Sir John Hall: What a bunch of wasters

[Jimbo 174]

FORMER Newcastle owner Sir John Hall spoke yesterday of his horror at the club's relegation to the Championship.

 

And his disbelief at the collapse of standards at St James' Park - both on the pitch and off.

 

"The table doesn't lie," said the local property developer who built Newcastle into a footballing power in the mid-90s.

 

He added: "It's been desperately poor all season - and the worst thing was they didn't even appear to try on Sunday.

 

"I'm not going to pull any punches. This current side is rubbish. Useless.

 

"There has to be a clean sweep and the club has to be rebuilt from top to bottom.

 

"I'm as baffled as anyone with the signings of players like Joey Barton.

 

"Then, again, Sam Allardyce said he could put him right.

 

"As for Michael Owen, he's had too many injuries and has never seemed to be on the ball.

 

"Now we are saddled with a huge wage bill. The lesson here is obvious: You can't take on yesterday's men and hope to survive. That's for a club that has no ambition."

 

Ashington-born and from an old mining family, Hall saw Newcastle challenge Manchester United during the glory years of Kevin Keegan's first spell at the club.

 

But the dream faded and Hall sold his 41 per cent stake to Mike Ashley for £55million two years ago.

 

Now 76, he says the only way forward is to maintain faith in Alan Shearer, despite the stand-in boss winning just one game in eight.

 

Hall said: "Shearer must stay. Sure, he doesn't have the experience but then neither did Keegan the first time round. But, like Keegan, the fans have faith in him.

 

"He is a dedicated professional, the club is in his blood and he is the rallying point for all the supporters.

 

"But he has to have time and money. The question is: How much money is still there?

 

"If I was Shearer, I would want to see it on the table."

 

Though Hall says he has no regrets about selling to Ashley, he admits the current owner was badly advised.

 

Hall said: "He has been let down by his own inexperience and the inexperience of others.

 

"There were also a series of extremely poor appointments stemming from the fact Mike inherited Sam Allardyce.

 

"And, no, I don't blame him for getting rid of Allardyce because the football was the worst we had ever seen.

 

"Then he listened to the fans and brought Keegan back. And that was a mistake.

 

"You can never re-tread footsteps in business. Life and circumstances change, the world and the game moves on. You have to have fresh blood.

 

"One mistake led to another with Dennis Wise and Joe Kinnear coming on board. Two terrible appointments. Wise was trying to do the job from London and that was ridiculous.

 

Advertisement

 

"You have to be up here, getting to know the people and their feelings for the club.

 

"There was obviously bad blood between Keegan and Wise which I'm told went back to their England days. It was like a red rag to a bull.

 

"As for Kinnear, you have to have people who are active in the game.

 

"Now it's all gone wrong and Mike has to decide whether to stay or sell up - and, believe me, there are always people around who want to buy clubs like Newcastle.

 

"If he stays he has to inject new funds. Not once but twice.

 

"First, to build a new team to fight their way out of the Championship, then to stay up.

 

"I know from my experience with Kevin that you have to have real battlers to get back into the Premier League.

 

"On top of that, it's obvious they are going to struggle to attract the top quality players.

 

"But I don't go along with the feeling Newcastle could become another Leeds or Nottingham Forest and end up in League One.

 

"We're too strong for that. Yes, there's a huge wage bill and that has to be trimmed. And there must be no uncertainty in the close season. The club has to get on with it."

 

And what of his own role in the demise of a club that, with average gates of 48,000, was the third best-supported in the Premier League?

 

Hall said: "Yes, I sold the club to Mike, and, to many, it might appear to have been the wrong move. But it seemed the right thing to do.

 

"He was the answer to people like Roman Abramovich.

 

"I didn't go down this road lightly. But what were the alternatives?"

[Craig 6682]

Hall needs to shut his trap tbh. It's down to him that Ashley came on board and I'm convinced he sold on account of knowing how much money Ashley had in the bank and nothing more.

[Kitman 2204]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that

[Tino 0]

Its all very well Hall saying this now, but he sold the club to Ashley in the first place and allegedly without even meeting him, so as far as im concerned hes partly to blame for the position we are in now.

[peasepud 59]

Though Hall says he has no regrets about selling to Ashley.

 

I bet he fucking doesnt, every time he looks at his bank statement.

 

What role is it the cunt has in our football club these days? oh aye, life bastard president therefore instead of talking to the press about how much he loves us and how shit things are he should get his arse out of the river at Berwick where he spends his time fishing and do something for the glory of the job title and the fact we've got a stand named after this twat, That needs to go, stands are named after heroes not villains, you'll never see the Joey Barton stand or the Titus Bramble end so why should we sit in an end named after the man who ultimately, is responsible for this mess?

