Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is said to have scuppered a potential takeover from Manchester City’s current owners after creating a disturbance in a Dubai bar in 2008, and many fans have taken to Twitter to react.
As relayed by Sky Sports, former club vice-president Tony Jimenez has made the claims in an ongoing court case between the two after Ashley sued his former employee for £3million for fraud and forgery.
Many distraught fans have taken to Twitter to react as they think about what might have been had Ashley completed a sale to the Middle East group who ended up buying Manchester City.
Nothing but Newcastle have rounded up some of the best tweets below:
This is being a #NUFC fan in a nutshell https://t.co/qgpg5Fw0lV
— Tyler Hutchinson (@HutchTyler) October 3, 2018
So @SkySportsNews has just informed me that Ashley had the chance tonmeet a potential #nufc buyer ten years ago but didn't the potential buyer was an arab who went on to buy @ManCity…I genuinley don't know if I will ever recover from this news #numb
— Boycott nufc (@yanited_front) October 3, 2018
One of the biggest 'what could've been' in the recent history of #NUFC. https://t.co/jEg4cWeJEa
— Kevin Doocey (@KevinDoocey) October 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/NorthernSoulMod/status/1047505382837559297
If you are trying to sell something, why would you not meet someone who wants to buy it!! Only one side of the story, but seems to be a recurring theme #NUFC #AshleyOut https://t.co/2hy5pFfcPM
— carl richardson (@Carl_TFaith) October 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/HanoiToon/status/1047501135924289536
https://twitter.com/TheToonReview/status/1047500593835757574
One more reason to loathe Ashley
— ⚫️⚪️Fozzie⚫️⚪️ (@Fozzie94) October 3, 2018
OPINION
It is no wonder that these Newcastle fans are reacting to this latest update with such anger and annoyance. Mike Ashley has been an issue for them ever since he took over the club, and this latest claim illustrates exactly why. The Sports Direct tycoon allegedly had the chance to offload the club to some of the richest potential investors around and seemingly messed it up in a bar. As one fans points out however, that would hardly be a surprise if this did actually happen, and that is quite sad when you think about it. Ashley claims now that the club is still up for sale, but his actions over the past year or so make it hard to see how exactly that is going to happen. Former Premier League executive Peter Kenyon is reportedly attempting to put together a takeover attempt, but until he finds enough money to launch that, Newcastle fans will have to wait patiently.
