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Post by White Lightning on Jun 3, 2016 10:02:00 GMT
Ronnie Gill piece on the Coaches now at .... Mikel Antia (First-Team Coach) Benitez is renowned for returning to players and coaching staff who have served him well in the past - he appointed Boudewijn Zenden at Chelsea and retained former assistant Pako Ayestaran’s services for 11 years - and he has done likewise with Antia. And, though his surname may simply be an anagram of Vurnon Anita, no he is not a relative of United’s Dutch midfielder. While Benitez was manager of Real Madrid’s ‘B’ side in the early-1990s - and even before that during his work with the academy - Antia was a reliable centre-back. In fact, Benitez signed Antia when he was manager of Valladolid in 1995, playing him in just about every single match. During his time managing Antia, Benitez saw coaching qualities in the centre-back, and he has decided to bring him in as a replacement for Pecchia. The 43-year-old Spaniard has been acquired from the Aspire Academy in Qatar, where he had been helping to develop young footballers in the Middle East. Speaking about Antia’s appointment, Benitez told the club’s website: “I am delighted that Mikel is joining my staff. “He is a very talented coach and I know he will add great expertise to my team.” Newcastle have announced Antia as a replacement for Pecchia and, though the club merely state that the Spaniard has joined the coaching staff, Benitez on his own website refers to the new acquisition as his “assistant”. Therefore it appears as it Antia will assume a like-for-like role to the one which the departing Pecchia held. Given that Benitez is aiming to completely transform Newcastle United both on and off the field, he requires a second in command who he trusts inherently and who can carry out his reforms and take charge of coaching affairs should the manager have other matters to attend to. What’s more, Benitez is often seen as cold by his players; he does not seek a strong personal relationship with them, instead attempting to keep professional distance. As a result, often Benitez has his assistant bridge that gap; they are the connection between the manager and the players in many ways. Antonio Gomez Perez (First-Team Coach) The 42-year-old Spaniard, like Antia, played under Benitez for Real’s youth sides as a midfielder. Interestingly, Perez has also been an almost ever-present in Benitez’s backroom staff ever since 2009 - having taken on roles at Liverpool, Napoli, Real Madrid and latterly Newcastle. Writing about his manager on Benitez’s own personal website, Perez explained: “I met him when I was in the Real Madrid youth team and he was my coach. “He made such a big impact on me, I liked his ways of working and his teaching of football so much, that when I got home after training, I made notes of the session and tactical team talks so that I had them down on paper to refer to. “On one occasion I can recall his friendliness: I was living at that time in Albacete, coaching the youth players and Valencia came to play us when Rafa was their coach. “I stayed behind to meet him and say hello and to my pleasant surprise he invited us to his room to show us how he analysed the data for his squad especially demonstrating the Amisco program. “This is the difference between Rafa Benitez and other coaches at his level. “Through him, there are many coaches who have benefited from his expertise because he loves to teach and he enjoys the fact that others have learnt from his methods. “Nowadays, many coaches strictly guard their knowledge and methods and as a result, in the world of football, there are so many people who admire him.” Perez also labels Benitez as a “maestro” and, having struggled to impress as a manager in his own right at Valladolid and Albacete, he is now a trusted lieutenant. Ian Cathro (Assistant Coach) The 29-year-old arrived as part of Steve McClaren’s backroom staff last summer amid much hype and his reputation earned him a place as one of just two coaches who were not replaced when Benitez joined in March. Renowned as an innovative thinker, Benitez is understood to have been impressed by Cathro’s ideas - as well as the techniques and approaches the Scot picked up during his time across in Spain. Appointed head of Dundee’s academy at just 23 years old, he then worked for the Scottish FA before becoming Nuno’s assistant at both Rio Ave and then Valencia. Sometimes it appeared as if Cathro was overlooked by McClaren in favour of Paul Simpson, but Benitez has given the Scot an active role and has been impressed by him. Cathro is even credited with aiding Kevin Mbabu’s revival. “I had a very good reference about them,” Benitez said about Cathro. “So obviously they will help us because we need to know all the details and that can make a big difference. “I was talking with Ian already, and Simon [Smith] was the same with the keepers and what we want to do. “It is still early but I could see that they know everything and that will be very helpful for us.” Cathro has a very positive reputation in both Scotland and Spain - Benitez is believed to have spoken to contacts back home about his coach - and he has earned his stay at Newcastle. Francisco de Miguel Moreno (Fitness Coach) Benitez’s preferred fitness man replaced Alessandro Schoenmaker, who had clashed with Steve Black – both of who left the club when Benitez took charge. He worked with former West Brom boss Pepe Mel but has been working with Benitez for a number of years - having spent time at Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid. During an interview in 2005, Moreno said that his work was about “speed” and intensity. Interestingly, he has developed programmes for different players and has said that creating a team that could “hustle” and work at pace was key. This is the man who will be tasked with having Newcastle in prime shape to achieve promotion back from the Championship at the first attempt. Simon Smith (Goalkeeper Coach) The 53-year-old former Gateshead stopper first worked as goalkeeper coach at Newcastle under Ruud Gullit and Sir Bobby Robson, having previously undertaken a role in the Academy during Kevin Keegan’s time at the club. After spells at the FA and Carlisle United, among other places, Smith returned to St James’ Park as goalkeeper coach under Steve McClaren last summer. His services were retained by Benitez in March, and the Spaniard has been impressed with the development of both Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow into consistent performers between the sticks. What’s more, Smith’s understanding of the club and the area are also deemed as vital by Benitez. After it was confirmed he would remain at United, Smith tweeted: “Delight to be staying.” Lights Oot!
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Post by White Lightning on Dec 20, 2016 15:41:44 GMT
News from Official site.... Jonjo Shelvey has been given a five-match suspension and £100,000 fine after an FA misconduct charge against him was found proven. Jonjo was charged with using abusive and/or insulting words towards an opponent in the 87th minute of the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, 17th September 2016. It was further alleged that this breach of Rule E3(1) was an “Aggravated Breach” as defined in Rule E3(2), as it included reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or nationality. The player, who denied the charge at an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, was also ordered to attend an FA education course. The sanction has been set aside pending consideration for an appeal. The player has seven days from receipt of written reasons in which to lodge any appeal. The club and the player will await the FA's written reasons before making any further comment on this matter. WL
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Post by White Lightning on May 15, 2017 15:50:54 GMT
Official shirt sponsor announced.... Lights Oot!
