NUFC Eras - Highs and Lows

[gbandit]

Happy to have NWOAT shoved down my throat but I thought it would be useful to talk about people's feelings of distinct eras as a supporter of NUFC. I'm sure we're broadly in consensus over a lot of things but I'd love to hear others' memories of highs and lows or what they see as distinct eras of hope or despair. I think of an era as NUFC either being in the ascendancy or, as more has been the case during my lifetime, NUFC crashing and burning. I was thinking about myself and how I've had periods in my life where my support has been obsessive and times where I've tuned out and wondered what it's been like for others as well.

 

Keegan Era (92-97) +++

Highs: This was the period in my life where football was the most fun, we would smash teams to pieces week-in, week-out and genuinely challenge for the title. I was just a kid and life was obviously simpler then because of that but I just look back at it as a time when football was less complicated too. 

Lows: There are several lows from this time, the ones we talk most about are Cole leaving, us losing our healthy lead to Man U in the 95-96 season, as well as Keegan leaving. I think for a lot of us on this board, this was the most heartbreaking time for us. I still go back and watch footage from this time on Youtube when I'm nostalgic. This was the era where football truly became a commercial juggernaut and heralded the beginning of the sprawling mess that it is now.

 

Dalglish and Gullit Era (97-99) --

Highs: FA cup Final appearances, Barcelona win in the CL.

Lows: FA cup final losses. The team being ripped apart and signings coming in and failing miserably, e.g. John Dahl Tomasson and Andreas Andersson. There were a lot of expectations at this time and because they were so high, it was pretty horrible how much we'd fallen since Keegan's time at the helm.

 

Bobby's Era (99-04) +++

Highs: That 8-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday and feeling like we could be a team again. Everything felt different immediately. Having Bobby at the helm helped me feel proud of supporting NUFC again, we played quality football, could attract good players again, qualifying for Champions League Group Stage, UEFA Cup Semi-Final.

Lows: Bobby leaving, our team fading towards the end of the era and the feeling that Shearer's time as a world-class striker coming to an end.

 

Pre-Ashley Era (04-07) --

Highs: At the time it felt like a high when the club got sold, even though it turned out that we would go on to have 14 years of hell. A good second-half of a season under nice-guy Roeder.

Lows: Crashing out of the Europa League against AZ Alkmaar. Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer getting sent off together, Souness being a sour cunt, not having any sense of identity as a club, signing over-priced players and has-beens like Owen. The club started to rot during this time.

 

Pre-Keegan Ashley (07-08) ---

Lows: Awful football, awful manager in Allardyce. I couldn't believe how bad we were. My memory isn't great of this time as I was abroad in France for a lot of this time. 

 

Keegan Era under Ashley (08-08) ---

Highs: Keegan returning was one of the best periods of my life as a fan. I was living abroad in France in a small town where I only knew a handful of people. I was missing home a lot and Keegan returning gave me something to obsess over. Keegan turning us around and the hope that we would become a team on the up again. I was sure that we'd be a top 10 club again in the 08-09 season and looking back on it, this is something I'm now most angry about that Keegan came back under Ashley. If it had been someone else with ambition I don't necessarily think we'd have won something but it would have been an exciting time and I' sure we'd have become a top six club.

Lows: Keegan leaving and the fall out from this was devastating. Seeing my hero crushed was awful but also realising that the dream of this new owner coming in and making us a decent club again was gone. That Hull game... Joe Kinnear...

 

Relegation (08-09) ---

Lows: A season of limitless lows, possibly the worst time as a fan for me ever. Kinnear sullying the club, the hope that Shearer would come in and change things, and yet we were awful under him. That game against Villa at the end of the season. It was the end of my final year at Uni and everyone was celebrating apart from me. Ashley lying about putting the club up for sale. The failed protests and fans just capitulating. Players like Alan Smith and Michael Owen playing for the club. 

