Various: Mike Ashley in talks with Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan

[Dokko]

Part of me also wonders if he's waiting till a total s*** of a buyer comes along who will destroy us even worse just so he can sell to them at a discount price and then say in the press a year later LOOK I WASN'T SO BAD

 

I'm sure he'd take some joy out of selling us to a shitter owner, however it's all about what he can gain from it, so best offer wins. Unfortunately there hasn't been any serious offers to consider.

Or there has been serious offers BUT he isn't really interested in selling?

 

Closest we've come is the mess Staveley made last year, but it looked like she was just a tyre kicker with no real interest apart from looking to pick us up on the cheap. Now, i know we want him out, but he's not going to accept an offer that doesn't suit him. I wouldn't accept an offer for a possession that wouldn't suit myself either. If she was serious then they would have found an agreement, found the £50m or so to make the deal happen. They didn't and it was telling for that they tried to use a dirty trick media campaign to force his hand (which failed spectacularly) rather than come back with a better offer, something we'd expect from the current owner. IMO it would have been out of the pan and in to the fire, only with less potential financial backing.

 

Mind, Staveley may have been hung out to dry by potential backers. Maybe at first she had a few that were worth a fortune and they liked the idea, but for whatever reason they pulled out so she tried to do it on her own. This would be why she couldn't make a second reasonable offer, if so then see the original point; not real offer was made.

Staveley met Ashley’s price for the club, Ashley then went and put the price up as soon as we did, and we arn’t talking about £50m here, we are talking another £100m, another third of the price.

Staveley has the money to pay that, assuming Ashley wouldn’t put the price up again. However she has plans for the club which includes about £150m of immediate investment. Around half of that would have been for players. Another half would have been for the training facilities/academy, and stadium improvements. From what I understand it wouldn’t just be training and acedemy upgrades, but a whole new training ground and academy complex in a new location. The sort of campus that Premier League clubs are building, and something that would be for every age group could use. It would also have meant that we would be able to invest a lot more into the woman’s team and included a female acedemy.

All of this is what Rafa has said is essential to the club long term, and as I have said it’s what the bigger clubs in the league are doing.

Staveley was nowhere near a tyre kicker, she even went out of her way to being in the Rueben brothers who own land in Newcastle that is to be developed in order to not only kick start the development of the club, but the city as a whole.

 

 

Give over.

 

This is basically what George Caulkin said, and he's seen evidence of the bids made. Ashley doesn't want to sell unless at a ridiculous price - hence he put the price up to £400m.

 

He produced evidence of a bid was made, but I'm pretty certain someone else produced its value, and it wasn't great (for Ashley anyway)

 

He's very agenda driven (against Ashley) and why he's loved on here. He admittedly does good work for us fans, but he also thinks Steve Gibson is the best chairman in the world. 

[Dokko]

People parroting the "tire kicker" stuff about Staveley absolutely blows my mind. I'm genuinely amazed that people still swallow Ashley's bullshit so easily.

 

Nothing to do with anything that came from Ashley but from the way she handled herself (and bid) in the media.

[SteveMc]

I was concerned at the way it played out do publicly like

[Dokko]

People parroting the "tire kicker" stuff about Staveley absolutely blows my mind. I'm genuinely amazed that people still swallow Ashley's bullshit so easily.

Aye, hard to believe that people believe she's a tyre kicker when Ashley is the sort of guy who puts his house on the market, agree's to sell it, then backs out of the deal the day the new owners are due to move in.

 

I can't believe you think you've spoken to Staveley and others on here actually go with it. 

[Guest firetotheworks]

Nah, Caulkin's loved on here because he gets it, he understands what being a football fan is about, not just because he gets it and got it before other journalists when it comes to Ashley.

[Dokko]

Nah, Caulkin's loved on here because he gets it, he understands what being a football fan is about, not just because he gets it and got it before other journalists when it comes to Ashley.

 

Bit of both if i'm honest.

[Dokko]

I was concerned at the way it played out do publicly like

 

Used our emotions and hope as leverage. The Indian meal did it for me.

[Stifler]

People parroting the "tire kicker" stuff about Staveley absolutely blows my mind. I'm genuinely amazed that people still swallow Ashley's bullshit so easily.

Aye, hard to believe that people believe she's a tyre kicker when Ashley is the sort of guy who puts his house on the market, agree's to sell it, then backs out of the deal the day the new owners are due to move in.

 

I can't believe you think you've spoken to Staveley and others on here actually go with it. 

