Billionaire Snare! Mike Ashley purchases Sir John Hall’s 41.6% stake
By James Collins On Wed 23 May 2007 |
Newcastle have a new leading shareholder today, as billionaire sports entrepreneur Mike Ashley purchased Sir John Hall’s 41.6% stake in the club for an estimated £55 million. It is reported that the businessman, who came 25th in the 2007 Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated worth of £1900 million, will now bid for the remaining shares at the club.
Here is what the people involved have to say:
Mike Ashley
‘I am delighted to have this opportunity to invest in Newcastle United. The club has a fantastic infrastructure, for which Sir John and the board must take much of the credit. I am pleased that Sir John has agreed to remain as Life President of the club. Newcastle United has a wonderful heritage and the passion of its fans is legendary. I am sure that, like me, they are already excited about the prospects for next season under the new manager’s
stewardship.’
Sir John Hall
‘I have been associated with the direction of Newcastle United for nearly 20
years. In that time, I have led the club and, before I retired, led the team responsible for the modernisation of the club we all see today.It is now time for me to move on and let others take up the challenge of competing in the global market place.
Mike Ashley is a major player in the sporting world and I am convinced that he is the right person to take my place and take the club forward. I am sure he will be good for the club and its loyal fans and indeed for the region. I wish him the very best and hope he enjoys it as much as I have.
Finally, I would like to thank all the fans for their support whilst I was at the helm and would ask them to lend the same level of support to Mike. He has my full backing.’
So what do we know about Mark Ashley? We know that he owns Sports World, the largest sports wear retailer in the United Kingdom. Other companies in which he is believed to hold shares include JJB Sports, JD Sports, Black’s Leisure, Kangol, Donnay and Lonsdale. He is also an arch-rival of Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, having been the man who blew the whistle on the unfair trading practice regarding the price fixing of football shirts.
Is this the dawn of a new era for Newcastle? What are your hopes and fears? Is this the end of Freddy Shepherd? Have your say.
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Little Jeff,
You said:
“What about the prospect of Michael Owen buggering off? I know a lot of it is paper talk and loyalty counts for nowt these days but surely he’s gotta come clean and state that he wants to play for us and isn’t wanting to move?”
I wasn’t fussed about Owen having to come out & tell us all where he stands because as long as he says nothing there should be no doubt exactly where he stands. i.e. He’s a Newcastle player that has not said anything about wanting to leave just like nearly every other member of our squad.
What changed my opinion on this was reading that on NUFC.com that in an Owen press conference yesterday:
“any questions about Newcastle were declared off-limits in advance.”
That smells of he wants off to me. But I think he’s likely to give Sam till Christmas to prove the team is going in the right direction.
Sent in on: May 25th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Personally i could’nt give a shit if were a rich mans play thing! I’d probably do the same if i had unlimited wealth! I just wanna be watching a successful football team again.
Thats the way football clubs are run these days,why should we be any different?
Sent in on: May 25th, 2007 at 10:29 am
What about the prospect of Michael Owen buggering off? I know a lot of it is paper talk and loyalty counts for nowt these days but surely he’s gotta come clean and state that he wants to play for us and is’nt wanting to move? I think he owes us big time!
As for the rest of them theres probably only Given,Harper,Solano,Taylor,Emre,Parker,Butt(how tings have changed!)and Duff(he’s better than what he’s shown so far) i’d defo keep!
Sent in on: May 25th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Paul,
And exactly what were we before this happened, a slightly less rich, fatter man’s plaything….
In reality which succesful club isn’t, infact which club isn’t
If you look at the Premier League now, money is the only thing that can bring success
Trev
Sent in on: May 25th, 2007 at 10:10 am
So we are all excited at becoming a rich mans’ plaything.
Exactly waht we mocked Chelsea for…….
Sent in on: May 25th, 2007 at 10:04 am
Woopdy Freaking Woop!!!
Finally, the rag and bone man’s going to collect his scrap and do one!!!
He’s been a drain on this club for far too long!
The man who cannot keep his thick arse mug out of the press, is keeping his mush out of the press!(STC) Doug Hall, Plonker! He touches cats! Nuff said!
And can i just clarify? Many times over the past decade, we’ve heard about how freddie, “Always puts his money where his mouth is” HIS??? The clubs money thankyou! You and I! Season tickets, tickets, shirts, and our bloody sky subscriptions!
The majority of his share purchases were paid for, in part, from his bloody £500.000.00 salary, then theres the bloody dividends!!!!!
