Mike Ashley

[Darth Crooks]

As for jacking season tickets in, if you haven't done so already and there is confirmation this week that Demi Garde (or similar is coming am not sure why you would? Having (mostly) suffered the Pardew years why would you jack now when the new lad comes in?

 

 

Fair comment.

 

Aye based on a non event the might actually happen. Mike Ashleys business style and past events actually indicate he's more likely to screw the fans over.

 

Mike Ashley is a Cancer on NUFC the business and has no pride in NUFC the club. Just like any of his other commercial assests, it's strip em bare and run on the very bare minimum investment possible.

 

The mans a snake and has been for many a year

 

Ashley turned whistleblower on industry rivals in 2000, handing the Office of Fair Trading evidence of business meetings held by sports retailers to fix the price of football shirts. Ashley attended a meeting at the Cheshire home of David Hughes, the chairman of now bankrupt rival Allsports.

 

As long as NUFC provide Mike with a Meal ticket, be it via the free Sportdirect adverts/Prem Money/Match Day Money then he is here to stay.

 

I can actually see him floating the club once it passes 2016, and lining his pockets again as he done with every other business he has purchased.

 

 

 

He cares about one thing and thats the bottom line.

 

http://youtu.be/IXSn1cPz9eg

[maze]

I agree with r0cafella that if he has pulled out of Rangers, it will be largely down to the SFA. They're not budging, and nor should they, so he has nowhere to go.

 

I also agree with Santoon though. If nobody turned up to Newcastle games, it would force his hand. Makes me laugh when I see people arguing the opposite to justify giving him money: "I'm still going because he's not bothered about the ST money"

 

OK, a bloke who won't give Peter Beardsley two free tickets to the game on Saturday and who won't give George Caulkin a sandwich isn't bothered about ~£20m season ticket money per year, righto, I believe you. If you just like going to the match, say that, but don't make out like it wouldn't make a difference if everyone packed it in.

 

Spot on - an empty St James for even few weeks would shift him because it would reflect on SD. Until then we will remain a zombie club

 

Let's not forget the fools that will "raise" you with this : http://footysphere.com/post/22674688692/bobby-robson

 

...And then go on to defend why they won't stand up to the shit being served.

 

 

[LionOfGosforth]

Yeah just a general point really. The malaise is what he wants. He doesn't want the turmoil and the angst

 

We currently appear to have one of the dimmest and most apathetic fan-bases on the planet. Wasn't like this in the 80's when we had plenty to cry about as well (granted the era prior to Sky money was very different), a lot of fans got up off their arses and tried to affect change and relatively things did change for a while. I don't know if it's the general demographic at games has changed from being the predominantly died-in-the-wool fan to being more predominantly the typical sky-era "mostly couldn't give a fuck" fan or what but we've turned into a subservient embarrassment. The passion, fight, ambition and hope appears to have been extinguished/knocked out of us almost completely.

[r0cafella]

Yeah just a general point really. The malaise is what he wants. He doesn't want the turmoil and the angst

 

We currently appear to have one of the dimmest and most apathetic fan-bases on the planet. Wasn't like this in the 80's when we had plenty to cry about as well (granted the era prior to Sky money was very different), a lot of fans got up off their arses and tried to affect change and relatively things did change for a while. I don't know if it's the general demographic at games has changed from being the predominantly died-in-the-wool fan to being more predominantly the typical sky-era "mostly couldn't give a fuck" fan or what but we've turned into a subservient embarrassment. The passion, fight, ambition and hope appears to have been extinguished/knocked out of us almost completely.

I agree on the most part but Sack Pardew has shown change can be still be forced If done correctly.

 

Ie without clowns like wraith

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

Trouble is now, what's at the end of the rainbow? Football is f***ed, 'we want a team that tries' is all well and good but is it really going to galvinise fans who in all likelihood are just as fed up with the state of football as a whole as they are with NUFC.

 

It's difficult.

[LionOfGosforth]

Yeah just a general point really. The malaise is what he wants. He doesn't want the turmoil and the angst

 

We currently appear to have one of the dimmest and most apathetic fan-bases on the planet. Wasn't like this in the 80's when we had plenty to cry about as well (granted the era prior to Sky money was very different), a lot of fans got up off their arses and tried to affect change and relatively things did change for a while. I don't know if it's the general demographic at games has changed from being the predominantly died-in-the-wool fan to being more predominantly the typical sky-era "mostly couldn't give a f***" fan or what but we've turned into a subservient embarrassment. The passion, fight, ambition and hope appears to have been extinguished/knocked out of us almost completely.

I agree on the most part but Sack Pardew has shown change can be still be forced If done correctly.

 

Ie without clowns like wraith

 

Agreed, they deserve huge credit for the way they got their point across in an elegant and reasoned way, everything they put together was inarguable by anyone but the thickest cunts out there. We need more of that.

