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…
Loading ...
Having just read the article and the responses I have to say it looks like we will end up owned and kept in mediocraty for another goodness knows how long. Surely I am not the only person who can see right through the Halls and the Sheperds of this world, I have been through the Seymours and the McKeags and can hardly bare any more. These guys deliberately try to fire us up on the old chestnuts of, “we must have eleven geordies and a geordie manager and, er, well, we must have a geordie chairman.” It’s all clap trap. After 35 years of pain I could not give a monkeys if there wasn’t a geordie on the pay roll, we have plenty of geordies in the stands and that’s why we are Newcastle United.
We keep getting told how big a club we are but the only big thing about us is the support. Poor Freddy would have a fit if there was bigger egos in the dressing room than his. Glenn Roeder is a lovely guy but lovely guys dont get the trophies. Could you say Wenger, Mourinho or Ferguson are well liked? Sheperd is the Halls’ puppet and Roeder is Freddy’s puppet. They all look after each other as they dont want to rock the boat. It does not matter where they come from if they want to take us over and run us as a successful challenging club then they should get all the support they need and forget this rubbish of them needing to be a geordie.
Sent in on: December 4th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
This article beggars belief. Anyone who reads into the diatribe from this utter contemptible idiot, HTT, needs their head looking at. Shepherd has had his time at NUFC and it’s been mostly disaster after disaster. Let’s not forget though, at the end of the day, Shepherd is a puppet for the Halls and a lot more of the bad decisions which have dogged this club have come from them.
Both Hall and Shepherd OUT! A time for change is needed now or this club is doomed.
Sent in on: December 4th, 2006 at 8:30 am
Latest from Belgravia on BBCi:
Group hopeful on Newcastle buyout
By Andrew McKenzie
The Belgravia Group remains keen on a deal for Newcastle and would like to be in control for the transfer window.
The Jersey-based group was expected to launch a £235m takeover earlier this month that failed to materialise.
But a spokesman told BBC Sport: “We are still in talks which may or may not lead to a deal but from our perspective we are still very keen to do a deal.
“The transfer window is approaching and I think from both parties’ perspective that is something to focus the minds.”
Investment group Belgravia made its interest in the club public in the summer but so far the company has yet to make an offer for the Premiership club.
And Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd told BBC Sport: “They made a statement in August saying they may or may not make a bid.
“They can say what they like but they have yet to make an offer and until they make an offer we cannot say anything.”
But the Belgravia spokesman confirmed that it is still interested in a takeover.
Newcastle are one of the premier football brands in Europe
Belgravia spokesman
He added: “Were we to make an offer or were we to cease our talks or they were to cease talks with us they would have to make an announcement to the stock exchange.
“None of which has been done so you can presume that talks are ongoing.
“We are in discussions with the board of Newcastle which means we are talking to all the shareholders.”
The Magpies have been the subject of takeover rumours for months, with former chairman Sir John Hall admitting he has held discussions about selling his 28.5% share in the club.
Current chairman Shepherd appears more reluctant to sell and has been steadily increasing his share in the club to 28.01%.
606 DEBATE: Your reaction to the news
The Belgravia spokesman confirmed that it would be looking to buy out both Hall and Shepherd.
He added: “I think Polygon expressed an interest in buying one of Hall’s or Shepherd’s stake but we have said all along that we are interested in buying the whole thing.
“Because it is a quoted company that means making an offer for all the shares in the company.
“Hopefully we can come to terms on a deal that suits everybody - when that point comes Newcastle PLC will have to make a statement.
“It would be premature and disrespectful to the fans to talk about what we may of may not want to do as we don’t own it.
“Were we to make an offer you have to disclose what financing plans are and what you are going to do and at that point we will outline in detail what our plans for the club would be.
“If you want to make money out of football clubs you need a successful team on the pitch.
“But Newcastle has a fantastic infrastructure, a fantastic fanbase, they are a big club, have a developed ground with good facilities and are one of the premier football brands in Europe.”
“In an ideal world things would happen sooner rather than later but negotiations take time.
Sent in on: November 30th, 2006 at 11:03 am
The thing is, Shepherd and the Halls elected to turn the club into a plc and therefore have to accept being judged by the standards of any plc.
On this basis, is it successful to have spent a quarter of a billion pounds and actually made the club less profitable?
Is it successful to have saddled the club with at least 70 million pounds (many commentators say more) worth of debt?
