The Newcastle United Wage Bill – The Cost of Relegation

This is an estimate from the Daily Mail of what a relegated Newcastle United players got paid for last season’s debacle. Needless to say, if by some miracle, even half of the club’s players stay for at least one year of Championship football, Newcastle has little chance of paying them these type of salaries without the big money that comes from being in the English Premier League.

With lower gate receipts and less TV and merchandise revenue expected, owner Mike Ashley will definitely have to dig into the bag of business tricks that got him on the Sunday Times Rich List to for the Geordies to avoid an extended stay in England’s second tier of football. Word on the street is that until a few weeks ago, Newcastle didn’t even have a relegation contingency plan similar to that employed by yo yo club West Bromwich Albion every other year. Let us hope that a Leeds United fall from grace isn’t in the cards for the Tyneside faithful.

WORTH KEEPING:

NICKY BUTT £60,000 a week – a leader who will be needed.

STEVEN TAYLOR £40,000 – a proud Geordie who will want to make amends.

DANNY GUTHRIE £40,000 – will do well in Championship.

SHOLA AMEOBI £40,000 – Football League is his level.

STEVE HARPER £30,000 – deserves a run as No 1.

RYAN TAYLOR £30,000 – should pick up in lower level.

ON THEIR WAY:

MICHAEL OWEN £105,000 – out of contract, needs a new club.

DAMIEN DUFF £70,000 – says he wants to stay (yeah, right).

OBAFEMI MARTINS £70,000 – on the first plane out of Tyneside, never to be
seen again.

ALAN SMITH £60,000 – strangely has a list of clubs who want him.

MARK VIDUKA £60,000 – Aussie beaches beckon.

GEREMI £60,000 – odds on for a Turkish club who need a 40-plus player.

JONAS GUTIERREZ £50,000 – cost £5.6m but no use now.

HABIB BEYE £50,000 – one of few to leave with integrity intact.

IGNACIO GONZALEZ £50,000 – who indeed?

CACAPA £40,000 – one of the worst Brazilians ever.

SEBASTIEN BASSONG £30,000 – one of Newcastle’s few assets.

PETER LOVENKRANDS £20,000 – brief loan spell to end.

KEVIN NOLAN £50,000 – January signing which backfired.

HARD TO SHIFT:

JOEY BARTON £60,000 – who would be mad enough to buy him?

JOSE ENRIQUE £60,000 – cost £6m, which was £6m too much.

FABRICIO COLOCCINI £60,000 – he was frighteningly bad.

XISCO £50,000 – an expensive flop.