Mike Ashley pulls out of Derby takeover .. looking elsewhere

[DuttyTeabags]

Key factors in Ashley buying a club:

 

1) how big is fanbase/ catchment / city as potential customer base if he invests and merchandises the hell out of it? 

 

Answer: 750m people half of whom like a white pair of trainers. 

 

2) Is he gonna overpay/get value for money? 

 

Depends on Chansiri/ family/ investors and whether he accepts a write down of a couple of hundred million of the money he wasted paying for dross like Abdi and Rhodes. 

 

3) Current VS potential future income. Add 200m to current income if we get to PL. 

 

At the moment Wednesday is probably worth a pound if you factor in the debt and the fact we don't owe the ground therefore have very little (Windass/Bannan aside) assets. 

 

Our income is probably in the region of 12m and our debt to owner is probably 250m.

 

So it really hinges on whether Chansiri gets real and whether Ashley thinks he can create wiggle room with FFP to build a playing side which can win 2 promotions in next 3/4 years. 

 

Main benefit Ashley would have is that if he does change the stadium name to Sports Direct stadium (and point to how much additional revenue he will make over 4 years by flogging trainers / sportswear/ merchandise to fans) he can justify a greater revenue to Owls than if Chansiri changed it to Fred, sorry John West stadium where merchandising would be much more difficult. 

 

In short, there is huge potential to flog more sportwear/ merchandise and improve Owls revenue to increase our FFP wriggle room but it's risky. No guarantees but a huge fan base and catchment area. 

 

All hinges on Chansiri and whether he/ family are willing to lose face (and a lot of cash) 

[Morepork]

I will never understand the mindset that see's a Mike Ashley purchase of our club as any kind of positive.

 

Newcastle Utd were essentially run into the ground, no investment off the field and stagnating on it. The entire city of Newcastle celebrated his departure in a similar manner to the way Romanians celebrated the death of Nicolae Ceaușescu........

 

Oh, and if that doesn't convince you. Read about the way he treated his Sports Direct employees!!!! Our club has been badly run, DC has been more than a disaster but for me it would be the final straw to have us associated with the kind of human being Mike Ashley is.

 

For me, it would put our club in a similar position to the one Raith Rovers just found itself in. You can't separate football from the way a person behaves towards others.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Morepork

[0742]

4 hours ago, Kelfin Platz said:

Makes you wonder what DC would actually take money wise. He'd certainly want more than the initial investment but would surely know he won't be getting every Baht back he's put into the club. I reckon £50m would do it. Could be doable. As for Ashley? I just wouldn't know and quite a lot of shady sorts lingering every time business like this is to be done.

As for me, I'd rather stick with what we have now. I think we've bottomed out and are on the rise again.

 

True story, I offered him £20 for the club a couple of years ago and I swear for a moment he was considering it ..

[Inspector Lestrade]

3 minutes ago, 0742 said:

 

True story, I offered him £20 for the club a couple of years ago and I swear for a moment he was considering it ..

 

Could you cover it though?

[0742]

2 minutes ago, Inspector Lestrade said:

 

Could you cover it though?

 

No, but I think I had him convinced for a minute that I could

 

[sMacLean]

I'd happily take him, he'd get us to the Prem.

[Roscoe P. Coltrane]

Ashley has forgotten more about business than Chansiri will ever know about it.....

[trumbullowl]

I think DC is in it for the long haul. I wonder how we're doing P&S wise this year. Have we brought the wage bill down enough to be compliant?

Haven't read anything about it for a while.

[Elvin Parsnip]

No way do we want sports direct when we’ve got Elev8 ! No way we want a manager like Rafa when we’ve got DM , no way we want to be not in financial trouble and we certainly don’t want to be sold by Ashley in one of his business deals and become one of the richest clubs in the world ….  

[Harrysgame]

2 hours ago, Morepork said:

I will never understand the mindset that see's a Mike Ashley purchase of our club as any kind of positive.

 

Newcastle Utd were essentially run into the ground, no investment off the field and stagnating on it. The entire city of Newcastle celebrated his departure in a similar manner to the way Romanians celebrated the death of Nicolae Ceaușescu........

 

Oh, and if that doesn't convince you. Read about the way he treated his Sports Direct employees!!!! Our club has been badly run, DC has been more than a disaster but for me it would be the final straw to have us associated with the kind of human being Mike Ashley is.

 

For me, it would put our club in a similar position to the one Raith Rovers just found itself in. You can't separate football from the way a person behaves towards others.

Not convinced that Ashley would be a bad thing. Newcastle have had good levels of investment since Asley took over. What the had 2 seasons out of the top flight earned 000's millions decent ground and Premier league and good training facilities. 

[Morepork]

6 minutes ago, Harrysgame said:

Not convinced that Ashley would be a bad thing. Newcastle have had good levels of investment since Asley took over. What the had 2 seasons out of the top flight earned 000's millions decent ground and Premier league and good training facilities. 

 

I'd question that -https://nothingbutnewcastle.com/2021/05/blogs/all-things-newcastle/training-ground-benton/

 

But, football aside for a minute, you can simply ignore the fact that he's a reprehensible human?

Edited February 6, 2022 by Morepork

[doubleo]

16 minutes ago, Morepork said:

 

I'd question that -https://nothingbutnewcastle.com/2021/05/blogs/all-things-newcastle/training-ground-benton/

 

But, football aside for a minute, you can simply ignore the fact that he's a reprehensible human?

I probably wouldn’t marry him but he’s got an eye for business and making a few quid.  The only way he could make money out of us would be to increase fan engagement or making us an attractive buy. Either way he’d have to improve our current position. At the right price, with reasonable investment the returns could be huge. The same applies to DC of course but how much more he is prepared to pump in given his track record so far - I’m not holding my breath.

