Why Were We Not Sold?

[merlin]

I would say that the reason the club is still owned by Ashley is basically that he wants it that way - for now..

 

In addition, there is the matter of the loan he has made but the factor that worries me the most is that, as far as we know, there has been nobody REALLY wealthy who has shown a real interest in buying the club.

 

There may now be another factor at work although this is difficult to prove and that is that the NE is now seen as a permanent economic backwater in future years ; this would mean that because the disposable income in the area(and the population)is expected to keep falling, any prospective buyer from overseas is being warned off by his economic 'advisers'.

 

Lets face it, the club's great days were in the times when the NE had shipbuilding, steel, mining and many more major industries. Since all that ended there has been a steady drift of people out of the region to areas like London(Manchester is probably the furthest north that Southerners think matters)where the UKs  current staple industry - Financial Services - is situated.

 

Following the recession, even THAT is now threatened but it is a sad fact that the SE is where the money/jobs are for now...and that is why a club like Spurs(who cannot command the fan base that Newcastle currently has)are planning for a 56,000 stadium and why they WOULD be sold for a large amount if they came on the market.

 

I realise that this won't be a popular viewpoint, but I'm afraid there is some truth in it - we are a club that has failed to punch its weight for 50 years domestically, whereas the likes of Man C, Spurs etc have won trophies in that time. We had a chance to break the mould in 96 but it didn't happen and the club has gone backwards since ; the World is also a much different place since the recession and the power is shifting from West to East so any prospective buyer will want a club that is going to be based in the most prosperous areas of the UK, which , unfortunately, are going to get smaller and closer to Europe.

 

I take no pleasure in posting this, but I see it as a reality. It is probably time to accept that being in the Prem is as good as its going to get - it could be worse.

 

A bleak assessment but one which rings true if you look at the continent. Wealthy or major cities dominate football, from Milan to Rome, from Madrid to Barcelona. Other clubs such as Juventus and Liverpool are from smaller cities but nevertheless much bigger cities than Newcastle, and are firmly established over decades as top clubs dating back to a previous era. Any buyer knows that in a city like that he has potentially millions of fans within distance of his stadium and club shops, as well as the money coming in from fans around the globe, TV revenue and all the rest of it. In a city like Newcastle, about the 20th biggest in England with a limited catchment area around it and a long way from any major metropolis, perhaps people think our potential for growth is limited.

 

Having said that, as Mike says Portsmouth has a lot of the same issues and has been sold twice this season. As you said at the start of your post, the most likely explanation is that he wasn't intent on selling yet. There were offers, he just didn't accept them.

 

The difference with Pompey is as I said - they are a southern club and as the North(esp the NE)loses population, so they will gain it.

There are firms like Vosper Thorneycroft near to Pompey, who still do shipbuilding and Portsmouth has close proximity/links to Europe so they are more likely to obtain new industry than the NE.

 

Another problem is that too many people in the NE vote Labour without question('My Dad, did, and HIS Dad did, etc etc') ; this means that when a Labour Govt gets in, they take the area for granted because they KNOW they will get the votes anyway - when the Tories get in, they know they will NEVER get the votes, so they don't do anything for the area either...personally, I wouldn't vote for ANY of the so-called major parties.

[Howaythelads]

I'm not sure why we couldn't find a buyer.

 

£100 million or £80 million doesn't seem to be too high a price for what any new owner would get for his money.  Other clubs have been sold with more debt and worse grounds, Portsmouth being a prime example of a club with very little to offer changing hands and they did it twice. 

 

I know they went for less than we would have so they could attract a buyer with less money than our purchaser would require.  They are in the Premiership but they look as if they will probably get relegated this season and they are supposed to have a massive debt.  They are in such a state that they can’t sign players because they have missed payments for players already bought and possibly sold.

 

I think the way we react might put some off if they are short sighted, surely the gates we get would counter anything which could be seen as negative.  We're in the second tier and are still getting the 6th best attendance in English football so surely our potential is obvious to possible buyers.  Man City have spent shit loads and get 5,000 more through the gates than we do when we are a shambles of a club and they are 6th in the top division.

 

I can’t figure out why we’ve failed to find a buyer when we have so much going for us, even if we’re in the 2nd division.  It wouldn’t cost a fortune to ensure we are back in the Premiership next season, we could go up with what we’ve got.  The purchase price would have bought a club who didn’t have to do much to become a Premiership club.  A club with a ground which is one of the biggest and best in one of the best leagues in domestic football.

 

Would the club be more saleable if promoted?  It shouldn't make much of a difference if a buyer was looking long term because of our current league position.  If Ashley has been a hurdle then that is unlikely to change, not that I think he has as he would be gone once sold.

 

I can’t think of any sensible or reasonable reason why we’re still owned by Ashley other than the recession and I'm not sure how much of a barrier that should be.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

Because he's a tw*t and never really wanted to sell the club. He's obviously using the club for his own ends (overall business interests) and is asking for *something* in the supposed sale that nobody wants to offer. In the meantime it gives him a transparent excuse to fail to invest in the team or a proper manager.

