Q1: Are you happy that Mike Ashley has taken Newcastle United off the market?

Oct 30 2009 By The Journal

Are you happy that Mike Ashley has taken Newcastle United off the market?

Yes 16%

No 84%

Your comments:

1 Oct 28, 2009 12:06 PM The man has no interest in making a success of the club. He's taken us so far backwards in his time in charge, his promises of £20m to spend mean nothing...why was that money not spent 18 months ago to prevent us being in this situation?
2 Oct 28, 2009 12:07 PM The man is a disgrace who appears hell bent on ruining NUFC
3 Oct 28, 2009 12:07 PM He is an absolute disgrace in everything he has done with Newcastle United!
4 Oct 28, 2009 12:08 PM at least we know whats going on, as infuriated as i am.
5 Oct 28, 2009 12:09 PM Mike Ashley is no good for this club, he needs out asap because come January, he will not invest anything in new players and we will be in the same position
6 Oct 28, 2009 12:09 PM Twice he has put up the club for sale and twice taken it off, don't think he knew what he was doing and what is the appointment of bringing in Alan Shearer and then not appointing him. Appalling.
7 Oct 28, 2009 12:09 PM mike ashley is nothing more than a lying conman who uses newcastle united money to fund his mickey mouse sports business,how much are the club in profit over the last 2 and a half years as well as selling there best players.
8 Oct 28, 2009 12:10 PM need him out!! no clue on how to run a club or communicate with the fans!!
9 Oct 28, 2009 12:10 PM Sadly his association with the club means any prospective buyer knows when the carpet is peeled back, a whole world of pain will be revealled
10 Oct 28, 2009 12:10 PM Yes in the sense that we can move on, well until the next time he decides to sell. I'm not sure he ever intended to sell? 12 Oct 28, 2009 12:12 PM No, Ashley has no idea how to run a football club.
13 Oct 28, 2009 12:13 PM newcastle will never be a top club as long as ashley is in charge
14 Oct 28, 2009 12:13 PM No, I want Mike Ashley out of our beloved club - The sooner the better!
15 Oct 28, 2009 12:14 PM He has admitted previously that he doesnt know how to run a football club - whats changed has he done a business degree in managing football clubs?
16 Oct 28, 2009 12:14 PM would not have wanted no money Barry, but feel such distain towards Mike that its like looking at an ex girlfriend who cheated on you!
17 Oct 28, 2009 12:14 PM at least thought it might bring a bit of stability, and pleased that shearer would not be coming backto make a hash of things
18 Oct 28, 2009 12:15 PM He doesn't care about the club, only thinks of money, hasn't a clue about football.
19 Oct 28, 2009 12:15 PM Yes and No. Finally we can have stability at the club but I am not sure what Ashley wants with the club. Has he realised if we get promoted he can sell the club for more money next season, Are we just delaying the inevitable.
20 Oct 28, 2009 12:16 PM This guy and his cronies MUST leave our club before it dies altogether.
21 Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM He has run us into the ground & what more damage can he do.
22 Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM He doesn't care about the club one bit. He treats the fans with utter contempt
23 Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM He was never going to sell up by the looks of things, it was merely, in my eyes, a ploy to get around paying a massive wage to shearer, and avoid having to spend any money in the transfer market.
24 Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM It was never on the market - £100m for a club with huge debts, no manager, no structure, in Coca Cola League, no playing assets. Villa sold for £60m with out the above!
25 Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM We need rid of him now. Unfortunately, if we get promoted next summer the club will go back on the market for £300 million, we'll have another summer in limbo where we're "being sold by the end of the month" and we'll be relegated next season as we'll have no squad.
26 Oct 28, 2009 12:17 PM he should have left it until sold, he is not entightled to own a football club like newcastle
27 Oct 28, 2009 12:18 PM This means we can concentrate on stability and move forward. I liked Mike Ashely's Academy plan.
28 Oct 28, 2009 12:18 PM Surely all football clubs are always "on the market"? Chelsea, Man City, Notts county etc. were never officially "on the market" or "off the market".
29 Oct 28, 2009 12:18 PM He the reason we find ourselves in the Championship.
30 Oct 28, 2009 12:18 PM don't believe for one moment that he has, I'm sure if I turned up with 100mill tomorrow he would snap my hand off
31 Oct 28, 2009 12:18 PM It should be for sale until such time as a buyer is found
32 Oct 28, 2009 12:18 PM Is anyone, the man is diluded and acts like a spoilt child. Our club is going nowhere until he leaves
33 Oct 28, 2009 12:19 PM i feel that mike has made one badly advised decision after another, he has burned his bridges with me and a vast majority of the support, in my opinion the only way he can redeem himself is to sell and never darken our doors again
34 Oct 28, 2009 12:19 PM I don't believe the club has ever been truely for sale this summer. There was no way he was going to take such a large hit on his investment. Especially when he's daft enough to think we will walk back up to the premiership with zero investment on the pitch.
35 Oct 28, 2009 12:20 PM Mike Ashley clearly does not have newcastle's best interest at heart and has only removed the club from the market as he cannot find a buyer, and is now going to invest in the hope of getting the club back into the premiership with the hope of getting better offer when this happens.
36 Oct 28, 2009 12:21 PM He has to understand the animosity towards him is not personal - it is based on the absolutely catastorphic mess he has made of owning the club for the last two and a half years. It wouold be best for all concerned for him to leave the club and crawl back under his very large rock
37 Oct 28, 2009 12:21 PM yes because there is no obvious contendors to buy the club, if barry moat had the money available then it should of been sorted out a very long time ago, unfortunatly he has missed his chance which is is his own fault, with regards to the other interested parties they were just in it to raise there own profiles, my question is whatever happned to NUST supposed bid?