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Post by White Lightning on May 28, 2017 13:32:57 GMT
Here's some thoughts about the season just gone by the guys at TF...do you agree or disagree? Look back at season 2016/17Lights Oot! blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Jun 23, 2017 16:22:58 GMT
News about OMBO... Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has sold his shareholding in Rangers and the largest Light Blues supporter group has snapped up half of his Ibrox stake. The news comes just two days after Rangers chairman Dave King brokered a peace pact with the Sports Direct chief that provides the Ibrox club with a new £5million-a-year retail deal. Ashley's firm MASH Holdings Limited bought an 8.9 per cent stake in Rangers International Football Club Ltd (RIFC) when the company was floated by former chief executive Charles Green in 2012. But he has now sold a 4.46 per cent tranche to fan group Club 1872, with the rest bought by Julian Wolhardt, chief operating officer of Hong Kong-based Dehong Capital Partners. Club 1872 - formed last year by a merger of supporter groups - becomes the club's second biggest shareholder by taking its stake to 10.71 per cent. The news has been welcomed by fans, who feared the dispute fought out by King and billionaire Newcastle owner Ashley in the courtroom would hamper the club's ability to take on Celtic for years to come. A spokesperson for Club 1872 said: "We are delighted that our members' support for Club 1872 has brought us to a point where we can acquire those shares and complete the process of restoring control of RIFC to those who view the footballing success of Rangers FC as being just as important as RIFC's careful stewardship financially. "Club 1872 allows Rangers supporters to help safeguard the future of our club. Taking our shareholding above 10 per cent puts us well on our way to that goal. Our next ambition is to reach out to those Rangers supporters who are not already members of Club 1872 and encourage them to join. "Together we can achieve great things for our club." Wolhardt - who was married in Scotland and previously worked for Asian Investment firm KKR when it bought a large stake in German outfit Hertha Berlin - added: "I am delighted to become an RIFC shareholder. I have a long held love for Scotland and football and I am keen to see Rangers FC unlock its considerable commercial potential. "With the successful restructuring of the retail operations, RIFC is now on a firm financial footing and I look forward to being a part of its exciting future." WL
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Post by White Lightning on Aug 22, 2017 12:35:57 GMT
First of two pieces from TF guys....
It has started. The counter-offensive to Rafa Benitez being completely honest with what is going on at Newcastle United (namely he was lied to by Mike Ashley back in May) is well underway and being orchestrated in the football media. It’s my view Keith Bishop’s skills in the dark arts of PR are being deployed. Always remember the man who sits next to Mike Ashley (no, not Charnley, the Robbie Coltrane stunt double in the specs) is close to the club for a reason. Ashley is Bishop’s main client and Ashley holds a substantial stake in Keith Bishop PR. If you want an indication of the affiliation of Bishop to Ashley and vis-à-vis Newcastle United, just check out the website – Keith Bishop PR.
Contact details – 0207 734 9995, info@kbapr.com
We all know the real, fundamental source of the problems Rafa is facing at Newcastle United relate to the lies he has been told by Ashley in May. We know Ashley is a proven liar as the case for constructive dismissal brought by Kevin Keegan so amply demonstrated. There are features to the media onslaught Rafa is currently facing. None of those who are being used as dupes for Mike Ashley have any grip on the reality of what is happening or has happened at Newcastle United. But for their own reasons, they are desperate for attention.
It will be a cold day in hell when this fanzine has any truck with Adrian Durham of the despicable Talksport who is being typically provocative in his comments in his desperation to drive callers and listeners to his rubbish radio station. Joey Barton has always put Joey Barton’s interests above all others and to hear him criticise Benitez as a Talksport pundit is simply incredible given his record at United. This is an individual who will not be welcomed back to any of the clubs he has taken eye-watering sums of money from in return for very little. Barton is currently excluded from football for betting offences which include backing Newcastle United to lose while he was a player for us. Let that sink in – this whopper was on £60K pw with United, bet against us to lose while many of you reading this were putting your hard earned money into following our team around the country. Twat.
Then you have John Carver. The simpleton’s simpleton. I think we all got to know John’s true self in the Employment Tribunal involving Jonas. He is a disgusting individual and has put himself beyond the pale as far as many of us now consider.
Of course this is all being stage managed in an attempt to create a different narrative for Ashley. We all know the real story is about Ashley’s deceit, taking Rafa and the support for a complete ride. What is being attempted now is to paint Rafa as some kind of negative influence at United, a moaner and one who should just get on with the job – basically be a puppet of Mike Ashley in the way the likes of Pardew, Carver and McClaren were so happy to do so in return for routes back into football via Newcastle United that they were ill-qualified to have and in which they inevitably failed.
Bishop is busy with a PR strategy that is designed to split the Newcastle United support and to contain the criticism of Ashley across the wider media. Despite giving the impression of bomb-proof to the fusillade of criticism that has come his way down the years, we are now seeing the prickliness of an incompetent bully who has refused entry to journalists hand over fist at United over the last decade and doubtless will do so again. The most anodyne of comments made in interviews by our players are now being twisted out of shape to look like some kind of veiled criticism of their manager. Step forward The Express, hitherto barely known or even acknowledged or respected for its Newcastle United coverage but now having its “negativity” stories bounced all over the internet in that relentless search for clicks.
The pundits of course are at it but none more so spectacularly than Jamie Carragher, who it now seems is a gob-for-hire. Carragher had a pop at his manager this week which is curious because in 2015, this is what the ex-Benitez charge said of Newcastle United (INSIDE THE RAFALUTION – MARK DOUGLAS):
“it won’t help the team on the pitch but the supporters have tried all sorts and whatever they’re thinking of doing, that’s the only thing left for them. Newcastle, we always talk about how long they’ve gone without a trophy, so its not as if everybody expects we should win this, we should win that. The fans know their club better than us. The thing as a supporter is, even if you’re not going to win, you want to have the hope something could happen. If you’re paying for your season ticket you’re hoping someone upstairs has that same hope and belief that something could happen. Nobody expects to win a trophy – especially Newcastle – every season but they want to have the hope that something could happen. That’s just been killed at that club because of Mike Ashley”
So then Jamie, what’s changed pal?
MICHAEL MARTIN – Follow Michael on @tfmichael1892
WL blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Aug 22, 2017 12:48:29 GMT
Second piece from TF....
