So why were Newcastle United only able to buy ONE (16-year-old) player over the summer for a fee Ashley has in loose change in his arse pocket?
Because he has fallen out of love with the Geordie nation, and is sick to death of his "toy" (NUFC) and is taking up golf to keep himself occupied.
The Newcastle owner's company will join the likes of BP, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone in the in the London Stock Exchange's 100 largest companies but few of the profits are being passed the way of Alan Pardew ... because (according to reports doing the rounds at St James' Park) he feels Pardew couldn't tell the difference between a thoroughbred and a donkey!
Sports Direct is now worth an estimated £4.3billion, with its shares rising 86 per cent since the start of 2012. With profit levels reaching £260million in the last quarter, well ahead of City forecasts, Newcastle supporters can feel rightly aggrieved that their only significant signing in the transfer window was a loan move for Loic Remy.
Ashley is far from happy with the players Pardew has brought in, and I'm sure many of the fans agree that we have brought in bargain bin signings that have struggled in the Premiership.
Past players have voiced an opinion of late, and can the likes of Malcolm Macdonald, Alan Shearer, David Ginola and Mick Quinn all be wrong?
All four - including Frenchman Ginola - say bringing in 12 French players is "madness".
Ashley's firm, which owns 396 shops including Lillywhites in London’s Piccadilly, has benefited from unprecedented success in British sport and has plans to expand into the European market. But supporters are planning a protest march against Ashley's running of the club and some groups have threatened to boycott the Capital One Cup tie with Leeds on September 25.
Joe Kinnear's role is to oversee the club's spending policy and his and Ashley's relationship with supporters is growing increasingly toxic.
But Ashley refuses to open his purse, and many suggest he will continue with this policy as long as Pardew is at the club.
So why won't he give Pardew the boot?
The stumbling block is the EIGHT YEAR contract Ashley gave him!
Ashley obviously wants Pardew to walk out of the club - but that ain't gonna happen.
Pardew doesn't have the pride of Kevin Keegan, who walked because it became impossible for him to work with Ashley.
After all, what pride has Pardew got? He's not a Keegan!
He was a very average player who won nothing; and he is a very average manager (who has won nothing).
It's a stand off, and neither Ashley nor Pardew will budge.
Saturday September 1412:45 Man Utd v Crystal Palace 15:00 Aston Villa v Newcastle United 15:00 Fulham v West Brom 15:00 Hull City v Cardiff City 15:00 Stoke City v Manchester City 15:00 Sunderland v Arsenal 15:00 Tottenham v Norwich City 17:30 Everton v Chelsea Sunday September 1516:00 Southampton v West Ham United Monday September 1620:00 Swansea City v Liverpool
NEWCASTLE UTD RESULTSPREMIER LEAGUENEWCASTLE 1 FULHAM 0 (Ben Arfa)Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita 65' (Cabaye), Marveaux 74' (Remy), Shola Ameobi 65' (Gouffran), Cisse Subs: Gosling, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett NEWCASTLE 0 WEST HAM 0Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita, Marveaux 66' (Sammy Ameobi), Shola Ameobi, Cisse 72'Subs: Gosling, Bigirimana, Elliot, Vuckic, Dummett MAN CITY 4 NEWCASTLE 0Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, S Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Sissoko, Tiote, Gouffran 45+4' (Dummett), Ben Arfa 65' (Sammy Ameobi), Gutierrez 44' (Anita), Cisse Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, ObertanLEAGUE CUPMORECAMBE 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi)Elliot, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Good, Dummett, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux 88' (Sissoko), Vuckic 46' (Shola Ameobi), Sammy Ameobi, Gouffran 71' (Ben Arfa)Subs: Santon, Anita, Alnwick, Streete
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VILLA PARK - ASTON VILLAHow To Get There By Car & Where To Park
The ground can be seen from the M6, if you are coming from the North side of Birmingham. Leave the M6 at Junction 6 and take the slip road sign posted Birmingham (NE). Turn right at the island (the fourth exit), the ground is well signposted from here. However to be on the safe side, turn right at the second set of traffic lights (there is the King Edward VII pub on the corner) on to Aston Hall Road. This road will take you down to the ground. Mostly street parking (don't be surprised though if you are approached by kids wanting to 'mind your car'), although this is not as plentiful as it once was due to a local residents only parking scheme now in place in the streets around the Witton roundabout area. Roland Archer a visiting Southampton fan adds; 'If you arrive early enough then in-between the Witton Arms and Witton Station there is a small pay and display car park which cost only £1.60 for six hours.'
