It so often happens that Premier League sides can benefit greatly from nicking players on the cheap from relegated clubs. Even this season, Xherdan Shaqiri and Andrew Robertson were signed by Liverpool from relegated sides. However, for the relegated club it’s always a blow, as these Newcastle fans found out in summer 2016.
CONFIRMED: @andros_townsend departs for @CPFC
Full story: https://t.co/858ZIAPLaH #NUFC pic.twitter.com/vNJqVIiPHR
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) July 1, 2016
Despite the Magpies drop to the Championship after a dismal 2015/16 season, things looked to be on the up. The club had already confirmed the signings of Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie and Mats Selz, however, they took a real blow when it was announced that Andros Townsend, who had only joined the club in January before, had been sold to Crystal Palace for a fee of £13 million.
The Eagles were to benefit from the Magpies misfortune, and you can’t blame them for wanting to nab the talented winger. At the time, though, the Geordies were fuming. Townsend was swapping life under Rafa Benitez for life under Alan Pardew and that alone was enough to make him public enemy number one in the Northeast. Plenty of fans believed he only went for the money and called him every name under the sun as they prepared for a tough season in the Championship.
You can read the Geordies’ messages for Townsend after his departure here:
BOTTLEJOB.
— Connor (@ConnorJameson_) 1 July 2016
https://twitter.com/MattNufc9/status/748796231145492480
he's a mug if he'd rather work under pardew than Rafa even if they are in the prem
— Shaun Dickson (@shaun_d1ckson99) July 1, 2016
shows he is only in it for the money.
— Aldo (@paulalderson81) July 1, 2016
just shows the lack of loyalty football players have these days.
— Dan Wright (@__danwright__) July 1, 2016
could of become a legend….mercenercy!!
— Ben Hughes (@BenHughesKIO) July 1, 2016
https://twitter.com/TheHappyGeordie/status/748823229482078208
LOST MY RESPECT @andros_townsend
— nEwCaStLe fOr LiFe (@77_SH_ER) July 1, 2016
he's a joke!!
— NUFC Spare tickets (@NSpares) July 1, 2016
https://twitter.com/Sam7Yates/status/748797145394782212
The Geordies were far from pleased with Townsend when he left and whilst a lot of them would take him back in a heartbeat, they were fuming with his decision to leave after they faced the drop.
