NEWCASTLE supporters made their feelings clear at Blackpoolâs Bloomfield Road on Sunday by unveiling a banner declaring: âSupport the team, not the regimeâ. By: Niall Hickman Published: Tue, July 30, 2013 And it has emerged they might get their wish to see Mike Ashley leave their club as the controversial multi-millionaire continues to develop his interest in Rangers, who Newcastle will play in a pre-season friendly at Ibrox next Tuesday. Ashley is now the third-biggest shareholder in Rangers with an 8.9 per cent stake as the club work their way back to the Scottish Premier League following the financial collapse last year which sent them into the fourth tier of league football north of the border. Ashleyâs huge Sports Direct leisure company have a deal with the club to sell their official merchandise which they won off rival JJB Sports, owned by Wigan chairman Dave Whelan. Ashley also secured a deal last March for the naming rights to the 51,000-capacity Ibrox stadium, although he has yet to announce his plans over any name change. It all points to an increased interest in Rangers, and close associates of Ashley say it is the enormous potential the club enjoys which he finds appealing, despite their ignominious fall. Ashley is acutely aware of the merchandising and commercial possibilities at a club which could still call on average gates of about 43,000 last season, despite the fact they were playing largely part-time opposition. Newcastle fans have one eye on Ashleyâs close ties with Rangers, as his unpopularity is such that the vast majority would happily see him sell up and move north of the border. While Ashley has pumped in the region of £200? million of his fortune into Newcastle, he continues to make baffling decisions which alienate him from supporters â his latest and most bizarre appointment was that of 66-year-old Joe Kinnear as director of football. Steve Wraith of Newcastle United Football Club Fans United believes Ashley will depart the North-east in much the same way he arrived in 2008. âIt wouldnât surprise anyone connected with the club to see Mike Ashley go as rapidly as he came in,â said Wraith. âAnd letâs face it, he wouldnât be buying an interest in Rangers just for the sake of it. He has put his marker down at Ibrox and it may only be a matter of time before he regards that as a better option than Newcastle.â Wraith says that Ashley was beginning to win over fans when Newcastle finished fifth in the Premier League 15 months ago, but since then has made some oddball decisions which have injured his reputation. âHe has been hurt by the criticism which has come from fans, but appointing Joe Kinnear is just mind-blowing,â said Wraith. âHe has got rid of Derek Llambias and replaced him with Kinnear, who is considered a comical appointment by the rest of the football world.â Ashley has yet to make any public announcement regarding his involvement with Rangers, hardly surprising bearing in mind he has yet to speak to the media since taking over Newcastle five years ago.
Uggs to go with my feature wall Pair of white preds, got them 2 seasons ago. Ordered them 2 weeks before the season started and it said 3-5 days delivery. Got them the day after the second game
Preddies are small made. I bought the light blue / neon yellow ones. ****ing tiny. <bruisedtoenails> got adipures now
He seems like a bit of a dick. Is there any way he could give us large wodges of his lovely dosh without him interfering with the club?
The ones I got were fine. A lot of boots are too narrow for my girthy feet, but preds have always seemed to be fine. I've pretty much gave up playing football on account to having knees as dodgy as devs jokes.
I blame my dad for my bad knees. His are made out of dust. I had to go in for an operation to remove damaged cartilage from my left knee, woke up and they told me I have arthritis. It's alright but, won't properly affect me for another 10-15 years. That was when I was 21 Walking stick needed by the time I'm 35.
The only things we will have in common is a walking stick, an addiction to painkillers and a love of hookers.
Never pictured you as being a fatty. Strange how ye seem to buld a mental image of what someone is like by their posts and which is almost certainly nothing like them at all.
