Comments on: When owning Newcastle United, what’s love got to do with it?

By: Hugh de Payen

Hugh de Payen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:25:02 +0000

I think a new owner needs ambition though, albeit considered ambition with one eye on the finances.

I’d hate a Doug Ellis-style situation where his aim at Villa was to spend just enough to avoid a relegation fight.

Then again, I’d hate us to run up huge debts trying to compete at the very top. The money has to be paid back eventually.

I think this club, with the right owner and right manager, can realistically aim for a European place. If Villa and Everton can, we can (although it can’t be rushed – I think it would take us at least 4-5 years to achieve that from here). Beyond that it gets very difficult.

By: Micky Toon

Micky Toon — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:45:59 +0000

BBM, I tend to agree that the new owners must at least show that they give a damn about the club. I think most proper business men do actually care about their investments at least enough to ensure that they get the best possible return on their investment, by appointing the right people to run the business for them.
I’ve got to admit that if I were a City fan I’d be concerned. I would like someone come in who actually knows something about the club, wants to get involved and hasn’t just bought us of a sheet of recommended buys. Which is probably what happened in City’s case.
I guess it’s a fine balance between not getting too involved that you become blinkered, like us fans, and also not being too distant like the arabs at city and the yanks at liverpool and ManU.

By: geordie deb

geordie deb — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:45:32 +0000

I agree MickyToon I think we need a period of tough but fair love from our new owner. He/She/they need to be able to ignore any knee jerk reactions from the fans as long as they are steering the right course to keep us focused on a bigger strategic goal

By: bowburnmag

bowburnmag — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:35:18 +0000

MT – didn’t meant to suggest the ability to fall in love with NUFC is a pre-requisite.

I think it would just be nice. What me being a romantic and all that. And slightly reassuring in as much as it becomes more than a commodity and instead something they are fond of/love.

I see that as a good thing though I concede caring too much could be just as problematic.

By: Micky Toon

Micky Toon — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:12:41 +0000

BBM – Interesting article and although there may be some song titles in the prose that I have missed, I think Media Whores and Jealous Fans could be a cracking name for a song.
Personally I am of the opinion that the owner doesn’t have to love the club or the area. All the owner needs to do is appoint a set of good people who know football to run the club. The fans provide the love. What we need is stability at the club and to provide that we need people who can step back and make those cold, hard decisions. The club needs people at the top to temper the enthusiasm of the manager. You can imagine Shearer getting carried away with spending money if he had the chance as all he wants to do is get the club back up to the PL. You need someone to say, OK Alan, but will spending £35m on Peter Crouch really make sense? Ashley just did what the fans wanted and Shepherd did what he thought the fans wanted. We need someone who wants what is best for the club and if that sometimes means upsetting a few fans then so be it.

By: Stuart79

Stuart79 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:33:10 +0000

George Caulkin is very good and consistant in his writing on NUFC.

I would believe him over that Mackem Louise Taylor.

I believe it’s imminant anyway

By: geordie deb

geordie deb — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:18:15 +0000

The Sun and the Star are now reporting “Freddie get out of Toon!”. They’ve taken it from the nufc.com story, “Let’s get Freddy to rumble”.

Hopefully if the tide was ever in his favour, it is now turning against him, for the sake of our sanity.
Well I’m off to bed. Night Worky

By: workyticket

workyticket — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:58:32 +0000

The Sun and the Star are now reporting “Freddie get out of Toon!”. They’ve taken it from the nufc.com story, “Let’s get Freddy to rumble”.

By: geordie deb

geordie deb — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:36:05 +0000

Worky

I can picture the colour you’re talking about.. ‘the head in a bucket of peroxide for too long’ look

By: workyticket

workyticket — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:28:51 +0000

geordie deb says:
July 1, 2009 at 1:14 am

“Yep they’ve all been tangoed, not a good look I’m afraid wherever they live! But a lot of us geordie women are blonde and blue eyed due to our nordic ancestory so should be less need for the white hair look up there.”

Aye Deb, but I didn’t mean that kind of blonde. I meant that flourescent, “radioactive” kind of blonde.