Dear the FA, Premier League and Mike Ashley,

I have set out with this petition to address the ongoing turmoil that is being created at the sleeping giant of a football club that is Newcastle United.

We are a proud club and an even prouder city. Newcastle upon Tyne is Newcastle United. The success and failure of the club directly influences the whole mood of our beautiful city. When the toon loses, so does the city. Businesses suffer and more importantly the people suffer. What we have is not just a love for the beautiful game or for our historic football club, no, what we have is something different. What we have is a life, a passion, it runs through our blood, we bleed black and white. Whether it be on a freezing December night tucked away in the gallowgate end or in sunny Milan during the glory days of NUFC, we will always be there. 52,000 is enough to fill St James Park, but you double, triple or even quadruple the size of that stadium and we will fill it. 

Sadly the club has entered its deepest and darkest time. Our best manager in years has been pushed out by an owner whom has always lacked ambition and used us as a massive billboard for his businesses. Mr Ashley is an excellent businessman, do not mistake me on that. To create a fortune of billions out of nothing is something that should never be taken lightly and his business acumen can only be applauded. However, he is not fit to run a football club such as Newcastle United. He is running Newcastle as a business, nothing more, nothing less. His priorities lie elsewhere and he makes that very clear. It is regularly reported that he has bought yet another dying retailer, and I respect his vision to hopefully restore the high street to its former self. Our club is considered as one of the most profitable clubs of recent times with a loyal fan base that are constantly pumping money into the idealism of winning something. Despite hundreds of millions entering the club every single year, our record signing stands at a mere £21 million in Miguel Almirón.

The whole point of the league format is to create a concept in which competition is ripe. Yet Mr Ashley has made it clear to any manager that he has aspirations to retain premier league status but no more than that, avoidance of relegation is seen as ‘success’. He knows full well that he will be turning a profit whether he invests or he doesn’t. Sure, he has a million angry geordies who want him gone, but St James Park will always be full and the merchandise will always be sold, purely because the love for the club lies too deep to give up on that. It makes me sick to my very core that fans are beginning to have to question whether or not they can walk through the famous turnstiles of SJP, purely out of a united disgust for the way our beautiful club is being ran. But that is what it is coming to, at the end of the day the fans are helpless. Mr Ashley’s balance sheet will continue to show a profit because that is just the way he likes it. I can’t fault his aspirations to build his fortune, after all we live in a capitalist society. But it surely cannot be overlooked that one man and his team are making the lives of the millions of passionate fans around the world a misery. 

I would never suggest that we deserve pity, there are far more pressing global issues. But with the current state of Newcastle United and our large following, this is the chance to set a precedent. Football clubs shouldn’t be seen as potential cash cows, at the end of the day they run so much deeper than just a passion. Of course there are two extremes in that we don’t want a situation as horrific as that of Bolton Wanderers and be facing financial ruin. But we can’t just be deemed to be a billionaires toy. I ask the FA and the Premier League to truly reconsider the standards required by club owners. We don’t ask to have millions and billions spent for no good reason, but we just wish for an owner that does have an ambition and does want to see the club succeed. Clubs owners should be required to reinvest a certain threshold of their earnings, or else what is to stop them milking as much as they can and running off into the sunset. Financial fair play dictates that clubs cannot spend too much, but what about severe lack of investment when taking achievement and earning into account. Owners like these are killing great football clubs and with them the hopes and dreams of loyal fan bases.

Mr Ashley, I am sure that you purchased Newcastle United with the best of intentions. But I fear your priorities have very much changed. You lay in the unfortunate position of owning a massive football club with an even bigger following and not one of those followers is on your side anymore. What is the point of this back and forth to try and win us back? I can’t fault the way you’ve stabilised the clubs financial dealings, but such poor decision making in the footballing sense has just destroyed us. The City of Newcastle are just ready to move on and erase this period of time from our memories, I’m sure you are too. Do the right thing and just get out and perhaps stay out of football. You have more important issues with your other businesses to deal with, open more space to focus on that, save the high street! I know that you have a price and you wish for it to be met and I do believe that you have become very close. But let’s not be stupid, what we have here is a damaged Ferrari, with the right work it could be reinstated to its former glory. However you cannot expect to sell a damaged Ferrari for market value, just accept that the club just isn’t currently worth what you’re asking. All we ask is that you move on to better things and allow us to rebuild, I think by now you owe it to us, what with the shear lack of transparency and a history of deceit.

I am sure many fans will have a harsher view of Mr Ashley but I think this about sums up our feelings. It is time for a change. Football clubs simply cannot be run under such tyranny and the fans do not deserve to be left in the dark. Mr Ashley needs to move on and I ask that the FA and Premier League reassess their fit and proper ownership policies as this is something that I would not wish upon any football fan.