Hall breaks his silence

[Jimbo 133]

Former chairman Hall this week finally cut his financial ties with the Magpies in a deal that had netted his family £55million.

 

Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct International with an estimated worth of £1.9billion, is pushing ahead with his plans to gain a controlling interest, with the ultimate aim of clinching a complete £133.1million buyout of chairman Freddy Shepherd and the remaining shareholders.

 

Hall, who revealed he had rebuffed a number of rival bids, insists he would not have sold his stake had he not believed Ashley to be the right man to take the club forward.

 

"We've a had a few people come to us - quite a few - but many of them weren't the right ones for the club," Hall told BBC Radio Newcastle.

 

"I feel basically Mike Ashley and his team - they're the right ones.

 

"He'll take us to, in my view, a new dimension.

 

"I'm certain he'll be good for the club or I wouldn't have sold to him."

 

Ashley is regarded as a somewhat reclusive figure but Hall is certain he has the passion for football to win over the Newcastle supporters.

 

"Even if he is quiet, he knows the passion of the fans, he knows how much it means on Tyneside," Hall said.

 

"I've talked to him enough to be assured they've got the passion for the club as we all have.

 

"You can't run a club without being attached to it. You can't run a club without feeling for it because it is about people, it's about the passion of the people.

 

"He knows the supporters are passionate."

 

Hall revealed takeover talks had been ongoing for some months, adding: "He's very much like me in a way.

 

"He's a self-made man, a very, very hard worker, a nice chap. He knows sport.

 

"He's 42 now and look what he's done. He's got this global business and global interest in sport."

 

As for Ashley acquiring the remainder of the shares, Hall said: "They've got to go for the rest of the shares. If they get them, I'm sure they'll invest.

 

"He wants to buy the club.

 

"He's made a takeover bid for the rest of the shares and it's now up to the rest of the directors to decide what to do.

 

"Someone like him will probably like control to make the investment."

 

Hall will remain involved at St James' Park as life president but admitted the time was right for him to step aside.

 

He said: "I think I've done the best thing but one can never tell. I'm 74 now and for some time I've felt the family need to take a new direction.

 

"It's been known we've wanted to sell our shares and move on to other things.

 

"We probably ran out of ideas a bit. You've got to make changes every now and again.

 

"There's no room for old men. I've got a lot of experience but it's a young man's game."

[TheMoog 0]

Yeah, you hear that Fred? It's a young man's game, get out of Dodge you fat pecker!

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Only one 'basically' in there, he's slipping.