The compendium - Now in Blog Format

[Happy Face 29]

"I'd like to start with people in the North East because there are some great people who come to our matches who sit in the corporate areas, and wouldn’t it be great to have local backing for what we are doing? Some of them would talk to me last season and say, "Mike, is there an opportunity for us to come into the club again because we were shareholders in the plc previously?" I'd tell them we'd look at it at the end of the season as there was no rush but why wouldn't I welcome people who wanted to invest?"

Mike Ashley 08/08/2008

 

I am Mike Ashley, not Mike Ashley a multi-billionaire with unlimited resources. Newcastle United and I can't do what other clubs can. We can't afford it.

Mike Ashley 14/09/2008

Edited February 9, 2009 by Happy Face

[thenorthumbrian 0]

"The caliber of player we want to bring in is someone with a lot of Premiership experience or Champions League experience and they are in short supply. We are at a stage where we don't want to just bring players in to add to the squad, we want players who are going to be in the first team."

Chris Mort 02/08/2007

 

"NEWCASTLE United have completed the signing of midfielder Danny Guthrie from Liverpool. The 21-year-old put pen to paper on a four-year contract at St. James' Park on Friday evening after the Magpies agreed a fee with the Reds."

NUFC 11/07/2008

 

"NEWCASTLE United have agreed a fee with FC Metz for France under-21 defender Sebastien Bassong."

NUFC 30/07/2008

 

"NEWCASTLE United have completed the signing of Spain under-21 striker Francisco "Xisco" Jimenez Tejada."

NUFC 01/09/2008

 

"The truth is that Newcastle could not sustain buying the Shevchenko's, Robinho's or the Berbatov's. These are recognised European footballers. They have played in the European leagues and everyone knows about them. They can be brilliant signings. But everybody knows that they are brilliant and so they, and players like them, cost more than £30 million to buy before you even take into account agent commissions and the multi-million pound wage deals. My plan and my strategy for Newcastle is different. It has to be. It takes time. It can't be done overnight. Newcastle has therefore set up an extensive scouting system. We look for young players, for players in foreign leagues who everyone does not know about. We try and stay ahead of the competition. We search high and low looking for value, for potential that we can bring on and for players who will allow Newcastle to compete at the very highest level but who don't cost the earth."

Mike Ashley 14/09/2008

 

"The team is going to need time to get things right and we're going to give them time to get it right. We will get it right eventually."

Chris Mort 07/12/2007

 

"Newcastle United has parted company with Sam Allardyce as its Manager with immediate effect."

NUFC 09/01/2008

 

"I'd like to start with people in the North East because there are some great people who come to our matches who sit in the corporate areas, and wouldn’t it be great to have local backing for what we are doing? Some of them would talk to me last season and say, "Mike, is there an opportunity for us to come into the club again because we were shareholders in the plc previously?" I'd tell them we'd look at it at the end of the season as there was no rush but why wouldn't I welcome people who wanted to invest?"

Mike Ashley 08/08/2008

 

I am Mike Ashley, not Mike Ashley a multi-billionaire with unlimited resources. Newcastle United and I can't do what other clubs can. We can't afford it.

Mike Ashley 14/09/2008

 

"I am now a dad who can't take his kids to a football game on a Saturday because I am advised that we would be assaulted"

Mike Ashley 14/09/2008

 

"A number of groups came to the ground to carry out their lawful protest and I would like to praise those fans for the way in which they behaved."

Ch Supt Paul Weir, Northumbria Police's match commander 14/09/2008

 

"We gave no formal advice to Mr Ashley about not attending Saturday's game. It is not our place to do so."

Northumbria Police 16/09/2008

 

"This club had £100million-worth of debt which has now been cleared"

Chris Mort 07/05/2008

 

"I then poured another £110 million into the club not to pay off the debt but just to reduce it. The club is still in debt. Even worse than that, the club still owes millions of pounds in transfer fees."

Mike Ashley 14/09/2008

 

"Financially we're very sound. We don't owe a bean as far as the club are concerned"

Joe Kinnear 02/01/2009

 

"Arsenal is the shining example in England of a sustainable business model."

