RIP sale thread.

[Jaehyun]

If this sale does go through though, what are our prospects? I'm not sure if the Moat takeover will give us the finances to be promoted and stay up there in the first go. Though at this point it seems that anyone but ashley will do...

 

Moat claimed to have backing from a US source who isn't willing to deal with Ashley at all & won't surface until the takeover is complete.  With decent backing we should have the funds to buy some new players in January to push for promotion & then again to build the squad up when we get promoted.

 

Could be bollocks though.

 

If it is just Moat on his own then it'll be difficult, he certainly doesn't have a lot of cash of his own so the purchase of the club would be funded by loans which would need repaying which could leave us in a hole, needing to sell more players to cover costs & with no additional funds for new players.

Hope this is true, we will need a lot of fresh faces if we're to stay up. Our squad is weaker than last year, we're getting a couple of result because one our competition is crap, and two the dead wood has been cleared out and players are motivated. But overall our squad is considerably weaker than last year.

 

Yes many clubs stay up with a combination of good scouting and good management and without splashing the cash (stoke being an example), however to build a team like that requires a lot of time under stable management. It seems that most Newcastle fans though, I myself included are quite strictly hoping to be promoted this season and to stay up. I'm not sure if thats entirely possible, I think if we sign a couple of players in January, we have a great chance of promotion, however staying up next year is going to be extremely hard. Especially if, as you've mentioned, Moat doesn't have enough backing and he has to pay off the takeover loans. But I guess Roger would be quite right in that the overdraft would never be sanctioned in the first place if Moat didn't have finances above the asking price. Hopefully the difficulty in Moat meeting the 100 million pound asking price was due to him wanting to invest as much money as he can into the club after the takeover, rather than him just simply not being able to meet it.

 

All in all, Ashley gave us no chance to build and prepare for this season, so I won't be complaining at all if the Moat takeover goes through, I'd be in fact, delighted. At least Moat will give us a chance to prepare and build for our season next year (whether we go up or stay down), but I don't want to fall in the trap of becoming too optimistic.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

If this sale does go through though, what are our prospects? I'm not sure if the Moat takeover will give us the finances to be promoted and stay up there in the first go. Though at this point it seems that anyone but ashley will do...

 

Some teams manage to stay up through a crazy combination of good scoutuing and management over huge expenditure, the biggest problem regarding money will be those fans who expect an assault on the top 6 to come quickly. You have to assume Mort(if it is him) has finances above the purchase price otherwise Barclays will never sanction the overdraft given its not a guarantee we will go straight back up.

 

Unlikely..

 

Very

 

Why, you have no idea of Moats finances?

 

I thought you would be done before Plymouth, youve got just over 2 hours!

[Guest Redheugh]

My work is done

[jdckelly]

If this sale does go through though, what are our prospects? I'm not sure if the Moat takeover will give us the finances to be promoted and stay up there in the first go. Though at this point it seems that anyone but ashley will do...

 

Some teams manage to stay up through a crazy combination of good scoutuing and management over huge expenditure, the biggest problem regarding money will be those fans who expect an assault on the top 6 to come quickly. You have to assume Mort(if it is him) has finances above the purchase price otherwise Barclays will never sanction the overdraft given its not a guarantee we will go straight back up.

 

Unlikely..

 

Very

 

Why, you have no idea of Morts finances?

 

I thought you would be done before Plymouth, youve got just over 2 hours!

as i recall Mort is our former chairman whereas Moat is the bidder

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

If this sale does go through though, what are our prospects? I'm not sure if the Moat takeover will give us the finances to be promoted and stay up there in the first go. Though at this point it seems that anyone but ashley will do...

 

Some teams manage to stay up through a crazy combination of good scoutuing and management over huge expenditure, the biggest problem regarding money will be those fans who expect an assault on the top 6 to come quickly. You have to assume Mort(if it is him) has finances above the purchase price otherwise Barclays will never sanction the overdraft given its not a guarantee we will go straight back up.

 

Unlikely..