Is it successful to have taken an advance on our sponsorship money so we could buy Michael Owen, thereby putting our eggs in one basket for several seasons?
Is it successful to have had no succession plan in place for any of our managers or for Alan Shearer, whose departure was known over a year in advance?
We could spend the day on this list.
I know a lot of people will chime in with not caring about the profitability of the plc. As a shareholder, neither do I, unless the viability of my club is endangered and it is. Being in Europe may just keep the wolf from the door this season, but we are in a dangerous position.
The point of this is that we may not actually have too many choices about who takes us over.
Sent in on: November 30th, 2006 at 10:39 am
Yo
When it comes to being a chairman, at the very least you would expect good intentions, it’s fundamental. So to praise Freddy for this is misguided and covers up his lack of success and doesn’t actually improve our situation.
Yes, a fit Owen is fantastic and I’m not exactly displeased about him being at the club, far from it. However, if we had signed say Ashton and Johnson, we would have had 2 up and coming players desperate to play for a club like ours, instead of a world star who saw Newcastle as a 2nd choice and is doubtful over his long term stay. Plus we probably would have saved a bit in wages and we wouldn’t have been fucked if one had been injured. AND Ashton is a ready made Shearer replacement!!!
Sent in on: November 29th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
I assume that by their very nature, Belgravia group will sensibly use the resources of the club.
They are an invstment fund. Managing funds SENSIBLY for their customers.
Unlike Freddy, I suspect that they will wisely improve the off field structure and lay key foundations to improve the club on and off the field. They will be wise, and not just cream the fans money up the wall like Fred has done.
If (please God!) Belgravia take over we will see on-field investment AND a sensible re-structuring of the off-field running of Newcastle United.
And besides, I’d rather Satan himself was in charge than that con-man well-fed-Fred. (Although these could be argued to be the same thing)
Sent in on: November 29th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Doctapaul,
I will grant that FS is probably well-intentioned. The problem, for me, is that we are precariously close to insolvency and our Premiership status is looking less-than certain.
This is bad stewardship of a business and a footb all club - particularly one with the benefits NUFC enjoys.
Of course, the AGM is being held in London this year so those who have genuine fears for the viability of the club will have to pay to go to London.
Sent in on: November 28th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
Hi Linda et al….
“Gullit lost a personality war? Isn’t part of being a good manager being able look after and lead a squad” = ok ok I take it back.
The sexy football didn’t come about - it would have taken years AND in the long run we have returned to it tho: with a team of Duff, Dyer, Martins, Owen and Emre = not much brawn here ie we need sex more than ever!
“Chairman of Waterstones has always bought lots of books” - Yes you are right - and the question is how many and of what quality? I’ve not witnessed any asset stripping - so I think a better analogy might be - he’s put his money where his mouth is - and by and large he bought the wrong books. Fred’s intent waS OK tho?
Personally i would back a fit Owen instead of any of the names mentioned. That’s just my humble opinion.
“Stop being blind and ignorant, open your eyes. ” Well I can open my eyes. If your intent is to persuade me - sorry this isn’t going to work.
Linda, if your intent is not to listen to anyone whose opinion differs to yours and shout louder - then there isn’t anything I can say.
If indeed I am blind and ignorant then you are not helping me are you. So maybe you could be kind and gentle.
“doctapaul, u are missing the house for the bricks…”
All I’m saying is that Freddy has backed his manegers. I just wish we had a manager who knows how to spend £10M wisely. Maybe Fred has stuck his nose in. Who hasn’t? That’s whu Keegan left.
For the record, I would like Frddy to move on. What I’m not saying is that everything has to be all good or all bad.
We all seem to be arguing in extremes. If you look around the world - wherever two sides are diametrically opposed - (eg Creationists v Darwinists, The Middle East Conflict, Mags v Mackems) neither side is right - ie both sides are flawed and never work together as they could to find out first the things that they agree on.
Let’s all stay cool huh?
Sent in on: November 28th, 2006 at 9:44 pm
Well said Linda!
Gullit lost a personality war? Isn’t part of being a good manager being able look after and lead a squad of players and that includes the talismanic figures right down to the youth! Jesus, dude, Gullit does not have a glorious management record, and that is because he is a unremarkably average and mediocre manager!!!!!