I can’t believe that you think we would be better off under Ashley than Staveley or anyone else who was interested in the club.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Fundamentally it’s overpriced, Ashley can never be seen to do deal that’s kind to a buyer. He’ll only sell to someone who’s prepared to pay over the odds.

[STM]

Just to get this straight Caulkin is "agenda driven" and Staveley is a "tyre kicker", Dokko man, please stop.

[STM]

Fundamentally it’s overpriced, Ashley can never be seen to do deal that’s kind to a buyer. He’ll only sell to someone who’s prepared to pay over the odds.

 

As we said at the time, seller over values and the buyer under values, then they meet in the middle. Ashley was just messing her about and she didn't have the wealth to blow him out of the water.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Just to get this straight Caulkin is "agenda driven" and Staveley is a "tyre kicker", Dokko man, please stop.

 

It's staggering when the options are to believe either Ashley or Staveley (plus Caulkin) that people will still side with Ashley.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

TBH it doesn’t matter who you believe. Ashley’s had over a decade to either run the club properly or sell it to someone who will, it’s clear he’s not all that interested in either. If he wanted out he would make it attractive to a buyer, but he won’t because he doesn’t give a shit either way.

[Stifler]

Just to get this straight Caulkin is "agenda driven" and Staveley is a "tyre kicker", Dokko man, please stop.

 

It's staggering when the options are to believe either Ashley or Staveley (plus Caulkin) that people will still side with Ashley.

Aye. You have one person who’s two biggest deals included selling Man City to their current owners which changed the landscape of English football, and then brokered the deal that saved Barclays from going bust and potentially prevent the U.K. economy from entering a triple dip recession.

 

On the other hand you have a man who sells Donnay socks and dreams which he’s broken.

[Geordie Ahmed]

TBH it doesn’t matter who you believe. Ashley’s had over a decade to either run the club properly or sell it to someone who will, it’s clear he’s not all that interested in either. If he wanted out he would make it attractive to a buyer, but he won’t because he doesn’t give a shit either way.

There is that as well.

 

The guy just doesn't give a shit, someone described us as a zombie club and that's really apt. Requires no investment from Ashley and it just coasts along.

[Si]

I don't know much about Stavely but I trust Caulkin absolutely.

[Dokko]

Just to get this straight Caulkin is "agenda driven" and Staveley is a "tyre kicker", Dokko man, please stop.

 

Totally out of context like. I'm happy with his agenda, but to say he doesn't have one is naive.

 

I saw nothing from Staveley's bid to suggest otherwise. The fact it impacted on our transfer window (like i said it would in early December) left a bitter feeling. We got lucky with our much maligned loans, but the damage the bid nearly done to us was almost catastrophic. I don't know if i'd want that near the club in all honesty, even if it meant getting rid of Ashley. Just another party who doesn't fully grasp football.

[Dokko]

I don't know much about Stavely but I trust Caulkin absolutely.

 

I trust he's telling us what he's been told. Do I trust the source?

[Guest firetotheworks]

I honestly think the whole 'he doesn'y give a shit' thing is massively getting in our way, like. Obviously not just you GA because loads of other fans feel that way and it's understandable, but if you look at the evidence I'd argue that he definitely gives a shit* (even if it's just the perception of him, his public image and share prices that he gives a shit about), it's just about getting him to the point where he gives enough of a shit about the hassle, pressure from shareholders, the bad press, and subsequently, hopefully, the lack or reduction of outside investment in his brands as a result, that he decides it's not worth it, genuinely tries to sell the club and not just at a deliberately high price to ward off potential buyers and get the fans off his back so he can carry on doing the same old shit he's been doing for 11 years. We're not there, but imo that has to be the aim.

 

 

*

Keegan protest - Club for sale

SackPardew protest - Hires PR Firm and has Jonas' cancer announced before Hull game

Level 7 sing songs about him - disbands singing section

Spurs protest - £80m transfer budget

AshleyOut - Sky interview

Panorama documentary - Club statement about link between NUFC and SD

 

I take the point that the club being for sale thing isn't for real, but he's done that to be able to say the club's for sale to get people off his back. Even if it's just at that level, he gives a shit, so we need to never not be on his back.

[Stifler]

Does it matter when she opens negotiations?

Do it during the season and you are always close to a transfer window, sometimes those deals take time. Do it during a transfer window and you have the problem of doing it during a transfer window.

The problem was never about her having negotiations close to or during the transfer window, the problem was the owner using it as an excuse to not buy anyone or keep the club running as it should have been.