38 Oct 28, 2009 12:22 PM I dont believe it is off the market. He has not changed his mind about selling, he is simply unable to find a buyer. If and when an offer deemed accpetable by Ashley comes along; he will accept it.
39 Oct 28, 2009 12:22 PM Again!
40 Oct 28, 2009 12:23 PM Absolutley ,unequivocably , 100% , without doubt , totally , most definatley , catergorically NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
41 Oct 28, 2009 12:24 PM Once again he has taken us off the market after the transfer window has closed so he cannot spend any money in the transfer market.He cannot be trusted and will always place his interests first and not the clubs
42 Oct 28, 2009 12:24 PM Sooner he goes the better
44 Oct 28, 2009 12:24 PM No other person was able to buy then invest
45 Oct 28, 2009 12:24 PM Ashley has proved through the media & the court room he is full of lies and propergander, but the main concern is that he is completely `assett stripping` on my club.....
46 Oct 28, 2009 12:24 PM As much as im sick of this on off saga,we just need rid of this fool
47 Oct 28, 2009 12:25 PM What a disaster for the long term future of the club. We look more and more like a Leeds or Southampton waiting to happen.
48 Oct 28, 2009 12:25 PM Oh God, we are stuck with him!
49 Oct 28, 2009 12:25 PM He has not "taken the club of the market". He has failed to sell it.
50 Oct 28, 2009 12:27 PM There is only one outcome from his management ''adminisration'' docked 10 points
51 Oct 28, 2009 12:28 PM It is completely without credibility that any business can be put on and then off the market as frequently as Ashley has done with NUFC. In no other sphere would a business be able to support such instability. Everyone knows that this is an interim measure until the for sale signs are put up again in 6 months time.
52 Oct 28, 2009 12:29 PM not suprising, he's gambling on getting more if and when promotion is acheived. however, with a bit of luck the club will continue to bleed him dry little by little
53 Oct 28, 2009 12:29 PM We need a new chairman. I didn't think that Mike could run the club down to this level.
54 Oct 28, 2009 12:30 PM He has no affinity with the club, its supporters or indeed the north- East. I know this not a pre-requisite to ownership but his blatant lies and non-communication make him a huge liabilty for OUR club!
55 Oct 28, 2009 12:31 PM Doesn't make any difference he'd sell the club anyway of someone came along with the right money
56 Oct 28, 2009 12:31 PM Nobody with any financial muscle wanted to buy, so we would have been no better off had the club been sold at this time
57 Oct 28, 2009 12:31 PM Blatently lying to the fans, asset stripping the club, treating fans with contempt, why would any "True" supporter be happy?
58 Oct 28, 2009 12:31 PM He is a business man just after making money and has no real interest in the football club or its supporters. Rather, I think he is hoping to cash in if Newcastle are promoted back to the premiership as its value will increase.
59 Oct 28, 2009 12:32 PM The statement that the club is "off the market" means little when it is considered that the club has now been put on and then taken off the market twice is just over a year.
60 Oct 28, 2009 12:32 PM Surely there's some wealthy Geordies out there who could club together to get this regime out.
61 Oct 28, 2009 12:32 PM Nevermind just our poor club, has there been a worse owner in the history of English football? An absolute disgrace of a man, who lacks any kind of common sense or leadership skills.
63 Oct 28, 2009 12:34 PM its absolutley pointless nufc being up for sale, he uses the sale as an excuse not to invest money or sign players
64 Oct 28, 2009 12:34 PM becasuse come the summer NUFC will be put back on the market again and cause more outrage and chaos. he would have been better leaving the club on the market and turning down offers straight away which didnt meet his demands.
65 Oct 28, 2009 12:34 PM Going backwards ....again.
66 Oct 28, 2009 12:35 PM He never had any intention to sell. It was just another stunt to keep the fans quite.
67 Oct 28, 2009 12:35 PM Unless a buyer with considerable wealth buys the club, we are better of with Ashley unfortunately. At least unlike Shepherd/Hall he does not need to rape the club in terms of dividends and salary.
68 Oct 28, 2009 12:36 PM He is DELIBERATELY dismantling and ruining the imasage of our football club
69 Oct 28, 2009 12:36 PM Anyone can see that Ashley will sell at the drop of a hat. He's told too many lies to be taken seriously.
70 Oct 28, 2009 12:37 PM The guy has not got a clue.
71 Oct 28, 2009 12:37 PM He should sell up and go. He says he is going to put £20 million into the club next week, why wasn't this available in August to buy players? What has happened to the £38 million he has got from transfers? Where has that money gone?
72 Oct 28, 2009 12:37 PM A publicity seeker, the man has no shame
73 Oct 28, 2009 12:37 PM sooner he goes the better for the club
74 Oct 28, 2009 12:38 PM He was never going to sell anyway, so at least the whole thing is closed. For now
75 Oct 28, 2009 12:39 PM he needs to go.surely there is an investor out there that supports the toon who is willing to put up the money and take our club to the heights of our dreams.
76 Oct 28, 2009 12:40 PM he has shown absolutely no commitment to the team or the fans since he came here and we can hardly expect him to do so now.
77 Oct 28, 2009 12:41 PM Mike Ashley has been showed as both woefully incompetant (his own words), and to be both patronising and a liar to the fans. As long as this guy is connected to the club we won't progress, no worthwile manager would work for his, and no decent sponson would surely want to be associated with this man!
