Steve Gibson, chairman of Middlesbrough FC, is something of a rare breed in English football. An owner and genuine supporter of a club.
Born and raised within a stone's throw of his beloved team, Gibson is as passionate and committed to his town and club as it is possible to be. Since becoming chairman of the Teesside club in 1994, he has taken Boro from the brink of liquidation to the Premiership, a new stadium and five major cup final appearances. Not bad for a boy from the tough Park End area of the town.
As Paul Ashworth, the main character in the 1997 film 'Fever Pitch' commented, "It's not easy become a football fan. It takes years. If you put in the hours, you're welcome, without question, into a new family." Gibson, like Sir Jack Haywood, Dave Whelan and the late Jack Walker, has put in the hours and deserves the admiration of his fellow supporters. True working-class heroes the lot of them.
Love for a football club is something that courses through your veins, a product of a lifetime, not just a season. Fans have long struggled to comprehend why anyone that does not share in their passion would possibly want to get involved with in the game, let alone invest millions of pounds in it.
Over the years we have reluctantly had to accept club owners aren't like us. They didn't grow up round the corner from the ground, many of them weren't even born in England. They will never have the same affection for the team as us and they probably won't travel to many away games and they won't be able to quote you the names of your greatest ever side. If they are prepared to invest in signing top players, keeping the club operating on a sound financial footing then so be it.
As much as we like to think otherwise, football is a business, so every club needs business people at its helm.
But what supporters can't tolerate are owners that proclaim to have a long standing love for a team, when it isn't the case. The owners that wear replica shirts, as if it's an adequate substitute for a lifetime of devotion to one club. The owners that attempt to buy popularity by ordering a round of drinks for the masses and sit in the same stand as regular fans, simply to bolster their public image.
Worse still is the owner that interferes in the running of the team, that thinks he is best placed to select the starting line-up, make the signings and appoint individuals whose only purpose is to undermine the power of the manager.
Beer-swilling billionaire Mike Ashley has alienated the vast majority of fans at Newcastle United by committing all of the above sins since gaining control of the club last summer.
Michael Martin and Mark Jensen, editors of the Newcastle United fanzines true faith and The Mag issued a joint statement this week, calling for supporters to boycott Mike Ashley's businesses. This follows Kevin Keegan's departure from St James' Park, which both editors believe was forced by Mike Ashley because of the "entirely unworkable structure" he had created at the club. The Mag and true faith also claim that Ashley has been responsible for creating a "fundamental break in trust between board and the support."
The statement goes on to read:
"We insist that Mike Ashley does not attend away games amongst the travelling support. He is not a Newcastle United supporter and as far as true faith and The Mag are concerned he is not welcome amongst our ranks. If any effort is made by Ashley to attend future away games we would recommend the away support to vocally remind him he is not wanted amongst us. We do not advocate violent disorder of any description."
Mike Ashley's attempts to defend his actions surrounding Keegan's departure came in the form of the imbecilic, infantile 'It is a fact' statement in the News of the World last Sunday. It stated that Keegan was aware of the conditions he would have to work under at Newcastle from day one. It also stated that Keegan had no right to communicate details of his dispute with the owner in the media.
But has Mike Ashley forgotten...
It is a fact - that last season, Ashley himself stated in both Newcastle United's official programme and club magazine that Kevin Keegan would always have the final say in which players were signed.
Yet in Kevin Keegan's League Manager's Association statement released last week, the former boss claims that he was presented with players that he didn't want.
Ashley's recent statement outlining Keegan's responsibilities at St James' Park includes nothing about his role in signing players, or identifying individuals he wanted to bring to Newcastle.
So much for having the final say. It appears Keegan had little say at all in the transfer goings on at Newcastle.
It is a fact - Chris Mort, Mike Ashley's boardroom buddy, told The Times on May 7, 2008 that Newcastle United had cleared £100m of debt. They were debt-free.
Yet Ashley revealed to the club's official magazine four months later, that the club still had a debt of £27m.
Pretty staggering that such a contradictory message should be communicated from St James' Park. A message as damaging and concerning to Newcastle's fans as a rift between manager and owner, that Keegan was so expressly forbidden from discussing with the media.
At Newcastle's last match, a 3-0 away defeat to Arsenal, Mike Ashley wore a replica shirt with 'King Kev no.1' on the back. That fraudulent and flimsy attempt to suggest unity at St James' Park was about as successful as his overall botched charm offensive to "be a fan" and fit in with the locals on Tyneside since purchasing the club.
He might wear a replica shirt, but Newcastle fans have seen Ashley's true colours.
He's not a fan, simply a businessman intent on medalling with the emotions of fans of one of the most passionately supported clubs in the UK.
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