Mike Ashley 14/09/2008

 

"If I go into a job and someone says to me that you have a director of football who buys and sells the players, I accept or don't accept it. If I accept it, I cannot complain. I would personally not accept that"

Arsene Wenger 12/09/2008

 

"I'm here to help Kevin, bringing young players through and also recommend certain players to him. He'll say yes and no, he has the final word, no-one else. Everything that happens will be run past him. I'm not going to bring players in behind his back - I'm not into that."

Dennis Wise 01/02/2008

 

"We have started talking about who we will be bringing in and Kevin will have the final say"

Chris Mort 07/05/2008

 

"It is a fact that Kevin Keegan, as manager, had specific duties in that he was responsible for the training, coaching, selection and motivation of the Team. It is a fact that Kevin Keegan was allowed to manage his specific duties without any interference from any Board member. It is a fact that Kevin Keegan agreed only to deal with the media in relation to Club matters relating to the Team and not to communicate with the media in relation to the acquisition or disposal of players."

NUFC 06/09/2008

 

“I understand investors are about to buy the club, Mike Ashley told me openly. I will be here for six to eight games. I am aware that the new owners have Kevin Keegan and possibly Alan Shearer parked around the corner.”

Joe Kinnear 25/09/2008

 

"NEWCASTLE United have announced today that Joe Kinnear has signed a contract as manager until the end of the 2008/09 season."

NUFC 28/11/2008

 

"I am no longer prepared to subsidise Newcastle United. I am putting the club up for sale. You don't need to demonstrate against me again because I have got the message."

Mike Ashley 14/09/2008

 

"I have withdrawn Newcastle United from the market"

Mike Ashley 28/12/2008

 

"I gave you my word that as long as I remain owner, this club would continue to be run responsibly at all levels. I hope you will accept that I have stood by that pledge."

Mike Ashley 28/12/2008

 

Quote released when Newcastle where 2 points off the relegation places, halfway through the season

 

“Joe’s the man to do the job. He’s my hero. Is he better than Capello? Definitely. We are going to be in Europe by the end of the season!”

Mike Ashley 18/12/2008

 

Outcome pending

 

"He [Given] won't be leaving, he has no interest in that whatsoever. He loves the football club, he's part of the city and that suits us because he's a world-class goalkeeper. He's very happy here, he's very comfortable at Newcastle United."

Joe Kinnear 31/12/2008

 

"Shay is very despondent, all that he can see ahead with the turmoil on and off the pitch is a battle for survival. Having served the club loyally for over 11 years, Shay feels compelled to consider his position"

Michael Kennedy 01/01/2009

 

"I have enquired about Ferguson, but we will wait and see what the outcome is."

Joe Kinnear 03/01/2009

 

"As far as my chairman, my chief executive and myself are concerned, there's been no contact with Newcastle or any other club regarding Barry."

Walter Smith 05/01/2009

 

"I have withdrawn Newcastle United from the market. Any potential buyer would have to show they had the best interests of Newcastle United at heart and had both the commitment and finance to be worthy custodians of such a fine football club before I would even consider doing a deal."

Mike Ashley 28/12/2008

 

“A few weeks ago there was a decent degree of positive thought and optimism that there would be a buyer and then, amongst others, Mr Madoff came along. There were two people that were looking at Newcastle with us who lost, let’s say, over $300m to Madoff. Let’s face it, it (the Madoff scandal) holed everything beneath the water line. The people who were investing with him followed their peers and they should have done their due diligence and all those things and they didn’t. That came at the end of a two or three-month period of absolute decline in all the stock markets, financial markets and banking markets.”

Keith Harris 09/01/2009

 

"I've spoken to my bosses at the club. They know what my aims are and what I want to continue to progress. As soon as a big club knocks on the door with a good offer, I don't think they'll prevent me leaving."

Charles N'Zogbia 08/01/2009

 

"The agent’s being disrespectful. He’s never had the decency to explain anything to any member of this football club. It’s laughable, to be honest. It’s absolute nonsense. Charles is under contract until 2012, and I told him on day one that he was a very important player."

Joe Kinnear 09/01/2009

 

“Over the course of the year I’ve spoken to lots of fans about how we can improve things at St James’ Park"

Chris Mort 22/05/2009

 

"The SJP Box Office telephone number has now been changed with immediate effect to: 0844 372 1892."

