With the season now over, there’s excitement within the Newcastle United fanbase for the summer ahead. An intrigue at who will arrive and leave but above all else, a sense of relief that the club is now owned by a group determined to take it forward. That excitement for the close season is there arguably for the first time in 15 years, and for some, it will still be hard to believe.
It ironically comes 15 years to the day since Mike Ashley bought Sir John Hall’s 41.6% stake in the club. Back in May 2007, Ashley was relatively unknown - a businessman who had done exceptionally well on the high street but had largely kept a low profile.
Most fans might argue differently but at the time the story broke of the first stage of Ashley’s takeover - there was a burst of excitement around the fanbase. And why not? The club’s new owner was coming into the Premier League as one of the richest and the dominance of today’s top four was many years in the future.