 

Hughton Era (09-10)+

Highs: Seeing Carroll come through, seeing his name as a goalscorer week by week made me feel excited about the club. I didn't mind that we were in the championship, even though they weren't the best players, I really liked a lot of these lads; Enrique, Gutierrez, Coloccini, Carroll, Lovenkrands, signing Tiote. Promotion without any major stress. Signing Ben Arfa. I loved Hughton as a person and the players clearly liked him too.

Lows: Hughton going, felt completely betrayed and made me hate Ashley even more than I thought was possible. Ben Arfa's leg break.

 

Pardew Era (10-14)---

Highs: Finishing fifth, Ba and Cisse scoring some absurd goals, Ben Arfa generally, but specifically his goals against Blackburn and Bolton. Loic Remy. Pardew fucking off, I never thought he'd go.

Lows: Despised the man, despised the football we played. Horrible transfer windows became the norm. Pardew freezing out my favourite players or not using them effectively. Pardew seriously damaged my connection to the club, felt like we had a politician running the club, Gavin Williamson essentially.

 

Pre-Benitez Era (14-16)---

Highs: None

Lows: Carver and his vile lips. Fans just turning on themselves and disconnecting from the club. I don't think this was the lowest time to be a fan, just a time where apathy became the norm.

 

Benitez Era (16-19)++

Highs: Loved the man, felt pride in NUFC again, felt we had an identity on the pitch for the first time since Bobby essentially, even if it was too defensive for my tastes. He was the first manager since Keegan who really pushed against Ashley and as fans we had someone to rally round. You could connect with the club again through Rafa.

Lows: Relegation, Benitez not being backed in transfer window after window and eventually him leaving. Knowing that our club was truly finished until Ashley sold up.

 

Bruce Era (19-21)---

Lows: Awful time where I disconnected from the club completely and stopped watching our games. I didn't even read match reports, watch MoTD, and would just check the score. Bruce. Total loss of footballing identity and possibly the least ambitious time for us in my whole time supporting the club.

 

PIF Era (21-now)+

Highs: Fuck off Ashley, fuck off Bruce. Eddie Howe coming in, the January transfer window, genuine hope for the club's future. Insane riches and resources, promises made about what our training facilities would become, the quality of players we'd be looking for over the next few years. The knowledge that we're going to attempt to become a club challenging for the top 4.

Lows: Ashley being replaced by Saudi Arabia.

 

Anyone have any significant highs or lows that aren't mentioned above?

 

 

 

[Dancing Brave]

Arrrrh

 

[Wolfcastle]

Pre Ashley: life of being a football fan, good, bad, indifferent,  on steroids as we went from our lowest ebb in 92 to nearly winning the league playing arguably the best football seen in this country (Alan Hansen suggested) just four years later.

Got hooked/fell in love during our dark days 89-92, gradually fell out of love with football around the millennium and remained only interested in us then along came Ashley.Having expected nothing but 89-92 caliber memories the next four years were almost unreal at times.

 

Ashley: A world where getting relegated and promoted meant nothing nevermind a single game, there were no ups and downs just melancholy nothingness defeating the whole point of being a football fan. Had him/us under him pegged very early on so couldn't enjoy any good because I knew it would be squandered.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by Wolfcastle

[Chris_R]

Agree with just about every word of the opening post.

 

I have little useful to add, except that I remember back a little further, to the late 80s, and remember Keegan coming in. But I didn't attend a match until I was old enough to go myself as my father worked weekends which was during the promotion season under KK.

 

The lowest points for me were about 5 or 6 years from 2010 onwards (Pardew, Carver etc) certainly after the 5th place fluke season, and 2019 to 2021, where I basically spent my time hoping we lost. I watched matches and cheered opposition goals, which nobody should ever have to do. Not because we weren't successful, fuck that - we've won nothing in my lifetime, but because we didn't even want to be successful. I have no problem with us trying and failing, it was the not even trying bit that killed me.

 

I never want to be like that again. The first game after PIF took over, when Bruce was still in charge against Spurs, I actually cried when we scored. I don't think I've ever celebrated a goal like it before, even though I was in my own house, and then the emotion overcame me and I sat on the settee and the tears came, just because I was so happy to actually care again. Years of heartache had been bottled up and had to come out.