 

 

 

Fuck off Hall you wanker.

[Asprilla 96]

I agree with his assessment of Allardyce though, he was responsible for the worst "football" I can remember. Because fat Sam's "rescued" Blackburn and we've been relegated the uninformed commentator has used this fact to "prove" our impatience and how we should have stuck with the joyless tit.

 

The man who signed Barton, Smith, Geremi and Cacapa.

 

 

I'd honestly rather have Souness back than that joker.

[Monkeys Fist 42149]

If Hall finds the "horror" and "despair" too much, he could always put his hand in his pocket and buy us back. Bargain price now I'm sure.Just keep Dougie well away this time.

Or failing that, he could SHUT THE FUCK UP THE HYPOCRITE.

[Ugly Mackems 133]

It was the Halls who ran the show with Shepherd as their front. SBR was peddled at the behest of the Halls, I think SBR confirms such in his autobiography.

 

I hope John Hall and his son die of a painful hereditary disease. They sold to Ashley quite simply because they were fucking skint after numerous business fuck ups..

[Park Life 71]

It was the Halls who ran the show with Shepherd as their front. SBR was peddled at the behest of the Halls, I think SBR confirms such in his autobiography.

 

I hope John Hall and his son die of a painful hereditary disease. They sold to Ashley quite simply because they were fucking skint after numerous business fuck ups..

 

Pretty much.

[sitontheball 0]

His assessment is mostly right, but let's face it, he must have okayed the Souness, Roeder and Allardyce appointments and the purchase of Luque, Owen, etc. He ultimately jumped ship without leaving much of a team or structure in place, or really giving a fuck.

[tinofbeans 91]

He is fucking clueless.

His credibility went when he got rid of sbr

[David Kelly 1224]

TBH I don't blame him for selling up to Ashely. Him and Shepherd couldn't afford to put the money in that was needed to compete at the top end of the table even if they had wanted to. Then comes in a billionaire and it must have looked like a great option for everyone. He couldn't have known how Ashley was going to fuck up so monumentally.

You can blame him and Shepherd for sacking Robson and coming up with Souness as his replacement (which was ultimately the start of all this).

[Park Life 71]

TBH I don't blame him for selling up to Ashely. Him and Shepherd couldn't afford to put the money in that was needed to compete at the top end of the table even if they had wanted to. Then comes in a billionaire and it must have looked like a great option for everyone. He couldn't have known how Ashley was going to fuck up so monumentally.

You can blame him and Shepherd for sacking Robson and coming up with Souness as his replacement (which was ultimately the start of all this).

 

Fair point.

 

And if Luque hadn't had that inj he might have turned out alright etc...

 

There has been general incompetence at the club all over. For a long time we only had one full time scout etc...

[Guest Stevie]

"Then he listened to the fans and brought Keegan back. And that was a mistake.

 

Why say that, Keegan wasn't even in the betting let alone who the fans were mentioning as someone they'd like.

[Guest alex]

I agree Stevie, he was never in the running in most people's eyes. In any case, when has 'listening to the fans' been a get out clause at any other club? But you hear it all the time with NUFC as a way of blaming anyone but those actually responsible. You can speak to three fans and you'll get six different opinions in the space of two pints. Total bullshit argument. At various times you'd get fans who would have advocated getting rid of everyone from Alex Ferguson to Benitez to whoever. It doesn't mean it's right. As Chez mentioned in another thread too, football fans (as with virtually any demographic) are thick as fuck in general. The people running the show always need to look at the bigger picture, not the fickle views of supporters. Look at on here where even level-headed people will be influenced by a single performance etc.

By the way, and getting back SJH etc. Lawrenson was right on MOTD (or was it Football Focus?) when he said that at no stage in about the last 12 years has anyone at the club really said - where do we want to be in 18 months, 5 years? Etc.

[Tooj 17]

I agree Stevie, he was never in the running in most people's eyes. In any case, when has 'listening to the fans' been a get out clause at any other club? But you hear it all the time with NUFC as a way of blaming anyone but those actually responsible. You can speak to three fans and you'll get six different opinions in the space of two pints. Total bullshit argument. At various times you'd get fans who would have advocated getting rid of everyone from Alex Ferguson to Benitez to whoever. It doesn't mean it's right. As Chez mentioned in another thread too, football fans (as with virtually any demographic) are thick as fuck in general. The people running the show always need to look at the bigger picture, not the fickle views of supporters. Look at on here where even level-headed people will be influenced by a single performance etc.

