[Albion] If the Albion were bought out by the Saudis

[Neville's Breakfast]

Same, nearly. I’d walk away from the Albion but I’d struggle to have any enthusiasm for any other club. I voted option two as my thoughts are not covered in the poll.

I might switch to a season ticket at Harlequins for my sport fix

I’ve already switched my support from Spurs, my glory hunting young kid team to the Albion. I couldn’t do it again and I couldn’t go back to supporting Spurs. The love is dead

The poll results so far suggest that very few feel as strongly as I do. We have a few Newcastle style fans, bring on the glory. It seems less than 20% feel strongly enough to walk away, not that surprised tbh though. There would be a stampede of glory hunters to take the “walk away” fans place.

True, but the club would be dead anyway so they would be welcome to it. I’ve supported since the mid 70s and see the current ownership as a continuation of the togetherness forged in the 90s when the fans last had to deal with bad ownership. It’s what keeps me supporting. If I wanted to follow a soulless plaything of foreign billionaires I could do so much closer to home. For me it would be better to return to lower league support if we were bought out in the manner of Newcastle. I was speaking with a Tranmere fan recently who goes home and away and would never consider crossing the river for Liverpool or Everton. I actually miss those lower league days out so it is admiration for Tony’s stewardship of the club and what it has become that perpetuates my enthusiasm for the Albion.

 

[Durlston]

Good luck making that logic stick.

If you mean the middle paragraph, Stat. I wasn't being 100% serious.

Sir Tony Bloom will always be up there as a real legend, as too should Dick Knight.

 

[Icy Gull]

poll results surprise me.

We have a billionaire owner who has sunk hundred of millions in. Without that we wouldnt be anything

Not that more of a leap is it

I wasn’t aware that TB thought human rights could feck off and that women were third class citizens and gays should be castrated or executed. Do you know something I don’t?

 

[Soton Seagull]

I'd become an armchair fan and spend a lot of time chuntering about selling out to a barbaric regime etc

Newcastle have gone from the frying pan of an unpleasant man who gave people poor working conditions and zero hour contracts to a ****ing volcano of a misogynystic (I'll explain later Rabb!) and minority persucuting Authoritarian regime/Monarchy with strong terrorist links.

Not a great day for the capitalist system as money screams in a high voice, whilst whipping the feet of morals in a public square.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I'd fancy us to see them off as well.

The whole idea is to sportswash. In Toon fans they've hit on the perfect crowd of ignorance and desperation.

A club where some of the supporters aren't utterly ignorant or indifferent about what's going on in the outside world would be far less of an attractive buy

I had a conversation with Mrs T about his. The only game in toon now is what will happen next.

I find it curious that a nation that has funded terrorism and operates Sharia law is willing to invest in a game and club that are fuelled by western decadance and booze and women.

What do the Saudi's hope to gain. Money? I don't think they need it? Love and understanding? I don't think they give a shit what we think? Tourism? Far cough. I simply don't get it.....

Unless this is the (unlikely) first toe dip ino the water of possible change. Mrs T says 'that's bollocks' and I'm inclined to agree.

So I remain completely baffled by all this.

Edit - hang on - the oil is running out isn't it, and in any case we will be 'all electric' in a few years (cars). So.......

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I had a conversation with Mrs T about his. The only game in toon now is what will happen next.

I find it curious that a nation that has funded terrorism and operates Sharia law is willing to invest in a game and club that are fuelled by western decadance and booze and women.

What do the Saudi's hope to gain. Money? I don't think they need it? Love and understanding? I don't think they give a shit what we think? Tourism? Far cough. I simply don't get it.....

Unless this is the (unlikely) first toe dip ino the water of possible change. Mrs T says 'that's bollocks' and I'm inclined to agree.

So I remain completely baffled by all this.

Edit - hang on - the oil is running out isn't it, and in any case we will be 'all electric' in a few years (cars). So.......

Maybe for much the same reasons that they've been investing huge amounts in horse racing for decades? Simple rich men's playthings? New Money yearning for acceptance from Old Money? You could probably write a book on it. And many probably have

 

[BN9 BHA]

I definitely wouldn’t go to games again but I wouldn’t support another league team, especially another PL club.
I go to local non league games when the Albion are away or not playing, I would just go to more non league matches.

