FURIOUS fans calling for Mike Ashley and Dennis Wise to leave Newcastle United have gathered more than 5,000 signatures using online petitions, it emerged yesterday.
The news came as the war of words between Kevin Keegan and his former club continued to escalate following his resignation as manager on Thursday.
Angry supporters, who have already staged several protests outside St James’s Park, have launched a number of petitions demanding billionaire owner Mike Ashley sells the club and that Dennis Wise is removed from the post of executive director.
One online petition, the ‘Removal of Dennis Wise and Mike Ashley from Newcastle United FC’, had reached 4,139 signatures by yesterday afternoon while another ‘Vote of No Confidence in the Newcastle United Board’, had gathered 1,312.
They can be found at www.petitiononline.com and www.gopetition.com respectively.
Fans also made their opinions known on popular social networking site, Facebook, where a number of groups have been created to discuss the latest drama at St James’s Park.
The latest war of words began on Saturday night when the club issued a statement on their website claiming Keegan had been fully aware of his role when he was appointed by Mike Ashley in January.
The statement, which effectively denied Keegan’s claims he had resigned because of club interference, read: “It is a fact that Kevin Keegan, on appointment on January 16 2008, agreed to report to a director of football and to the board.
“It is a fact that Kevin Keegan, as manager, had specific duties in that he was responsible for the training, coaching, selection and motivation of the team.
“It is a fact that Kevin Keegan was allowed to manage his specific duties without any interference from any board member.
“It is a fact that Kevin Keegan agreed only to deal with the media in relation to club matters relating to the team and not to communicate with the media in relation to the acquisition or disposal of players.”
Within hours, Keegan and the League Managers’ Association hit back with a statement of their own.
Keegan said: “At the time at which I joined Newcastle United Football Club it was made very clear to me that I would have the final say on player movement in and out of the club.”
League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan also added: “Kevin Keegan’s chief complaint, amongst others, is that it was always agreed that the director of football could not impose a player that the manager did not want.
“This agreement has been broken, notwithstanding the fact that the chairman at the time of Kevin Keegan’s appointment, the director of football and the owner of Newcastle United have confirmed previously in public meetings and publications that he would always have the final say.”
Have your say on state of play
THE Journal has launched a major survey of Newcastle fans on the latest situation at St James’s Park.
We are aiming to provide the definitive gauge of public opinion about the remarkable events of the last week – and where they leave the club.
All you have to do is go to www.journallive.co.uk and click on the link on the homepage which takes you straight through to the survey.
There you’ll be able to answer questions on Ashley’s tenure at the club. Should Keegan have quit? Will you protest? Who is to blame?
We hope to build up a complete picture of what the supporters think of the state they’re in.
More than 400 people logged on over the weekend but we’re looking for thousands of results to build up a true picture of fans’ views.
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