Two games back in the PL and two defeats and no goals. I thought Rafa had us well organised at SJP against a much superior Spurs team and we were containing them well enough with Atsu and Ritchie combining really well down the flanks and Gayle’s willingness to run all afternoon always useful for us. A moment of madness from Shelvey handed the game and points to Tottenham and despite his apology he still misses three games when we desperately need all of the quality we’ve got. It’s not the first time and he needs to grow up quickly. Off we went to Huddersfield on the back of their morale boosting win at Palace and we were beaten 1 - 0. We can mutter about the narrow margins in games as well as some genuinely appalling refereeing but the truth is we were wholly unconvincing and lacked any kind of cutting edge in attack. Fundamentally, we played like many of us expected us to play if there was not some astute and well considered purchases of players in the summer. It’s too early to make any kinds of judgements of the players Rafa has been allowed to sign but one thing is for certain, the manager is far from happy at what he has been given to work with and there are well-placed reports of significant tensions behind the scenes at United. Everything changes, nothing changes.
All of the noises are that Rafa believes promises made to him by Mike Ashley have been broken. I would go further and say I believe Benitez has been lied to and Ashley has significant form for this.
This is just my reading of the situation but I don’t see anything fundamental changing in the last two weeks of another tortuous transfer window. I can’t see Ashley who has made a rare appearance on SKY to tell us all about how a billionaire such as he has no money and won’t be putting any dough into United, will suddenly find money to put into the club and give Rafa what he needs and indeed what he was promised back in May. Frankly, Rafa and the supporters have been taken for a ride by Ashley, who is a man who simply cannot be trusted. I’ve been fond of repeating that Rafa is the best thing that has happened to our club since SBR was taking us into the Champions League. He is the best chance Newcastle United has for sustainable success over the longer term but that belief is draining away with the dawning realisation that isn’t what Mike Ashley wants for the club. I want Rafa Benitez at United, building and investing in every area of the club so that we improve year on year and move forward, no matter how difficult it is at the top of the table. But it’s not going to be possible and frankly Rafa owes it to extricate himself from Ashley sooner rather than later for the sake of his own career, self-respect and credibility. The risk for Rafa of course is to lend Ashley some remaining credibility and defence by staying at United and offering a thread of hope that things will change when we all know under Ashley, they never will.
The big question of course is what will happen if Rafa walks. I don’t doubt some desperate dope in the Pardew, McClaren mode will be delighted to get a way back into football and be prepared to take the flak in return for a large salary and a way back into football. It would not surprise me one iota if those approaches were not being made already.
It’s a very personal thing but I really don’t think I could continue to click through the turnstile at SJP to bear witness to a Zombie club going through the motions when the owner is simply interested in its increasing value (on the back of improving TV deals) whilst sucking all of the joy out of the place. I know I’ve more or less paid for my season ticket and I’ll have to write that off but I don’t think I could sit, wasting my time with the stomach churning upset of seeing something I’ve loved being turned into a commodity for the benefit of a man who generates so much contempt in me and many others. What others do is up to them. I know some will feel like me and chuck it. Others won’t and will keep going because they haven’t reached their own low just yet. Some will feel qualified and justified to insult people like me and reckon I’m not a proper supporter and all of that. Frankly, what those type of people come up with is irrelevant to me. I’m not interested in their opinion. There might be some who want to organise, take action and make attempts to make Ashley’s ownership of United untenable. I was massively up for this after KK was pushed out because that was the point when everything we needed to know about Ashley was presented right in front of us in all of its ugly detail. But for one reason or another it didn’t happen. Some might step forward and attempt to arrange the support into some clever and well organised action but I doubt they will get meaningful backing from those in the stands. One of the big surprises I’ve had over the last ten years is just how much our support has changed. It is by and large docile and has lost its edge. For large swathes of the support going to home games is a social occasion. It’s one where people meet up with friends for a drink, a meal and the football is just a vehicle to bring all of that together. I’m no different to be honest but the event for me has lost its sheen as so many of my match-going mates have reached their own personal points of no-return and chucked it. They all love Newcastle United and as one explains to me in painful detail, that is why he can’t bear to be inside SJP watching a fake version of his team. Whether any Rafa resignation would generate a new period of supporter activism remains to be seen but I seriously doubt it. I’m not really sure enough people really care to engage with something so admittedly difficult or have the gumption to do something that interrupts their social lives. I’ve also heard people say things have been worse and we’ve stuck by United. In my time I’ve experienced the real lows of the McGarry and the Smith-Ardiles era. They weren’t fun but this is different and much worse. Under Ashley, the mediocrity of United is being deliberately orchestrated by him for his own personal ends i.e. the increasing value of Newcastle United because of the ever expanding TV deals and the global exposure television gives his businesses. You just couldn’t buy that amount of advertising.
We’ve got Forest this week in the League Cup. On the terms of Mike Ashley, we can’t really afford to compete in that competition when the meagre resources available to Rafa need to be deployed to gild his asset and its increasing value by staying in the PL. Does anyone think we’ll have a go at this competition? I remain to be convinced. West Ham on Saturday could be one where the balloon goes up because if we lose the alarm bells will start to ring and the mood will change massively. It is an absolutely massive game for both clubs but it would not surprise me in the slightest if Benitez ends up in the dug-out of the Hammers in the not too distant future given Bilic being so unconvincing for so long and the well-reported interest the East Londoners have in Rafa.
But back to the transfer window. It’s been reported Rafa needs to get players out of the club who he doesn’t need. We do have too many players who contribute nothing and are highly unlikely to any time soon:
Riviere Haidara Saviet Goode Krul Hanley Gomez Lazaar Colback De Jong
The problem with these players of course is they are on far too much money in relation to their talents. This is the difficulty presented by consistently failing to pay the going rate for good players and pissing what money you do have up the wall paying poor players more than they deserve. No agent is going to advise his client to leave a massive salary for a poor one so we are stuck wit them unless Charnley (don’t laugh) can work some kind of financial magic and arrange deals that allow them to leave. It really is a huge problem of Ashley’s own making but it is one which is going to threaten another relegation if it isn’t resolved (and it doesn’t look like being).
So far, Ashley’s incompetence and venality has cost Newcastle United north of £170m in lost revenue through his two relegations and with Rafa undoubtedly on the brink and a squad woefully short, the prospect of adding to that total is very real.
Other than that, things are great.
WL blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Sept 4, 2017 15:33:53 GMT
Over the weekend fan website Index printed an open letter from Newcastle fan and freelance journalist Paul Nicholson to Ashley that has captured the imagination of United supporters. I'm reproducing it in full below... Dear Mr Ashley,
I, like many others, am a life-long Newcastle United fan. I have had my season ticket for 40 of my 47 years. When I started going to games, we were a struggling team with no superstars, and were a club going nowhere. We were drifting along in the lower to middle echelons of – what was then – the second division, with an ageing stadium and a board of local businessmen who were happy to let the club simply exist. When Sir John Hall bought the club, we finally thought our time had come. Not our time to win trophies, but our time to finally support a club we could be proud of. He transformed us into a side that everyone up and down the country – if not throughout the footballing world – wanted to watch. In the end, we won nothing, but during that time every fan looked forward to a weekend. We were excited to go to the games – whether at home, or hundreds of miles away on a cold, wet February Tuesday night. I have told Sam, my 10-year-old son, all of the stories about our 5 - 0 win over Manchester United, and Asprilla’s hat-trick in our 3 - 2 win over Barcelona. After much coaxing and persuasion, my stories finally wore off on him, and like me, my dad and my grandad before that (he) became a Newcastle fan.
