Mike Ashley weighing up St James’s return

[Deano 0]

From The Mirror

 

 

Mike Ashley is ready to run a gauntlet of hate - by returning to St James' Park.

 

Toon's want-out owner has thrown the drawn-out sale saga into fresh turmoil by insisting the consortium fronted by Geordie businessman Barry Moat is NOT in pole position to push through a rescue package.

 

Sport Direct mogul Ashley is weighing up whether to take his place in the directors' box for the Championship clash with Reading.

 

Despite thousands of unhappy fans turning their back on the club, around 35,000 are expected to turn up on Saturday.

 

Ashley - who was on holiday for the season-opening draw at West Brom - knows he will be a target for abuse if he attends his first home game since the end of last season

 

Most supporters blame the unpopular multi-millionaire's botched sale bid for the club's damaging summer paralysis, and will not be slow to let him know their feelings if he risks turning up.

 

Newcastle United Supporters Club spokesman Steve Hastie promised Ashley a hostile welcome, and he said: "Let him see for himself how angry the fans are.

 

"He must be feeling very bullish because in the past, he's always done a runner at times like this. Most fans will be delighted if he's in the directors box so they can hammer home exactly what they think about the whole sorry saga.

 

"He doesn't have to worry about his safety or that of his family. Newcastle fans just want an opportunity to get across to him what we think of the way he's running the club and urge him to sell."

 

Lifelong Toon fan Moat heads a consortium bidding to end Ashley's nightmare two-year reign, but a spokesman for the under-fire owner revealed: "The process is on-going. Barry Moat is not in the driving seat, there are still others out there."

 

Moat's group will install fans' favourite Alan Shearer as boss if they can push through an £80m takeover.

 

Ashley is ready to put former Aston Villa manager David O'Leary in interim charge if he finally loses patience with the sale process and takes the club off the market to concentrate on the bid to bounce straight back into the Premier League.

Yawn

[Kitman 2188]

You'd hope this is just brinkmanship and bluff tactics to force a sale through. Unfortunately the indications are that the club will be off the market around the time the transfer window shuts. It's hard not be to be cynical about all of this. He can certainly expect a hot reception if he dares to show his fat face and I hope the bar staff piss in his beer for good measure.

[Christmas Tree 4005]

You'd hope this is just brinkmanship and bluff tactics to force a sale through. Unfortunately the indications are that the club will be off the market around the time the transfer window shuts. It's hard not be to be cynical about all of this. He can certainly expect a hot reception if he dares to show his fat face and I hope the bar staff piss in his beer for good measure.

 

This