NEWCASTLE

[terrain]

NEWCASTLE NOW UP FOR SALE

[biffo1]

Mike Ashley has confirmed he wants to sell Newcastle just 16 months after staging a ?134.4million takeover.

Ashley and his executive director (football) Dennis Wise have borne the brunt of a furious backlash from supporters in the 10 days since manager Kevin Keegan walked out in protest over the club's transfer policy.

Thousands staged demonstrations outside St James' Park before and after Saturday's 2-1 Premier League defeat by Hull demanding that Ashley sell up and that Wise be removed from his post.

They could now get at least one of their wishes after the sportswear magnate revealed that he is ready to listen to offers.

In a lengthy statement, Ashley said: "I am not stupid and have listened to the fans.

"I have really loved taking my kids to the games, being next to them and all the fans.

"But 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.

"Therefore, I am no longer prepared to subsidise Newcastle United.

"I am putting the club up for sale. I hope that the fans get what they want and that the next owner is someone who can lavish the amount of money on the club that the fans want."

"That is what I am now trying to do, but it won't happen overnight and it may not happen at all if a buyer does not come in.

"You don't need to demonstrate against me again because I have got the message.

"Any further action will only have an adverse effect on the team. As fans of Newcastle United, you need to spend your energy getting behind, not me, but the players who need your support.

"I am determined that Newcastle United is not only here today, but that it is also there tomorrow for your children who stand beside you at St James' Park."

Ashley snapped up the Magpies after launching successful bids to buy out first the Hall family's holding in the club and then chairman Freddy Shepherd.

There was delight on Tyneside at the time as the fans settled back and waited for the cash to start flowing from a man with a personal fortune estimated at ?1.9billion.

They were celebrating again when, after sacking manager Sam Allardyce just eight months into his reign, Ashley pulled off a sensational coup by persuading Keegan to return.

However, it was only after gaining control of the club that the tycoon realised the full extent of its debts, and he has since invested a further ?110million to address both that situation and the recruitment of new signings.

His blueprint for lasting success was to run the club as a business, and that meant not over-extending it financially.

Ashley said: "I knew that the club would cost me money every year after I had bought it. I have backed the club with money.

"You can see that from the fact that Newcastle has the fifth highest wage bill in the Premier League.

"I was always prepared to bank roll Newcastle up to the tune of ?20million per year, but no more. That was my bargain.

"I would make the club solvent. I would make it a going concern. I would pour up to ?20million a year into the club and not expect anything back.

"It has to be realised that if I put ?100million into the club year in year out, then it would not be too long before I was cleaned out and a debt ridden Newcastle United would find itself in the position that faced Leeds United.

"That is the nightmare for every fan. To love a club that over-extends itself, that tries to spend what it can't afford.

"That will never happen to Newcastle when I am in charge. The truth is that Newcastle could not sustain buying the Shevchenkos, Robinhos or the Berbatovs.

"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 ?30million 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.

"Arsenal is the shining example in England of a sustainable business model. It takes time. It can't be done overnight."

It was to that end that Ashley appointed Wise, vice-president (player recruitment) Tony Jimenez and technical co-ordinator Jeff Vetere to scour the world for young, undiscovered talent.

They identified the likes of summer signings Fabricio Coloccini, Jonas Gutierrez and Xisco, but Keegan's fury at his lack of control over that recruitment mission, and the sale of James Milner and efforts to offload Michael Owen, Joey Barton and Alan Smith, ultimately led to his departure.

However, Ashley insisted he never had a problem with the 57-year-old, with whom he has held talks over a possible return this weekend.

There have been rumours since Ashley arrived on Tyneside that he would look to move the club on quickly, and several potential buyers have been circling for some time.

Indian businessman Anil Ambani has publicly ended his interest after failing to get a response from the club, although that may not be the end of the story, while Chinese billionaire Xu Rongmao has also been linked with a bid.

But Ashley is adamant that he will not sell to anyone he believes cannot give the fans what they want.

He said: "If I can't sell the club to someone who will give the fans what they want, then I shall continue to ensure that Newcastle is run on a business and football model that is sustainable.