 

Fuck Mike Ashley, the fucking parasitic cunt.

[wyn davies]

Joe Harvey, finished in 10th 1967-8 season if I remember right, qualified Intercity Fairs Cup due to one club one city rule, beat Feyenoord 4-0 at home played Vitoria Setubal in snow blizzard won 5-1 home , theyed never seen the stuff, epic

[Guest HTT II]

The first KK years: The highs were obvious, staying up and not going bust, promotion, finishing 3rd and then almost winning the title. The football played, the atmosphere, the excited energy around the club, fans, city and being linked with world-class players and more than capable of signing them.
 

Shearer coming home was huge, but Cole leaving was a sore one for me as he was practically my first NUFC and footballing hero as a footballer. Being a young black man his presence here in a number 9 had a huge impact racially too, a few years prior to his signing the National Front sold their material outside of the ground and indeed inside of it.

 

Almost all white schools at the time - the boys - all wanted to be Andy Cole. Colour didn’t matter, well it did, but it was black and white. It’s only now as an adult I’ve learned how important a figure he was at our club on that basis alone never mind as a footballer. Those were great great years and times.

 

As a kid growing up I went from being a kid to my teens in that era. Brit Pop, New Labour, fashion was changing, films like Trainspotting, the whole city seemed like it was rising with the club in terms of employment, development and national and international spotlight on the City and region. As a kid-teenager  I personally had some great times in my own life (as well as bad), but the football made life seem like sunshine every day. I pissed down as always of course, but looking back, it felt like it was the summer every day.

 

KK leaving was the biggest low of all, however, and even as a young kid I sensed that was the end of an era and we would never be the same again and we haven’t really, despite a brief spell under Sir Bobby. KK was the pied piper if you like. Happy happy days!

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by HTT II

[Guest HTT II]

The Dalglish years: I was happy we had appointed him given he did win the title with Blackburn, but on reflection now, he arrived at a club that had suddenly went from seeking to win it all and buy the best players to a club that had to try and sustain itself and economise and was under the control or rather restrictions of an IPO (the worse thing to happen to our club off the field, operationally wise IMO).
 

He arrived at a club with no real reserve team and little money compared to what went before to spend either (although he did still spend, but under KK we could break world record transfer fees) so he had to wheel and deal a tad and going from signing Shearer to Rush was our new reality, along with signing dead beats from lower down (Serrent, Hamilton et al, although they were needed to rebuild our ‘reserves’) and random foreign players, but he did buy some gems in Given, Dabizas, Nobby, Hamman, Speed et al.

 

The highs of course was finishing 2nd playing similar to KK, but probably more direct. The comeback vs Leicester, demolishing Forest on the final day and seeing Boro and the mackems go down. The atmosphere that day around Toon was as good as any even under KK.
 

Barcelona at home of course was special, and of course a rare Wembley Final. We lost so that was the ultimate low, but just as bad was how under his tenure we went down hill so drastically in every respect and the dismantling of KK’s team, Sir Les, Ginola, Tino etc.
 

When we appointed Dalglish, I think his time had come and gone and his ideas and ways of playing was behind him too, Wenger had just arrived and the landscape of how teams were set up, playing and tactically was fast changing. In the end I think Dalglish did his best, but was finished, like a former top player hanging on to his name and legacy too long and eventually it ending bad. He was past it, finished, basically!

 

He is a great man, however, and did give us some very good moments. As ever with NUFC, there was always promise, but always that spectre of doom and gloom.

 

Great thread by the way, like a time capsule for new fans we will no doubt attract from overseas and of course a reminder of the good, the bad and the ugly. Better days are ahead, I’m 100% certain of that.

