So one game ends and another begins. This is where you will post all of your press releases, transfer news, youth facility upgrades and just general news. We wish everyone the best of luck in this game and hope you can take your team to glory whether you will be relying on your English roots or your Arab money, It's time for the game to begin!

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NOTE: Check with me before you post on the thread.

After weeks of rumours and discussions, businessman Mike Ashley has finally agreed to sell Newcastle United to a consortium of former Newcastle players for a reported fee of £150 million pounds.


Businessman Ashley took complete control of the club back in July 2007, paying a total fee of £134 million. His spell in ownership of The Magpies has been fairly controversial and Ashley is now an unpopular figure on Tyneside after his decisions regarding Joe Kinnear’s appointment as Director of Football and the infamous moment in 2008 when he downed a pint of beer on live TV and in sight of a pitch, breaching FA rules and then blaming the incident on the Newcastle fans.


During his tenure, Ashley made Newcastle United available to buy three times. First in September 2008 secondly in 2009 and most recently this summer. Until now his attempts to sell Newcastle have been completely unsuccessful with Ashley struggling to find a buyer capable of providing proof of funds. However, a newly formed consortium has come in with a suitable bid and Ashley has agreed to a deal therefore ending a torrid time for him as Newcastle owner.


The consortium which has been confirmed as the new Newcastle United owners is led by Magpies legend Alan Shearer and also consists of other ex Toon players Les Ferdinand, David Ginola, Andrew Cole, Shaka Hislop, Michael Owen, Nicky Butt, Paul Gascoigne and Kieron Dyer. Alan Shearer (pompeyblue) will become the club chairman with Les Ferdinand (The Madridista) taking the role of Managing Director/Co-Chaiman.


Shearer is possibly the greatest ever player to pull on a Newcastle United shirt and is a massive icon and true legend. After having a prolific spell at Blackburn Rovers and helping them to a Premier League title he made the £15 million move to his boyhood heroes, Newcastle United, in 1996. He scored a total of 206 goals in 404 goals in all competitions for The Magpies and holds the record for scoring the most goals in Premier League history. He played out the rest of his career at Newcastle and even returned as manager in a short and unsuccessful spell which ended in relegation to the Championship. The Geordies don’t remember Shearer for his spell as manager though with them always looking back fondly of memories of Alan Shearer scoring a ton of fantastic goals and now they will be hoping for more good times at Newcastle with Shearer now taking the reins of chairman along with Les Ferdinand.


Ferdinand was also a top class player for Newcastle and formed a formidable partnership with Alan Shearer up front after signing from QPR for £6 million in 1995. He scored 50 goals in 84 appearances in all competitions before moving on to Tottenham Hotspur.


In a press conference this morning, Alan Shearer spoke about the new ownership of NUFC. “This is the start of a promising, exciting and new era for Newcastle United Football Club. Every single member of the consortium which has completed the takeover are devoted to the aim of making this club the best club in England and in the world. We believe that every one of us (members of the consortium) have the right knowledge and experience to help lead this club to glory.”


Shearer and Ferdinand will certainly be looking to make plenty of changes at Newcastle to turn them into a powerful force in England again and in the world. The first of those changes could be to sack manager Alan Pardew. Pardew led Newcastle to a fantastic 5th place finish in the 2011/12 season and deservedly won the Manager of the Year award but last season they failed to replicate their success and ended up having to fight to stay in the division with them eventually finishing in 16th place. Pardew’s future is certainly unclear and it remains to be seen if he will be in charge of Newcastle United for much longer.

Tonight, Norwich City have confirmed their new chairmen as ex-boxer and entrepreneur George Forman, and former Arsenal owner Peter Hill Wood. The pair have teamed up together and are seemingly looking to the future, they both gave statements and the Cannaries new owners will take over with immediate affect tomorrow morning.

