http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35865092

When asked how much money was left in the club's bank account, he told the Daily Mirror: "Virtually nothing now. They have emptied it."

Ashley has vowed to stick by the club, even if the Magpies are relegated.

He said: "I'm wedded to Newcastle. They have got me and I have got them, that's just the way it is."

Newcastle are three points from safety with eight games remaining and are in danger of losing their top-flight status, which they have held since 2010.

"Do I regret getting into football?" said Ashley. "The answer is yes. I have had tonnes of fun in it but I haven't been able to make the difference I wanted to in football."

I suspect Newcastle fans regret it too, Mike.




If Newcastle's money reserves are as low as suggested, can they survive a drop away from the PL's cash flow? The Championship doesn't provide anything CLOSE to the same revenue stream.

I don't see how the bank account is empty given Newcastle's transfers (lack thereof), very good attendance and the new BPL media monies...

It's called siphoning off the money into his own personal account.

Spending your last pounds on Townsend

Wait, who is "they"? Doesn't Ashley control the purse strings of the club?

sportsczy wrote:I don't see how the bank account is empty given Newcastle's transfers (lack thereof), very good attendance and the new BPL media monies...

At the risk of repeating myself....

... in 15/16 Newcastle are the 2nd biggest net spenders in world football, only topped by Man City.

http://www.transfermarkt.de/statistik/einnahmenausgaben

How can you spend a 100 milion and not sign a single star? 18 milion on Mitrovic?

There's nothing surprising about Ashley's comments, or maybe that he's saying he regrets getting involved in football. It's not that long ago he bought into the Glasgow Rangers.

What he also said is that he didn't appoint Benitez, hasn't spoken to him. And he's indicating it's not him who has been in charge of the transfer business. Yet Toon fans direct all their hate towards Ashley, as if he was the one making each and every decision at the club. When in reality it's the people who work at the club, the general director and other "heads of departments". Ashley hasn't spent 18 million on Mitrovic. Ashley hasn't decided to spend 12 million on Townsend. Ashley didn't appoint McLaren, Ashley didn't appoint Benitez. Yet he gets all the blame when these decisions turn to disappointments.

Art Morte wrote:There's nothing surprising about Ashley's comments, or maybe that he's saying he regrets getting involved in football. It's not that long ago he bought into the Glasgow Rangers.

What he also said is that he didn't appoint Benitez, hasn't spoken to him. And he's indicating it's not him who has been in charge of the transfer business. Yet Toon fans direct all their hate towards Ashley, as if he was the one making each and every decision at the club. When in reality it's the people who work at the club, the general director and other "heads of departments". Ashley hasn't spent 18 million on Mitrovic. Ashley hasn't decided to spend 12 million on Townsend. Ashley didn't appoint McLaren, Ashley didn't appoint Benitez. Yet he gets all the blame when these decisions turn to disappointments.

He appointed the people who did those deals though.

Yeah, there is that. But I don't think their decisions on paper have been that bad. The club's been a little unlucky. In fact, on paper they have bought players pretty smartly, imo. Guys like Janmaat, Wijnaldum, Ayoze, Shelvey, Thauvin, Cabella, Mbemba... Young, up-and-coming players who all had begun to show signs of good skill and potential elsewhere before coming to Newcastle. Many of them at the time of signing were seen as a bit of a coup. But take Cabella for example, a winger who had scored 14 goals in Ligue 1 in 2013-2014, only to score one goal in the Premier League in his first season, flopped and sent back to France on loan. On paper the club has been doing good, sensible transfers. But they've been unlucky that so many have flopped, that no manager has got the potential out of the squad.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:It's called siphoning off the money into his own personal account.

Spending your last pounds on Townsend

Either it's own money or he's lying, because we are fine financially and the money we spend is all the clubs and not his.

The problem has never been wanting to spend his money, it's been wanting him to allow us to spend our own money.

So yeah if he's struggling financially it's likely to do with other businesses not us.

Hapless_Hans wrote:

sportsczy wrote:I don't see how the bank account is empty given Newcastle's transfers (lack thereof), very good attendance and the new BPL media monies...

At the risk of repeating myself....

... in 15/16 Newcastle are the 2nd biggest net spenders in world football, only topped by Man City.

http://www.transfermarkt.de/statistik/einnahmenausgaben

One year out of God knows how many years of spending next to nothing when we bring in Top 20 in the world income every year?

Like I said if he's saying we have no money he's lying as he's known to do anyway.

Yeah I can't see how Newcastle could be broke, especially with all they just spent, unless they're gambling A LOT with staying up

As if Benitez would join if it was actually true lol.

Why would he lie like that though? Not really seeing the motive here

He lies constantly, usually he does it to manage expectations as the no 1 thing he's done since becoming owner is drive the fanbase into apathy by making them believe that success is impossible and you should be happy with what you have.

The fanbase didn't use to be like this before but now they are, thanks to years of his crap. I don't believe a word that comes out of his dirty, slimy mouth personally and there's always some sort of hidden agenda to anything he does.

It's not as though Benitez has a history of joining clubs that are either in poor financial condition (for their relative size, prominence) or have meddling/restrictive boards and/or owners...

The world has been so caught up with what he can do, that no one asked what he should do

Club announce profits of over 30m despite the outlay on the playing staff.

Bank is empty doe.

Props to the Guardian for using this pic:

Discount SB and Galliani

That profit is from last season, they've spent it this season = bank empty