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George Caulkin


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George Caulkin speaks for all Newcastle fans, and far more eloquently than most of us could ever hope to emulate.

 

It's such a shame that we don't have a journalist working at Thomson House who has the journalistic nous or bottle to get stuck into Ashley the way Caulkin has. We need a strong anti Ashley voice ringing out from our local newspaper, a voice that the fans can rally behind in order to rid ourselves of Ashley and his cronies.

 

Keep up the good work George!

 

Do you not read the Sunday Sun? Farrington crucifies Ashley every week.

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Bob Yule wrote:

 

Oh get over yourself, George.

 

October 28, 2009 4:50 PM GMT

 

So not EVERY NUFC fan is a George fan. But I suspect 99% will be.

 

read a couple of things today where Bob yule has replied,  he was having a dig at nufc.com & NUST on the other one.

 

Mwahahahahaha

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article6894426.ece

 

October 29, 2009

 

Newcastle united in condemnation of stadium rebranding

 

George Caulkin

 

It has been a while, but Newcastle United finally lived up to their name again yesterday, with supporters, players and a former chairman banding together in collective disgust at Mike Ashley’s proposal to rebrand St James’ Park.

 

While Ashley’s decisions to withdraw Newcastle from the market and install Chris Hughton as permanent manager, announced on Tuesday night, were half-expected, his intention to welcome offers for the naming rights to the club’s home ground met with fierce condemnation.

 

It also emerged that Ashley’s rejected Barry Moat’s long-standing bid for the Coca-Cola Championship club even though the Tyneside businessman came close to matching the owner’s £80 million cash price for Newcastle.

 

Reports had suggested that Moat was only prepared to offer £40m up front to Ashley, who has been insisting that the full amount was deposited into an independent bank account as proof of funds, with the rest payable next year, but in recent days that gap had closed significantly.

 

In all, Moat’s consortium was planning to invest more than £100m into Newcastle, including’s Ashley’s fee, and there is bemusement that the sportswear manufacturer has chosen to rule out a takeover when a deal appeared close.

 

Sources close to Moat have also pointed out that now that the ownership question is settled, much of the further £20m that Ashley has promised to invest into Newcastle will be necessary to furnish an overdraft that Barclays insists should be kept beneath £10m, the maximum the bank allows for Football League clubs. Newcastle’s overdraft recently stood at £22m.

 

While Ashley’s regime is viewed as tarnished by most fans, the prospect of one of the North East’s most iconic landmarks] being renamed has prompted most concern. Freddy Shepherd, the former Newcastle chairman, has admitted that the club rejected on principle a similar approach from "branding specialists" after their flotation on the Stock Exchange in 1997.

 

“We were offered something like £3m for a five-year deal,” Shepherd said, “but the money could have been ten times that and I would still not have been interested. I appreciate that we’re living in a commercial world, but there are some things that money can’t buy.

 

“Nothing surprises me about the current regime so news that they are ready to sell the naming rights isn't exactly a shock, but St James’ Park is one of the most famous stadia in the world.

 

“You can go anywhere on this planet and everyone knows St James’ is the home of Newcastle United. The two go together. Fans will be horrified, angry and upset about this. They’ve had to put up with a lot in recent months and this is just another blow.”

 

The assessment from the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) was as withering. “[Newcastle] is beginning to resemble one of Mr Ashley’s famous sales at Sports Direct - chaotic, cheap and a shambles,” Colin Whittle, a NUST official, said.

 

“Now, as his latest slap in the face to the fans and the city, he wants to sell off the famous name of St James‘ Park. Everything he does now seems to be calculated to thumb a nose at his customers.”

 

In Ashley’s two years in charge, Newcastle have, among a myriad of other things, had five managers, been relegated, held a fire-sale of players and been humiliated publicly when Kevin Keegan’s claim for constructive dismissal was upheld by an independent arbitration panel.

 

“It’s been one thing after another,” Steve Howey, the former Newcastle defender, said. “The idea of renaming the stadium has rattled everybody’s cage. If the club was moving grounds, if the old one was dilapidated and falling apart, then fair enough, move on. But it isn’t. A piece of Newcastle would die if that happened.”

 

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Guest neesy111

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article6894426.ece

 

October 29, 2009

 

Newcastle united in condemnation of stadium rebranding

 

George Caulkin

 

It has been a while, but Newcastle United finally lived up to their name again yesterday, with supporters, players and a former chairman banding together in collective disgust at Mike Ashley’s proposal to rebrand St James’ Park.

 

While Ashley’s decisions to withdraw Newcastle from the market and install Chris Hughton as permanent manager, announced on Tuesday night, were half-expected, his intention to welcome offers for the naming rights to the club’s home ground met with fierce condemnation.

 

It also emerged that Ashley’s rejected Barry Moat’s long-standing bid for the Coca-Cola Championship club even though the Tyneside businessman came close to matching the owner’s £80 million cash price for Newcastle.

