Put your money away Belgravia - we don’t need it!

[Scottish Mag 3]

Put your money away Belgravia - we don’t need it!

 

By HTT On Sun 26 Nov 2006

 

 

They say money can’t buy you love, but if just half the reports these past few weeks are to be believed regarding Toon takeover talks then it would appear that the Belgravia Group looking to acquire Newcastle United, hope to do just that as they look to capture the hearts and minds of the Magpie faithful - on and off the stands.

 

“United to get £25m transfer pot” and “money will be made available” screamed the headlines as this ongoing proposed takeover of our beloved club seemingly hots up and heads towards some kind of make or break conclusion.

 

Headlines that no doubt struck a chord with many fans brought up on the Hollywood trophy players this club of ours likes to splash out on and the extravagant forays into the transfer market we are famed for.

 

Well, I say put your money away Belgravia, we don’t need it! What we do need, however, is intelligent management of the more than adequate resources the club annually pilfers from our - the fans’ - deep, deep pockets.

 

The kind of funding that makes this club one of the wealthiest in world football, despite our fragile finances at this present time.

 

Resources and finances that the current mob have totally mismanaged since they were handed the club on a silver plate.

 

The last thing Newcastle needs is yet another chequebook management team whose idea of problem solving is to spend, spend and spend. We are already in a league of our own when it comes to doing that and need no assistance thank you!

 

Statistically only three clubs in the history of the Premiership have spent more than we have - Manchester United, the world’s biggest club, Liverpool, the nation’s most successful club, and Chelsea, the world’s richest club.

 

Indeed we are in this mess and open to such takeovers as a direct result of failing to get maximum value for money, whether it be from players, managers or directors’ salaries - the highest of all Premiership clubs.

 

So please, for the love of money, put yours away Belgravia. Instead, show United patrons your other hand. Your full plans for the club. Lets see those cards…

 

What I want to know is just how will Belgravia (and indeed any other would be suitors of United) manage and develop the following key areas of the club, on and off the park:

 

Commercial brand development outside of the City/UK

Wage structure/club expenditure

Club traditions and history

First-team management structure

Reserve and youth-teams management structure

Youth development

Transfer market policy

Scouting network structure (domestic and international)

Fitness, diet and medical operations

St. James’ Park/club land development and maintenance

Online/technology/media operations

Fan communication/liaison operations

Ticket policy and merchandise operations

 

All of the above are key areas of the club and each aspect badly needs looked at and overhauled if Newcastle United is to fulfil its true potential and start succeeding on and off the pitch.

 

What are your plans Belgravia for those key components of the club? Pumping money into the club is one thing, but Newcastle is cold hard evidence that money alone will not buy you success, otherwise we’d have ended our silverware drought long ago.

 

That is why Roman Abramovic enlisted the help of Peter Kenyon, Frank Arnesen and Jose Mourinho to name just three after buying Chelsea. Even one of the world’s richest men knows money alone cannot buy you success.

 

Arsenal spend over 25% less than we do every season yet have yielded 11 trophies to our big fat pathetic zero. How is that? Because Arsenal FC is well run at every level, in each key department. Managed by intelligent, skilful and experienced men all getting the very best out of the Gunners’ resources to maximum effect - success.

 

Yes we badly need some new investment in the playing side of the club and that will indeed cost money. But don’t be fooled by talk of big kitties and January window spending sprees, fellow Mags.

 

We need a hell of a lot more than just money, we need expertise and imagination from top to bottom. The whole culture of the club needs to change. There is a massive job to be done on and off the park.

 

As I write a fantastic song by The Who is playing in the background and one of the lines of lyrics from this all-time classic reads:

 

Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss

 

Further on in the song a passage reads:

 

I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution

Take a bow for the new revolution

Smile and grin at the change all around

 

Let us hope then it is the latter and not the former we get to sing about if Newcastle gets taken over. Lets not, as the title of the song goes, be fooled again…

 

http://www.newcastle-online.com/belgravia-...nited-takeover/

[Gemmill 44265]

I wonder how that article would have ended if he'd been listening to Steps.

[peasepud 59]

Doesnt want much does he? jeeez, they havent even put in an official bid and HTT wants to know what theyre going to feed the players??????

[Ted Maul 0]

I got up to where it said 'HTT' and gave up.

[Bombadil 0]

Well, I thought it was a good read.

[Jimbo 172]

Well, I thought it was a good read.

 

Most fiction usually is.

[Guest Patrokles]

It's brilliant that the best chairman are generally acknowledged to be those who meddle least in club affairs, and yet this is a desperate plea for Belgravia to take charge of every single aspect of the club, including the footballing side of things which they presumably know nothing about!

[luckyluke 2]

He's right in a sense - we don't need the money so much as we need someone capable of running a football club properly!

[Guest alex]

We do need it tbh, although he's right about the club needing a shake up.

[Ally 0]

He's right to an extent. I'd like to know how he knows what the players diet is.

[Dr Gloom 21801]

what a piece of shit article

[Shearergol 0]

He's right to an extent. I'd like to know how he knows what the players diet is.

 

J69's doctor told him