Mike Ashley (former owner)

[KaKa]

Sadly that means he won’t sell.

 

This is the scary thing man.

 

People are so convinced we'll go tumbling down and he'll end up selling us, for what would have to be peanuts, relative to what he could have got.

 

He is incredibly stubborn, and I just can't see that either.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Sadly that means he won’t sell.

 

This is the scary thing man.

 

People are so convinced we'll go tumbling down and he'll end up selling us, for what would have to be peanuts, relative to what he could have got.

 

He is incredibly stubborn, and I just can't see that either.

 

He’ll want to come out the ‘winner’ in any deal, probably with the sale price and by shafting he new owners on retail and advertising. Which obviously no sane buyer will sign up to.

 

Maybe when he’s older he might want to liquidate all his assets and retire, might be our best option. Or he dies.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I sometimes worry that younger fans must think we’re meant to be a shit relegation battler, glad that’s not always the case.

 

I just want Ashley to fail and suffer as much pain and humiliation as possible. Sadly that means we have to keep losing and get relegated. That said, it’s debatable whether he would even care about that. He certainly doesn’t act like an owner who cares about relegation.

 

Like you said, to guarantee everlasting PL football, all he needed to do was back Rafa.

 

I know a few lads my age who understand what the craic is and have stopped going/putting any cash into the club while Ashley owns it, but also a few who don't really seem to care what's happening at the club and at this point I just let them get on with it. Personally find no point in getting into arguments because it descends into puerile nonsense which is all too common across social media platforms atm. I also don't think I can ever get myself to the point of wanting us to lose games. I totally understand why people would but I could never do so personally.

 

I don’t really judge fans either way TBH, we’re all in the shit and it’s all contrary to what being a supporter is supposed to mean. I gave it up out of self preservation more than anything else, it’s just too depressing and futile to be involved in.

[KaKa]

Sadly that means he won’t sell.

 

This is the scary thing man.

 

People are so convinced we'll go tumbling down and he'll end up selling us, for what would have to be peanuts, relative to what he could have got.

 

He is incredibly stubborn, and I just can't see that either.

 

He’ll want to come out the ‘winner’ in any deal, probably with the sale price and by shafting he new owners on retail and advertising. Which obviously no sane buyer will sign up to.

 

Maybe when he’s older he might want to liquidate all his assets and retire, might be our best option. Or he dies.

 

It's a very troubling situation.

 

Our best chance of him selling had to have been with Rafa being under contract with the crowd behind him, and the club securing prem status.

 

And he didn't sell ... it's not good at all.

[HaydnNUFC]

I sometimes worry that younger fans must think we’re meant to be a shit relegation battler, glad that’s not always the case.

 

I just want Ashley to fail and suffer as much pain and humiliation as possible. Sadly that means we have to keep losing and get relegated. That said, it’s debatable whether he would even care about that. He certainly doesn’t act like an owner who cares about relegation.

 

Like you said, to guarantee everlasting PL football, all he needed to do was back Rafa.

 

I know a few lads my age who understand what the craic is and have stopped going/putting any cash into the club while Ashley owns it, but also a few who don't really seem to care what's happening at the club and at this point I just let them get on with it. Personally find no point in getting into arguments because it descends into puerile nonsense which is all too common across social media platforms atm. I also don't think I can ever get myself to the point of wanting us to lose games. I totally understand why people would but I could never do so personally.

 

I don’t really judge fans either way TBH, we’re all in the shit and it’s all contrary to what being a supporter is supposed to mean. I gave it up out of self preservation more than anything else, it’s just too depressing and futile to be involved in.

 

Aye, agreed.

[ToonArmy1892]

Personally stopped posting in this section a couple of months ago and barely been logged in since Rafa left for a variety of reasons, partly due to trying to find ways to disconnect with the club (which is nigh on impossible with being involved so closely over the majority of my existence) and for other reasons only a couple posters know about. Matchdays still have me checking for updates on Twitter, watching it live whenever I can but away from that I’ve barely checked anything related to the club, completely apathetic about it all which is depressing; Rafa’s quote about what 18 year old supporters think about the club now is striking. Especially to me for the obvious reason that I am 18. I’ve had f*** all to be really excited about bar the last 3 and a half years which even still weren’t without their Ashleyisms, imposing misery. But we felt like something resembling a football club with Rafa Benitez in charge and that's been taken away and shat on.

