As quoted by Sky Sports, Gary Neville has revealed his excitement amid suggestions Newcastle could be set for an imminent takeover.
What did he say?
Reports in recent days have claimed Mike Ashley’s tenure at the club could finally be set to reach its end, with the latest update claiming PCP Capital Partners have agreed a deal to buy to Newcastle.
And Neville has expressed his optimism at seeing St James’ Park claw back some of its old magic, and how it could once again become an “amazing place to play football”.
The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?
World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%
He said: “What I’ve said a number of times when we’ve been covering games at Newcastle is that it felt as if the magic had gone. There’s certainly no connection between the boardroom and the fans. The players and the manager up there are always stuck in between. What we’d all like to see is a thriving Newcastle United in the sense that over the last 10 or 15 years, the sway of investment has seemed to move south into clubs with the emergence of the likes of Bournemouth and Brighton. There’s been more investment there and less on clubs in the North East.
“If we can get a really strong Newcastle where that ground is bouncing again, then all of us will be happy because it’s one of the great spectacles that I can remember from my early Premier League appearances. It was an amazing place to play football, but it’s not been like that for a good few years now.”
Hope
Make no mistake about it, for too long now, Newcastle have been a shadow of their former selves.
The Ashley era has been nothing short of a toxic disaster, pitting the entire fan-base against the owner, leading to multiple protests and walk-outs.
But with developments suggesting that a deal to end Ashley’s time at the club is inching ever closer, the Magpies can finally look to a more promising future.
Even without the prospect of significant investment and big-money signings, just the simple fact of there being change is sure to generate a whole load of excitement at Tyneside. It’s exactly why Neville’s verdict on how the club could regain some of its magic makes for such an enticing future.