Yes, some of you will be screaming at your monitors that, thats the point in being a bloody shareholder!
But, when FS only looks to line his ‘large’ pockets and the interest of the club isn’t at the forefront of his thinking, does that make him a good shareholder???
NO! Bollocks!
Freddie!! Sell your shares, that we all helped you pay for,
Fuck Off and kiss my sweaty hairy arse on ytour way out!
PS, anyone not from newcastle, and only watch sky sports for their daily intake of culture, please dont assume that all geordies are like the “handfull” numpties that decide on “showing their disgust” at the end of a game! They proberbly never even been to the game, ran out of cans more like!
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
I must admit for the first season in a while I’m optomistic. We’ve got rid of half the defence, either sell Carr and Baba or keep them for sqaud players. Get a couple of experienced centre halves to help the kids. And some decent full bcks and we’ll be ok. Bolton were always tight at the back. It really depends who else leaves if we strengthen midfield, on paper its pretty good, a severe lack of height. But enought good players, and up front, again depends who leaves.
Freddy has put very little of his own money in, and him and the Halls have been draining cash from the club, anyone who thinks freddy let Souness spend 50 million of his money is a fool. I’ll be pleased if he goes, he’s incompetant, In any other job he would have been sacked by now. Lets hope Ashley leaves the public side well alone ( as is the norm ) and appoints a director of football. He can run the business, let someone else run the team.
Next season if we buy well, we could get back into europe. There isn’t going to be 100’s of millions to spend. Probably not as much as West Ham or Villa. I reckon 6th is as good as we’ll get, maybe fifth. We have to avoid putting unrealistic expectations on managers and the team. Lets stick by the team and show people. Last year was the worst in the premiership, next year can’t be any worse.
Viva La Toon.
Chant for Wigan away next year - We’ve got more shops than you.
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Come on lads fair enough you have your views on here, but this is good news obviously we must be careful but this billionaire is hardly going to sell all our players and get us relegated, in the whole time nufc has been around we have never ever had a billionaire as an owner i find it exciting and i can see us as the same as chelsea with one great manager, and just one owner which is constently giving the toon army new money to buy new players….. so my message to you lot out there just sit back keep going to games and enjoy this great moment because im looking forward to next season already, TOON TOON ARMY ARMY!
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
What have fans been saying repeatedly, reaching a crescendo when Roeder “resigned” ? - clear out the club from top to bottom. Suddenly we have a manager who can build a team and a bona fide rich, british, sports based investor who has at least rid us of that obnoxious little parasitic shit Douglas Hall. Freddie has invested heavily it is true. Wisely - mostly no. His own money - mostly no. Does he learn from his mistakes - mostly no, years of overpaid, limited talented players who still arrive, that we can’t get rid of. I’m sure FFS is shocked and it is quite clear Sir John has done his legs. However, he now has to accept his time is over - step aside. Don’t prevent this opportunity for us as a great club and great fans to enter a new era with optimism. Let us get everything in place during the summer and lay a solid foundation for the next few years - it won’t happen overnight just because the backer is rich. Only Keegan has ever done it at Premiership level overnight from nothing. FFS should not get us into a prolonged, messy battle for control that he cannot possibly win. Be the honourable supporter he always tells us he is and don’t hold out for a big pay off when he has earned plenty over the years off the back of his control. Don’t forget both he and Douglas Hall will receive in the region of £1m each over the next 2 years for taking a substantial offer for their shares. Final question to FFS before he contemplates his next move - Are Man U still a rudderless ship ? If you don’t go soon, with dignity and respect expect a mutiny from your own “crew” on the NUFC Titanic !
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
This has cheered me up no end. I was about to not renew my season ticket as it was the only way to get FFS’ theiving hands out of my wallet.
I had heard a rumour that Mike Ashley was looking at buying a club but didn’t think it would be us. He is good friends with one of the Spurs board and has been sighted a few times at Spurs. This of course is meaningless as people don’t just invest in the club they support for example Steve Morgan buying in at Wolves and Philip Green’s alleged behind the scenes involvement at Everton, despite them being Liverpool and Spurs fans respectively.
FFS may as well stop his whinging and settle as Ashley can easily remove him from the game by the use of a rights issue. For example a 4 for 1 offer where each share is at £1. Ashley could easily stump up the £220M he would require. We all know that Freddie could not find the £150M he would require, as if he could he would have bought the Halls out himself. Freddie has made enough money out of the club and had his snout in the trough for far too long.