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by HTT II

[gbandit]

Love reading about the way Newcastle as a city changed with the club’s fortunes. As I’ve gotten older and lived in different places I’ve gotten more and more pride in Newcastle as a city. Also nice to reflect on the positive impact that football can have in relation to Andy Cole and racism. Newcastle’s a lot more multicultural than it was twenty years ago and I think NUFC has helped a lot with people being more open to change 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, HTT II said:

KK leaving was the biggest low of all, however, and even as a young kid I sensed that was the end of an era and we would never be the same again and we haven’t really, despite a brief spell under Sir Bobby. KK was the pied piper if you like. Happy happy days!

 

Walking back to school from the sweet shop (now hairdressers) in Forest Hall at dinner time with a pot noodle. Everyone running to each other to tell the news that Keegan had quit. It was like a state in mourning. First time I had experienced a manager leaving. 

[Guest HTT II]

23 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Love reading about the way Newcastle as a city changed with the club’s fortunes. As I’ve gotten older and lived in different places I’ve gotten more and more pride in Newcastle as a city. Also nice to reflect on the positive impact that football can have in relation to Andy Cole and racism. Newcastle’s a lot more multicultural than it was twenty years ago and I think NUFC has helped a lot with people being more open to change 

Definitely, I mean back in the day, I was mainly at an all white school, but not once did I look at Andy Cole and see a black man when as a kid, which was rare in our schools even to have black kids, it was mainly Asian kids, and that’s Important and something now as a dad and an adult you realise regarding racism that kids don’t see skin colour and it stems from adults.
 

Again, culturally I think Andy Cole played a significant role in the now accepted diverse and multi-cultural makeup of Newcastle as a city and people and it wasn’t designed or manufactured or even thought about at the time, and that’s how powerful football is and specially our own club, or can be.

 

Don't get me wrong phrases like darkie were used even by myself as kids, but that was a pass on from our parents and the climate at the time. As a 11 year old kid or whatever, I went to school and wanted to be Andy Cole, my hero, I’d like to think even subconsciously, him being our number 9 for Newcastle United has helped shape mine and others’ mindsets when it comes to race and made me now today not say see a black person, or an Asian person or a white person, but a human being. 
 

I fucking cried when we sold Cole and although KK is my hero today, I hated him that day…

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by HTT II

[Boo Boy]

Pardew gets alot of stick and right so but he did somehow give us a european tour with some fantastic away days.

[Guest HTT II]

6 minutes ago, OCK said:

 

Walking back to school from the sweet shop (now hairdressers) in Forest Hall at dinner time with a pot noodle. Everyone running to each other to tell the news that Keegan had quit. It was like a state in mourning. First time I had experienced a manager leaving. 

Cole being sold was like a death in

the family, KK leaving was like the end of the world.

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by HTT II

[manorpark]

 

Quote

Posted by gbandit

 

Happy to have NWOAT shoved down my throat but I thought it would be useful to talk about people's feelings of distinct eras as a supporter of NUFC. I'm sure we're broadly in consensus over a lot of things but I'd love to hear others' memories of highs and lows or what they see as distinct eras of hope or despair. I think of an era as NUFC either being in the ascendancy or, as more has been the case during my lifetime, NUFC crashing and burning. I was thinking about myself and how I've had periods in my life where my support has been obsessive and times where I've tuned out and wondered what it's been like for others as well.

 

Keegan Era (92-97) +++

Highs: This was the period in my life where football was the most fun, we would smash teams to pieces week-in, week-out and genuinely challenge for the title. I was just a kid and life was obviously simpler then because of that but I just look back at it as a time when football was less complicated too. 

Lows: There are several lows from this time, the ones we talk most about are Cole leaving, us losing our healthy lead to Man U in the 95-96 season, as well as Keegan leaving. I think for a lot of us on this board, this was the most heartbreaking time for us. I still go back and watch footage from this time on Youtube when I'm nostalgic. This was the era where football truly became a commercial juggernaut and heralded the beginning of the sprawling mess that it is now.

 

Dalglish and Gullit Era (97-99) --

Highs: FA cup Final appearances, Barcelona win in the CL.

Lows: FA cup final losses. The team being ripped apart and signings coming in and failing miserably, e.g. John Dahl Tomasson and Andreas Andersson. There were a lot of expectations at this time and because they were so high, it was pretty horrible how much we'd fallen since Keegan's time at the helm.