Voted I would protest, don’t really agree with the other options.

 

[Icy Gull]

Shame this isn’t a public poll

 

[Weststander]

I had a conversation with Mrs T about his. The only game in toon now is what will happen next.

I find it curious that a nation that has funded terrorism and operates Sharia law is willing to invest in a game and club that are fuelled by western decadance and booze and women.

What do the Saudi's hope to gain. Money? I don't think they need it? Love and understanding? I don't think they give a shit what we think? Tourism? Far cough. I simply don't get it.....

Unless this is the (unlikely) first toe dip ino the water of possible change. Mrs T says 'that's bollocks' and I'm inclined to agree.

So I remain completely baffled by all this.

Edit - hang on - the oil is running out isn't it, and in any case we will be 'all electric' in a few years (cars). So.......

Sportswashing.

Aside from a few annoyed people on football fora, to give their regime a better public image across the globe.

You'll see this almost immediately with investment in a poor part of Newcastle, great PR. Mansour is lauded for turning around a rundown area of east Manchester.

 

[1066familyman]

In my experience of standing up for things you claim to believe in, most talk the talk, very few actually then walk the walk.

 

[Icy Gull]

In my experience of standing up for things you claim to believe in, most talk the talk, very few actually then walk the walk.

I walked the walk at the end of CH’s reign

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I've said for years that IF we were ever sold out to a nameless foreign Corporation, be that from Qatar, UAE, America, Thailand, India, China then I would probably walk away.

If it were Saudi I'd definitely walk away and go and watch non-league.

I would still 'support' the team and follow the results, how could you not, but until the ownership changed the club wouldn't get a penny more of my money.

 

[BN9 BHA]

poll results surprise me.

We have a billionaire owner who has sunk hundred of millions in. Without that we wouldnt be anything

Not that more of a leap is it

This post surprises me, Tony is 100% Albion and one of us.

 

[BN9 BHA]

In my experience of standing up for things you claim to believe in, most talk the talk, very few actually then walk the walk.

Plenty walked the walk for what they believed in during the 90s

 

[Justice]

It might feel like the end of a journey - but maybe on to a trophy-winning era. However not all Saudis are revoltingly rich.

Personally, I have no problem with it. Sir Tony Bloom makes his money from other gambler's misery albeit in a more accepted way in poker and being a lifelong supporter.

It's not going to happen so nothing to worry about.

Poker is a hobby for TB not his income stream surely we all know that by now.

 

[sparkie]

Walk away until they were gone.

Football with unlimited cheat codes has little appeal. Getting those cheat codes in a deal with the devil is a further step too far.

 

[Razzoo]

Would probably switch to supporting my local team Harrogate Town. It would be weird though. Thank **** we have a decent owner.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I had a conversation with Mrs T about his. The only game in toon now is what will happen next.

I find it curious that a nation that has funded terrorism and operates Sharia law is willing to invest in a game and club that are fuelled by western decadance and booze and women.

What do the Saudi's hope to gain. Money? I don't think they need it? Love and understanding? I don't think they give a shit what we think? Tourism? Far cough. I simply don't get it.....

Unless this is the (unlikely) first toe dip ino the water of possible change. Mrs T says 'that's bollocks' and I'm inclined to agree.

So I remain completely baffled by all this.

Edit - hang on - the oil is running out isn't it, and in any case we will be 'all electric' in a few years (cars). So.......

Yeh, it's part of the transition away from oil. To maintain their power and wealth in the coming decades the Saudi's and other gulf states can will need more soft power which they currently have (ie none). That will require a charm offensive and a few high profile (but ultimately window dressing) reforms.

Did you see the ad's at the Amex at the Arsenal game? Trying to get us to visit Saudi Arabia for the F1? Loads of ad's on TV featuring western women without head-dresses, happily laughing with the locals. It's bollocks of course. The House of Saud know they can't be a pariah for ever, I won't hold my breath for meaningful change to happen though

 

[Justice]

No one is bigger than the club and that will never change owners, players, managers, coaches all come and go.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

I must have missed all the protests against the UK selling billions in arms to the Saudis every year…

Touch my football club though, I’m hitting the streets with placards!!

Why the outrage in football but not for what amounts to actually arming this regime!?