Yes, you!I’m sort of loathe to detracting from onfield matters because after another hard-fought win, we’re once again top of the pile. But the NUST has been very busy off the pitch lately and they and their intentions have been fairly well-documented and discussed lately.
Having said that, much of the talk has been based on conjecture because the details still aren’t entirely clear although it seems there has been more clarity in recent weeks. Even though that has led to condemnation from some.
While many are attracted by the notion of a voice on the board, they are still sceptical about how it could work and now that NUST has gone on record to say they intend to buy the club outright, most people are unsure how this will work. Others have dismissed it as a non-starter, while still others have implied it is almost an immoral and reprehensible step to take which should be dropped immediately.
Well, Peter Williams has written to us to inform us that he is the new blog liaison for NUST. As many details still appear sketchy and there are still certainly more questions than answers, he has told us that he will be more than willing to answer any questions you may have about the Trust or the “Yes We Can” campaign. He has also offered to send us any relevant press releases and rumours if we’re interested. And wants to know if we would be interested in supporting the Trust in the “Yes We Can” campaign. (more…)
Everyone's favourite MDIt’s been report that Derek Llambias, Newcastle United’s ever-popular managing director, has invited the Newcastle United Supporter’s Trust, or NUST as we know them, to a meeting to presumably discuss their intended buyout plans.
It seems apparent that he called for this as soon as the ‘Yes We Can’ campaign was launched, so clearly while others are sceptical about it, the board are taking it seriously enough. As it turns out, the NUST have turned down his request to meet before our game against Preston, and Neil Mitchell spoke on behalf of the NUST to say:
“Any negotiations conducted un behalf of the Yes We Can campaign will be conducted with the full knowledge of our potential investors and the fans in general.
“We see no benefit in meeting with Mr Ashley or his representatives until the campaign has fully got under way.
“The idea of the campaign is to bring trust and integrity back to the club, reflecting the values of the city as a whole.
“It will be conducted in the full glare of publicity I am sure and we want to ensure that our people, including investors and potential investors, know what is going on. Deals in smoke-filled rooms won’t be part of our negotiations.(more…)
Fan ownership campaign startsThe Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) has launched its ‘Yes We Can’ campaign, which aims to raise enough funds to finance a fan buy out of the club.
The NUST’s plan, which has been dubbed ‘Barcelona on the Tyne’ by the financial community, aims to democratise the club and ensure that the ‘current situation at Newcastle United does not repeat itself’ (NUST’s words).
Fans will be able to invest in the club via a number of ‘financial opportunities’ and the money will be held in Escrow by local solicitors to provide proof of funds to Mike Ashley.
Fan ownership is of course popular on the continent, perhaps most notably at places like Barcelona and Real Madrid. At Barcelona fans pay £139/year to acquire ‘socio status’ and for that you get the right to buy the best season tickets and take part in the club’s decision-making process. There are about 172,000 ‘socios’ whose fees raise approximately £24m/year before selling any season tickets, television rights, merchandise etc. (more…)
Mike's been there, seen it, got the t-shirt!No honestly, I really do. I mean he’s clearly absolutely crackers. What, you think all of this apparent contempt towards Newcastle United fans and his bad behaviour is all down to arrogance and spite? No man, he’s nuts. How else do you explain his actions and this reckless and continual ‘p*ssing on his own chips’?
I mean for the big G’s sake Mike, where do you pick up your PR finesse from? It’s out of this world, really it is. You’re clearly on a different planet. He generally says nothing for such long periods that you’d expect when he does that he’d say something that would have a big impact. Well he does, but not for the right reasons. Even following the tribunal result and the monumental cause and effect, there followed no explanation, no excuses, no apology, nowt. I’d heard rumour while at work today that he’d been speaking to The Sunday Times and then I read the brief summary piece that .com did and both found what he had to say astounding and myself agreeing wholeheartedly with their response.
Thinking of us?The traditional Sunday trawl of the back pages has begun, except technically I’ve gone all modern these days and access the back pages online (partly because I’m hungover and don’t fancy the walk to the paper shop). Anyway, so what do they have to say?
Well first of all, an amusing story of Freddie Shepherd and his righteous and gallant spirit in not pursuing the two million pounds, that he claims the club owes him from his contract when Ashley took over the club in 2007. This is because until Ashley makes indications that he will be here for the forseeable, Shepherd doesn’t want to jeopardise the sale of the club. He’s all heart is Fred…….In the same article from The Sunday Sun, they also mention the latest takeover news but there is no more conclusive evidence of who the ‘new suitors’ are and it’s just speculation that it’s an Indian-based group, as is the suggestion Moat and Sheard have sat down for a chat about poolin’ resources. Just speculation you say? Well it is Sunday. (more…)
