The_Steve Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 (edited) Hard evidence Boris’s gov intervened to get the Saudis approved just concern everyone - it’s political interference of the highest order Edited April 11, 2023 by limpid fixed embed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 On 06/04/2023 at 11:37, The_Steve said: Hard evidence Boris’s gov intervened to get the Saudis approved just concern everyone - it’s political interference of the highest order Even worse than being tied to the Saudi regime, Newcastle are basically a bunch of Tories! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HanoiVillan Posted April 6, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted April 6, 2023 Two implications worth noting about that Athletic article (thanks @Rodders 1) The article confirms what we already knew, that the government repeatedly pushed - harder than we suspected perhaps - for the Saudi govt takeover to be completed, and that this was considered a priority in terms of bilateral relations with the Saudi government, who were threatening to withdraw inward investment unless the takeover went ahead. Why would the Saudi govt care, if the takeover were not led by the Saudi state? Of course, it is. Newcastle are owned by the Saudi govt, through its sovereign wealth fund, have a 'sitting Saudi minister' as chairman, and are in every conceivable way an arm of the Saudi state. 2) This has implications for the likelihood of any meaningful regulation or enforcement of Premier League rules for either Man City or Newcastle, which are both arms of allied states. Since we now know the UK govt will cave in any resistance and/or gladly assist these countries in the name of bilateral relations there is no chance that Newcastle will be punished for breaking the 'legal commitments' they allegedly gave relating to their ownership, or that Man City will be punished in any meaningful way for a decade spent blatantly flouting financial regulations. The conclusion has to be that these two clubs are now above the Premier League's rules and cannot be restricted by them. Everton, by contrast, won't be so lucky. 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Steve Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 The Athletic article with those leaked FCO emails proves this is a sports washing venture. If the league had any balls, they’d pull the plug on the owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
est1874 Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 1 minute ago, The_Steve said: The Athletic article with those leaked FCO emails proves this is a sports washing venture. If the league had any balls, they’d pull the plug on the owners. Well, they don't, so that's that. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacketspuds Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 As soon as United are taken over by the Qatari’s the PL will pass a ruling that puts far more stringent checks on ownership. Having Newcastle as another rich club challenging for the top 4 will strengthen the brand so nobody really gives a shit at the top end of the PL hierarchy. This will be like FFP all over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Steve Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 It would be ironic if the Qataris reopen their lawsuit against the Saudis for piracy, which was the PL’s bigger concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 16 minutes ago, The_Steve said: The Athletic article with those leaked FCO emails proves this is a sports washing venture. If the league had any balls, they’d pull the plug on the owners. The PL were pushed by the British Government to allow Saudi Arabia to buy a club or else U.K. trade relations with the Saudis would suffer. This article is not news to the Premier League. They knew they had to break their rules to please the government. Nothing has changed on that front to date (other than more people finding out the details) so I don’t see why the PL would change their stance just now. Maybe with a change of U.K. government they might suddenly find their voice and enforce their rules, but probably not even then. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Straggler Posted April 6, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted April 6, 2023 Happy to add my voice to those that would stop supporting my club with owners like Newcastle have. It would not even be a close call. The crest would become a literal badge of shame. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 1 hour ago, LondonLax said: Maybe with a change of U.K. government they might suddenly find their voice and enforce their rules, but probably not even then. No chance IMO. Blair (Starmer's role model seemingly) famously forced an end to an investigation into a corrupt arms deal between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia. There is no chance Starmer has more spine. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted April 6, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted April 6, 2023 For many, that's basically a selling point for Starmer. He's not messing with anything to do with international ally relations, and therefore it would seem that Newcastle are effectively UK government approved to break the rules. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 8 hours ago, Random Precision said: All the reasons you cite for your dislike of Newcastle is nothing more than envy, nothing more nothing less. I'd 100% hate to be in your position as a fan. To have to push away any ethics or morals I had to support my team would probably ruin it for me. I'd take bottom half with our owners over winning trophies with yours any day of the week. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lichfield Dean Posted April 6, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted April 6, 2023 6 hours ago, LondonLax said: The PL were pushed by the British Government to allow Saudi Arabia to buy a club or else U.K. trade relations with the Saudis would suffer. This article is not news to the Premier League. They knew they had to break their rules to please the government. Nothing has changed on that front to date (other than more people finding out the details) so I don’t see why the PL would change their stance just now. Maybe with a change of U.K. government they might suddenly find their voice and enforce their rules, but probably not even then. And yet the government didn't care at all about trade relations with the world's largest bloc literally only twenty miles away. How has this happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KentVillan Posted April 6, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted April 6, 2023 9 hours ago, Random Precision said: All the reasons you cite for your dislike of Newcastle is nothing more than envy, nothing more nothing less. I like the team Newcastle have assembled and I like the manager. But you're deluded if you think people dislike Saudi govt ownership of a football club out of pure envy... maybe get out of your football bubble a bit and think about what it actually means, and who they are. Besides all the well documented human rights abuses, which you may or may not care about, they've just agreed to drive up the global oil price with their OPEC cartel in collaboration with Russia. You'll be enjoying better football on the pitch, while your day-to-day life gets noticeably shitter because of their actions. It's madness that we're letting despotic governments use our national football league to sportswash their image. All so you can watch some more talented footballers. It's no different from when Pablo Escobar bankrolled Atletico Nacional to the Copa Libertadores in 1989. 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie09 Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 8 hours ago, Random Precision said: You need yto calm down, your mental health will suffer with all that hatred, envy, jealousy and watch us go in the summer window. Some people have class and morals, then there’s NUFC fans. The very epitome of classless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuwabatake Sanjuro Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 26 minutes ago, KentVillan said: I like the team Newcastle have assembled and I like the manager. But you're deluded if you think people dislike Saudi govt ownership of a football club out of pure envy... maybe get out of your football bubble a bit and think about what it actually means, and who they are. Besides all the well documented human rights abuses, which you may or may not care about, they've just agreed to drive up the global oil price with their OPEC cartel in collaboration with Russia. You'll be enjoying better football on the pitch, while your day-to-day life gets noticeably shitter because of their actions. It's madness that we're letting despotic governments use our national football league to sportswash their image. All so you can watch some more talented footballers. It's no different from when Pablo Escobar bankrolled Atletico Nacional to the Copa Libertadores in 1989. Harsh on Pablo to be comparing him to the scum owning Newcastle. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted April 6, 2023 Share Posted April 6, 2023 10 hours ago, est1874 said: If Villa were taken over by a murderous, antidemocratic regime, I'd have no qualms stepping away tomorrow. I'd consider the club dead and would simply support nobody at this level of football for the rest of my days. Happy to have that held against me if ever we go through the takeover process again. Football should never be tied to such things. Ever. Some things are bigger than football and always should take precedence. I think it'd be incredibly tough to be honest. People said similar things about the World Cup. People still watched the World Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post est1874 Posted April 6, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted April 6, 2023 1 hour ago, bobzy said: I think it'd be incredibly tough to be honest. People said similar things about the World Cup. People still watched the World Cup. I did not. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 15 hours ago, Wainy316 said: Man City fans always seem to have struggled with the fact that nobody has ever really cared about or respected any of their clubs 'achievements'. Newcastle fans will have to expect the same. Most City fans are absolutely bent in the head now, it's well funny. Sportswashed beyond belief. Defend their owners over everything. Angry all the time because they want to be seen on the same level as Utd. Think everyone's against them, when actually, no one cares... They are an irrelevance. Sport is about stakes and they don't have any. If they win the treble this season, or nothing, it doesn't change their summer plans. Newcastle fans will have the same soon enough. Christmas every day might not be as good as they think. Plus obviously, their owners are literally murdering, war-mongering monsters. Even worse than City's homophobes. Haway the lads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted April 7, 2023 Share Posted April 7, 2023 Has to be photo of the season so far. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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