 

Reports had suggested that Moat was only prepared to offer £40m up front to Ashley, who has been insisting that the full amount was deposited into an independent bank account as proof of funds, with the rest payable next year, but in recent days that gap had closed significantly.

 

In all, Moat’s consortium was planning to invest more than £100m into Newcastle, including’s Ashley’s fee, and there is bemusement that the sportswear manufacturer has chosen to rule out a takeover when a deal appeared close.

 

Sources close to Moat have also pointed out that now that the ownership question is settled, much of the further £20m that Ashley has promised to invest into Newcastle will be necessary to furnish an overdraft that Barclays insists should be kept beneath £10m, the maximum the bank allows for Football League clubs. Newcastle’s overdraft recently stood at £22m.

 

While Ashley’s regime is viewed as tarnished by most fans, the prospect of one of the North East’s most iconic landmarks] being renamed has prompted most concern. Freddy Shepherd, the former Newcastle chairman, has admitted that the club rejected on principle a similar approach from "branding specialists" after their flotation on the Stock Exchange in 1997.

 

“We were offered something like £3m for a five-year deal,” Shepherd said, “but the money could have been ten times that and I would still not have been interested. I appreciate that we’re living in a commercial world, but there are some things that money can’t buy.

 

“Nothing surprises me about the current regime so news that they are ready to sell the naming rights isn't exactly a shock, but St James’ Park is one of the most famous stadia in the world.

 

“You can go anywhere on this planet and everyone knows St James’ is the home of Newcastle United. The two go together. Fans will be horrified, angry and upset about this. They’ve had to put up with a lot in recent months and this is just another blow.”

 

The assessment from the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) was as withering. “[Newcastle] is beginning to resemble one of Mr Ashley’s famous sales at Sports Direct - chaotic, cheap and a shambles,” Colin Whittle, a NUST official, said.

 

“Now, as his latest slap in the face to the fans and the city, he wants to sell off the famous name of St James‘ Park. Everything he does now seems to be calculated to thumb a nose at his customers.”

 

In Ashley’s two years in charge, Newcastle have, among a myriad of other things, had five managers, been relegated, held a fire-sale of players and been humiliated publicly when Kevin Keegan’s claim for constructive dismissal was upheld by an independent arbitration panel.

 

“It’s been one thing after another,” Steve Howey, the former Newcastle defender, said. “The idea of renaming the stadium has rattled everybody’s cage. If the club was moving grounds, if the old one was dilapidated and falling apart, then fair enough, move on. But it isn’t. A piece of Newcastle would die if that happened.”

 

 

have to say freddy shepherd, spot on there

 

and it's exactly like an sports direct sale, remember how they said they had closing down sales, but there shops never closed down

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have to say freddy shepherd, spot on there

 

and it's exactly like an sports direct sale, remember how they said they had closing down sales, but there shops never closed down

 

I was working in London a few years back and used to walk past a store on Oxford St daily. "Closing Down" sale banners were everywhere but nothing happened. Was back in London last month and the banners were there aswell as the store..

 

Regarding the article, Steve Howey is right aswell. If we were to move away from St James' to a newly build stadium, then a corporate name would be acceptable. But, since that's not the case, renaming St James is unacceptable and it just feels a bit too American, with teams moving from one city to another and so on..

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Guest Roger Kint

 

have to say freddy shepherd, spot on there

 

and it's exactly like an sports direct sale, remember how they said they had closing down sales, but there shops never closed down

 

I was working in London a few years back and used to walk past a store on Oxford St daily. "Closing Down" sale banners were everywhere but nothing happened. Was back in London last month and the banners were there aswell as the store..

 

Daft question but is it actually 'closing down sale' or simply 'clearance sale'? Incredibly enough this dastardly scheme isnt the brainchild of Ashley but never mind ;D

 

The DFS of the world are on perminent 'sale' but i doubt you blame them for it

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Guest neesy111

 

have to say freddy shepherd, spot on there

 

and it's exactly like an sports direct sale, remember how they said they had closing down sales, but there shops never closed down

 

I was working in London a few years back and used to walk past a store on Oxford St daily. "Closing Down" sale banners were everywhere but nothing happened. Was back in London last month and the banners were there aswell as the store..

 

Daft question but is it actually 'closing down sale' or simply 'clearance sale'? Incredibly enough this dastardly scheme isnt the brainchild of Ashley but never mind ;D

 

The DFS of the world are on perminent 'sale' but i doubt you blame them for it

 

No they've had Closing Down sale, particularly at the Metro Centre one

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Guest Roger Kint

 

have to say freddy shepherd, spot on there

 

and it's exactly like an sports direct sale, remember how they said they had closing down sales, but there shops never closed down

 

I was working in London a few years back and used to walk past a store on Oxford St daily. "Closing Down" sale banners were everywhere but nothing happened. Was back in London last month and the banners were there aswell as the store..

