Neil Farrington of the Sunday Sun is reporting today that Mike Ashley has huge plans to make Newcastle United one of the top clubs in Europe – within a short five years – in what Newcastle fans have been waiting to hear since the Kevin Keegan days.
It will cost Ashley about ₤133M to buy Newcastle and he has budgeted another ₤270M over the next five years to take us to the heights.
When you then add the $300M that’s being invested in the St. James Park expansion – with hotels and an increased capacity to 60,000 – that takes the investment in the club and grounds to an amazing ₤700M in the next 5 years – unbelievable.
Mike Ashley
What’s coming across is that Mike Ashley has huge ambitions for the club – with his ₤400M total investment in the club.
His goals are to win the Premiership in three years and be challenging for the European Champions league in five years.
Manager Sam Allardyce – while doing an excellent job with low or no transfer funds at Bolton – has to prove he is the man able to take Newcastle into the big time – and reports are that while Ashley has great respect for Sam – he is not yet convinced that Sam is the man to take all his investment and quickly develop Newcastle into a dominant force in football.
Certainly Big Sam has not been in this position before – but Ashley will provide ₤45M during the summer for Sam to revitalize the squad.
Sam Allardyce
A source has told the Sunday Sun:
“Mike has huge respect for what Sam Allardyce achieved with limited resources at Bolton, but I can’t stress enough just how big he hopes – and expects – Newcastle to become,” a source told the Sunday Sun. “
Is Allardyce capable of taking the club not just up to the next level but into a whole different ballpark? That’s yet to be seen.
“Of course, Allardyce will have the chance to prove himself. But he won’t be allowed to hang around doing it. Mike wants big progress, fast.”
This couldn’t be better news for Newcastle fans – and shows just how big an entrepreneur like Ashley thinks (so that’s how he made his ₤2B) – it’s exactly what Newcastle fans want to hear.
Two things are certain now – the Newcastle United PLC will accept Mike’s offer for the club on Wednesday (given these huge plans for the club) – and Michael Owen is already at a club whose ambitions are at least as big as his over the next five years.
One thing we’ll have to do – is a better job than Chelsea – in keeping the spirit of the club unharmed by all this big money investment – but we’re sure we can.
Next week should be another interesting week for Newcastle fans – just like the last two – the story seems to get better and better.
Comments welcome.
25 comments so far
carl
May 27, 2007 at 9:30 AM
Comment #1hi ed- i read this article first thing this morning and nearly choked on my toast.his ambitions are higher than most expected and and he certainly is the geordie abromovich(well nearly) that shepherd said hed sell to.spoke to a few members of my family in the toon and they say the place is buzzing.the jobs just got a whole lot bigger and better for sam allardyce.£45 mil in his first season out of bolton!! now hes got the money to produce the goods.
Major Newcastle News Stories - 27th May 2007 | Newcastle United Blog
May 27, 2007 at 9:37 AM
Comment #2[…] RSS ← Ashley To Invest an Incredible ₤400M in Newcastle […]
joe
May 27, 2007 at 9:38 AM
Comment #3£45 million plus whatever he makes from selling the unwanted players. Dyer, Emre and one striker could raise another £20 million! It could be a very eventful summer.
carl
May 27, 2007 at 9:45 AM
Comment #4i say we spend between 15-20 revamping the defence on the note that we get tel haim on a free,bring in e gudjohnsen .keep both owen and martins if possible and a couplr midfielders of high class along with a couple not so known players.
Archie Brand
May 27, 2007 at 10:14 AM
Comment #5When no one had piles of money the field was level. That meant that management, tactics and the odd big player played a big part.
Now that everyteam is bankrolled by a bored Billionaire the field is level again – we just all have more big players out there every saturday and the pies are more expensive.
So if even the likes of West Ham have wads of cash to throw at it why should Newcastle suddenly think they’re in with a shout?
It has to be down to the manager, and we have to ask ourselves did we really get the best that money can buy?
Does Sam really compare to Mourinho, Ferguson, Benitez and Wenger?