 

Very

 

Why, you have no idea of Morts finances?

 

I thought you would be done before Plymouth, youve got just over 2 hours!

as i recall Mort is our former chairman whereas Moat is the bidder

 

edited

 

Sillius - You said your work was done a week or so ago, whats the delay? Overdraft? Ashley? Waiting for Moat to come up wih the goods?

[Guest Redheugh]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

[Newcastle Fan]

Thats like the 8th time we confirm that there is an offer.

[TRon]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

[Guest ToonBart]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

if your work is done and you are working on the yanks bid, does this mean the yanks are behind this fresh bid and not moat. Surely the barclays overdraft wouldn't be a problem to the yanks.

[indi]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

[Dave]

Agreed.

[Belfast Boy]

Are you agreeing with Indi there Dave or being ITK again?

[Dave]

 

The former.

 

I've never been ITK btw.

[TRon]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

[indi]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

[TRon]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

[indi]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

 

So you're trying to say that the actions of Barclays bank are Ashley's responsibility?

 

If you buy a business then you take on its debts as well as its assets, anyone with a brain knows this. It's hardly Ashley's fault that the person who wants to buy his business and with whom he has agreed a price is struggling to prove that he can run it once it's his. Moat would have been aware of the level of the overdraft having done due diligence and it doesn't appear to be a secret that Barclays's standard overdraft for a Championship club is £10m, yet he seems to not have made allowances for that, perhaps he assumed that "We're Newcastle Utd "Big Club"^TM, that won't apply to us!". Whatever he thought, it's not Ashley's fault, yet despite that he seems to have done what he can to resolve the issue, firstly by reducing the overdraft and secondly seemingly negotiating a deal with Barclays to let us keep it at £25m, which is two and a half times the amount that they would give to any other club in the same division. It seems to me that if anyone should be getting shit over this it's Moat (just realised I called him Mort before ), but don't let that stop you from believing Ashley is the root of all evil. My calf is hurting today for no apparent reason, perhaps that is Mike Ashley's fault and all, the bastard!!!

[TRon]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

 

So you're trying to say that the actions of Barclays bank are Ashley's responsibility?

 

If you buy a business then you take on its debts as well as its assets, anyone with a brain knows this. It's hardly Ashley's fault that the person who wants to buy his business and with whom he has agreed a price is struggling to prove that he can run it once it's his. Moat would have been aware of the level of the overdraft having done due diligence and it doesn't appear to be a secret that Barclays's standard overdraft for a Championship club is £10m, yet he seems to not have made allowances for that, perhaps he assumed that "We're Newcastle Utd "Big Club"^TM, that won't apply to us!". Whatever he thought, it's not Ashley's fault, yet despite that he seems to have done what he can to resolve the issue, firstly by reducing the overdraft and secondly seemingly negotiating a deal with Barclays to let us keep it at £25m, which is two and a half times the amount that they would give to any other club in the same division. It seems to me that if anyone should be getting shit over this it's Moat (just realised I called him Mort before ), but don't let that stop you from believing Ashley is the root of all evil. My calf is hurting today for no apparent reason, perhaps that is Mike Ashley's fault and all, the bastard!!!

 

As it stands, Moat can't afford the club and no one else is buying at that price. So either Ashley sells at the best price he can get or stop putting the club up for sale every six months. Is that too much to ask? Every time the fat bastard puts it on the market we are in limbo for months at a time. Who's choice is that?

 

 

[Colos Short and Curlies]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

 

So you're trying to say that the actions of Barclays bank are Ashley's responsibility?