Foreman: Me and Peter are extremely happy to have finalized a deal with the previous owners of Norwich and we are now looking to the future. I know some may speculate on my footballing knowledge, because I am an ex American boxer, But my knowledge is just as good as the next guys. I also realize that the move may discomfort the manager, and players however we want to ensure them we are behind them all. Hughton will be the Norwich manager come the start of the season.

When asked on Norwich's transfer policy, Mr.Foreman replied with some very promising words.

Foreman: Our policy is to sign the younger talent, we are looking at a number of targets already and we are sure we can come to an agreement with the players' teams. Not only do we want to sign young players, but we would like to get a few high profile names into the club definitely!

Peter Hill Wood, also gave a statement and spilled the beans on the clubs finances, he also hinted at some possible upgrades.

Hill-Wood: We are both happy with our new club, and we are ready to take this club to glory. With his footballing knowledge and my financial experience, I think we can make a great team. He isn't wrong about our transfer policy either and we do have targets that we are in negotiations with already. We have some exciting targets and we can't wait to announce them!

Hill-wood: I think to take this club to glory we need to head down to our English roots, meaning youth facilities need to be upgraded as does or Junior coaching etc... Although it may take a few years to really get a youth system going, but we are confident.

It's going to be a long hard season for Norwich City, but with hard work and tenacity they can really reach the targets they have set out, which will no doubt be to get above 10th in the league, and to challenge in the domestic cups. How far will they go under new ownership?

Former Aston Villa Player Emile Heskey has Brought the remaining stake at Villa park and has now become the full owner of the club. The news was announced was announced this morning on the Official Aston Villa Website following the shock exit of Randy Lerner from the Club which had many fans wondering what direction their club were heading in.

Emile Heskey has a lot of History with the club having played there for four years, making 110 appearances and scoring 14 goals however this is a completely new role he is playing at the club but he is still keen to show his love for the club. In a recent interview with AVTV, he stated "I love this club to bits and really want to drive this club in the right direction. This is a new beginning for me in my life and there is no better club to help me go through this change".

There were was much speculation over Randy Lerner's future at the club in recent recent months with reports claiming that he was fed up of the Premier League and just wanted a break from football.

It is already clear that Emile Heskey wants to bring world class players to Villa Park. Just hours after the news was released, He posted this on his twitter hinting that he may be looking to bring the 4 time balon d'or winner to Aston Villa:


Spanish journalists managed to get a word with the little Argentine after Barcelona's 7-1 victory over Mellila and he said "Aston Villa is certainly a club on the rise and I would love to be part of that. Now that they have such a great chairman as well, they can definitely become one of the great sides in the world." Reports have also linked Aston villa with top players such as Kim Kallstrom, Nicolas Bendtner and Emiliano Viviano.

Norwich Announce First Signings Under New Ownership

Swansea's Swan Song

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After weeks of dressing room bust-ups, boardroom arguments, tabloid headlines a new chairman has been appointed, and they are ready for the fight. Swansea have appointed their notoriously badly behaved mascot Cyril to take over the boardroom battles.

Outgoing Chairman Huw Jenkins apologised for the turmoil that the board’s actions had caused the clubs loyal supporters and has given his full backing to the new board. When asked why he made an excellent candidate,Cyril explained that the opportunity was to good to turn down and that he had recently won the premier league with Swansea on Football Manager 2013.


In comparison to many recent takeovers in the Premier League,The club were sold for a £1 to Cyril, and the new TV revenue right deal will be used for the extra funds will be made immediately available to manager Michael Laudrup.

http://michaellaudrup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/michael-laudrup1345.jpg

However, current manager Michael Laudrup is extremely disappointed by the news, and although he insists he remains committed to the club he has been hesitant in committing his future to the club.

So what does Cyril believe the Swans can achieve this season?

“Well as long as we finish in top half and push for Europe this season I’ll be extremely satisfied. I have no bird brained ideas that’s for sure!”

Cyril also challenged Vincent Tan to an arm wrestle at half time during the first Welsh derby in the Premier League.


Who knows what the future holds for the Swans but its going to be an extremely fiery affair in this part of South Wales.

