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…)
United?A couple of apologies first. One for introducing Marcus Bentley’s dulcet Big Brother tone into your head and secondly for perhaps once again putting the cat amongst the pigeons on a sensitive and potentially divisive topic. The topic? Well it’s the topic of whether or not you’re doing your duty by Newcastle United in attending games or staying away. And if you do, how much are you allowed to complain before you stop becoming a supporter and instead become a destroyer?
Other far more respected and established writers on sites, such as True Faith and .com have had their say on the matter, and each offered only limited advice as to the right actions to take last Saturday, effectively a ‘follow your heart and your instincts’ theme. I wanted to actually write this before the Peterborough game but for the very reason I almost missed the game, I didn’t get chance. With all that has happened recently, this is one game I wanted to be at. I wanted to see if the majority of my fellow supporters felt as indignant as I did/do. But due to my daughter’s fifth birthday I nearly didn’t make it. But I was issued a late afternoon pass and offered the blessing of the two ladies in my life to go and enjoy myself. And of course therein lay the issue. (more…)
Mr. Popular.In the latest salvo of the Ashley counter offensive, Newcastle United’s managing Director, Derek Llambias, has been revealing the depth of Mike Ashley’s financial black hole in an interview for Radio Newcastle. He moaned about the financial meltdown involved when a monster £70 million wages club that is supposed to be geared up for European competition get relegated and much more…
What follows is Llambias’s exchange with Radio Newcastle’s Mick Lowes.
On the financial consequences of relegation, Llambias said:
“It’s been extremely painful – it was a shock, it was unthinkable. We did have a business plan in place at the time that we just put into a cupboard, because we thought we never needed to use it.
“We’ve had to move on since then and it’s given us an opportunity to bring the wages down to an acceptable level in the Premier League, but not in the Championship. (more…)
ChucklesIn his statement when he took Newcastle United off the market, Mike Ashley said “… he is totally committed to the future success of Newcastle United and will be focussing on gaining promotion back to the Premier League.”
Fair enough, but what’s with all this nonsense about giving Hughton a million or two to buy some players as if it was some unplanned afterthought? I mean, what’s his transfer window budget for January, the summer, the January after that?
Surely if he’s ‘totally committed to the future success of Newcastle United’ he’s made financial projections for some years ahead, established his incomings and outgoings and got some sort of business plan for rebuilding the club that takes into account various scenarios (such as succeeding or failing to get promotion).
Of course, after his screw-up over Keegangate, he’s keen to make it known that he has the final say on transfers. Llambias said in his recent interview:
“We work with Chris. Let’s clear up the final say – the final say is with the board, which basically is Mike. At the end of the day, Mike has to put the money into it. But Chris will recommend the players and we will go out there and get his first choices, if we can.” (more…)
It's good to talkDerek Llambias explains about the renaming of Newcastle United’s stadium.
The upshot is that St James’ Park will not be lost. The names of sponsors will just be added to the front of it in the manner of something such as ‘Sports Direct @ St James’ Park‘ or ‘Pampers @ St James’ Park‘.
Llambias goes on to say that he and Mike Ashley are fully aware of the tradition involved with things like this but that they are looking for ways to maximise revenue for the club. Llambias explains that Mike Ashley is a ‘football fan’ and understands the sensitivity around this issue.
Of course Llambias was instrumental in the constructive dismissal of Kevin Keegan and subsequent attempts to cover up the club’s actions at the tribunal, so believe what you will. (more…)
