Mike Ashley

[JH]

Who are we kidding? He won't get rid until the end of the season, where we'll either go down and it'll be too late, or we'll stay up and Pardew will be given a chance to save it. fucking hate what this club has become.

[S.S.R.]

Mike, Unless Alan has pictures of you dressed in your bat man suit, with a large hole at the rear, and your sidekick in his robin costume, going ten a penny at your arse, please, please, please get rid of this frickin incompetant cnut now before the situation runs it's length and we are completely humiliated again.

Thanks...

 

[Toonpack]

Who are we kidding? He won't get rid until the end of the season, where we'll either go down and it'll be too late, or we'll stay up and Pardew will be given a chance to save it. f***ing hate what this club has become.

 

Become ?? Apart from a year or two here and there, it's always been like this.

 

Sadly, Pardews position is untenable now I reckon. I can't see them getting rid until end of the season though.

 

(and I say "sadly" because, if we weren't whingeing over the manager it would mean the club was doing alright, which is all that matters).

[JH]

Become ?? Apart from a year or two here and there, it's always been like this.

 

Rubbish. It was a bit fickle, but at least the team used to fight on the pitch, the club used to at least try to go places, going all out in Europe, making the Champions League, going out at the start of a season with the intention of challenging for the title - half of that was only 10 years ago.

 

We've just become a big ball of apathetic nonsense in the last few seasons. Ashley and his cronies have squeezed every last ounce of passion and excitement out of Newcastle United, and people just shrug their shoulders and say "ah well." The protests under Shepherd were embarrassing but at least we showed we fucking cared then.

[AlanSkÃrare]

IF we stay up, imagine what these past few games (this season as a whole really) has done to us in terms of recruiting or getting players to stay.

[Wullie]

Become ?? Apart from a year or two here and there, it's always been like this.

 

Rubbish. It was a bit fickle, but at least the team used to fight on the pitch, the club used to at least try to go places, going all out in Europe, making the Champions League, going out at the start of a season with the intention of challenging for the title - half of that was only 10 years ago.

 

We've just become a big ball of apathetic nonsense in the last few seasons. Ashley and his cronies have squeezed every last ounce of passion and excitement out of Newcastle United, and people just shrug their shoulders and say "ah well." The protests under Shepherd were embarrassing but at least we showed we fucking cared then.

 

Remember Shepherd's car getting attacked at Wigan after a League Cup humbling to cries of "Souness Out"? What the hell happened to us?

[JH]

Become ?? Apart from a year or two here and there, it's always been like this.

 

Rubbish. It was a bit fickle, but at least the team used to fight on the pitch, the club used to at least try to go places, going all out in Europe, making the Champions League, going out at the start of a season with the intention of challenging for the title - half of that was only 10 years ago.

 

We've just become a big ball of apathetic nonsense in the last few seasons. Ashley and his cronies have squeezed every last ounce of passion and excitement out of Newcastle United, and people just shrug their shoulders and say "ah well." The protests under Shepherd were embarrassing but at least we showed we f***ing cared then.

 

Remember Shepherd's car getting attacked at Wigan after a League Cup humbling to cries of "Souness Out"? What the hell happened to us?

 

Remember it well.

 

Football is about passion, it's about standing up for your club and showing what it means to you. It's not about taking pathetic excuses from the managers, watching abject performances be churned out at home and justifying the penny-pinching owner from keeping his wallet in his pocket.

 

We just don't care anymore. I've never seen such an abject St James' Park before - we lose 6-0 to Liverpool and half of the people sit there just sighing and shrugging their shoulders - I know, I was one of them. The bite, the edge has just gone from the supporters and its sad because this football club is a f***ing million miles away from what it once was - and even that wasn't the best that it could be.

 

My biggest pet hate is fans saying "We can't sack him now, we can't chant that, we can't do this - the media will have a field day and slag us off" - half of these people are the ones that turn around and slag the media off and say they talk a load of s*** anyway - you either care about what they say or you don't. I'd rather stand up for what I believed in and be made to look a fool in the papers than sit quietly and watch a damn quality squad go down AGAIN.

[Toonpack]

Become ?? Apart from a year or two here and there, it's always been like this.

 

Rubbish. It was a bit fickle, but at least the team used to fight on the pitch, the club used to at least try to go places, going all out in Europe, making the Champions League, going out at the start of a season with the intention of challenging for the title - half of that was only 10 years ago.

 

We've just become a big ball of apathetic nonsense in the last few seasons. Ashley and his cronies have squeezed every last ounce of passion and excitement out of Newcastle United, and people just shrug their shoulders and say "ah well." The protests under Shepherd were embarrassing but at least we showed we f***ing cared then.

