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Must Read: The Newcastle United 10 year challenge – Quite extraordinary

5 years ago
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Newcastle United and the 10 year challenge.

On social media, the 10 year challenge has become a new viral trend, people sticking up photos of themselves from 2009 alongside one from 2019, often with extraordinary results…

It is extraordinary alright at St James Park, in 10 years nothing has changed!

Record Signing

2009

Newcastle United’s record signing is Michael Owen.

The striker was bought for £16.8m four years ago.

2019

Newcastle United’s record signing is Michael Owen.

The striker was bought for £16.8m fourteen years ago.

St James Park

2009

St James Park is starting to look a bit tatty after two years of Mike Ashley’s ownership, the necessary money not spent on its upkeep under the new owner.

No plans yet in place to try and expand the stadium, despite plans drawn up a few years ago under the Hall and Shepherd regime, to expand the ground to 60,000 by using land behind the Gallowgate that Newcastle United have a long-term lease on.

2019

St James Park is look very tatty after twelve years of Mike Ashley’s ownership, the necessary money not spent on its upkeep under the new owner, fans even starting social media accounts where supporters send in photos to show how grotty various parts of SJP are.

No plans yet in place to try and expand the stadium, despite plans drawn up a lot of years ago under the Hall and Shepherd regime, to expand the ground to 60,000 by using land behind the Gallowgate that Newcastle United have a long-term lease on.

Instead, Mike Ashley has paid the club for the lease on the land behind the Gallowgate to be transferred to him. With a development of hotels, retail and student accommodation going ahead, which will hand Ashley a massive personal profit. Once that land is built on, it will also mean realistically no expansion of SJP will be possible, even if Ashley sells up.

Sale Of The Club

2009

Only months ago Mike Ashley told Newcastle fans to stop protesting because a sale of the club is imminent, he will sell NUFC as soon as he can.

Fans are looking forward to the club’s owner making good on his promise.

2019

Last month Mike Ashley told Newcastle fans a sale of the club is imminent, he will sell NUFC as soon as he can.

Fans gave up hope a long time ago on the club’s owner making good on this promise.

The Training Complex

2009

Newcastle United’s training facilities are now seriously in need of updating to match what other Premier League clubs have.

If NUFC are to compete, they need the right facilities in place.

2019

Newcastle United’s training facilities are now very seriously in need of updating to match what other Premier League clubs have.

If NUFC are to compete, they need the right facilities in place. Mike Ashley promised in 2013 that a state of the art new training complex would be built, which was essential if NUFC were to be able to compete.

Not one brick has been laid yet and a recent report on capital expenditure by football clubs showed that a laughable £10m had been spent by Newcastle United over a ten year period, on construction and maintenance of the likes of SJP and training ground, clubs such as Preston and many others shown to have spent more, never mind the clubs Newcastle are supposedly trying to compete with.

Disastrous Summer Transfer Window Where The Manager Wasn’t Allowed To Sign The Players He Wanted

2009

Kevin Keegan was not allowed to buy the players he wanted in summer 2008.

Blocked by Mike Ashley’s people from buying and selling as he saw fit, despite promises from the owner that this would be the case.

2019

Rafa Benitez was not allowed to buy the players he wanted in summer 2018.

Blocked by Mike Ashley’s people from buying and selling as he saw fit, despite promises from the owner that this would be the case.

A Manager Loved And Respected By Fans Undermined By Mike Ashley And Forced To Leave

2009

Kevin Keegan was a massively popular and respected manager with Newcastle fans.

They trusted him because he knew what he was doing and had the best interests of the club at heart.

Only to find he had been lured to the club under false pretences, undermined at every turn, then finding he had no alternative but to leave and sue Mike Ashley for constructive dismissal due to all the lies he had been told.

2019

Rafa Benitez is a massively popular and respected manager with Newcastle fans.

They trust him because he knows what he is doing and has the best interests of the club at heart.

However, he has found that promises made when he agreed to sign his contract have not been kept, undermined at every turn, finding he has no alternative but to leave a the end of this season when his contract ends.

Relegation

2009

Newcastle United should never have been relegated but Mike Ashley managed to do the near impossible.

Overseeing a club that was run so disastrously and for only his own benefit, which created such a mess and chaos that dragged the club to its first relegation in the Premier League era, only two years after Mike Ashley bought Newcastle United.

2019

Newcastle United should not be in danger of relegation but Mike Ashley has managed to do the near impossible, again.

Overseeing a club that is run so disastrously and for only his own benefit, creating such a mess and chaos that is now dragging the club to its third relegation in these last nine Premier League seasons, twelve years after Mike Ashley bought Newcastle United.
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