With the season now over, there’s excitement within the Newcastle United fanbase for the summer ahead. An intrigue at who will arrive and leave but above all else, a sense of relief that the club is now owned by a group determined to take it forward. That excitement for the close season is there arguably for the first time in 15 years, and for some, it will still be hard to believe.
It ironically comes 15 years to the day since Mike Ashley bought Sir John Hall’s 41.6% stake in the club. Back in May 2007, Ashley was relatively unknown - a businessman who had done exceptionally well on the high street but had largely kept a low profile.
Most fans might argue differently but at the time the story broke of the first stage of Ashley’s takeover - there was a burst of excitement around the fanbase. And why not? The club’s new owner was coming into the Premier League as one of the richest and the dominance of today’s top four was many years in the future.
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Manchester City that season finished 14th - a spot behind Newcastle, and it was their local rivals, Manchester United, who were dominating English football. Ashley came in with a real chance of upsetting the established order.
Sir John on the day it was confirmed he’d sold his stake, said: “Mike Ashley is a major player in the sporting world and I am convinced that he is the right person to take my place and take the club forward. I am sure he will be good for the club and its loyal fans and indeed for the region. I wish him the very best and hope he enjoys it as much as I have. He has my full backing."
It’s become something of folklore that Ashley failed to do any due diligence of the club before taking it on but on Sir John’s part, there was real hope that Ashley could be the man to go one better than he did - and lead the club to glory.
As it was, Newcastle were beginning on a torturous journey with Ashley that lasted 14 years, in which the club were relegated twice. It started well enough - initial investment was strong and then manager Sam Allardyce seemingly backed well enough.
In hindsight, the approach was scattergun but nothing compared to what was to come. There was the decision to appoint Kevin Keegan as manager - something that sparked jubilant scenes across the city but perhaps in a lesson to the current owners of Newcastle, was done with a nod to pleasing fans rather than with footballing reason.
Then came the summer transfer window - players arrived without the manager’s say so and in the end, Keegan walked away - and within a matter of months, Ashley’s peaceful start to life at Newcastle went down a path he could never return from.
That of course is one of the many and key differences between the current owners and Ashley - Eddie Howe is listened to, his wants and demands when it comes to playing staff considered and most importantly, no going over his head. It seems a relatively simple approach to take, but it was one that Ashley could never seemingly fully grasp - as Sir John says, ‘you have to trust your manager.’
The other difference is the unity of the club. A week on from the win over Arsenal in which Howe and his players signed off the home campaign in style, most will struggle to watch the highlights without a smile.
It was the perfect advert for a united club - players, staff, fans and owners all pulling in the right direction. Ashley never utilised the true impact a happy and content fanbase can have.
In his leaving statement, Ashley was adamant his ownership was not all bad, ‘I do believe that away from the pitch we got many things right,’ he said. Although many would argue those things he did were few and far between.
The current owners have received a lot of praise for simply correcting things - like Shearer's Bar or the legend's statue - that many believe Ashley got wrong. It would not be unfair to say that in just a few short months have done more to carry the club forward than Ashley did in 14 years - ironically, partly helped by the desire of the fans needing to be galvanised after so long of being beaten down.
During that time Ashley had a chance to rebuild bridges but moves like renaming the stadium or the treatment of Jonas Gutiérrez, always set him back. It is rather ironic that his sheer stubbornness that Amanda Staveley, Jamie Reuben and the Public Investment Fund were the right buyers for the club despite at times it looking like the deal was over, played a part in the buyout finally happening.
Yet the biggest regret of all is that Newcastle could have been a force under Ashley. It would have taken time and careful planning but United could easily have had a seat at the top table in the Premier League under the Sports Direct Owner.
But perhaps that’s the biggest difference of all - Ashley didn’t have that desire to achieve that, the current owners do. Hopefully, 15 years down the line I won’t be writing about missed opportunities but several Premier League titles.
