Newcastle Utd about to be taken over, but by whom?

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AndyRM

Elder Goth
Good summary from nufc.com, which I posted on the main board too:

The morning after the night before - and as evidence of the celebrations is cleared up, thoughts turn not only to the future, but also the wreckage of the last fourteen years.

For those fans growing up in the Mike Ashley era, a change of ownership represents a genuine new beginning to their supporting career - if all you've ever known is this, then you're entitled to your #cans.

Older generations however can recall one or two previous days that were pivotal; be it the arrival of Sir John Hall or Ashley's takeover in 2007 - the latter event giving rise to optimism that better days lay ahead for this club.

We now know that it didn't; the road to division and indifference littered with unwise appointments, needless court cases, regrettable public statements, and baffling squad recruitment policies.

It's more than the infamous paddling pools and "couldn't get it over the line" transfer windows - it wasn't all about the money, much was spent, plenty wasted. It's the "can't compete, won't compete" mindset that needs to be exorcised - a collective inferiority complex.

The legacy of a businessman who failed to capitalise on a colossal opportunity and harness its commercial potential has been to unify a fractured fan base; united in relief that those red and blue adverts will come crashing down.

Alongside that though runs optimism over our future prospects and concerns over the new ownership of the club and their suitability for the colossal amount of work required to "build back better".

Our constant mantra throughout the last 14 years was that our chances of progress were hindered by a failure to bring in football people - or keep any we got. That needs to change, and not just in terms of the first team management.

In terms of the support, many are in the Anybody but Mike club currently; those promised riches from Saudi Arabia almost a side issue to bidding good riddance of the sandshoe salesman and his cronies.

That will recede though as the incomers begin to flex their muscles - and the new era brings challenges for the support. Changing the stadium name for instance and seeing just what the new lot deem to be a practical level of fan consultation and communication.

Others are more than uncomfortable with the track record of those promising to invest in the club and the region in terms of abhorrent human rights abuses and domestic criminal legislation.

To that - and sports washing accusations - we don't pretend to have the answers, but share those misgivings, regardless of the fact that the occupants of Buckingham Palace and Downing Street seem not to.

In a perfect world we'd not be owned by Sports Direct or PIF and not be called upon as football fans to make moral judgements, but this seems to be the reality of the Premier League in 2021.

A change of ownership has come too late for some of those fans who have walked away because of the path that football has taken, not just on Barrack Road.

And while calls for Premier League transparency have receded markedly in NE postcodes, the fan-led review that Nadine Dorres and the DCMS are tasked with remains important - unless we're happy to pull up the drawbridge now apparently sitting at the top table.

Have a ponder about where you'll stand if and when European Super League returns and the NUFC badge appears on the proposals. There will be a cost for what we stand to gain.

Separation may have been proven to the satisfaction of the football authorities at least in terms of the new owners, but achieving that among the fanbase will be a more elongated process.

If nothing else though, the reset button has been pressed, something that we privately never thought would happen.

It remains to be seen what lies ahead for this club, but bidding farewell to the days of ticking over is a genuine cause for celebration.
 
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Archie_tect

Archie_tect

Active Member
How he keeps getting offered management jobs amazes me. Bruce's lost 70.8% of the games in charge of Newcastle... you could argue he's being paid £6m + for doing precisely nothing for 2 tears.

They should've kept Benitez happy- he was the best manager Newcastle had been able to attract for years.
 
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AndyRM

Elder Goth
How he keeps getting offered management jobs amazes me. They should've kept Benitez happy- he was the best manager Newcastle had been able to attract for years.

Pardew (unpopular opinion I know) and Hughton were pretty good too. I liked Roeder as well.

Agree about Benitez though, and I thought it was admirable he stuck with the club and got them promoted.
 

AndyRM

Elder Goth
Newcastle suffers from being too far away from where managers' and players' families want to be.
Saudis' first investment will probably be heated seats!

SJP is pretty warm I think. SOL less so.

Roy Keane went on a pretty magnificent (albeit sexist) rant about players not wanting to play here when he was manager of Sunderland.

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk/2007/aug/15/football.britishidentity

I suspect that is going to change for Newcastle over the next few seasons. The seats too, maybe.
 

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
Newcastle suffers from being too far away from where managers' and players' families want to be.
Saudis' first investment will probably be heated seats!

Indeed. If you take out the word "players", this applies to new industry too IMHO.
 

Milkfloat

Active Member
I don’t think many Man City fans care about who is funding them, they are just happy to have the good times. I don’t see the Toon caring too much when the investment flows.
 
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Deleted member 28

Guest
How he keeps getting offered management jobs amazes me. Bruce's lost 70.8% of the games in charge of Newcastle... you could argue he's being paid £6m + for doing precisely nothing for 2 tears.

They should've kept Benitez happy- he was the best manager Newcastle had been able to attract for years.
Bruce is a shoot manager, as said already they're in a win, win situation.
I've a close pal who's a Newcastle fan and the euphoria surrounding this buyout is phenomenal.
 

AndyRM

Elder Goth
Bruce is a shoot manager, as said already they're in a win, win situation.
I've a close pal who's a Newcastle fan and the euphoria surrounding this buyout is phenomenal.

Perhaps according to your pal or the press.

I've lived in and around the area for nearly 20 years now and I know a lot of fans of the club who are wary of this.

Getting rid of Ashley (and hopefully Charnley) is a good thing. I'm less bothered about Bruce, he's done what he can with what he has which, a couple of players aside, ain't much.
 

Pale Rider

Veteran
Newcastle suffers from being too far away from where managers' and players' families want to be.
Saudis' first investment will probably be heated seats!

Keegan said of when he persuaded one of his big foreign signings to join Newcastle: "I told him it wasn't far from London - footballers believe stuff like that."
 
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Archie_tect

Archie_tect

Active Member
Even Shearer, who isn't known for his moral standing, is concerned about Saudi's human rights record... though the pogo-ing 'fans' flinging open cans of lager around outside the ground didn't seem to care too much. Wish the BBC wouldn't ask them for their considered and thoughtful opinions on national TV.
 
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Archie_tect

Archie_tect

Active Member
Taken from the BBC Sport website:

"There is irritation with the Premier League board from all 19 other clubs, who are united in a view they should have been kept updated on an issue of such significance. The clubs also feel they should have been told what had changed to allow the deal to proceed before it was completed.

When approving the takeover on Thursday, the Premier League said it has received legal assurances from the new owners that the Saudi state would not control Newcastle United and there would be punishments if it was proven otherwise.

The takeover was 80% financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, whose chair is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Western intelligence agencies say he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an allegation Bin Salman denies."

Amanda Staveley, who has been fronting the deal between the Saudi princes and Newcastle Utd for the last two attempts over the last 4 years or so, will have a lot of questions to answer, especially regarding the legality of the PIF.
 
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