Running Newcastle United remains a passion for owner Mike Ashley

Feb 25 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

MIKE Ashley has rediscovered his passion for running Newcastle United after coming to terms with the hate campaign which looked as though it would force him out of St James’s Park.

Ashley’s failure to sell the club before Christmas – and a softening of the opposition to his regime – has persuaded the owner to take on a more hands-on role as he focuses his attention on developing his vision for the future at Newcastle United.

The billionaire businessman, according to managing director Derek Llambias, was naturally hurt by the abuse he received following the controversial departure of former manager Kevin Keegan and had begun to believe he would never be able to fulfil his dream of owning a successful football club.

Ashley appointed Keegan to give his project a recognisable and popular figurehead, but his regime suffered a monumental public relations disaster when the Newcastle legend quit citing boardroom interference in transfers.

It has taken months for Ashley’s presence to be accepted again on Tyneside and there is still widespread opposition to him among fans who remain suspicious about his intentions and sceptical of his business plan.

Ashley, though, is back where he wants to be and desperate to prove he can still bring Newcastle the success those supporters crave, according to Llambias.

“The passion has always been there from Mike,” said Llambias, who spoke to fans’ representatives at a Supporters’ Panel meeting at St James’s last night.

“He has missed it while he has been away, particularly the games. He brought the kids back against Everton, which was good, and he will continue to bring them, he’s back onside. I don’t think he

ever left. At the end of the day he was upset. He felt he couldn’t win (after Keegan’s exit).

“He’s pumped so much money into something, thought he was going in the right direction. You are thinking you’re getting it right and then all of sudden, out of the blue, you get a curve ball.

“You think ‘where did that come from?’ Then you have to start again or you look at it again. We’ve been naive and unfortunate in many ways.”

Nevertheless, although Llambias was keen to defend the regime’s failure to convince fans of their good intentions, he conceded it had taken the crisis caused by Keegan’s departure to really understand what is needed to run a football club and the passion which surrounds it.

“I think we understand Newcastle United a lot better after what has happened this season,” explained Llambias. “Absolutely, we understand it better as a club and as a business. We are catching on quickly.

“I think Mike misses the involvement and getting involved with the crowd. He loved it. He bought Newcastle to enjoy it, not simply as another business.

“He’s invested a huge amount of money in it and he doesn’t want to fail.”

Llambias was also keen to stress Ashley considers Newcastle to be completely separate from his business empire.

“This nothing to do with Sports Direct. It’s his passion and he really wants it to work. It’s difficult when you have people saying ‘Ashley Out’ but we are trying to look forward rather than back,” he said.

“There seems to be a misconception that the money NUFC makes goes to Mike, but we won’t take a penny out. All the money that is generated will go back into improving the football club.”