 

I can barely be arsed to get involved with protests against this fat c***. I admire the people involved and will support them all the way as much as I can but can’t help but feel they’re fighting a losing fight, I think gates this season will mirror those of the first half of 2010/11: 41,000-47,000, which isn’t enough of a statement. Boycotts en masse have seemingly never had the appetite from NUFC supporters, stretching as far back as the period between 1988-1992, the United Supporters for Change group backed a boycott against Leeds in August ‘89 but the majority still went. Attendances dropped when results were bad and we were stuck in Div. 2 and floating in midtable and eventually flirting with relegation: 10,004 against Oxford et al. (anyone around during that period correct me if I’m wrong, may well be talking s****)

 

Ashley could’ve easily avoided all of this: keep Rafa by giving him the pay rise, backing and investment he deserved which wasn’t much in the grand scheme of the PL and would’ve been able to reap the rewards: skim the cream off the top, and advertise his cuntbag company for free, all with minimal input due to the money the club makes from a PL presence. Instead, he’s cut off his nose to spite his face and tried so hard to earn a dishonest penny this transfer window it’ll cost the club a pound. The decisions he’s made have put us on the route to relegation. Deservedly. And I feel like I couldn’t care less.

 

:'( i feel sorry for myself sometimes, the best i've seen is the Bobby champions league days, i envy people who have seen us win something, but at least i saw us battling towards the top of the league, some fantastic home and away games, i'm just glad i knew an Ashley free NUFC at this point, for you and others who have only known an Ashley ran NUFC knocks me sick really.

[Guest neesy111]

Enjoying football without nufc is lovely.  Can go and watch games for the enjoyment.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Brick. The. Cunt.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Enjoying football without nufc is lovely.  Can go and watch games for the enjoyment.

 

Yep, I really would like to watch the PL if NUFC weren’t in it. Problem is you always run the risk of a pundit talking about Steve Bruce or something. If they got relegated I might follow more closely next season.

[Guest]

Personally stopped posting in this section a couple of months ago and barely been logged in since Rafa left for a variety of reasons, partly due to trying to find ways to disconnect with the club (which is nigh on impossible with being involved so closely over the majority of my existence) and for other reasons only a couple posters know about. Matchdays still have me checking for updates on Twitter, watching it live whenever I can but away from that I’ve barely checked anything related to the club, completely apathetic about it all which is depressing; Rafa’s quote about what 18 year old supporters think about the club now is striking. Especially to me for the obvious reason that I am 18. I’ve had fuck all to be really excited about bar the last 3 and a half years which even still weren’t without their Ashleyisms, imposing misery. But we felt like something resembling a football club with Rafa Benitez in charge and that's been taken away and shat on.

 

I can barely be arsed to get involved with protests against this fat cunt. I admire the people involved and will support them all the way as much as I can but can’t help but feel they’re fighting a losing fight, I think gates this season will mirror those of the first half of 2010/11: 41,000-47,000, which isn’t enough of a statement. Boycotts en masse have seemingly never had the appetite from NUFC supporters, stretching as far back as the period between 1988-1992, the United Supporters for Change group backed a boycott against Leeds in August ‘89 but the majority still went. Attendances dropped when results were bad and we were stuck in Div. 2 and floating in midtable and eventually flirting with relegation: 10,004 against Oxford et al. (anyone around during that period correct me if I’m wrong, may well be talking shite)

 

Ashley could’ve easily avoided all of this: keep Rafa by giving him the pay rise, backing and investment he deserved which wasn’t much in the grand scheme of the PL and would’ve been able to reap the rewards: skim the cream off the top, and advertise his cuntbag company for free, all with minimal input due to the money the club makes from a PL presence. Instead, he’s cut off his nose to spite his face and tried so hard to earn a dishonest penny this transfer window it’ll cost the club a pound. The decisions he’s made have put us on the route to relegation. Deservedly. And I feel like I couldn’t care less.

 

Even if he couldn’t keep Rafa, he could have still appointed a half decent Head Coach.

[Kanj]

Don’t see how this club will stay in the league unless he somehow gets in Mourinho or something and gives him the keys to the club forever.

[geordiedean]

Has anyone not highlighted the lying contradictory reports that Ashley and Charnley put out about the fake sheik not wanting Benitez then stating he went for the money

 

These cunts just lie through their teeth more than Trump does

[Guest chopey]

Rafa wanted a bit of a rise for him and his unbonused staff and the ability to turn the club into a professional outfit on a set budget for the benefit of future generations

[Astroblack]

Ashley is just too slow to make decisions. Mcclaren should have been sacked long before he was. Same will happen with Bruce. He’s gonna get way too much time. So bloody frustrating. .

[Nobody]

For those saying 'we might as well stay up, because he hasn't sold us when we were in the Championship', he's only tried to sell us once when we were down there, while he's been trying to sell us for ages whilst in the Premier League.

[Infinitely Content]

The most sickening thing about the Mike Ashley reign for me is the way his actions and treatment of the club has become normalised. It appears like our fans and the wider football community have just accepted it and thus he can just do what he wants. Helpless to it. Every show of apathy and hatred towards the club and its supporters from Ashley is no longer (or ever has been) met with the appropriate level of resistance. It's just accepted. Us as fans can't really do much, as if our voices can't penetrate the levels he operates on. As if our voices are just background noise coming from a different plane. This is where you would want the papers, the politicians, those high enough up to have an impact on this fucker to show up for the sake of what is right. For the sake of a wonderful football club, one of best in the country, being ran into the ground by a man who not only doesn't show ambition, not only doesn't give a fuck, but appears to actively be trying to piss fans off.

