Last updated 11:49, Wednesday, 10 September 2008

THE way Mike Ashley has conducted himself over the past week sums up everything that’s rotten about the Premiership.

Heartless: Mike Ashley

Newcastle United are more detached than ever from their passionate fans and the worst thing about it all is that Ashley is giving a good impression of someone who seems not to care.

As one of the worst chapters in the club’s history unfolds, the Toon’s billionaire owner has come across as arrogant, heartless and uncaring.

Instead of trying to appease fans and sort out the mess he’s created by his handling of the Kevin Keegan saga, he’s been conspicuous by his absence on Tyneside.

Instead he’s been spotted socialising in New York as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

They say you can judge a man’s character by the company he keeps. Ashley keeps the company of Dennis Wise.

But Ashley is just typical of the Premiership, which is now dominated by Russian oligarchs, Arab Sheikhs and the prawn sandwich brigade, and is out of touch with ordinary fans like never before.

Of course managers have always been expendable, but Ashley seriously misjudged the love Newcastle fans had for Keegan.

Keegan may be a serial bolter, but he is an honest and decent man and deserved better than the crass treatment dished out by Ashley.