Mike Ashley & Rangers Football Club

One thing I will say for Mike Ashley is that he would go in as a complete outsider, and with no ties to the 'roots of the club.' Pretty much all of the Rangers men who have tried to invest have some sort of association with one traditional pillar of the fanbase or another. You would assume that Ashley will have done his homework, not just about the football club, but also about the baggage that comes with it. Then again, he was caught out by quite a few hidden skeletons here when he took over so who knows. If Ashley does sell us and takes complete control of Rangers then I can see a lot of the various factions being very worried at losing their influence within the club and not only having some of their traditions ignored, but also (I believe) some prohibited and punished. Could be a very interesting few years ahead, and the outcome could decide whether Rangers move into the 21st century or head back to the 19th century.

That's all assuming he wants to buy the club. If he just wants the advertising opportunity then he will only interfere with the 'traditions' of the club if he thinks those traditions are bad for business - his business not Rangers.

 

I think he wants the advertising, he'll be keeping his distance on this one I reckons, having been burned by the whole buy a club thing,,

 

This ..best result for Ashley Worst possible result for both Clubs

He stays in control at NUFC and abuses Rangers from the financial sidelines till they sob themselves to sleep in an old army blanket

 

thanks Albert and it was not a wind up it was a genuine question I do not understand finance in a game now sadly controlled by finance so I though I would ask

 

Fair enough

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30545231

If there was any lingering doubt about Mike Ashley's intentions, they have all been cleared-up now.

 

Will you have mixed feelings if he leaves?

Awful person, but he has put your house in order and if he sells your club who ever comes in will have a good sound financial base to build from,

 

it's a tough one mate. I'll be glad to see the back of him as a bloke.. but the club is in good financial nick so mixed feelings sums me up to a tee.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30598388

Ashley has been slowed-down in his pursuit of Rangers.

He wanted a 29% owning stake for offering the £8m Rangers need to continue.

Scottish FA have thrown it out.

Although you can see why, I believe this will simply delay the inevitable

 

The SFA wont be happy until Rangers go out of existence.

 

Looks like Ashley is facing problems in his Rangers take over. 2 other buyers have recently purchased 27% of the shares in order to block Ashley and today sky sports report an American is looking to buy the club for £18 million, although the other 2 would have to make some sort of arrangement for their shares. If this is the case, then it leaves us in the Toon up in the air as far as a sale is concerned for us.

 

What's the framework behind this 'buying for advertising' theory?

Surely it would be cheaper for him to just stick a few million quid into an overseas club like Basel or Schalke via sponsorships etc.

I think there's an opportunity for him to buy a huge club for peanuts, I think it's that simple.

 

I don't think the advertising angle is the be all and end all. Like you say, its a huge club for peanuts. Quite easy to turn round their fortunes without massive investment. Of course it is a global brand with strong following in the likes of America and Australia. Then you have the consistent European exposure. Being truthful though, is Sports Direct ever likely to break the America or Australian markets? I'm not convinced. Europe is a possibility.

He could go the Basel route etc but I think Rangers is obviously ticking more than just the advertising box. More than anything the biggest advertising boon for any mogul like Mike, is associating his product with a winning side. Every big brand wants to be associated with a winning team/individual. Looking at it, Rangers is probably the least difficult and least expensive winning side to create.

 

Makes sense to me, and what for Newcastle? Anybody but Ashley?

The state of club's finances at the minute on the whole in the UK are awful, I think if he does leave without any more hiccups then you'll look back on this era as successful overall.

 

We look set to make a massive profit again this year (2013/14 accounts). Some are suggesting it will somewhere around the 50m mark due to our lack of investment. Noticeable he is once again going to hold back the accounts until after the window slams shut...
I would think he will get round this by taking back a massive chunk of the loan he is still owed.

I'm not sure where we go next if he does get his way with Rangers. He has certainly righted the ship in a lot of ways. Provided someone comes in who can take the club on, I think in time it will be looked upon as a successful period. For all everyone hates Ashley he has actually made the club an attractive proposition for would be buyers. Stable finances with a proven record of sustaining top level football on a shoestring. An upcoming and fast developing youth system which has been long overdue.