The only potential black cloud on the horizon is that there are some rumours in the City that Ashley has already got another buyer lined up and is going to flip the club for an instant profit once he has taken out FFS. I think this unlikely as Premiership clubs are now just giant cash machines due to the global TV rights.
At least Ashley is an English billionaire and will sail through any fit and proper checks that the FA may carry out (shame they didn’t do this for the two Russians who own Premiership clubs).
I am for the first time in a very long while feeling that old optimism coming coursing back through my veins.
Maybe this will get us all pulling in the same direction because as the old chant goes,
Newcastle United will never be defeated!
Our day will come!
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Toongirl - Freddy has put his money where his mouth is, he gave Souness £50 million and Roeder £15 million, never mind the money he puts into wages. Much of it hasn’t been spent wisely, but it’s the managers job to identify decent buys, not the chairman’s.
Mike Ashley, if he becomes the new chairman, could back Allardyce as Shepherd has done with past managers, and in the past it did not earn success. Just because he has money doesn’t mean we’d automatically start winning things. Happily, Allardyce has bought fairly well in the past on a limited budget, so lets hope he’s equally astute with an open chequebook, as he’d have to be if Ashley were to back him substantially.
And fuck freddy - Mr Ashley is also a ‘fat ass’ so your nonsensical attack on Freddy also appears to be one on our potential new owner. Also, it appears you can’t spell; ‘quit’ means to give something up…you seem to be looking for the word ‘quiet’.
I’m fairly optimistic (if and when Freddy gives up his remaining 29%), but I tire of the truth faith attitude, which is one of ‘anything must be better than Freddy’. That’s not true. But I do hope that whatever happens happens quickly, so that the club can concentrate on spending its money in the summer and sorting out the playing squad.
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
That was not at all completley random, like where the hell did that come from?? Em anyway, I don’t know if it’s good for the club or not,but Newcastle is a rich club, around the top 15 in the world, it has the money, the ability to compete finacially with the likes of the stronger clubs. Here, in Newcastle, there alot of dreamers, oh were a big club, deserve trophies, this new managers going to be great, he’ll take us to greater things..etc, but that’s all talk, fan wise we’ve a massive club but we’ve had the potentional to be a great club over the last few years and nothings been done. Dissapointment after dissapointment again and again. SO for once, will somebody, I don’t care who it really is. Just would they please put their money where their mouth is and instead of promising to by new players and back the manager and win us trophies, actually do something. Where does all the money go. Like can they please for once buy some decent players, not half willed OK attackers who seem to get worse when the come to Newcastle and have little or no impact and don’t seem to improve at all. And for once, please, PLEASE can we get some quality defenders in there. Because in the end it doesn’t matter who’s behind the curtain or how many strikers we buy at the end of the day, better teams, better players will tear our defense apart over and over again like they’ve done in the past and will continue to do if something isn’t done, soon. Shay Given is a really good keeper, one of the best. But he’s not a miracle worker (even though it seems like that at times), the defenders keep getting worse and the other teams strikers just keep getting better. How much longer is he going to be relied on for doing 4 other guys job aswell as his own. I’m all for a brighter furture, expectations and all that jazz, i don’t know about ye but I’m sick of empty promises so honestly untill somethings done I’ve no expectations. It’s great and all a billionare, lots of money and a whole summer to do something about it, but like I said I’m not to bothered about whats going on behind the curtain once, like I said, once they put their money where their mouths are and start spending money..wisely, once we get better defenders, better players up front, in general like and start playing the good football that we know this club and their fans deserve.
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Not wanting to count the chickens so to speak! But it’s got to end up being better than what we were served up last year?!
I think “Big Sam” will do the biz once he clears the dead wood. As for Mr.Ashley lets hope he comes good too. …Please!..before i’m to old to remember it!
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
I can’t say I’m at all comfortable with recent events. First we appoint a manager who might actually make us a hardworking difficult team to beat, rather than a farce that pretends it plays good football, and now we have a billionnaire buying into the club.
A guy who is absolutely loaded and knows how to make money, what is and is not a good deal.
No, not sitting well with me. I can’t quite describe the uneasy feeling it gives me. I think most fans refer to it as “optimism”? I’d always thought that was a myth!
On a more serious note I agree with Archie. I couldn’t care less how nice or nasty Mr Ashley is. To actually have somebody at our club who is a business man and interested in making money is fine by me. If you’re making money, then your team is successful. Hopefully the days of flogging good players for pennies (Solano) and wasting money on flops (Boumsong) are well and truly behind us.
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
I think this is good news for the club long term, as much as freddy may have tried he is ultimately to blame for the clubs demise over countless years.
