Mike Ashley - Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner.

[Benwell Lad]

Keegan has walked away from almost every job he's has once the going got tough

 

Wrong.

 

Left Fulham to manage England.

 

Left Man City because he said he wouldn't sign a contract extention, they said "Ok, f*** off now then."

 

Keegan walking - is typical cockney bullshit of the type spouted by macca888.

 

Surprised at BenwellLad for posting such tripe to be honest.

 

 

You sound like my headmaster. He was proved wrong too.

Surprised at you for using such parochial ignorant insults.

[OzzieMandias]

Keegan has walked away from almost every job he's has once the going got tough

 

Wrong.

 

Left Fulham to manage England.

 

Left Man City because he said he wouldn't sign a contract extention, they said "Ok, fuck off now then."

 

Keegan walking - is typical cockney bullshit of the type spouted by macca888.

 

Surprised at BenwellLad for posting such tripe to be honest.

 

 

[Mr Logic]

Maybe not, I can't remember much before Lord Westwood but I certainly think Ashley was the best leader the club has had in that time and was the best chance we had for a stable and successful future.

Somehow though once again we've managed to totally mess it up and despite his almost universal early popularity many now regard him in the same way as the unpopular figures who headed the club before him.

He spent more money on Newcastle than anyone had ever done, he didn't look down his nose at fans as though they were something dirty he'd trod on like some previous leaders or insult us the way others (supposedly our own) did. He sat with the fans, drank with the fans and genuinely seemed to want the same as us, previous regimes would never have dreamt of being seen with the commoners.

He was a self made proven winner who presented and attempted to implement a sensible structure for Newcastle and reverse the suicidal policies of his predecessors.

Yet one of the men he appointed to help us move forward seems to be responsible for his ultimate and incredibly speedy downfall. You choose who you think that was.

I think it was Keegan to blame, but concede that most think it was someone else.

 

I've said since the mob started shouting for the benefit of TV viewers that we must be careful what we wish for. Whoever follows Ashley it's unlikely the real owner will ever set foot on Tyneside, they will be represented by someone and NUFC will be treat as just another asset on their books.

I think things are now too far gone for Ashley to return and try to move us forward his way, but I still think his vision and plan was our best ever chance, he WOULD have made us successful again.

 

I hope the new regime when it arrives will take us forward, and I will support them if they genuinely have Newcastle's interests at heart but I think we made a grave mistake when we hounded Mike Ashley out of town.

 

 

Why bother? Everyone had made their mind up on Tuesday 2nd September 2008.

 

If thats the level of debate the majority of fans can muster, fuck em.

 

I blame the media and video consoles.

 

No, no, it's the parents. Firstly their genes and then their standards, nature and nurture.

[NE5]

Keegan has walked away from almost every job he's has once the going got tough

 

Wrong.

 

Left Fulham to manage England.

 

Left Man City because he said he wouldn't sign a contract extention, they said "Ok, f*** off now then."

 

Keegan walking - is typical cockney bullshit of the type spouted by macca888.

 

Surprised at BenwellLad for posting such tripe to be honest.

 

 

You sound like my headmaster. He was proved wrong too.

Surprised at you for using such parochial ignorant insults.

 

translated it means : outsiders with parochial and ignorant view of what Newcastle United fans want from their football team ie thinking they are all still cloth capped northerners and the world stops at Watford Gap. And the likes of macca888 believe the shite that they spout. I'm surprised at you taking this view - genuine comment.

 

Sadly for all of us, I have been proved right by the way. And I'm right about Keegan too, he's done us a service by showing this crowd up for the amateurs that they are.

 

I live outside the region BTW, and every single person I know - who support other teams - have said to me they don't blame Keegan going in the slightest and think he has been shit on from a massive height

[WhatTheFunk]

 

Hoy a question-mark at the end of the thread title, and I'll agree with it.

 

IMO Ashley would have been a lot better for the club than SJH and Shepherd in the long run. But that's just my own cockney-tinted, foreign, baseless, ignorant hunch

[WhatTheFunk]

Keegan has walked away from almost every job he's has once the going got tough

 

Wrong.

 

Left Fulham to manage England.

 

Left Man City because he said he wouldn't sign a contract extention, they said "Ok, f*** off now then."

 

Keegan walking - is typical cockney bullshit of the type spouted by macca888.

 

Surprised at BenwellLad for posting such tripe to be honest.

 

 

You sound like my headmaster. He was proved wrong too.

Surprised at you for using such parochial ignorant insults.

 

translated it means : outsiders with parochial and ignorant view of what Newcastle United fans want from their football team ie thinking they are all still cloth capped northerners and the world stops at Watford Gap. And the likes of macca888 believe the s**** that they spout. I'm surprised at you taking this view - genuine comment.

