GACP Takeover

By the time he took over we were only just qualifying for UEFA cup at best so not really a money spinner. I don't think he thought the money would dry up from the competitions - he realised we were in dire financial straits and had to lend us 120million just to keep us afloat. There was no way we could continue on the same path.

I think where he went wrong was assuming he could get away with minimal expenditure on the club which got us relegated. It was clear his MO was try and hang around in PL, reap the riches and the advertising potential. His two massive mistakes, if that was his model, were the relegations. From both a football and a business venture his big mistake was not realising the potential of 2010-2012.

 

it's his fault !!! like I say if he's run the club well and kept us up there he would have been rolling in it … the club was still is the g8 when he bought the club … he's ran the club badly and it's now valued and almost worthless... we cannot play football! that's what he does ! he buys a big brand and then lives on it's name like a parasite. he's not this clever businessmen people believe ! he's a greedy selfish tyrannical arsehole and there lye's a huge difference. Whether there's others is irrelevant because I would execute them all if I was permitted. The scum rises to the top and then bad things happen on this planet !

 

Je ne comprends pas ce que vous dites?

But seriously it's quite simple and the evidence is there - He sold land from the club to himself, then sold it on for a 50% personal profit shortly after - this is the part I have a problem with because as previously mentioned in a fair and reasonable deal we would have at least added clauses to guarantee additional funds upon the onward sale/development of the land - which I'd bet my bottom dollar on he has done with his private sale of the land - making the money lost much greater than the £3m lost already through Ashley "kindly" acting as a middle man.

It is completely and unequivocally beyond the realms of possibility that either 1) the land doubled value in the short space of time or that the new owner was so out of their depth they took it on massively above a market price (legally your solicitor would have to draw your attention to the fact it didn't seem right and advise you accordingly) or 2) Ashley genuinely believed that was the going rate for that piece of land and paid what he believed was the "market price" for it before finding out he could sell it on for a huge profit privately and personally pocket said profits. Now if he had done this and gifted the profits away to a local charity say I for one would not be complaining.

Both of these options though are equally ludicrous though and unless we can evidence another scenario then you have your proof of exceptionally shady dealings. To say anything else without other additional evidence would suggest that you and DPP *believe that Ashley was acting in the best interest of the club at the point of sale of the land to himself* - can you clarify this point for me? - something I can't believe as you both seem like sound minded people (sometimes ). Again I'd highlight the fact I'm not saying this is illegal as they are his contracts to do as he pleases with but, on current evidence surrounding the deal, it IS exceptionally self serving and there can not really much more we can discuss on that front.

I personally have never seen suggestions that he has siphoned off funds towards the £100m mark to his own pocket, maybe I have but would pay no attention to this claim, although my understanding is that people are frustrated that he has held back the marketing potential of the club to the benefit his **** house company - how much revenue would you suggest has been lost to the SD advertising around the club compared to an average sponsorship deal? - and that ****e Direct own the club shop and make the majority of the profits from the sale of club merch and probably fairly assume, based on Ashley's history, that much of that profit is paid out to him and his cronies via ****e Direct or is tied up to him as "wallpaper" money.

 

In 10 years, the sum total of Ashley's dodgy shenanigans currently amount to one land sale, with no evidence he bought the land for £6m, only a fact that he sold it for £9m. If you look, the £6m was an approximation of the value of the land the club, ergo Ashley, owned. Not what he paid. He actually spent £134m and in that transaction was land, some of which he's now sold and potentially turned a small profit on.

I just think there's things to be angry at Ashley about, but the lack of consistency doesn't help the fans. Is he thieving money? It's just not likely. Has he stitched the club up through ignorant, idiotic decisions? Yep. Has he put the needs of SD ahead of NUFC? 100%, and he will always do this. It's in SD's interest for the club to be in the PL, nothing else. Hence why we aim for 17th, have failed twice, and never got past 4th round of a cup. Nor will we. This season will see exits at the first chance, I absolutely guarantee it.

I hope this is incorrect - I pray that he has been illegally taking money and even more hopefully dodging taxes. This kind of thing will, like Thaksin @ City, see the club sold finally. But I'm not sure he's guilty of anything other than gross negligence and incompetence.

 

Ashley isn't stealing money from a club he OWNS.

He is taking the profits for himself and that's fair enough.

Fans are upset because the successful clubs reinvest their profits to facilitate further success.