There were strong rumours at. Christmas, when all the high profile bidders for the club turned out to be bullshitters, that Newcastle Utd were on the verge of going into administration.
I honest don't know how close we were, but with all the flack aimed at Ashley at that time, it was a strong possibility.
If Ashley had thrown out the dummy we could have found ourselves in the same shit hole that Palace are now in.
I cannot confirm Ashley thought about it ... because I don't know the man ... so we will never know.
But I'm sure EVERY Toon fan has a feeling of sympathy for Palace fans right now.
Eagles chairman Simon Jordan had been attempting to attract new investment into the club, who were late in paying their players twice this season.
But on Tuesday Brendon Guilfoyle, Chris White and John Russell of the P&A Partnership were appointed administrators.
Now Palace find themselves in a relegation battle after falling from ninth to 21st and just three points clear of the bottom three.
A league statement read: "Following receipt of formal confirmation that Crystal Palace Football Club has gone into administration, the Football League can confirm a sporting sanction of 10 points will apply with immediate effect."
North-East Gig Guide ...
FRI JAN 29TH 2010
TUBESNAKE The Three Tuns, Sherrif's Hill, Gateshead
THE WHOLE HOG The Lord Clyde Western Approach South Shields
ROAD RUNNERS Maritime Museum Hartlepool
STRANGE FRUIT The Black Bull, Bridge Street, Morpeth
THE GASLIGHTERS Magnesia Bank North Shields
THE FORCE The Palms Station Road, Shotton Colliery, Durham
REMEDY Cj's Bar 96 High Street Stockton-on-Tees
SCRATCH THE SURFACE Mr Lynch, Jesmond
BIG SI & THE YAWNS The Normanby, Normanby
RELOAD Boldon Lad Boldon Colliery
THE ROGUES The Merlin, Billingham
WITCHKRAFT Buffs Club Fredrick Place Houghton
SABBATICA Nikhs Bar, 11-13 Stanley Street, Blyth, Northumberland
PHIL CAISLEYS DIRTY DOGZ Annie McCarthy's Albermarle Street South Shields
BLUE DIAMOND EauZone Bar Norfolk Street Sunderland
THE RAWMONES Fat Ox Whitley Road Whitley Bay
THE SHEIKS Masons Arms Plessey Road Blyth
NEW AGE JAM Skerne Park Hotel Coleridge Gardens Darlington
MINNIE AND THE VICTORS The Star Westgate Road Newcastle
RUSS TIPPINS The Station Killingworth Road Killingworth
BRYAN ADAMS EXPERIENCE cc The Studio Tower Street Hartlepool
SOMETHING REAL Steels Club, Sunderland
WITCHKRAFT £2.50 Houghton Buffs Houghton le Spring
SKINFLINT The Daisy Hill, Heugh Edge, Sacriston
VENDETTA The Keelboat Washington
PAUL KAPPA £5 The Office, Victoria Road, South Shields
ON PAROLE The Bell and Bucket 37 Norfolk Street North Shields
GRAHAM RUSSELL Rising Sun, Sunniside
DIAMOND DOGS The Black Bull Wylam
FRANKIES CAFE Pack Horse, Burnopfield
The G-Men/The Rough Kutz/The Equalisers cc The Forum, Darlington
JADE Hilltop, Stanley
STORM Queens Head, Shildon
BIG RIVER The Albion, Ryhope
VAN WILLIAMS EXP ironopolis club, middlesbrough
BLAZE Pearl Bar, Hartlepool 01429 266345
FM
The New Tavern Speculation Place Washington Tyne and Wear 0191 416 0248
BECKETT
The Mile, Mile End Road, South Shields, NE33 1TA. 0191 454 7495
SAT JAN 30TH 2010
DIABLO(tickets only) Seghill Rugby Club
THE HYBRIDS Bill Quay cricket club
SHOVELMOUTH Nikhs Bar, 11-13 Stanley Street, Blyth, Northumberland
BORDERLAND Star Inn, Westgate Road, Newcastle
THE INVASION The Masons Arms, Easington Village
THE STROBES The Inn Place, Doxford Sunderland
ROAD RUNNERS Innisfree SC, Longbenton
JASPER HART BAND The Rose and Crown, South Shields
THE FORCE £4 The Sportsman Hedon Road, Hull
MIKE MEMPHIS The Three Tuns, Sherrif's Hill, Gateshead
THE 280'S The Hastings Hill
DVD Dr Browns, Middlesbrough
SCRATCH THE SURFACE Engineers, Wallsend