 

 

 

Why are you surprised at Benwell Lad NE5? can't his opinions on occasions be different to your opi.....erm...facts?

[Bad Mongo]

What rubbish. All the rewards from Ashley's investment in the club will be his own. The club is worse off now than when he bought it. Debt free? Big deal, the new owners may still take up a big loan to finance the club, like the Glazers did with their club. They could still have paid it off if he didn't do it. In short: it doesn't matter that he paid the debts off. What matters is the fact that he left the club in the shit.

 

Dear Mr Bank Manager,

 

I know there is a credit crunch and whatnot but please could i borrow 350m to buy Newcastle United?

 

Your sincerely,

 

Mongo.

 

 

I'm sure someone like the Glazers will still be able to get a huge loan if they ask for it, if not 100% on the club value. It probably helps having other assets than a Newcastle-Online account.

[ChezGiven]

What rubbish. All the rewards from Ashley's investment in the club will be his own. The club is worse off now than when he bought it. Debt free? Big deal, the new owners may still take up a big loan to finance the club, like the Glazers did with their club. They could still have paid it off if he didn't do it. In short: it doesn't matter that he paid the debts off. What matters is the fact that he left the club in the shit.

 

Dear Mr Bank Manager,

 

I know there is a credit crunch and whatnot but please could i borrow 350m to buy Newcastle United?

 

Your sincerely,

 

Mongo.

 

 

I'm sure someone like the Glazers will still be able to get a huge loan if they ask for it, if not 100% on the club value. It probably helps having other assets than a Newcastle-Online account.

 

 

With banks finding it hard to get credit off each other, not sure a takeover financed by debt would be looked upon that favourably at the minute.

[magpie418]

Ashley should never of got rid of Allardyce.

[UV]

I swear, Ashley could shag some of your wives/girlfriends with Wise videoing it and you'd still say he was a great bloke if he bought you a pint after and told you it was for the long term good of the club. Quite unbelievable that someone who from day 1 has done nothing but look out for his own best interests and make excuses for not spending any money when he can be bothered to say anything at all can engender such loyalty.

[Cronky]

As I can remember you pointing out in another thread, Ashley is the only owner who has put any substantial sum of his own money into the club. The fact that he might recoup that sum when he sells, and the fact that he could have put in more, are all secondary points. He gave the club what it needed.

 

I also think he was right to have a long-term plan and a proper strategy rather than try to throw money at big name players who didn't really want to come. His big mistake was choosing the wrong manager for the job in hand.

 

I'd agree that losing Ashley is a terrible missed chance. It's fan power at its most blind and destructive.

[johnnypd]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

[johnnypd]

I swear, Ashley could shag some of your wives/girlfriends with Wise videoing it and you'd still say he was a great bloke if he bought you a pint after and told you it was for the long term good of the club. Quite unbelievable that someone who from day 1 has done nothing but look out for his own best interests and make excuses for not spending any money when he can be bothered to say anything at all can engender such loyalty.

 

i think you might be onto something  :colo:

[ChezGiven]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

[NE5]

As I can remember you pointing out in another thread, Ashley is the only owner who has put any substantial sum of his own money into the club. The fact that he might recoup that sum when he sells, and the fact that he could have put in more, are all secondary points. He gave the club what it needed.

 

I also think he was right to have a long-term plan and a proper strategy rather than try to throw money at big name players who didn't really want to come. His big mistake was choosing the wrong manager for the job in hand.

 

I'd agree that losing Ashley is a terrible missed chance. It's fan power at its most blind and destructive.

 

what a shame then that all those clubs that "had a plan" didn't match us when we presumably didn't.

 

Amazing that people are STILL spouting the same old nonsensical cliches. You're supposed to learn from bad experiences and wrong decisions in life.

 

 

[johnnypd]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

 

If the money saved from debt repayments isn't ploughed back into the team - and it wasn't - then it doesnt mean a lot to us fans. it's saved HIM money, it's helping HIM get more for the club. it has done fuck all for the team.

 

and again, the largest chunk of that debt was money he had to pay because of the conditions of the loan agreement, so can be considered an inherent and unavoidable cost of buying the club. it's quite funny that the same people who criticised Shepherd for that (saying he made the club a less attractive proposition)are the same people lauding Ashley for paying it off. mind boggling.

[NE5]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

 

aye, the same old people still defending it, as we hurtle down towards where the Halls and Shepherd found us.

 

 

[ChezGiven]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

 

If the money saved from debt repayments isn't ploughed back into the team - and it wasn't - then it doesnt mean a lot to us fans. it's saved HIM money, it's helping HIM get more for the club. it has done fuck all for the team.

