Depends how you look at it. The club was sold to him full in the knowledge that this was his intention. The fans knew about pretty early due to Sir John Hall revealing it. No one really batted an eyelid until the Keegan episode which soured the milk for the fans. Ever since then it has been about looking at everything in a negative light for the fans. That is the brutal reality of the relationship. He simply underestimated how well liked and revered Keegan was in these parts. We haven't really lost anything in some peoples eyes. It was the trade off for taking on our debt (though he claimed he didn't know) and you could argue it has been further negated by him bailing us out upon relegation. However I think he has to accept as the owner he is partly responsible for those relegations. Certainly the first one, less so the latter when he provided the funds and the footballing PL landscape has become extremely volatile outside the top 6. If you look at it from a purely monetary point of view and ignore the historical reasoning for purchasing the club, then its probably about 5m a year. Maybe a touch more. It is probably worth maybe 8m-10m a year now. However that's obviously shot up over a 10 year period. We had an offer of 300m with clause in January allegedly, with all the above known about the accounts, and relegation a very real threat. You'd have to think someone will pay more now with a better situation and prospect of much better accounts for the 2017 period. I think we will go for somewhere between 330m-350m.
As I say there was a buyer for 300m with clauses in January. A deal couldn't be done. All of the above was already known by the purchasers. These are last years accounts which were in the public domain. The clubs value has gone up as we have avoided relegation. The accounts for this year may be average to poor, but they aren't daft, they will know the accounts which will follow should be pretty stellar depending on how much we decide to furnish our manager with. History suggests we will empty the pot again for Rafa. However in an age where many clubs struggle to stay above the line, we are pretty well run.
I'm just wondering when Groot wants a slice now GG has revealed the true financial standing... please log in to view this image
My reasoning in my financial post is basically backing up what Free-Dor is saying purely from a financial perspective. The reality is we wont have that much money to spend again this season and my arguments in post #53 back this up. The proof will be in the next set of accounts which will have to be submitted soon. Free-Dor is right, the facts are that we have spent what we can afford to spend over the last 3 season without putting ourselves in **** creek like what happened under Mcclaren. Having said that its not all about transfer fees and money spent etc but more about net spends. In reality balancing the books is what we have to do. IMHO we have a significant(ish) playing squad with a lot of bang average players that we need shot of which I expect will happen post season end. The only way forward for us is to really continue as we are, develop the scouting networks and invest in youth and unfortunately sell them on if they come good. Our ability to generate additional revenue is difficult to improve on. If TV money goes up for us, so does it for other premiership teams and by definition so do transfer fees. The rise in TV money does not actually improve our ability to buy players. In effect outside the top 6/7 without owner investment we are more or less on an even playing field to the rest in the premier league. GG
Can we stick to the facts on bids as far as we can. From the Ronnie Gill. "It is claimed that a first bid of £300million was lodged on November 2, which would have seen £200m paid on completion of the takeover, then two further instalments of £50m on July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2019. This offer also contained penalty clauses in the event of a potential fine in the future as a result of the on-going HMRC investigation at United - and the further two instalments would have been withheld should Newcastle have been relegated this season. A second bid worth £350m was then reportedly launched on November 10: £150m on completion, then three further payments of £50m made on January 1 for three years in succession from 2020. This offer also contained a performance-related clause where up to a further £50m would be paid, for example if United qualified for the Champions League. It also contained penalty clauses in the event of relegation and the HMRC fine too. The final bid was launched on November 17, it is claimed, and was worth £250m - payable in full, with no clauses." No £300M bid without conditions. Bid was £250M taking into account relegation as a possibility. Therefore PCP's price has to go up from that figure but note what GG is saying regarding value of Club based on accounts. Ultimately price is what both parties can agree. Unlikely though that given above bids that PCP will go to Ashley's alleged £400M figure.
I was thinking of getting them from you but I heard that J K Rowling was writing a further Harry Potter novel based on your facts.
Personally, never disputed the fact the club hasn't spent what it had. My issue remains that what we had wasn't representative of what we should have. Purely from a financial perspective, a lack of commercial revenue has hit us repeatedly. A lack of employing the right people at the right outlay has resulted in stagnation of our financial clout. Even taking relegations, which MIke is directly responsible and accountable for, out of the equation, our consistent plummet down the Financial league table is alarming. A lack of proper investment in youth and training hasn't helped either, as we've had no bluebird players to sell on to regenerate the income. The issues under Ashley's stewardship run far deeper and wider, economically speaking, than the moronic media understand. Simply put, our lack of vision, ambition and income has significantly hampered our ability to spend and subsequently achieve. It's a vicious cycle, which cannot end under Ashley - and may not end when he goes.
I will grant you some of that. But if we are running at full tilt financially, you have to ask how we pay for these other things. There is only one pot it would come out of initially - that seems totally unpalatable to our demanding fanbase. Perhaps additional staff would generate more income. We don't seem to trailing behind the others looking at the books though. The advertising is a different issue. He did try to exploit that with the stadium rename and they wanted him lynched. The advertising on the stadium, I can't see why he'd give that up. He got into it for that reason. Its helping his main business grow. Purely from a business perspective it wouldn't seem to make any sense to him. I can see why the fans don't like it, but I think to be fair to him he is entitled to that little boon.
I am far from it and if you ever see my quotes I’m almost anti Ashley. What I am is realistic. He has made some royal **** ups in the past and I hope he learns from it.
Mate unless you sign up to the Ashley is the devil and is stealing from the club campaign, you'll never win with these lot. They don't like the Rafa Facts one bit.
I'm saying we're not running at full tilt, that's the point. Poor capitalist decisions have cost us, lack of leadership or a real board has cost us; two relegations is testimony, as is owing that fat buffoon £129m. It's a massive amount of debt restricting us from any kind of progression, we're continually picking up the pieces of Mike's early failure, including the Keegan incident where it all began. And if that "little boon" was the difference in signing one or even two additional players every year, he's stitched the club up and lost - potentially - a vast amount of money in the process. Bad decisions. It's not about "not liking it", it's about taking advice from within the game and using common sense.
I haven’t copied anything mate. This is GG, a neutral observer to my greatness making you all eat humble pie. I merely pointed all this out over a very long period. You all denied it was the case. You now need to accept I was right all along and bend the ****ing knee.