 

If you buy a business then you take on its debts as well as its assets, anyone with a brain knows this. It's hardly Ashley's fault that the person who wants to buy his business and with whom he has agreed a price is struggling to prove that he can run it once it's his. Moat would have been aware of the level of the overdraft having done due diligence and it doesn't appear to be a secret that Barclays's standard overdraft for a Championship club is £10m, yet he seems to not have made allowances for that, perhaps he assumed that "We're Newcastle Utd "Big Club"^TM, that won't apply to us!". Whatever he thought, it's not Ashley's fault, yet despite that he seems to have done what he can to resolve the issue, firstly by reducing the overdraft and secondly seemingly negotiating a deal with Barclays to let us keep it at £25m, which is two and a half times the amount that they would give to any other club in the same division. It seems to me that if anyone should be getting shit over this it's Moat (just realised I called him Mort before ), but don't let that stop you from believing Ashley is the root of all evil. My calf is hurting today for no apparent reason, perhaps that is Mike Ashley's fault and all, the bastard!!!

 

You don't HAVE to acquire the liabilities of a business when you buy it. Depends on how the sale is structured

[indi]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

 

So you're trying to say that the actions of Barclays bank are Ashley's responsibility?

 

If you buy a business then you take on its debts as well as its assets, anyone with a brain knows this. It's hardly Ashley's fault that the person who wants to buy his business and with whom he has agreed a price is struggling to prove that he can run it once it's his. Moat would have been aware of the level of the overdraft having done due diligence and it doesn't appear to be a secret that Barclays's standard overdraft for a Championship club is £10m, yet he seems to not have made allowances for that, perhaps he assumed that "We're Newcastle Utd "Big Club"^TM, that won't apply to us!". Whatever he thought, it's not Ashley's fault, yet despite that he seems to have done what he can to resolve the issue, firstly by reducing the overdraft and secondly seemingly negotiating a deal with Barclays to let us keep it at £25m, which is two and a half times the amount that they would give to any other club in the same division. It seems to me that if anyone should be getting shit over this it's Moat (just realised I called him Mort before ), but don't let that stop you from believing Ashley is the root of all evil. My calf is hurting today for no apparent reason, perhaps that is Mike Ashley's fault and all, the bastard!!!

 

As it stands, Moat can't afford the club and no one else is buying at that price. So either Ashley sells at the best price he can get or stop putting the club up for sale every six months. Is that too much to ask? Every time the fat bastard puts it on the market we are in limbo for months at a time. Who's choice is that?

 

 

 

But Moat CAN afford the club, it costs £100m and he has agreed with Ashley to pay that amount. What he's struggling with is whether he can afford to run the club after he's bought it and that's hardly Ashley's problem is it!?! If he couldn't afford to pay the electric bill or the players' wages, would he go to Ashley and ask for help doing so? No, he wouldn't. This is Moat's problem and it is he who needs to sort it, if he can't do that then what chance has he got of dealing with all the rest of the club's problems? This is a simple one; pay the money and it's solved. The rest of the issues are much harder to sort out, so if he can't solve this one then he's not fit to be in charge of NUFC. Despite everything Ashley seems to be doing what he can to help Moat with this problem, so I don't really see what your point is.

 

 

As for the whole "club in limbo" thing, well that's what happens when someone's trying to sell a football club. You want him gone, he wants to go, how else do you suggest people get what they want? How's he supposed to sell the club if he doesn't try to sell the club? And if you accept the - preposterous, I know! - rationale that the best way to sell a football club is to... ...er... ...sell a football club, then you have to accept all the things that go along with that, primarily that the club will be somewhat "in limbo" during that process. But the problem with lots of people, especially the modern (Premiership) football fan is that they want to have their cake and eat it. You want Ashley to sell the club, but you don't want to accept the process that goes along with that, well tough-shit, you're going to have to, you may as well get used to it.

 

I'd be interested to know (well not that interested, but you can tell me anyway. ) what your solutions would be and how you expected this to play-out in the first place. I wonder if they're at all realistic.

 

 

Sorry for the flippant and somewhat antagonistic nature of the above, but I'm absolutely fucking sick of people continually pissing and moaning about this subject with a level of indefatigability of which NE5 would have been proud. Did you really expect this to be a quick and painless process when you were all calling for Ashley's head and how many times over the last year have you had to consciously ignore all the evidence to the contrary to carry on in that belief? Is the mental strain of doing that what's leading people to give serious consideration to ridiculous notions like that Ashley's doing this deliberately or for a bet? Is it easier to believe fantasies like that, rather than accept the reality of the situation? Perhaps it is.