He got his first season ticket midway through last season’s successful Championship campaign and he loved it. He was excited about this Premier League season, particularly as I had told him that with Rafael Benitez at the helm and promises that had been made, finally, we may return to the days of having a team to be proud of. Not a trophy-winning, perennial Champions League qualifying team, but one that will win as many games as we don’t and nestle into the Premier League without the constant worry of relegation every year. I should, of course, have known better.
In Rafa, we have one of the master tacticians in world football. (He) is a manager that most clubs would beg for. When it comes to the game we all love, he, above all others at our club, should be listened to. So it mystifies and bemuses me why when he – ”the right man” to lead Newcastle United as you called him during your recent interview – advises you that we need particular players to make us a team able to compete in the Premier League (on the back of promises and assurances that were made to him), he was ignored.
The time to be bold was now. The time to listen to those that know was now. The time to make a footballing statement was now. The time to maintain the growing momentum and feel-good factor was now. Unfortunately, Mr Ashley, you failed on all levels.
Whether you are wanting to own a club that has a possibility of a good cup run or a European spot in the table or whether you are – as you claimed – actively trying to sell the club, then surely the best way to achieve either would be to have a moderately successful product that would either perform to the best of its ability or look like an attractive proposal for a potential buyer?
My bet, as a fan with a vested interest, is that your interest lies in neither of the above statements. My personal opinion, for what it’s worth, is that you are happy to see the club plodding along with a minimum of ambition and continue to use the club and particularly the stadium, as a platform to continually promote your Sports Direct brand as an unofficial sponsor, with little to no money being paid to the club for doing so. You claimed that you will not put a penny more into the club from your own fortune yet if your Sports Direct company were an official sponsor, considering all of the advertising in and around the ground, the sponsorship deal would likely be worth a lot more than the amounts of money you have put into the club already. For us – the fans – it is heart-breaking. We have a love for our club which many would say is unrivalled. It is blind loyalty. If we go into one of your sports stores and we don’t like the items you are selling we can just shop elsewhere. With Newcastle United we do not have that luxury. You know that, and you exploit that.
We all watched your interview on Sky. We all hoped we would finally get a chance to hear you answer questions that fans have long been asking. Unfortunately, all we got was a stage-managed monologue of Mike Ashley. We didn’t want to watch a performance that told us nothing a friendly chat with a friend and stable-mate, who was never going to ask a hard-hitting question that might be difficult for you to answer or put you on the spot.
I have gone full circle in my time as a fan. We have had our fleeting moment, our flirtation with success. We are now back to the ambitionless, struggling side, just ticking over, without ever making an effort to better themselves. Rather than pleading your case through Sky and playing to a national media that, on the whole, enjoys nothing more than reporting on and ridiculing the soap opera that is Newcastle United – particularly when things are inevitably going wrong – make yourself available to speak to me, or fans like me, or the local journalists at the Chronicle, who will ask the questions that need answering. Speak to someone who will at least try to hold you to account on your broken promises and admitted mistakes – the biggest of which you may have just made this summer. I would gladly speak to you, listen to you, and have an open mind about anything you, Mr Charnley, Mr Barnes et al, had to say. Failing that local journalists, who by representing the fans, the club actually means something – would also relish the opportunity to sit down and put our concerns to you. I suspect you will not, but you would – if not get everyone on your side – instantly gain a modicum of respect from the 52,000 fans that pay to see the team you own every week, and the hundreds of thousands that support it from afar. Failure to do something, could result in the anarchy that arose a few years ago, except if Rafa were to leave, it would be ten-fold.
The fans are the life-blood of this football club. We don’t own it. We don’t buy players. We don’t seek sponsorship deals. But we do keep it alive. Without the fans, this club would be nothing. It would not exist. We have been taken for granted for too long. Your lack of communication with the regional press, and failure to acknowledge our concerns is a dismissal of our importance to the club in your eyes.
But you should remember:
WE are the reason Rafa decided to stay at the club. WE are the reason the ground was full week after week in the Championship. WE are the reason that the club makes so much money from shirt and other merchandise sales. WE are the reason that you can rely on high season ticket sales year upon year. WE are the reason there is a Newcastle United at all.
But be aware: WE are also the reason that the whole club could fall apart.
