Mike Ashley’s Newcastle mystery contrasts with exuberance of Kevin Keegan

timesonline.co.uk     04-Aug-2008            

A grin on his face and a replica shirt on his back, Mike Ashley did not look like a man preparing to sell Newcastle United as he posed for photographs with supporters and detailed his enthusiasm about the coming season, yet to borrow an old phrase, not everything in black and white makes sense. For all the sun, sea and sweat on the club’s summer trip to Majorca, speculation is now a constant, tiresome companion. After Kevin Keegan’s appointment in January, Newcastle have a manager with an emotional resonance with fans, but the motives and ambitions of their billionaire owner hang in the ether. In the past year, the club have reengaged with their community and restocked their academy, yet somehow they have also become a mystery. If Keegan is the great communicator, Ashley is the noncommunicator. While the sportswear retailer... [read full story]                    

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