"I care too much about the club merely to abandon it.

"I have the interests of Newcastle United at heart. I have listened to you. You want me out.

"That is what I am now trying to do, but it won't happen overnight and it may not happen at all if a buyer does not come in.

"You don't need to demonstrate against me again because I have got the message.

"Any further action will only have an adverse effect on the team. As fans of Newcastle United, you need to spend your energy getting behind, not me, but the players who need your support.

"I am determined that Newcastle United is not only here today, but that it is also there tomorrow for your children who stand beside you at St James' Park."

[Erazor786]

The Full statement can be read here ---> BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Newcastle | Mike Ashley statement (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7615655.stm)


I've got to say after reading that it gives u the idea of what Ashley was trying to achieve and i understand there are some segments of the statement written specifically to gain Sympathy etc from whoever is reading it but for most parts it seemed genuine.

[Raven]

There's two things I don't understand, the first thing is why Mike Ashley assumes that Newcastle cannot sustain signing the likes of Berbatov etc (when Tottenham did it back when Berba was at Leverkusen) and yet Newcastle have the likes of Owen and Martins on their books.....the other thing I don't get is why the Newcastle fans are so livid....in a way Mike Ashley is right in that if your club ends up going through what Leeds went through then you know you really have got problems! But yeah Newcastle have some top, top quality players at their club and in my opinion they should be higher up the table.

But on the flip side I am not at all surprised that Keegan walked because to have a manager in who is not in charge of first team transfers means he isn't really a manager it just means he wears the managers badge and takes the flak for any negative results and yet he is actually nothing more than a glorified first team coach and that's not on.

Mike Ashley trying to emulate what Arsenal have done at Newcastle is fair enough....but it takes one crucial thing, talent! Arsene Wenger has lots of talent and an eye to spot a bargain....Thierry Henry for ?3million bought him as a left winger from AS Monaco at the time tells its own little story....but he has done this type of thing over and over again across the years just look at the more recent example of Adebayor......Dennis Wise and co I hardly think are talented enough to emulate what Arsene Wenger does because if they were they would have been coveted by much bigger clubs much earlier.

I can understand the Newcastle fan's frustrations to some extent because it's like what is the point of having a billionaire owner if he won't put his hand in his pocket to invest sufficiently in the team ? After all money talks in football just look at Robinho signing for Man City (I still cannot believe that).

So yeah basically it either takes pure talent (Arsene Wenger at Arsenal) or boatloads of cash to make it in football especially in modern day football (Chelsea and Man City) - Man United got a lucky break with their "class of 94" or whatever with Beckham, Giggs, Scholes etc and that's not mentioning the fact that we gave Cantona to them lol and they were able to sustain their success. But pure business tactics (without so much talent) just will not cut it in the Premiership nowadays. Maybe so in the lower leagues but not at the highest level.

[.: JaCkPoT :.]

He sounds sympathetic or what! I never knew if knew all that about running a club especially after the trouble if has caused.

[shortyball]

I expect a dubai based company to be involved as certain companies have a great amount of competition with the likes of abu dhabi united group so football will be another stage to test to see who is the best state between them.

[krazylegz]

well i for one am pleased. hes brought all this on himself by sticking with wise and co who havent a clue about buying players, i mean comeon wise didnt exactly set the world alight with his management and buying skills during his time with swindon and leeds, and the chairman...lambidas or what ever you call him knows ~~~~ all about football or running a football club, hes just a money man.

the part of his statement about "i cant take my family to a football match on a saturday as we fear we'll be assaulted" is just a sympathy vote in my eyes, the fans might be angry at the way we're being ran but i honestly dont think he'll be assaulted plus you never see his family anyway.

i just hope he isnt too greedy and prices out potential buyers by demanding too much.

when you work out his spendings compaired with the players bought in he's only spent ?6 million and made our squad a lot smaller by selling and releasing more and not buying enough in.......?6 mill from a billionaire is just crap

[.: JaCkPoT :.]

did you go on protesting? lol that thing about his family and assault is a load of bollocks.