78 Oct 28, 2009 12:41 PM maybe we will get some stability but Ashley must make finds available for January
79 Oct 28, 2009 12:41 PM The man is a buffoon who has no idea about football, the newcastle fans or the north east in general.
80 Oct 28, 2009 12:41 PM oh dear!
81 Oct 28, 2009 12:41 PM Life without cockneys wud have been HEAVEN
82 Oct 28, 2009 12:41 PM Are you kidding me??? This man is the poison coursing through the veins of my beloved club.
83 Oct 28, 2009 12:44 PM We need stability at the club, and any ongoing potential sale is only there to distract the players, staff and all of us around the club!
84 Oct 28, 2009 12:44 PM Not in the slighest, we all knew he was not going to sell anyway, a 'pr' exercise again
85 Oct 28, 2009 12:46 PM The constant lying and duplicity makes me seriously wonder whether it was ever really on the market.
86 Oct 28, 2009 12:46 PM The man has no idea how to run a football club.
87 Oct 28, 2009 12:47 PM I think he should have left it on indefinately as the players have done ok whilst the club has been up for sale so why change it now.
88 Oct 28, 2009 12:48 PM should go back to his shop,s
89 Oct 28, 2009 12:48 PM He continues to completely ruin something which I once enjoyed. The fact he is doing it to spite the fans makes it worse.
90 Oct 28, 2009 12:48 PM We all knew he wasn't planning on selling anyway, but it didn't soften the blow when it was actually confirmed!
91 Oct 28, 2009 12:48 PM He is just bad for the club and has irreversibly damaged any relationship for the fans by lying and treating them as fools
92 Oct 28, 2009 12:49 PM If Mr Ashley is making money available that is positive for January and such stability should mean ,hopefully, continued moves toward promotion ,adding value to club. I feel many fans have lost sight of fact that NUFC is a business....and Ashley's money to maintain that business.Obviously such a great fan base goes a long way to ensuring the success of club financially.
93 Oct 28, 2009 12:49 PM We want rid of him once and for all.
94 Oct 28, 2009 12:49 PM Trying to avoid slating Ashley here, but a new buyer with fresh ideas and a sensible approach to running a football club is what's required.
95 Oct 28, 2009 12:50 PM I think he should accept he has made massive mistakes and will never be accepted, leave it open to offers and take the best offer and go. Is it really "off the market" - would he refuse a £100m offer today?
97 Oct 28, 2009 12:50 PM Finding a buyer was dragging on too long, the club needs stability. A buyer needs to be found who can afford the purchase price and guarantee money will be available to buy players.
99 Oct 28, 2009 12:52 PM He is clearly only interested in wringing every last penny out of this club and has no respect for the fans, the club or the history of NUFC
100 Oct 28, 2009 12:53 PM There will be more trouble ahead. He has a proven extremely poor track record and that aint gonna change. He must have got really lucky when he made his money. I would have been a bit happier had he installed a new chairman or MD with experience of running a top class football club. Existing MD is a major part of the problem as well.
101 Oct 28, 2009 12:53 PM He has treated this club with utter contempt, however he is the owner ,it is HIS club contrary to the belief of many fans who still insist it is their club. He can do whatever he wants with the club and the only way to stop him is to BOYCOTT the games when the money stops rolling in hell sell and hopefully all the problems he has created will go away too.Having said this I do not think it necessary to comment on the other items . The sad days at St James Park will continue as long as you support the club that this man and not you the loyal fans ownes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
102 Oct 28, 2009 12:54 PM This will allow a short breather from the continual daily disappointment felt by all Magpie fans.
103 Oct 28, 2009 12:55 PM Mike Ashley has no interest in the long term future of NUFC, as he has demonstrated repeatedly ever since he bought the club. The For Sale signs may have been taken down but this is for purely financial reasons, he has overpriced the club and cannot get a buyer. He is known as a gambler and as such is gambling on making a short term investment in the hope of the club being promoted at which point he will endeavour to sell the club at a price which is acceptable to him. As soon as someone stumps up with the money he wants, he will sell. As a consequence, I cannot see how the club can develop any meaningful long term strategy. The club needs an owner who is committed to its long term development. Ashely is a business man, pure and simple and wants to recoup as much of his investment as possible, he has no perception of what NUFC means to the local community.
104 Oct 28, 2009 12:56 PM Hes a disaster, Newcastle is going nowhere with him owning the club.
105 Oct 28, 2009 12:57 PM No matter the club is on or off the market. Proper buyer still can make the offer to ashley. So take the club off the market will make a little bit stablilize to the club.
106 Oct 28, 2009 12:57 PM we neen an honest ,hard working owner who knows how to run NUFC, and understands the club and the geordie nation
107 Oct 28, 2009 12:57 PM It has given the club certainty for the near future, which gives all associated with the club a chance to settle down and meet the main aims for the season: promotion.
108 Oct 28, 2009 12:57 PM I think the gesture of taking the club off the market would help towards stabilising things. Just because it is "off the market" Doesn't mean it's not for sale...
109 Oct 28, 2009 12:58 PM BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
110 Oct 28, 2009 12:59 PM Because the club is not off the market, if someone came up with the money he wants he would sell tommorow.
111 Oct 28, 2009 1:01 PM Its no surprise however with over 43,000 turning up each week to support the team. Ashley will be laughing all the way to the bank and although he is looking at changing the ground name, there will still be 43,000 turning up for the next home match. The only way to get him out is by boycotting altogether until he has gone.