 

Bobby's Era (99-04) +++

Highs: That 8-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday and feeling like we could be a team again. Everything felt different immediately. Having Bobby at the helm helped me feel proud of supporting NUFC again, we played quality football, could attract good players again, qualifying for Champions League Group Stage, UEFA Cup Semi-Final.

Lows: Bobby leaving, our team fading towards the end of the era and the feeling that Shearer's time as a world-class striker coming to an end.

 

Pre-Ashley Era (04-07) --

Highs: At the time it felt like a high when the club got sold, even though it turned out that we would go on to have 14 years of hell. A good second-half of a season under nice-guy Roeder.

Lows: Crashing out of the Europa League against AZ Alkmaar. Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer getting sent off together, Souness being a sour cunt, not having any sense of identity as a club, signing over-priced players and has-beens like Owen. The club started to rot during this time.

 

Pre-Keegan Ashley (07-08) ---

Lows: Awful football, awful manager in Allardyce. I couldn't believe how bad we were. My memory isn't great of this time as I was abroad in France for a lot of this time. 

 

Keegan Era under Ashley (08-08) ---

Highs: Keegan returning was one of the best periods of my life as a fan. I was living abroad in France in a small town where I only knew a handful of people. I was missing home a lot and Keegan returning gave me something to obsess over. Keegan turning us around and the hope that we would become a team on the up again. I was sure that we'd be a top 10 club again in the 08-09 season and looking back on it, this is something I'm now most angry about that Keegan came back under Ashley. If it had been someone else with ambition I don't necessarily think we'd have won something but it would have been an exciting time and I' sure we'd have become a top six club.

Lows: Keegan leaving and the fall out from this was devastating. Seeing my hero crushed was awful but also realising that the dream of this new owner coming in and making us a decent club again was gone. That Hull game... Joe Kinnear...

 

Relegation (08-09) ---

Lows: A season of limitless lows, possibly the worst time as a fan for me ever. Kinnear sullying the club, the hope that Shearer would come in and change things, and yet we were awful under him. That game against Villa at the end of the season. It was the end of my final year at Uni and everyone was celebrating apart from me. Ashley lying about putting the club up for sale. The failed protests and fans just capitulating. Players like Alan Smith and Michael Owen playing for the club. 

 

Hughton Era (09-10)+

Highs: Seeing Carroll come through, seeing his name as a goalscorer week by week made me feel excited about the club. I didn't mind that we were in the championship, even though they weren't the best players, I really liked a lot of these lads; Enrique, Gutierrez, Coloccini, Carroll, Lovenkrands, signing Tiote. Promotion without any major stress. Signing Ben Arfa. I loved Hughton as a person and the players clearly liked him too.

Lows: Hughton going, felt completely betrayed and made me hate Ashley even more than I thought was possible. Ben Arfa's leg break.

 

Pardew Era (10-14)---

Highs: Finishing fifth, Ba and Cisse scoring some absurd goals, Ben Arfa generally, but specifically his goals against Blackburn and Bolton. Loic Remy. Pardew fucking off, I never thought he'd go.

Lows: Despised the man, despised the football we played. Horrible transfer windows became the norm. Pardew freezing out my favourite players or not using them effectively. Pardew seriously damaged my connection to the club, felt like we had a politician running the club, Gavin Williamson essentially.

 

Pre-Benitez Era (14-16)---

Highs: None

Lows: Carver and his vile lips. Fans just turning on themselves and disconnecting from the club. I don't think this was the lowest time to be a fan, just a time where apathy became the norm.

 

Benitez Era (16-19)++

Highs: Loved the man, felt pride in NUFC again, felt we had an identity on the pitch for the first time since Bobby essentially, even if it was too defensive for my tastes. He was the first manager since Keegan who really pushed against Ashley and as fans we had someone to rally round. You could connect with the club again through Rafa.

Lows: Relegation, Benitez not being backed in transfer window after window and eventually him leaving. Knowing that our club was truly finished until Ashley sold up.

