ColonelBlimp

A lot of companies are structured to run off debt …. and do it very successfully. So in my opinion whether this bloke is a billionaire or not is irrelevant - particularly in the championship. The killer question is does he have access to suitable and sustainable funds (debt or equity), does his business model allow him to service the debt (and make investments in the right areas). If the investors confident of earning a decent return over time and in the case of debt investor -  that when their debt matures the business will be able to pay that back……dare I say it….. with new debt and a different interest rate - then so what. As others have pointed out, having wealthy owner -  in the world of P&S is more challenging and ends up with higher risk strategies - where the owner maybe tries to stretch the boundaries beyond the affordable in the knowledge he could fund the higher consequence outcomes from personal wealth for a period of time. 
Right now, I feel we’re crying out for someone who tries to run our club as a long term sustainable business - lives within the means - creates a stable environment for the management team to plan and evolve the team with investment. Rooney has made shrewd signings without a pot to p in so it’s proven he doesn’t need millions - he just needs to have clear communication from the club and know what he can work with in advance and plan accordingly.  And yes I’m sure that model will include selling players at the right price and the right time.
Whether Kirchner is the right man for the job - I don’t know. But at least he’s been communicated his intent and given us all something to get excited/cynical about!! 

At what point does Ramstrust fail to be the official one? 
Who decides these things? 

All I want is someone to ask the EFL very publicly what we are waiting for in relation to any charges. As of now as far as I am aware no further charges have been brought since the administration 12 points. This really should be taken up by the club and the press, especially local journalists. 

Such a card. Not biting.

Requires spending cash this side of payday, ain't happening.

Yay, I’m going to this!! After a brain haemorrhage and then lockdown I thought I’d never get to PP again. However, I’ve recovered really well over the summer, especially worked hard to improve physically and my partner is letting my son take me to the match - he’s much more worried than I am!
So, Rams, I’d appreciate a good performance and a win - though whatever happens I’ll feel like a winner just getting there.

If there is such a thing as divine intervention..... Newcastle will fail miserably 
That's nothing to do with my like / dislike of Newcastle Utd, just an observation on how these filthy rich new owners, connected to a regime with a disgraceful record on human rights, have passed a fit and proper persons test. Just my opinion by the way. 

But they would also need to have very very very long arms. It would narrow the search down to be fair. Always a good idea to think things through to a logical conclusion. I used to think that I would simply need to find a girlfriend / wife who had small hands. As I rapidly approach 60 I recognise that them wearing thick glasses is now equally essential.
 

As me and the missus are going to Preston and we don't know most of the songs, is it OK to mime?
Does miming count as 'silent singing'? 
Should we bob our heads like John Redwood singing the Welsh National Anthem?
 
 

I've been elected to represent the factory based salaried staff in the Consultation meetings regarding the "proposed" closure of our factory.
Had our first meeting today and it was quite brutal. We're ducked. Its an old site and due to several changes of ownership in recent years leading to no investment, coupled with mental increases in the price of flour, sugar, palm oil, and energy costs over the last 18 months, there is no way back.
We are not financially viable.
We have been through severe restructures in recent years, chopping jobs left, right and centre to no avail, the company that owns us does not want to modernise and invest so we will close in March 2022.
I've worked there for 42 years. Started as a machine operator in 1978, ended up as a Shift Production Manager, covered the Operations Manager role for a period when the site was between owners. FFS, I met me missus there!
In a small town like Uttoxeter, I have seen kids and grandkids of lads I first worked with start their working life at the factory. Had blokes coming up to me in pubs demanding to know why their lad had been sacked, had people begging me for jobs, my wife has been threatened because I had to sack somebody.
I have also had people come up to me and thanked me for giving them confidence to improve their lives, people who I used to work with who now run their own businesses who always buy me a pint because they were inspired by me. I can't express the feeling that gives me.
My son did his engineering apprenticeship at the factory and is now the Operations Manager for Aggreko in Asia. My daughter worked there for a few years part time running the factory shop and now runs her own business.
We used to do Evening shifts, Lunch Time relief shifts  etc that appealed to mums who wanted a part time job to work around childcare but we had to stop all that as we got taken over by different companies. We were a factory that was part of our community.
Its a sad situation but I will do everything I can to negotiate the best possible deal for the people who have asked me to represent them.
 
I'm a bit emotional and had a couple of drinks so time to call it a night.
 