112 Oct 28, 2009 1:03 PM I just wish he would get out and give the club the chance to build for the future again.
113 Oct 28, 2009 1:05 PM although I doubt he'd refuse to consider a new offer
114 Oct 28, 2009 1:07 PM He has not been the right man for the job for months so that still continues to be the case.
115 Oct 28, 2009 1:07 PM Continually throughout Mike Ashley's reign we have thought things can not get any worse, yet they invariably do. We need this man out of the club and someone with vision and ambition in his place. Yes, there has been nobody with a successful offer yet, but at least if it remained on the market there would remain a chance.
116 Oct 28, 2009 1:07 PM We need rid of him ASAP.
117 Oct 28, 2009 1:08 PM Given the revelations about the Keegan debacle, shouldnt the football league be considering whether Ashley is a "fit and proper person" to run a football club?
118 Oct 28, 2009 1:08 PM I don't really believe it is off the market.
119 Oct 28, 2009 1:09 PM If what has been published is correct, Mike Ashley has received offers that he previously stated would be acceptable, and has turned them down. Again he has lied to the fans and went back on what he said. We cant & dont trust him.
120 Oct 28, 2009 1:11 PM At least it ends the uncertainty in the short term. Was there ever a serious buyer?
121 Oct 28, 2009 1:11 PM No, however I believe this guy had no intention of selling the club as he continuously toyed with potential buyers saying he wanted £80m, got that offer, then turned it down. A vendetta against the fans of the club comes to mind after all the critisism and abuse he has went his way from the fans. He won't sell until soembody comes in with an offer of £80m plus the £100m+ 'personal loan' to the club is revovered. The rest of the £134m he paid for the club will probably already be in his bank account after all the player sales, TV Money etc and the fact that nothing has been re-invested in the club.
122 Oct 28, 2009 1:12 PM The reason he kept the club in a mess and then made it worse by selling our best players, and a low earner in Bassong's case, to ease to sale only to reject any and all offers is shameful.
123 Oct 28, 2009 1:13 PM But not at the price of status quo
124 Oct 28, 2009 1:13 PM Everything Ashley has done at Newcastle has dragged the club down. Why would anyone be happy this joker is stopping at our club?
125 Oct 28, 2009 1:14 PM this man is not a proper man to run newcastle united he already stated he knows nothing about running a football club
126 Oct 28, 2009 1:14 PM Clearly there is nobody who is willing to meet the asking price and so we need to move on. This can't drag on forever.
127 Oct 28, 2009 1:15 PM Hasnt a clue what he is doing.The longer he is here the longer we the fans suffer.
128 Oct 28, 2009 1:15 PM Ashley should leave as soon as possible. He is unfit to own the club and should hand it over to someone who is able to tell the truth
129 Oct 28, 2009 1:15 PM Mainly because he will put it up for sale again at the end of the season and there will still be no stabilty
130 Oct 28, 2009 1:18 PM I'm not happy about it but alos it is not a surprise as I never believed he fully intended on selling anyway. I feel it was another big lie to gain further media attention fro himself. And I sadly feel he succeeded. Mike Ashley is obviously of the opion that no publicity is bad publicity.
131 Oct 28, 2009 1:18 PM The only reason he has done so is through his greed and desire to get a higher price. He will not get any offers now if the club is off the market and it is therefore illogical to take us off now, if he will still look to sell at the end of the season, as it prevents people who might want to meet his asking price from making offers and may see them take their custom elsewhere. One must question the business accumen of the man and how he ever became a billionaire is seemingly startling from what I have seen in the way that he has run this football club.
132 Oct 28, 2009 1:19 PM This was always going to happen wasnt it.
133 Oct 28, 2009 1:19 PM He has a blatant lack of commitment to the club why would anyone want him to be the owner>
134 Oct 28, 2009 1:20 PM Ashley has proven that he can't be trusted. Come january he will put them back on the market then when the market closes he will take them off again.
135 Oct 28, 2009 1:20 PM Although I am not happy that Mike Ashley is staying, the elongated period of uncertainty had to come to an end. And lets face it if someone comes in with £100 million cash in January he will snap their hands off.
136 Oct 28, 2009 1:20 PM He has to go sooner or later if we are ever going to be a top team again, but we need an rich owner, not another Moat
137 Oct 28, 2009 1:21 PM asking to much for a championship team
138 Oct 28, 2009 1:21 PM No one really knows what the T&Cs of the proposed sale were but it seems strange that there is no buyer anywhere prepared to take on a club with the support of NUFC.
139 Oct 28, 2009 1:22 PM I firstly dont believe the club was ever really for sale. Was the much talked of figure of £100 million inclusive of all debt, or are these just buisiness loans from Ashley which will need to be paid off, making the true cost more like £250 million
140 Oct 28, 2009 1:22 PM The guy shows no respect for which the position he holds demands. Quite frankly all the guy is, is a very rich chav! Has no clue how to behave in public or behind closed doors.
141 Oct 28, 2009 1:24 PM If the cash is there, at any time, Mike Ashley will sell. He has no loyalty and no respect from fans and others not associated with the club.
142 Oct 28, 2009 1:24 PM I want him out. He has burned too many bridges, simple. We can forgive a few mistakes, but they just keep on coming and he simply isn't in touch with us fans or 'customers'.
143 Oct 28, 2009 1:25 PM It ends the uncertainty and nobody was able to come up with the required cash.
144 Oct 28, 2009 1:29 PM Bearing in mind the value of the stadium, plus the training facilities, and even a few of the players, I think that £80 million was a good price. Did Ashley ever REALLY intend to sell ?
