What are we supposed to think?

[dave.woodhall]

Alex Whybrow talks Newcastle. https://heroesandvillains.info/2021/10/08/what-are-we-supposed-to-think/

[tomd2103]

Won't they be hindered in their plans for world domination by FFP?  Maybe they will stop their weird obsession with us now.

[N'ZMAV]

FFP doesn't seem to exist if your owners are from oil or gas rich countries....

[ROBBO]

So the FA allows someone with a diabolical human rights record to buy one of our premier league clubs, it just shows that money tops everything. I am by degrees turning off premiership football, the money, the so called top four, the way the peoples game has been hijacked by seedy people trying to use our sport to whitewash their reputations. While our lower league clubs struggle every day to survive the premiership is awash with ill gotten gains and corruption.

[RamboandBruno]

That is ab utterly brilliant article

[tony scott]

Great article, Another possible contender for a top six place. I can’t help wonder what will happen when Bahrain buys the Blues.

[SaddVillan]

Just wondering which model the Sheikhs will adopt at Toon?

1. The AVFC model.
Data driven recruitment allied to heavy investment in a strong youth system.
Appoint a progressive manager, who understands the club, its fans and history and back him with sensible, targeted investment whilst improving the whole club.

2. The Chelsea model.
Appoint high profile managers, get the cheque book out, sign foreign players at the peak of their careers. Sack the manager and staff if they don't win trophies and start again with a new managerial set up.

3. The Man City model.
Appoint the best manager money can buy, buy the best players that money can buy and use dubious sponsorship deals to get around FFP rules.

4. The ManU model.
Appoint a former player as manager who understands the club, its fans and  history but, who despite having no real idea is given almost limitless funds to sign "names" whilst stumbling around like a blind man in a dark room looking to restore former past glories. Then, when that fails, sign Alan Shearer.

[Billy Walker]

That's a great read.  Whilst I'm happy for Newcastle fans to be rid of Ashley, I genuinely would not like to have such people become the new owners of Aston Villa FC.  There's umpteen huge investment groups operating around the world today and it's sad for Newcastle that they have landed one of the most rotten.

[Astral Weeks]

Brilliant post from Yesterday's Guardian:

I have been a Newcastle fan for over 25 years, and yesterday, with a heavy heart, I had to call time on that relationship. Like all Newcastle fans, I have experienced some good times, some exciting times, some embarrassing times and some infuriating times. I have been inspired by Sir John Hall and Kevin Keegan, sickened by Douglas Hall and Freddy Fletcher, moved to tears by Sir Bobby Robson. I have leapt out of my seat and sprinted round my dining room table after an Alan Shearer hat-trick, have laughed in disbelief at the skills of Tino Asprilla and Hatem Ben Arfa, howled in frustration at Paul Kitson and Joelinton, shook my head in disbelief that anyone would buy Silvio Maric or Jesus Gamez. This has been a major part of my life for most of my life, but it's over now.

Like everyone else, I wanted Mike Ashley gone. But not at any cost. Ashley is a purveyor of unremarkable sporting goods who didn't invest enough in the team or support managers enough. The new owners commit war crimes and murder journalists. I can't be a part of this any more.

There will be a lot of Newcastle fans who will look at this regime in the same way, but conclude they cannot just turn off their support like a tap and will carry on. I can understand that position. As we saw on TV yesterday though, there are many more who just don't give a shit. As Nick Hornby wrote in Fever Pitch when writing about the aftermath of Heysel "Nothing ever matters, except football." I watched with disbelief and anger on Sky News yesterday evening as a member of the NUST tried to blame Amnesty International for the fact that Newcastle fans don't care about where the money is coming from, because "they haven't been informed well enough by the likes of Amnesty." Warren Barton then followed up with "of course human rights are very important, we all care massively about human rights" while saying how delighted he was with the Saudis taking over.

I am sure many Newcastle fans, like Man City and Chelsea fans before them, will play the 'loyal fans support the club no matter what' card. I have supported Newcastle through heartbreak, misery, boredom and drudgery like they all have. But I can't support this. I don't know how it is going to be watching Premier League football from now on, I have never been in this situation before. Am I going to instinctively cheer when they win? How will I feel when one of the world's best players suddenly finds Newcastle "an interesting project"? I guess we will see. But today I shed a tear for the last 25 years, and for those who will continue to suffer at the hands of those being so heartily welcomed in Newcastle yesterday.

[Rigadon]

The moral misgivings are quite real.  But, is any billionaire completely free of skeletons in the closet?  How big does the skeleton have to be in order to make people repulsed enough to switch off - it would seem that these people are a bridge too far for some Newcastle fans.  I bet the vast majority will turn a blind eye though, as would most Villa fans.   

In a purely football context, this is crap news for us, as it's most likely that they will spend massive amounts and get to where we want to, quicker.  It makes our stated aim that much more difficult to achieve.  But hey ho, it's already really, really hard.     

[thick_mike]

I reckon billionaires who have lived a pure and blameless life are rarer than a Keinan Davis hat-trick.

[PaulWinch again]

I don’t doubt billionaires will have chequered pasts, but I think there is a whole other level of abhorrence when you talk about a regime that murders dissident voices, murders homosexuals and treats women as property (not to mention many more terrible things). This is also some secret that’s hard to find, it’s very well understood.

[Lastfootstamper]

Ar, it's not like they keep their skeletons in a closet.

[thick_mike]

I don’t doubt billionaires will have chequered pasts, but I think there is a whole other level of abhorrence when you talk about a regime that murders dissident voices, murders homosexuals and treats women as property (not to mention many more terrible things). This is also some secret that’s hard to find, it’s very well understood.

Agreed

[LeeB]

Ar, it's not like they keep their skeletons in a closet.

No, they've got bone saws to see to that.