Time for change!

[nufc_kev 0]

Hello lads, I post on Talkofthetyne another Newcastle message board and we have been discussing over the last 2 days a way to get to Mike Ashley and it is simple really, We have come up with a letter that any toon fan can send, Via email, post or fax. There is already massive interest in this and people are doing it so if you lot can join in, and pass on the message to do so it would be a great help.

 

Anyway, here's the letter...

 

Dear Mr Ashley,

 

Many of us, as committed supporters of Newcastle United, have been frustrated at what has been happening at St James’ Park. We love our club and want a positive future.

 

Performances and results this season have given cause for concern. Prior to Christmas, 2 defeats in 12 matches disguised the fact that we also only had 4 wins in those 12 matches. This season has yielded only 5 wins out of 22. We are a meagre 2 points away from relegation.

 

Long standing supporters have seen the signs of decline before. Memorably, 1977-78 saw us in the UEFA Cup, with a squad with disinvestment, going on to be relegated under a makeshift manager, going on to spend 7 years in the 2nd tier, when crowds declined to under 10,000.

 

History was repeated after promotion in 1984, with a steady disinvestment, losing legends like Waddle, Beardsley and Gazza until we were relegated again in 1989, with the club on the verge of extinction during the next run in the 2nd tier.

 

In the summer of 2003, we had qualified for the Champions League, before spending nothing, the only signing being Lee Bowyer on a free. The resultant loss against Partizan Belgrade signalled the end of our continued Champions League involvement, with a subsequent loss in revenue and a gradual decline in those buying season tickets.

 

Of the clubs to be relegated from the Premier League, 6 are currently back in the most lucrative domestic competition in the world. 5 of those clubs are now in the third tier. The Championship is littered with former EPL clubs facing a fierce battle to either stay there, or come back up. Parachute payments only last a season.

 

There are things we appreciate, for example a removal of uncertainty. We also appreciate that the financial accounts of the club in 2007 showed that the club was technically insolvent. We appreciate that there has been investment in the youth of the club and the long term looks potentially promising.

 

Successful businessmen have continually shown that to reach the long term objective, there are a series of short terms. Our form suggests that this short term is perilous.

 

We would not be very good supporters if we did not suggest a constructive way ahead, and this is what we seek to do.

 

Since you have paid off debts, the club is on a more sound financial footing, we recognize that. We are also aware that the club is probably still making losses. Those losses can either escalate or be reversed depending on your actions.

 

The absence of debt makes short term borrowing relatively secure. We have some aging players who appear unable to keep up with the pace of the modern Premiership, a situation admittedly that you inherited. We have a leading striker who has scored one goal in 6 games since declining a contract offer.

 

We have no specialist cover for a full back with a long term injury. Short term borrowing of, say, £20m can help secure Premier League survival, with a strong foundation and stream of revenue, allowing your plan of developing youngsters to be successful.

 

Since the departure of Chris Mort, we have been frustrated by the lack of communication from your directors. We do not know what is going on and recognize that some things can not be commented on for legal reasons. There are still things that can be communicated to us.

 

The relationship between any business and its customers is built on trust. Trust depends on communication and actions. If you give the Geordie public reason to trust you, you will find our loyalty returned many times over, which will show in capacity crowds and merchandise revenue, as well as the famous “twelfth man”.

 

Failure to arrest the decline will result in the opposite – a cancellation of season tickets, empty spaces on terraces, falling revenues and a club declining in value. Whether you are in the club to achieve success, or financial gain, you need the supporters with you to raise the value of Newcastle United.

 

You know as a businessman that sometimes you need to speculate to accumulate. Even borrowing £20m to invest in the playing squad now will show us that you are worthy of our support. Please act now.

 

Time is short. You have two weeks to save the club and your investment. If you want our trust, and want our support, please act immediately to save our club. Your actions will speak volumes louder than any words. If you want us to commit to you, please commit to us.

 

YOU CAN MAKE THIS RIGHT!

 

 

 

The postal address is:

Newcastle United FC

St James' Park,

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE1 4ST

 

For those who prefer to fax, the number is:

0191 201 8600

 

If you prefer to email:

admin@nufc.co.uk but if you do, make sure that you put in a title that ensures it is read, e.g. "season ticket cancellation". Emails are easier to ignore than a letter or fax so might not be as effective.