THE GASLIGHTERS Carlisle Ex Serviceman's
REMEDY £2 The Barking Dog Wallsend
THE LIZARDS The Park 406 Linthorpe Middlesbrough
PREACHER The Grand Hotel, Bishop Auckland
THE WHODLUMS The Duke Of Albany, Washington
DVD Dr Browns, Middlesbrough
WITCHKRAFT The Penny Black, Ellerton Road, Hartburn, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 5PU Tel. 01642 580132
JUMP THE GUN The Fir Tree, Wingate
THIS ONE GOES UP TO 11 The Alexandra, North Shields
MUGSHOT The Office, Victoria Rd, South Shields
SMALL WONDER Whitburn Lodge, Mill Lane, Whitburn
ENTIRE COSMOS Azure Blue Eastbourne Avenue Gateshead
TWISTER Earl Grey High Street Gosforth
SEKOND CHILDHOOD Fat Ox Whitley Road Whitley Bay
THE UNION Fox & Hounds Main Street Crawcrook
101 Garricks Head Saville Street North Shields
TERRY SLESSER Jolly Steward Fulwell Avenue South Shields
VOODOO SKIES Moorhouse Front Street Seaton Burn
PROPER BOYS Poachers Cottage Armstrong Road Callerton Newcastle
STEVE REAY BAND Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland
NEW AGE JAM White Horse Market Street Ferryhill Co.Durham
BRYAN ADAMS EXPERIENCE (pre-book as a meal is included) Treebridge Hotel Great Ayton
KNEE JERK REACTION The Lord Clyde Western Approach South Shields
BIG RIVER Coach and Horses Washington
MEN IN BLACK South Hylton Club, South Hylton, Sunderland
TWIST OF FATE Acklam Iron & Steelworks, Acklam
THE MYSTERY MACHINE Billingham Catholic Club
FM Ye Olde Horse Shoe,Crook
Tommy and the Oddballs The Ox, Stanley
LIFE CRISIS Bubbles, Ashington
KEVIN AND BOB The Bell and Bucket 37 Norfolk Street North Shields
GRAHAM RUSSELL The Beaconsfield Hotel, Barnard Castle
AVATAR Annie McCarthy's, 8 Albermarle St. SOUTH SHIELDS
SIX NOWT The Masons Amble
MOJO HAND The Causeway, Hartlepool
ACOUSTIC BEATLES Newcastle Falcons RFC
FRANKIES CAFE Charity Event For British Heart Foundation - SOLD OUT SOLD OUT Seaton Sluice Social Club SOLD OUT SOLD OUT
THE MONOLOGUES £2.50 Byers Green WMC, Spennymoor
THIS MACHINE The Mallard Seaham
BULLET Royalty, Sunderland
NIGHTSHIFT cc The Forum, Darlington
STORM Northallerton Rugby Club
VAN WILLIAMS EXP peterlee catholic club, peterlee
THE ARRIVAL The Colliery Tavern Hedworth Lane Boldon Colliery Tyne & Wear NE35 9HS 0191 536 7761
SO WHAT beamish mary inn, stanley
CITIZENS ERASED
The Diamond Inn, Ponteland
THE REPERTOIRE DOGS XXXX Night
The Windmill, Blyth
SUN JAN 31ST 2010
WHOLE HOG The Copt Hill, Houghton le Spring
ROAD RUNNERS Marquis of Granby, Sunniside
BUSKERS NIGHT 4-7 p.m Ryton Rugby Club,Main Rd ,Ryton
THE RHYTHM METHOD The Normanby, Normanby
HEAVEN FORBID Station Hotel, Station Road, Billingham
CARVIN JONES £3 The Three Tuns, Sherrif's Hill, Gateshead
GLADSTONE Pelaw Social Club, Heworth House, Kirkstone Lane, Heworth, Gateshead
FM 6 p,m Bensham Jockey Bensham Road Gateshead
THE ALLEYCATS 4 p.m Fox & Hounds Main Street Crawcrook
ACOUSTIC BLUES & FOLK NIGHT Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland
THE SOUNDS OF SIMON 4 p.m Smugglers Bar Marine Walk Roker Sunderland
SMOKE HOUSE DOGS Sour Grapes Newgate Street Morpeth
SPARTAN 4 p.m The Star Westgate Road Newcastle
MUSICIAN UNLIMITED noon cc The Studio Tower Street Hartlepool
LAST MINUTE 4pm- 6pm New Tavern Washington
RUSS TIPPINS The Golden Fleece, Silksworth Terrace Sunderland
101 The Wheatsheaf Roker Avenue Sunderland
BUSKERS NIGHT Borough Arms Gateshead
MAGNETIC CHERRY TICKET EVENT ONLY (£12 entry fee) includes food.Doors Open 7pm The Golden Lion, South Hylton, Sunderland
BULLET 5 P.M Royal Hotel Stanley
NEW FOUND PARADISE The Office, Victoria Road, South Shields
Dave Ridley & Helen Cleary Paddywhacks, Green Terrace, Sunderland
The Funktion The Park, Linthorpe Village, Middlesbrough
MUDSHARKS White Swan, Morpeth 4pm