The new owner of West Bromwich Albion, Sir TANAYYYYYYYYY, has told the media he is looking to bring a mass overhaul to not only the lying squad in his disposal, but the coaching staff as well. This places Steve Clarke’s position at the helm of West Brom in severe uncertainty, and he is reported to be meeting with the owner later on today for a discussion about the club’s future plans.

Sir TANAYYYYYYYYY has replaced former chairman Jeremy Peace, who has been at the club since 2002, has witnessed the club’s fluctuating form in the top flight, and their impressive showing in the Championship. After the club was relegated during his first season in charge, they were immediately promoted again in the 2003/04 season. The nest season was famous for Albion fans, who pulled off the ‘Great Escape’ as they became the first and only club to survive the drop after being bottom of the league at Christmas. However, they could not pull off this feat again the next season, and were relegated, and were stuck in the Chmpionship for 2 season, until the 07/08 campaign when Tony Mowbray led them to promotion and also the title. They could not sustain their success though, as they fell apart the following year, getting relegated and having to change manager. Roberto di Matteo did manage yet another promotion in 09/10 season, but was sacked after his team were performing poorly in the Premier League. His replacement, Roy Hodgson, was able to usher a period of stability, taking Albion to a 10th place finish in the league, before he left to manage the English national team. The 2012/13 season was Albion’s most successful year, as they finished in 8th place, their highest ever finish in the top flight under the guidance of Steve Clarke.

Sir TANAYYYYYYYYY has promised that he will freshen up the squad, and focus primarily on moving the club into a state where they have a young, prosperous squad. He has already alerted other clubs regarding the fact that several of his players have been placed on the transfer list. These include:

Graham Dorrans
Boaz Myhill
Steven Reid
Victor Anichebe
Zoltan Gera
Saido Berahino (for loan)


This signals the intent of the new owner to take charge regarding his club’s transfer negotiations, and therefore you should expect that there will be lots of activity soon at the Hawthorns, so stay tuned to stay up to date on the matter.

Breaking news:
Two of the 4 Crystal palace owners found dead in their homes, we aren’t certain as to how the killings took place. Police have said the deaths are suspicious meaning there is a potential murderer, we don’t know who this is, but what we do know is that the 50% shares in the club they had has now been brought out.
This 50% has been brought by Crystal Palace player Julian Speroni, this being an amazing turn of events as just last week Speroni has spoke about a possible future at the club following his footballing days and he had to say “I don’t think that is what I would want, I mean don’t discount it, but don’t bet on it”. This can only lead to uncertainty for the club, this couldn’t have happened at a worse time for the club, as they have just been promoted to the top flight in English football, but it will definitely be interesting to see how this goes.
When questioned today by reporters about the deaths of Steve Parish and Martin Long he said, “It’s a very sad time for the club, these guys have been brilliant for the club, especially with the funding access, it’s going to be weird with them around, but someone had to step into the boots and take their footsteps and I was the only one willing to do so, my condolences go out to their family and close friends, they will both me truly missed”
The take-over by Speroni being reportedly worth a downgraded amount of £2.5M, we are still left wondering how he managed to get such funds especially as the former Goalkeeper was only on 12K a week, this did lead to suspicions against Julian about his role in the deaths but he has been cleared of any attempts as he was at training when the deaths occurred.
In a club interview this morning he told the club that he would be retiring as a footballer but that he would still be involved with the team, this caused upset between many supporters but to know that he hasn’t left the team fully gave them some hope, in this earlier press conference this is what Julian had to say, “I am sad to tell the amazing supporters of Crystal Palace that I will no longer be playing for them, as I am retiring but I will still be involved with the club as the new owner, I will be working hard with the other two members of the board to get this club to where it should be.”
A support representative said “It’s sad to see him retire he has been a vital player at the club for the past few years and on the pitch he will be missed, but I’m glad he is now the chairman because he knows what the supporters want, and he will know the players very well.”

Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand have made their first major move as co-chairman of Newcastle United by announcing the sacking of manager Alan Pardew with immediate effect.