NUFC.com 20/01/2009

 

"01/02 phone numbers are used for everyday local and national calls and can be included in any free or discounted minutes on your tariff. If you don’t have inclusive minutes for these, you’ll typically pay around 4p per minute (ppm) peak and around 1.5ppm off-peak from landlines.

 

0844 is a revenue-sharing number that is not included in 'free' or discounted minutes. Calls to 0844 phone numbers cost up to 5p a minute from landlines at all times of day, and typically between 15p (if you're a 3 mobile customer) and 40p per minute from mobiles. Depending on your network, call charges may be higher on pay as you go than on a contract."

Which.co.uk

 

“I have been out of the country and just returned. I don’t know anything about this. If I have been appointed as coach of Newcastle United then that is certainly news to me.”

Colin Calderwood 20/01/2009

 

"We have Colin Calderwood on board now, he will be joining us until the end of the season to bring something else to our backroom team."

Joe Kinnear 26/01/2009

 

"I am the first to accept there have been times this season when you would have liked to have heard more from me direct, particularly at certain points. There have been reasons why I have not have been able to do that, but in the new year we will look to communicate with you more about what we are doing at St.James' Park, be it through the club's official website, programme and magazine as well as the wider media."

Mike Ashley 28/12/2008

 

“Mike is going to speak to the Press when the window shuts."

Joe Kinnear 15/01/2009

 

"I think they will sit down with supporters' groups and fans and the people of Newcastle at the end of the season - I know they want to do that."

Joe Kinnear 05/02/2009

 

"I'm physically AOK"

Joe Kinnear 22/11/2008

 

“Joe Kinnear was admitted to hospital on Saturday morning."

NUFC 07/02/2009

 

The amount od shite coming from this lot is amazing, thanks for putting thoses quotes together.

To be a good liar you need a good memory Ashley, Llambias and the evil cocernee dwarf obviously don't have good memories.

[Craig 6308]

No mention of the gospels?

[Park Life 70]

Nearly every single utterance seems to be a tissue of lies.

[JUICE690 0]

This should be sent to the press in some form, can't believe the bullshit we are being forced to listen to.

[Kitman 2188]

This should be sent to the press in some form, can't believe the bullshit we are being forced to listen to.

 

"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."

 

Adolph Hitler

[thenorthumbrian 0]

This should be sent to the press in some form, can't believe the bullshit we are being forced to listen to.

 

Some Toon fans do seem to be believing the crap we are being fed though.

Thats the worrying thing.

[Guest alex]

Out of towners I bet.

[Happy Face 29]

"We did the typical due diligence one would do on a public takeover. There is no sense that anyone has tried to mislead us"

Chris Mort 10/08/2007

 

“We first heard about the potential sale on a Saturday and had done the deal by the Wednesday, so if you are asking if we did due diligence before buying then the answer has to be no."

Mike Ashley 12/08/2008

[Big Onion 0]

I considered putting that Mort quote in your lies thread earlier, as I recalled the gist of what Ashley had said about it. Couldn't find a link for it though.

 

Didn't realise they were so close together mind.

 

Well, close but for the full year I mongtastically overlooked before this edit

Edited February 13, 2009 by Big Onion

[trophyshy 6434]

Out of towners I bet.

 

[trophyshy 6434]

Out of towners I bet.

 

[Happy Face 29]

At someones suggestion (you know who you are) I'm whacking each of these into a blog (well a website was suggested but I ain't that clever). Here's the address

 

http://nufc-ashlies.blogspot.com/

 

I'm trying to add a bit of background to each one so they'll only go up one at a time when I have a minute.

 

Please pass it on or make comments.

 

Cheers

[Happy Face 29]

At someones suggestion (you know who you are) I'm whacking each of these into a blog (well a website was suggested but I ain't that clever). Here's the address

 

http://nufc-ashlies.blogspot.com/

 

I'm trying to add a bit of background to each one so they'll only go up one at a time when I have a minute.

 

Please pass it on or make comments.

 

Cheers

 

 

Please pick holes in it too. I'd hate it to be total shite and will fix anything pointed out.

