Why?

To be honest, I don't believe Newell should get any credit for forging a link with Nikkk.

Nikkk is obviously a mad keen Argyle fan. From memory, he simply started bidding on items that were being auctioned on Pasoti - usually while he enjoyed a nice bottle of wine. When the bids started getting rediculous, Newell realised it was an opportunity to seize on (to be fair anyone would have done the same) and hence the fawning and hero-worship towards Nikkk became a regular thing. The scene was set for staged auctions whereby the end result would be Nikkk paying about 5 -10 times the going rate for clobber, while the Pasoti faithful tossed virtual rose petals at his feet.

For me, Newell simply hit the Popularity Jackpot with Nikkk coming on the scene. If the estimated 80k he gave away had been a realistic 8k for goods received, this would have been a more 'real world' reflection on the whole scenario.

Newell certainly did hit the 'Popularity Jackpot', all the more reason to 'use' him. He's also the 'idiot to take the rap' which we've seen too many times.