I expect nothing but the worst either way it goes though. If he stays we'll drift along doing just enough to make money. If someone comes in it will inevitably some crazy Tan type bastard who'll manage to upset everyone and their granny.

 

The Rangers thing has got to be about the Champions League on the cheap, nothing else makes any sense. He doesn't need prestige, he won't get more advertising than he has with NUFC (CL may have different rules on advertising, but if it's the Ibrox Sports Direct Arena there's fck all UEFA can do), and it will cost less to run than NUFC does. I mean, Rangers at the top, run like we are, will be able to produce tonnes of talent, sell the odd player and still run away with the league every year. A few CL games and it's making money hand over fist. Bear in mind Ashley is NOT at NUFC for the profit - we have to make that to pay the fcker back. He's here for the global advertising - I mean name me one industry where you can advertise your brand to a billion people, globally, every week and have BT/Sky PAY YOU for the privilege!! Where I come from, advertising costs, but not in football - they fcking give you money, no wonder he couldn't give a sh1t what people think.

SD already has a massive European market. The company is trading at around £2bn a year, with a good % of that coming from a booming market in France and beyond. That will grow further with the added exposure of the CL. This is an interesting fact - Rangers could be in the CL from 2017 season. Ashley has said "I won't sell NUFC until 2016 at least". Hardly a fcking coincidence, is it? He's got a very clear business plan in my mind. Secure Rangers, so he can take it over when it's on its' way to the CL, selling NUFC in the process and recouping his loan and making a tidy sum at the same time. For a man worth £5bn, he sure knows how to play it tight. What's fascinating is at least three people have thrown a spanner in the works - King, the SFA and now this American. So he's now got to play it differently. There's no way on this earth he's going to get a better bargain than Rangers, so I suspect he'll be desperately trying to get rid of NUFC and that is why I think the manager has gone, it was the last thing that would 'cost' a prospective owner. He'll take a FCK load of money back with the new accounts, whilst showcasing to prospective owners the ability to make £50m a year profit in a single year!!!! Genius, really. And where are we in all this? A necessary evil, nothing more!!

 

He's a secretive type of bloke isn't he, you ever heard/seen him say anything about Newcastle?

Ashley should realise that without Sissoko, as a unit you're gonna be very fragile so I can't see him selling him this month.

It can't be too far away, a sale, unless he can somehow acquire both clubs or somebody else buys Rangers first, like this yank who's been linked today.

Good luck anyhow, for the remainder of the season

 

Ashley doesn't have a fcking clue. We built a team around Cabaye, didn't stop him selling. Sissoko with Perez have more or less got us to where we are, but I almost guarantee Sissoko will be sold as he only has a year and a half left, so THIS is the window to make the most money on him.

He might replace him with someone else from France on the cheap - we did this a couple of years back, so we have spent in Jan before - and we will be forced into sourcing a centre back I imagine. But we'll keep some of the youngsters because they're not worth enough yet. If Perez keeps going he'll probably be off in the Summer....unless we have an owner by then with a touch of ambition.

As I say, if he can sell NUFC now because of the threat with Rangers, he will. People saying "he won't sell mid-season" are talking utter sh!t, the man couldn't give a rats a$$ about the club, really. I almost expect, rather than suspect, this to happen now. Like I say, it's a golden opportunity and he doesn't miss those (see Lilywhites/Debenhams/Firetrap and so on for more details!!). He made a bet that no-one else would fancy the Rangers gamble, and he lost. What has happened instead is people with a bit of cash realised Ashley doesn't fck much up, so with his move on Rangers it's only heightened interest. His key problem is flogging NUFC when he realistically wanted to sell up in 2016.

 

Isn't it obvious, he's flipping Rangers to raise a massive windfall return on his initial investment. This money will then be spent in one massive spree this coming summer to propel Newcastle United into the race for the 2015-16 PL trophy and European football in 2016!

 

Rangers in revenue terms are no where near NUFC, I think their last accounts filed showed a turnover of around £19 mill which was eaten up by operating costs, the various companies that have been formed over the last 10 years to operate the club have been saddled with debts, I don't really get Ashley's interest in the club as it would need far more money investing than he would get back to achieve anything meaningful, his fascination with the club seems even more unusual when you consider he is pocketing quite substantial sums from NUFC, way above what he may get from Rangers.