As Newcastle United prepare to welcome Hull City back to St James’ Park in the Premier League for the first time since a poignantly fateful clash in September 2008, Sam Winter discusses how life has changed on Tyneside since Marlon King sank the Toon Army that day.
Cockney Mafia Out. Derek Llambias sat
alone in the Director’s seats as the rage of a Geordie Nation rained down from
the stands at St James’ Park. Mike Ashley and Dennis Wise were unsurprisingly
absent. King Kevin had gone, although as I walked up to Gallowgate with
thousands of fellow supporters that afternoon there was a faint hope that all
might not be lost, that the “Geordie Messiah” may well have been persuaded to
reverse his resignation. What was certain as I took my seat that day was that
relations between the fans and Mike Ashley’s regime were well and truly broken.
The man who had delighted Tyneside with a takeover, stood with fans on away
days, picked up bar tabs in town, and quite amazingly appointed Keegan as
manager once more, was now well and truly public enemy number one. His sidekick
Dennis Wise was brought in over Keegan’s head to oversee a disastrous transfer
window and it was the beginning of the end for Newcastle United in the Premier
League. As the teams walked out onto the pitch on the 13th September
2008 it was immediately clear that the football played would be a mere sideshow
as St James’ Park showed an unwavering support for Keegan, and a united stand
against Mike Ashley. As the banner made its way round the ground and resolutely
faced the empty directors area the whole ground stood and applauded. The match
didn't matter, this is our club. Newcastle players were completely dumbfounded
by the off-field events, Hull won a woeful encounter 2-1 and Newcastle United
were relegated at the end of the season; ironically a point behind the Tigers.
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| Events on the pitch on 13th September 2008 were a mere sideshow to a greater battle |
Fast-forward
to 2013 and Tyneside is once again at odds with Mike Ashley, something I never
thought would be apparent as I exited St James’ Park five years previous.
However this time the frustration comes on the back of Newcastle being unable
to follow up on an outstanding 5th place finish in the 2011/12
Premier League season. In three seasons Newcastle had gone from Championship
relegation favourites to the cusp of the Champions League and the biggest
surprise of all was that Mike Ashley oversaw the entire renaissance. A complex
and silent figure to say the least, Ashley still manages to make almost
ridiculous headlines. You only need to mention the letters JFK to understand
exactly what I refer to. The Sports Direct Arena, Wonga, Chris Hughton, and
Joey Barton - the owner has continued to make the headlines seemingly all about
him; and continued to painfully irate the loyal support of Newcastle United.
People may hate him (and I give any praise through gritted teeth) but few can
deny what Ashley has done for the club, the Londoner has effectively saved Newcastle
United financially and made it one of the surest, most stable football clubs in
Europe. Fans will never have to worry about the threat of liquidation or debt;
Newcastle United’s foundations are forever steadfast under this owner. Exciting
players have been brought in under the radar, taking the club forward on the
pitch and back into Europe. There’s no doubt the club is now in great shape,
but the owner is still as unpopular as that September afternoon in 2008.
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| Complex figure: 5 years on Ashley remains on Tyneside, popularity still desperately low |
Rising From the Ashes
I
remember standing on the platform at Newcastle Central Station as a 0-0 draw at
home to Portsmouth had slid Newcastle dangerously closer to the relegation trap
door in 2009. I phoned my father and uttered the once unthinkable words, “we
need to be relegated…we need to start again”. By all means I didn't really want
us to go down, the day we did was as painful as any bad day I've ever experienced,
but I knew deep down that the only way Newcastle United could become great
again was by starting over. I never would have thought that Mike Ashley would
be at the helm when we rose again though. An unsuccessful sale pitch to local
businessman Barry Moat ensued before the subsequent Championship campaign; Ashley
having put the club up for sale at supporters’ “requests”. Newcastle fans were
in disarray, awaiting an appointment of Alan Shearer that never came, and the
players were embarrassed 6-1 at Leyton Orient in pre-season. My vision of us
starting over was crumbling before a competitive ball was kicked. Ashley stayed
aboard though, and poured another £20 million into the club to fund a swift
return to the Premier League. The likes of Kevin Nolan, Steve Harper, Alan
Smith, and Joey Barton grabbed the playing staff by the scruff of the neck and
stormed to the Championship title. Suddenly it was fantastic again, 100+ points
and a St James’ Park fortress; high earning footballers sweating blood for the
shirt – for the fans. Tyneside will never forget the impact of players like
Nolan and Barton (you only had to be at Steve Harper’s charity game last week
to appreciate that) or the dignified Chris Hughton. They avoided the off-field
circus and did the business where it mattered, and they take huge credit for
where the club finds itself now in 2013.
