Is Mike Ashley the worst person ever to have been associated with NUFC?

[Dave]

[Thespence]

Souness added: "The chairman nearly fell off his seat when I handed him a piece of paper saying this was the man I wanted.

 

"There are few people capable of filling Alan Shearer's shirt, but Michael is one of them.

 

"Our fans will love him because he's an honest lad and a world-class goalscorer, and he will be great in the dressing room.

 

"It was great before but it will be even better now - we've really done the business with this one."

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/4200808.stm

[Dave]

An honest lad and great in the dressing room. :laugh:

[quayside]

Souness added: "The chairman nearly fell off his seat when I handed him a piece of paper saying this was the man I wanted.

 

"There are few people capable of filling Alan Shearer's shirt, but Michael is one of them.

 

"Our fans will love him because he's an honest lad and a world-class goalscorer, and he will be great in the dressing room.

 

"It was great before but it will be even better now - we've really done the business with this one."

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/4200808.stm

 

Well I remember all that - and based on what we know about the way PR works in football (even pre Ashley) you consider all that to be 100% evidence that he was a Souness signing? Sorry but I don't.

[JH]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

f***ing topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

[Ronaldo]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

f***ing topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

Really?

 

Yes.

[Frazzle]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

f***ing topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

Really?

 

Yes.

 

 

[TBG]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

f***ing topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40747000/jpg/_40747290_presser_pa.jpg

 

 

[thomas]

No.

[Anderson]

I was there that day.

I was neither a charver nor topless, just young and naive.

[Cronky]

Definitely one of the maddest, most badly thought-out transfers ever.

[Guest BooBoo]

Definitely one of the maddest, most badly thought-out transfers ever.

Definitely one of the maddest, most badly thought-out transfers ever.

 

The madness of Fat Freddie.

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

No-one seems to talk about how Mike Ashley funded, and restarted, Newcastle's grassroots and community program - Newcastle United Foundation. Not only is it giving a place for would be coaches to work and gain experience, and learn from great coaches for free, but its giving local kids and 'hard up' communities the chance to play football.

 

n its first year, it reached more than 60,000 people through its health, education and sporting programmes.

 

It has expanded its flagship health project Match Fit to 10 more primary schools in Newcastle to reach 5,000 children over the next three years.

 

It has also launched the Newcastle United Enterprise Academy to teach 750 secondary school pupils about business and enterprise, and worked closely with the Academy, coaching 3,000 youngsters through a "Search for a Star" initiative funded by Sir John Hall.

 

The foundation has also developed a successful partnership with Newcastle City Council to deliver youth football across the city, seeing a 48% increase in participation within six months, and opened a new state-of-the-art learning centre at the stadium.

 

Newcastle United Foundation is a registered charity (1124896) and Company Limited by Guarantee (6412345). The Foundation is also a Football League Trust Silver Standard Community Scheme.

 

IT’S the Toon’s very own charity, bringing football into the community and inspiring thousands of youngsters.

 

Since the Newcastle United Foundation was set up less than three years ago, it has seen football stars get out and meet the fans and make dreams come true.

 

Now the registered charity has celebrated its achievements over the last year, which include teaching over 5,000 primary school children about healthy living.

 

Magpies manager Alan Pardew, who attended the celebration event at Shearer’s Bar at St James’ Park, hailed the Foundation’s work.

 

He said: “The Foundation does an incredible amount of good work on behalf of the club and is invaluable in strengthening the links between Newcastle United and our local community.

 

“Aside from the football coaching courses they run – which give youngsters the best possible start in the game – the excellent work they do in such areas such as healthy eating and fitness benefits our region in a very positive way.” Over the last year, the charity – which was set up in summer 2008 – has achieved a 100% growth in participation levels compared with the previous year.

 

They received £172,728 from BBC Children in Need and the Football League Trust for a three-year Disability Football initiative.

 

Also in the past year they have employed four unemployed trainees through the Government’s Future Jobs Fund.

 

Kate Bradley, head of the Foundation, said: “We are still a relatively young charity, but feel we have achieved a lot in a short space of time. We are so grateful for the support we get from the club. The time and effort we get from the players makes a huge impact. They are the heroes who a lot of people look up to.

 

“The public are great, and when we go out and work in the community the support is immense.

 

“A lot of our activities take place in Newcastle, so over the next year we want to expand further into the region.

 

“In particular, we want to roll our ‘Match fit’ programme out to more schools in the area.”

