Sir John, Ashley and Liverpool.

[ex_pat_magpie]

I often wonder, if Sir John had known what a scheming, lying, cheating shyster Ashley was going to turn into would he have sold the club to him or waited until a dedicated football type owner was found to sell to.

I look at the strides the club made under Sir John's tenure as equal to the successes Liverpool made under Bill Shankly, except Liverpool were able to consolidate and expand on that since Shankly left.

I use Liverpool as an example because prior to Shankly we had a similar but slightly better record than them.

We were both clubs who spent most of our time in the top flight but yo-yo'd a bit between the top and second division.

At Shankly's appointment Liverpool had five 1st division titles, five 2nd division titles and no F.A. cups to our six 1st division titles and six F.A. cups but the rest is history.

We both have a huge catchment area but they have 18 professional league clubs within 50K of them and four of them in the Premiership as well as the West Yorkshire teams a few further K down the road, and what have we got as opposition, the Smoggies and Blunderland.

THE POTENTIAL AT THIS CLUB IS ENORMOUS WITH AND HONEST, DECENT OWNER AND A MANAGER OF THE STATURE OF RAFA.

[Zippity]

THE POTENTIAL AT THIS CLUB IS ENORMOUS WITH AND HONEST, DECENT OWNER AND A MANAGER OF THE STATURE OF RAFA.

This is the key part for me, Pat.

I suppose lots of clubs could argue that they have the potential to be bigger than they are but we are certainly one who can.

We've had glimpses over the years-in my time with Keegan and then with Sir Bobby-but it's never been fully realised. When you look at our fanbase and the way the Club, the City and the People are so interlinked and can be so 'united' it's an absolute disgrace the way our potential has been wasted.

That banner from a little while back-"we don't demand a club that wins things, all we ask is a club that tries" sums us up-and an honest owner who tries-like Sir john-would be absolutely revered up here.

[ghostrider]

The potential of Newcastle United was enormous.
Things have changed massively in the world of sport (not only football) that renders big city clubs as having no more potential than a small town club with a quarter of a potential fan base.

That may seem silly to say but I believe there's a lot to take in with the fairness and certainly the geographical locations of certain clubs as to whether they get a fair crack of the whip against other more favourable clubs with a more inviting geographical location, not to mention favourable owners, maybe.

It can run into realms of conspiracy stuff in one way but i see it as Newcastle United being a north east club with potential so massive in normal, fair and even terms, running from within against those clubs doing likewise, as easily putting us among the elites.

The problem is, when you can have an owner who can feed a small club blank cheques to buy and bank roll players wages to extremes, then that potential might as well be crumpled up and thrown into the bin.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Yes the potential of Newcastle United WAS ENmous but unfortunately we have been saddled with a greedy, lying owner who only wans to line his own pockets at the expence of this club.

Get rid of Ashley and get an owner with vision and common sense and Newcastle United will achieve that hidden MASSIVE potential.

[ghostrider]

Yes the potential of Newcastle United WAS ENmous but unfortunately we have been saddled with a greedy, lying owner who only wans to line his own pockets at the expence of this club.

Get rid of Ashley and get an owner with vision and common sense and Newcastle United will achieve that hidden MASSIVE potential.

How sure are you that getting rid of Ashley will actually reap any better benefit to Newcastle United?
What owner could guarantee a better future for this club.

It's very easy to say we deserve this and that and we deserve better than the owner we have but it isn't so easy to actually get what people think they deserve.

What could a new owner provide for this club moneywise to ensure it competes at the top or very near it, which is surely what the argument is about, right?

[toonlegend]

I'm not so sure sir john would have given it a second thought if he'd known what a spiv ashley was. i'm not sure he didn't know as apparently ashley told him he wanted the club to help ****ty direct.

and apparaently sir john was desperate for cash at the time. so i think he may well have just sold anyway regardless.

[toonlegend]

How sure are you that getting rid of Ashley will actually reap any better benefit to Newcastle United?
What owner could guarantee a better future for this club.

It's very easy to say we deserve this and that and we deserve better than the owner we have but it isn't so easy to actually get what people think they deserve.

What could a new owner provide for this club moneywise to ensure it competes at the top or very near it, which is surely what the argument is about, right?

he could provide investment and also run the club in a fit and proper manner maximising its revenue particularly in the commercial sector which ashley has failed miserably to do.

[ghostrider]

he could provide investment and also run the club in a fit and proper manner maximising its revenue particularly in the commercial sector which ashley has failed miserably to do.

Can you give me some examples of what Ashley isn't doing that was being done beforehand in this commercial sector and how you think it impacts on the club or against it?

[toonlegend]

Can you give me some examples of what Ashley isn't doing that was being done beforehand in this commercial sector and how you think it impacts on the club or against it?

just check the figures from then and now. commercial revenues brought in by the club

would have funded players or training ground improvements, acadeny upgrades....

[ex_pat_magpie]

just check the figures from then and now. commercial revenues brought in by the club

would have funded players or training ground improvements, acadeny upgrades....

You can't convince a closed mind T.L.