[indi]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

 

So you're trying to say that the actions of Barclays bank are Ashley's responsibility?

 

If you buy a business then you take on its debts as well as its assets, anyone with a brain knows this. It's hardly Ashley's fault that the person who wants to buy his business and with whom he has agreed a price is struggling to prove that he can run it once it's his. Moat would have been aware of the level of the overdraft having done due diligence and it doesn't appear to be a secret that Barclays's standard overdraft for a Championship club is £10m, yet he seems to not have made allowances for that, perhaps he assumed that "We're Newcastle Utd "Big Club"^TM, that won't apply to us!". Whatever he thought, it's not Ashley's fault, yet despite that he seems to have done what he can to resolve the issue, firstly by reducing the overdraft and secondly seemingly negotiating a deal with Barclays to let us keep it at £25m, which is two and a half times the amount that they would give to any other club in the same division. It seems to me that if anyone should be getting shit over this it's Moat (just realised I called him Mort before ), but don't let that stop you from believing Ashley is the root of all evil. My calf is hurting today for no apparent reason, perhaps that is Mike Ashley's fault and all, the bastard!!!

 

You don't HAVE to acquire the liabilities of a business when you buy it. Depends on how the sale is structured

 

Of course not, a contract can contain clauses stipulating almost any conditions you like, but it's hardly standard practice, is it. You wouldn't go into negotiations expecting that to be the default situation would you. As it stands it seems that Ashley's already prepared to swallow most of the club's debt/losses and take a serious hit on his £300m outlay, if Moat wants the club he's going to have to do some of the work, he can't expect Ashley to do it all for him, can he?

[TRon]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

 

So you're trying to say that the actions of Barclays bank are Ashley's responsibility?

 

If you buy a business then you take on its debts as well as its assets, anyone with a brain knows this. It's hardly Ashley's fault that the person who wants to buy his business and with whom he has agreed a price is struggling to prove that he can run it once it's his. Moat would have been aware of the level of the overdraft having done due diligence and it doesn't appear to be a secret that Barclays's standard overdraft for a Championship club is £10m, yet he seems to not have made allowances for that, perhaps he assumed that "We're Newcastle Utd "Big Club"^TM, that won't apply to us!". Whatever he thought, it's not Ashley's fault, yet despite that he seems to have done what he can to resolve the issue, firstly by reducing the overdraft and secondly seemingly negotiating a deal with Barclays to let us keep it at £25m, which is two and a half times the amount that they would give to any other club in the same division. It seems to me that if anyone should be getting shit over this it's Moat (just realised I called him Mort before ), but don't let that stop you from believing Ashley is the root of all evil. My calf is hurting today for no apparent reason, perhaps that is Mike Ashley's fault and all, the bastard!!!

 

As it stands, Moat can't afford the club and no one else is buying at that price. So either Ashley sells at the best price he can get or stop putting the club up for sale every six months. Is that too much to ask? Every time the fat bastard puts it on the market we are in limbo for months at a time. Who's choice is that?

 

 

 

But Moat CAN afford the club, it costs £100m and he has agreed with Ashley to pay that amount. What he's struggling with is whether he can afford to run the club after he's bought it and that's hardly Ashley's problem is it!?! If he couldn't afford to pay the electric bill or the players' wages, would he go to Ashley and ask for help doing so? No, he wouldn't. This is Moat's problem and it is he who needs to sort it, if he can't do that then what chance has he got of dealing with all the rest of the club's problems? This is a simple one; pay the money and it's solved. The rest of the issues are much harder to sort out, so if he can't solve this one then he's not fit to be in charge of NUFC. Despite everything Ashley seems to be doing what he can to help Moat with this problem, so I don't really see what your point is.

