Mike Ashley (former owner)

f*** me, a piers morgan face turn. Who'd have thought it?

More like a tweener move for a cheap pop

Ashley has probably sat at home bingewatching the Dragon's Den trying to catch a few free business advise, and suddenly someone has said 'all publicity is good publicity' and Ashley thought 'how can I reach out to as many people as possible and promote my brand for the least amount of money'?

 

 

And that pretty much sums up the marketing strategy he adopts at NUFC

Eventually, the Ronnie have gone in!

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/mike-ashley-done-wrong-thing-17983112.amp?__twitter_impression=true

'Should'

Grow a spine, Boris.  Everything is 'should' with you.  Cunt.

Full house first home game sitting in near silence for majorty in awe of Geordie Steve.

Mike has mumbled a half hearted apology today. He doesn't mean it of course. He has been forced by his PR people to say it.

Mike Ashley apologising

https://theathletic.co.uk/1700025/2020/03/27/mike-ashley-sports-direct-newcastle-united/

Newcastle don’t deserve to have their reputation tarnished by Ashley’s antics

By Chris Waugh 3h ago  5 

Mike Ashley claims he hates being portrayed as the “pantomime villain”.

At best, he seems incapable of casting off this image. At worst, he seems unwilling to do so.

Anger towards Ashley’s actions is an emotion to which a significant portion of Newcastle United fans have become accustomed. Now a significant portion of the UK population share Tyneside’s ire.

What is most frustrating is that his negative image remains inextricably linked with the football club he owns. Newcastle United and, most particularly, Newcastle United fans, deserve so much more.

At a time of national (and international) crisis, when the government has ordered a borderline lockdown of the country and told all non-essential businesses to close, Sports Direct — of which Ashley is the majority shareholder — initially stated it would remain open, claiming it is “uniquely well-placed to help keep the UK as fit and healthy as possible”.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove responded by saying he did not see “any justification” for Sports Direct to continue trading and so the company was forced to perform a u-turn and shut its outlets. At PMQs, meanwhile, prime minister Boris Johnson responded to a question on the matter from Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah by stressing Sports Direct must “obey rules or expect the consequences”.

But it did not end there.

The Press Association claimed the firm has raised prices of certain items — including skipping ropes, weights and resistance belts, ideal for training at home — by as much as 50 per cent in recent days. Ashley’s company insisted “this is not the complete or accurate picture…and there continues to be a 20 per cent discount on all online sales until mid-April”. Yet, with the majority of the population now consigned to their homes, there has been an increased demand for equipment to allow them to exercise in their houses.

Chris Wootton, the group’s chief financial officer, defended the price rises. “There is a supply and demand to this,” he said. “We are not operating at full staffing in the warehouse and this was a way of relieving the pressure.”

Ashley has also subsequently apologised for what he describes as “the misunderstandings of the last few days”.

In an open letter released on Friday morning, Ashley insisted he was “deeply apologetic” and expressed regret about his company’s handling of the situation, stressing that “our intentions were only to seek clarity from the Government as to whether we should keep some of our stores open; we would never have acted against their advice.”

He accepted that the emails to government were “ill-judged and poorly timed” and, as well as declaring his “immense pride” in how key workers have handled the situation so far, has now pledged his firm’s “entire fleet of lorries” for use by the NHS and other “key workforces”.

But widespread criticism of Sports Direct, including from Ms Onwurah and fellow Labour MP Ian Lavery, has followed. I share the indignation. Without inadvertently equating football and wider public-health concerns, my vexation levels have kept rising.

In recent weeks we have witnessed acts of charity, selflessness and empathy. Hotels have offered up rooms for NHS staff, businesses have joined in the national effort to produce ventilators and sanitiser, while communities have ensured those most in need are being cared for. This is society at its very heartwarming best.

Depressingly, we have also seen examples of society at its disappointing worst. That has come in the form of stockpiling, (in some cases) rash redundancies or wage cuts and rank opportunism.

As ever with Ashley, if a chance arises for him to enhance his own reputation, he inevitably makes the wrong choice and damages it further.

Last year, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Ashley even admitted that, as far as his PR goes when it comes to running a football club, he is “very bad”. That is a gross understatement.

Some who have dealt with Ashley insist he courts publicity, positive or negative, because it provides airtime for his businesses. But there is a point where the balance tips to the extent that such exposure is disadvantageous, perhaps irreparably so.

His harmful reputational decisions are too plentiful to list in full but, as far as Newcastle are concerned, they include (but are not limited to): renaming St James’ Park the Sports Direct Arena, alienating record goalscorer Alan Shearer, overseeing hapless reigns which led to two relegations and responding to Jonas Gutierrez’s cancer diagnosis in such a way that the midfielder won a disability discrimination claim. There was, of course, also losing an employment tribunal against club legend Kevin Keegan, who alleged unfair dismissal, during which it was found the club “repeatedly and intentionally misled the press, public and the fans”.

