Mike Ashley (former owner)

[Yorkie]

Wish I'd never bothered with that subscription.

[Ikon]

I'm mad, go away Mike.

[Danh1]

Reading that highlights how much we need this takeover to go through.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Not that much in that article really. Not for us anyway.

[Scoot]

Bloody hell, don’t think the lockdown is long enough time to read all that. Hopefully the takeover is done by the time I get to the end.

 

 

I'll just admit I can't be arsed to read it.

[Guest neesy111]

Bloody hell, don’t think the lockdown is long enough time to read all that. Hopefully the takeover is done by the time I get to the end.

 

 

I'll just admit I can't be arsed to read it.

 

Guessing you do the same to HTT's posts. 

[HawK]

Just read it all. Just adds some small details onto the anecdotes really, nothing groundbreaking. Laughed at the thought of Ashley bringing his sandwiches in a shopping bag to meet Shearer at the training ground though

[Dunce]

Obviously this came from Facebook. Where else would you see such a s*** mockup?

 

 

Been saying for years , they are perfect for each other.

Would love to see him buy them!

[KaKa]

Just read that article further up man ...

 

Great to know we've had an erratic drunk in charge of the club all these years. Guy is nuts

 

That bit about how Rafa went through all the numbers both from the team standpoint and commercially to show how the club could be competitive and still make money, and MA agreed with the numbers and agreed to then back Rafa, only to then ignore his wishes startign with that Caballero transfer. I mean ... just crazy stuff.

 

Guy has to sell the club ASAP man. He's not well in the head.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He’s a shot businessman, a narcissist, a bully, a man child and a fat cockney wanker. The man is also scum! Hope he loses everything, apart from his waistline!

[Scoot]

Bloody hell, don’t think the lockdown is long enough time to read all that. Hopefully the takeover is done by the time I get to the end.

 

 

I'll just admit I can't be arsed to read it.

 

Guessing you do the same to HTT's posts. 

 

Quite often.

[TRon]

Reading that highlights how much we need this takeover to go through.

 

Exactly what I thought. It's an insightful article, but at the end of the day I don't really have much interest in Mike Ashley's business acumen or his early history. It's clear from reading it that for him Newcastle was just another business deal. He never gave a flying fuck about the football, and ultimately it's the football which matters to the fans.

[Sean]

The article (well, Rafa's quotes about the training ground) just confirms the fact that Ashley hates us with a passion, because we dared to call him names 

 

He was never going to run the club competently, but since Keegan left he's been actively trying to balance making money and keeping us in misery.

[Chris_R]

Obviously this came from Facebook. Where else would you see such a s*** mockup?

 

 

Been saying for years , they are perfect for each other.

Would love to see him buy them!

 

He'd get them to the Premier League and probably have them hovering around 13th-17th like he has with us. Difference is, for them that really IS success.

 

I'd rather they stayed where they are.

[NG32]

Read that,  such an annoying man.

[Groundhog63]

As ever with Caulkin that's a good article.

Can I just say I think Hall is a bigger cunt than Ashley ever was/is. Greedy tory bastard, imho, obvs.

[Dunce]

Obviously this came from Facebook. Where else would you see such a s*** mockup?

 

 

Been saying for years , they are perfect for each other.

Would love to see him buy them!

 

He'd get them to the Premier League and probably have them hovering around 13th-17th like he has with us. Difference is, for them that really IS success.

 

I'd rather they stayed where they are.

 

Im not sure they would , to get out of the championship from where they are  would take substantial investment . I couldnt see him paying more for players than he payed for the club.

 

[Donnie]

Excellent article IMO, nothing groundbreaking to fans who have lived the disaster that is Mike Ashley's Newcastle United.  But it does fill in some of the story even for hardcore fans, for me definitely (little bits like the meeting with Rafa ect).  Also think this would be a great article to read for anyone without much knowledge of the last 13 years who wonder why Newcastle fans hate him so much, if of course you could get them to read it.

[toon25]

I don’t understand why he had a hard on for Joelinton. Baffling.

[Dokko]

Obviously this came from Facebook. Where else would you see such a s*** mockup?

 

 

Been saying for years , they are perfect for each other.

Would love to see him buy them!

 

He'd get them to the Premier League and probably have them hovering around 13th-17th like he has with us. Difference is, for them that really IS success.

 

I'd rather they stayed where they are.

 

To reach that level it would cost £100-150m not including buying the club. To stay at that level will cost money Sunderland have never generated. He’d have to put in £20-30m a year to keep them in the division, one slip and it’s back down and start again.

 

If he were to buy them he’d see them in the championship living off what they earn and within their means, which is mid table championship. His hope would be to go up every few year and milk the tv money before going back down to status quo. Tbh, anyone buying Sunderland should know that is all they are good for without some serious luck in producing talent and retaining good football management.

[xLiaaamx]

He'd get them Allardyce back and they love Allardyce.

[NG32]

I'm not sure Ashley will ever want to own another club again, it's far too time consuming for him and it's not as straight forward as he once thought. Even picking up a lower league team he'd still have to deal with fans and their emotional attachment to their club,  which he will never grasp.

[The Bonk]

Obviously this came from Facebook. Where else would you see such a s*** mockup?

 

 

Been saying for years , they are perfect for each other.

Would love to see him buy them!

 

He'd get them to the Premier League and probably have them hovering around 13th-17th like he has with us. Difference is, for them that really IS success.

 

I'd rather they stayed where they are.

 

To reach that level it would cost £100-150m not including buying the club. To stay at that level will cost money Sunderland have never generated. He’d have to put in £20-30m a year to keep them in the division, one slip and it’s back down and start again.

 

If he were to buy them he’d see them in the championship living off what they earn and within their means, which is mid table championship. His hope would be to go up every few year and milk the tv money before going back down to status quo. Tbh, anyone buying Sunderland should know that is all they are good for without some serious luck in producing talent and retaining good football management.

 

Be funny to see him bring Joe K there.

[Stifler]

Aye. In my opinion he’s not buying a team below the Championship, simply because they aren’t profitable.

He’ll want a club who could get promoted and yo-yo without too much investment.

If Sunderland were in the Championship, they would be an attractive proposition, a big stadium, a training ground and academy that won’t need much investment over the years (it will, but he’ll have a few years before it needs major re-investment).

They have a decent following, although how many would remain if we become successful and how many will be prepared to keep paying to go and see them remains a big question. If we did become successful under our new owners, then the support from outside the city in places like Durham and Washington will drop as time goes on.

[number9shirt]

Read the Athletic article, I had some free time to kill. Very interesting, everyone says he's an nice guy to talk to and you can't help but admire his self made millions determination & business acumen. The whole thing makes it even more inconceivable that for 13 years in a row he's made every bad decision possible. I kind of feel sorry for him that it didn't work out.