By the way, and getting back SJH etc. Lawrenson was right on MOTD (or was it Football Focus?) when he said that at no stage in about the last 12 years has anyone at the club really said - where do we want to be in 18 months, 5 years? Etc.

I think Ashley said he wanted us challening for the title. He never said in what division mind.

[Guest alex]

I agree Stevie, he was never in the running in most people's eyes. In any case, when has 'listening to the fans' been a get out clause at any other club? But you hear it all the time with NUFC as a way of blaming anyone but those actually responsible. You can speak to three fans and you'll get six different opinions in the space of two pints. Total bullshit argument. At various times you'd get fans who would have advocated getting rid of everyone from Alex Ferguson to Benitez to whoever. It doesn't mean it's right. As Chez mentioned in another thread too, football fans (as with virtually any demographic) are thick as fuck in general. The people running the show always need to look at the bigger picture, not the fickle views of supporters. Look at on here where even level-headed people will be influenced by a single performance etc.

By the way, and getting back SJH etc. Lawrenson was right on MOTD (or was it Football Focus?) when he said that at no stage in about the last 12 years has anyone at the club really said - where do we want to be in 18 months, 5 years? Etc.

I think Ashley said he wanted us challening for the title. He never said in what division mind.

Said without any realistic plan as to how to do it. I know you're taking the piss btw.

[Fop 1]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that

 

Aye a lot of it maybe, but John Hall can still bugger off all the same, he's pretty much spent his goodwill with his behaviour since ~1998.

 

He had ample chances to help the club out in that period, but choose £££'s over that ever time.

[Park Life 71]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that

 

Aye a lot of it maybe, but John Hall can still bugger off all the same, he's pretty much spent his goodwill with his behaviour since ~1998.

 

He had ample chances to help the club out in that period, but choose £££'s over that ever time.

 

The structure and overall organisation of the club was never PL standard. It isn't the case we can blame individuals.

[Guest alex]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that

 

Aye a lot of it maybe, but John Hall can still bugger off all the same, he's pretty much spent his goodwill with his behaviour since ~1998.

 

He had ample chances to help the club out in that period, but choose £££'s over that ever time.

 

The structure and overall organisation of the club was never PL standard. It isn't the case we can blame individuals.

You can blame the individuals running the show, like SJH. Fop's spot on.

Edited May 26, 2009 by alex

[Kitman 2204]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that

 

Aye a lot of it maybe, but John Hall can still bugger off all the same, he's pretty much spent his goodwill with his behaviour since ~1998.

 

He had ample chances to help the club out in that period, but choose £££'s over that ever time.

 

Yes. I didn't mean to imply he was blameless.

[Monkeys Fist 42149]

Hard to think of anyone connected with the club in the past decade who can hold their head up blameless.

Sir Bobby, Shearer maybe,

Other than that.........

[Happy Face 29]

Hard to think of anyone connected with the club in the past decade who can hold their head up blameless.

Sir Bobby, Shearer maybe,

Other than that.........

 

Not sure you'd get 100% agreement on Shearer's whiter than white record. Lot's of Newcastle supporters see him as a bit of a mercenary twat who had a few detrimental effects.

[Park Life 71]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that

 

Aye a lot of it maybe, but John Hall can still bugger off all the same, he's pretty much spent his goodwill with his behaviour since ~1998.

 

He had ample chances to help the club out in that period, but choose £££'s over that ever time.

 

The structure and overall organisation of the club was never PL standard. It isn't the case we can blame individuals.

You can blame the individuals running the show, like SJH. Fop's spot on.

 

You can but it won't get you far. He's just another businessman who struck lucky.

 

This club needs football people who are comitted to it and stay for long periods.

 

How many times has the dwarf coach returned to Liv.

 

How long have the admin and coaching staff been in place at Everton etc...

 

The club lacks continuity in just about every department.

[Guest alex]

I find it hard to disagree with any of that

 

Aye a lot of it maybe, but John Hall can still bugger off all the same, he's pretty much spent his goodwill with his behaviour since ~1998.

 

He had ample chances to help the club out in that period, but choose £££'s over that ever time.

 

The structure and overall organisation of the club was never PL standard. It isn't the case we can blame individuals.

You can blame the individuals running the show, like SJH. Fop's spot on.

 

You can but it won't get you far. He's just another businessman who struck lucky.

 

This club needs football people who are comitted to it and stay for long periods.

 

How many times has the dwarf coach returned to Liv.

 

How long have the admin and coaching staff been in place at Everton etc...

 

The club lacks continuity in just about every department.

And the last lot were running the club for years so they take a big chunk of the blame for the lack of structure etc.

Ashley takes the blame for the catastrophic things he did. Saying individuals aren't to blame is nebulous bollocks.