Newcastle FC: A Summer at St James Park

The St James Park soap opera continued unabated this Summer, after last season’s fall from grace (and the Barclays Premier League) and Mike Ashley’s decision to sell, not sell, sell again a club that monetarily appears to only slightly more expensive than a Galactico.
 
2008 – 2009 saw arguably more excitement behind-the-scenes with the comings and goings of various Newcastle United employees, managers included, than on the pitch, and a final day capitulation guaranteed our relegation, with a squad on the field that, frankly, looked like they would rather be anywhere else than standing in the North East sun wearing a black-and-white strip.
 
News was thick, fast, up and down during the summer break, so here is a quick run-through of pertinent points:

NUFC May 2009

• 24th – Relegation and Reflection: Newcastle United Football Club slip out of the Premier League after 16 years of entertaining football in the top flight.
• 31st – Ashley To Settle For Quick Sale: Magpies owner Mike Ashley puts the club up for sale again, apparently for around 80million, having paid 134.4million in 2007. Ashley is quoted in the Sunday Times: “It’s been catastrophic for everybody. I’ve lost my money and made terrible decisions, now I want to sell as soon as I can. I am genuinely sorry for everybody for what has happened.”

NUFC June 2009

•   8th - Price Hike For Toon?: Newcastle United confirm that the Championship club has an asking price of 100million. Keith Harris, appointed to broker a deal, said: “I’m confident there will be offers to consider in quite short order; it’s a decent guess that there are two or three interested parties.” He added that he expected to complete a deal before the end of June.
• 11th – Probable Profitable Interest: Singapore-based Profitable Group has confirmed interest in a takeover bid for Newcastle FC.
• 29th – Freddy’s Cut-Price Offer: Former NUFC Chairman Freddy Shepherd is heading a consortium with a 60million offer for the club. The BBC reported that the offer “is likely to be accepted”. Two years ago, Shepherd sold his shares to current owner Mike Ashley, who in September 2008, had asked for 300million for the club, having invested an estimated 244million himself.

NUFC July 2009

•   1st – Newcastle United sell David Edgar to Burnley for an undisclosed amount.
•   3rd – Michael Owen leaves Newcastle on a free, signing for Premier League Champions Manchester United.
•   6th - Newcastle Bids Meet Price: MD Derek Llambias claims that at least two acceptable offers have been received. A Malaysian consortium is now beleived to have entered the running.
•   9th – Barton’s Back?: Controversial midfielder Joey Barton, suspended at the end of last season after a dressing-room bust-up with Alan Shearer, has returned to training with the rest of the squad.
• 12th – Black Cat Bid Planned: Charlie Chawke, whose Drumaville consortium sold Sunderland to Ellis Short in May, told RTE: “We’re trying to put together a syndicate interested in football and then investing with us in Newcastle,” Before adding “Newcastle would fit very nicely into our portfolio. It is a great club.”.
• 16th – Newcastle sell Ignacio Gonzalez to Valencia for an undisclosed amount.
• 20th – Time Running Out For Toon Sale: Singapore-based Profitable Group remain hopeful of a sale, but commercial director Steve McMahon says:“It’s got to be in the near future, I would imagine this week would be crucial. If we don’t hear anything by the end of the week, it doesn’t look hopeful.”
• 21st – Midfielder Nicky Butt is reported to be likely to miss the start of the Championship season, after partially dislocating his thumb.
• 26th - Thousands of fans descend on St James’ Park to see an England XI beat a Germany side 3 – 2, the proceeds of the match going to The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. Les Ferdinand, Alan Thompson and Alan Shearer get the home team’s goals.
• 28th – Profitable Group Gone: The BBC reports that the Singaporean Profitable Group has pulled out of the race to by Newcastle United.
• 31st – Footballing Legend Sir Bobby Robson passes away aged 76, after a long battle with cancer.

NUFC August 2009

•  1st – Newcastle United striker Obefami Martins joins Wolfsburg for an undisclosed fee.
•  5th – Joe Kinnear speaks on the BBC, saying he has turned down a two-year contract to return to St James Park.
•  5th – Sir Bobby Robson is laid to rest at a private family service.
•  6th – Businessman Barry’s Bid: Newcastle Academy investor and friend of Alan Shearer, Barry Moat has emerged as a new favourite to purchase the Championship club.
•  6th – Sebastien Bassong is sold by Newcastle to Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee.
•  7th – Habib Beye moves to Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.
•  9th – The BBC report that Mike Ashley is having second thoughts about the sale, and that David O’Leary may return from the wilderness to take the reigns at United.
• 14th – Defender Danny Simpson joins NUFC on a loan deal from Manchester United.
• 18th – Damien Duff is sold to Fulham for an undisclosed fee.
• 24th – Sale Deadline Extended: Barry Moat, favourite to buy the Toon from Mike Ashley, has been given more time to secure the necessary funds to complete a buy-out.
• 31st – Newcastle United give Xisco to Racing Santander on loan.
  

NUFC September 2009

•  1st - Newcastle agree to loan keeper Fraser Forster to Norwich City until January.
•  1st – Peter Lovenkrands returns to Newcastle on a free, signing a three-year contract.
•  1st – Fabio Zamblera goes to AS Roma on loan.