I realise that you are not likely to read this – or even know that this letter exists – but if, by chance, you do, I urge you to put things right. Put in writing to Rafa that you will back him unconditionally in January. Speak to people that matter to the fans. Install someone who has a passion for the club in a role of actively seeking out a potential buyer, by selling the vision of Newcastle United that they share with Rafa Benitez, and every single one of its fans. To allow the club to stagnate and continue to slip into footballing irrelevance is an insult to the loyal fans and could prove to be too much for many. WL blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Sept 25, 2017 14:27:56 GMT
Thought I would post this as some of you may not see it otherwise.... News that Mike Ashley may be in discussions to broker a sale of Newcastle United have ramped up over the last few weeks with news that several potential buyers have signed non-disclosure agreements, which I’m sure means anyone interested in taking United on, gets to have an in-depth look at the club’s operations and methods whilst protecting that knowledge from third parties etc. I’m not going to pretend this information in itself means anything substantial either. As someone who has run a fanzine for a few years, I’ll be honest I’ve been picking up snippets of information about potential buyers for quite a while now. I’ve usually taken little notice as nothing appears to get beyond the tyre-kicking point but now something feels different. I’ll be crystal clear from the start. I don’t have any concrete information. I know a few names which for the greater good, I’ll keep to myself. With the exception of one potential interest, I don’t know even the firm identity of any of the buyers. Their identities you might not be surprised to learn are Chinese, Indian and another from the Middle East. We can all invent scenarios for ourselves where United is catapulted into the stratosphere and joins Chelsea and Man City in hoovering up the world’s best talent and we live in a world gilded by trophies and all of that schmaltz. If you do, I hope you enjoy it but in reality, we’ve no idea who the potential buyers are or what their motives are for Newcastle United FC. I’m no trained forensic journalist (there aren’t many in football to be fair) but always believe following Ashley at United is like trying to finish three different jigsaws at the same time with the pieces all in the same box and no idea what the final pictures are meant to look like. However, what we do know is this. Ashley does want to sell. Potential buyers signing non-disclosure agreements to secure confidentiality demonstrates there is a willing seller and interested buyers. Those two ingredients are, quite obviously, the necessary components of any sale. I would guess that Ashley has done his due diligence on the potential buyers and is confident they aren’t fantasists or phonies after cheap publicity. The very fact we don’t know the identities of the potential buyers is a positive for that reason in my opinion. I imagine Ashley has checked them out and they have the resources to make a purchase of Newcastle United. We are also hearing chatter about price. There are unsubstantiated rumours of Ashley wanting £420m but also in having him reduced the price to c.£350m. Remember that jigsaw analogy as above. What we do know is this: the tale Ashley has repeated since he inflicted himself upon us in 2007 is that his purchase of United was a spontaneous one, not thought through really well and motivated by the romance of owning and being involved with one of the most iconic football clubs in the UK is bogus. I hope we all agree that is a load of absolute nonsense and as far away from the truth as it’s possible to be. Remember don’t believe a word Ashley says. That is surely a lesson we have learned over the last decade. What we do know is Ashley was registering domain names including and buying United shares a good six months before John Hall did the dirty and sold us down the river. We also know from analysis of the Sports Direct business that the declared marketing budget is laughably small for a company of that size. Of course it wouldn’t be if Sports Direct did not have access to a global audience via the exposure provided by satellite TV, the Premier League and good ol’ Newcastle United FC. We also know that over the last ten years, the Sports Direct brand has expanded massively. That has been achieved with no significant spend on advertising. Newcastle United has been absolutely central to the expansion of the Sports Direct market presence. No other UK sports retailer has that advantage. We also know the inability of United to expand its commercial revenue is one of the explanations for its loss of income and revenue. The retrenchment of our status and ambition is deliberate and strategic. United’s decline is the price for Sports Direct’s rise. We also know that in his business arrangement with Rangers FC, a club with one of the largest followings in the UK and therefore traditionally huge merchandising operations, Ashley via Llambias arranged a deal which saw the vast majority of the profit margin going to Sports Direct and not to the Ibrox club. We have no evidence this arrangement is in place through .DIRECT but we also have no explanation why Ashley would deploy a different and more generous arrangement for Newcastle United as he did at Rangers. We do know through the sale of the lease of the land at Strawberry Place that Ashley will work to his own profit despite the short, medium and longer term disadvantage to Newcastle United. You have seen that at Rangers too. So, we now know the vital benefit Ashley gets from Newcastle United for Sports Direct in global marketing terms because the absence of a significant budget for it in his main business but its growing market share. We know pretty much for certain that Ashley’s explanation for the purchase of United and how it was done is not accurate. Now, it comes to the sale. The next issue is believability rather than if you believe it or not. I have been told that Ashley is prepared to lower his price for United but on the proviso of longer term arrangements which would guarantee Sports Direct free advertising via Newcastle United. In journalistic parlance, I probably couldn’t stand that story up, but I’m a fanzine lad and I’m not motivated by any credibility in that area. I may be completely wrong, the source of the information may be misled or mistaken. I know he isn’t lying. But think about the stuff we do know and consider it in the context of believability and remember that jigsaw analogy from way above when you were still awake. For me United is for sale but Ashley wants his cake and to eat it. Everything that went on over the summer with Justin Barnes, Ashley’s solicitor was designed to minimise outgoings in order to plump up the club for sale. Ashley’s PR man, Keith Bishop being at Rafa’s press conferences screams there is a rabbit off. Ashley’s choreographed SKY interview with David Craig (another Keith Bishop client) was designed to send messages to buyers. It had nothing to do with supporters in my opinion. The next issue is the sale itself. When the deal is done there has to be a complete and clean break between the club, the new owners and Mike Ashley and his many and varied interests. Ashley cannot continue to suffocate the club under the blanket of his own business interests. Newcastle United needs to cut the Ashley tumour out completely. I’m writing all of that completely clueless of the identity and motivation of potential buyers (bar one). We might be jumping from the frying pan into the fire and there is a big part of me personally appalled if we end up as part of a multi-billionaire’s portfolio. I’d rather the club was owned by the supporters. That’s not on the agenda however. I could be completely wrong. Those pieces I’m putting together might belong to another jigsaw Mike Ashley has been keeping somewhere else. Who knows? I do know things are happening, whether they result in a sale or in the kind of sale we all want, I’ve no idea in honesty. What can we do about it? What could we do to force Ashley’s hand? Do we even want to? Should we? Could we be ready to launch the mass campaign many have been grinding their teeth about for ten years? Or will we just descend into the usual divisions, petty point scoring and nonsense we have all witnessed since Ashley began sucking the joy out of Newcastle United? Answers on a postcard …. or in the comments boxes below. Keep On, Keepin’ On … MICHAEL MARTIN – Follow Michael on @tfmichael1892 Lights Oot! blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Oct 16, 2017 18:38:08 GMT