[UncleBingo]

Part of me also wonders if he's waiting till a total s*** of a buyer comes along who will destroy us even worse just so he can sell to them at a discount price and then say in the press a year later LOOK I WASN'T SO BAD

 

I'm sure he'd take some joy out of selling us to a shitter owner, however it's all about what he can gain from it, so best offer wins. Unfortunately there hasn't been any serious offers to consider.

Or there has been serious offers BUT he isn't really interested in selling?

 

Closest we've come is the mess Staveley made last year, but it looked like she was just a tyre kicker with no real interest apart from looking to pick us up on the cheap. Now, i know we want him out, but he's not going to accept an offer that doesn't suit him. I wouldn't accept an offer for a possession that wouldn't suit myself either. If she was serious then they would have found an agreement, found the £50m or so to make the deal happen. They didn't and it was telling for that they tried to use a dirty trick media campaign to force his hand (which failed spectacularly) rather than come back with a better offer, something we'd expect from the current owner. IMO it would have been out of the pan and in to the fire, only with less potential financial backing.

 

Mind, Staveley may have been hung out to dry by potential backers. Maybe at first she had a few that were worth a fortune and they liked the idea, but for whatever reason they pulled out so she tried to do it on her own. This would be why she couldn't make a second reasonable offer, if so then see the original point; not real offer was made.

Staveley met Ashley’s price for the club, Ashley then went and put the price up as soon as we did, and we arn’t talking about £50m here, we are talking another £100m, another third of the price.

Staveley has the money to pay that, assuming Ashley wouldn’t put the price up again. However she has plans for the club which includes about £150m of immediate investment. Around half of that would have been for players. Another half would have been for the training facilities/academy, and stadium improvements. From what I understand it wouldn’t just be training and acedemy upgrades, but a whole new training ground and academy complex in a new location. The sort of campus that Premier League clubs are building, and something that would be for every age group could use. It would also have meant that we would be able to invest a lot more into the woman’s team and included a female acedemy.

All of this is what Rafa has said is essential to the club long term, and as I have said it’s what the bigger clubs in the league are doing.

Staveley was nowhere near a tyre kicker, she even went out of her way to being in the Rueben brothers who own land in Newcastle that is to be developed in order to not only kick start the development of the club, but the city as a whole.

 

 

Give over.

 

This is basically what George Caulkin said, and he's seen evidence of the bids made. Ashley doesn't want to sell unless at a ridiculous price - hence he put the price up to £400m.

 

Exactly this. The lad I know in the Middle East spoke to Staveley, knew the people involved and that they'd verbally agreed to the deal. Ashley changed his mind out of the blue after a boozy lunch meeting, and released the 'time waster' stuff through Bishop/The Sun.

 

Anybody who believes the Ashley side of this story, is quite frankly, a fucking idiot.

[Dokko]

I honestly think the whole 'he doesn'y give a shit' thing is massively getting in our way, like. Obviously not just you GA because loads of other fans feel that way and it's understandable, but if you look at the evidence I'd argue that he definitely gives a shit* (even if it's just the perception of him, his public image and share prices that he gives a shit about), it's just about getting him to the point where he gives enough of a shit about the hassle, pressure from shareholders, the bad press, and subsequently, hopefully, the lack or reduction of outside investment in his brands as a result, that he decides it's not worth it, genuinely tries to sell the club and not just at a deliberately high price to ward off potential buyers and get the fans off his back so he can carry on doing the same old shit he's been doing for 11 years. We're not there, but imo that has to be the aim.

 

 

*

Keegan protest - Club for sale

SackPardew protest - Hires PR Firm and has Jonas' cancer announced before Hull game

Level 7 sing songs about him - disbands singing section

Spurs protest - £80m transfer budget

AshleyOut - Sky interview

Panorama documentary - Club statement about link between NUFC and SD

 

I take the point that the club being for sale thing isn't for real, but he's done that to be able to say the club's for sale to get people off his back. Even if it's just at that level, he gives a shit, so we need to never not be on his back.

 

It's more he gives a shit about himself and SD, but doesn't really give a shit about us, as long as we don't impact on him financially.

 

Absolutely must keep the pressure on him. Season hasn't even started and groups are going at it with outstanding results. Can't wait till it picks up during the season.

[Stifler]

Part of me also wonders if he's waiting till a total s*** of a buyer comes along who will destroy us even worse just so he can sell to them at a discount price and then say in the press a year later LOOK I WASN'T SO BAD

 

I'm sure he'd take some joy out of selling us to a shitter owner, however it's all about what he can gain from it, so best offer wins. Unfortunately there hasn't been any serious offers to consider.