 

 

As for the whole "club in limbo" thing, well that's what happens when someone's trying to sell a football club. You want him gone, he wants to go, how else do you suggest people get what they want? How's he supposed to sell the club if he doesn't try to sell the club? And if you accept the - preposterous, I know! - rationale that the best way to sell a football club is to... ...er... ...sell a football club, then you have to accept all the things that go along with that, primarily that the club will be somewhat "in limbo" during that process. But the problem with lots of people, especially the modern (Premiership) football fan is that they want to have their cake and eat it. You want Ashley to sell the club, but you don't want to accept the process that goes along with that, well tough-shit, you're going to have to, you may as well get used to it.

 

I'd be interested to know (well not that interested, but you can tell me anyway. ) what your solutions would be and how you expected this to play-out in the first place. I wonder if they're at all realistic.

 

 

Sorry for the flippant and somewhat antagonistic nature of the above, but I'm absolutely fucking sick of people continually pissing and moaning about this subject with a level of indefatigability of which NE5 would have been proud. Did you really expect this to be a quick and painless process when you were all calling for Ashley's head and how many times over the last year have you had to consciously ignore all the evidence to the contrary to carry on in that belief? Is the mental strain of doing that what's leading people to give serious consideration to ridiculous notions like that Ashley's doing this deliberately or for a bet? Is it easier to believe fantasies like that, rather than accept the reality of the situation? Perhaps it is.

 

I don't know if you want me to answer questions other people have put such as whether Ashley is doing this on purpose but since it's not MY belief I'll just stick to the gripes I have personally. I didn't demand Ashley put the club up for sale, he did this for his own reasons (for the second time). I don't have any problem with him selling the club if someone wants to buy it, but since no one was throwing money at him, why does he have to periodically grind the club to a halt while he puts the boards up? Just run the club as a going concern and if someone wants to buy great. If he's going to bring everything to a virtual halt when he puts the For sale sign up then he should lower his fucking price and get the deal done.

[indi]

At least I am consistent.

 

Ashley is away and Llambias is at a function in Spain.

 

I think its a little piece to throw in "while the cats away"

 

In reality nothing much has changed, Ashley is still asking more for the club than anyone is willing to pay when you take the debt into account.

 

 

 

Or perhaps there are people willing to pay what he's asking, but the stumbling block is Barclays and the overdraft. It seems quite a reasonable conclusion to draw that Mort et al can meet the asking price, but are reticent to have to pay off an extra £25m to reduce the overdraft down to Barclays's standard £10m for a Championship club. That money could represent all and more of what they had put aside for transfers and I'd have thought they'd have been very wary indeed of the public reaction should they take over and then have nothing to spend on bringing new players in. Given the general mood of the fans, I'd suggest that any takeover without the means to significantly improve the playing staff would be doomed from the start as the fans simply wouldn't accept it, rightly or wrongly.

 

The overdraft is still a debt, Barclays aren't obliged to loan money to anyone so they have every right to be a stumbling block if Moat or any other buyer is relying on their money to buy the club.

 

Your point?

 

How many times do you want me to make it?

 

 

So you're trying to say that the actions of Barclays bank are Ashley's responsibility?

 

If you buy a business then you take on its debts as well as its assets, anyone with a brain knows this. It's hardly Ashley's fault that the person who wants to buy his business and with whom he has agreed a price is struggling to prove that he can run it once it's his. Moat would have been aware of the level of the overdraft having done due diligence and it doesn't appear to be a secret that Barclays's standard overdraft for a Championship club is £10m, yet he seems to not have made allowances for that, perhaps he assumed that "We're Newcastle Utd "Big Club"^TM, that won't apply to us!". Whatever he thought, it's not Ashley's fault, yet despite that he seems to have done what he can to resolve the issue, firstly by reducing the overdraft and secondly seemingly negotiating a deal with Barclays to let us keep it at £25m, which is two and a half times the amount that they would give to any other club in the same division. It seems to me that if anyone should be getting shit over this it's Moat (just realised I called him Mort before ), but don't let that stop you from believing Ashley is the root of all evil. My calf is hurting today for no apparent reason, perhaps that is Mike Ashley's fault and all, the bastard!!!