 

Bruce Era (19-21)---

Lows: Awful time where I disconnected from the club completely and stopped watching our games. I didn't even read match reports, watch MoTD, and would just check the score. Bruce. Total loss of footballing identity and possibly the least ambitious time for us in my whole time supporting the club.

 

PIF Era (21-now)+

Highs: Fuck off Ashley, fuck off Bruce. Eddie Howe coming in, the January transfer window, genuine hope for the club's future. Insane riches and resources, promises made about what our training facilities would become, the quality of players we'd be looking for over the next few years. The knowledge that we're going to attempt to become a club challenging for the top 4.

Lows: Ashley being replaced by Saudi Arabia.

 

Anyone have any significant highs or lows that aren't mentioned above?Posted by gbandit

 

I will use the same 'format' as the Opening Post by gbandit . . . 

 

European Fairs Cup Era (68-71)

Highs: Winning the European Fairs Cup in our first season playing in Europe in 1969. The tournament was called the "Inter Cities Fairs Cup" that first season, but changed its name during that year and when we were defending the trophy the following season it was as the "European Fairs Cup". These were great years of great European nights, with 60,000+ at St James' Park and the all-match-long noise levels being something that has never been matched at SJP since, though we have got close! It was great fun to have WON a huge trophy, remember the Fairs Cup was so much stronger a tournament then than it became as the UEFA Cup and as (the current) Europa league, because at that time only one team from each country played in the European Cup ('Champions League') so most of the best teams in Europe were in the Fairs Cup.

Lows: There was the growth of the 'lack of ambition of the Board' feelings, as we did not really kick on from winning the Fairs Cup. Our best goalscorer, Bryan 'pop' Robson forced his way out of the club specifically for that reason. The main European Low was almost (strangely) a "high" when we were magnificently defending our Fairs Cup Trophy in Season 1969/1970 and reached the Quarter Final and played RSC Anderlecht, a great side. The night of 18th March 1970 was a great night, the noise that night was possibly louder even than previous Fairs Cup matches, it was incredible. It was the 2nd leg of the Quarter Final and we had lost the away leg 0-2, but fought back to be winning the 2nd leg 3-0. We were going through to the semis (as we deserved to) when a bloke called Nordhal slammed one in from distance with his left foot, and we went out on the 'away goals' rule. Nordhal afterwards said that he couldn't believe what he had done, as he 'only used his left to stand on' !! it was a great night though, so you see what I mean when I said this 'low' was also a 'high', and a signal that (at that time) we were going places as a Big European Club.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by manorpark

[Guest HTT II]

1 minute ago, Boo Boy said:

Pardew gets alot of stick and right so but he did somehow give us a european tour with some fantastic away days.

Sadly I could never enjoy them thanks to Ashley nor Rafa even. I’m so grateful for a certain @LFEEon here for arranging tickets for me so I could say thanks and bye to Rafa away to Fulham though, spent in the splendid company of a certain other forum legend in @Stifler too!

[huss9]

LOWS - the home defeat against Partizan and away to Blackburn in 96. 

 

[kingxlnc]

For me, although I wasn't from the area (I'm from Nottingham), I 'chose' Newcastle as a kid (age 11) initially because of Andy Cole (who was a classmate of my cousin), and then being excited when Shearer joined (as he was my favourite UK-based player), then remember defending them at school in the Dalglish and Gullit years surrounded by Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool fans. But I have more clearer memories of the SBR era, when I was at uni. The highs were a good exciting fast young team, having trust in a classy, revered and wise manager and having a lot of great goals from Robert, Solano, Speed and of course Shearer. I was also very excited at Kluivert coming in. 

The FA Cup semi final where Rob Lee scored was a particular low as I was convinced we would have beaten Villa in the final, as opposed to us having the double winners and treble winners in the previous two years. Ditto Partizan. The Bowyer summer, too. But at the time, I felt our status as a top club was clear and after Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and the new kids on the block, Chelsea, we were easily the best of the rest in terms of PL stature. I never thought NUFC would become an also-ran diminished yo-yo club like a West Brom or Sunderland at that point. Even when Souness or Allardyce came in, I still thought we're considered a big club and the types of signings being made (or linked with) reflected that (e.g. Emre, Owen, Luque, Martins, Duff etc). 