Official Statement from Club about it being For Sale... As a result of increasing press speculation regarding the future of Newcastle United, the owner of the club, St. James Holdings Limited, wishes to clarify its intentions. As one of the Premier League's oldest and best supported football clubs - and for the benefit of its many fans and supporters in the UK and across the world - Newcastle United requires a clear direction and a path to a bright and successful future. To give the club the best possible opportunity of securing the positioning and investment necessary to take it to the next level, at what is an important time in its history, its present ownership has determined that it is in the best interests of Newcastle United and its fans for the club to be put up for sale. To give an incoming owner the maximum possible flexibility to make meaningful investment in the club, including in its playing squad, the sale process will give interested parties the opportunity of deferring substantial payments. A process will now commence of identifying new ownership for the club that will be capable of delivering the sustained investment in and dedication to the club that is necessary for it to achieve its ambitions. WL
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Post by White Lightning on Jan 18, 2018 19:21:31 GMT
Having read again the post above this one I'm at a total lost to understand exactly what occasionally goes through the mind of someone like Mike Ashley. Did no one ever say no to this bloke when he was a child? That aside here are a couple of pieces from NUFCFansUnited which you may find of interest... Lead, Follow, Or Get Out Of The Way 16/1/2018 It’s the middle of January 2018. The transfer window shuts in fifteen days time, Newcastle United have signed precisely zero players and Mike Ashley still owns the Club - despite there being at least one genuine bidder with the means to buy it, and Mr Ashley’s apparent willingness to sell. So what’s going on? Here’s what we do know, in mid August Mike Ashley gave an exclusive to his besties at Sky Sports where he admitted he couldn’t (or was unwilling to) back Rafa Benitez in the transfer window and as a result the club was up for sale. His exact words were, “I must make it crystal clear that I am not wealthy enough in football now to compete with the likes of Man City etcetera, not just Man City. It's basically a wealthy individual taking on the equivalent of a country. I cannot, and will not. That's why, if someone would like to come along, take this seat and fund Newcastle with a nought on the end with more wealth than me, I will not stand in Newcastle's way.” In the subsequent months a bidder that fits his own criteria has come to the fore, but he is doing exactly what he said he wouldn’t do - he is standing in Newcastle’s way. On 1st October 2017, Amanda Staveley appeared at St James’ Park and after a couple of weeks it became apparent that she was interested in leading a bid to buy Newcastle United Football Club. Then (probably in response to rumours) Mike Ashley got his thoughts out in front of us all - again using his favourite media outlet Sky Sports - this is what Keith Downie reported on 16th October: Ashley says he will only sell to someone who can take the Club forward. He has promised to invest in the squad in Jan if it's yet to be sold. And yet here we are on 16th January 2018 - a full three months later - and Mike Ashley still hasn’t sold the Club and still hasn’t backed Rafa in the transfer window. If I was a reporter for Sky Sports, I’d be on the phone to Mike Ashley’s people asking for further comment. His words are there for all to see, and his words do not match his actions. So is he a liar? He’s certainly not acting in good faith or in the best interests of Newcastle United; yet those words - his “PROMISE” - are yet to be acted on. However the people who brought you these “exclusives” seem to be completely disinterested in following up on the story. Why is that? I appreciate that Mike Ashley’s Newcastle United can be a little like Donald Trump’s White House and gobby journalists can be for doing their jobs properly - but there is no way on God’s Green Earth that a football club would ban a Sky Sports reporter from their premises. Sky Sports pay all of their wages, it’s the bank that runs football. They are perhaps the only outlet to have the power to push this story - and yet they choose not to. Well shame on them. I know we aren’t talking about the Washington Post here - this isn’t All the President’s Men, but surely your own sense of professionalism would be pleading with you to dig deeper? Instead it seems like it’s all just a laugh, and as long as the joke is on us deluded Geordies then it doesn’t really matter. I spent many years working in sales - and as my old boss used to say “something is only worth what someone is willing to pay” - considering there are no other bids and there haven’t been any other bids since 2009 then perhaps Newcastle United is only worth what PCP Capital Partners are willing to pay. That the value has not doubled or tripled during Mr Ashley’s decade of ownership is nobody’s fault but his own. At the end of the day all we know is that if Mr Ashley does not sell and/ or back Rafa in the next fortnight the chances that Newcastle United will get relegated for a third time under his ownership will be frighteningly high. And if the worst does come to pass in May, then the price someone is willing to pay for the club will be significantly lower than it is now. All he needs to do is look at Them Down The Road to see how disastrous that could be. PCP Capital Partners are still here; they haven't gone away. Their interest is real and their offer of £250m remains on the table. Rafa Benitez is working miracles trying to keep the show on the road despite Mr Ashley's unwillingness to back him financially, while he risks his asset in a gamble that all of Tyneside considers to be an act of unforgivable vindictiveness. It makes no sense to risk diminishing your asset when a well reasoned offer sits waiting to be accepted. Yet Ashley seems hell bent on doing just that. Perhaps Sky Sports could ask Mike, Why? WL blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Jan 18, 2018 19:24:52 GMT
The second piece is much shorter, however no less interesting...
Speculate To Accumulate
18/1/2018
Putting aside talk of takeovers, Newcastle United is at a crossroads. At a time when the rewards for simply being a member of the Premier League are moving beyond the current financial stratosphere in which it operates, Mike Ashley needs to act and act quickly to protect his investment.
Having parked all talks of a sale Ashley needs to honour the commitment he made back in October 2017; show his faith in Rafa Benitez and invest in the squad in what remains of the January transfer window. And when we say invest, we don’t simply mean handing over a minimal amount of money to support loan signings that leave the club simply treading water. We mean release the necessary funds that bring quality signings and show a desire for success that Rafa wants to fulfill.
In doing so he also needs to re-evaluate the existing transfer policy that rolls together fees and salaries into the amount made available and adopt a more flexible policy that doesn’t leave the club at a disadvantage. After all, with long term planning no longer part of his thinking, he doesn’t need to concern himself too much with where the club will be in 5 years time!
WL blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Feb 3, 2018 16:13:51 GMT