 

I just don't understand how it's been allowed to go on for so long. Are there any examples in this country of a football club owner being removed from their position due to negligence?

[junkhead]

He has never wanted to sell us ffs

[LV]

For those saying 'we might as well stay up, because he hasn't sold us when we were in the Championship', he's only tried to sell us once when we were down there, while he's been trying to sell us for ages whilst in the Premier League.

 

Trying in the loosest sense of the word

[Collage]

For those saying 'we might as well stay up, because he hasn't sold us when we were in the Championship', he's only tried to sell us once when we were down there, while he's been trying to sell us for ages whilst in the Premier League.

 

He's never really tried IMO. But do you think it's "easier" to sell the club if we're in the Championship?

[Stifler]

Channel 5 expose on him/SD now.

[Frazzle]

The most sickening thing about the Mike Ashley reign for me is the way his actions and treatment of the club has become normalised. It appears like our fans and the wider football community have just accepted it and thus he can just do what he wants. Helpless to it. Every show of apathy and hatred towards the club and its supporters from Ashley is no longer (or ever has been) met with the appropriate level of resistance. It's just accepted. Us as fans can't really do much, as if our voices can't penetrate the levels he operates on. As if our voices are just background noise coming from a different plane. This is where you would want the papers, the politicians, those high enough up to have an impact on this fucker to show up for the sake of what is right. For the sake of a wonderful football club, one of best in the country, being ran into the ground by a man who not only doesn't show ambition, not only doesn't give a fuck, but appears to actively be trying to piss fans off.

 

I just don't understand how it's been allowed to go on for so long. Are there any examples in this country of a football club owner being removed from their position due to negligence?

 

The fans CAN do a lot, the problem is the fans have never fully come together to do anything.

[Nobody]

For those saying 'we might as well stay up, because he hasn't sold us when we were in the Championship', he's only tried to sell us once when we were down there, while he's been trying to sell us for ages whilst in the Premier League.

 

He's never really tried IMO. But do you think it's "easier" to sell the club if we're in the Championship?

I think there are two situations where he sells; someone offers him a deal too good to turn down while where in the PL or we actually start costing him money because we're in the Championship (or lower).

The evidence we have so far is when we are in the PL, he runs us as a £100m business, but wants £350m+ for us, so think it's unlikely he'll sell us while we are in the PL.

Outside of the PL, he "tried" to sell us the first time we went down, but not while Rafa was here. I think the most likely chance for us to get sold is to stay down, because not only is that the uncharted territory, but he's been proven to want ridiculous amounts compared to how he runs club while in the PL.

[LV]

For those saying 'we might as well stay up, because he hasn't sold us when we were in the Championship', he's only tried to sell us once when we were down there, while he's been trying to sell us for ages whilst in the Premier League.

 

He's never really tried IMO. But do you think it's "easier" to sell the club if we're in the Championship?

I think there are two situations where he sells; someone offers him a deal too good to turn down while where in the PL or we actually start costing him money because we're in the Championship (or lower).

The evidence we have so far is when we are in the PL, he runs us as a £100m business, but wants £350m+ for us, so think it's unlikely he'll sell us while we are in the PL.

Outside of the PL, he "tried" to sell us the first time we went down, but not while Rafa was here. I think the most likely chance for us to get sold is to stay down, because not only is that the uncharted territory, but he's been proven to want ridiculous amounts compared to how he runs club while in the PL.

 

Which is why it’s the only sane option for the long-term future of this amazing club to want us to be relegated and stay down in the hope it gets rid of him.

[Collage]

For those saying 'we might as well stay up, because he hasn't sold us when we were in the Championship', he's only tried to sell us once when we were down there, while he's been trying to sell us for ages whilst in the Premier League.

 

He's never really tried IMO. But do you think it's "easier" to sell the club if we're in the Championship?

I think there are two situations where he sells; someone offers him a deal too good to turn down while where in the PL or we actually start costing him money because we're in the Championship (or lower).

The evidence we have so far is when we are in the PL, he runs us as a £100m business, but wants £350m+ for us, so think it's unlikely he'll sell us while we are in the PL.

Outside of the PL, he "tried" to sell us the first time we went down, but not while Rafa was here. I think the most likely chance for us to get sold is to stay down, because not only is that the uncharted territory, but he's been proven to want ridiculous amounts compared to how he runs club while in the PL.

 

I agree about the two situations, but I think the first one is more likely. He wants to get as much money as possible for the club. If we’re in the Championship there’s always the risk he wants to get back up before selling.

 

When does the club start costing him money? After one season in the Champo?

 

In a way I’ve resigned to him staying until he decides to sell, for whatever reason, regardless of which division we’re in.

[astraguy]

Some right fucking melts on twitter

https://twitter.com/paullarkin21/status/1163115874456350725