Why Mike Ashley just won’t speak

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Why Mike Ashley just won’t speak


With last night’s story that
caretaker boss Kenny McDowall has stepped down via 12-months’ notice, just like
his predecessor Ally McCoist, it is yet another sorry tale in the ongoing
calamity that is Rangers Football Club.
Another day, more chaos.
And yet, the biggest story of the
past week is Sports Direct tycoon and 9.5% Rangers shareholder Mike Ashley’s
loan bid to Rangers’ board whose caveat is security over not only Ibrox & Murray Park, but the right to appoint yet more
directors to the board.

His board.
Right now, quite simply, Mike
Ashley has the Club where he wants it. Unfortunately, none of it is to the
Govan outfit’s benefit. We knew Ashley was in this for the good of Sports
Direct, and was using Rangers to further expand that brand, but the following
quote from the SD AGM on the 10th of September last year rather
proves that he will do whatever it takes to enhance his company, and the
wellbeing of the Club is secondary. When asked by Simon Bird:
“I’d like to address a question to Mr
Ashley, please. I wonder if he could explain the benefits to Sports Direct in
its relationship with Newcastle
United and Rangers.”
Ashley gave his first-ever public
comment:
“Other than to say than it’s been beneficial
to Sports Direct and therefore its shareholders, I don’t think it’s appropriate
to comment.”
When asked the reverse, he merely
referred back to this comment.
This is Mike Ashley’s biggest
problem – whatever you think of his tactics, his methods, his business acumen
and so on, his absolute and utter refusal to give any kind of transparency
regarding his actions, and therefore his unwillingness to share potential plans
are his downfall.
Rangers fans are up in arms over
the possibility of Ibrox being used as security for a loan, or indeed being
mortgaged off entirely. And this reaction is just. The problem is Ashley quite
simply will not speak and provide any reassurance that his plans for Rangers
are benevolent.
We know the man is a ruthless
businessman who is incredibly good at what he does, but his methods are
viciously dire, and his lack of transparency with his affected ‘customers’ is abhorrent.
For all we know, he genuinely has
plans to take Rangers, and Sports Direct, into the CL to gain massive matchnight
exposure for the brand, to a global audience of potentially three billion
people (based on the average 30M estimated to watch CL in the UK).
And that is all well and good,
but his complete radio silence to both Newcastle
fans and Rangers fans is his weakness.
The man just will not speak, he
will not publicly reassure fans of his positive and constructive intentions,
which only breeds fear, anxiety and contempt.
Mike Ashley is now on record as
admitting Sports Direct is his top priority, and everything else is essentially
a vehicle to drive its success. In itself that is not a catastrophe for those aforementioned
vehicles. But unless he produces a miracle, and a public statement of
reassurance for Rangers fans to the contrary, supporters can only assume the
worst.
If only you would speak, Mike.

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1 COMMENT

  1. His silence speaks volumes,he doesn't give a shit about Rangers or Newcastle, He is only in it for the money that he will get for himself, and share holders of sports direct.

    • Hes the worst owner we have ever had at the Toon, your right, he doesn't give a shit about ANYTHING other than his crap shops & money, you must, as a collective resist this, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!

  2. Even when they make statements, there's no guarantee they are the truth.

    When Sir Kevin Keegan took Ashley to a Premier League Tribunal and won his claim for constructive dismissal The hearing declared that the club had admitted to 'repeatedly and intentionally misleading the press, public and the fans of Newcastle United', while the evidence given by owner Mike Ashley and his fellow executives over the course of the two-week hearing was described at one point in the verdict as 'profoundly unsatisfactory'.

  3. Be mindful that any Champions League money will never be spent on players but will be pocketed by Ashley. Newcastle have the lowest net spend on players in the Premier League since Ashley's arrival and the Sky TV money has mysteriously evaporated. Yet his supposed "loan" of £128M to NUFC has never reduced.

  4. Ashley has never spoke to us in over 7yrs of hell so do you really think he will talk to you -he doesn't even own you yet.Your new director Llambias once said to us"you don't know how bad we could be".You will be told you have to generate your own turnover and then transfer merchandise money to SD.All advertising will be free for his companies and you will have SD on your shirts for free.Good luck you will need it.

    • There's something I don't understand , I sympathies with NU fans the way Ashley treats them , why do NU fans continue to buy club tops , he won't get a penny out of me ,

  5. As a general comment I would just like to commend Ibrox Noise's evenhandedness in moderating comments to this site. This is very unusual on football blogs, especially old firm ones. Well done lads.

  6. Rangers and Sports Direct CL exposure??????

    How many times do people have to be reminded that CL exposure is only available to official CL sponsors…………no SD signs would be permitted anywhere in the stadium and if ASH took up the stadium naming rights any reference to SD in the name would have to be removed.

    • They can't remove your shirt sponsor how many times do I have to tell people that, or have they changed that rule for us getting back in hmmm

  7. Don't count on comments from Ashley. He's silent for a number of reasons: shyness, evasiveness, arrogance and general pig-ignorance.

    As a Toon supporter I want rid of the man but I wouldn't wish him on Rangers. He'll do like he's done to us and suck any passion out of your club in favour of balance sheets and the benefit of his beloved Sports Direct.

    He simply won't give two hoots what the fans think, no matter how much noise they make. If you want to strike at him, find a way to do it via Sports Direct because that's all he really cares about.

    Good luck!

  8. This may sound silly season .but if they had a cash injection this wk of say 2.5 m by park&co buy up every season ticket it may just buy enough time for egm as they wouldnt need this mths or next wages etc if were running at 2m a mth you might have to organise fans or school to register season
    ticket but im sure they couldnt deny having funds and free tickets to any fans who want s to see games left itd be a lateral tjought ??
    Maybe sarver could enter pact with bears if he doesnt fany us after 3yrs we get first shout on shares we cant afford ti ignore sarver he has spoken more in the short time than all of the factions involved Transparency !!! None more than him gstq

    • You mean they cant say theyre skint again ? Well maybe could be if anybody would do it worth a try not my money but my club

  9. In 7 years at Newcastle, there has been a near complete news blackout from his regime. Even the local newspapers can't ask questions.
    Never spoken to us. 50,000 of us every week seem to be reasonably ok with his behaviour though, if season ticket sales are the barometer.

  10. Come on give big Micky a break we would be out of the game if he didn't give us his cash it could be worse it could be convicted fraudster king calling the shots does anyone beleive a word he says

    • Can you not read,Big Mike is in for sports direct Not Rangers you fud, I hope to fck you are not one of us………..Retard

  11. He appears to be a Donald trump type who sees something and gets it no matter what. Like a spoiled child.The difference being Trump never shuts up.

  12. wish mike ashley and easdales would fk off us rangers fans are getting pissed ryt off maybe its time to target what he loves sd

  13. The reason he does not speak on the media like the telly is he is a big fat
    mary anne.believe me .he is really in hiding behind his money he should come
    out of the cupboard. It is legal now.