Profit in peace
Newcastle United may well be just hours away from their first pre-season friendly of the season here in Dublin but while the first leg loosener of the summer is certain to attract plenty of interest - the identity of just who the new owners will be is still catching all of the headlines.
Such is the confusing state of affairs for Newcastle fans at the moment, wannabe owners of United, the Profitable Group went on record to confirm their interest in public today via former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon.
Initial claims that the Singapore-based group were contenders back on June 9 were dismissed by Derek Llambias as "total rubbish" only for the Profitable Group to release a statement soon after to leave Toon fans scratching their heads.
If Newcastle want to sell and Profitable Group are as serious as they want us to believe - then surely the time has to be now to step up to the plate?
And if there is talk that the Profitable Group are misleading people, what category do you class the current regime in?
A respected source has since revealed that Austrian gaming giants Bwin were also keen to be in the running with United - unlike they did with Profitable's initial interest - refusing to confirm or deny any knowledge of the bid.
Perhaps the current regime should make up their mind - either you can rule in/or out potential bidders or you can't.
Malaysian interest has also attracted plenty of publicity.
But despite the enormous hullabaloo caused by their first visit to Tyneside, AirAsia and Ananda Krishnan have publicly rubbished the Far East bid and in recent days there have also been sceptics out there who have rubbished the entire bid.
Some fans I have spoken to have dismissed it as a convenient and a well-timed tour in front of the watching world to generate more interest to the sale.
All of it adds to the farce for Toon fans who deserve much better.
With a players' revolt is imminent on Tyneside you could say that things have actually gone backwards this week rather than forwards!
For 90 minutes though tomorrow we are in danger of actually taking in a football match.
Just as a break to the madness.
Certainly 90 minutes of football action will be respite for the Toon Army.
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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Lee - The useless bunch of wasters coulnt manage 90 minutes of football all last season. What makes you think they will start now!!!
Lets face it, nobody knows what's really going on....Ashley and his gang have proven in the past that a) they haven't a clue about PR and Communication, and b) on the odd occasion they HAVE uttered some noises, there is no guarantee that what they say and reality are aligned.
I think that at this late stage, even if the Sheik of Arabee took over and appointed God as manager, a lot of fans have just had enough really.
Does FA really want to sell at a loss of over £150m? Part of the problem is we don't know him. He has seldom spoken to his customers - the fans. Is he a quitter? Is he vindictive to the point that he'd ruin the club? Is he determined enough to dig his heels in and turn the club around and get his cash back? Its tragic that no one knows.
It doesn’t look good, it’s frustrating, it’s annoying and it’s becoming beyond boring. However, who really knows what is going on? Not the fans or even journalists for the simple reason that there is absolutely nothing coming out of the club or the bank who have been tasked with selling it. I have to doubt any group that comes out at this stage & suggests that they have made a bid. There is a confidentiality agreement in place, Lawyers & banks are involved & data protection plays a part. You have to wonder whether these companies are only doing it to promote themselves...remember the last time the club was up for sale, remember Chris Nathaniel of the supposed Nigeria consortium? The silence is deafening and the longer it goes on the more frustrated we get & the more desperate the tabloids get for news (to the extent of trawling fan sites & message boards). We just have to wait it out and hope we are soon reading a statement from Keith Harris advising that MA, a man who has lost millions (and over a billion in the grand scheme of things) in his ill advised foray into football club ownership. A man who has been humiliated by the people of the Kingdom he has reigned over so disastrously! Until we see a quote from one of the main players, and I mean the bank, the present or new owners, anything else is speculation, but don’t blame the local press for that...NO ONE knows what is going on because NO ONE is saying a dickie bird!
Lee,
You rightly highlight there is a "confusing state of affairs for Newcastle fans at the moment."
Unfortunately you have to accept your own role in exacerbating this! In your article: Profitable Group admit making bid for NUFC, you wrote "..... with Seymour Pierce, the investment bank tasked with brokering a deal, yet to recommend a preferred bidder to Ashley."
Only hours earlier your sister paper the Journal, carried an article by Mark Douglas where he wrote: "Seymour Pierce are believed to have made a recommendation to the club’s board about preferred buyers."
So has Seymour Pierce made a recommendation or not?
Breaking news!!!!!
The latest consortium being linked with an 11th hour bid is being led by non other than Micheal Jackson.
MJ will conduct his business from his office in the sky. Jackson has been quoted through a medium saying " Hey Geordies it dont matter if your black and white hee hee" A club insider has revealed that the neverland ranch will be relocated to within SJP,meaning the circus at Newcastle is set to continue" Chris Hughton revealed in an exclusive interview that the players will wear one white glove against Shamrock Rovers on Saturday as a mark of respect to the new regime. You heard it here first.
If Ashley genuinely wanted to sell the club then we would have new owners by now. I'm pretty cetain that Ashley will still own the club next season and will continue to strip the club assets.
As Shamrock Rovers played last night (against Bray Wanderers) they will only be putting out their reserves against us today. Was it worth going to Ireland for that. We could have just set up a match against a North East pub team!
Its time the chronicle stepped up to the plate and slaughter these morons,instead of crawling up llambias's backside for a interview they will never get.
Ho hum. yawn. why does everybody expect speed? Buy a house and multiply that by a bit then a few extra days is nothing. Ashley bought like a cowboy, he's gonna wanna feel sure when he sells.
There are immediate concerns, sure, but let's think a bit longer term. How about next week? :o)
"Certainly 90 minutes of football action will be respite for the Toon Army."
Can't agree with that, Lee. 90 minutes of the same wasters who took us down with the same coaches who helped take us down in charge of them and with the same owner and upper management that has ruined the club doesn't give me any sign of respite.
I see that supposed Newcastle target Frazier Campbell has now signed for the mackems,it just get's worse!
All regular bloggers will know I've said it from day one that this bloke will not sell for 100 million. He's hoping to start an auction. He'll go when it suits him, when he's good and ready and not before.If it means the slow strangulation of the club and fans continues, then so be it! This ungenuine git still has the upper hand!!
Coffee Jonny, he can't take to much more time. As there won't be much left to sell. But as with all dealings that Ashley has had with Newcastle he'll mug the sale up and we'll be stuck with him.