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Mike Ashley


Christmas Tree

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True Faith asking all the right questions. Hopefully the local media can pick up on it as well. This is what I'd like to be explained the most. Does not make sense one bit.

 

We have been contacted by several supporters concerned at the operation of the club’s on-line merchandising arm, NUFC.DIRECT. NUFC.DIRECT is an operation owned completely by Sports Direct and run from that company’s base in Nottinghamshire. I have been informed directly by staff at the club shop at St James’ Park that NUFC.DIRECT has nothing to do with them. Further, supporters who have bought merchandise via NUFC.DIRECT have informed me their attempts to return items for various, entirely legitimate reasons, have been declined by assistants at the club’s shops who have informed them merchandise from NUFC.DIRECT is to be treated completely separate from items bought from Newcastle United shops in the city, at St James’ Park and at The Metro-centre.

 

There may be an entirely reasonable explanation for this but we’d like to have that explained. I think supporters, ahem, customers are entitled to that.

 

Further, we would like to know the business arrangement between Newcastle United and Sports Direct. Buying club merchandise is an act of supporting the club (or traditionally has been). What we would like to be informed is how this deal works for Newcastle United and for Sports Direct. What percentage of supporters’ money spent via Sports Direct is returned to Newcastle United and what percentage do Sports Direct take.

 

Why has the club chosen to sell its merchandise online this way?

 

How is the arrangement more advantageous to Newcastle United?

 

How is it better than what other clubs in the Premier League do?

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They're good questions, it's quite unusual for a club to explain the detailed workings of its retail/merchandising operations mind you.

 

It's an unusual situation as the arrangement probably requires a lot more transparency than given. If fans are buying merchandise in order to support the club, but the reality is different (money goes into SD), it's something that should have been communicated with clarity at an earlier stage. The club owes everyone connected to the club to be clear in this aspect. Many fans are spending their money in good faith at nufcdirect.com.

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They're good questions, it's quite unusual for a club to explain the detailed workings of its retail/merchandising operations mind you.

 

That's true and I don't expect anyone thinks for one minute that the club would offer any explanation.

 

However the facts show that until Ashley took over, the club was able to generate a lot more revenue that it seems able to now (and at a time when virtually every other Premier League club has greatly increased their revenue outside of the TV money) and for the club to plead poverty and an inability to compete with most other clubs is disingenuous.  It seems to be a deliberate policy but for whose benefit.  It is fristrating and misleading when I hear representatives of the club say we can't compete when in my opinion it is a case of choosing not to compete.

 

Too many have bought the club's line that Ashley saved us from being another Portsmouth or Leeds so it is good that these observations are now becoming more public.  I think supporters need to be aware of where their money is going so they can make a choice.

 

If Ashley is working on an exit strategy, then a plus point for potential buyers is there would be a huge opportunity to expand the "brand" as they would be starting from such a low base - providing Ashley does not have everything tied up in all sorts of binding contracts.

 

 

 

 

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Guest Roger Kint

The cheque book has been out lately anyway, planning permission for the new training complex is next week. Who needs players when you can spend about £5m on more holes?

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how the fuck are sunderland anywhere near us in terms of revenue ffs?

 

One of the biggest reasons is that we're still on a sponsorship deal we signed in the Championship in those figures, while Sunderland are on a Premier League signed deal which will be quite a bit higher.  Obviously once the Wonga deal shows up in a financial statement we should be in the mid 40's (think our current deal is only £2.5m per season while Wonga is £8-9m).

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Guest Roger Kint

The cheque book has been out lately anyway, planning permission for the new training complex is next week. Who needs players when you can spend about £5m on more holes?

 

You don't want money spent on training facilities?

 

Yeah thats exactly what i said. Heaven forbid the training ground we current have that cost a fortune should be up to scratch rather than having to waste more on another one to replace it.

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Guest Roger Kint

Are there any plans available in the public domain (approvals, required surely?) of the new training complex? Are we actually, finally, improving the facilities to more modern and first class?

 

Its the Cat A thing. iirc its not far from the current place but plans will no doubt be available after the council give it the go ahead next week.

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The cheque book has been out lately anyway, planning permission for the new training complex is next week. Who needs players when you can spend about £5m on more holes?

 

You don't want money spent on training facilities?

 

Yeah thats exactly what i said. Heaven forbid the training ground we current have that cost a fortune should be up to scratch rather than having to waste more on another one to replace it.

 

However you want to spin it, I can't see how investing in a new/better training complex could be considered a bad thing. It's infinitely better than buying a first-team player.

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Guest Roger Kint

The cheque book has been out lately anyway, planning permission for the new training complex is next week. Who needs players when you can spend about £5m on more holes?

 

You don't want money spent on training facilities?

 

Yeah thats exactly what i said. Heaven forbid the training ground we current have that cost a fortune should be up to scratch rather than having to waste more on another one to replace it.

 

However you want to spin it, I can't see how investing in a new/better training complex could be considered a bad thing. It's infinitely better than buying a first-team player.

 

Aye poor planning and wasting money ftw

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The cheque book has been out lately anyway, planning permission for the new training complex is next week. Who needs players when you can spend about £5m on more holes?

 

You don't want money spent on training facilities?

 

Yeah thats exactly what i said. Heaven forbid the training ground we current have that cost a fortune should be up to scratch rather than having to waste more on another one to replace it.

 

However you want to spin it, I can't see how investing in a new/better training complex could be considered a bad thing. It's infinitely better than buying a first-team player.

 

Aye poor planning and wasting money ftw

 

Christ.

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Guest Roger Kint

The cheque book has been out lately anyway, planning permission for the new training complex is next week. Who needs players when you can spend about £5m on more holes?

 

You don't want money spent on training facilities?

 

Yeah thats exactly what i said. Heaven forbid the training ground we current have that cost a fortune should be up to scratch rather than having to waste more on another one to replace it.

 

However you want to spin it, I can't see how investing in a new/better training complex could be considered a bad thing. It's infinitely better than buying a first-team player.

 

Aye poor planning and wasting money ftw

 

Christ.

 

If you dont see the problems with spending money twice for the same thing because the first attempt was badly thought out then its your problem really. Not like Ashley has a history of ill thought out spending or anything mind, he buys a club without looking at the costs let alone plan a major thing like this.

 

If you think its better to waste money than buying a player then you deserve the 'christ' treatment. More money down the drain? All good with you mind :lol:

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Guest Roger Kint

When was the last time our training ground was updated, like? I'm thinking under Bobby, for some reason.

 

We spend about £2.5m on the place about 4 years ago i think

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When was the last time our training ground was updated, like? I'm thinking under Bobby, for some reason.

 

We spend about £2.5m on the place about 4 years ago i think

 

I honestly though our training facilities were top notch. I seem to remember a massive update not long ago, and when you hear people speak they always talk highly of the facilities. Not sure this should be a priority - day by day it sounds more likely that Ian W works for the club!

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Guest Roger Kint

When was the last time our training ground was updated, like? I'm thinking under Bobby, for some reason.

 

We spend about £2.5m on the place about 4 years ago i think

 

I honestly though our training facilities were top notch. I seem to remember a massive update not long ago, and when you hear people speak they always talk highly of the facilities. Not sure this should be a priority - day by day it sounds more likely that Ian W works for the club!

 

It failed to meet the Cat A grade for top clubs so we are chucking more money at it. Like you say its all been updated and was supposed to be top notch, wasting money because its badly thought out. But hey its better than signing anyone obviously :lol:

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