The Mike Ashley era at Newcastle United is over, and while there should be some serious questions asked about the regime who have bought the club, there is no doubt that most of their supporters are glad to see the back of the former owner.
They had become increasingly disenchanted with Ashley ownership in recent seasons as the side continually flirted with relegation from the Premier League.
It didn't take all that long for them to turn on their owner after he bought the club in 2007, although he did attempt to make them competitive early in his tenure. That included trying to recruit Harry Redknapp as manager in 2008, who was then impressing while in charge of Portsmouth.
Harry Redknapp, Mike Ashley, and a private jet
Writing in The Sun, Redknapp described how Mike Ashley even offered him the daily use of a private jet in order to tempt him to take the job.
At the time I was Portsmouth boss when Paul Kemsley, a close mate of Mike Ashley’s, got in touch.
Newcastle were looking for a new manager - it was after Sam Allardyce - and Mike wanted to know if I was interested… and obviously I wanted to hear what they had to say.
What they told me was very, very tempting, too. Not least because, regardless of the flat they’d have got me, they were prepared to lay on a private plane from Bournemouth airport at 7am every morning.
Then, about five o’clock, they would fly me back home if I didn’t want to stay up, so I could still live down here if I wanted to.
I must admit, I gave it really serious consideration and at one stage it was very much, ‘Why not?’
It’s such a massive club, with a massive fan base, and has always had massive potential.
But the more I thought of it, the more I didn’t think it could work. As soon as we lost a few, the Geordies would be going off their heads at me flying up and down the country each day.
I really didn’t fancy the prospect of that, so in the end I said no.
Newcastle would eventually appoint club legend Kevin Keegan to replace Sam Allardyce, although his falling out with Mike Ashley eight months later proved to be the first step in his relationship with the fans breaking down.
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