The Plight of Newcastle Utd FC

[Deathy]

O'Leary no longer in contention for the managers job at NewcastLOLe.

[Whore Jackie]

Kinnear still looking odds on.

[weybridgewanderer]

:lol: Kinnear still looking odds on.

i hear sir bobby is still in with a shout at the job!

[Platypuss]

LOL @ Newcastle.

[Deathy]

:lol: Kinnear still looking odds on.

Sky rumour before the match today was that it could still be Kinnear. But if that blokie still buys them, it'll be Shearer apparently.

[Royal Rother]

One has to wonder whether some Geordie fans will cast their mind back to the end of last season, then the 2 games they've played in the CCC, and hope that Shearer stays the hell away.

[Whore Jackie]

PL have ordered Newcastle to pay Kevin Keegan £2m in damages.

[TFF]

An extract from the independent arbitration panel's verdict on Kevin Keegan's constructive dismissal from Newcastle United reveals how his relationship with the then director of football Dennis Wise broke down over the signing of Ignacio González. Wise, according to the verdict, contacted Keegan to recommend González on 30 August, and pushed ahead with signing the player despite strong objections from the manager.

"Mr Wise telephoned Mr Keegan and told him that he had a great player for the club to sign, namely Ignacio González, and that he should look him up," read the statement from the arbitration panel. "Mr Keegan tried to locate him on the internet but could find no reference to him. Mr Wise told him that he had been on loan at Monaco but having checked out the details, Mr Keegan was unimpressed and told Mr Wise that he did not think the player was good enough.

"Mr Wise then told him that the player was on YouTube and that Mr Keegan could look him up there, but he found that the clips were of poor quality and provided no proper basis for signing a player to a Premier League club. Moreover, no one at the club had ever seen him play.

"However, notwithstanding that he made it clear not only to Mr Wise but also to Mr Jimenez and to Mr Ashley that he very strongly objected to the signing of Mr González [he was to be signed on loan with an option to purchase], the club proceeded with the deal and the transfer was concluded the following day, on 31 August 2008.

"The club did so, according to its witnesses who gave evidence before us, because it was in the club's commercial interests to do so. It was what the club described as a 'commercial deal' by which the club meant a deal which was in the commercial interests of the club.

"The 'commercial interests', according to the club, were that the signing of the player on loan would be a 'favour' to two influential South American agents who would look favourably on the club in the future.

"The loan deal cost the club nearly £1m in wages for a player who was not expected to play for the first team but no payment was made by the club to the agents in respect of the deal."

Youtube

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009 ... -newcastle

[Dirk Gently]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/8294513.stm

The Newcastle United Supporters Trust is leading a bid by a group of Magpies fans to buy a share of the club.

Organisers say £20m has already been pledged and backers include a number of high-profile figures.

The announcement comes amid reports that owner Mike Ashley is set to sell to Tyneside businessman Barry Moat.

Trust spokesman Steve Hastie said: "We want to show that a supporters trust can be a truly representative supporters organisation."

He said a "proper management structure" was needed at the club to make it a success, with the "right manager", board of directors and financial structure working in unison.

Trust spokesman Steve Hastie
The aim of the group is to initially purchase a share in the club, that will allow them to have a say in the running of the club, with the potential of eventually establishing themselves as the major shareholders and purchase the club outright.......

[Deathy]

^ wank idea. If they can one day own the club outright, where does the many mnay millions they need in repeated investment come from?

[Dirk Gently]

^ wank idea. If they can one day own the club outright, where does the many mnay millions they need in repeated investment come from?

Ah, you're making the mistake of assuming that they need repeated investment.

They only need investment for three reasons :

- some of the clubs that they're competing with have "sugar daddies" who are happy to throw endless money in
- other clubs they're competing with are running up unsustainable debts, and
- clubs are unable to control the on-going spiral of players' wages.
(plus, also, to pay dividends to shareholders, but that doesn't apply with supporter-owned clubs)

Take away (or control) these above and the whole picture changes. And all it would need would be a salary cap, a couple of high-profile clubs collapsing or a decrease in TV revenues for that to happen - none of these is that unthinkable.

[wolsey]

^ wank idea. If they can one day own the club outright, where does the many mnay millions they need in repeated investment come from?

Ah, you're making the mistake of assuming that they need repeated investment.

They only need investment for three reasons :

- some of the clubs that they're competing with have "sugar daddies" who are happy to throw endless money in
- other clubs they're competing with are running up unsustainable debts, and
- clubs are unable to control the on-going spiral of players' wages.
(plus, also, to pay dividends to shareholders, but that doesn't apply with supporter-owned clubs)

Take away (or control) these above and the whole picture changes. And all it would need would be a salary cap, a couple of high-profile clubs collapsing or a decrease in TV revenues for that to happen - none of these is that unthinkable.