 

 

Obviously put your name at the top of the letter and a return address so they can come back to you. We are sending this to ALL national media sources we know and also all fanzines and message boards. Nufc.com and NUSC also...

 

Cheers lads! This can make a difference if you do it!

[Tom 14015]

Parachute payments only last a season.

 

Parachute payments are £30m over three seasons, £10m a season IIRC.

[Guest Stevie]

I don't like the bit that says crowds descended to under 10,000, twice in our post war history aye, two games. The rest of it is ok.

[Kid Dynamite 7185]

Bit long winded. I think the sentiment will be lost if everyone sends in an identical letter, anyone can print it off the internet. Be better off everyone penning their own experiences and feelings towards the matter

[nufc_kev 0]

Lads, There isnt time to change it, The transfer window shuts on the 2nd of feb, This needs to be put into action now, 1 quick email or letter or even fax surely wont take much time up of yourselves and could make one hell of a difference to how much Ashley spends between now and the end of Jan....

[Ayatollah Hermione 14075]

This'd work a lot better if there was any evidence that Ashley cared about the club outside of his pockets. I admire it and most will agree with you like but this is being sent to a man that won't even say a word to us about the way he is running things.

[nufc_kev 0]

We are sending this letter to the media aswell, And they will be told this has been sent to Mike Ashey by numerous amounts of fans, I have also emailed NUFC.COM AND NUSC hoping they will also put it up on the sites to try and get the letter out there for more ppl to send. You just never know how he might react to something like this.

 

This is some publicity stunt on behalf of talkofthetyne, we are genuinely worried about relegation as i'd amagine you all are!!!!!

[Kid Dynamite 7185]

Me too, i just know that a letter isnt going to change MAs opinion on things.

[tommo 0]

maybe we should really think about this and do the protests correctly this time and make them effective ?

[snakehips 0]

We are sending this letter to the media aswell, And they will be told this has been sent to Mike Ashey by numerous amounts of fans, I have also emailed NUFC.COM AND NUSC hoping they will also put it up on the sites to try and get the letter out there for more ppl to send. You just never know how he might react to something like this.

 

This is some publicity stunt on behalf of talkofthetyne, we are genuinely worried about relegation as i'd amagine you all are!!!!!

 

I can fully understand the sentiment, as the vast majority of right-thinking supporters share the same fears about relegation. However, surely it would have had more response and actions if a simple PLEASE ACT NOW! e-mail, fax or letter was sent?

 

I applaud your attempt though at trying to get the guy to do something before it's too late.

[justin sane 0]

Me too, i just know that a letter isnt going to change MAs opinion on things.

He's got a plan and he's stubbornly sticking to it.Whatever IT fucking is

[nufc_kev 0]

Thats what we are trying to do, This isnt a protest as such it's a plea to invest in the team, If need be, Then a protest will be sorted after the Sunderland game and the transfer deadline has closed!

[Lazarus 0]

Would a bank be willing to loan 20m in the middle of a credit crunch?

 

if so - would the loan be in place and negotiations for players finalised and deals completed in the space of 2 weeks?

[Midlands-Mag 0]

i am sorry to have to say this but snobby, arrogant businessmen are going to laugh and wipe their arse with letters from people like you and me telling them how to run the club business. We all know we need investment and we can assume the idea of finding short term debt is simple but this wont work. Perhaps Kinnear is right that we have 8-10m to spend, we can be ask for more but how many of the other relegation battlers will have this.

[justin sane 0]

Thats what we are trying to do, This isnt a protest as such it's a plea to invest in the team, If need be, Then a protest will be sorted after the Sunderland game and the transfer deadline has closed!

Tell him if he doesn't get his hand in his pocket were coming to fucking Landon to protest inside his fucking drinking holes.

[justin sane 0]

Would a bank be willing to loan 20m in the middle of a credit crunch?

 

if so - would the loan be in place and negotiations for players finalised and deals completed in the space of 2 weeks?

He could lend us it out of his piss-up fund

[nufc_kev 0]

That snobby fat English buisness man wont have a football club when we get relegated and the crowds start dwindling and people actually boycott the club, But that ISNT what we want, The desired effect of this letter from all fans sending it in is a message to dip his fat hands in his fat pockets.

