Hughton speaks publicly about his Newcastle sacking.

Posted on December 24th, 2010 | 52 Comments |

Hughton speaks.
Hughton speaks.
Chris Hughton has spoke publicly today for the first time since his sacking from Newcastle.

In an interview with Sky Sports News, Hughton spoke of the disappointment upon hearing the news that both he and Paul Barron were to be axed, his thoughts on the sacking, and his plans for the future after what was an unexpected sacking that caused an uproar from many quarters.

I’m trying to transcript what was said, so be warned that it may not be exactly word for word, but I’ll try and get it as spot on as I can. First off, Chris was asked about what happened on the day he got sacked and how the meeting with Derek Llambias was called.

“I got a phone call in the morning from the managing director, Derek Llambias, it was for myself and Paul Barron to meet him at the stadium after training, and of course I was told then.

“It was a surprise, and I think the fact that Paul Barron was with me made it more of a surprise. If it was a meeting on my own then perhaps I would have had a thought that perhaps something could happen, but it was a complete surprise”

Hughton was then asked how it felt after just being told that both he and Paul Barron were no longer required by the club.

“Lot’s of emotions,” Hughton said. “It’s not a particularly nice thing to happen to anybody and particlularly at a time when it wasn’t expected, but that is part of the game and part of the game you have to get on with.”

“You have to look forward. The reasons why they chose to terminate the contract are their reasons. I’ve been asked on numerous occasions why, but the answer to that is that I can’t say too much. The answers to those questions can only be answered by the managing director and the owner.”

“It was a very quick conversation. The club wanted to go in a different direction, and of course they are the owners and it is their perogative and their choice on how they want to run things.”

Alan Sugar, the former Tottenham Hotspur chairman and current TV celebrity and business mogul said in the aftermath that the decision to sack Hughton was horrendous and laughable. Chris was asked how he felt about the reaction from other names in the game so to speak.

“There have been lots of opinions, certainly in the few days afterwards, but it goes back to the fact that most people held disbelief at what happened, but as I say, these are decisions that are made in football, over my head, by my bosses, and there really isn’t an awful lot I can do about it except look forward.”

Chris was then asked if held any negative feelings towards Newcastle or whether he felt bitter over his sacking. Hughton replied:

“I don’t think you can afford to be bitter. It’s a wonderful club and I look forward to going back there to see games. I had a fantastic time there for nearly three years and enjoyed living in the area, but I don’t think you can afford to be bitter. What you need to do is look forward. I’ve had a long career in the game, and it’s a career that I want to continue.

Chris Hughton being as dignified and diplomatic as ever. Alan Sugar may have been critical of Ashley and Llambias, but it appears that he showed them a trick or two with regard to sacking people. The meeting had a bit of a hint of The Apprentice about it by the sounds of it! “Sit down, Chris. You’re fired!”

I’m glad that Chris will be looking to get back into the game at some point. He is a true gent who helped to drag the club back from the precipice of a massive abyss, and for that we should all be eternally grateful.

Chris Hughton = Legend

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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52 Responses

  1. Ace. Just transcripted this from Sky, only for them to publish the interview minutes later :roll:

  2. I f’kin HATE it when people say ‘he’s a true gent’ or the like, makes my skin crawl. Just seems so cheesy to someone who i’m sure has a lot more going for him.

    Like knowing you’re lass is minging, but your with her as she’s a ‘proper lady’ though…

    Load of crap, talk about his achievements and attributes as a coach, not whether you want to have a lager top with him or not.

  3. Maybe we’ll get to see him at some of the upcoming matches, shouting at the players from the stands .. lol ;)

    For what he did for us, I will be eternally grateful, he showed us the way, the way the club should be going, the way the players should be playing & for that we will hold him dear, along such names as KK & Sir Bobby..

    Thank you Hoots, you’re a real gem!!!