Ashley now has to bid for Freddies shares how long will this go on? will freddie drag his heels? how is all this going to effect Sam in the market place this summer?
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 11:45 am
We seem to be looking for problems here.
I very much doubt if our prospective new owner will be standing at the turnstyles shouting “pleb” and “dickhead” as the common people stroll by.
A billionaire with an attitude - who’d a thunk it!
Mexicola - you need to get onto the net and check out the meaning of “off the record”
Someone wrote into the site last week saying that they hoped our new players were only concerned about their pay packets and their permed hair, and if they liked the fans, then that was a bonus. The point being - who gives a toss if they can play football?
I hope Ashley is only concerned about making money. If he thinks I’m a knob and I’m jealous of his billions then thats a part of the relationship I should just about be able to cope with, as long as he invests, we’re serious contenders for silverware and he doesn’t interfere with the running of the club.
Do we really need him to be our favourite Uncle too?
He has a reputation for being tenacious and ruthless - surely that’s how he got his few quid in the bank.
You generally find that tenacious and ruthless Billionaires have the odd character flaw.
Anyway Mexicola, we’re discussing the opinion of your mate, who probably has other issues with him that we’re not privvy to.
Here’s an idea. Lets object strongly to this change of direction, and all the money, and stick with Fred. I have a mate who reckons Fred’s a really nice bloke, who doesn’t interfere in the running of the club at all!
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Oh and a new Donnay strip wouldn’t be all that bad… would it?
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Mexicola…
How does Freddy treat the public?
Is his conduct good?
I don’t think so. I would imagine it will be a long time before Mike come’s out and calls us all idots for buying shirts and being married to dogs!!!
Sent in on: May 24th, 2007 at 8:31 am
….sorry to play the flirt, but I’d rather keep it vague and non-defamatory. If nothing else the comments made by my contact were definately off the record so out of fairness to him I’d rather not be too specific.
Let’s just say he has direct experience of the guy and his view was that he treats the public with something close to disdain. Now, as we have 1000’s of extremely loyal members of the “public” who would willingly sell their souls to see NUFC succeed, that seems like a potentially dangerous mix.
Having said all of that - this was one persons personal opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. I guess I’m just cautious?
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Spill the beans Mexicola…
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Hmmmmm. Got to be careful what I say here but….
Just had a couple of emails from the old director of my former company (names changed to protect the innocent). He was less than complimentary about our new potential owner to say the least. I’m not going to post here exactly what he said, not wanting to be sued for slander by a billionaire, but my “contact” has known him for a long time (upwards of 25 years) and let’s just say his opinion of him is not especially high.
Basically, it was suggested that: “..he only wants to be bigger than Wigan and Dave Whelen” and “…he thinks the public are idiots”. Then again he also rightly points out that the only thing he has ever lost money on was his marriage so he must have something going for him.
Time will tell.
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Couldn’t slag John Hall off one bit but good riddance to FFS - at least this will stop the idiot from carrying Micheal Owen to Liverpool for £9 million.
Sick of his shite about backing the manager (with our money) - perhaps if he’d asked us we wouldn’t have ended up with Faye, Boumsong, Babayro and who can forget wor Albert.
Let’s hope the takeover goes quickly to give Allardyce much needed funds.
Take the money and run Freddy - your time is up!
Howay the lads.
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Sounds good doesnt it lets wait and see, I really hope this is it, but dont under estimate Freddie he’s a street fighter and could make this very difficult.
Gareth
New Hartley Mags
chairman
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 10:13 pm
There is a God after all!!!!
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 9:52 pm
This is a massive shock. I cant see him having much of a personal input into team affairs but rather see this as an investment. It could also be a major dig at current kit makers adidas as he has had a running battle with them over pricing and supplies for a few years now. You guys sell thousands of shirts and they would not want to lose your contract. This could be a way of getting them back on Sports World’s side. However, he loves his football and is a really nice bloke and very easy to get on with. I hope all his intentions are for the good of the club.
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 8:05 pm
I’m not critisizing so much as sounding a note of caution. Some people seem to have an idea of ‘anything’s better than Freddy’, and I don’t think that’s necessarily true. All I mean to say is that we don’t yet know enough about this man (there’s only a few pictures of him, never mind any other information) or his intentions to make a sound, accurate judgement. But as Archie says, any businessman wants to make a profit and to do that he’ll have to invest. He’s certainly got the money. I just hope he knows what he’s doing when it comes to running a football club, which is obviously very different to running any other sort of business. It’ll be interesting to see what the board has to say about the offer for the rest of the shares, whenever they meet.
