced the signing of Coloccini by having his name printed on the back of Ashley's shirt, for fuck's sake.

[Tsunami]

SSN reporting of his statement makes us fans sound like we're going to kill him & concentrates on the negatives. The statement was more balanced than that. You'd think Sky were trying to fuel the fire...

[Guest firetotheworks]

Areet everyone. I havent posted for a while, being more in favour of being a silent observer, but I thought Id share my thoughts on this to see what everyone thinks.

 

It seems to be a case of being careful what you wish for. That statement is long and emotional (or at least its put across that way)...Ashleys main problem is that if he had've communicated with us then this may never have happened. When Mort was here we knew what was going on when it was needed since then Llambias has spoken less than Ashley who is reknowned for being silent: Fair enough, we knew that when he came in, but the silence was coming from everywhere except Keegan. Therefore we had his word and his word alone to go off.

 

I don't agree with the way Keegan left or was pushed out but I don't think there are any innocent parties either. We don't know whether Keegan agreed to the terms that he ended up walking out over and because we didn't know this, when Keegan left it came down to a popularity contest where there was only ever going to be one winner. If Keegan agreed to be a part of the set up then its his own fault and he's put himself before the club, however Keegan seemed adamant that he had control, and Wise backed this up.

 

Ashley seems to think we all want big money signings and to be fighting for champions league places now with high profile players,when in fact as far as I can see we all just wanted a decent side with at least some strength in depth. The billionnaire owner culture perhaps hazed the view of the few that maybe did want Robinho type signings, perhaps the noisy minority.

 

When he goes I'll be disappointed, its been covered in other posts but it seems that he did have very good intentions. The signings weve made all look to be very good, and we were crying out for youth development, singing sections, ticket deals and for a less of a gobshite owner when Shepherd was in charge. Its obvious but he took a huge risk getting Keegan in without knowing truly what he was dealing with. Again we don't know exactly what Keegan was told when he became manager, but since then Wise stated it was all up to Keegan who came in.Either way I think any situation where there was a falling out with Keegan and anyone was going to result in everyone siding with Keegan. I remember when Keegan took over I said we would learn our lesson. I thought it would end in heartbreak and we'd learn not to put hope in past idols because of the love we have for them. Like passengers refusing to leave the Titanic because they love their captain, and blaming the iceberg to stop it sinking (if you pardon the cheesy analogy).

 

I hope this can be good for us and we'll take a look at the power we really have over the club, and whether we should trust our judgment. I'm not saying its the fans fault that were in this situation, more that we should let the past be the past and not push for things our hearts want more than our heads. Apologies if anyone thinks Im talking bollocks. That was just my take on the whole thing.

[JH]

Shouldn't it be "Mike Ashley confirms he is going to sell NUFC" rather than "wants to". You can clearly tell he doesn't want to.

[DJ_NUFC]

Just a quick question:

 

Are those of you that are saying "the communication wasn't good enough" the same lot who thought it was great when we were telling the media fuck all RE: transfers?

 

What exactly in their track record made anyone think that 1) they'd release a statement about the situation 2) that the media (who we all hate) would report whats going on accurately without causing trouble?

 

We announced the signing of Coloccini by having his name printed on the back of Ashley's shirt, for fuck's sake.

 

There's a massive difference between dealing with situations regarding transfer rumours and rightfully hiding those moves and staying mum when half the city's outside your door demanding answers and calling for your head.

 

Also, habits need to be broken depending on the severity of a situation. In this case, the very notion of the club staying in power as opposed to who we're signing or we're interested in. 

[madras]

The only statements from the club and Keegan have been extremely diplomatic, guarded and without blame for anyone but the veiled circumstances which  nobody knows anything about.

 

The club's statement listing their 'facts' contradicted their earlier public statements and were issued in order to blame Keegan.

issued in response to keegans earlier "let the manager manage" line as issued on his behalf by the LMA.