Mike Ashley (former owner) (still alive)

[Yorkie]

Can anything be read into the fact that the Premier League haven't said anything?

[junkhead]

Sorry like but share price and advertising gains have no direct correlation whatsoever. Also comparing a shirt sponsorship with the stadium that has around 500 SD logos plastered all over it is not right.

If Sports Direct decide to do the same advertising at say.. Crystal Palace's ground it'll cost them at least 30-40 mil a year.

 

It's clear that Sports Direct is benefitting so much from Newcastle, that the club has become unsellable.

[Stifler]

Can anything be read into the fact that the Premier League haven't said anything?

No, they will let clubs and prospective owners release statements. They could also put themselves into a position where they know nothing, release a statement saying so, then a few minutes later get notification of an impending takeover and not being in a position to take back their previous statement.

[tmonkey]

I still think there's a chance he wants to sell primarily because of the losses on Debenhams, HoF, the issues with SD shares dropping and key staff leaving, etc. The risk of NUFC getting relegated and staying in the Championship is a risk of losing at least £200m on his current valuation. Maybe in prior years he wouldn't be bothered, but if something is going to cause him to sell these high street failures of his will be it.

 

This makes no sense.

 

Why would he sell a profit-making part of his empire to prop up the loss-making ones? Surely you do the opposite?

 

OK, unless you're sure you're onto a long-term winner with the loss-making parts, but I don't think anyone (even Ashley) thinks that. He might hope it, but he can't believe it's a certainty. Profit from NUFC is much more likely. To sell that would be crazy, IMO.

 

Never said he'd be selling NUFC to prop up the other businesses - the point was only that he's undoubtedly taken big hits to his personal wealth/net worth due to SD shares tanking over the past 5 years, the Debenhams administration where SD lost all its shareholding, and there's risks of further hits in the future (HoF landlords kicking up, SD executives leaving, maybe even Brexit, iirc SD reported that European sales were a big factor in their revenue growth). If NUFC gets relegated the value of the club, i.e. what someone is willing to pay for it, plummets from £350m to maybe £150m, which means Ashley loses out on a potential £200m if he had sold the club now. Ergo he might not fancy taking another gamble on NUFC remaining in the PL. I mean he might, if the takeover doesn't happen it'll be because he fancied the gamble, but it makes sense for him to be more open to selling than in prior years because of the hits he's taken elsewhere.

[Guest Gonzo]

Can anything be read into the fact that the Premier League haven't said anything?

 

Who knows. That there’s nothing to read into?

 

I don’t think this will happen. The moves by the club suggest its business as usual.

[Chris_R]

(we will know next accounts exactly how much as according to the forum minutes he is now paying).

 

Will be interesting when that number eventually emerges and whether they really are paying or if that was just another lie to placate the fans' forum.

 

Very true mind I have no doubt the full amount won't be shown. Don't think it's anywhere near the amount our support think it is either, if it was on the shirts also then I would say yes but for stadium advertisement, then I don't think it's anywhere near the 100 million (overall) plus some think it is.

 

12 years at 8m a year in lost revenue. It's hardly inconceivable that the total is around £100m. It'll certainly be close.

 

Show me where it is 8m then? Advertisement of shirt sales will be a lot more than stadium advertisement.

 

Someone else came up with that number after looking into how much this is likely to cost. I can't remember where I saw it, but I remember the number and that they'd backed it up with what looked like reasonable enough calculations. If you have different numbers though, let's see them.

[Chris_R]

 

Advertising has an impact on sales and therefore an impact on the shares price, if you look at the share price it's continued to decline over the last few years

 

Advertising generally has a positive impact on share prices. It's very likely (though utterly impossible to prove without my aforementioned time machine and access to a parallel universe where different events played out) that the share price would have dropped by more than it has if he hadn't had all the free advertising round the ground / world.

[ToonArmy1892]

When i talk to fans of other clubs, most of them agree that Ashley isn't a good owner but they don't seem to grasp how bad the situation actually is, like deliberately not competing in cups, i get the feeling that they think he just doesn't have that much money and isn't deliberately using the club as a vehicle for SD.