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 6:53 pm
ChrisL - Spot on mate. Ashley looks unlikely to start bringing his own players in, or telling Sam how to run the team.
A Private Man Running A Private Business
Random - harsh criticism to put the man down because his company floated for only a billion, instead of 2, but there again he only floated 43% of it so maybe the figures work out after all.
He’s not a football fanatic so it appears he’s bought a business.
Surely he’ll want his business to return a profit?
Best way to make a profit with a football club is to win stuff.
To do that he’ll need to invest.
Of course, first of all he has to get FFS to release his grip on the cash cow.
Good luck Mr Ashley - I hope you this turns out to be an extremely successful business venture for you
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 6:43 pm
At the end of the day, FFS always quotes he has given “his money” to the managers, complete and utter shite.
That money comes directly from our pockets (or indirectly in the form of BSkyb, Sponsors and retailers).
I have absolutely no respect for FFS, and he should have been ousted back in the days of the Marbella Scandal.
Cock.
Lets hope this guy (and quite frankly I’d rather it was him taking over than some ‘Yanks or a Russian Mafia) does the business, buys the bastard out and we can look forward to a decade of future planning, investment and hope…rather than waiting for the next scandal, manager being sacked at silly times (Sir Bobby Robson) and generally taking the piss out of our religion.
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Just read this from him as well, it’s about 6 months old & obviously about something else… but we could do with a Chairman that keeps quiet sometimes.
“I would rather I hadn’t had the attention. I am a private man running a private business. I prefer to stay out of the limelight and have no desire for a public profile,” said Mr Ashley in a conference call.”
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I’m pleased to read this from Ashley, hopefully it sayd a lot:
“I am sure that, like me (the fans), they are already excited about the prospects for next season under the new manager’s stewardship.”
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 4:25 pm
man with estimated worth of 2 billion pounds???
i MUST be dreaming
surely he’s a top money manager,
he runs the UK’s biggest sports retailers
maybe we could get Shevchenko now…
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 4:16 pm
This is fantastic news for NUFC; let’s now hope he goes on to take the rest of the shares and de-lists the club from the stock exchange; before pumping some of his billions into the club.
Can’t stop smiling!!!!
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 4:00 pm
This is interesting - rather out of the blue, and of slight concern. A lot of people have quite rightly observed on how Mr Shepherd has made numerous mistakes while in charge of the club, but, financially, he has ran it well. He secured the investment for the stadium’s expansion, rather than against the team’s performance (as Leeds did, catastrophically), has backed his mangers and generally run a tight ship. Mr Ashley, while he is obviously rich, has a reputation as having bad relations with investors and shareholders (his company floated for less than half the money expected) and is a bit of an unknown. The one thing you could never question about Freddy was that he had the club’s interests at heart, even if he sometimes wasn’t sure how to go about making such interests reality. Can the same be said about this new man? Or will he treat the club as a commodity rather than a labor of love, something from which to obtain more financial benefit?
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I think this is great, news if he invests heavily in the player staff and supports allardyce, freddy has tried his best and he has done some great things for this club, but also some terrible things and i think, the best thing he could do would agree the offer for remaning shares and at least then he can walk out of the door with some dignity
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 3:31 pm
My work here is done.
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Can this be the turnaround I was asking/hoping, no begging for. I won’t sit and slag off FFS, I suppose he tried, but in the new world order he just cannot compete financially anymore in this marketplace. PLC’s were ok in their time but outright Billionair ownership is the way forward now. I just hope the new owner has done his homework on the club and the passion of the fans. What I’ve read about him he tends to jump in and out of things as it pleases him, he must be in for the long haul.
Maybe I will buy the new shirt now at a cut down 31.99 from his Sports Direct shop on the Valley ;-))
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 3:19 pm
fuuny joker!!
great news, lets hope we can get the players to go with the fans, i.e. top quality.
Howay the Lads!
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 3:13 pm
It’s all come as a shock but I’m absolutely delighted with the news because it now makes him majority shareholder doesn’t it?
I hope Freddy comes to his senses and agrees the reported £133m takeover, it would really signal an end to Newcastle’s recent failings and we could all look forward to a new future with Allardyce and Ashley.
I’m going to be entering this next season with optimism if we lose Freddy. To be fair, he has really given the club money when it was needed but we all know he wasn’t a great chairman.
Here’s to the future.
Sent in on: May 23rd, 2007 at 3:02 pm