Eddie Howe's press conference recapped
Newcastle United saw the revenue bar raised even higher when it comes to football's finance ladder after Manchester City's new accounts showed an incredible £715m - a new Premier League record.
Bearing in mind the simple way to think about PSR rules is that you can only spend what you earn; Newcastle could take years if they are to deliver commercial chief Peter Silverstone's dream of "catching up". The Magpies posted a revenue gain of £250m last year and while an increase is expected in the next set of accounts it will be nowhere near Man City's latest figures.
Yet the numbers will not have gone unnoticed by Toon chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan who wants the best for Newcastle on and off the field. Even head coach Eddie Howe finds himself keeping up to date with Newcastle's commercial activities and told Chronicle Live last week: "I think our revenue streams aren't where we want them to be. We're still trying to grow them, so I think that trading in and out is going to be essential."
Former Arsenal supremo Silverstone has already pointed to the success of the club's Strawberry Place fanzone the STACK but knows that moving forward no stone can be left unturned. As the club prepare for a stadium project announcement in 2025, they can only look on and one day hope they can match Man City's finances.
City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak said on Friday: "Our constant ambition to target and achieve the unprecedented is a mark of the organisation that we have be come.
"On and off the field, our passion for the next challenge is underpinned by deliberate and detailed planning and a shared belief in the collaborative learning culture that we have built.
"This organisational approach is now part of our DNA. It is a product of the unwavering focus on constant improvement, in every aspect of the organisation, that has been in place since His Highness Sheikh Mansour became the club's custodian in 2008."
Nick Pope learns news of lay off after knee injury
Lightning has struck twice for Pope ahead of the festive period with the England international discovering he will miss a month of action after suffering a knee injury against Brentford. The knock was not felt until after the 4-2 defeat but Pope did not train at Benton in the build-up to the encounter with Leicester City.
It now means that Martin Dubravka will be set for a run in the team during the packed festive period although the FA Cup home game against Bromley in early January may offer Howe the chance to rotate with Odysseas Vlachodimos or 38-year-old John Ruddy coming into contention for the meeting with Andy Woodman's side.
Eddie Howe leads by example at club's Christmas function
Chronicle Live understands that Howe displayed his leadership qualities this week by turning up at a staff Christmas meal for club office staff, his scouts and catering workers this week. Howe chatted with staff from around the club along with assistant boss Jason Tindall at the club's STACK facility on Strawberry Place just days after the defeat to Brentford.
It needs to be stated this was not a boozy affair for Howe or his staff but the backroom staff were keen to show insiders that it was a team effort for everybody at the club these days. Howe stated in his press conference on Friday he had to be a "role model" for those around him at St James' Park and did so with a display of positivity.
The Newcastle squad also spent an afternoon this week meeting children in local hospitals with Howe and his players handing out presents.
Speaking at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Bruno Guimarães commented: "It's always nice to spend these moments with patients and staff as we know how much it means to them. As a club, we're passionate about our connection with the community so visits like this are incredibly valuable.
"We're all extremely proud to have a chance to create memories with kids and give them some strength for the Christmas period. It's been a heartwarming afternoon and has really lifted the spirits of everyone involved."
Rachael Black, associate director (fundraising) at Newcastle Hospitals Charity said: "A big thank you to everyone from Newcastle United for coming along to visit our young patients at the RVI and Freeman Hospital. Each December around 2,000 children spend the festive season in one of our hospitals, away from friends and family, which isn't anybody’s first choice, so we try really hard to make the festive period as cheerful as possible with a full programme of activity.
"Support for Newcastle Hospitals Charity comes in lots of different forms and a visit from NUFC helped provide just the medicine our young patients and their families needed to help raise the spirits."
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