145 Oct 28, 2009 1:29 PM In all truth I wasn't sure that selling it to Barry Moat was going to be the right decision anyway. He struggled to put the funds together to buy the club from the off. So what is to state that he was gonna be able to subsidise the club regularly. However I would prefer to have the club in the hands of new owners, not the imbecile who owns it now.
146 Oct 28, 2009 1:30 PM The Journal and siter papers need to do some serious investigative journalism into the the alleged attempts to sell. speak to Mr Moat, Geoff Sheard, the "americans". Who were those "Malaysians"? Who made the "at least 2 bids" of £100k?
147 Oct 28, 2009 1:30 PM If only to stop the constant press speculation.
148 Oct 28, 2009 1:30 PM As far as I'm concerned getting Mike Ashley out of Newcastle United is the most important thing that could happen in terms of moving the club forward.
149 Oct 28, 2009 1:31 PM Asking for 80-100 million in cash up front is not how these deals are done. If you buy a house for 250k you don't have to put 250k in cash in an account first. It is clearly prohibitive to any chance of a deal.
150 Oct 28, 2009 1:31 PM I don't believe it was ever u[ for sale
151 Oct 28, 2009 1:31 PM Best thing ever happened in the history of the world
152 Oct 28, 2009 1:32 PM The sooner he leaves the club the better I know many fans who refuse to attend matches until he no longer owns the club
153 Oct 28, 2009 1:32 PM Although it was a long going saga, it was one i was hoping would end with a happy outcome for the supporters. Unfortunately, for us supporters this by far from a happy outcome and I can only see things getting worse before they get better.
154 Oct 28, 2009 1:32 PM The sooner this fool gets rid of the club the better, buy something, strip it's assets and move on, that's his plan and we need to git rid asap.
155 Oct 28, 2009 1:33 PM It has finally drawn a line under the 'never going to happen' sale. The question should be asked as to why people did not want to buy NUFC? Is there more problems in the background than anyone is letting on?
156 Oct 28, 2009 1:34 PM No other club "puts itself on the market". Another issue that embarasses the club.
157 Oct 28, 2009 1:35 PM Its the best thing that could have happened
158 Oct 28, 2009 1:38 PM If someone wants to buy the club and has the money he'll sell up whether it's officially 'off the market' or not
159 Oct 28, 2009 1:39 PM Newcastle United deserve someone who has the clubs best interests at heart and that is not Mr Ashley
160 Oct 28, 2009 1:40 PM Gutted
161 Oct 28, 2009 1:42 PM Ashley has been playing games with us since the very beginning
162 Oct 28, 2009 1:43 PM The quicker we get him out, the better for the Club.
163 Oct 28, 2009 1:45 PM He has proved over and over again that he's extremely incompetent at running a football club, so for his own sake and the club's, he should have gotten out.
164 Oct 28, 2009 1:47 PM rightly or wrongly what more can he do than name his price and if no one for whatever reason cant or wont meet if then its right for the stability of the club
165 Oct 28, 2009 1:49 PM Although I have to say I have been extremely sceptical throughout this whole 'sale' process that he ever intended to sell the club. Perhaps initially but once there was a hint he might get the club back into the Premier League on a shoestring budget I think it would have taken silly money to prize NUFC out of his sweaty mitts.
166 Oct 28, 2009 1:49 PM As per usual he has led us to believe he was going and played us all for fools.
167 Oct 28, 2009 1:50 PM Like everyone says just another lie. When will the Geordie faithful realise the only way to get rid is to boycott the matches. He doesn't deserve our loyalty.
169 Oct 28, 2009 1:58 PM Ashley likes to gamble and even he sees the possibility of promotion, just as he put the club up for sale when we were relegated, he sees the prospect of putting the club back on the market, if promoted for a bigger financial return to himself
170 Oct 28, 2009 1:59 PM Its just a nightmare, a reality soap opera with all of football laughing at us.
171 Oct 28, 2009 2:01 PM But not unexpected. This despicable individual has no intention of selling and only has a long term plan to eventually bring this club to its knees for whatever reason only he knows.
172 Oct 28, 2009 2:04 PM For the interim. I hope it stabilises the current situation so the club can be built up and sold to a worthy investor. Ashley still needs to concentrate on his exit strategy - because he should know he is no good for NUFC.
174 Oct 28, 2009 2:06 PM yap yap yap...hes ruining this club day by day. hes a born liar and cockney arthur daley. does he not get the message nobody wants him here???
175 Oct 28, 2009 2:10 PM Mike Ashley has no idea how to run a football club, he should sell it at a reasonable price (far less than £100m in this economic climate) to someone more competent.
176 Oct 28, 2009 2:13 PM He constantly makes wrong decisions - the sooner he goes the beter for the club
177 Oct 28, 2009 2:15 PM If the FA were to carry out a fit and proper person review on Ashley he would probably failed. The Keegan tribunal showed him up for what he is
178 Oct 28, 2009 2:17 PM No, I don't care how long it took I wanted it sold so whoever bought it would put Shearer in charge, and he is who should be in charge, Hughton is similar in a sense to Southgate, soft. We need someone to teach discipline, and someone to respect. Middlesbrough got Strachan and he wont take shit, neither will Shearer, Hughton could stay and assist Shearer definitely but Shearer should be in charge, he certainly would be getting rid of dead beats and old has beens like Geremi, Butt and Joey Barton.