 

The Match Fit programme aims to increase pupils’ fitness levels, improve their knowledge of healthy food and nutrition and stress the importance of a healthy heart. It includes measuring heart rates before and after physical activity, learning about the benefits of regular exercise, warming up and cooling down, foods for fuel plus healthy drinks and snacks. Pupils complete a workbook over the six weeks, including keeping a food diary and working towards achievable goals.

 

In the past year, the Foundation established Family Football – a family education programme across the region with funding from the Big Lottery.

 

The Foundation also delivered a major FIFA World Cup schools education and coaching programme involving 35 schools and 1,000 children

 

Over the next year, it is also hoped a Foundation sports facility can be built.

 

Kate Bradley added: “It would be fantastic to have our own sports facility which can act as our base.

 

“At the moment we use the club’s academy and training ground, but it would be nice to have our own.

 

“Our work in the local community would not be possible without the support of our funders and supporting partners. A special thanks goes to the directors and staff of Newcastle United Football Club.”

[Punk77]

MA has done his fair share of mistakes, but he's growing on me. He did contribute to the relegation, but is now rectifying the situation.  I was furious when he sacked CH, but right now it seems like the fat man was spot on appointing Pards. CH is a true gentlemen, but I think he would have struggled more than Pards considering  our injury situation and the tough schedule we've been through. While we're getting our economy under control, our (for now) closest opponents in Villa and Everton are struggling. MA's big test however, will be this summer. If they spend the money wisely, our club could be serious contenders for an european spot next season. And nobody had those thoughts a season ago.

[ToonTastic]

Still don't understand what difference the few people who think AP is doing a good job compared to CH are seeing ? Is much really changed ? I can't see CH would have got many different results to what AP has. I even read some nonsense somewhere that AP was employed to improve the home form, that's the home form where we were unbeaten at home last year and although wasn't great this year was good enough for our first year back in the PL.

[ToonTastic]

While we're getting our economy under control, our (for now) closest opponents in Villa and Everton are struggling. MA's big test however, will be this summer. If they spend the money wisely, our club could be serious contenders for an european spot next season. And nobody had those thoughts a season ago.

 

I'm sorry didn't Villa just spend a small fortune on Bent ? Doesn't seem like a club which is to worried about their financial perfomance, more like a club where the owner is happy to help out.

[JH]

Whilst it hasn't much improved under Pardew, home form wasn't 'good enough for our first season back' under Hughton IMO.

 

It's been terrible all season.

[Punk77]

While we're getting our economy under control, our (for now) closest opponents in Villa and Everton are struggling. MA's big test however, will be this summer. If they spend the money wisely, our club could be serious contenders for an european spot next season. And nobody had those thoughts a season ago.

 

 

 

I'm sorry didn't Villa just spend a small fortune on Bent ? Doesn't seem like a club which is to worried about their financial perfomance, more like a club where the owner is happy to help out.

 

A club spending money doesn't mean that it has a sound economy. We bought Owen, but could we afford him? No.

[80]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

Fucking topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

In hindsight.

 

Definitely at the time. As unlikely as I thought it was at the time, even if it had turned out ok, definitely.

[fredbob]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

Fucking topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

In hindsight.

 

Definitely at the time. As unlikely as I thought it was at the time, even if it had turned out ok, definitely.

 

You thought signing Owen was a low for the club at the time?

[BlueStar]

Find it hard to get excited about things like Ashley lowering wages, debt etc.  Maybe if we made up some songs related to this new way of supporting the club's financial results rather than football results?

 

Weee'reee Geeeeoooordies,

We're sensible,

We live within our means

 

His wage is pretty small,

His price was reason-able,

Tiote, woooahh, Tiote, wooaaah

 

How we can mock those wretched Man United fans, with all those debts and trophies.

[80]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

Fucking topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

In hindsight.

 

Definitely at the time. As unlikely as I thought it was at the time, even if it had turned out ok, definitely.

 

You thought signing Owen was a low for the club at the time?

 

Yep, and the presentation was worse. Only enjoyment I got out of it was upsetting Liverpool, the media, and Owen himself in a cut your nose off kind of way.

[tmonkey]

Still don't understand what difference the few people who think AP is doing a good job compared to CH are seeing ? Is much really changed ? I can't see CH would have got many different results to what AP has. I even read some nonsense somewhere that AP was employed to improve the home form, that's the home form where we were unbeaten at home last year and although wasn't great this year was good enough for our first year back in the PL.