Worth a read.... True Faith : MIKE ASHLEY FACTS – PART 1 There has been an inordinate amount of bullshit spread by the likes of Talksport and Sky Sports News, so as part of a means to get the record straight on Mike Ashley’s disastrous running of Newcastle United we thought we’d put together some basic facts that demonstrate the incompetence and venality of the man at the top of the club. In this first part, we are grateful to Chris Holt who has done the donkey work for us. You can follow Chris on @bigchrisholt Feel free to link this article to the people in the mainstream media who appear determined to provide a friendly narrative to Mike Ashley. In 10 years prior to Ashley won 25 FA cup ties. In 11 years since they’ve won 5. In 10 years prior to Ashley never finished lower than top 15. In 10 years since it’s happened 6 times. In 10 years prior to Ashley Qualified for Europe competitions 9 times, the Champions league 3 times, advanced to the UEFA QF and SF once each and appeared in 2 FA cup finals. In 10 years since Newcastle have qualified for Europe once and advanced to the QF and never got further than the 4th round of the FA cup. In 3 years since 2015, every Premier League club has broken their transfer record. Except Newcastle whose transfer record is unbeaten in 13 years since 2005. After 11 years under Mike Ashley, if Newcastle United were to break their 13 year old transfer record by £10m, the £26m fee paid still wouldn’t get into the top 100 transfers into the Premier League. 10 years before Mike Ashley arrived broke the WORLD record for a transfer. The number of staff at Newcastle United in 2016 was 258. A drop from 1354 in 2006. 1094 jobs lost in ten years. Newcastle have the youngest squad in the Premier League Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku cost Manchester United the same as Newcastle’s last 23 signings. Mike Ashley was repaid £11m by Newcastle United in 11/12. He loaned £15m in 16/17. His net loans to the club are £4m in 6 years including a relegation. Matchday tickets for an adult member in the East Stand this season are 35% more expensive than they were 3 years ago (14/15) Matchday tickets for an adult member in the Family Enclosure this season are 30% more expensive than they were 3 years ago (14/15) Matchday tickets for an adult member in the Gallowgate or Leazes this season are 18% more expensive than they were 3 years ago (14/15) Newcastle United has been profitable 6 years in a row to the tune of £100m. Mike Ashley has sold 4 Newcastle players for over £15m but hasn’t bought one. CHRIS HOLT – FOLLOW CHRIS ON @bigchrisholt True Faith : MIKE ASHLEY FACTS – PART 2 For reasons we can only speculate upon, parts of the mainstream media especially SKY SPORTS and TALKSPORT appear to wish to develop a different narrative in regards to Newcastle United. According to the less than credible guests they feature, Mike Ashley is not the single cause of our club’s decline through a mixture of lack of investment, incompetence, venality, arrogance, ignorance and grotesque stupidity. He is not a man who spurns the opportunities that comes his way, preferring to elevate his tacky sports shop and other businesses above Newcastle United. We only want to deal in facts as a response to the drivel being spouted in our direction. Again, we are thankful to one of our writers, Andy Trobe for taking time out to pull some details together which serve as a timely reminder of what an unmitigated disaster Mike Ashley has been for Newcastle United. We encourage you to send links of this article to SKY and Talksport and indeed any other news outlet or journalist who is failing to see the true picture Ashley has painted at St James’ Park, Read on: In 2003, Newcastle had a higher revenue than Barcelona. In 2017, we had a lower revenue than Bournemouth. From 2007 to 2016, Newcastle’s match day income dropped by 26%. Over the same period, Arsenal’s increased by 10%, Spurs by 32%, West Ham by 59% and Liverpool’s by 62%. In 2007, had the 13th highest income in the world. In 2017, we didn’t feature in the top 30. From 1892 to 2007, were relegated 4 times. In the 10 years since, we’ve been relegated twice and escaped a further two relegations on the last day of the season. Newcastle’s gross debt in 2007 was £76.6m. In 2017, it was £144m. From 2007 to 2016, Newcastle’s commercial income dropped by 9%. Over the same period, Spurs increased by 81%, Liverpool by 177%, Arsenal by 181% and West Ham’s by 233%. In the 5 seasons prior to Ashley taking over, averaged 8th place in the Premier League. In the ten seasons since, they’ve averaged 15th place. In 2007, only 30% of ’s revenue was generated by broadcasting income. In 2016, were reliant on broadcasting for 59% of their revenue. In the 5 seasons prior to Ashley taking over, averaged a net spend of £9.5m per season on transfers. Since then, we’ve averaged £3.4m whilst receiving over £0.5b in TV income. The average net spend on transfers by other club owners – Lerner : Aston Villa (£17m), Abramovich : Chelsea (£55m), Henry : Liverpool (£19m), Hicks /Gillett : Liverpool (£8m), Glazer : Man Utd (£45m), Abu Dhabi : Man City (£87m) In the 5 seasons prior to Ashley taking over, qualified twice for the Champions League and twice for the UEFA cup. In the ten years since then, we’ve qualified only once for the Europa League. Sports Direct’s share price has increased by 33% since 2007. They have not paid a penny in stadium advertising to over that time. Since 2007, every Premier League club have broken their transfer record. Except Newcastle United. In 2007, Newcastle had the third biggest stadium in England. It’s now the 7th biggest. ANDREW TROBE – FOLLOW ANDY ON @tfat1892 WL blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Apr 17, 2018 19:31:17 GMT
Appreciate many of you may read TF, however particularly liked this after Sundays win...
Rafa did a birthday day interview with Radio Marca. I’ve given a brief translation of it below. Not every single word as there was a lot! I’ve kept the bits that I felt were important or interesting. Additionally, with interpretations you get exactly that, my interpretation of what he said so if you’re a Spanish speaker listening back you might have a slightly different take on a couple of things! RM = Radio Marca RB = Rafa RM It’s a special day on the programme because we’re lucky enough to be able to wish happy birthday to the man who is having a miraculous season with the Magpies. One of the best sides in England based on their results in 2018, we’re talking about Newcastle who have given Rafa virtual safety in the league as a birthday present. We have to wish him a happy birthday with this [Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday plays].
RM Rafa Benítez, ‘Mister’ – congratulations!
RB Thank you. How are you all?
RM How’s it going? How’s life? We
RB It’s good but we have to keep going forward.
RM Yep. You’re getting to celebrate your 58th with a smile. How’s your team doing then?
RB They’re a great set of lads. A team that went up from the Championship, one that didn’t change much over the summer and they deserve a lot of credit. As i said yesterday, everyone has worked hard, the team, coaching staff and the fans.
RM 13 points clear of the drop zone, 10th in the table. Do you relax or keep working?
RB With 35 we weren’t safe, nor with 38 but now with 41..I like this term virtually safe. Mathematically we’re not but it would be almost impossible now. Every single circumstance would have to go against us.
RM I have to offer you my hand in congratulations as you’ve defeated Southampton, Huddersfield, Leicester and Arsenal – 4 consecutive victories in the top flight for the first time since 2014 as well as the first victory over Arsenal since 2005. And this is the thing I like, the team doesn’t stop and it keeps believing.
RB Yeah. We had a bad spell in 2017, going 9 games without a win but things have changed in 2018. We’ve been excellent even before these 4 wins. but also before that away to Bournemouth where we drew and a sensational performance in the 2nd half at home to Man Utd.
RM Yeah. In 15 games, 5 draws 3 defeats and 7 wins. It’s tremendous form and your 2018 results alone put you in a Europa League spot. The support is mad for you and believes in what you’re doing.
RB Yeah, it’s a great joy for them. The team is learning. After getting relegated it was really difficult but we came straight back up. Couldn’t strengthen too much due to economic reasons but even after we went through the bad spell the fans still had confidence in us.
RM It’s clear the fans are hooked on the team. It’s obvious to see when I watch them on tele. We all know about the home support but so many people travel away to matches too.
RB Yeah. This is spectacular. Someone sent me a cup, my first cup as Newcastle manager. it’s a cup made out of chocolate in the shape of the Championship Trophy. The person who sent me it is one of the fans who’s a permanent fixture and told me that you’ve restored our belief and our pride, we’re together. They’re really proud of what’s happening with the team at the minute.
RM You’ve done magnificent work and you’ve got the team organised and committed and this isn’t easy, right?
RB The fans of Newcastle United value above anything else that those in the black and white shirt are committed. That’s what they’ve got with these players and that’s why they value them so much.
RM So there are papers saying that some Arsenal fans want Rafa to take charge of their team. I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing but it’s interesting that they’re talking about you even after everything Wenger has achieved at the club.
