The lid has been partially lifted over exactly what Justin Barnes’ role is under Mike Ashley at Newcastle United after much mystery since his arrival on the scene, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim on their website that after dissecting the accounts published by MASH Holdings, the company fronted by Ashley to run the Magpies and his business dealings, it is stated that Barnes is in an advisory role at St James’ Park rather than a management position.
The report states that Barnes has been part of the senior team surrounding Ashley on Tyneside since 2015 but that his position at the club has never been clarified, with employees at St James’ Park unable to provide a clearer picture on his role.
Opinion
There is still an air of mystery around Barnes, who seems to be another of Ashley’s right hand men alongside Lee Charnley and Keith Bishop, but this revelation does at least make it clear he is not a major player when it comes to the management of the club. There really is no transparency at St James’ Park with Ashley and his iron grip on things means that fans and journalists alike do not find anything out that the owner does not want revealed. The Toon Army would love to know exactly what the senior figures at the club decide behind the scenes and to be a fly on the wall of the boardroom would be gold dust to the fans. Still, this statement from the filed accounts is as close as they are going to get. Does it shed much light on Barnes’ position? Not really – but it does make it clearer that he is not one of the top dogs but another man working under Ashley as and when needed.