179 Oct 28, 2009 2:17 PM This is the second time he's done it and he will do it again. He will still not invest in the club when he clearly wants rid of it whether it's on or off the market.
180 Oct 28, 2009 2:21 PM I dont think it was on the market, he just hopes he can get by on a shoestring, get promotion & then sell for more
181 Oct 28, 2009 2:22 PM only as it ends the uncertaincy
182 Oct 28, 2009 2:30 PM We want Ashley gone as soon as possible!
184 Oct 28, 2009 2:39 PM will put it back up 4 sale in summer.
185 Oct 28, 2009 2:43 PM Ideally would like him to go but we need his replacement to be the right man/team
186 Oct 28, 2009 2:55 PM He can't seem to make his mind up. One minute he wants out as fast as possble, the next he hangs on to it.
187 Oct 28, 2009 3:08 PM The atmosphere surrounding Newcastle is poisonous now. It will be impossible to build a stable club with him MA as owner. Nobody trusts him or believes he has the club's interests at heart. The reputation of Newcastle has been destroyed by him and his employees to the extent that I'm almost embarrassed to be a NUFC fan.
188 Oct 28, 2009 3:11 PM I dont believe it was ever for sale.. just a way to deflect even more flak away from himself and put out spin saying no-one met his asking price.
189 Oct 28, 2009 3:15 PM The only way to win over fans to the NUFC cause would be to continue to seek purchasers. Ashley has tagged along supporters with false promises and lies.
190 Oct 28, 2009 3:18 PM The sooner Ashley goes the better. He does not have the best interests of club at heart and treats the fans with contempt
191 Oct 28, 2009 3:26 PM My comments on this are unprintable!
192 Oct 28, 2009 3:34 PM God help us!!
193 Oct 28, 2009 3:36 PM I don't see how Ashley can ever have the trust of any supporter after the Keegan affair. What chance does the club have now of ever employing a manager to take the club forward with the Owner and his directors proven to be liars.
194 Oct 28, 2009 3:42 PM as a business man why would you do this and keep reducing the value of your asset
195 Oct 28, 2009 3:43 PM I wish MA exist will end Newcastle night mare, his presence will drag newcastle further down to the hell.
196 Oct 28, 2009 3:48 PM the club needs someone who is willing to spend lots of money and Mike Ashley is not
197 Oct 28, 2009 3:51 PM he is only in it for the money he knows nothing about football
198 Oct 28, 2009 3:53 PM He has no interest in the club or supporters
199 Oct 28, 2009 3:53 PM Absolutely terrible owner and proven liar.
200 Oct 28, 2009 4:05 PM I think it was always his intention to do this. Put it on market to deflect attention away from him after relegation. He hopes we get promoted and he gets a better price.
201 Oct 28, 2009 4:06 PM Ashley is a bitter vindictive man who will do his utmost to heap embarrassment on Newcastle United Football Club and it`s MAGNIFICENT supporters. He has no idea of how to run a football club because if he did he would not have appointed Dennis Wise (wise he is not). When he appointed KK he had the whole Toon Army on his side then he blew it with bringing the Cockney Mafia in.
202 Oct 28, 2009 4:10 PM Since he arrived here he has failed to show any ambition for NUFC. Taken us from a very proud club to an absolute shambles in less than 2 years.
203 Oct 28, 2009 4:11 PM Until Ashley is gone and a new owner, prepared to invest, is in place the best we can hope for is straight up and straight back down. What we need is an owner/financing for the long term, that does not seem possible with Ashley in charge.
204 Oct 28, 2009 4:13 PM You have to wonder, when other clubs in both the Premiership and lower leagues, are bought or sold without any difficulty - why Ashley can't find anyone to sell a club with the status of NUFC to? He is supposed to be a "successful" businessman - but has shown very little evidence of that in his running of our club.
205 Oct 28, 2009 4:17 PM if he was so desperate to sell the club he would have brockered a deal with some sort of installment plan with chris moat
206 Oct 28, 2009 4:17 PM He has messed things up enough. His tenure in charge needs to come to a swift end.
207 Oct 28, 2009 4:18 PM No good can come of the club under his ownership
208 Oct 28, 2009 4:23 PM how on earth is this man a millionaire!?! his buseness acumen is ridiculous!
209 Oct 28, 2009 4:25 PM His continuing association with the club merely prolongs the agony.
210 Oct 28, 2009 4:28 PM There is no future for my beloved Club whilst Mr ashley owns it. He fails to see that there is a world of difference between an iconic football club with one of the world's biggest and most loyal fan bases and an import them cheap/stack them high retail business. Huge clubs should be speculating to accumulate. Under Ashley managers are left to do the job with one hand behind their back. The only way ashley could succeed would be if he stepped back and appointed a proven chief operations director - like the guy who is leaving Chelsea.
211 Oct 28, 2009 4:31 PM The quicker he leaves Newcastle the better
212 Oct 28, 2009 4:31 PM This just means that even if we do gain promotion, we are likely to come straight back down because he won't invest enough and will continue to asset strip.
213 Oct 28, 2009 4:32 PM Mike Ashley is not the right man to be in charge of Newcastle United.
214 Oct 28, 2009 4:35 PM Taking the club of the market is just a smoke screen.
215 Oct 28, 2009 4:35 PM For the good of the club AND Newcastle as a city we need an owner who is as passionate about the club as the thousands of fans are.
216 Oct 28, 2009 4:36 PM Reluctantly yes as there does not appear to be a viable alternative.
217 Oct 28, 2009 4:39 PM It is disgusting that a previous oral agreement between MS and Moat was disregarded ($60m-$20m). Anyway, cannot take MS seriously. He has lied to the world too often.
