Goodbye, Rafa Benitez

We have worked hard to extend Rafa’s contract over a significant period of time, however it has not been – and will not be – possible to reach an agreement with Rafa and his representatives.

Rafa’s coaching staff, Paco de Míguel Moreno, Antonio Gómez Pérez and Mikel Antia, will also leave the club on 30th June.

We would like to thank Rafa and his coaching team for their efforts over the last three years and their significant contribution to what has been collectively achieved.

We would also like to thank our supporters, players and staff for their patience during a period of uncertainty.

The process to appoint a successor will now begin.”

Here we go again

This has gone beyond a joke now and you really do have to feel for the Newcastle United faithful, although if you’re a Sunderland fan that might be pretty difficult. Mike Ashley has single-handedly driven this club into the ground, and enough is enough. In fact, enough was enough a long time ago.

Ashley is the biggest reason for Newcastle United not progressing to the point that many people feel they should be at, because let’s face it, they’re a huge club. They should be contending for the European spots, and instead, they face the reality of another relegation battle. If they went down, that’d be the third time in a matter of years. It’s pathetic.

Mike Ashley needs to go and Newcastle fans need to protest at a level they haven’t done before. If they don’t let it be known that they simply aren’t going to take this lying down, then absolutely nothing is going to change. If the people keep coming, this nonsense will continue. It’s been going on for over a decade now.

It says a lot when football fans that don’t even support Newcastle are getting upset about this. It’s more than a game to a lot of people, and that’s especially true in the city of Newcastle. They’re supposed to feel a sense of pride in watching the Magpies, but that just isn’t the case anymore. What a sad state of affairs.

Do the right thing, folks, try and get Ashley out of this club – because he is one of the most poisonous figures in sports.