[Park Life 70]

At someones suggestion (you know who you are) I'm whacking each of these into a blog (well a website was suggested but I ain't that clever). Here's the address

 

http://nufc-ashlies.blogspot.com/

 

I'm trying to add a bit of background to each one so they'll only go up one at a time when I have a minute.

 

Please pass it on or make comments.

 

Cheers

 

 

Done.

[Happy Face 29]

Who's buying?

 

Transfer control is a contentious issue at the club and has been for much of the past year. Fan fears that Dennis Wise would be interfering with Kevin Keegan’s vision when he was appointed Director of Football back in January 2008 were quickly allayed by the man himself.

 

"I'm here to help Kevin, bringing young players through and also recommend certain players to him, he'll say yes and no, he has the final word, no-one else. Everything that happens will be run past him. I'm not going to bring players in behind his back - I'm not into that. A lot of people have got mixed up with the reason why I am here. I'm not here to be involved in the first team, I'm not here to manage. I have to concentrate more on the academy, we need some young blood coming through of our own. We need to look abroad for players and that's my intention over the next few years."

 

Then in May, just before the transfer window opened Chris Mort reiterated who was in charge

 

"We have started talking about who we will be bringing in and Kevin will have the final say"

 

But less than a week after the close of a transfer window that had seen a net profit of £2Million for our owner, the word “transfers” was conspicuous by it’s absence in a list of the managers responsibilities included on one of several statements released following KK’s departure.

 

"It is a fact that Kevin Keegan, as manager, had specific duties in that he was responsible for the training, coaching, selection and motivation of the team. It is a fact that Kevin Keegan was allowed to manage his specific duties without any interference from any Board member. It is a fact that Kevin Keegan agreed only to deal with the media in relation to Club matters relating to the Team and not to communicate with the media in relation to the acquisition or disposal of players."

 

That’s not enough to condemn them though. The NUFC stance is that Keegan couldn’t talk to the media about acquisition or disposal, but who’s to say that behind closed doors, his isn’t still the most important voice? Well, Mike Ashley is

 

I am prepared to back large signings for millions of pounds but for a player who is young and has their career in front of them and not for established players at the other end of their careers. There is no other workable way forward for Newcastle. It is in this regard that Dennis and his team have done a first class job in scouting for talent to secure the future of the club.

You only need to look at some of our signings to see that it is working, slowly working. Look at Jonas Guttierrez and Fabricio Collocini. These are world class players. The

plan is showing dividends with the signing of exceptional young talent such as Sebastien Bassong, Danny Guthrie and Xisco.

 

So despite earlier claims from Dennis Wise himself that he wouldn’t even be involved with the first team and that he was there to concentrate on the academy, now the owner had come out and admitted that Wise was instrumental not only in signing but also scouting five of our new first team acquisitions, though why he’d want credit for Xisco is beyond me.

 

The strange thing is, now that Joe Kinnear is in charge, his remit seems to be more wide ranging than the club are willing to admit Keegan's was. Kinnear has discussed several acquisitions and disposals at great length in the media. Notably, Joe was hoping for funds to buy Ebondo and Mbia on January 14th.

 

“We do need funds. It won’t be a massive amount, but I’m still hopeful Mike will release them.”

 

At the time it was alarming that Ashley hadn’t released any funds yet, when we were already two weeks into the transfer window. Later it became plain confusing as Managing Director Llambias peddled the notion that the club were actually on the transfer trail long before the window had opened two weeks earlier.

 

“We started working on day one, from way before the window opened. We did try for another midfielder – Kieran Richardson – and we tried for Ebondo at Toulouse.”

 

Get your stories straight chaps, how are we to believe the multitude of claims around bids being put in for other players (Onuoha, Richardson, Johnson, Elano and Mbia) with such diverging flights of fancy behind your claimed interest in Ebondo.

[Big Onion 0]

Shifting sands.

 

I'd also observe that the club has never countered Keegan's stated reason for leaving: namely, that players were 'imposed' on him. What is not said is often as revealing as what is. I have no doubt at all that Xisco and Gonzales were signed against Keegan's wishes, nor that the club attempted to sell Barton (and possibly Owen) over the manager's head - and all on the last day of the window. No manager with an ounce of self-respect could possibly have tolerated that.