[r0cafella]

Trouble is now, what's at the end of the rainbow? Football is f***ed, 'we want a team that tries' is all well and good but is it really going to galvinise fans who in all likelihood are just as fed up with the state of football as a whole as they are with NUFC.

 

It's difficult.

Exactly, even if we can get Ashley to sell (and I mean really sell not the fake platitudes of buying a 10 year box) then we need a buyer who has at least 300 million to spend on a football club.

 

[sempuki]

Shepherd talking shite again in the Chronicle:

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/freddy-shepherd-says-oil-rich-tycoons-8476717

[LionOfGosforth]

Trouble is now, what's at the end of the rainbow? Football is f***ed, 'we want a team that tries' is all well and good but is it really going to galvinise fans who in all likelihood are just as fed up with the state of football as a whole as they are with NUFC.

 

It's difficult.

Exactly, even if we can get Ashley to sell (and I mean really sell not the fake platitudes of buying a 10 year box) then we need a buyer who has at least 300 million to spend on a football club.

 

 

A much broader question is, is football just broken beyond repair? Has the money fucked the game to the point it can never be fixed. Someone on this forum a few years back posted this exceptional rant that I had to keep. It's as pertinent today as it was when posted in 2008:

 

"Football is fucked, being ran by rich cunts who know jack shite about the game.

 

I've had enough of Sky and Setanta and their "SUPER DUPER MEGA SUNDAY LOLZ" and "relegation clashes" after 2 games. Andy fuckin Gray and his never ending "tikaboos" and "Stevey Gs", over analysing every game to the point of depression, and trotting out the same fuckin clichés about "the big four" ad nauseum. The fucking England team struggling to turn over pub teams then picking the same eleven shite players for the next "mega international" against Kazakhstan.

 

I'm sick of fat fuckin chairman running clubs however they feel like with no regards for the fans - charging what they like, charging away fans more than home, upping season ticket prices at a time when people are struggling to keep their house warm. I'm sick of foreign "investors" coming into British football, buying a club and spending more on one player within 12 hours of taking over than most teams have spend in their entire history, whilst clubs at the bottom are having to start on minus 30 fucking points because they can't afford to pay the fees to the league or keep their ground up to scratch. Some clubs spend more on their superdupermegastores and superdupermegatron screens than other clubs can spend on wages in a year.

 

Then there's the players, holding said clubs to ransom over wages, when they earn more in a day than most people earn in a year. Slaves? They should try working 12 hour shifts for a company they fucking hate then going home to the aforementioned houses having had to spend half their weeks wages on food. Wankers such as Joey Barton getting done for chinning someone in the street, then their club defending them because they know if they kick them out, the only people who will be hit by that will be the club themselves, whilst the player fucks off to another club on big wages and a huge signing on fee.

 

Same clubs winning the same trophies every season and boring the rest of us to tears with their stories of "great courage in the face of adversity".

 

Fuck off. "

 

Whomever posted this said it better than I ever could. Wish I knew what the answer was.

[Guest zicomartin]

Shiteseats said it.  On Toontastic.

[Guest chopey]

I think next year when the football rights are up for auction will be the turning point, if they get spread amongst 3 or 4 different companies it will cost the average bloke a fortune to watch stoke v Burnley which will lead to people turning away

[Heron]

Getting bored of people saying nowt will change too like. Nowt will change if you don't try and make it change, aye. Football is being fucked but can be saved still. Just as NUFC can be. It just needs people to 'activate'.

[Noodles]

Getting bored of people saying nowt will change too like. Nowt will change if you don't try and make it change, aye. Football is being f***ed but can be saved still. Just as NUFC can be. It just needs people to 'activate'.

 

People tried to activate last year. Too many frigging groups tried to take a lead role in the proceedings and ended up fucking everything up though.

[Heron]

Getting bored of people saying nowt will change too like. Nowt will change if you don't try and make it change, aye. Football is being f***ed but can be saved still. Just as NUFC can be. It just needs people to 'activate'.

 

People tried to activate last year. Too many frigging groups tried to take a lead role in the proceedings and ended up f***ing everything up though.

 

Something still happened though. It's just being consistent with it. The more you do it the more people will believe in it and join in / on. It's just making sure you're collectively doing it the right way and attracting the right sorts...

[Guest chopey]

Ashley has his work cut out looking for managers this week the caretaker at rangers has just quit

[Yorkie]

Getting bored of people saying nowt will change too like. Nowt will change if you don't try and make it change, aye. Football is being f***ed but can be saved still. Just as NUFC can be. It just needs people to 'activate'.

 

People tried to activate last year. Too many frigging groups tried to take a lead role in the proceedings and ended up fucking everything up though.