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| Swift return: Newcastle players and staff galvanised the club and stormed to the Championship title |
Ashley in?
Back
in the Premier League in 2010 and suddenly there was no reason to complain, no
reason to revolt or backlash against the owner. The team smashed Aston Villa
6-0 and sensationally destroyed 5under1and before stunningly winning at the
Emirates. Supporters were in dreamland, team spirit was unshakeable and, most
importantly, Mike Ashley was silent and nowhere to be seen. As a Newcastle
United fan for 20 years I’ve learnt that trouble seems to always be round the
corner when things are going swimmingly, particularly under Mike Ashley. Sure
enough just weeks after a wonderful set of results Chris Hughton was sacked. It
was disgusting treatment of one of the nicest men to grace the game; not only
that but a man who had contributed to reviving the club, a man who simply did
not warrant losing his job. Ashley had the footballing world in uproar,
Tyneside astonished. I wasn't surprised. The swift appointment of Alan Pardew
had alarm bells severely ringing and the “Ashley Out” campaign was back in full
swing. Looking back now I feel ashamed to have jumped on the anti-Pardew
campaign so quickly but it was impossible not to following Ashley’s reason for
sacking Hughton being that he wanted a “big-name” manager. The deadline day
sale of Andy Carroll a month later certainly didn’t help the cause yet Pardew
led Newcastle to a comfortable mid-table finish that finish and Newcastle
sanctioned the arrival of Yohan Cabaye early in the summer under the noses of a
host of European clubs. Demba Ba also arrived but as the 2011/12 curtain-raiser
drew near, the wheels were threatening to come off again as Jose Enrique and
Joey Barton publicly criticised the board in the aftermath of the sale of
popular skipper Nolan. Fans were also in disbelief and it was hard to see how
the board had any ambition with their actions. Ashley’s staunch determination
to stay out of the public eye and explain his decisions only fuelled the
frustration. Enrique got his wish and left for Anfield, and Barton didn't get
his and was shipped to QPR on a free transfer. In the aftermath of the Barton
furore, it was clearer than ever that Mike Ashley wanted full control of all
things Newcastle United. You only needed to tune in to Barton’s interview on a
QPR radio show to astonishingly hear some unfortunately believable home truths.
Ashley didn't appreciate the “players committee” that pushed Newcastle to
promotion in 2010, and slowly but surely dismantled them over time. Danny
Simpson and Steve Harper have also since departed; two more key figures from
that season.
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| Newcastle impressed back in the big-time, but trouble was always round the corner |
Surging Forward, Standing Still
Despite
the great worries Newcastle delivered on the pitch in unprecedented fashion; a
5th place finish that could have been as high as 3rd
going into the final weekend of 2011/12. Some performances were spectacular;
swashbuckling football that Geordies had been craving since Sir Bobby Robson.
Sir Alex Ferguson held his hands up as the Champions were crushed 3-0, Didier
Drogba left applauding as Papiss Cisse conquered Stamford Bridge. Suddenly
Newcastle had a side that could push for the top and a Manager of the Year. The
summer transfer window couldn't come quickly enough; Graham Carr the mastermind
scout would surely uncover more diamonds. Yet excitement became disappointment
as only Vurnon Anita was brought in as a senior player and, with early season
injuries in the Europa League, the squad was suddenly far too thin in 2012/13.
Ashley had stood still, the worst thing to do on the back of promise, and fans
could only watch as the side limped through to the January window. It perhaps
highlights a naivety and an unwillingness to part with a transfer kitty on
Ashley’s behalf that the owner had transfers lined up for the following summer
because they would be free transfers, rather than bringing them in before the
disastrous campaign. So in rushed the belated French Revolution in January and
their contribution meant Newcastle just about stumbled over the survival line
at Loftus Road in May with one game to spare.
