Light At The End Of The Tunnel?
So it seems the next owners of Newcastle United will be foreigners. A steel magnate from India? An Oil sheikh from Dubai? Or perhaps Ronald McDonald from the US of A.
I don't suppose it really matters where they are from or how they made their money - unless they are Colombian and made it selling that white marching powder people shove up their noses - all that ultimately matters is what they intend to do with the football club if their bid is successful.
Of the seven consortiums supposedly interested, There will be those with good intentions and there will be those who are only looking to make a quick buck, feeding on the global popularity of the Premier League.
I wonder whether, when the new owners are in place, they will be the generous and ambitious benefactors we all hope for, or whether they will just be another bunch of charlatans heralding yet another false dawn on Tyneside
I wonder whether Mike Ashley and the man he has put in charge of finding a buyer, Keith Harris, will care which is which, or whether they are only interested in who is going to give them the most money? You fear the latter don't you, but I might be too cynical for my own good.
The most pressing thing on everyone's mind at the moment is just how much longer we are going to have to put up with the state of limbo the club is in at the moment. Yes, Joe Kinnear has stabilised things to a degree in the dressing room, but without long term planning there is no long term goal and the club lacks real leadership which can only be a bad thing.
The sooner this takeover saga is over the better for everyone concerned. Mike Ashley can go back to selling cut price sports equipment, Derek Llambias can go back to the black jack table at his casino and Dennis Wise, well he can go back to being an average football manager in the lower leagues.
One thing struck me last week when Tony Jimenez quit his position at St James's Park because he had spent the last three weeks doing nothing and felt his position was redundant due to the impending sale of the club, why has Dennis decided to stay? Surely if his big pal Tony was bored stiff, so is he.
Then again when you're earning a reputed £1m a year for doing nothing other than going to watch another one of your old friends, Roberto Di Matteo's Milton Keynes, play at the weekend, why knock a gift horse in the mouth?!
The end of this sorry period in Newcastle's history is hopefully drawing to a close, but until we know who and when the new owners will be in charge, I wouldn't even bother putting the champagne on ice - it'll be fine in the cellar for a few more weeks yet!
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Hi Luke, what`s the heads-up on this Keith Harris, can he deliver.
It would seem that in today`s economic climate that only a rock-bottom sale would seem possible ?
Even the oil price is coming under pressure, so even the Dubai companies will be feeling the cashflows.
Food for thought, the talk that David Villa will end up at ManCity costing £74 million shows how mad the football world has become, as however thinks he can walk in a buy a club and move into the Top4 needs to have really deep pockets these days. Zulu
Hi Luke- Yes you paint a good picture -Its all very sad if one is a toon fan-I really hope someone buys us who understands the club and the passion but I suppose the odds are against that. I do think the premier league need to be more stringent on there views of what constitutes a "Fit and proper person"-from where I sit I certainly do not think MA was in that category as it does appear he just wanted to make a fast buck -can you imagine any other owner who even had a modicum of affection for his club do what Ashley done -i.e. sell Milner-offer all the first team to interested buyers at the close of the transfer window--I dont think so-it shows he does not care and never has done. As for Wise he is getting paid now under false pretences -then again he never did anything wortwhile anyway -I touch the great Jackie Milburns Statue on every visit to the ground and ask him to help us -wonder what he would be saying now were he still with us.
I heard Keith Harris interviewed on R5, and he seemed like a decent chap. He was asked directly if he cared what the intentions of prospective buyers were, or whether his remit was just to sell the club at all costs. His answer was reassuring - the successful buyer must have the interests of the club and the fans at heart. His track record in terms of the other sales he has engineered is encouraging too - Chelsea and Villa have both made major strides forward following Harris-brokered deals. So, reasons for optimism I think.
Let's face it, Harris is eminently more capable of assessing a potential buyer than Sir John was!
Bigger concern for me is the timing of any deal. Let's hope it's all done and dusted - and new manager installed - in plenty time for January transfer window planning to be completed effective.
ASHLEY OUT