 

But it's amazing what neglect can do. 

 

I really enjoyed the 5th season, mostly because the players were really good to watch, Ba, Cisse and especially Ben Arfa. But even the likes of Santon, Cabaye, Tiote, Coloccini, Jonas - it was a cool squad and was a fun season. It was the first season after a while where I had hope, because we had just been promoted, done okay, the team was being built cleverly with Graham Carr's expertise and even who we were being linked with (Aubameyang, etc) were all top prospects. So that hope carried on for a season or two after. Carver was the beginning of the end, where I began to think there was some sort of self sabotage going on. 

 

[gjohnson]

Highs were basically 93-97, and 01-03 going in to ever match expecting to win, even the 5th season was a bit of a high 'cos the expectation of winning was building.

Even Ashley coming in originally was a bit of a high at the time since only there weren't many billionaire owners about at the time. Pity it became one of the worst lows ever as it seemed we found the only billionaire in the world that didn't have any money.

 

However the worst low i ever felt was in the season where Derby set the lowest points record and it looked for all intents we were going to gift them another win, only to salvage a draw at the death. It felt so miserable at the time

[Guest]

The lowest lows for me was Ashley's treatment of Gutierrez and the systematic gutting of THIS GROUP OF LADs because they became too popular and influential. 

[kingxlnc]

25 minutes ago, gjohnson said:

Even Ashley coming in originally was a bit of a high at the time since only there weren't many billionaire owners about at the time. Pity it became one of the worst lows ever as it seemed we found the only billionaire in the world that didn't have any money.

 

The way Ashley acted was literally like a lottery winner would do with his wealth. Scarcity mindset, trying his best to conserve and consolidate. He's the kind who got lucky with the IPO of Sports Direct, got more money than he knows what to do with and now has an overinflated sense of his own ability. Whereas he was just in the right place, right time. 

 

Most entrepreneurs who make it big, to that kind of stature, if they lost everything, they'd be able to make it back because they have that kind of nous they've learned, in terms of how to get there. Ashley was a fraud, to be honest and him being a billionaire really does seem like a fluke, as I can't really see any sense the man had, about any of his decisions (not just NUFC ones but his strategy of purchasing failing retailers) - who has he actually revived?

[Kid Icarus]

Can't think of one specific high, but the low will probably still be Blackburn away 95/96 for quite a while yet.

[gjohnson]

22 hours ago, kingxlnc said:

The way Ashley acted was literally like a lottery winner would do with his wealth. Scarcity mindset, trying his best to conserve and consolidate. He's the kind who got lucky with the IPO of Sports Direct, got more money than he knows what to do with and now has an overinflated sense of his own ability. Whereas he was just in the right place, right time. 

 

Most entrepreneurs who make it big, to that kind of stature, if they lost everything, they'd be able to make it back because they have that kind of nous they've learned, in terms of how to get there. Ashley was a fraud, to be honest and him being a billionaire really does seem like a fluke, as I can't really see any sense the man had, about any of his decisions (not just NUFC ones but his strategy of purchasing failing retailers) - who has he actually revived?

Can see your point...good example is Donald Trump...been bankrupt several times, but still a multi-millionaire despite being potentially one of the most hated characters in the world. 

 

Ashleys not really revived anyone, he got lucky with the SD IPO, and has spent the rest of his time buying failing/failed businesses. None which have really recovered, but he's got the land/floor space which adds to the portfolio. Know he bought out GAME which i saw merged with some other shop recently.

 

 

Ashleys a shark picking off the weak and damaged with his wallpaper. However his mindset is totally based on footfall through his cheap tacky shops....their days are numbered, so his model is now out of date and will inevitably crumble around him in the next few years and he'll look like a southern Gerorge Reynolds