You reap what you sow and Freddy has sowed some bad bad seeds, and it’s constantly biting us on the ass but NO-ONE seems to noticing this!?! Stop being blind and ignorant, open your eyes, Freddy has caused great harm to Newcastle and it’s time he was made accountable for his disgraceful leadership…
Shepherd out!
Sent in on: November 28th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
This business of Freddy Shepherd backing his managers will be the death of me.
It is true that only Glenn Roeder has felt any limitations on the club’s (or bank’s) largesse. However, Shepherd is Chairman of a plc - the very minimum you expect from a Chairman is that he invest in his core business. Saying that he has always backed his managers is the same as saying that the Chairman of Waterstones has always bought lots of books - there is nothing remarkable about a Chairman using company revenue to attempt to expand the business. Any idiot can spend money - it’s using it wisely that matters.
Sent in on: November 28th, 2006 at 8:05 am
doctapaul, u are missing the house for the bricks…
the 17m we spent on Owen, would have been far better spent on young upcoming players. E.G Ashton, Bent or Johnson. In fact we could have signed any combination of those 3 for 17m but instead Freddy’s ego and ability to see only season ticket renewals has led us to our current predicatment. Yes i was excited but when we signed Owen, but iv always had reservations and as a fan, im entitled to get carried away. However Freddys job is to do the best by the club for both the short, medium and long term. He has AWFULLY mismanaged our great club, fighting near the top and now at the bottom isnt just one big fluke, ultimately Freddy is responsible for everything that happens. He has had made terrible choices in managers, each with a mad motivation to sign each one e.g. robson was losing respect (due to Freddys STUPID live TV remark that SBR was in his last year) and so as response signed a failing Graeme Souness renowned for his tough personality. Every signing has been an attempt to fill a gap, either in the team or in ticket renewals instead of focusing on long term team building and strategy. Freddy has a fantastic PR agent, are you blind? I keep hearing ridiculously misinformed comments about how Freddy tried his best and plowed tonnes in transfers all the freaking time.
1. Its not his own money its the FREAKING fans dosh, its his duty to keep the business and club healthy as part of his role. And thus HE HAS to provide at least some funds open
2. Its well suspected he has had way too much influence in transfer dealings. Going for Luque instead of Boa Morte, Argued with Roeder about which centre bk to buy so in the end we dnt get anyone in!!!
I am sick to the back teeth of hearing how he’s tried his best and how we shud get off his back. If u watched channel 5 the other night, ull see how much support he got during the game. Scandalously biased towards him! Remember no matter how good his intentions, he is an incompetent individual who was stewarded us into dodgy waters both footballing wise and financially! The road to hell is paved with good intentions my friend! We need ppl in who actually have business and sport strategic nous, and realise that hte best way to run a club is not to make it out like a Soap Opera, which freddy mistakenly believes is healthy, and instead actually go about running a tight ship with a clear long term goal and steps to achieve this aim.
Sent in on: November 27th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
I am in favour of a takeover but yes, i would like to hear their plans regarding management structure, transfer policy and so on. These guys are no mugs, unlike our current chairman. Belgravia will need the team to be a success in order for their investment to be a success. I would like to hear what they have to say for themselves but would be very confident that they could help the club progress much further than our current regime.
Sent in on: November 27th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Whether I like him or not is immaterial. I also could do with shedding a few pounds so I can hardly harangue him about that.
Remember, Freddy shelled out £17M for Michael Owen. Actions speak louder than words and in this case is hardly parasitical. Rightly or wrongly every manager under him has been able to spend, spend and spend again.
Will Belgravia employ a chief exec for less than what Freddie gets paid? I don’t think so.
Belgravia can reveal their plans and say wonderful things. (Freddy always has.) Perhaps the more important question is - can we trust them?
Let us take comfort that success for Belgravia will be dependent upon Newcastle being successful globally. OR is their motive primarily about the council maybe granting them the rights to build a hotel/casino?
Like Sir John, Fred has always backed his managers. None achieved the growth in success and passion that Keegan endeared. (Is it time to return?) Robson got us back on track. And unlike many I thought Gullit lost a peronality war rather than being a poor manager. The only genuine disasters were Dalglish (signed Given) and Souness (signed Owen).
Sir John Hall invested in Newcastle and came out on top. Fred, even if Newcastle win a cup, will never be remembered respectfully.
Maybe what Fred lacks is a good PR agent.
BUT
Can we as a Geordie nation forgive?
