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Astonishing Brighton fans comments after asked to support Newcastle protests against Mike Ashley

5 years ago
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Brighton fans have been asked to show their support to Newcastle supporters protesting against Mike Ashley.
If they are heading to today’s match in particular – to join in with the pre-match protests outside the Gallowgate End at 2.15pm.
The overwhelming majority of responses from Brighton fans are pretty amazing.
Amazing in the sense of just how they haven’t got a clue when it comes to exactly why Newcastle fans are so unhappy.
It just shows what a difficult job it is to educate those on the outside, as to just how extreme Ashley’s running of Newcastle United is. Especially when the NUFC owner’s PR people put out so much misinformation to muddy the real issues and truth.
Most of these Brighton fans are happy to portray Newcastle supporters as cry babies, who are just frustrated that unrealistic fortunes aren’t being spent on the squad, and that there is some kind of entitlement to be up towards the top of the league.
Apart from the odd voice of reason, the comments from Brighton fans show them believing that it is Mike Ashley and Sports Direct that are helping/propping up Newcastle United, not the other way around.
Totally missing the fact that since Rafa Benitez arrived at Newcastle United, there has been a net profit of over £40m on transfers in and out.
Also missing the fact that Rafa Benitez had to admit he can’t even compete with Brighton and Huddersfield when it comes to player wages and transfer fees.
Or what about the fact that since promotion in May 2017, Brighton have a net spend more than £110m higher than Newcastle’s?
Mike Ashley renaming St James Park the SD Arena with not a penny paid into the club from SD for that.
As we know, the list is endless, but so so difficult to get the message out to neutrals who rely on the likes of Ashley’s mates at Sky Sports for their info on Newcastle United.

Brighton fans asked (by another Brighton fan) to back Newcastle supporters protesting against Mike Ashley, some pretty astonishing comments on their main North Stand Chat message board:
‘Mike Ashley has been sucking the soul out of Newcastle United
We are a club who have stood up to garbage owners in the past, stand in solidarity with the Newcastle fans and the lads against Ashley.
Make Mike Ashley know clubs are a community not a money making machine.
Think of all the Newcastle fans who made you welcome on an away day.’
‘I’ll stand up against Ashley, just as soon as the season ticket buying, game going, shirt wearing, concession buying, Sports Direct shopping, horse punching Geordies do.’
‘I didn’t think they wore any (shirts) to matches?’
‘I’m all for solidarity amongst fellow football supporters but does this count.
They have a fantastic stadium are managed by one of the best managers in Europe & are currently playing in the premier league.
Also Mike Ashley has said he wants to sell the club but wants a decent price.
I’m not saying that Newcastle fans don’t have good reason to be upset but so do a number of other clubs who don’t have the backing & resources that Newcastle have.’
‘He’s a businessman. Owns a brand that has a very high intrinsic value and so far no-one has coughed enough for him. That’s his prerogative. End of.’
‘It’s like that time in Monty Python’s Life of Brian when they say “What have the Romans ever done for us?” ..
Yes, Ashley may be a characterless fat faced tosser with the social skills of a brown bear, but… you’re in the Premier League, have a top manager, a decent-ish squad, a lovely ground, and he’s shoved £100m in interest free loans into the club, apparently.
He wants to go, too! The club is up for sale, and being a hard-nosed businessman he’s not going to spunk it away either. All you’ll do by sticking a poker in the bee’s nest is make potential buyers walk away. Ashley won’t give a toss if you protest.
The best thing you can do is stay away from the games. Let MoTD show thousands of empty seats….’
‘Good comments. Not up there with the worst examples of owners ruining clubs’
I would love to know where genuine Newcastle fans think they are or should be in the current English football pyramid.
A club that has not won a trophy since 1955.
A club that enjoyed a purple patch during the 90’s.A club that has passionate supporters who travel the length of the country to support their team.
Football in this country & around the world has changed.
The premier league is currently made up of many so called lesser clubs.’
‘I think the Newcastle know that with the right ownership/manager using the revenue generated by St Jame’s Park’s consistent high attendances they could easily be one of the bigger/more successful clubs in the Premier League. I can understand this but don’t really think it is a state of affairs that needs protests etc. Ashley has been trying to sell the club for a number of years and I can’t work out why no-one has taken it on as it seems like a good opportunity to take a club that is at the heart of a community and improve it, all the while making yourself an absolute hero on Tyneside.’