  4. what you geordies need too understand that mike can do what he likes its his club and you should remember that when your going to the “sports direct.com stadium”. you should be happy your going too stay up. but no. you still think your real madrid no wonder your the laughing stock of football whenever you meet a geordie on holiday its the same shite “massive club” best fans but strangely no talk of silverware and as for carroll hes an overrated yard dog with a bad head now as i say you should show mike ashley some respect after all if it wasnt for mike your club would be in administration so treat mike with respect and stop bloody whinging over a mediocre player who has been in management for 5 mins and done nothing

  5. I’ve never met a Geordie who compared NUFC to Real Madrid and its mainly idiots like you who keep using massive club and Newcastle United in the same sentence and no Geordie would talk to you ya SMB.

  6. mediocre, think we’re a massive club, laughing stock, lucky not to be administration, but yet still attractive enough to get other teams’ fans to go on to their blogs and post comments.

    Like you’ve ever been on holiday mate, go and get a life.

  7. Pure delusion shouldn’t you be fuking your mum before daddy gets home from work you inbred tool.

  8. I see man shitty have been put off by wolfsberg putting a 38 million euro price tag on Dzeko, wonder if they’ll go for Torres who in my opinion has been terrible since his wonder season

    Hughton did a fantastic job and 95% of toon fans are grateful for the work done by him, he laid a solid foundation for us to stay up this year and hopefully with gosling, ben arfa and poss a few young uns/good signings we can push on a bit and achieve safety earlier than expected

    Howay the lads

  9. SMB ‘whenever you meet a geordie on holiday’

    Most people don’t class the shields ferry as a holiday. :lol:

  10. I’m not a newbie, just haven’t blogged for a while and I think the name suits me better.
    Still stunned over the sacking of CH as with poor old Sam both with us and his latest. Ch’s was probably less deserved though.
    Whether Pardew is an MA puppet or not he has to be very grateful to the Xmas fairy for a job that is very much the creation of CH with all of the subsequent trimmings.
    The January window should reveal MA’s true colours as to whether he wants to continue the good work or cash his chips!!

    After 55 years of supporting the Toon I’ve good reason to be grumpy but still hope for a silver lining before some dodgy ref blows full time on me. Don’t want another 50 years of angst though. :)

  11. Nick Dryden

    Doesn’t he have a villa in spain called ‘casa st.james’ or something like that with the pay off money he pocketed. The man doesn’t get much sympathy from me like.

  12. Maybe he’s a scouser. He’s clearly nicked his keyboard and lost the full stop button or any sense of grammar in the process anyway.

  13. Forget Hughton, that era’s been and gone.

    We should be giving Pardew all the support he needs now, not harping back to the last manager we had.

  14. hello guys,

    I am wonderng if its snowing badly in Newcastle now, because at my place it does since morning! And im flying from Stuttgart to Newcastle via amsterdam tomorrow to watch game on Sunday with a bit angst if the game would be postpone.

    So what do you guys think, is the game on Sunday will be on schedule or not? Hope for somebody’s reply. Thank you in advance.

  15. tonnsy do u not think legend is a wee bit over the top, i do believe he was a super coach who went on to do a real good job and was treated like a piece of shit. But i would never class him as a legend, thats the type of comments that others jump on to to accuse us of being deluded. Now i would class SBR and KK as legends but i would say CH didnt get the chance to become one

  16. I’d call him a legend given what he did for us, with the players aswell mind. It could have been very different.

  17. CH is such a dignified person.

    I though that Paul Barron resign afterward not the other way round.

  18. Hoots may not be top four manager talent, but he is no fool as to making himself available for another post. Maybe that was the problem, to much “get along with what I’m told”, not enough “this is my vision”. At least he finally understood to our immense satisfaction the person who buys the ticket expects the ball to come forward and come forward attractively.