 

Seems bloody obvious really. I said it last week. Lots of clubs that are in a much worse state have been sold. That's because the owners actually wanted to sell.

[Lotus]

Because Ashley never really wanted to sell it, just wanted to appear like he was.

 

This is what i think.

[relámpago blanco]

Because Ashley never really wanted to sell it, just wanted to appear like he was.

 

This is what i think.

I think he would have sold it if he'd had a 100m offer in june + the money the club owes him.  I think he does want to continue to own the club, I think he just kept it on the market so he could say to fans  "We'll I tried to sell it but no-one came in"

 

Also publising Moats bid only and the fact it would appear moat had sod all money and the club were better off with Ashley would add wieght to this, I honestly think he thought well if I make it look like they'll be worse off without me then they'll take to me eventually,.

 

 

He'll be here for years, look at Doug Ellis Villa fans wanted him out for years.

[Guest iliketoonarmy]

Simple. Ashley didn't even want to sell us at first place. Creating the fake news and made the public(esp us) to believe at the same time selling our important players(important means those who could give a huge part of contribution towards promotion) and get cash inserted into his pocket.

 

So now imagine, if he didn't spread the fake news at the first place and started selling those important players and saved his money for bringing in more players + a proper manager, would the fans react in the cool way as they did?

 

All they did all the way was denying all rumours and lived as usual, without even being serious in any kind of negotiations.Ashley is a smart business man with thick face and a heart of revenge. That's what I always think of.

[relámpago blanco]

Simple. Ashley didn't even want to sell us at first place. Creating the fake news and made the public(esp us) to believe at the same time selling our important players(important means those who could give a huge part of contribution towards promotion) and get cash inserted into his pocket.

 

So now imagine, if he didn't spread the fake news at the first place and started selling those important players and saved his money for bringing in more players + a proper manager, would the fans react in the cool way as they did?

 

All they did all the way was denying all rumours and lived as usual, without even being serious in any kind of negotiations.Ashley is a smart business man with thick face and a heart of revenge. That's what I always think of.

I can't belive people still belive that bit in bold, mental.  The amount of discussions we've had on here about it is insane.

 

You can't just nick money out of a company of this type like that it's fookin illegal.

[Guest iliketoonarmy]

Simple. Ashley didn't even want to sell us at first place. Creating the fake news and made the public(esp us) to believe at the same time selling our important players(important means those who could give a huge part of contribution towards promotion) and get cash inserted into his pocket.

 

So now imagine, if he didn't spread the fake news at the first place and started selling those important players and saved his money for bringing in more players + a proper manager, would the fans react in the cool way as they did?

 

All they did all the way was denying all rumours and lived as usual, without even being serious in any kind of negotiations.Ashley is a smart business man with thick face and a heart of revenge. That's what I always think of.

I can't belive people still belive that bit in bold, mental.  The amount of discussions we've had on here about it is insane.

 

You can't just nick money out of a company of this type like that it's fookin illegal.

 

Well maybe it's just me, a Malaysian who see this happen all the time with government doing this to us. (Out of topic but believe it or not, this kind of things happen everywhere, in any size of company).

[relámpago blanco]

Simple. Ashley didn't even want to sell us at first place. Creating the fake news and made the public(esp us) to believe at the same time selling our important players(important means those who could give a huge part of contribution towards promotion) and get cash inserted into his pocket.

 

So now imagine, if he didn't spread the fake news at the first place and started selling those important players and saved his money for bringing in more players + a proper manager, would the fans react in the cool way as they did?

 

All they did all the way was denying all rumours and lived as usual, without even being serious in any kind of negotiations.Ashley is a smart business man with thick face and a heart of revenge. That's what I always think of.

I can't belive people still belive that bit in bold, mental.  The amount of discussions we've had on here about it is insane.

 

You can't just nick money out of a company of this type like that it's fookin illegal.

 

Well maybe it's just me, a Malaysian who see this happen all the time with government doing this to us. (Out of topic but believe it or not, this kind of things happen everywhere, in any size of company).

It may happen but its called embezzlement, murders happen but it doesn't make them legal.  We also have a different legal system than malaysia.

[Guest iliketoonarmy]

But seriously, what bothers me more is that what would happen to the club in let's say, 2 years time, if Ashley still in charge...

[relámpago blanco]

But seriously, what bothers me more is that what would happen to the club in let's say, 2 years time, if Ashley still in charge...

We'll probably get promoted and perform on a similar level to Villa before Lerner took over.  The odd decent season but mainly in the bottom half.

[Guest iliketoonarmy]

But seriously, what bothers me more is that what would happen to the club in let's say, 2 years time, if Ashley still in charge...

We'll probably get promoted and perform on a similar level to Villa before Lerner took over.  The odd decent season but mainly in the bottom half.

 

You're right. That's perhaps the best we could expect

 

Expectation:

April: Fight against relegation: failed.

May: Club get sold and in charge with someone with club in heart: failed.

June: More players in to strengthen the squad: ok.

July: Employ an experienced manager: failed.

 

I know the team is still on top of the table and on a winning way, but it's still a very far way to go to guarantee promotion.

 

We all live with expectation, who knows if one day we wake up and see the club being sold.