 

I've signed-up to this Chat to add my two-pennys worth on My Cashley.
So I'm a Barcode and proud and have been since my first game in 1971 - a drab 0-0 at home to Man City, pretty much a portent of the next half century to come. I loved seeing SuperMac and Tudor and the likes. Signing Shearer was amazing, as was coming with one game (March 4, 1996) of winning the Premiership. What Keegan showed Newcastle fans was what was possible. Just like Cloughie showed Derby and Forest fans what was possible. So it's inevitable that you hark back to those days and wish they would return. And then you get accused of having unrealistic expectations and you realise you just should have kept your mouth shut 'cos you can't win that 'argument'. Newcastle fans do not feel 'entitled' - any more than Derby or Forest fans feel 'entitled' - they just have memories of past glory days and wish they could come back. The hysteria on Barrack Road on Thursday evening was a combination of profound relief at getting rid of Cashley and also the return of hope that we might enjoy the glory days of The Entertainers back (even if no trophies came our way again like the last time - it was still fantastic to be a part of).
Anyway, to Cashley. Derby right now is a good fit for him. It's 'local' (to SDHQ) so that makes sense investing in the community, and he absolutely will run the club's finances tightly and profitably. Initially and for a few years you might feel relieved, but as the years go by you'll start to notice that there's no real investment going into the club so everything starts to deteriorate - the ground, the training faciltiies, the academy, and very soon the football. If you are in the Premiership (where you should be), you'll have season after season of worrying every day about relegation so never actually enjoying the football and - if he installs a Steve Bruce as manager one day - you'll have to watch lifeless, unattacking football at its very worst. So no expectations of any kind whilst your club falls apart from the paint downwards.
I've been in Derbyshire for just over a decade now. Pride Park is an outstanding ground and the club deserves to be in the Premiership. Cashley can secure your Championship place and the long-term future of the club, but sadly that level of security potentially comes with a massive price in the case of Cashley. Ironically, we might suffer the same consequences at St. James' but that's a wholly different debate, I suspect.

We don't need a Mike Ashley.
We need a Matthew Benham or Tony Bloom.
The only reason Ashley could be considered is if it's him or bust.

We don't need a Mike Ashley.
We need a Matthew Benham or Tony Bloom.
The only reason Ashley could be considered is if it's him or bust.

Still 9th. Doesn't matter when they were, and in the Sky-PL age we've challenged and been regulars in European competitions before him.
It wasn't, Benitez galvanised the club, offered hope and is a top class manager. Look at what he's achieving with Everton having only spent £2m(?). Ashley had the chance to kick on, without spending big and willingly chose not to. 
Perhaps, but when an owner skims off the top to the point where it's to the detriment of the club it's not good. It's only paper talk and I know you'll take almost anyone with the club almost on it's knees but I hope that it isn't Ashley. I don't know if there's anyone else in the running, I hope there is. Someone better.
Anyway, I truly wish you, others on this board and the whole of DCFC nothing but the best, assuming I forget my login details, which I probably will. You should come through this, too much of a standing in the game to not. I hope. 
 

He is terrible. What has he done? They went down twice during his tenure. Relegation battle practically every season. They've stayed up in spite of Mike Ashley. Poor player recruitment, poor manager recruitment, poor training ground. That club has been doing nothing for years. And when you take into account the history and size of the fanbase, it's shocking. 
Derby fans are giving Ashley credit because Mel Morris has sold us down the river. Just because we've been run like crap doesn't mean Ashley is a great football club operator. Mel Morris was just that bad. We expect an owner to not gamble away the future of our club. 

You can kick on and not throw around silly money. The two things aren't mutually exclusive. 
Leicester spent a total of 25m on Kante, Vardy, Maguire and Mahrez. They sold 3 of them for a total of 172m.
Newcastle spent 40m on Joelinton. Yes. 40 million British pounds. They'd be lucky to get 5m for him.
They are a poorly run football club. Enough said.

Obviously what you have had, Morris spending well beyond your means to get to the PL which has failed, is not comparable.
We're in the top tier but his dreadful management has seen us relegated from it twice. The wider football world saw us being the next Leeds after relegation in 2009, only the quality squad we had and Chris Hughton happening to be there as he was a coach the previous season to take us up was why we got promoted that year. Rafa Benitez being there was why we went straight back up in 2017.
If he is buying you he's buying you to maximise advertising for Sports Direct at minimal cost, which is what he was doing for 14 years here and why he bought the club. You're well within your rights to take that, if it gets you out of this administration. Just look at Newcastle's 14 years before Ashley, look at the 14 years under him. Speaks volumes.
 
That surely doesn't mean we can't hate the guy and complain though? If your rented house was dropping to bits and the landlord wilfully neglected it, should you not be able to complain about it because there's homeless people about? Then people try and tell you that landlord was brilliant? 
He had the opportunities to kick on and improve. Keegan, proven in court that Ashley constructively dismissed him. Appointed Joe Kinnear. Let the greatest manager we've had since Robson in Benitez walk as he wouldn't match his ambitions of the club which were far from wild. Replaced him with Steve Bruce who has proven his ineptitude at this level. The club has potential, Keegan realised it, Robson realised it, Benitez wanted to realise it. Two of those 3 walked, because of Ashley.

