And I thought Id found em all? this is the STOKE SITE, read the headline storey, then scroll down to your right with todays news, had me confused for a while, the editors of this site are so far behind, youd have to feed them by catapult. http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s626/st160840.htm The Bear Pit,,,,,,,,,,,, more like the ARMPIT, journalism at its cutting edge
Unoffical Stoke site 2011/12.. Main healines Jones to the Britannia.......2010... Guess someone fell asleep watching one of their games, and just woke up.
A truly heart warming story, posted the link late last night, but in case you missed it, enjoy. Those of us who tuned in to BBC Radio Newcastleâs interview with Alan Pardew last Monday had our âcard markedâ about the monies the club was spending strengthening the squad this summer. Following Pardewâs radio interview, Derek Llambias, Mike Ashleyâs hard to like Managing Director told us some of the money received from the Carroll deal would be kept back for January in case we needed to spend then too. This is the January transfer window, Alan Pardew tells us has little value in it. All of the monies received from Carroll would stay in the club we were er, âassuredâ. Without the benefit of the clubâs accounts in front of me, I can, only at best come up with some uneducated guesswork and questions but here goes: Why is it, the Carroll money is the only money the club has its disposal for virtually everything? Why, for example, is the Carroll money used to pay for under-soil heating at the clubâs training ground? Werenât we previously told Mike Ashley was funding that himself? Why is it, when the new players who have signed for us this season, their wages over the life of their contract is being paid for from the Carroll money? Why are we the only club in the country who seems to operate this way? Why arenât wages spread over their contract (or until they leave) from the clubâs future revenue as is the norm? Why are deals being stacked up this way, when we know there is every chance the players will not see out their contract and will leave before it ends anyway? Why is it when players leave the club and their wages are no longer a liability for us that this is not factored in to the deals the manager can make to bring in new players? For example since January 2011 we have lost several well paid players from the squad (Andy Carroll (£30Kpw), Sol Campbell (£40Kpw) and Kevin Nolan (£40Kpw))? Very roughly that could mean e.£5m pa has been removed from the payroll but the club is paying future salaries from the Carroll money despite the reductions to the payroll from players outgoing. As above, the club is planning to remove further liabilities from the payroll in the form of Alan Smith (£60Kpw), Xisco (£60Kpw), Leon Best (U/K), Nile Ranger (U/K) and the strong likelihood of Jose Enrique (£30Kpw) and Joey Barton (£60Kpw) leaving, why is the club unable to be competitive with its offer of wages to new players, i.e. Daniel Sturridge, Charles NâZogbia? Removing those players from the payroll could free up a further e.£3m pa from the payroll. What is the clubâs expected player salaries to total turnover anticipated to be this financial year? Why did the club use the Carroll money to pay Chiek Tioteâs improved contract? Or has that been incorrectly reported by the press? What is the clubâs other revenue (in the form of season tickets, merchandise, TV, sponsorship and corporate) now being used for? How much does the club remain in debt to Mike Ashley? Is the clubâs non-Carroll money (season tickets, merchandise, corporate, TV, sponsorship) being used to repay Mike Ashley his loans? Is this financial strategy for the club being deployed to prepare the club for sale? Does the club have a potential purchaser? Or is this financial strategy, namely NO CAPITAL OUTLAY, to be deployed as the clubâs standard method for running the business indefinitely? In my opinion, there is far too much of the smoke and mirrors going on at the club right now and whether Ashley-Llambias-Pardew give a damn, the growing mood amongst supporters, in my opinion is one of mistrust towards the hierarchy for what is perceived as being less than 100% honest. As I see it. Declining to be interviewed directly by a supporters publication or anyone else ahead of the April deadline for season ticket renewals removes any claim they could even imagine making of transparency. Its my opinion, Ashley-Llambias probably couldnât give a toss about what we think of them. Their previously scandalous treatment of club icons Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer demonstrates that but I do know their manner of running the club is leading to the disillusionment of many long term and loyal supporters, some of whom have decided to end their association with Newcastle United after many years. Some are regretting the purchase of season tickets and feel conned. Some will only be back when Ashley-Llambias-Pardew have gone. Why Alan Pardew is allowing himself to be part of this operation is a subject of some salacious gossip (and nowhere does salacious gossip quite like Tyneside and its environs) and its accuracy remains to be seen but it becomes extremely dangerous for the manager to be seen as part of the âcockney mafiaâ and a hierarchy, in my opinion, who are viewed as dishonest by a large section of supporters. They will never remove the stain of admitting to lying to the supporters and seem disinterested in doing so. Communications are as lamentable now as they ever have ever been, despite this being previously admitted and a promise made to correct it. But if Pardew indulges in this âmarking cardsâ garbage he is going to find himself in a very cold and lonely place. If he brings a Newcastle United party back from the Village of the Damned in August with nowt to show for the trip, I guess we Geordies might just have tired of his wide boy schmaltz by then. Right now, Pardew is at serious risk of becoming Joe Kinnear with an O Level. Please donât bullshit us, weâve heard it all before! But back to the questions: Will the club avoid selling players at a point in this transfer window when it is impossible to replace them? I have fears about Tiote, Barton and Enrique being flogged in the last few days as per what has happened under Ashley (NâZogbia, Given, Carroll). Why have we seemingly been priced out of signing Charles NâZogbia for a reported £9m fee when we were âsupposedâ to have bid £10m for him in January? Or was that also incorrectly reported? The club has three recognised centre halves following the departure of Sol Campbell at the end of the season. Is three centre-halves enough? Cover at right-back? Why are we constantly drip-fed stuff about the club that is unremittingly negative regarding our status in the game (e.g. Alan Pardew claiming we canât compete on wages with Spurs and Liverpool?) given we have the third largest stadium in the country, with the third highest attendances (despite being relegated two seasons ago and being focussed on nothing other than avoiding relegation for the foreseeable future), being a one club city in a regional capital, having an enviable hinterland of potential corporate customers, a recognised European brand and recent history of playing Champions League and UEFA Cup football? Why isnât the club being marketed to potential investors in according with our status in the game? Other than the PUMA kit deal and Northern Rock sponsorship (which was a renewal of a current deal), what additional revenue have they brought into the club via their commercial operations? Mike Ashley has a reported personal wealth of £1.1bn. He is the fifth wealthiest owner of a football club in the PL. He claims to be a supporter. I donât know a Newcastle United supporter worthy of the description who would allow the club to continue to be run as if it was on the bones of its arse with that kind of personal wealth at their disposal. Does Mike Ashley have any plans to invest any of his personal money into the club? Why is the club operating to a scope of ambition no greater than Stoke, Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, Fulham? Iâll not hold my breath waiting for answers. * Well, weâll hopefully get a look at the new players on Friday night down at Darlington when its expected a good few thousand will travel south for our first pre-season friendly at Darlo. Why the game is being played on a Friday night when there is a Saturday afternoon available is probably explained by the Police and their desire to avoid a repeat of what a lot of friendlies can end up being, which is somewhat pissed up and fractious. That then doesnât explain Leeds at Elland Road at all though. That is a Stone Island friendly if ever there was one. Perhaps thatâs the idea? Anyway, those that do fancy an awayday on the Saturday could do worse than head up to the excellent town of Berwick to take in the Reserve Mags at Shielfield Park. Up and down on the rattler, a few beers in Berwickâs boozers amongst friends. What could be finer?
Did you post this on the Mags board? if so what was the response? somehow I missed this one, but a bleedin good read.