 

Its reduced future cost streams for any potential buyer, thus raising the value of the club. However, the value wont have gone up in proportion to the cost reduction, due to discounting factors.

 

I'm aware that he hasnt invested it in the team.

[johnnypd]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

 

If the money saved from debt repayments isn't ploughed back into the team - and it wasn't - then it doesnt mean a lot to us fans. it's saved HIM money, it's helping HIM get more for the club. it has done fuck all for the team.

 

Its reduced future cost streams for any potential buyer, thus raising the value of the club. However, the value wont have gone up in proportion to the cost reduction, due to discounting factors.

 

I'm aware that he hasnt invested it in the team.

 

well we're not really disagreeing about anything then as far as i can see.

[ChezGiven]

it's quite funny that the same people who criticised Shepherd for that (saying he made the club a less attractive proposition)are the same people lauding Ashley for paying it off. mind boggling.

 

I defended Shepherd a lot for all the excellent things he did for the club, i'm not swayed by media stories or simplistic views of the world.

 

Hence, whilst considering Ashley a part-failure as an owner, i have criticised and applauded him since he arrived across a number of issues. Where i see merit in what he did, i'll talk that up.

[johnnypd]

it's quite funny that the same people who criticised Shepherd for that (saying he made the club a less attractive proposition)are the same people lauding Ashley for paying it off. mind boggling.

 

I defended Shepherd a lot for all the excellent things he did for the club, i'm not swayed by media stories or simplistic views of the world.

 

Hence, whilst considering Ashley a part-failure as an owner, i have criticised and applauded him since he arrived across a number of issues. Where i see merit in what he did, i'll talk that up.

 

likewise. i praised ashley when it was revealed he'd paid off part of our debt, but as S.S.R. pointed out at the time, it remained to be seen if the money saved would go back into the team or not. sadly it wasn't to be the case. it's a not a bad thing to do by any means but nor is it some great positive for us.

[WhatTheFunk]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

 

aye, the same old people still defending it, as we hurtle down towards where Dougie Hall and Shepherd left us.

 

 

 

fyp

[TRon]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

 

aye, the same old people still defending it, as we hurtle down towards where the Halls and Shepherd found us.

 

 

 

You have to acknowledge at some point that Shepherd had stopped spending on the team, that's how Roeder had one of the weakest squads since the days of McKeag who you keep coming back to. At the point Ashley took over the well had run dry, the big money signings had put the club into significant debt with no return following Souness reign of terror, and Roeder's bumbling ineptness. There was no Europe, we were doing shit at that point.

 

This isn't a defence of Ashley, btw, just bringing some perspective.

[NE5]

he didn't put money in to the team (ie, the thing us fans follow) though, he put it into paying off debts that he had no choice but to pay off, and others that would prove to be an investment and save him money through avoiding future interest payments.

 

seems like ive had to point this out a million times before, but im sick of that particular canard.

 

You have to keep pointing it out because from a financial perspective it doesnt back up the position you are taking. Debt is fine but no debt is better because debt has a cost, r. I wont go into the models for you.

 

I'm sick of reading the opinions of people on finance and business who are not qualified to open their mouths on the subject. However, we all have a cross to bear Johnny.

 

aye, the same old people still defending it, as we hurtle down towards where the Halls and Shepherd found us.

 

 

 

You have to acknowledge at some point that Shepherd had stopped spending on the team, that's how Roeder had one of the weakest squads since the days of McKeag who you keep coming back to. At the point Ashley took over the well had run dry, the big money signings had put the club into significant debt with no return following Souness reign of terror, and Roeder's bumbling ineptness. There was no Europe, we were doing shit at that point.

 

This isn't a defence of Ashley, btw, just bringing some perspective.

 

comes back to a point also mentioned before though. You may think that Roeder was "inept" or whatever, but if you want to compare the 2 regimes ie McKeag etc and Shepherd/Hall etc, then where we were under Roeder was deemed success [not shit] under the McKeags and his cronies.

 

Thats also a perspective.

 

Understand ? Its called "higher expectation", which I've mentioned in the Shepherds Legacy thread, as well as other threads in the past.

 

 

[Benwell Lad]

A couple of points.

Many say Ashley did not put money in to the team. Is there any evidence that he vetoed any realistic possible signing on that basis ?

He said when top level players were identified AND wanted to play for Newcastle he would sanction the deal, trying of course to avoid any more Luque, Boumsong, Babayaro and Duff type signings.

 

Once Ashley is forced out who are the better alternatives ? Anyone still lamenting the passing of the Sherherd/Hall era must realise that that level of wealth wouldn't get near the Premiership nowadays. Ashleys successor will most likely be a faceless investment organisation with no interest whatsoever in football and if the markets continue going south no money either.

Realistically he may have been our best option by far.