218 Oct 28, 2009 4:39 PM Every time a deal appeared to be getting close he moved the goalposts? Why?
219 Oct 28, 2009 4:39 PM The club will never be off the market with this guy. If someone comes in at any time with an offer he likes, he'll sell. His comments about 'commiting his future to the club' I find particularly offensive.
220 Oct 28, 2009 4:40 PM Mike Ashley selling up was agreed by most supporters as the only positive and constructive action he could possibly take. He has managed to take Newcastle United to previously inconceivable new lows during his tenure and whilst he took on a club that was mismanaged by Shepard, and took the club from financial instability to complete turmoil in just over a year. The inability to agree a deal with Moat has been greeted with suspicion by everybody I know, which appears to be the initial response to most developments at the club nowadays. I would like to know how true his intentions of selling up actually were, or as most people think did he put the club up on the market as a way to take pressure off himself and avoid spending any money on players.
221 Oct 28, 2009 4:45 PM He should have sold up
222 Oct 28, 2009 4:47 PM The club is still up for sale?
223 Oct 28, 2009 4:48 PM Even though I don't want Ashley to be involved with the club. Taking the club off the market will end any speculation, and give the club a little more stability (for the rest of the season at least).
224 Oct 28, 2009 4:59 PM No one with any money to invest came up with a sustainable offer. Moat is a chancer and could not show Barclays he could underwrite the overdraft he was asking for.
225 Oct 28, 2009 5:01 PM No confidence in Mike Ashley
227 Oct 28, 2009 5:05 PM This man and his cronies are never going to be accepted by the local populace.
228 Oct 28, 2009 5:22 PM If Ashley had wanted out he could have accepted Moat's offer to pay the asking price in installments. Once he didn't it was obvious his hidden agenda was to delay and delay to see how the team were doing in the hope of making more money at the end of the season.
229 Oct 28, 2009 5:23 PM There appears to have been no intention of selling.
230 Oct 28, 2009 5:26 PM this more than anything else totaly dismays me. It is shamefull.
231 Oct 28, 2009 5:30 PM He's made a mess of the club and he's only interested in money, not football.
232 Oct 28, 2009 5:40 PM Mike Ashley has not taken the club 'off the market', if someone offered him his £100 million he'd sell it Tomorrow. Someone at the Journal quiz him on that fact.
233 Oct 28, 2009 5:42 PM Ruining this club bit by bit
234 Oct 28, 2009 5:49 PM Was it ever really on the market under Ashley? I think a large section of fans seriously have their doubts about that and are probably way past caring as nothing the current owner does in any way takes their view into consideration.
235 Oct 28, 2009 5:50 PM I think the relationship between Mike Ashley and Newcastle has been over for months. What we are experiencing is similar to a messy divorce and i believe still has some time to run.
236 Oct 28, 2009 5:50 PM is it of the market is it still on the market is it not for sale is it for sale we will never know the truth ashley could not lie straight in bed
237 Oct 28, 2009 5:50 PM Ashley should be realistic, he has no interest in footbal, let alone NUFC. Just making money is his game and by whatever cunning means possible. Devious....yes.
238 Oct 28, 2009 6:01 PM I do no want him running our football club, And thats the end of it as far as im concerned
239 Oct 28, 2009 6:06 PM I would have liked to see a buyer for the club, at least we could then have a plan for the future, with Ashley at the helm we will be rudderless.
240 Oct 28, 2009 6:06 PM he has the financial clout to back up the promotion push , barry moat did not
241 Oct 28, 2009 6:07 PM I do not believe he ever intended to sell
242 Oct 28, 2009 6:12 PM I HATE MA
243 Oct 28, 2009 6:14 PM I feel that there are no potential buyers at the moment anyway and I believe it's time to give Mike Ashley another chance.
244 Oct 28, 2009 6:16 PM By selling the club it is the only way of getting rid of him and all that he has brought to SJP. Keep it on the market for as long as it takes.
245 Oct 28, 2009 6:25 PM He has absolutely no idea how to run a football club and will continue to bring our club into further disrepute. This latest decision is another disastrous one for the fans.
246 Oct 28, 2009 6:27 PM he is adding more turmoil
247 Oct 28, 2009 6:28 PM We will be asset stripped once again in January with various loanees brought in to get the club " over the line " lining Ashleys pockets once more.
248 Oct 28, 2009 6:49 PM We need someone who actuals cares about the club and its future
249 Oct 28, 2009 6:52 PM hope this will stop all the uncertanty
250 Oct 28, 2009 6:59 PM Ashley has previously admitted that he made a mistake in the buying in the first place, he also owned up to the fact that he has no idea what hes doing. Add to this his entire disregard for the fans and seemingly the general wellbeing of the club and his position seems untenable.
251 Oct 28, 2009 7:06 PM If we weren't looking like getting promoted on a shoe string budget he would have sold. he's a gambler and what's £20 million to him?
252 Oct 28, 2009 7:13 PM ...but at least we don't have to listen to the bullshit sale saga's anymore!
253 Oct 28, 2009 7:17 PM he is a buisness man and he thinks if we get promoted someone will pay his price ane he will get most of his money back
254 Oct 28, 2009 7:21 PM Was it ever really for sale? He was probably just making sure newcastle united stay in the media spotlight!
255 Oct 28, 2009 7:29 PM Ahsley is a poisonous influence on the club and has no love for it or its fans. While he remains in charge, the club's interests will always come a distant second.
