'We are ready to forgive Ashley'

[LeazesMag 0]

I’m a NUSC member and livid about the lack of consultation with members over this matter. It’s not like the committee unilaterally decided to redesign the logo or something. This is a significant shift. It’s not what it said on the tin and a motion should have been tabled at the next meeting. What was the rush?

 

All the good work and effort that’s been put into getting NUSC up and running will go to waste if the basic principles of representation are ignored.

 

My personal opinion for what it‘s worth? Give Ashley an inch and he’ll take a mile. He plays hardball and if NUSC don’t do likewise he’ll walk all over them and the club. Offering any kind of olive branch is a sign of weakness.

 

But it wont, what we are saying is that now our focus cannot be on getting him out, it has to be on ensuring the survival of the club we all love. If you can come up with an idea for removing him then please let us know what it is because we cant see any.

 

The days of "sack the board" dont work anymore, hes the owner, he cant and wont sack himself. The only way he can go is by someone buying him out which we all know now is not going to happen before the end of the season. Would you rather we pissed him off more to ensure he doesnt invest in January or try and make him see the sense in speculating to accumulate?

 

The fans cannot lose here under this strategy, if he invests then we have a better chance of Premiership survival, if he doesnt then we've lost nothing because currently he is not going to invest anyway. However in the great PR battle he will lose most if not all of those that currently think hes hard done by and that puts the fans in a much better position with the press etc.

I doubt I’m the only supporter who sees this as a bit more than a shift in focus, but only time will tell if failing to consult the membership was a prudent move.

 

As for Ashley? Supporters are divided on the ownership issue. There’s no unity position NUSC can adopt and they should probably take a back seat. Let events run their course and focus on boosting the membership. Come season ticket renewal time he’ll start to rethink his position, and that’s if we stay up. Imagine the scenes at SJP if we get relegated.

 

I stumped up £10 because I want NUSC to succeed, but it has to be about more than who owns the club. There’s a lot more to NUFC than Mike Ashley, but that’s all NUSC ever talks about. NUSC needs to start doing stuff that shows it’s a long term project, not just a pressure group.

 

Ashley’s shown his true colours and they’re not black and white. Nor will they ever be.

 

nowt wrong with the motives of the NUSC, but they need a big figurehead like Malcolm Dix did until he got SJH to join him.

[peasepud 59]

It may not be a turnaround as far as the NUSC is concerned, but looks that way to most people. Why not keep on boycotting Ashley and preventing him from getting any more money until he lets the supporters know more about the situation. Shoving JFK out every week with a new story about how much he misses going to the games etc is just bullshit. Why not try and get Ashley to say these people offered £x amount and this wasn't enough. If it was only £150M, the I would not blame him for not selling, but what if it was £270M, would you still say that was ok? I do not shout and slag off and since you run the website, would you care to let me know how many members are in the NUSC and how many emails you got agreeing/disagreeing with the statement by your Chairman???? My solution would be to continue the boycott - step it up if possible - and let him know that he will never be welcome back. As regards the imminent danger of relegation, if Ashley sells our better players and replaces them with inferior players, then we will get relegated and he loses even more money. Ashley has shown no respect for anybody connected with Newcastle, and its all down to him!!!!

I agree with everything you say about Ashley, if you'd done your homework before accusing me of all sorts yesterday you would know that. I am one of his biggest critics, I hate the fucker with a passion, as does everyone else on the NUSC committee. Also if you'd like to point out any NUSC statement that says we shouldnt boycott now then Id be interested to see it because I dont remember it. As for the bit in bold, you say that like its your aim, like you want that to happen so he gets screwed.

 

Here below is my breakdown of what Malcolm Shiels says in that interview. Firstly take the headline out of the equation though, that headline had nothing to do with the interview and was merely plugging the Journals poll. What it did do though was taint the interview from the start.

 

As a result, with the January transfer window approaching and with no prospect of new owners before the end of the year, Malcolm Shiels, chairman of NUSC, has admitted a compromise should be reached to benefit everyone associated with the black and white stripes.

Thats not bowing down to MA thats admitting that we all need to swallow some pride if we hope to turn things round.

 

 

I think a large number of Newcastle fans would be willing to accept Ashley back if he is willing to try and take the club forward again,” said Shiels, who believes a collective voice for Newcastle fans is long overdue, even though their attempts to communicate with Ashley have been frustratingly ignored so far.

he says "I think", not "the fans think" but a personal I and, as far as I can see hes right.

 

 

What we want, more than anything, is to see an end to the state of limbo which has been so damaging over the last few months. If he was to come out and say he can’t sell the club, but he is willing to come back and try again to get things right, he would be given a chance to do just that. Hehas made mistakes and he probably knows it. If he was to actually come out and admit those mistakes and express a desire to look forward rather than back, I think most fans would be okay with that.