 

 

Upto you lads if you want to help out or not. It's a worthy cause in my opinion, Isnt my letter it's a lad of TOTT but it's a start to getting what we want!

[nufc_kev 0]

Would a bank be willing to loan 20m in the middle of a credit crunch?

 

if so - would the loan be in place and negotiations for players finalised and deals completed in the space of 2 weeks?

He could lend us it out of his piss-up fund

 

 

Or maybe all the money he keeps losing at the casino eh!

[peasepud 59]

i am sorry to have to say this but snobby, arrogant businessmen are going to laugh and wipe their arse with letters from people like you and me telling them how to run the club business. We all know we need investment and we can assume the idea of finding short term debt is simple but this wont work. Perhaps Kinnear is right that we have 8-10m to spend, we can be ask for more but how many of the other relegation battlers will have this.

 

Its unfortunately true, he wont even give a shit about it.

 

I applaud the sentiment though and I believe the NUSC is looking to back it as well (being raised at tomorrows meeting).

 

I would however go away from the email route, or at least if it is email then you cant put a different subject heading in thinking that will get it read, it will be read yes however not by the right people. The NUFC mail servers filter mail depending on the subject, for instance anything with "Ticket" in goes to the box office, "Food" to catering, "Fat greasy cunt" gets forwarded onto Douggie Hall (via Ashley).

 

So if you mask it then someone in the ticket office will get it then bin it. Admittedly they will bin them all after the first dozen or so regardless.

 

If this is to work then you need to concert the effort into one days mail, everybody and I mean everybody sending the letter in on the same day, thereby getting thousands of them delivered at one time. They have to open them all up, have to check that its not something important.

 

Bigger impact would be to send them all to Ashleys home though.

[tommo 0]

i am sorry to have to say this but snobby, arrogant businessmen are going to laugh and wipe their arse with letters from people like you and me telling them how to run the club business. We all know we need investment and we can assume the idea of finding short term debt is simple but this wont work. Perhaps Kinnear is right that we have 8-10m to spend, we can be ask for more but how many of the other relegation battlers will have this.

 

Its unfortunately true, he wont even give a shit about it.

 

I applaud the sentiment though and I believe the NUSC is looking to back it as well (being raised at tomorrows meeting).

 

I would however go away from the email route, or at least if it is email then you cant put a different subject heading in thinking that will get it read, it will be read yes however not by the right people. The NUFC mail servers filter mail depending on the subject, for instance anything with "Ticket" in goes to the box office, "Food" to catering, "Fat greasy cunt" gets forwarded onto Douggie Hall (via Ashley).

 

So if you mask it then someone in the ticket office will get it then bin it. Admittedly they will bin them all after the first dozen or so regardless.

 

If this is to work then you need to concert the effort into one days mail, everybody and I mean everybody sending the letter in on the same day, thereby getting thousands of them delivered at one time. They have to open them all up, have to check that its not something important.

 

Bigger impact would be to send them all to Ashleys home though.

 

anyone know his address ?

should we bombard his shops with them as well ?

[KingKev 0]

I'm going to send a letter to NE1 4ST with my own experiences, feelings and opinions. But: Do you really think MA does care about this? Does he care about the supporters? He doesn't.

 

But as I said, I'll do it. At least we've done something.

Edited January 18, 2009 by KingKev

[Midlands-Mag 0]

how british are we, sending angry letters

 

this may seem strange but i think the best way to get the message across is to get legends publically complaining and question the money situation. Lets say the likes of Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer, Bobby Moncur, Les Ferdinand and others in media were to get big voice space for their comments then Ashley will feel the pressure more than supporters sending things. He wont listen to fans, he will have been told our opinion doesnt count and not to get too wound up by us.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Midlands-Mag

[nufc_kev 0]

Lads thanks for the feed back, And your more than welcome to change the letter with your own feelings, The more letters the club recieves the better, It's time to act!

[snakehips 0]

I guess it wont change anything, but I will send 5 'ACT NOW' letters in tomorrow's post.

[nufc_kev 0]

If it comes to nothing then it comes to nothing, But we need to try something. Thanks for the help lads, If you can get others to do so then please do.

 

Something needs to be done, It isnt fun anymore going to watch Newcastle!