Probably more like Jol, Moyes, O’Neill and Redknap
Ashley’s wedge doesn’t give us the edge, it just keeps us in the game. We still have a lot of hard work to do
carl
May 27, 2007 at 10:23 AM
Comment #6im sorry i dont agree with some of that ,i believe under allardyces management out current team would of have had a top 7 finish.it was only bad management and lack of leadership that left us in this sate.allardyce i believe is a top manager and how can you even compare him to the likes of mourinho etc because he has never had the funds and resources.oh and west ham etc have not got the amount of cash ashley has available to invest.i think top 5 next term is realistic
Arty
May 27, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Comment #7It all sounds to good to be true, but here’s hoping.
One thing that stinks, is the thought of Shepherd holding the club ( Mike Ashley ) to ransom over the shares, and wanting paid for two years after selling, if that’s true it just shows his true colours, which look shit brown to me. I cannot stand the lies, back stabbing and mismanagement under the Shepherd time, the whole club needed a clean-out and that looks exactly what it will get.
I just wonder now what skeletons will come out of the cupboard, what stories will unfold of back handed deeds etc, etc.
Lets all hope that this heralds a new dawn for Newcastle United, ( as it has not been united for five or six years), and Mike Ashley is a truly honorable man who will take the club to to highest honours it deserves, the supporters deserve it , 50 years and counting!
Raza
May 27, 2007 at 11:03 AM
Comment #8I’m just glad the Halls won’t be in charge of Toon anymore!
TFFDavid
May 27, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Comment #9This giant is sleeping no more….
Ed Harrison
May 27, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Comment #10Arty – got to admit i couldn’t believe it when i saw the Sunday Sun story – it’s just completely unbelievable – but true – nevertheless. No way can Shepherd hold out.
Nick Clark
May 27, 2007 at 1:34 PM
Comment #11I still reckon there is a chance FS will come out fighting. Let’s hope it is a losing battle.
Does anyone have any views on Owen? For my part I am getting well fed up with his continued silence. I still believe if he were to come out and state that he sees his future at NUFC he would get the backing of most fans, however the longer he stays quiet we can all basically assume he is holding out for something better (in his eyes)
This is unacceptable. He needs to make his intentions known. NOW.
Sáber
May 27, 2007 at 2:08 PM
Comment #12This news is amazing, i can feel the excitement building inside me, WOW!!!!
If it is true that his targets are for us to win the premiership in 3 years and then be challenging for the Champions league in 5 omg i cnt wait!!! I can just imagine the toon lifting the premiership trophy and getting to the latter stages of the champs league, amazing!
Shepherd cannot hold out now from selling his shares, he has always claimed he is a newcastle united fan so now is his time to prove it, there is no better opportunity for the club than the one that is being proposed by mike ashley.
The glory days are so close, if everything goes smoothly, mike ashley gains control of the club, allardyce gets in the right players……we could be the envy of the likes of Chelsea who just spent big all at once without keeping the heritage of the club alive; we have a prospective new owner that in ENGLISH and understands what newcastle united means to it’s fans and what a massive club it is.
Come on mike, bring the glory days back to tyneside!!!!!!!
TFFDavid
May 27, 2007 at 2:10 PM
Comment #13I am fed up and sick of Michael Owen. Watching him on SKY the other day bleating on about how cool it’s going to be playing for England again made me see just what he is . . . me me me, he don’t care about the Toon!
Ed Harrison
May 27, 2007 at 2:12 PM
Comment #14Sáber – think Mike Ashley first went after Tottenham – but was rebuffed – their loss is our gain – guess season tickets will be sold out pretty soon – and 52,300 crowds at every home game next season. Really hope Sam can do the job – he seems so honest and a good man – but pressure will be on from first game – he needs to talk to Souness about the pills he needs. 😀
Neil
May 27, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Comment #15Yes, bring in Eidur Gudjohnsen. He would be perfect at Newcastle. We should definitely spend wisely on the defense and not waste money like Chelsea.
crazydave
May 27, 2007 at 2:49 PM
Comment #16It surely can be exciting times ahead, especially when i can remember the Dark days of Richard Dinas. But I still have reservations, not that I doubt he will invest the money, but I would hate our club to go like Chelsea is, hated by practically everybody. Geordies are renowed throughout the world as been the best, I would hate everybody to hate us. The Owen Saga needs to be sorted now, with a swift phone call and ask him outright if hes going to stay, if its anything but a Yes with an announcement, tell him theres the door and thanks for nothing. Players who play for the TOON should be like the fans and bleed black n white, current playing staff and any future signings.
