Mike Ashley could now finally get his hands on Derby County – Newcastle fans watch on with interest

Early April 2022 saw confirmation that Mike Ashley had officially failed in his bid to take over Derby County.

Newcastle United fans having watched from afar with real interest / curiosity, to see whether the former NUFC owner would be back in football club ownership, only months after departing from St James Park.

Mike Ashley seeing an opportunity of a failing brand, on its knees, that he could potentially pick up for peanuts and hoping to ultimately profit big time from.

Chris Kirchner at that point (early April) became the preferred bidder for the administrators, with 31 May 2022 given as a deadline for him to complete the deal.

That date came and went, with now 5pm today (Friday 10 June) announced as the (very) final deadline for the takeover to be completed.

As part of that latest final deadline announcement, Derby County administrators Quantuma said that they had begun dialogue with other interested parties, as a contingency plan.

It is widely reported that Mike Ashley is one of those other parties who are still interested and now having talks with the administrators, ready to pounce if Chris Kirchner doesn’t complete.

Good luck to Derby County and their fans, whoever takes over…

Interesting / amusing to look back at some of the comments from Derby fans earlier this year on the possibility of Mike Ashley taking over…

‘Mike Ashley? Bring it on we are going off Newcastle fans thoughts on the bloke, fans that believe Newcastle should be challenging for the prem year in year out.’

‘We should not let the views of Newcastle fans determine our opinion.

They have been deluded for many years that they are a big club and should be competing in the Champions league expecting investment to suit.’

‘Well if you sat in st James Park for a big PL game you could be forgiven for thinking they were a big club. They certainly will become a big club now.’

‘Do we know why Ashley, after his torrid time with fans at Newcastle, would want to get involved with football again?’

‘Ashley was early 40s when he took over Newcastle. Nearly 60 now and looking to step down in one of his roles at the Fraser Group in May 2022. He’s on a mission to take Derby to the top.

The grief he got from Newcastle fans I think will spur him on to go one better than what they do in the future.

This could just be an unbelievable coup from somebody that knows what they are doing in so many ways.

He’s not just buying Derby as an advertising tool for one of his brands. I’m sure he can do that a lot cheaper than buying Derby County.’

‘Maybe Ashley is missing owning a club. He doesn’t exactly need the money Does he. Maybe he wants to make a better go of it without entitled fans.’

‘I would be more than happy for Mike Ashley to come in and stablise the club.’

‘Ashley is no saint but he also isn’t as bad as painted in the media and by Newcastle fans.’

‘Very few wealthy entrepreneurs, if any, have a clean ethical record.

I have no idea of the dealings of other potential buyers but Ashley’s practices are in the public domain.’

‘He gets to advertise his businesses again and gets another business he can potentially sell for hundreds of millions somewhere down the line like he did with Newcastle.’

‘He just wanted a bit of fun at Newcastle, well he can start the bounce here.’

‘You know with Ashley if he does take us over and if we do go down he will invest within limits for players to get us out and run it like clockwork .He wants us back in the prem via investment to make a profit on us , its as simple as that to him and i for one am happy with that.’

‘What if he really wants to rub salt in the wounds of newcastle fans.’

‘If I was worth £6 billion, there’s no way I’d still be working or looking for new projects.

I’d be living like a king and wouldn’t be worried about what Newcastle fans thought Of me.

That said, that’s probably the reason why I’ll never be worth £6 billion.’

‘If you look into Ashley and his football and retail dealings he doesn’t seem to be the devil incarnate and neither is he.’

‘It would be a good, cheap alternative way for Mike Ashley to advertise again.

He is about to open House of Fraser and Flannels in Derby, to add to Sports Direct. Mike Ashley will already have a big presence in our City Centre.

I have no problem with our stadium being called the Flannels Arena or House of Fraser Stadium.’

‘Newcastle fans got above themselves when first Keegan and then Bobby Robson managed them, thought they’d become a permanent fixture in the top 6, not realising that was an abberation. I wouldn’t argue that Ashley never really leveraged their potential, but he left them in the PL ffs! Look where Sunderland, if anything a club with a more illustrious history and only a marginally smaller fanbase, are!’

‘I’m hoping Mike Ashley is named preffered bidder and quick.’

‘If you read articles from around the time he took over Newcastle, they were – on a larger scale – in a very similar position to us.

The way Mike Ashley chose to stabilise them was by significant cost cutting.

Some folks seem to think that he will stabilise Derby by astute investment.

He has no track record of doing so.’

‘Our academy is successful. Newcastle’s is terrible and was before Ashley arrived. For a club Newcastle’s size, they never produce. Ashley isn’t stupid, our academy could make him more money. I’m sure on that basis, he’d be happy to fund it still.’

‘I would welcome Ashley with open arms, he has money and is a very good business man.’

‘Very happy if this is true about Mike Ashley. He’ll find a lot more support here than he did with the delusional Geordies.’

‘Newcastle supporters are the most deluded set of fans ever. It is very unlikely to happen to be fair, but imagine for a second their face if next year Derby County (owned by Mike Ashley) beat the richest club in the world in a championship fixture. The cruel beauty of the football gods at its best.’

‘A best case scenario would be if Ashley has learnt from his Geordie experience and looks to keep the fans on-side. It can’t have been fun for him over many of the past few years there being hated by all. Also he might feel like this is a chance for payback and invest so we can out perform Newcastle at least. Interesting times lie ahead.’

‘If you’re looking at cost cutting, the first place to go will likely be the academy. Don’t think Newcastle funded theirs particularly well, but I could be wrong.’