Sent in on: November 27th, 2006 at 7:01 am
I have major reservations about Belgravia but, given how precarious our finances are, I don’t know that we have that much latitude for choice in the matter.
Sent in on: November 27th, 2006 at 4:27 am
the things is;
man utd were incredibly well run before anyway, unlike us!
and any investor from a hedge fund, while their motives are obviously financial im sure they know a thing or two more then freddy as far as business administration and management go….
Sent in on: November 27th, 2006 at 2:48 am
I Like the way you thought of the story.
Well, I think we really must be careful and wait for the right man to takeover the club.
I don’t like long replies so that just sums the idea up :).
cheers
Sent in on: November 27th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Great article, HTT.
I get no comfort from idea of swapping FatFred for a faceless financial institution. Unless, as you say, they promise to run the club with expertise and dedication. I don’t see evidence from ManUSA that things are vastly better than before. I do not believe a company whose sole purpose is to make maximum money in the shortest time is necessarily better than FatFred, the Halls and assorted cronies and relations. (Belgravia Out!, anyone?)
Throwing chunks of cash at the odd signing is not the answer without proper planning and direction. Its like trying to eat soup with a fork. Frustrating and fruitless as being a supporter of NUFC often is.
Yet what can fans do? Relegation would be a disaster yet you cannot help thinking it might be the only way to bring about the radical reorganisation you describe. It is the only way fans may stop funding this madness by renewing our sesason tickets.
Eventually, if something isn’t done and we continue to limp along, leeching money while other clubs build bigger stadia and get their recruiting and academy networks established, they will have to change the Unicrn and Seahorse on the club crest to a Jackass and a Cash-Cow Rampant.
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Aye, good article, I agree with the sentiments.
C’mon Belgravia, I’d love a takeover but we want to know of your plans and/or intentions?
This club needs a shake up and investment in the *RIGHT* areas.
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Well I for one can hardly wait for the Belgravia Group to make their move. Of course they will want to make money and to do that they will organise the club top to bottom in a proper manner with hopefully a world class manager.
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 7:34 pm
Well can’t be any worse than what the Fat parasite and his cronies has been leaching from the club for the past decade, if they invest wisely, and get the club running proffesionally with results. Then so they should get back from their investment, because whats happened so far is nothing short of a disgrace.
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
Personally I can’t wait for a Belgravia take over. Steptoe and Son could run the club better than the current misguided fools. I really think you are looking a gist horse in the mouth. All I am really interested in is that the new owners are intelligent enough to balance the books, fund a manager with bundles of transfer cash and above all APPOINT A TOP TOP TOP MANAGER WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE CRYING OUT FOR!!!!!!
A good manager would be able to organise the club from top to bottom a la Wenger, with a class coaching staff and scouting network, not the shambolic wreck we seem to have at the moment.
I’d much rather Belgravia left the football to whoever this new man is and let him have the plans.
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 12:42 pm
We Wont Get Fooled Again - if only that was the case.
Fat Freddy and Co pull more rabbits out of the hat than Paul Daniels and charge us more for the pleasure.
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 10:32 am
Good to read a considered article on our current situation, there’s been far too much knee-jerk/over the top reaction to the possibility of someone trying takeover our club.
You’re right to ignore the information leaked to the press about a £25m transfer kitty. The timing of this leak smells of Machiavellian manoeuvring, and Belgravia will be wanting it back (plus interest)at some point anyway. Do they think NUFC supporters are going to fall for this blatant PR stunt?
As you say, what NUFC supporters want to see from any potential new owner is how they intend to build a solid and sustainable future for the club, not someone throwing money at the problem. If gambling is Belgravia’s thing they can take a running jump all the way back to the Cayman Islands.
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 10:30 am
Well put!
We could do with a couple of Pinball Wizards tho - regardless
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 10:15 am
The Belgravia group will not release information about their plans until an official offer is put on the table.
This will not happen over the christmas period. No way will FS let go without a fight. This will just be yet another soap opera that will be played out once more in front of the chuckling nation, with FS coming out with statements about keeping NUFC a geordie club!
I agree fully with the ‘put your chequebook away’ sentiment, as money without substance will only get us back onto one of our more famous issues’papering over the cracks’.
Belgravia definately have my attention, but to secure my support, they need to disclose their intentions
Sent in on: November 26th, 2006 at 10:08 am