Typical Newcastle

[Will]

Bonuses

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...10m-bonus.html

You couldn't make it up could you.

[Chrono]

FLMAO! They are a ****ing utter joke

[dww]

Beyond belief: Newcastle were relegated, the club is in crisis but STILL players land a £10m bonus

by JOHN EDWARDS
Last updated at 11:32 AM on 19th June 2009
Mail

Newcastle's shamed players are about to share a £10million reward for their disastrous relegation campaign in another startling illustration of the financial shambles that has engulfed St James' Park.

In a development that will infuriate an already despairing Toon Army, it has emerged that beleaguered owner Mike Ashley is committed to paying his players massive 'bonuses' at the end of this month, less than six weeks after they tamely surrendered Newcastle's place in the Barclays Premier League.

With senior figures such as Michael Owen and Mark Viduka due annual loyalty payments believed to be in the region of £400,000, the overall bill will be around £10m.

Ashley has until June 30 to find a buyer for the club, and avoid another sizeable dent to his personal fortune, but he is resigned to having to pay up.

As a further indication of the financial chaos on Tyneside, Sportsmail has learned some Newcastle players will be heading into the Coca-Cola Championship on an increased salary in what appears to be a glaring oversight by club executives.

While the likes of Hull, Stoke, Birmingham and West Bromwich always make provision for relegation in any contract negotiations, Newcastle evidently saw no need to in their recent dealings.

Players at most yo-yo clubs accept clauses stipulating wage cuts of up to 30 per cent in the event of relegation but Newcastle have agreed deals in the last year or so entitling players to annual rises, no matter what.

Though it is normal practice for players to have signing-on fees or loyalty bonuses spread over the course of their contracts and paid annually, long-suffering Newcastle fans are sure to be angered by Owen and Viduka leaving on free transfers and taking such large sums with them.

Brazilian flop Cacapa is also on his way out of Tyneside with a sizeable pay-off, while Joey Barton is on the bonus list as well, despite a record of disciplinary misdemeanours that included a red card for a reckless challenge in last month's defeat at Anfield.

Leeds went down the same path of awarding lucrative contracts, without any penalty clauses for relegation, and went perilously close to financial ruin after losing their Premier League place in 2004 while still having to pay huge wages to the likes of Robbie Fowler and Seth Johnson.

Newcastle's plight is not thought to be as serious but the latest behind-the-scenes fiasco will be hard to take for supporters who are still struggling to come to terms with their demotion to the Championship.

Their mood has not been helped by Ashley's apparent reluctance to appoint Alan Shearer on a full-time basis following his eight-game stint as caretaker-boss at the end of last season.

Ashley, who has sacked 120 administrative staff as part of a cost-cutting exercise, has yet to decide who should take charge and has been accused of giving Newcastle's rivals a head start in preparing for the new season.

While they remain in limbo and explore possible ways of further reducing a crippling wage bill, they are about to be hit by another financial blow, with instalments due on the transfer fees they agreed for Damien Duff, a £5m buy from Chelsea three years ago, and former Inter Milan striker Obafemi Martins.

Defender Sebastien Bassong could be the next big-name departure after revealing he has had talks with two Premier League clubs. Signed by Kevin Keegan for £1.5m from Metz, the 22-year-old is expected to join Arsenal but has also attracted interest from Manchester City, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

Stoke will bid £1m for defender Habib Beye, while Newcastle are at least drawing up tentative plans for replacing their outgoing players after being linked with Queens Park Rangers trio Dexter Blackstock, Fitz Hall and Damien Delaney.

[Will]

FLMAO! They are a ****ing utter joke

Thats an understatement. They are ****ing pathetic. Mike Ashley couldnt organise a piss up in a brewry! Fantastic viewing though much better than Coronation Street

[Neil Young]

Thats an understatement. They are ****ing pathetic. Mike Ashley couldnt organise a piss up in a brewry! Fantastic viewing though much better than Coronation Street

Unless you're interested in football. They were woeful.

[Tee]

It is a complete and utter shambles that club. I think they could be gone a long long while.

[red g]

i mentioned before they have 7 players on over 70k a week with 3 years left.....

75m of wages to get thm off th wage bill.

Ashley makes Moores look a decent chairrman!!

[Craig_H]

[Van Halen]

It is a complete and utter shambles that club. I think they could be gone a long long while.

Too right, "Champagne Mouth - Lemonade Pocket Club" if ever there was one.