If that is the case, how come so many businessmen - and successful ones at that - manage to get involved and struggle to make an impact?

Mike Ashley's love affair with Newcastle finally ended at the weekend when the game's worst kept secret - that he was willing to sell the club - was confirmed.

Ashley made his fortune through the Sport Soccer chain of shops and clearly knows what he is doing when it comes to running a successful company.

But football, it seems, has defeated him.

The sums of money involved are almost unbelievable.

He spent £250million just to buy Newcastle United and reduce the debt.

That's reduce and not clear, you understand.

He then elevated the club's standing to a position where they have the fifth highest wage bill in the Premier League.

And he appeared to have earned the undying loyalty of the Toon Army by re-appointing Kevin Keegan as first team manager.

But in football, things can unravel very quickly and St James' Park is not a happy place at the moment.

Keegan has gone, Dennis Wise is still there and Ashley is ready to walk away.

The question now is whether there will be any takers for a club that is big on support but short on stability and success.

The word was that the group who have bought Manchester City had considered buying the Magpies, but were put off by the potential asking price.

That is a group with 10 times more loose change in their pocket than Roman Abramovich being put off by the asking price.

That does not bode well.

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates is among those mentioned as possible suitors.

But what guarantees will any prospective purchaser get that they will not be hounded by the legion of fans should they make a decision the Geordies do not like?

Newcastle's fans are passionate, but so are the fans at Accrington, Bury and Rochdale only on a smaller scale.

What I do not understand is why the Geordies feel they have more right to say who should and should not be employed by their club?

Unless they are a special case - and I see no reason why they should be - they will have as much say as other fans up and down the land.

MANCHESTER United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claimed his side defended like 'some Conference teams' in their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

I can tell him that I have seen 'some Conference teams' concede five, six and seven goals in my time.

United were clearly nowhere near that bad.

I understand his point, but I have to say it was a bit demeaning to the Conference where the standard of football is far higher than many people who are not regular watchers might think.

If only I saw more of it nowadays.