 

Aye but I go waaaaay back further than any of that and like I said, it's been an occassional year or two of relative success in an ocean of unrelenting MEH!

 

Nowt to do with "passion being squeezed out" by anyone, by and large we've been "average" at best, since the 50's. Team does well = passion abounds, team does shit = passionless.

 

 

 

 

[Toonpack]

Become ?? Apart from a year or two here and there, it's always been like this.

 

Rubbish. It was a bit fickle, but at least the team used to fight on the pitch, the club used to at least try to go places, going all out in Europe, making the Champions League, going out at the start of a season with the intention of challenging for the title - half of that was only 10 years ago.

 

We've just become a big ball of apathetic nonsense in the last few seasons. Ashley and his cronies have squeezed every last ounce of passion and excitement out of Newcastle United, and people just shrug their shoulders and say "ah well." The protests under Shepherd were embarrassing but at least we showed we f***ing cared then.

 

Remember Shepherd's car getting attacked at Wigan after a League Cup humbling to cries of "Souness Out"? What the hell happened to us?

 

Remember it well.

 

Football is about passion, it's about standing up for your club and showing what it means to you. It's not about taking pathetic excuses from the managers, watching abject performances be churned out at home and justifying the penny-pinching owner from keeping his wallet in his pocket.

 

We just don't care anymore. I've never seen such an abject St James' Park before - we lose 6-0 to Liverpool and half of the people sit there just sighing and shrugging their shoulders - I know, I was one of them. The bite, the edge has just gone from the supporters and its sad because this football club is a f***ing million miles away from what it once was - and even that wasn't the best that it could be.

 

My biggest pet hate is fans saying "We can't sack him now, we can't chant that, we can't do this - the media will have a field day and slag us off" - half of these people are the ones that turn around and slag the media off and say they talk a load of s*** anyway - you either care about what they say or you don't. I'd rather stand up for what I believed in and be made to look a fool in the papers than sit quietly and watch a damn quality squad go down AGAIN.

 

It's gone from football.

[Geordinho]

Become ?? Apart from a year or two here and there, it's always been like this.

 

Rubbish. It was a bit fickle, but at least the team used to fight on the pitch, the club used to at least try to go places, going all out in Europe, making the Champions League, going out at the start of a season with the intention of challenging for the title - half of that was only 10 years ago.

 

We've just become a big ball of apathetic nonsense in the last few seasons. Ashley and his cronies have squeezed every last ounce of passion and excitement out of Newcastle United, and people just shrug their shoulders and say "ah well." The protests under Shepherd were embarrassing but at least we showed we f***ing cared then.

 

Remember Shepherd's car getting attacked at Wigan after a League Cup humbling to cries of "Souness Out"? What the hell happened to us?

 

Remember it well.

 

Football is about passion, it's about standing up for your club and showing what it means to you. It's not about taking pathetic excuses from the managers, watching abject performances be churned out at home and justifying the penny-pinching owner from keeping his wallet in his pocket.

 

We just don't care anymore. I've never seen such an abject St James' Park before - we lose 6-0 to Liverpool and half of the people sit there just sighing and shrugging their shoulders - I know, I was one of them. The bite, the edge has just gone from the supporters and its sad because this football club is a f***ing million miles away from what it once was - and even that wasn't the best that it could be.

 

My biggest pet hate is fans saying "We can't sack him now, we can't chant that, we can't do this - the media will have a field day and slag us off" - half of these people are the ones that turn around and slag the media off and say they talk a load of s*** anyway - you either care about what they say or you don't. I'd rather stand up for what I believed in and be made to look a fool in the papers than sit quietly and watch a damn quality squad go down AGAIN.

 

 

The apathy in the ground is the most depressing aspect of this whole mess. The blame that the fans received for our last relegation has the ground in fear of a repeat. There was an inkling of an uprising at the Reading game that they managed to quash with the new signings.

 

Be interesting to see the reaction (or lack of) at the Aresnal game if by some miracle we're already safe.

[Mistle17]

Pescara, a little team punching above their weight playing in Serie A. They're bottom of the league and heading for relegation, yet in the past month or two they have held training ground protests at the poor displays they don't feel is good enough for their club. Their whole Curva Nord walked out in a match with nearly 20 minutes to go in protest, as well.

 

My point being that this is a club who receive far less support and coverage than Newcastle United, have far inferior players than Newcastle United and a history that is incomparable with Newcastle United. Yet, their supports care more about their clubs well-being than Newcastle United fans care about theirs. People may say 'oh but that's turning your back on the team', well its actually standing up for your own club and trying to retain standards and pride. We are coming off the back of two of the worst home results in the history of this club, yet it seems people can barely be bothered.