 

Not their problem of course, if he was in charge of another club i probably wouldn't be arsed either.

[Yorkie]

Can anything be read into the fact that the Premier League haven't said anything?

No, they will let clubs and prospective owners release statements. They could also put themselves into a position where they know nothing, release a statement saying so, then a few minutes later get notification of an impending takeover and not being in a position to take back their previous statement.

 

Feels like a bit of a dick move on their part keeping schtum, given BZG referenced them directly. I realise they couldn't possibly comment on any old rumour but this isn't like 95% of Twitter bollocks. It could end up being a load of crap, obviously, but as far as rumours go it's pretty well developed at this point. They're in a unique position to basically say whether or not there's truth to any of it.

[Wolfcastle]

Can anything be read into the fact that the Premier League haven't said anything?

 

Who knows. That there’s nothing to read into?

 

I don’t think this will happen. The moves by the club suggest its business as usual.

 

I'm with you on that.

Also for future reference I think the FA should not allow themselves to be used in a charade that amongst other things exists to literally con fans. Without mentioning any club they could have blown the smokescreen to smithereens weeks/months ago by denying that they had recieved any such application. They kinda feel complicit to me otherwise.

[Ankles Bennett]

Why would he sell a profit-making part of his empire to prop up the loss-making ones? Surely you do the opposite?

 

OK, unless you're sure you're onto a long-term winner with the loss-making parts, but I don't think anyone (even Ashley) thinks that. He might hope it, but he can't believe it's a certainty. Profit from NUFC is much more likely. To sell that would be crazy, IMO.

 

You've got that the wrong way round. SD is bigger and more profitable than NUFC and SD doesn't have anything akin to relegation threatening to slash its revenues in the space of a couple of months.

 

To put the supposed asking price of £350m into context, that's roughly the operating cashflow of SD over the last 12 months.

 

SD has had £100m worth of free advertising from us, that's got to have affected where the value of the company is at and shows the value of NUFC to SD. Also, I was talking more about all his other businesses than SD, the ones which are loss-making. SD is his baby, I know he sold shares in it years back to raise money, but that's the heart and soul of his empire. It'll be the last thing he permanently gets rid of.

We have to remember that when he floated ST on the stock exchange he made about £2b and then the shares nosedive and it was thought that he caused the crash and the city vilified him.  Two years later he bought the shares back at rock bottom price and returned SD to private ownership.  Another example of how manipulative he is.

[gdm]

Can anything be read into the fact that the Premier League haven't said anything?

 

Who knows. That there’s nothing to read into?

 

I don’t think this will happen. The moves by the club suggest its business as usual.

 

I'm with you on that.

Also for future reference I think the FA should not allow themselves to be used in a charade that amongst other things exists to literally con fans. Without mentioning any club they could have blown the smokescreen to smithereens weeks/months ago by denying that they had recieved any such application. They kinda feel complicit to me otherwise.

 

You mean the premier league?

[Wolfcastle]

When i talk to fans of other clubs, most of them agree that Ashley isn't a good owner but they don't seem to grasp how bad the situation actually is, like deliberately not competing in cups, i get the feeling that they think he just doesn't have that much money and isn't deliberately using the club as a vehicle for SD.

 

Not their problem of course, if he was in charge of another club i probably wouldn't be arsed either.

 

I got a 'what's he actually done wrong?' from a Spurs fan via email on my way to work. Was still working on the response by the time I got to work. Lost a few minutes by being aghast at his ignorance.

[Guest godzilla]

Sorry like but share price and advertising gains have no direct correlation whatsoever. Also comparing a shirt sponsorship with the stadium that has around 500 SD logos plastered all over it is not right.

If Sports Direct decide to do the same advertising at say.. Crystal Palace's ground it'll cost them at least 30-40 mil a year.

 

It's clear that Sports Direct is benefitting so much from Newcastle, that the club has become unsellable.

 

Disagree with everything you say and Crystal Palaces revenue for advertising and sponsorship the last two years was 9.4 and 6.4 million and you say that it would increase to 40 million by a few more logos? As I said before please provide your evidence to back this up as I'm happy to be proved incorrect.

