Chatting with ecstatic fans, posing for selfies and speaking to the media outside the Jesmond Dene Hotel, Amanda Staveley wasted no time in ushering in a new era on Tyneside last October. A Newcastle United owner communicating with supporters? The type of behaviour that was totally alien for well over a decade under the previous regime.
Within minutes of that infamous Premier League statement landing, Staveley was also parked in front of local and national media making a plethora of promises to a fanbase who in turn were hanging on her every word. Grand plans were drawn up by the consortium, who had years to agonise over which steps to take after numerous failed attempts of getting their hands on the club. And they have delivered already after only six months.
“I’ll be very hands-on, very hands-on. I won’t be picking football players, but I will be very hands-on on the commercial side, on running the club, on making sure that we deliver a business plan and a strategy that helps drive the commercial revenues that allow us to invest in players," Staveley declared in one of her many TV interviews on the day of the takeover.
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Staveley has certainly been a visible force since arriving at the club. Often pictured at games, she has been an ever-present figure at home matches and club events. Her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi also took the time to travel to Dubai with the squad during their recent warm-weather break and has formed a bond with fans on Twitter.
Jamie Reuben, who also stepped into the role of Newcastle United director in October, has also proved to be invested in more than just the financial success of a thriving Newcastle United. Reuben has announced that his family's foundation will match every cash donation collected by the NUFC fans Foodbank on home matchdays for the rest of the season.
Another promise made by Staveley was to focus on issues off the pitch and around the city. “It’s about growth on the academy side and the infrastructure in the city," she said in October. The Chronicle's very own Andrew Musgrove was outside St. James' Park six months ago today, hoping to catch the immediate reaction of fans who had flocked to the ground upon news of the takeover going through.
One gentleman he spoke to, stood with a can of 'High Hopes' Pale Ale, said the return of Shearer's Bar was his top priority for the new owners. A matter of months later, job done. Ghodoussi spoke teased plans to change 'Nine Bar' back to its original name and delivered during the March international break.
So, what about matters on the pitch? When Staveley and co. took the reins, Newcastle were without a win and contemplating the prospect of being the richest club ever to play Championship football. Fast forward six months and the Magpies are inches away from securing top flight safety.
“We are in the market to compete for world-class players," Staveley promised in October. After only one transfer window, it is hard to imagine this won't be the case. January saw five new arrivals through the door at St. James' Park, three of those from Premier League rivals.
However, it is the additions of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes that show the real intent of the new ownership. Whether the duo can be classed as 'world-class' could be debated all day. But they represent a huge step up to what fans are accustomed to.
It isn't only the men's team enjoying some investment, however. Staveley and Ghodoussi have made no secret of their desire to transform the NUFC women's team - and they have already taken steps to do just that. Keeping to their promise, the owners have organised for the team to play at St. James' Park before the end of the season.
It has been a whirlwind six months for both the new ownership and supporters. But the results already bode well for the football club and the region going forward in years to come.
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