In case you hadn’t noticed, the Kevin Keegan employment tribunal started this week. Monday in fact. One of Keegan’s biggest claims is that he did not have direct control over the team and his position was undermined by Mike Ashley and Dennis Wise.
Now, I don’t have much time for either Mike Ashley or Dennis Wise, and my opinion of Kevin Keegan has diminished severely. I was, to be honest, quite disheartened when I read in the paper that Kevin Keegan’s case was starting this week, not only because it happened almost a year ago, but also because It would bring up bad memories of an even worse time. I guess thats the price the fans have to pay for shocking mismanagement of a football club.
There are certain things I expected. I have been expecting Keegan to bleat on about his mis-treatment, and I have been expecting other hangers-on to spout there complete rubbish into any redtop that comes within 200 miles of them. Dennis Wise though, I was not expecting to hear from.
He’s decided that now is the best time to say what he thinks. Which is fine, but he clearly shows that he feels he wasn’t to blame for any of it. Speaking to Sky Sports, Wise said that he no regrets about being at Newcastle United and that he hoped we got up. He also said,
“We are paid to do a job the best we can”- Except you didn’t did you Dennis, can you keep a straight face and say that?
” There are going to be circumstances, we dealt with it and got on with it.”- If you mean completely failing to deal with it as dealing with it, then yeah full marks Dennis.
” People like to blame me anyway”- Awwww diddums
” There are plenty of other people who have to take a bit of the shift”- That is true Dennis, I’m sure in due time we’ll get to them.
” It’s football, I’ll get on with it”- Oh thanks, we’ll just pick up the pieces shall we?
You see for me, Dennis Wise is half the reason why we went down. His complete ineptitude coupled with his brazen attitude towards it was the final nail in the coffin. Mike Ashley has made some mistakes, some absolute belters, but whilst he is trying to flog the club for whatever he can get, he has accepted full responsibility and has at least got some balls and shown up this season to some matches. Dennis Wise though, he came, he screwed up, he left.
As a Director of Football, he should of been so much more than a face in the crowd. I am not saying that Newcastle United’s current crisis is all of his fault. As he pointed out, there are others to blame as well. One year on, a million mistakes later and Dennis Wise is still counting the cost to his career, whilst we look on in amazement at how he can have so little remorse.
The Fan’s Club?
It is an interesting notion isn’t it? A real valiant attempt to wrestle back control of a truly fantastic football club and put it right back at the heart of the community. Which is essentially what a football club should be about, It’s community, Newcastle United should represent Newcastle in more ways than just walking up the hill on a Saturday afternoon and chanting songs in and around the Gallowgate.
Which is where the late bid from the Newcastle United Supporters Trust comes into play. The bold plan to bring in supporters, local businessmen and other local luminaries to invest in the club and buy a share of it seems to be on track, with 20 Million already raised and a conference to be held on Wednesday to drum up more interest and to show who has already invested. Which is great isn’t it?
I don’t want to be the man you see in movies that during wild celebrations, stops them dead and then warns of terrible times ahead, but I think this is all a bit naive. A supporter lead football club can work. Barcelona as I have mentioned before operate a very smooth operation, Lincoln City have operated a similar thing for some years now, albeit on a smaller scale and with smaller expectations.
But from what can be gathered, this operation would work on the ol adage ” What u put in, you get out”, which means depending on how much you invest, the larger your share of the club within the Supporters Trust share the larger your influence. So, if you invest heavily, you will have more of a say and much more of an influence, which in turn will mean we will have twenty thirty mini Ken Bates running around the club flexing muscles and flashing cheque books.
The ultimate goal though is to take control of the club, steadily increase the shares and gradually take control. With this, they can implement changes and bring the club back to the people and the “community”. Which is a lovely novel idea.
For me, it is either or. You can’t have a wildly ambitious football club who want instant success and Premiership football and a community football club ran by some moderately successful businessman with no discernable financial muscle. I know some of you are saying look at Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers, they manage to operate on both levels. Well, in the case of Bolton Wanderers, they always look deliriously happy to be 13th in the Premiership every single season and Blackburn Rovers are desperately trying to remain competitive by trying to sell the club.For me, this kind of structure only works at a club of a particular size. Not one of our size and certainly not one of our ambitions. The problem with Newcastle is, we want too much and too soon, if this did happen, what would happen when we ineviatable find ourselves short of funds? Another bloody horrible protracted take-over and another dream gone.