Another arrived this week, too, as fans pleaded with the club to freeze or defer season-ticket payments, both for those supporters who pay by monthly direct debit and those who were scheduled to buy their 2020-21 package with a lump sum. One fan, Chris Crossey, even claimed £624 came out of his account on Wednesday morning for his 2020-21 season ticket.

The coronavirus pandemic has left many facing uncertainty and economic hardship. Some supporters have lost their jobs while others have seen their income cut or face potential redundancy. And there is no immediate prospect of their product being delivered, either, with the Premier League season suspended until the end of April at the earliest.

Yet, according to a statement released by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST), “the club stated it has no intention of freezing or delaying payments, both for those that pay annually and monthly.”

Even though they are a Premier League club whose turnover for the most recent financial year was £178.5 million, Newcastle’s finances will be significantly affected by the current crisis. But so too will those of Brighton & Hove Albion, who have announced their fans will receive a three-month delay to season-ticket payments due to the COVID-19 situation.

Newcastle may argue that their season-ticket prices have remained competitive for years, that many fans are on 10-year price-freeze deals and that 10,000 half-season tickets were given out in December.

But, as positive as those measures are, this is the moment benevolence is required. Everyone is being affected by the situation and small acts such as deferring payments can go a long way when supporters are worrying about their health, finances and livelihoods.

In my view, Newcastle United is not only a football club but a key social institution. It should be at the very heart of the community as a symbol of hope, generosity and unity during these worrying times.

And, in many ways, it is. There are so many good people at the club doing brilliant and life-affirming things every day.

The NUFC Fans Foodbank, which has raised £300,000 worth of monetary and perishable donations in three years, has been championed by the club, who nobly delivered the food ordered in for the Sheffield United game that was postponed. The club’s Foundation is delivering thousands of food parcels and educational resources to children in the city affected by school closures. Initiatives such as United As One, Be A Game Changer and NE1 Works have tackled issues ranging from diversity, racism, inclusion, mental health, education and employment opportunities.

These examples of altruism — which are far from exhaustive, there are many more that could be cited — prove Newcastle United can be, and is in many ways, a force for good. But its reputation continues to be unhelpfully tarnished by its relationship with Mike Ashley.

There are more than 130 Sports Direct billboards at St James’ Park and so every time Ashley’s company makes a detrimental decision, it negatively impacts the club. In fact, it is an embarrassment to Newcastle United’s world-renowned name.

If some of those good people at the club were able to do things differently and run Newcastle as a community hub first and foremost, rather than as an organ of Ashley’s stack-them-high, sell-them-cheap empire, then the pride so many fans have lost in Newcastle United may be restored.

Newcastle United and Newcastle United fans deserve a better owner and they most certainly deserve better than to have their own reputation tarnished by an unwanted and unwelcome association with a self-professed pantomime villain.

Perhaps now those beyond Tyneside will finally understand why Newcastle supporters are so desperate for new ownership, new direction and a new era.

Mike Ashley vowing ‘not to make the same mistakes in the future’  :lol: how many times have we heard that

God, I hope this proves to be his Ratners moment. It won't but I can hope.

Mike Ashley vowing ‘not to make the same mistakes in the future’  :lol: how many times have we heard that

Feels different this time

He really is sub human scum. He'd be Kim Jung Un if he was in that sort of position of power, no doubt about it.

Surprised Programme Pete has been quiet and not had his say over this yet. He’s an official top fan and great lad, was on the cover of the programme once. He knows the score and is very objective.

Lets hope that people see that 'apology' for what it really is - utter bum gravy.

Criminal!

Shameful!

Surprised Programme Pete has been quiet and not had his say over this yet. He’s an official top fan and great lad, was on the cover of the programme once. He knows the score and is very objective.

#wait

One does wonder how many more PR disasters do people need to realise this cunt and his company are a cancer on society rather than hearing the same old "Mike Ashley is a good businessman"

One does wonder how many more PR disasters do people need to realise this cunt and his company are a cancer on society rather than hearing the same old "Mike Ashley is a good businessman"

He just might have just tried to take advantage of something for the last time, this thing is effecting us all now, people are seeing his true self.

how to get a positive out of a negative, bet that wasn't planned or was it, certainly got him a load of publicity, NHS use my wagons bet he 's making something out of that proposition.

I would love nothing better for him to go bust and his shitty stores to close. Does anyone one know for comparison how his ‘rival’s reacted to this and what they’ve been doing to help?

I fucking hate it when people sit on the fence.