RB Yeah. He’s done so much for that club and the people know and recognise this. People here value the experience that you have in the PL and also that you go to other leagues and win things. Of course, people might want to give young coaches but when it’s about instant results then people want someone who knows the PL.
RM You’re going to be at Newcastle a while?
RB Well, yes we’re happy at the minute and we’ve got another year on the contract. We’ll talk and discuss the future and see what the plan is for the future.
RM Well at the minute the team’s winning more than it’s spending. Anyway, now that you’re safe, let’s talk about Man Utd losing yesterday meaning Guardiola’s City won the title. Deserved winners?
RB Absolutely. It’s clear that Pep spent last season adapting to the PL and he’s just pulled off a spectacular season. Great team, loads of goals. It hasn’t been a normal season because of how far ahead they’ve been and how they play the game. They play with that intensity that Pep likes.
RM Klopp’s created a great team at Liverpool where you’re loved because of all you did there. It’s a special club, right?
RB Of course. The fans support you through thick and fan and it’s a club for whom I have great affection. The support that the Geordies and the Scousers give you is incredible.
RM Liverpool are playing great football at the minute and have the chance to get to the Champions League Final as they did with you.
RB Yeah. The front 3 make the difference. Because of their pace and strength they’re so effective away from home. it was a surprise how they beat Man City but it’s a great team that plays with intensity. All 4 teams in the semis are strong and they’ve all got every chance of reaching the final.
RM Can you imagine a Liverpool Real Madrid final? It would be tremendous and you’ve managed both clubs. It could be perfect given how both teams play.
RB It would be but my Italian friends tell me that Roma’s a good side, very solid. Obviously Liverpool and Real have a great pedigree in European finals.
RM My colleague JuanFran told me not to ask you too much about Real. You know he’s been at Marca a long time and he told me ‘don’t you put too much on my Rafa. It’s his birthday so it’s a day of happiness’! But, winning a third consecutive CL would be something special, right?
RB It would be. With the links I have with both Real and Liverpool it would be great to see either win as they’re great teams.
RM And what about Valencia who are having a good season?
RB Marcelino is a good manager. Again, Valencia supporters are like those of Liverpool and Newcastle. They’ll give their support and help the club as much as they can. I’m happy for them given the affection I have for them.
RM So Fernando Torres, with whom you worked at Liverpool and Chelsea, has announced he is leaving Atletico at the end of the season. How has he been for Spanish football in general?
RB Well, when we signed him for Liverpool he was still ‘El Niño’, a player with tremendous potential. I got to work with him again luckily at Chelsea and people don’t remember we won the UEFA Cup there. We only had 2 forwards and only Fernando could play because Demba Ba was cup-tied. Fernando played in all those games and we ended the season playing 69 games, finishing 3rd and winning the cup. He had a sensational season.
RM As well as his success in England and Spain he also had much success with Spain. Iniesta has announced he’s off to China. His goal in South Africa was incredible. It’s almost impossible to explain how much it meant to this country, previously always falling in the quarters or earlier. Iniesta’s goal was unforgettable. What do you think his impact on Spanish football has been?
RB These are great memories that give much happiness but it’s also sad when footballers like that go. Iniesta is a wonder. He’s gone to China and it’s a shame we won’t see him much for the quality and vision that he has.
RM Well I’d best let you go as you’ve probably got a lot on!
RB Well no, but I’ve got a load of messages. Now that I’m older and I’ve travelled a lot I’ve got messages from everywhere, all over Europe and the truth is I’m very grateful. It’s important that I acknowledge them.
Well Rafa I hope you accomplish much more. It’s always a pleasure to talk to you and you keep crating miracles at Newcastle and keep fighting.
Norman Riley has provided this translation for True Faith.
WL blackandwhitethinking
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Post by White Lightning on Sept 23, 2018 12:50:35 GMT
Read this on Friday....From The Mag. Opinion Time for Newcastle fans to stop being victims Rafa and our handful of decent players might leave but Newcastle fans can't live in fear any longer. Friday 21st September 2018 by Kevin Christie Enough is enough. Actually, enough was enough years ago for Newcastle fans and yet nothing’s changed. The lies carry on. The incompetence continues. The penny-pinching prevails. Every other club strives for success as Newcastle United willingly stagnate. We all know where the fault lies. We all know who’s to blame. And yet, eleven years into his reign, we still find ourselves beholden to one Mr Michael James Wallace Ashley. There’s an episode of The Simpsons where a young Ned Flanders is brought to see a child psychologist by his liberal beatnik parents, who are at the end of their tether, worn out by young Ned’s hellraising antics. They’re too placid and passive to find a solution themselves and Mrs Flanders exclaims: “We’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas!”. Well, sadly, as painful as it is to admit it, many of us who live and breathe Newcastle United – who genuinely care for the club and want us to be the best we can be – are guilty of the same. We’ve all rolled over and let ourselves become victims. We go to games or watch them on TV, we ignore the off-the-pitch lunacy and we lend our support to the players on the pitch for 90 minutes and then head off to the pub to moan about it all. Week after week. Season after season. Ad nauseam. If we go for a haircut and the barber makes a balls of it, we wouldn’t go back. If we go out for a meal and are served sub-standard slop, then we wouldn’t dream of going there again. Why, then, do we all come crawling back for more and more misery at St James Park? Sure, Newcastle United is a massive part of all of our lives but this current manifestation is not the Newcastle United we fell in love with. Each and every one of us who files our way through the turnstiles, needs to realise that our continued support and silence are only prolonging the misery and exacerbating the problem. In a classic case of scaremongering, we’ve been led to believe that we must ‘support the team, not the regime’. Allegedly, if the negativity that permeates the club were to manifest itself in the stands or in the form of a boycott, then the Newcastle fans would be to blame for the club’s demise. Well, I’m sorry – I’m not buying it anymore. Sure, performances might suffer and we could be relegated. Rafa and our handful of decent players might leave but we can’t live in fear any longer. I’d gladly accept another relegation if it meant getting competent and ambitious owners in to run the club properly. I’m sure the majority of us would accept short-term pain for long-term gain. Rafa and the players knows the score. They’re all being starved of the chance of success too. Sure, the current placidity creates a safe working environment for them to maybe punch above their weight and finish mid-table again but to what end? For more than a decade now, Newcastle fans have steadfastly tried to separate our love for the club from our contempt for the man who seems wilfully intent on destroying it, but the time has come to say ‘no more’. No more silence, no more passivity, no more sitting idly by as our proud club sinks further into the mire. It's well worth reading the comments section in response to this opinion piece. Comments! Lights Oot! blackandwhitethinking
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