[Guest godzilla]

(we will know next accounts exactly how much as according to the forum minutes he is now paying).

 

Will be interesting when that number eventually emerges and whether they really are paying or if that was just another lie to placate the fans' forum.

 

Very true mind I have no doubt the full amount won't be shown. Don't think it's anywhere near the amount our support think it is either, if it was on the shirts also then I would say yes but for stadium advertisement, then I don't think it's anywhere near the 100 million (overall) plus some think it is.

 

12 years at 8m a year in lost revenue. It's hardly inconceivable that the total is around £100m. It'll certainly be close.

 

Show me where it is 8m then? Advertisement of shirt sales will be a lot more than stadium advertisement.

 

Someone else came up with that number after looking into how much this is likely to cost. I can't remember where I saw it, but I remember the number and that they'd backed it up with what looked like reasonable enough calculations. If you have different numbers though, let's see them.

 

I don't have any numbers that's the point and neither do you.

[54]

I'm just making a timeline of Ashley being Ashley, i'm very sure im missing stuff:

 

Hired Denis Wise as Executive Director.

Hired Tony Jimenez, who later claimed Modric wasn’t good enough for the Premier League

Sold James Milner and replaced him with Xisco and Nacho Gonzalez

Forced Kevin Keegan Out as manager, which resulted in a court case where it got proven the club has intentionally misled the fans.

Hired Joe Kinnear as manager, who in his first press conference called a member of the press a cunt.

Hired Alan Shearer in a last ditch effort to keep us up.

Got relegated.

Told Alan Shearer he had a job then never got back to him.

Lost 6-1 to Leyton Orient.

Got promoted, sacked Christ Huoughton the club favourite manager after his first poor run of games back in the Premier League, and following a 5-1 victory against Sunderland.

Hired Alan Pardew as they went to the same casino

Under Alan Pardew Newcastle lost…

4-0 to Wigan, 3-0 to Man Utd, 7-3 to Arsenal, 4-0 to Man City, 6-0 to Liverpool, 3-0 to Sunderland, 4-0 to Man City again, 3-0 to Swansea, 3-0 to Sunderland again, 3-0 to Chelsea, 4-0 to Spurs, 3-0 to Everton, 4-0 to Southampton, 4-0 to Man United, 3-0 to Arsenal, 4-0 to Southampton again, 1-0 to Sunderland, 2-1 to Sunderland. But hey he finished 5th once.

Hired Joe Kinnear as DOF.

Re-named St James Park to the Sports Direct Arena.

Had Wonga as a sponsor.

Hired John Carver as manager who nearly got us relegated.

Tried to sack Jonas Gutierrez after they found out he had cancer.

Released Jonas, by calling Ryan Taylors phone.

Hired Steve McLaren as manager.

Fired Steve McLaren, and appointed Rafa Benitez as manager in a last ditch to keep us up.

Got relegated.

Got promoted under the leadership of Rafa, who would later guide the club to a top 10 finish and keep the club up comfortable. Despite being hamstrung financially.

Let Rafa go at the end of his club as he was too ambitious.

The club are currently in the position where they have no manager, no goal threat, and looking into oblivion,

 

[gdm]

Wether you believe the dentist guy or not. This thread does make sense

 

[Guest godzilla]

Wether you believe the dentist guy or not. This thread does make sense

 

 

Got a feeling we will know in a day or two either way as can't see BZG allowing the claims and counter claims to continue. The alleged statement was going to be released in a few days so it will be nearly a week by Monday and if correct then I would have thought it will be released early next week and we will all know for sure what is happening.

[gdm]

Can’t come soon enough

[Guest godzilla]

Can’t come soon enough

 

Think everyone will agree there, everyone is sick to death of it

[Guest The Little Waster]

Can’t come soon enough

 

Too much info ?

[Guest]

I’m sure there’ll be a story in the next 40 minutes.

[mighty__mag]

Have BZG produced any statement themselves thus far, an actual statement from them. ?

 

I need directing to it if so, because so many twitter fakers are killing me.

[jack j]

Aye the usual Sunday specials be out soon

[gdm]

Can’t come soon enough

 

Too much info ?