‘Equally Aston Villa has a large stadium and big fan base and their supporters should expect a top 10 premier league finish regularly but I wouldn’t join their fans in a protest about the owners.
Newcastle have a chairman who doesn’t want them but he shouldn’t have to sell for less than their worth. It strikes me as a group of ungrateful spoilt children more than a football club being mismanaged and torn apart.’
‘I don’t remember many Newcastle fans moaning during the season they got promoted with us.’
‘Or the money Ashley put in to ensure they went straight back up.’
‘No not for me on this one! Not as if he is asset stripping the club! Gave the Spanish Waiter millions to get out of the Championship! Anyway, they will all be happy next Saturday with 3 points that we will, no doubt hand, them!’
‘Nope, still not over the gloating when we GIFTED them the Championship title. **** ‘em be very happy to see them relegated. Another club who think they deserve to be better than they are just because they are massive. (Which they are, in fairness)’
‘I’ve been boycotting Sports Direct & USC for a number of years now because of that tw.t but not because he owns NUFC.
He is just a nasty businessman.
I do feel for Newcastle fans as I do for Blackpool & Charlton fans but I really dont think the comparisons can made – Newcastle are a club recently promoted to the Premier League with a massive fan base and an enormous stadium.
He is a locally hated tw.t yes but hardly in the same league as the problems of the others.’
‘The joy of Newcastle will only reach it’s true conclusion when Ashley finally offloads the club to a proper shi..house owner.
None of them will ever say ‘i wish Ashley was still here’ but it’ll be written all over their fat, blotchy, Gregg’s smeared faces.’
‘I agree that I wouldnt join a protest about Ashley but at the same time I understand their frustration about the current running of the club. I feel Villa fan’s frustration too.’

‘Ashley has put 250 million of his own money into Newcastle, largely spent on dross by shi.. managers.
If you want to feel sorry for a club in the NE look just down the road at what Sunderland’s chairman Ellis did.’
‘I have no problem admitting to liking Newcastle, I’ve been to see them at St James’ with a Newcastle supporting friend a few times and would have liked to go up there for the game. I can’t afford it though.’
‘They’ve made a profit in their transfer dealings in the past two years so there have been a few good signings too.
I’m not sure it’s Ashley’s own money, he’s probably taken it from Sport Direct’s marketing budget.
Anyway, he wants to generate a huge profit from the sale of the club (much like a DIY mogul wanted a profit from the sale of our ground) and is demanding offers of £350m – £400m.
Worst owner in the Premier League.’
‘I really don’t get why we are being called upon to protest Mike Ashley.
He is, IMHO, a tw.t, but that’s not a reason to protest.
He’s not asset-stripping the club so no reason to protest.
TBH.. they have f..k all to moan about so no reason to protest.
The toon army can all go f..k themselves.’

‘Why should we protest when the Geordies aren’t.
Unless of course you class a March from Sports Direct (after shopping) to take up their seats at St James Park, while wearing replica kit and stuffing their faces at halftime, a protest.’
‘Any club’s fans who are moaning all the while they have their ground and football league future secure can nick off, and Newcastle fans are among the most entitled tw.ts around.
In fact over the past 2 or 3 years, I’ve gone from quite admiring that club, to being vaguely ambivalent about them, to downright hoping they get relegated again.
They’re all too happy to take the pi.. out of Sunderland, whose fans have been through far worse and aren’t making anything like the fuss that Newcastle fans are making, presumably because they realise that having a sh.. team isn’t really the end of the world – we’ve all been there.’
‘F..k ’em.
As others have said the sheer tw.ttishness of their gloating after they needed an entire season, Jack Grealish and Stockdale to give them the title in the 89th minute in a league they thought they’d pi.. all over.
Gobby northern gobsh..es. I hope Ashley drives them into the f..king mud.’
‘Mike Ashley is nowhere near a bad owner.
Fans are upset because he’s not ploughing £100M+ into the team but why should he ? They finished 10th in their first season back FFS!!’

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