Could anyone disagree with this? Thats the worst thing for us as the moment, its unsettling the fans and more worryingly, the players.

 

 

The most important thing at the moment is that Joe Kinnear is allowed to manage the side as he wants to. If Joe’s the manager he needs to be given money to spend in January – that’s imperative if the club is going to move forward positively. If Ashley is willing to provide that money and allows Kinnear to control how he spends it, I think it will turn around for him very quickly. If Kinnear is allowed to offer new contracts to the likes of Michael Owen and Nicky Butt that will also be a big step in the right direction.

Again, all hes doing here is making a clear statement of what we all think, IF Joe is manager then he has to be allowed to manage.

 

But Ashley has to come out and say this, he has to have some sort of dialogue with the supporters to bring an end to this negative atmosphere.

And again, these are all things that MA has to do if he has a chance of getting the fans back on side, hes not saying "do this Mike and we'll all love you" hes simply stating things that could change the views of fans.

 

There is no doubt, in an ideal world, the vast majority of supporters would prefer to see the back of Ashley and his main allies, managing director Derek Llambias and executive director (football) Dennis Wise. But there is also a realisation it is expedient to ensure the club does not suffer any major damage while the search for new owners takes place. Shiels explained: “The main aims of the NUSC are to work positively with the owners and management of Newcastle United who have its best interests at heart, whoever that may be.

Thats the fact of life, in an ideal world we (almost) all want rid of them but getting rid is not something we can control, its factors way out of the fans reach that decide if and when they go.

 

There is no doubt the situation and executive management actions before and after the Hull game led to the formation of the NUSC, and the NUSC led calls for Mike Ashley to leave. However, the overriding long-term aim and ambition is to establish a positive regular dialogue with the board and eventually a representative place on the board giving a true Newcastle fans’ voice.

Always, from day one been the main aim of the NUSC, that has never changed.

 

 

So all in all no great change of tack, no calls for people to stop boycotting, simply a recognition that we are stuck with MA whether we like it or not and a call for him to sort himself out. Its a PR war, MA has come out this week (via the usual JFK mouthpiece) and said "I want to come back, my kids want to watch the games again" its bollocks but hes saying it because he wants the likes of SSN to come down to SJP and shout about how hes not welcome in the ground and how the fans will rip his throat out if he comes.

 

What he didnt want or expect was what did happen, us coming out and setting down a number of things that are all easily achievable for him to do, its put it back in his court and if (when) he doesnt deliver then there will be even less backing him and more journalists willing to write negative articles about him.

 

If Im wrong on the (when) above then Im more than happy with that, he'll put in money, we'll buy some players, sell less than I expect and we'll stay up. I'll still hate Ashley with a passion and continue to do anything that could help remove him from this club. While hes here though then I will look to him to do the right thing. It isnt rocket science, as a fan we all want this club to survive, regardless of who is involved at the top.

[peasepud 59]

I doubt I’m the only supporter who sees this as a bit more than a shift in focus, but only time will tell if failing to consult the membership was a prudent move.

 

As for Ashley? Supporters are divided on the ownership issue. There’s no unity position NUSC can adopt and they should probably take a back seat. Let events run their course and focus on boosting the membership. Come season ticket renewal time he’ll start to rethink his position, and that’s if we stay up. Imagine the scenes at SJP if we get relegated.

 

I stumped up £10 because I want NUSC to succeed, but it has to be about more than who owns the club. There’s a lot more to NUFC than Mike Ashley, but that’s all NUSC ever talks about. NUSC needs to start doing stuff that shows it’s a long term project, not just a pressure group.

 

Ashley’s shown his true colours and they’re not black and white. Nor will they ever be.

See my post above, this is not even a shift tbh, when you break down and analyse what was said its simply telling Ashley to sort himself out if he really does want this to succeed. As for the bit in bold you are right but we cant do that until we get the fans to see what it is we are about, all I want to do is start organising proper NUSC activities, members nights, talk ins, but we cant because the future of the football club is hanging over our heads.

 

And nobody on the NUSC disagrees with you, especially not me. If you want to let Malcolm know your thoughts though then you can email him direct on chairman@newcastle-united-supporters-club.co.uk, make sure you put your membership number in (or if you havent received your card yet, send it from the email address that you registered with) so he can verify you are a member, you will get a reply whether you are a member or not but obviously its best he knows if you are one.

[maggiespaws 0]

I've just spent ages writing a long post in the online payments thread only to find that half of what I've said has already been said by 'pud in this thread.

 

Pud - I must be your fanboy and I never even knew it

[Norbert Colon 0]

I get the feeling that if he gave Kinnear 40m in the transfer window he could make the biggest comeback since Eric Bristow made the biggest comeback since Lazarus - Just my opinion but watch the tide turn

[Fop 1]

I get the feeling that if he gave Kinnear 40m in the transfer window he could make the biggest comeback since Eric Bristow made the biggest comeback since Lazarus - Just my opinion but watch the tide turn

Well he could have nice villa in Spain anyway.