 

As people have said above, the protests in days gone by (Shepherd era) were at times cringeworthy, but it seemed that collectively we had big ambitions and expectations of this once great club. Now, it is just a mess- a club that's traded its soul to become an advertising vehicle for Sports Direct and the definition of success is making a few bob profit and keeping your manager for more than 2 seasons running (this wouldn't happen if we didn't have a policy of only hiring mates).

 

The club is rotten to the core, in my opinion. There's not much to like or anything to inspire any more. Ashley and co. have steadily and effectively diminished expectations of supporters. Who know's if we stay up or gown down, but either way I don't expect any one to care and expect the cycle to continue.

 

What an absolute tragedy this is.

[merlin]

Pescara, a little team punching above their weight playing in Serie A. They're bottom of the league and heading for relegation, yet in the past month or two they have held training ground protests at the poor displays they don't feel is good enough for their club. Their whole Curva Nord walked out in a match with nearly 20 minutes to go in protest, as well.

 

My point being that this is a club who receive far less support and coverage than Newcastle United, have far inferior players than Newcastle United and a history that is incomparable with Newcastle United. Yet, their supports care more about their clubs well-being than Newcastle United fans care about theirs. People may say 'oh but that's turning your back on the team', well its actually standing up for your own club and trying to retain standards and pride. We are coming off the back of two of the worst home results in the history of this club, yet it seems people can barely be bothered.

 

As people have said above, the protests in days gone by (Shepherd era) were at times cringeworthy, but it seemed that collectively we had big ambitions and expectations of this once great club. Now, it is just a mess- a club that's traded its soul to become an advertising vehicle for Sports Direct and the definition of success is making a few bob profit and keeping your manager for more than 2 seasons running (this wouldn't happen if we didn't have a policy of only hiring mates).

 

The club is rotten to the core, in my opinion. There's not much to like or anything to inspire any more. Ashley and co. have steadily and effectively diminished expectations of supporters. Who know's if we stay up or gown down, but either way I don't expect any one to care and expect the cycle to continue.

 

What an absolute tragedy this is.

 

This is a great post and spot-on ; back in the 80s I and several friends refused to buy season tickets because we wanted the board out and SJH in...we didn't like missing games but we knew we had to stick with it to force the board out through financial pressure.

 

It worked because many other fans did the same and there was support for the Magpie Group's efforts to bring change ; people now think that nobody else wants the club and they have to put up with Ashley's contempt for their views. Also, the economic situation in the NE means that many people only have football as a means of relaxation and see the alternative as shopping with 'the wife or g/f' in the MetroCentre etc.

That is why they put up with it - Ashley will only go if we go down and he keeps having to put his hand in his pocket....

[Big Geordie]

JH

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I'll admit my resolve and my passion has been absolutely battered by the last few years. The extreme highs of the Keegan era followed by relegation and the disaster of the Ashley reign was a lot to take.

 

Also, in that time football has moved even further towards domination by the teams owned by sheikhs willing to plough in hundreds of millions. Basically the sporting competition is now meaningless. Add in diving/racism/biting to that as well.

 

My view now, although I know it is defeatist, is that I would accept a few seasons of finishing in the top 10 as long as the team was likeable and there were enough exciting moments in each year. I have to try and enjoy every 90 minutes without thinking about the bigger picture. In theory we could win a cup, but nowadays clubs would rather sacrifice them for a couple of extra league positions.

 

We are NUFC, we should be one of the top clubs in Europe, but at the moment I just don't have the heart to expect that.

[biggs]

I'll admit my resolve and my passion has been absolutely battered by the last few years. The extreme highs of the Keegan era followed by relegation and the disaster of the Ashley reign was a lot to take.

 

Also, in that time football has moved even further towards domination by the teams owned by sheikhs willing to plough in hundreds of millions. Basically the sporting competition is now meaningless. Add in diving/racism/biting to that as well.

 

My view now, although I know it is defeatist, is that I would accept a few seasons of finishing in the top 10 as long as the team was likeable and there were enough exciting moments in each year. I have to try and enjoy every 90 minutes without thinking about the bigger picture. In theory we could win a cup, but nowadays clubs would rather sacrifice them for a couple of extra league positions.

 

We are NUFC, we should be one of the top clubs in Europe, but at the moment I just don't have the heart to expect that.

Well said and i get your drift but after being in Europe this season i would expect the regime to want that every season now and for Pardew to say aim top 10 sends the wrong message imho

[Beren]

JH

 

Good posts.

[Jack Flash]

My view now, although I know it is defeatist, is that I would accept a few seasons of finishing in the top 10 as long as the team was likeable and there were enough exciting moments in each year

 

That's not a negative viewpoint when we're currently fighting relegation. Rather optimistic if anything but eminently achievable with a new manager.