Pardew, 52, was the second longest serving manager in the Premier League having taken charge in Decemeber 2010 but in a statement today released by the new owners of NUFC, the consortium of former players, it was announced that co-chairman Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand had taken the decision to relieve Pardew of his duties. The statement read, “Today, Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand (co-chairman) and the rest of the club directors (members of the consortium) came to the agreed decision to relieve manager Alan Pardew of his duties. We would like to take the time to thank Alan for all the work he has done for the club especially the magnificent 2011/12 season. However, after the disappointing 2012/13 campaign we felt that a new manager was needed who could bring major success to this club. Once again, we thank Alan for his work at Newcastle and wish him all the best for the future.”


Pardew had a fairly successful spell on Tyneside. He took over from Chris Hughton in December of the 2010/11 season and eventually led the club to a 12th place finish. During the 2010/11 season, Pardew led The Magpies to a couple of memorable results. In his first game in charge Newcastle beat Liverpool 3-1 and in the first home game of 2011 Newcastle destroyed West Ham 5-0. He also was in charge of Newcastle for one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history against Arsenal. With Newcastle losing 4-0 at half time they amazingly fought back in the second half to draw the game.


The 2011/12 season was hugely successful for both Newcastle and Pardew. Pardew led the club to 5th place and Europa League football for the next season after a great campaign and individually he won the Premier League Manager of the Season award and the LMA Manager of the Year award. After his fantastic season, then owner Mike Ashley rewarded Pardew with a massive 8 year contract. Unfortunately, the 2012/13 season didn’t go to plan as they finished in a disappointing 16th place and had to fight for survival in the Premier League. Although, they did reach the quarter finals of the Europa League.


Newcastle are now in search of a new manager and it is thought that the new owners are looking at the possibility of bringing in a top class manager to The Magpies.

This morning Chelsea fans across London woke up to the surprising news that Chairman Roman Abromovich has reportedly sold his club to a consortium that includes former player Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
When asked about the move Roman had this to say: "I am happy to be out of London. I am a rich man, a very rich man and I can't wait to spend my money on Alcohol and Woman" Roman was all to quick to get the press conference over and done with before diving into a helicopter and flying to the Caribbeans to, as he puts it, have a go.


Jimmy has reportedly won a lot of money on an Investment that has paid off in Belgium. Jimmy played 136 games for Chelsea scoring 69 goals, and reports show he can't wait to make his first moves. According to the internet Jimmy was seen attending an Atletico Madrid game last week.

Jeff Stelling: "Breaking news from Manchester! The deal for Russian billionaire Isaac Putin to purchase Manchester City FC for a bank breaking £969.69M is about to be confirmed! Let's join Chris Kamara at the Etihad Stadium for a report on recent events surrounding the club."

Chris Kamara: "To be totally honest Jeff, I haven't seen any business man apart from Manchester City officials enter the Etihad Stadium, and I have had my eyes peeled! The most exciting time today was when a drunk homeless person missing a few fingers and smelling of rank piss walked straight in to the stadium with an ID that he surely stol- OHHHHHHHHHH, never mind, I think that was Isaac Putin after all, Jeff."


Jeff Stelling: "Inside reports claim that Manchester City players are less than pleased with the new appointment, and that the new manager, Manuel Pelligrini, has resigned with immediate affect. I wonder how Putin will turn the club around, with the billions of pounds which he inherited from his late cousin, Mila Kuntis."

---

(Press-Conference inside the Etihad Stadium)

Reporter: "How do you plan to spend money to develop this club?"

Isaac Putin: "Did I not just buy this football club? Are you telling me that I have to spend more money on this club? Are you people mad? Oh Stalin, I need some vodka!"

Reporter: "Do you plan on bringing any new faces in?"

Isaac Putin: "Oh yes, Russian girl and vodka goes very well together, hehehehehe!"

*Touches himself*

Reporter: "What are your aims for the upcoming season?"

Isaac Putin: "I plan to take control of Britain and make it a communist land like it should be!"