Post Code for SAT NAV: B6 6HE
By Train
Take the short train journey from Birmingham New Street (around 10-15 minutes) to either Aston or Witton station. Witton station is nearer to the away section and is only a few minutes walk from the ground. Turn left out of the station exit and continue down to a roundabout. Turn left at the roundabout into Witton Lane and the entrance to the away section is down this road on the right. Aston station is about a ten minute walk away from Villa Park. Extra trains are laid on to the ground on matchdays. Remember if travelling by train then you can save on the cost of fares by booking in advance. Visit the thetrainline website to see how much you can save.
What Is It Like For Away Supporters?
Away supporters are located on one side of the Doug Ellis Stand, towards the North end of the stadium. Up to 3,000 fans can be accommodated in this area, split between both the upper and lower tiers of the stand. The concourse at the back of the upper tier is particularly tight and easily becomes crowded, whereas there is more space behind the lower section. There is a fair selection of food available and it is the first football ground that I have visited that offers meat products that are Halal. There are a selection of pies (all £3.10), Burgers (£3.10), Fish & Chips (£3.50), Southern Fried Chicken and Chips (£3.50), Vegetable Samosas (£2) and Chips & Curry Sauce (£2.50). There are wide screen televisions on the concourse, showing past encounters between the teams before kick off. There is also betting facilities available in the form of a Ladbrokes outlet. Entrance to the stand is gained by entering your match ticket into an electronic reader.
A visit to Villa Park is normally an enjoyable experience, with the stewards normally taking a relaxed and friendly attitude. One concern though, is that there is very little separating the home and away fans and this could lead to possible future crowd problems. Where To Drink?
There are a number of pubs in the vicinity of Villa Park, but most of them on match days are either members only or have bouncers on the door. However, Dave Cooper recommends the following for away fans; 'The Witton Arms (formerly the Cap and Gown), is not a bad pub, to which half the pub is given to away fans (there is even a separate entrance for visiting fans). It is only two minutes walk from the away entrance, right on Witton Island, however it does charge £2 per person to gain entry'. Alex Alexander a visiting Norwich City fan adds; 'We found a pub approximately 15 minutes walk from the ground where away fans were made welcome. It is called the Yew Tree. Although they don’t serve real ale, they had a good range of beers and Magner’s on draught. It is on the same road as the Witton Arms, but with this pub on your left carry straight on up the road, passing Witton Railway Station on your right. After about half a mile you will see the pub on the right hand side'.
If you arrive a bit earlier then you may wish to visit the historic Bartons Arms, located about a 15 minute walk away on High Street Aston (A34). This Grade II listed building, is one of Birmingham's finest pubs, with superb Victorian decor, serving Oakham ales and Thai food is also on offer. It is a regular entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
Darren Williams a visiting Manchester City fan adds; 'We have always park at an entertainment complex called StarCity. It is just off Junction 6 of the M6, going towards Villa Park. Huge free car park, plus plenty of food and drink outlets. It is then about a mile and half walk to the ground'. Please note that alcohol is not available to away fans inside the stadium.
White Lion Pub Four Oaks. Located 15 minutes drive from Junction 9 of the M42 the White Lion pub is located in the leafy suburbs of Four Oaks, the pub is the perfect stop off point for fans on their way to Villa Park. A Thwaites pub it is popular with drinkers and those who enjoy watching sports with a number of large screens showing the early kick off. The pub is friendly and the landlord Andy Thompson has had plenty of experience of entertaining large groups of visiting fans in the pub trade. The large car park has ample space for coaches, food is available too and breakfasts can be arranged on request. Villa Park is then a 20 minute drive away. Alternatively fans can leave their car at the pub and catch a train direct to Aston from Butlers Lane Station which is around a five minute walk away, with the railway journey to Aston taking 15 minutes. Give Andy a call on 0121 308 2313 or email him to discuss your requirements.The post code of the pub is B75 5HL.
NEWCASTLE UTD FIXTURES Saturday September 1415:00 Premier League Aston Villa v Newcastle United Saturday September 2115:00 Premier League Newcastle United v Hull CityWednesday September 2519:45 League Cup - 3rd RndNewcastle United v Leeds UnitedMonday September 3020:00 Premier LeagueEverton v Newcastle UnitedSaturday October 515:00 Premier LeagueCardiff City v Newcastle UnitedSaturday October 1912:45 Premier LeagueNewcastle United v LiverpoolSunday October 2713:30 Premier LeagueSunderland v Newcastle United
Source: Newcastle United Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
