Mike Ashley responds to the Parliamentary petition against him
By Durim Halimi
Mike Ashley has responded to the recent Parliamentary petition that was delivered in the House of Commons two weeks ago.
According to the Guardian, the owner of Newcastle United, Mike Ashley, has responded to the Parliamentary petition that was delivered to the House of Commons by MP, Chi Onwurah. In her petition for the parliament, Ms. Onwurah stated that she was simply using the petition to echo the frustration of her constituents in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Thousands of Newcastle supporters are accusing Ashley of fiscal exploitation as he rakes in money from Newcastle United for his business, Sports Direct, but does not invest sufficient funds back into the club. Ms. Onwurah made note of this accusation and asked that the Parliament looks into this issue to stop Ashley in his tracks and to ensure that no football club owner misuses the funds of their respective club.
Mike Ashley Reacts
The business tycoon has responded to the Parliamentary petition against him by writing a letter to Jeremy Wright – the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In his letter, Ashley tried to dismiss the accusations that paint him as an irresponsible football club owner that is exploiting Newcastle United for personal gains.
In his letter, which can be read in full here, Ashley made the following claims:
"As owner of Newcastle United, I have provided the club with interest-free loans, the outstanding balance of which as at today’s date is £144million, whilst I also cleared all of its third-party debts, which stood at £76m in 2006/07 and incurred finance costs of £6.5m that existed when I purchased the club. This enabled Newcastle United to establish an affordable ticket-pricing policy for fans. This includes a number of season-ticket prize-freeze schemes, which allows over 20,000 supporters to secure their ticket at a significantly-reduced rate every season.[…]Furthermore, my continued financial support, the huge contribution of the world-class manager we retained, together with the fantastic efforts of our players and staff, enabled the club to swiftly recover from relegation in 2017. This contrasts starkly with the experiences of clubs such as Aston Villa and Sunderland, and, less recently, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest."
Ashley Feeling The Pressure?
It seems as though the petition, which was inspired by the “If Rafa Goes We Go” movement, has forced Mike Ashley to defend himself. Rafa Benitez needs Mike Ashley to change his ways as the club needs major investments if it aspires to contend for a spot among the top six.
With Ashley’s regime running the show, Newcastle will remain a sleeping giant in English football. However, it remains to be seen whether political pressure will have an impact on the club’s future.