Sports Neglect

[gpirlo68 0]

I'm pissed off we've been relegated. But we've been in the bottom three all season so I expected it and I'm not a fucking nancy who's going to be crying on the television. These things happen and you just have to get over it. Pressure should be put on Ashley to make sure he attempts to keep Rafa (I don't believe he will stay but the effort has to be made) or appoints a proper replacement. But unless any of us have a spare £300m in the bank, there's fuck all we can do to force him to leave. This is the difference compared to the days of McKeag. We weren't owned by a billionaire back then so we could hurt the owner financially back then to the point where he was desperate to sell. Ashley will sell when he's good and ready and I've not seen anyone come up with a realistic way to make that happen any sooner.

This

[Gemmill 46024]

If you seriously think that a half empty stadium wouldn't hasten his departure, you're deluded. It might not actually force him to sell, nobody could say that with any confidence, but it would give him pause for thought, especially if there becomes a possibility that this isn't just one season away from the premier league and its TV riches. He's not daft, and he'd see that he has a limited window in which to extract himself before the value of the club dropped through the floor.

 

I tell you what definitely won't hasten his departure though, and that's full or close to full houses every week.

 

It would be a massive story if the "legendarily faithful" St James Park crowd suddenly stopped showing up, and it would turn a spotlight on Ashley that we all know he doesn't enjoy and hasn't enjoyed in the past.

 

If you want to keep going to the match, keep going. It's not up to me to tell you not to go, and frankly I don't give much of a shit about any of it any more. But don't kid yourself that you aren't making his life easier by attending, because you plainly are. And quite why anyone would want to do that is beyond me.

 

And that's before you even consider that as attenders you are financially enriching the bloke for the privilege of consuming the shit that he's serving up. It's mind blowing.

[David Kelly 1260]

Whether we go or not the problem still remains that there isn't anyone with hundreds of millions spare desperate to buy it from him. Do you think the stadium being half empty will make him give it away? There needs to be a realistic alternative to him and at the moment there isn't. If he was knocking back offers right left and centre, a half empty stadium might make him think fuck it I'll just cut my losses and take what I'm being offered. But there isn't. So all doing anything that would cost him would do would be to make him try and recoup that money by other means. Namely saving on wages (both those of players & management, and other non football related staff who work for the club). That isn't going to imrpove things for anyone, it'll just make the team all the worse and cost normal working people their jobs.

 

I'd love to see him gone and I'd back anyone who came in with an attempt to buy the club from him, but there is no one.

[The Fish 10963]

 

An open letter from owner Mike Ashley to the supporters and staff of Newcastle United:

 

I am writing to you in the immediate aftermath of the relegation of our Club - a bitterly disappointing outcome for all of us.

Newcastle United rightly has a proud and long tradition of competing at the highest level and I therefore understand and share the pain that supporters will be feeling at this difficult time.

Many of you have expressed strong views about what we could have done differently. I respect those views but I would like to reiterate that it has always been my intention to try to achieve the very best for Newcastle United.

We invested heavily in the squad over last summer and again in January, but we have been unable to secure Premier League status despite the recent efforts of the team under the formidable stewardship of Rafa Benitez.

I've said in the past that when I take on a challenge I am prepared to go through both good times and bad. There can be no doubt that relegation is a terrible blow but I want to assure you that the Club will now be doing everything it can at all levels to try to ensure a swift return to its rightful place in the Premier League.

We have done it before - we can do it again.

In the meantime, I thank the fans for their passionate support, in particular for Rafa and the team at recent fixtures, both home and away.

Clearly it is now time for a period of careful consideration whilst we reflect upon the lessons that need to be learned from the last 12 months to restore this great Club to the very top flight of English football.

 

 

Well, I'm reassured.

[Dr Gloom 22145]

let's kick back and enjoy a summer of scrutiny and reflection.

[Gemmill 46024]

There's Mike's "what do I need to say to make these halfwits keep turning up..... Will this do?" letter.

[trooper 940]

At least the blame doesn't lie at his door this year very reassuring fanks Mike