 

This all clearly contradicts what Wise and Ashley had earlier said about Wise's role, and also undermines Mort's assurances that Keegan had 'final say'.

 

No wonder they're settling.

[Park Life 70]

Shifting sands.

 

I'd also observe that the club has never countered Keegan's stated reason for leaving: namely, that players were 'imposed' on him. What is not said is often as revealing as what is. I have no doubt at all that Xisco and Gonzales were signed against Keegan's wishes, nor that the club attempted to sell Barton (and possibly Owen) over the manager's head - and all on the last day of the window. No manager with an ounce of self-respect could possibly have tolerated that.

 

This all clearly contradicts what Wise and Ashley had earlier said about Wise's role, and also undermines Mort's assurances that Keegan had 'final say'.

 

No wonder they're settling.

 

Well Barton told us they were trying to sell him iirc.

[Big Onion 0]

Aye he was shown live on SSN arriving at the ground having been called in to discuss the transfer, then texted Jim White (also live on SSN) a couple of hours later saying he felt he owed it to the fans and Keegan to stay. This was at tea-time on the last day of the window I think.

[Kitman 2188]

Aye he was shown live on SSN arriving at the ground having been called in to discuss the transfer, then texted Jim White (also live on SSN) a couple of hours later saying he felt he owed it to the fans and Keegan to stay. This was at tea-time on the last day of the window I think.

 

After he'd worked out no club would offer him the same wages as the toon, such is his loyalty to the club.

[Big Onion 0]

That's possible, and I'm not a member of the Joey Barton fanclub. I have a hunch he'll be off in the summer.

 

Regardless, the point is they tried to offload an important player over Keegan's head just hours before the window closed (maybe the mysterious Gonzales was the replacement, who knows?). Madness.

[Happy Face 29]

“We’ve made a conscious effort to go out and meet people. That’s partly to promote the club, but also to hear what they have to say, making this a club that they feel a part of. I spend a lot of time walking around the city, just to get the place under my skin.”

 

The words of Chris Mort in November 2007. It was a refreshing thing at that time, to have a chairman meeting regularly with fan representatives, discussing where the club is and where he wants it to be. As a customer relations exercise it was perfect, and suggested those in charge knew how to keep us happy. Some might have thought it was going too far showing up down the Bigg Market to get a round in, but far better to be drinking with the chairman, than have him in Marbella calling wor lass a dog.

 

It wasn't to last. In June 2008 Mort stepped down as chairman and the replacement figurehead at the club was Derek Llambias as Managing Director. Before he bowed to pressure and gave an interview to the Chronicle and Journal recently, Llambias had only spoken publicly twice. He gave us some platitudes on the day he started - as an aside, they included this corker

 

"I firmly believe we have the right people with the right expertise, with Kevin Keegan back as manager and being fully supported by Mike Ashley and the directors, to take the Club forward again."

 

I don't know Llambias' definition of "fully supported", but it clearly differs from Keegan's.

 

The other time we heard from him was when rumours abounded that Mike Ashley wanted to sell the club, and he felt compelled to nip those stories in the bud.

 

“At a time when everyone at Newcastle United is working hard to prepare for the new season ahead, it is annoying that we have to continually correct inaccurate newspaper stories. Whoever is putting these stories around is clearly trying to destabilise the club and you wonder what their motives are for doing this. By putting a new management structure in place this year, by investing in new signings at first team and academy level, and by introducing cheaper tickets for our younger fans, the long-term commitment and vision for Newcastle United is there for all to see. Those actions speak louder than any words and I’m sure supporters see these stories for what they are - utter nonsense.”

 

Those stories may well have been utter nonsense, but as he says himself "actions speak louder than words", so let's look at each of those actions he's so proud of in retrospect:

• Put a new management structure in place - didn't last very long did it?
  
• Invest in new signings - since taking over, Mike Ashley is roughly £2M in profit on transfers.
  
• Cheaper tickets - credit where it's due, cheaper tickets are available , I wonder to myself if they would be if we could manage to sell out the stadium regularly, like we used to three years back though.
  

