Ashley + stock market = newcastle united

I agree with OT here...

In terms of the original article, about 3 years ago (when he bought the shares for the staff...which is the bonus) it was around the 40p bracket, now its £2.50 bracket. By the end of this year he wanted it at £2 (so already above the target) and in 2 years after that he wanted it up to £3, so he should be still on target with that with buying USC and other companies.

All in all I think that both businesses are seperate but of course if sports direct did go tits up (which is very highly unlikely) then of course he might have to sell thee club for his own financial state.

 

Truthfully, I've never been much of a believer in club sponsorship being a money making endeavour, nomatter what sport or team, but especially considering it isn't even on the club's shirts (in this particular instance). We all see sports direct plastered on the stadium every week, all over the city, at seemingly every turn. But might I remind you its only fans of Newcastle who see these constant reminders, and I think the fans already know full well who owns the club, and what else he owns. Even regarding the debate over renaming St. James' Park, sure, residents of Newcastle were infuriated about the name change, but I almost guarantee most football fans around the country have no idea it's now sportsdirect.com@, or at least never in a million years will call it that.

 

Your right they won't call it that, but the publicity in which it got when he "changed" the name was good enough for him. Plus the picture in the newspaper with "sportdirect.com" on the top of the Gallowgate, like they say, any publicity is good publicity (something like that anyways)

 

You can look at the 'free' publicity in many ways.

For example, whenever Whelan is mentioned in the press he's usually mentioned as the owner of JJB Sorts chain. Normally his inclusion in a press story isn't negative to Wigan or JJB Sports so in terms of free press; that can be construed as a positive.

Mike and NUFC is the polar opposite. The publicity; inclusive of the free mention of Sports Direct is frequently negative by the press. Would you pay £250 million for that?

As for sponsoring the stadium; once again £250 million to make what profit when either £250 million invested in Sports Direct marketing would certainly turn over more or just sticking that money in the bank and sitting on it would generate more than he'd ever hope to make in profit from running NUFC.

To me, however I look at it; he didn't buy NUFC as a cash cow and it's costing him cash. He said he paid for the most expensive season ticket and he's right.

He's not a Newcastle fan. We know that.

Give the guy some credit though because is the owners were Venky-esque; we'd be screwed beyond recognition and would never have come back from relegation.

Slate me but this to me is how I've felt for a while.