Or there has been serious offers BUT he isn't really interested in selling?

 

Closest we've come is the mess Staveley made last year, but it looked like she was just a tyre kicker with no real interest apart from looking to pick us up on the cheap. Now, i know we want him out, but he's not going to accept an offer that doesn't suit him. I wouldn't accept an offer for a possession that wouldn't suit myself either. If she was serious then they would have found an agreement, found the £50m or so to make the deal happen. They didn't and it was telling for that they tried to use a dirty trick media campaign to force his hand (which failed spectacularly) rather than come back with a better offer, something we'd expect from the current owner. IMO it would have been out of the pan and in to the fire, only with less potential financial backing.

 

Mind, Staveley may have been hung out to dry by potential backers. Maybe at first she had a few that were worth a fortune and they liked the idea, but for whatever reason they pulled out so she tried to do it on her own. This would be why she couldn't make a second reasonable offer, if so then see the original point; not real offer was made.

Staveley met Ashley’s price for the club, Ashley then went and put the price up as soon as we did, and we arn’t talking about £50m here, we are talking another £100m, another third of the price.

Staveley has the money to pay that, assuming Ashley wouldn’t put the price up again. However she has plans for the club which includes about £150m of immediate investment. Around half of that would have been for players. Another half would have been for the training facilities/academy, and stadium improvements. From what I understand it wouldn’t just be training and acedemy upgrades, but a whole new training ground and academy complex in a new location. The sort of campus that Premier League clubs are building, and something that would be for every age group could use. It would also have meant that we would be able to invest a lot more into the woman’s team and included a female acedemy.

All of this is what Rafa has said is essential to the club long term, and as I have said it’s what the bigger clubs in the league are doing.

Staveley was nowhere near a tyre kicker, she even went out of her way to being in the Rueben brothers who own land in Newcastle that is to be developed in order to not only kick start the development of the club, but the city as a whole.

 

 

Give over.

 

This is basically what George Caulkin said, and he's seen evidence of the bids made. Ashley doesn't want to sell unless at a ridiculous price - hence he put the price up to £400m.

 

Exactly this. The lad I know in the Middle East spoke to Staveley, knew the people involved and that they'd verbally agreed to the deal. Ashley changed his mind out of the blue after a boozy lunch meeting, and released the 'time waster' stuff through Bishop/The Sun.

 

Anybody who believes the Ashley side of this story, is quite frankly, a fucking idiot.

Thank you.

[Geordie Ahmed]

I honestly think the whole 'he doesn'y give a shit' thing is massively getting in our way, like. Obviously not just you GA because loads of other fans feel that way and it's understandable, but if you look at the evidence I'd argue that he definitely gives a shit* (even if it's just the perception of him, his public image and share prices that he gives a shit about), it's just about getting him to the point where he gives enough of a shit about the hassle, pressure from shareholders, the bad press, and subsequently, hopefully, the lack or reduction of outside investment in his brands as a result, that he decides it's not worth it, genuinely tries to sell the club and not just at a deliberately high price to ward off potential buyers and get the fans off his back so he can carry on doing the same old shit he's been doing for 11 years. We're not there, but imo that has to be the aim.

 

 

*

Keegan protest - Club for sale

SackPardew protest - Hires PR Firm and has Jonas' cancer announced before Hull game

Level 7 sing songs about him - disbands singing section

Spurs protest - £80m transfer budget

AshleyOut - Sky interview

Panorama documentary - Club statement about link between NUFC and SD

 

I take the point that the club being for sale thing isn't for real, but he's done that to be able to say the club's for sale to get people off his back. Even if it's just at that level, he gives a shit, so we need to never not be on his back.

You're absolutely right, I just worded it badly, I meant he doesn't give a shit about the club progressing. He's happy for it to coast along.

 

 

 

[Dokko]

Does it matter when she opens negotiations?

Do it during the season and you are always close to a transfer window, sometimes those deals take time. Do it during a transfer window and you have the problem of doing it during a transfer window.

The problem was never about her having negotiations close to or during the transfer window, the problem was the owner using it as an excuse to not buy anyone or keep the club running as it should have been.

 

Why would he spent money on the club if he thinks its going to be sold? Especially if the new owners don't agree with the signings? Of course it matters when the deal is being made. If she was serious she'd have been back in as soon as safety was confirmed. It's not happening, it never was unless she scored it on the cheap (I;m sure just the same as Ashley isn't going to sell unless he gets an over inflated fee)