 

Daft question but is it actually 'closing down sale' or simply 'clearance sale'? Incredibly enough this dastardly scheme isnt the brainchild of Ashley but never mind ;D

 

The DFS of the world are on perminent 'sale' but i doubt you blame them for it

 

No they've had Closing Down sale, particularly at the Metro Centre one

 

Havent been to the Metro Centre in years, hate the bloody place, still though if there was anything wrong with it they couldnt get away with it.

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Havent been to the Metro Centre in years, hate the bloody place, still though if there was anything wrong with it they couldnt get away with it.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/2790342/Sports-Direct-scolded-for-closing-sale-ploy.html

 

 

There was a Streetwise Sports near me (which just happened to have exactly the same stock and "sale" items as the Sports Direct shop at the other end of town) which was "closing down" for 2 years minimum. It did eventually close down, but so did half the shops in town anyway so it was probably just closed because of the credit crunch, not because it originally planned to shut.

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What do you make of the 'Newcastle United Supporter's Trust'? Am I the only one who can't see any sense in it at all? Also, as Barry Moat clearly didn't have the money to buy the club then could it be a blessing in disguise that Ashley has taken it off the market in the hope of us being promoted and somebody with real credentials coming in?

by Jack Rutherford

 

Hi Jack. Short answer: unity is strength. I don't know whether they've any chance of buying a stake in the club, but surely it makes sense to have a collective voice when it comes to dealing with the mess that is NUFC? By the way, you can go their website and sign a petition to protect SJP. www.nust.org.uk

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:01 PM

 

And re Ashley. Blessing disguise? A bit of stability would be nice, but everything he has touched to date has done to ... well, the opposite of gold. I've got to keep it clean, remember.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:02 PM

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Is CH really the right man to LEAD Newcastle or is he there as MA knows he wont rock the boat and just be happy to be a manager at a club our size?

by Geordie away from home

 

Geordie and Steph. I know what you mean. My (personal) opinion is that Alan Shearer should be the manager, although I suppose it's pointless to go over that old ground. CH has done very well in desperate circumstances and the club are crying out for a bit of stability, so it makes sense in that regard. But ... does he have the charisma, the tactical nous? All reasonable questions.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:05 PM

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Getting back to the many problems within SJP,Is Ashley using the poetntial sale of the naming rights to divert attention away from him remaining at the helm.

by Ian Moore

 

Good question Ian. It wouldn't be a surprise would it? After all, this is the club that admitted to an Independent PL tribunal that it deliberately misled their supporters "as an exercise in public relations." Nice.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:09 PM

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Ashley clearly wants to get us promoted and then he can sell for a higher price. So in theory he should be looking at strengthening the squad in January- It will benifit him too. Although didn't we say that last season and we ended up with Nolan and Taylor to replace Given and Nzogbia. Can he be trusted?

by Anonymous

 

Short answer: no.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:12 PM

 

I'd like to ask what is the furore about regarding a name change of St James' Park? With a company buying the naming rights of such a large stadium, Newcastle get some much-needed investment monies - plus, it's not like every Newcastle fan is forced into calling it the name new - it will still always be known as SJP!

by Jacob

 

Well, Jacob. How about this: history, tradition, feeling, passion, community. The most iconic building in the city. I hate to agree with Freddy Shepherd, but there are some things that aren't for sale. A club's soul should be one of them.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:13 PM

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With MA at the helm do you think Newcastle have any chance of holding on to the players in January who could get us promoted (ie Nolan, Jonas, Enrique, Taylor)? And furthermore, are the funds going to be available to strengthen as Super Kevin Nolan called for?

by Jack Rutherford

 

Afternoon Jack. Newcastle can't afford to lose any more players in Jan. I think limited funds will be made available, but by limited I mean very limited.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:18 PM

 

Do you believe Newcastle will gain promotion this season?

by toon fan

 

I think it'll be on a knife-edge. Newcastle have nothing to fear from the division, I've seen enough of it to think that. But the squad is too small and I'm always wary of further idiocy from the man above.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:19 PM

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What exactly does "£20million will be injected into the club this week" mean? Is this for transfers or is it to keep the club a float?

by Anonymous

 

Now the ownership situation is "settled", Barclays will insist the overdraft, which recently stood at £22m, will be brought down to £10m, the maximum they permit for clubs in the CCC. There's your answer Anonymous.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:21 PM

 

do you think non-NUFC fans have a case when they accuse them of being delusional and getting ideas above their station?

by nick b

 

No, Nick. I don't. Forty years without a trophy? 44,000 against Doncaster last weekend? They don't ask for much, you know. Just a bit of passion from their players and somebody with good sense running the club. It's not exactly unreasonable.

by CaulkinTheTimes at 1:24 PM

 

:clap:

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