Ed Harrison
May 27, 2007 at 2:51 PM
Comment #17well said crazydave – and we think Allardyce will ensure that !
Dave
May 27, 2007 at 4:29 PM
Comment #18Stars like Owen will always be subject to transfer rumours especially when they’re not playing for a “top 4” team. If he was to come out and assure us over his future then he would have to do it every week. Get over it, he has not come out and said that he doesn’t want to stay. He’s a professional player and as long as he is paid, he will score goals for us. In addition, Ashley’s ambitions shall also satisfy him.
I would keep both Owen and Martins and bring in Gudjohnsen.
Ed Harrison
May 27, 2007 at 5:11 PM
Comment #19Dave – we like Gudjohnsen a lot – but maybe we should go after players like Carlos Tevez – if Big Sam is really getting huge transfer money in the summer.
carl
May 27, 2007 at 5:53 PM
Comment #20tevez would be a great signing for us
Laney
May 27, 2007 at 6:47 PM
Comment #21I wish you lot would all calm down!
The take over is good news but think of the following:
1. Freddy won’t sell this week as he knows he can make more money if he hangs around for a month or two
2. Ashley will not put any money in until he has full control – this will take months
3. When he does get control you may find that what he will do is make sure he has the right manager in place before he starts putting in vast amounts of money – he will probably give Sam a limited budget this year and ask him to prove he can deliver a long term plan – UEFA cup place being the goal.
4. Who will want to come to Newcastle this close season, even with this ‘possible’ new money on the way! The top 4 + Spurs all have a load of money to spend, as do Villa. If you are a really big name, why come to us right now?
As Newcastle fans let us try something new for a change. Ashley is a clever man who makes smart choices, these take time to plan. Let’s give the club, from the new Chairman, his team and Sam time. Ashley is not going to drop a 1/4 of his hard earned straight into the Toon, but given time he could just be the man to get us back on the right path.
Howay the Toon!
andy
May 27, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Comment #22let´s just sort out our terrible defence, and all good things will come our way…
taylor is the only senior player who should not get the axe in that part of our team (perhaps ramage too)! Ashley and his money, in addition to Sam sorting out team spirit and keeping the players levelheaded, this could prove to be an exciting near future
Ed Harrison
May 28, 2007 at 12:28 PM
Comment #23andy – couldn’t agree more.
crazydave
May 31, 2007 at 9:22 AM
Comment #24I see according to press reports Ashley has apparently reached 54% of the shares, which puts him in the position to be able to sack FS as chairman. I read somewhere else, amybe even on here Ashley is now in a position to issue more shares, (ie like Direct sports) which he himself will snap up giving him a stronger position again and making FS position weaker. The only problem with this is the timescale, it will take Ashley longer to go down this route but eventually he will reach the 73% mark where FS will have to sell his shares at face value. I hope FS has got a good financial advisor who will tell him to sell whildt he can make a prfit
ChrisL
Jun 5, 2007 at 1:15 PM
Comment #25Laney,
I don’t think I could have put it any better myself.
Shepherd’s going nowhere is a hurry.
Ashley will be careful with his money till Shepherd’s gone & he has full faith in Sam to be able to deliver the level of success he’s after. So we’re looking at probably next summer or maybe January I’d have thought if things are going well. I don’t think that will be a problem for Sam, he’ll still have a bigger budget then he’s used to, a decent squad to start with & I believe that Newcastle has a ‘big draw’ across Europe that Sam will use.
Progress might be steady to start with, but that’s a good thing.