 

As it stands, Moat can't afford the club and no one else is buying at that price. So either Ashley sells at the best price he can get or stop putting the club up for sale every six months. Is that too much to ask? Every time the fat bastard puts it on the market we are in limbo for months at a time. Who's choice is that?

 

 

 

But Moat CAN afford the club, it costs £100m and he has agreed with Ashley to pay that amount. What he's struggling with is whether he can afford to run the club after he's bought it and that's hardly Ashley's problem is it!?! If he couldn't afford to pay the electric bill or the players' wages, would he go to Ashley and ask for help doing so? No, he wouldn't. This is Moat's problem and it is he who needs to sort it, if he can't do that then what chance has he got of dealing with all the rest of the club's problems? This is a simple one; pay the money and it's solved. The rest of the issues are much harder to sort out, so if he can't solve this one then he's not fit to be in charge of NUFC. Despite everything Ashley seems to be doing what he can to help Moat with this problem, so I don't really see what your point is.

 

 

As for the whole "club in limbo" thing, well that's what happens when someone's trying to sell a football club. You want him gone, he wants to go, how else do you suggest people get what they want? How's he supposed to sell the club if he doesn't try to sell the club? And if you accept the - preposterous, I know! - rationale that the best way to sell a football club is to... ...er... ...sell a football club, then you have to accept all the things that go along with that, primarily that the club will be somewhat "in limbo" during that process. But the problem with lots of people, especially the modern (Premiership) football fan is that they want to have their cake and eat it. You want Ashley to sell the club, but you don't want to accept the process that goes along with that, well tough-shit, you're going to have to, you may as well get used to it.

 

I'd be interested to know (well not that interested, but you can tell me anyway. ) what your solutions would be and how you expected this to play-out in the first place. I wonder if they're at all realistic.

 

 

Sorry for the flippant and somewhat antagonistic nature of the above, but I'm absolutely fucking sick of people continually pissing and moaning about this subject with a level of indefatigability of which NE5 would have been proud. Did you really expect this to be a quick and painless process when you were all calling for Ashley's head and how many times over the last year have you had to consciously ignore all the evidence to the contrary to carry on in that belief? Is the mental strain of doing that what's leading people to give serious consideration to ridiculous notions like that Ashley's doing this deliberately or for a bet? Is it easier to believe fantasies like that, rather than accept the reality of the situation? Perhaps it is.

 

I don't know if you want me to answer questions other people have put such as whether Ashley is doing this on purpose but since it's not MY belief I'll just stick to the gripes I have personally. I didn't demand Ashley put the club up for sale, he did this for his own reasons (for the second time). I don't have any problem with him selling the club if someone wants to buy it, but since no one was throwing money at him, why does he have to periodically grind the club to a halt while he puts the boards up? Just run the club as a going concern and if someone wants to buy great. If he's going to bring everything to a virtual halt when he puts the For sale sign up then he should lower his fucking price and get the deal done.

 

Okay, fair enough, it's hard to keep up with everyone's own personal take on everything, but even if you don't think like that there are plenty of people who do.

 

With regard to your take on things, well that's what happens when a business like this is in the process of being sold and it doesn't appear that it's his asking price that's holding things up, it's the overdraft and as I've pointed out that's not down to Ashley, is it. Yet you continue to lay all the blame for it at his feet.

[TRon]

I think having bought the club, Ashley has a responsibility to run the club properly, which I don't believe he has done for some time now. If the club is a millstone around his neck then he should get it sold for whatever reasonable price he can IF he really wants to sell. What he can't do is keep putting it up for sale, then winding down operations without selling. If he hires a full time manager, lets him wheel and deal and THEN refuses to accept a set price he would at least have a leg to stand on.

[indi]

So you've decided to ignore that they have apparently agreed a price and that it's the overdraft that is holding things up then. Oh well never mind.