 

Pardew is benefitting from the team Hughton has put together. Personally think Hughton is a mediocre manager at best with his overly cautious approach, and that he sort of stumbled into a good thing with the midfield of Jonas/Nolan/Tiote/Barton somehow gelling into a quality unit for a newly promoted side, but even so we shouldn't overlook how fortunate we've been to again start the season on paper looking like we'd struggle immensely for goals/creativity/etc with limited transfers in, but finding things to be alot better than anticipated - all thanks to Hughton. He also had the balls to stick with something that worked after temporarily stumbling upon it, which in the past previous managers have failed to do. E.g. one time when we had Zog, Emre and Solano playing directly behind a lone striker (Martins?) with two midfielders in behind holding, we looked a pretty slick team because they kept the ball well and the team was forced to pass it on the deck - it only lasted 2 games because whoever our manager was at the time (Roeder?) decided to change things as soon as a second striker was fit again and we went back to pumping long balls and bypassing the midfield. Similarly, don't think Kinnear ever tried the system that Keegan found some joy with (Owen in midifled). At least with Hughton this didn't seem to be a problem, and once he did make a change for the better he usually stuck with it.

 

Would Pardew have put this team together if it wasn't already in place? Would he have thought about trying Barton out wide, or stuck with him there if he hadn't already established himself as an excellent deep-winger of sorts? Would he have signed Tiote, or would he have gone for a reject from his West Ham days? What will Pardew do if we have to sell a few players and he has to rebuild the team?

 

On the one hand, I don't think there's much to criticise about Pardew at present, given our lack of squad depth. On the other, I don't think there's much to praise him for either as he's just putting a team that Hughton built/discovered out on the pitch. But given his track record, I'm certainly a bit worried that when he starts shaping this team into his own we're going to be worse off for it.

[fredbob]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

Fucking topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

In hindsight.

 

Definitely at the time. As unlikely as I thought it was at the time, even if it had turned out ok, definitely.

 

You thought signing Owen was a low for the club at the time?

 

Yep, and the 'unveiling' was worse. Only enjoyment I got out of it was upsetting Liverpool, the media, and Owen himself in a cut your nose off kind of way.

 

I'll agree with the unveiling and drama attached to the signing, I also will go as far as saying that his signing came in pretty insulting circumstances but for me it was a very very good signing, even with his dubious injury record he was a great signing.

 

We needed a striker to eventually replace Shearer, I cant see too many reasons beyond his injury record to suggest that he couldn't do the job.

[80]

I remember Souness saying he'd prepared a list of players for Shep, and that Shep nearly fell off his chair when he saw Owen on it.

 

Fucking topless Toon charvers worshipping Souness at the Owen unveiling was a gob smacking low in this club's history.

 

In hindsight.

 

Definitely at the time. As unlikely as I thought it was at the time, even if it had turned out ok, definitely.

 

You thought signing Owen was a low for the club at the time?

 

Yep, and the 'unveiling' was worse. Only enjoyment I got out of it was upsetting Liverpool, the media, and Owen himself in a cut your nose off kind of way.

 

I'll agree with the unveiling and drama attached to the signing, I also will go as far as saying that his signing came in pretty insulting circumstances but for me it was a very very good signing, even with his dubious injury record he was a great signing.

 

We needed a striker to eventually replace Shearer, I cant see too many reasons beyond his injury record to suggest that he couldn't do the job.

 

It was set up for a fall though, probably most importantly given the insulting circumstances you mention. I agree he'd become a fine striker out in Spain - he went up a lot in my estimation of him as a player out there as I'd never had much time for him beforehand you see - but I still had him down as heartless, and someone who would let us down if less than absolutely everything went perfectly for us. It was like watching your dopey, dewy-eyed mate trying to convince himself he could make the local slut love him and 'stay true'. Painful and embarrassing.

 

Relating to everything going perfectly, it was clear there were problems at the club that were going to be exposed with Souness as a manager, a squad not geared up for Owen's game, and financial problems only worsened by the shit himself's extremely costly acquisition. The whole saga of the move was emblematic of our fall towards being seen as delusional, fur coat no knickers messiah-lovers.

 

With regards Shearer, I suppose I could say a lot of things, but among them would be I don't think we needed a replacement for him insofar as there are other ways of running a team.  Just for the sake of argument, the prospect of a Bellamy-Kluivert partnership had looked half-way promising but it got dashed by the idea there had to be a 'main man' up front, and (at that time) it had to be Shearer.