Hi all,
Newcastle fan here. Been going to Uni of Derby for 2 years now (in my final year) and after hearing and reading what's went on at the club in the last few years I've grown a bit of a soft spot for DCFC. Saw that you were linked with Ashley taking over, now, I am aware that as a club you're probably in the worst state you've ever been in. Ever. In administration, a potential risk of going into liquidation, absolutely criminal that could happen to your club, as to me its still a good sized club with standing in English football. Ashley seems like a ticket out, financial stability. But, and I have to say after reading some of the posts on here which are terribly incorrect, the man is/was an utter parasite.
Where we were as a club before Ashley was probably where Spurs, West Ham are now. Promoted to the Premier League in 1993, finished 3rd, 6th, 2nd, 2nd, 4th, 3rd, 5th and 7th in the period before Ashley took over, regulars in Europe, played 3 seasons of Champions League football. Won nothing obviously, but we had genuine hope. Ashley takes over in 2007, within 2 years we're relegated. We bounce back due to the quality of the squad we had at the time, stay in the Premier League for another 6 seasons (3 of which were relegation battles) and get relegated again. The second relegation, we had a wage bill the size of a midtable PL club in the Championship and had Rafa Benitez in charge so we bounce straight back again. Since then we've been fighting relegation again, Rafa leaves due to no ambition at the club beyond staying up; his replacement summing up that ambition which even he is making an arse of.
Now I know it's rich to come on here and complain about doing nowt more than staying in the PL given your situation, but this is all relative. Our two promotions Ashley lucked out at the squad and managers present there at the time and we only had to get promoted because of beyond tragic management from Ashley in the first place.
The whole 'he's a good business man' and 'got Newcastle financially sound' is a myth. Part of £300m fee paid for the club from the consortium on Thursday will have partly been made up my interest free loans Ashley took out from the club; taking money out so to speak. Our commerical revenue was greater than Spurs, Everton and West Ham before Ashley took over, now clubs like Brighton & Hove Albion are millions ahead. Across his 14 years his net spend is +£10m which in the PL scheme of things is peanuts.
I see why you may want him, you'd probably take almost anyone and I don't blame yous for that. But he is not a good football club owner and the perception that he was good for us is so far wide of the mark is untrue. He has set us back years and this golden ticket we've been given will see that, as it'll be years until we're on a level footing with Spurs, Everton, West Ham and Villa.

Your wife’s a paedo, and you allow her to work in a hospital??  FFS man. What are you thinking.

Glass half-full?  I saw a lot of this angst being played out on Coventry City Forums.  I think you will survive.  You have the best supported club in the Midlands apart from Vile.  Passion makes up for lack of bums on seats.  One way or another you will get through this as a group of supporters.  Derby had points deductions for Admin in the past.  
I just hope you move forward once out of Admin.  The prem needs more clubs from the Midlands in it. 
 
 

I completely disagree. Their response only strengthens my view that EFL is completely incompetent.
Firstly  - multiple occasions they've dodged questions and fall back on an argument that the current and potential future punishments seek to maintain the 'integrity' of the league. bullpoo. How is the integrity of the league being maintained when we're being forced to play a makeshift team full of academy rookies and retired pros? Its a minor miracle Rooney is doing the job he's doing. 
They completely disregard that the club has already been penalized to the point of extinction, and are still pushing for further sanctions which will only to serve to damage the supporters, the local community, and if we're lucky, new owners. The club is on its knees and all they can talk about is maintaining league integrity because 'its what the rules say' - they don't seem to grasp the issue that the rules are not fit for purpose in the first place. They also completely miss the point that our suspended 3 point penalty (for paying players 22 days late) was completely out of whack with what they agreed for Sheff Weds (and other clubs have got off scott free for the same offense in the past).
Also, this whole 'its the benefactor model which is wrong' cr@p needs to end. the EFL and its member clubs are in this financial predicament because the EFL are incompetent commercially, cannot negotiate a proper broadcasting deal, and have bent over and presented themselves to the EPL to take full advantage of. More regulations, such as the cost controls they're talking about, will only serve to broaden the gap between the EPL and EFL. Football either needs to stop being run as a business, or you let those who understand business run the football. You can't go either way.

I thought it was quite funny actually.

No words.most people outside  Derby wouldn’t get the dig anyway but what a gratuitous pathetic comment that as you say totally gives a lie to his protests that he doesn’t have a hatred for Derby,