[Kanj]

Just can't get my head around the fact that this club has been so mismanaged (from ownership and management) in the past 15 years, with the hiring of Sir Bobby the only bright-spot - but of course, true to form - they fuck that up with the resulting sacking of the man and the annual ups and downs is just plain staggering. Brilliant, magnificent stadium with supporters who still travel in numbers and fill a stadium in this economy and position in the table, yet we still get the bus ran over us every single season.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Just can't get my head around the fact that this club has been so mismanaged (from ownership and management) in the past 15 years. The hiring of Sir Bobby the only bright-spot and the resulting sacking of the man and the annual ups and downs is just plain staggering. Brilliant, magnificent stadium with supporters who still travel in numbers and fill a stadium in this economy and position in the table, yet we still get the bus ran over us every single season.

 

I think Ashley has the right idea to get us back on track in general, or at least to reduce the extreme ups and downs. Only snag is whether he's backed the wrong manager to do it.

[bealios]

Even with the same investment that we have had this season, I couldn't really complain about real progress if we had gone on and finished 8th/9th with a decent Europa campaign. I think a decent manager with our squad could have achieved that, it is only as high as Swansea/West Brom ffs.

 

To fall a little bit short of that would have been standing still, but could still be considered a blip/bad luck/injury based etc. - I might even be prepared to give Pardew the benefit of the doubt.

 

However, I think the downfall this season and in particular the level of performance means that Ashley needs to make a decision, and quickly. There must be a point where the need for consistency is overridden by the need for competence. Lots of people keep mentioning Ferguson's early days at Man Utd - that's bollocks. If Ferguson had had a season any where near as bad as ours he would have been shown the door.

 

 

[Chicken Dancer]

I honestly think the club feels different these days. Like going to the match doesn't feel the same as it did 7/8 years ago. Dont know why, or how. But have said it for a while now. At times it doesn't feel like St James' anymore. Finding it hard to describe to be honest, but I know the group of lads I go the match with feel exactly the same.

I used to wake up on a Saturday buzzing for the game, but now the match day just feels a bit distant. There doesn't seem like, the same passion there was a few years ago, amongst the support and the players. Even last season, we were winning games and going to the ground was enjoyable, but it still felt strange. Might have something to do with all the Sports Direct shite plastered all over the place, but I think St James' is losing it's spark, and it really pains me to say that.

 

[David Icke - Son of God]

It's called getting old lads.

 

The owner, the signage of the stadium, none of that matters. You're just getting older.

[mrmojorisin75]

It's called getting old lads.

 

The owner, the signage of the stadium, none of that matters. You're just getting older.

 

i've been looking for something for my first ever tattoo

[huss9]

I honestly think the club feels different these days. Like going to the match doesn't feel the same as it did 7/8 years ago. Dont know why, or how. But have said it for a while now. At times it doesn't feel like St James' anymore. Finding it hard to describe to be honest, but I know the group of lads I go the match with feel exactly the same.

I used to wake up on a Saturday buzzing for the game, but now the match day just feels a bit distant. There doesn't seem like, the same passion there was a few years ago, amongst the support and the players. Even last season, we were winning games and going to the ground was enjoyable, but it still felt strange. Might have something to do with all the Sports Direct s**** plastered all over the place, but I think St James' is losing it's spark, and it really pains me to say that.

 

 

for some reason i was really looking forward to the liverpool game.

decent first half at wba, ben arfa saying he was 100% fit, full house, suarez suspended, previous home game to make up for .... i honestly thought we would really get at them and get a draw at least.

 

then at 4.30 I heard the team news.

[steve_69]

Just can't get my head around the fact that this club has been so mismanaged (from ownership and management) in the past 15 years, with the hiring of Sir Bobby the only bright-spot - but of course, true to form - they f*** that up with the resulting sacking of the man and the annual ups and downs is just plain staggering. Brilliant, magnificent stadium with supporters who still travel in numbers and fill a stadium in this economy and position in the table, yet we still get the bus ran over us every single season.

 

This is something that continually amazes me. There's no shortage of decent managers out there, guys with real long-term pedigree and top class experience yet we seem to make the wrong decision every time. This goes right back to replacing a world class, talented gentleman like Bobby Robson with Graeme sodding Souness and then following that up with Glen fucking Roeder.

More recently we've had to endure Joe Kinnear and Alan Pardew.  The two chinks of light we had, Hughton and Keegan, were treated appallingly and left the club.

 

The worst part of it is watching other clubs, often lesser clubs than ourselves, snap up decent managers and progress while we sit by and watch.