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| Papiss Cisse's arrival and a 5th place finish had fans purring, but disappointment was again all too swift to follow |
Now
it truly was time to move forward and to not stand still. Surely the owner
would learn from his mistakes. Pardew was ready to kick on, Llambias right
behind him. All the right noises were being made; two new attackers and a
centre half would AT LEAST be heading to Tyneside. But then it happened, right
out of the blue in true Mike Ashley style, the excruciatingly embarrassing
return of Joe Kinnear as Director of Football. Now this is an example of how I
just cannot fathom Mike Ashley’s methods. There is no denying that Ashley is a
shrewd businessman (he isn't the 15th richest man in the UK for
nothing) and as a business he runs Newcastle United well. But as a football CLUB
it just seems to be wave after wave of embarrassment and unwanted headlines for
the fans. Ashley knew that Kinnear’s appointment would be catastrophic for
supporters but he wanted a “football head” in that role, which makes huge
sense. However there are hundreds of other football heads that aren't called
Joe Kinnear out there yet he still chose to pick the last man Geordies would
have wanted. The fact that Kinnear only managed to bring in Loic Remy this
summer compounded the misery, but if Remy stays fit he could be the man to fire
the side back into the higher echelons of the Premier League.
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| Joe Kinnear's arrival was madness, but Loic Remy's could be magical |
Method to the Madness?
This
madness wasn't unique of course; The Sports Direct Arena was another trying
time for supporters. The whole “naming rights” spiel is also logical due to the
business-like nature of the modern Premier League, however Ashley did not NEED
to change St James’ Park to the name of his own business to attract potential sponsors;
Newcastle United can do that by itself. Wonga weren't wooed by the “Sports
Direct Arena” when they took on sponsorship, as proved by a swift renaming.
Despite popular strategies, Wonga has not been a favourable arrangement with
the Newcastle faithful from a rightly ethical perspective. The pay-day lenders
may well be the clubs biggest ever partnership but once again a Mike Ashley
dealing had brought unwanted headlines and upset to the club.
It
is difficult to argue against the idea that Mike Ashley does financially viable
dealings, yet makes sure he annoys the Newcastle fans at the same time. Don’t
get me wrong, the unpopular but astronomical sale of Andy Carroll has helped
the club massively in the long run; and the despairing sale of Kevin Nolan has
probably been justified by the acquisition of Yohan Cabaye. But with the
Hughton/Pardew drama, the renaming of St James’ Park, Wongagate, and the Joe
Kinnear debacle, have all been mind-boggling situations that Ashley has
conjured. What makes everything all the more testing is the fact that Mike
Ashley does not speak publicly about the club or anything going on at the club,
ever. The fact that he never comes out and explains some of these huge decisions
when he really should only serves to drive Newcastle supporters even further up
the wall. I would say that he does himself no favours by remaining in the
shadows, but I am also aware that any public declarations would only appease a
section of support. The general consensus is that Mike Ashley will never win
over Newcastle United fans and will always get the abuse he has got for five
years, so why should he talk? It is perhaps far-fetched to conclude that Mike
Ashley uses some sort of hatred of Newcastle supporters to drive his running of
the club but IF he did, it perhaps boils down to that afternoon in September
2008 when Hull City visited St James’ Park for the very first time in the
Premier League. That day was the beginning of the end for Newcastle United in
the top flight, and the end of any friendship between Mike Ashley and the Toon
Army.
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| Much has changed since the last St James' meeting between Newcastle and Hull in the Premier League |
Different Ball-Game
What
we can conclude however, as Tyneside welcomes back the newly promoted Tigers,
is that Newcastle United is a completely different animal in fine shape five
years on. There’s no squad disharmony or disillusion, there’s backroom
stability, financial security, and a wave of positivity in the aftermath of
summer difficulties with promising performance on the pitch. Newcastle go into
the game with an opportunity to record three wins on the spin, a fine feat
early in the campaign. Fans will swarm to St James’ with optimism and
expectancy, not despair and anger. Events on the pitch will be the spectacle,
not the sideshow. In 2008 Hull took advantage of a wounded animal, this time
they should fear one. And perhaps somewhere, wherever he may be, Mike Ashley
will look on proceedings with a wry smile. What a difference five years makes.
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