[peasepud 59]

I've just spent ages writing a long post in the online payments thread only to find that half of what I've said has already been said by 'pud in this thread.

 

Pud - I must be your fanboy and I never even knew it

 

great minds mate, great minds

[Guest Eleven Donkeys]

See my post above, this is not even a shift tbh, when you break down and analyse what was said its simply telling Ashley to sort himself out if he really does want this to succeed. As for the bit in bold you are right but we cant do that until we get the fans to see what it is we are about, all I want to do is start organising proper NUSC activities, members nights, talk ins, but we cant because the future of the football club is hanging over our heads.

 

And nobody on the NUSC disagrees with you, especially not me. If you want to let Malcolm know your thoughts though then you can email him direct on chairman@newcastle-united-supporters-club.co.uk, make sure you put your membership number in (or if you havent received your card yet, send it from the email address that you registered with) so he can verify you are a member, you will get a reply whether you are a member or not but obviously its best he knows if you are one.

I’ve tried that on more than one occasion but establishing a dialogue with NUSC seem to be impossible. I’d put it down to time pressures, but following the statement in the Journal I’m starting to wonder if I’ve wasted £10.

 

I don’t want to argue with you. We all care about the club. I’m just very disappointed with the way things are going.

[Asprilla 96]

See my post above, this is not even a shift tbh, when you break down and analyse what was said its simply telling Ashley to sort himself out if he really does want this to succeed. As for the bit in bold you are right but we cant do that until we get the fans to see what it is we are about, all I want to do is start organising proper NUSC activities, members nights, talk ins, but we cant because the future of the football club is hanging over our heads.

 

And nobody on the NUSC disagrees with you, especially not me. If you want to let Malcolm know your thoughts though then you can email him direct on chairman@newcastle-united-supporters-club.co.uk, make sure you put your membership number in (or if you havent received your card yet, send it from the email address that you registered with) so he can verify you are a member, you will get a reply whether you are a member or not but obviously its best he knows if you are one.

I’ve tried that on more than one occasion but establishing a dialogue with NUSC seem to be impossible. I’d put it down to time pressures, but following the statement in the Journal I’m starting to wonder if I’ve wasted £10.

 

I don’t want to argue with you. We all care about the club. I’m just very disappointed with the way things are going.

Every organisation in history has its divisions.

 

Christianity, Islam, Judaism, The Labour Party, The Conservative Party, The Trade Unions and so on and so on.

 

What NUSC has to do, is what EVERY organisation has to do. It has to find the common ground among all its members and move forward from that point.

 

As over simplistic as it may sound, I think it would be a damn good idea to start from the bottom and work upwards. Establish a framework where people can agree on the fundamental principles and values of the club before it collapses in on itself, or before another "rival" Newcastle supporters club fills the void.

 

 

A "10 commandments" or a constitution would be a great start imo. This process could form a much stronger club in the long run.

 

 

Get the fans to agree on what they want from the supporters club and take it from there.

 

 

A suggested start maybe:

 

 

To agree that the club's survival and success is more important than any individual

Never to voice protests while players are on the field

The supporters club will have differing opinions within its ranks , but a fundamental love of the club and its traditions

 

 

Maybe people could chip in their ideas.

[richg 0]

Can I ask, has there actually been any dialogue between the NUSC and the club?

 

Can you let me know what was the outcome of the proposals of the 29/10 meeting where you were trying to open a dialogue with Mike Ashley? Where are the minutes for the meeting where it was discussed that this sort of statement was to be issued. With VOTE - Motion Carried?

[peasepud 59]

Can I ask, has there actually been any dialogue between the NUSC and the club?

 

Can you let me know what was the outcome of the proposals of the 29/10 meeting where you were trying to open a dialogue with Mike Ashley? Where are the minutes for the meeting where it was discussed that this sort of statement was to be issued. With VOTE - Motion Carried?

 

We received no reply from the club despite ensuring that the letters got to where they should and confirming that they would be passed to the relevant people, we stated that it was preferable to have any meeting before the end of November. I think its safe therefore to assume hes not going to reply now. On that note, we will look to update members in that respect.

 

As for the minutes, they were online within two days of the meeting and can be found here > http://www.newcastle-united-supporters-clu...minutes2910.pdf

[sweetleftpeg 0]

I think the criticism of the NUSC is unfair to be honest. It's a big job and a big thing to organise, and it's easy to sit here a couple of months after the organisation has been sorted and slag it. I kind of understand the current stance, the priority at the moment is staying in the PL. Once that is achieved, we can start stirring the shit again.