You are beginning to sound like SJM. Waiting for the Apocalypse - do you think it is iminent?

Plus there's the "Toon Army's" belief that they are the biggest Club in the World and are owed a place at the top table - obviously none of that comes cheap.

[Dirk Gently]

^ wank idea. If they can one day own the club outright, where does the many mnay millions they need in repeated investment come from?

Ah, you're making the mistake of assuming that they need repeated investment.

They only need investment for three reasons :

- some of the clubs that they're competing with have "sugar daddies" who are happy to throw endless money in
- other clubs they're competing with are running up unsustainable debts, and
- clubs are unable to control the on-going spiral of players' wages.
(plus, also, to pay dividends to shareholders, but that doesn't apply with supporter-owned clubs)

Take away (or control) these above and the whole picture changes. And all it would need would be a salary cap, a couple of high-profile clubs collapsing or a decrease in TV revenues for that to happen - none of these is that unthinkable.

You are beginning to sound like SJM. Waiting for the Apocalypse - do you think it is iminent?

II know that things are on the change - there are big battles coming about financial regulation and governance.

For instance, UEFA are going to push for their licensing system (which includes conditions on level of debt) to apply to all country's top league, which may prevent clubs with excess debt entering European competitions - why do you think all the Big 4 reps at this weeks Leaders in Football conference were banging on that "debt is a good thing and a natural thing"
- and that the Pl-friendly media has been briefing so hard against Platini.
The FL clubs have voted for the principle of the salary cap (already in Tier 4) to go higher, although by the time it reaches Tier 2 it'll be more like a licensing system.
FL clubs at all levels have also just voted for a tax disclosure scheme, where they confirm to the FL that all their tax payments are up-to-date, and they give HMRC permission to share those figures. Anyone breaching this will be embargoed.
The FA is also holding a working party to improve financial regulation and governance, and the Government (Andy Burnham, who really is a friend of football) has asked the football authorities in the UK to respond to 7 questions about how they manage the game. Plus Triesman and Watmore, the new Chair and CEO of the FA, are ready to stand up to the PL power at the FA on this and all sorts of other issues.

So yes, I think things really are coming to a head, and big change is coming - Man City escaped admin by the skin of their teeth, so did Portsmouth but that's not all cut and dried, and there will be others (West Ham have questions hanging over them). At the same time, (today, in fact) the FL are investigating ownership issues at Notts County, QPR and Leeds.

There really does seem to be a recognition in lots of important places that we can't go on like this, and they do seem to have the stomach for a fight now - so at the very least there's going to be a big battle for financial control of football. Only about 30 years too late, IMHO!

[wolsey]

Sorry Dirk, can't cope with 3 quote rule, but....

What about the vested interests? Surely the Euro elite faced with these restrictions will just take their ball and start a new game - invitees only.

How will Eufa, Fifa cope with not being in charge of the Franchise? - What about ole Rupe?

[Dirk Gently]

Sorry Dirk, can't cope with 3 quote rule, but....

What about the vested interests? Surely the Euro elite faced with these restrictions will just take their ball and start a new game - invitees only.

How will Eufa, Fifa cope with not being in charge of the Franchise? - What about ole Rupe?

I didn't say who was going to win the fight, did I - just that it was coming....

There may well be a breakway but then there's a whole other debate about how well it would do. FIFA woudl always have the World Cup, which is the jewell in the crown, so players might have to choose between playing for their country or a breakaway club. Not all would go for the big money option, I think. Also the breakaway would have to take its own refs with it etc.

Anyway, the whoel success of a breakaway is totally dependant upon TV income - I can only see that decreasing as internet broadcasting gets more widespread. Rupe lots millions in China with pirate broadcasters of PL games, and that's only going to get worse - worldwide- as boradcasters fragment and pirate get more sophisticated. There are questions too on how long he can legally hold a rights-monopoly in Europe and the UK, too.

The only think to be certain of is that change is coming....

[Thaumagurist*]

why do you think all the Big 4 reps at this weeks Leaders in Football conference were banging on that "debt is a good thing and a natural thing"

Sounds interesting, is there an article where they are quoted as saying this anywhere on the net? That quote would make a good topic in AE.

[Dirk Gently]

why do you think all the Big 4 reps at this weeks Leaders in Football conference were banging on that "debt is a good thing and a natural thing"

Sounds interesting, is there an article where they are quoted as saying this anywhere on the net? That quote would make a good topic in AE.

Probably - I'll see what I can find. I heard it from someone who was there so I've not seen it in the media yet but I'm sure it's somewhere.