[TommyCraig]

3 hours ago, Morepork said:

I will never understand the mindset that see's a Mike Ashley purchase of our club as any kind of positive.

 

Newcastle Utd were essentially run into the ground, no investment off the field and stagnating on it. The entire city of Newcastle celebrated his departure in a similar manner to the way Romanians celebrated the death of Nicolae Ceaușescu........

 

Oh, and if that doesn't convince you. Read about the way he treated his Sports Direct employees!!!! Our club has been badly run, DC has been more than a disaster but for me it would be the final straw to have us associated with the kind of human being Mike Ashley is.

 

For me, it would put our club in a similar position to the one Raith Rovers just found itself in. You can't separate football from the way a person behaves towards others.

Very well said. 

[akbuk]

12 hours ago, Craig enock said:

Nixon reporting he is looking elsewhere now .... would love him at wednesday... would sort us out .... thoughts ?

That is a joke isn't it

[Morepork]

2 hours ago, doubleo said:

I probably wouldn’t marry him but he’s got an eye for business and making a few quid.  The only way he could make money out of us would be to increase fan engagement or making us an attractive buy. Either way he’d have to improve our current position. At the right price, with reasonable investment the returns could be huge. The same applies to DC of course but how much more he is prepared to pump in given his track record so far - I’m not holding my breath.

I can’t even reach the point where I could consider any of that. As someone who ran their own business and believed in treating employees with respect and fairness he doesn’t even pass those most basic requirements. We are tarnished enough IMO. It would be a devastating blow to be linked to him.

[Orlando_Trustful]

I'd have him here tomorrow. 

[Luke]

No way is anyone buying us 

 

You've got to meet chansiris crazy asking price 

 

Bring the ground and training facilities into the 21st century 

 

Invest in the team 

 

 

Talking 100s of millions before we even get started 

 

Only people with that money are Arab princes and they ain't going to interested in a shambles like us 

[bobness]

8 hours ago, Morepork said:

I will never understand the mindset that see's a Mike Ashley purchase of our club as any kind of positive.

 

Newcastle Utd were essentially run into the ground, no investment off the field and stagnating on it. The entire city of Newcastle celebrated his departure in a similar manner to the way Romanians celebrated the death of Nicolae Ceaușescu........

 

Oh, and if that doesn't convince you. Read about the way he treated his Sports Direct employees!!!! Our club has been badly run, DC has been more than a disaster but for me it would be the final straw to have us associated with the kind of human being Mike Ashley is.

 

For me, it would put our club in a similar position to the one Raith Rovers just found itself in. You can't separate football from the way a person behaves towards others.

 

You can argue that you don't like him and the way he operates his businesses, but to suggest he'd run the club into the ground makes you sound foolish. 

 

Source: Newcastle United. Currently in the Premier League and sold for a profit. 

Edited February 7, 2022 by bobness

[Morepork]

28 minutes ago, bobness said:

 

You can argue that you don't like him and the way he operates his businesses, but to suggest he'd run the club into the ground makes you sound foolish. 

 

Source: Newcastle United. Currently in the Premier League and sold for a profit. 

You’re putting words in my mouth……. I didn’t suggest he’d run our club into the ground, we’re arguably already well on our way…….

 

There is nothing in his ownership of Newcastle to suggest he can rejuvenate a club in League One.. They have literally survived on Premier League money and Newcastles commercial revenues which eclipse ours. In essence they’ve survived in the Premier League in spite of Ashley not because of him.
 

Speak to any Newcastle fan, read any article about the training ground condition, the skeleton staff, the stadium issues and the current playing squad being not fit for purpose. They’ve spent years under Ashley as essentially a zombie club, albeit in the “Premier League…..” The bare minimum has been invested and had he not exited when he did they’d almost certainly have been relegated this year.

 

Did he really sell them for a profit? My understanding was he paid almost half of the amount he ultimately sold it for not realising it was a massively in debt. Who buys a business like that without due diligence? If he turned any profit on that deal it wasn’t because he built a solid club it was solely down to the increases in TV rights, nothing more.

 

Foolish would be thinking a guy that alienated an entire city over the way he ran a football club could be the potential saviour of ours…….

[bobness]

3 minutes ago, Morepork said:

You’re putting words in my mouth……. I didn’t suggest he’d run our club into the ground, we’re arguably already well on our way…….

 

There is nothing in his ownership of Newcastle to suggest he can rejuvenate a club in League One.. They have literally survived on Premier League money and Newcastles commercial revenues which eclipse ours. In essence they’ve survived in the Premier League in spite of Ashley not because of him.
 

Speak to any Newcastle fan, read any article about the training ground condition, the skeleton staff, the stadium issues and the current playing squad being not fit for purpose. They’ve spent years under Ashley as essentially a zombie club, albeit in the “Premier League…..” The bare minimum has been invested and had he not exited when he did they’d almost certainly have been relegated this year.

 

Did he really sell them for a profit? My understanding was he paid almost half of the amount he ultimately sold it for not realising it was a massively in debt. Who buys a business like that without due diligence? If he turned any profit on that deal it wasn’t because he built a solid club it was solely down to the increases in TV rights, nothing more.

 

Foolish would be thinking a guy that alienated an entire city over the way he ran a football club could be the potential saviour of ours…….

 

Fair points. I was under the impression he made money on the Newcastle sale, but I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time!).

For what it's worth, I can't see him being interested in our club, but if he was I'd see it as an indicator that he could make something of it. But I reckon we're stuck with Chansiri for years. Which is good news for all those ten-year season ticket holders, who otherwise wouldn't have their free Premier League tickets honoured.