 

I find it depressing how someone can summarise the Cardiff game like this. I prefer to see it as a worthy first go at making a difference. SackPardew probably wouldn't have had the effect it had, had the Cardiff event not implanted the idea of fan-wide protest. Yes, there were organisational issues with egos in play, but it wasn't a fuck up in the slightest.

[pedro111]

I still firmly believe that the fans can force Ashley out of the club sooner by some kind of sustained action. The problem is that it would take a lot of people to get up out of their comfort zones to achieve this; it seems so simple but getting people out of their comfort zones is a hard task and this regime has the handy knack of never pissing the majority off to the point of taking action.

[Noodles]

The only way to force him out would be to simply stop going. Is he gunna want people to see his brand associated with a team playing in front of empty seats every game? Is he buggery. There isn't he appetite for this course of action though.

[Heron]

Well we will see...hopefully. The sooner we reach 40pts the better then no one can argue 'negative' support will cost us.

[mrmojorisin75]

Getting bored of people saying nowt will change too like. Nowt will change if you don't try and make it change, aye. Football is being f***ed but can be saved still. Just as NUFC can be. It just needs people to 'activate'.

 

People tried to activate last year. Too many frigging groups tried to take a lead role in the proceedings and ended up fucking everything up though.

 

I find it depressing how someone can summarise the Cardiff game like this. I prefer to see it as a worthy first go at making a difference. SackPardew probably wouldn't have had the effect it had, had the Cardiff event not implanted the idea of fan-wide protest. Yes, there were organisational issues with egos in play, but it wasn't a fuck up in the slightest.

 

is Noodles not referring to the Hull game there?  Cardiff was surely more organic and didn't suffer from the fan group bullshit

[Heron]

Cardiff kinda did get taken down a different route thanks to the spackers at existing fan groups who made it an ego trip. It wasn't a flop though and to be fair to the groups they made it work better (I.e. more carried it out).

 

Without wanting to blow trumpets or contradict myself that notion came from one persons idea and backing of this forum. It also had people talking about it nationally. So this nonsense people spout about not making a difference os just that. A banner with no swearing and the right message, people willing to sing and walk. It can and will have its effect so long as it is kept relatively respectable to the public and media.

 

(Just a general rant btw I'm not addressing Noodle or anyone)

[Unbelievable]

[Wallace]

Cardiff kinda did get taken down a different route thanks to the spackers at existing fan groups who made it an ego trip. It wasn't a flop though and to be fair to the groups they made it work better (I.e. more carried it out).

 

Without wanting to blow trumpets or contradict myself that notion came from one persons idea and backing of this forum. It also had people talking about it nationally. So this nonsense people spout about not making a difference os just that. A banner with no swearing and the right message, people willing to sing and walk. It can and will have its effect so long as it is kept relatively respectable to the public and media.

 

(Just a general rant btw I'm not addressing Noodle or anyone)

 

Exactly.

 

Many are too quick to write protests off as a failure unless there is 100% take up.  The protest was discussed for days prior to the match and then again post-match.  At the very least, that gets the frustrations and dissatisfaction out in the open and into the national conscious.

 

It was the same with Villa last week with the media quick to condemn their protest as a failure but it was one of the main topics of discussion all the week.  If everyone stays quiet and says nothing, then the general assumption is that everything is fine and the fans are content with their lot.

 

One of the great successes of the SackPardew campaign was that it got the facts out to the wider public and especially the media and it became a reference point.  Suddenly, people could see that the fans were justified in their discontent where previously they just noted the position in the tables and bought Pardew's excuses in post-match interviews.

[loki679]

Cardiff kinda did get taken down a different route thanks to the spackers at existing fan groups who made it an ego trip. It wasn't a flop though and to be fair to the groups they made it work better (I.e. more carried it out).

 

Without wanting to blow trumpets or contradict myself that notion came from one persons idea and backing of this forum. It also had people talking about it nationally. So this nonsense people spout about not making a difference os just that. A banner with no swearing and the right message, people willing to sing and walk. It can and will have its effect so long as it is kept relatively respectable to the public and media.

 

(Just a general rant btw I'm not addressing Noodle or anyone)

 

Exactly.

 

Many are too quick to write protests off as a failure unless there is 100% take up.  The protest was discussed for days prior to the match and then again post-match.  At the very least, that gets the frustrations and dissatisfaction out in the open and into the national conscious.

 

It was the same with Villa last week with the media quick to condemn their protest as a failure but it was one of the main topics of discussion all the week.  If everyone stays quiet and says nothing, then the general assumption is that everything is fine and the fans are content with their lot.

 

One of the great successes of the SackPardew campaign was that it got the facts out to the wider public and especially the media and it became a reference point.  Suddenly, people could see that the fans were justified in their discontent where previously they just noted the position in the tables and bought Pardew's excuses in post-match interviews.

 

They still do   We should put together a fund to send out our end of season dvds for the last couple of years to selected media morons.

[Guest antz1uk]

Surely you mean VHS?