256 Oct 28, 2009 7:30 PM I'd just prefer if the man left Newcastle as soon as possible
257 Oct 28, 2009 7:36 PM A fast solution, the club will be promoted and he will sell it for more than 100 pounds
258 Oct 28, 2009 7:37 PM No one will buy it, so what else can he do? For the disgruntled, just pay Ashley £80m or shut up.
259 Oct 28, 2009 8:08 PM By the time he's finished, the club will be totally destroyed
260 Oct 28, 2009 8:16 PM he has proved that his word cannot be trusted
261 Oct 28, 2009 8:23 PM I have become increasingly sceptical, each time, Mike allegedly puts the club up for sale
262 Oct 28, 2009 8:27 PM he is deperate his cloth empire is crumbling.All that interests him is money
263 Oct 28, 2009 8:28 PM Every decision Ashley has made has been extremely poor. If he didn't have so much money invested it would be easy to think he is deliberately trying to destroy the club. There should be some sort of ruling by the FA that prevents idiots such as him buying clubs and ruining the game.
264 Oct 28, 2009 8:31 PM the only reason hes taken the club off the market is its worth more money in the premiership
265 Oct 28, 2009 8:43 PM There was probably no intention of selling unless some even bigger mug than Ashley turned up with an offer FCB couldnt refuse
266 Oct 28, 2009 8:51 PM As it looks like we might go up it would be stupid to sell us now when are value will shoot up when back in prem. He's just waiting till then so he can get as much cash as possible for us.
267 Oct 28, 2009 8:57 PM I just want rid of him, he is a clueless, classless oaf
268 Oct 28, 2009 9:05 PM I don't really care, if somebody wants to buy the club they will make an offer there doesnt need to be a for sale sign!
269 Oct 28, 2009 9:15 PM Because Mike Ashley only has the intersts of Mike Ashley at heart and while he remains any progress made will be by luck rather than judgement.
270 Oct 28, 2009 9:20 PM I don't think that he had any intention of selling the club anyway.
271 Oct 28, 2009 9:33 PM I do not think he had any intention of selling whilst we were topping the table, he will wait until hopefully United gain promotion to the Premiureship then put the club back on the market at a higher figure to recoup his losses
272 Oct 28, 2009 9:45 PM He is not a fit person to run a football club.
273 Oct 28, 2009 9:47 PM Only because it should help to settle the off the pitch issues for the time being
274 Oct 28, 2009 9:51 PM mixed feelings- we need someone in charge with a vision- however we also need stability to ensure a return to the premier league
275 Oct 28, 2009 10:16 PM Cut your losses and hand over to comeone who cares
276 Oct 28, 2009 10:18 PM We need him out we need an owner who cares about the club and the fans
277 Oct 28, 2009 10:31 PM immaterial.
278 Oct 28, 2009 10:47 PM World financial conditions are improving and the likelyhood is that a serious investor could appear bedore the end of the season.
279 Oct 28, 2009 11:03 PM Mike Ashley has no choice - no one has come up with the 80 - 100 mil pounds that he was asking for. if he doesn't take the club off the market - he'll end up with a huge bill eventually (on advertising costs, agent's / lawyer's fees etc)
280 Oct 28, 2009 11:21 PM Never had any intention of selling the club
281 Oct 28, 2009 11:35 PM Don't think he cares about the club - he is only interested in making money
282 Oct 29, 2009 12:00 AM typical of a petty, no vision second rate bussiness man with no plan
283 Oct 29, 2009 12:12 AM The sooner he leaves the club, the better
284 Oct 29, 2009 12:22 AM He may have the right idea for aq business plan ie reduce spending to acceptable levels, but the guy seems to surround himself with fools an incompetants who I believe play a large part in the monumental blunders that have been made to date.
285 Oct 29, 2009 12:32 AM he's taken it of for th wrong reason,
286 Oct 29, 2009 12:35 AM I want him gone from the club as soon as possible.
287 Oct 29, 2009 12:45 AM I think he had to as no one will buy and even if they did it would be yet another distraction for the staff and players.end speculation at least till the end of the season.
288 Oct 29, 2009 1:10 AM Anyone would have been better than Ashley.
289 Oct 29, 2009 3:14 AM He should get to hell out
290 Oct 29, 2009 4:33 AM no not at all, just confirms to me anyway, that he never really wished to sell the club, can't help thinking he may have an ulterior motive in wanting us (Newcastle United supporters) to see our club fail and therefore by staying in power he can do this as always in his statements, "in the best interests of the Club"
291 Oct 29, 2009 6:18 AM Considering the oportunities he has had to sell the club, he has made a hash of something that other clubs have found easy. He has proved that he is fool
292 Oct 29, 2009 6:28 AM sooner he departs the better
293 Oct 29, 2009 6:35 AM I don't want him at our club.
294 Oct 29, 2009 7:26 AM would rather he left
295 Oct 29, 2009 7:42 AM could be the final nail in NUFC coffin
296 Oct 29, 2009 8:03 AM If crowds dropped to 20,000 he would sell qiuckly as income would obviously fall. I didn't renew after having a season ticket since 1991.
297 Oct 29, 2009 8:12 AM get out off town now hes made us a joke
298 Oct 29, 2009 8:19 AM Would like to see the back of this joker. Cannot believe that this great club cannot find a buyer.
299 Oct 29, 2009 8:25 AM To be honest, it doesn't really matter whether the club, is on or off the market. If someone makes a large enough bid, Ashley will sell.