  19. Well I thought CH might have told us something but he didn’t really tell us much but maybe in time we will hear bits and pieces, but we will probably never know what happened.
    As for the Legend name I would say it gets used far to often and I agree with KKforever that CH never reached that level.
    So Toonsy have you been a good boy this year ??? I think you might be getting a bag of ash’s

  20. Magpie_May13 says:
    December 24, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    “CH is such a dignified person.”

    Argggggggg, there it is again, she’s fat like, but she’s got a nice personality!

    For me it is incredibly demeaning if all people talk about is ‘ahhhh what a nice guy he was’ like he is some old fart in a home who pisses himself.

    Seriously who cares if he was a nice guy!?! He was a coach first and foremost and if he is talked about, his coaching abilities should be the first thing people talk about.

    When Jose Mourinho retires do you think will be bothered about his arrogance or how he is hard to work with? No, as they will be listing all the trophies he has won as first and foremost, he is a brilliant manager, that’s his job, to bring out the best in players and win things, not to be nice.

    It wasn’t his job to be nice, a gent, or dignified, it was to be a coach, and it is these aspects which we should talk about, not this girly, ‘he’s a gent’, crap.

    ahhhhh off my chest :D

  21. My money is on Hughton being the next West Ham manager, i read a quote from their MD Karen Brady just after he got sacked and she said he should pop in for a chat next time he visits his dad who lives beside the ground, once again he has conducted himself with dignity and is obviously from a different breed to our board who dont hold great store in that particular attribute.
    But, managers and players come and go, we have a lifetime sentence so life has to go on, the board are aiming to be one of the few top flight clubs to make a profit and couldnt give a toss if staff or fans are trampled on in the process.
    Merry Xmas to fellow posters.

  22. Legend is a word banded around a lot obviously..but in my mind Hughton is probably classed as one to be honest. I’ll avoid phrases like “true gent” so ILM doesn’t have a heart attack in rage ;) but I thought he was a quality coach, got our players up for the challenge most of the time and in turn got the best out of them. Been through so much sh*te lately and he gave us some good leadership and direction. So to me he is second only to Bobby…Yeah, that places him above KK for me :)

    On a side note, I Love Mike, don’t you think its nice to just have nice people in football for its own sake? I realise the Mourinho comparison and you could say the same about players and such-ala Maradonna. Even so, a good person alongside a good footballer or manager is always better in my opinion…i.e Messi, compared to a footballer who’s also a complete c*nt-ala Ronaldo/Rooney :P

  23. Halfstadium,
    You must be refering to that poxy little tin box that your unwashed friends visit every now and then. And another thing, changing your name does,nt hide the fact that you are the Saddest Mackem B4st4rd I,ve ever come across. Do have a nice Christmas cos when your bubble does eventually pop, the guy,s at the big club up the road will be having a giggle.

  24. THE LAST POST B4 CHRISTMAS<
    All the very best to all true Mags everywhere, and a teriffic New Year to you all.
    Regards, Peterincyprus.

  25. bigbadbob says:

    “But, managers and players come and go”

    They certainly do at Newcastle. That’s why we’re a shite club and we never win any trophies.

  26. Rich – :D

    Cheers me up aswell, especially that half stadium jibe, give the fact that Qunniy was telling them all the other day that they are shite fans who don’t turn up.

    2 tickets for £12, and they still couldn’t sell out.

    Still, Short has said he isn’t willing to soend the cash now. Quinn sold him a pup and they have to sell to buy.

  27. workyticket says:
    December 24, 2010 at 7:09 pm
    bigbadbob says:

    “But, managers and players come and go”

    They certainly do at Newcastle. That’s why we’re a shite club and we never win any trophies.

    Aye, and new managers get shat on from a great height by our supporters.

  28. CH,
    Geordie Legend as far as i’m concerned.
    Dragged us kicking & screaming back from the brink, to the point of hardly noticing it now, 1 year later.
    When you consider, really consider, what he’s achieved, turning utter turmoil into placid waters.
    Phucking MIRACLE really!
    Amazing!
    Phucking Geordie LEGEND.
    Thanx Chris.