Speaking even louder though has been their inaction. Rather than taking any positive action, Mike Ashley chose the 5-1 defeat by Liverpool to say

 

"I am the first to accept there have been times this season when you would have liked to have heard more from me direct, particularly at certain points. There have been reasons why I have not have been able to do that, but in the new year we will look to communicate with you more about what we are doing at St.James' Park, be it through the club's official website, programme and magazine as well as the wider media.”

 

I thought January was the new year, but towards the end of the month as another Ashley promise failed to materialise, Joe Kinnear was rolled out to let us know it would be happening later rather than sooner

 

“Mike is going to speak to the Press when the window shuts."

 

This was strange. Rather than reassure us early on that they’d be taking whatever ACTION was necessary in the window to halt our slide and guarantee Premier League survival, they chose to wait until it was too late, with the promise they would use WORDS to explain to us what we could have found out by reading a newspaper…we sold more than we bought, making money on some of our best first team players, we got no cover at left or right back, and remained short of pace in midfield. Their actions spoke volumes.

 

Since telling us that he understands we want to hear from him “direct”, Mike Ashley still hasn’t said a word in public. But in mid-February, Llambias spoke for all those in the board room in a four part interview in which he apologised for mis-communication and promised things would be different.

 

“When Chris Mort was here he was very proactive with the Press. When I came on the board, Mike and I discussed it and we basically wanted to keep a lower profile. Then within no time at all KK happened. And then it just got worse and whatever we said got worse. So we decided to keep as low a profile as possible, get on with our business plan, move forward with what we were doing with our management team and to assist whatever manager was coming in as best as possible.”

 

As a fan who picks the bones out of every utterance coming from the club and highlights any inconsistency I can find, I still cannot accept the excuse he provided for the deafening silence. There were 3 months of virtual silence before “KK happened”. Upon arrival, without saying a word to explain why, Llambias decided (with Ashley) to put a stop to the communication that had proven effective. What work Mort had put into creating a bond between the club and supporters, they decided it wasn’t worth working on any further. They cannot blame either the KK saga or any misrepresentation of what short statements had been made (which were taken at face value at the time) for that decision, as much as they’d like to.

 

However, now we’ve got through the misrepresentations in what was said, I will agree that following Keegans departure, whatever was said only make it worse. Not because communication is bad per se as they seems to believe, but because the faceless statements released via the official website were cursory, semantics arguing, excuses at best. Rather than showing strong leadership in troubled times, stepping to the fore to take the flak and ride it through with positive steps to put their plan back on track, they hid behind carefully worded lawyer speak.

 

I admit that I look to use what they say against them, I have an agenda, but it was far more difficult to do that when Mort ran the show because he was very personable and he always came across as being frank both in presentation and content. There was little contradiction between what he said and did that I could see – the due diligence post is as close as I’ve come.

 

As much as there has been a clamour for Ashley and Llambias to talk to us, I’m afraid that once it happened, to steal a phrase, they failed to find the “correct tone”. Describing some of your most loyal customers as “a small group given more credence than they deserve" displays a shocking contempt for the people paying your wages.

 

As does underestimating the intelligence of every customer to such a degree that you believe you can sell over £30million of first team players in six months and then claim "We are not a selling club”.

 

Or offering Joe Kinnear a two and a half year contract (despite his management record being second only to Ossie Ardiles in terms of failure to win points) and then claiming he’ll have us on the road to “challenge for everything within five years”.

 

Actions or words? I know which I think speak louder, it would be a start if the club could just get what they say and do to match. I find myself wondering if it is propaganda or if they're actually delusional enough to believe that Kinnear can set us on the path to Champions league qualification. I'm not sure which would be worse either.

 

http://nufc-ashlies.blogspot.com/2009/02/c...-breakdown.html

 

Edited February 23, 2009 by Happy Face

[Fop 1]

This should be sent to the press in some form, can't believe the bullshit we are being forced to listen to.

 

"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."

 

Adolph Hitler

 

I knew he faked it.

[ewerk 26506]

Joe is still in the background. We are happy with that situation, and that will take us through until the end of the season.

 

I got a call on Saturday morning [March 28] from Derek

Edited April 3, 2009 by ewerk

[khay 8]

Joe is still in the background. We are happy with that situation, and that will take us through until the end of the season.

 

I got a call on Saturday morning [Feb 28] from Derek

 

 

Was it not March?