[Football] Saudi consortium to take over Newcastle

[Hugo Rune]

 

[Bry Nylon]

With reference to the above, I hope it's not that picture of [MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION] chasing a wild boar again.

 

[Eeyore]

They did but the global condemnation and the effect that would have had on MBS probably means that’ll be the last time they do that. He’s desperate to be seen as a serious world leader.

But Cinemas, theme parks, sports events, concerts, girls playing sports (first female cycle race recently held), women driving, reduced reliance on low paid expatriate maids/drivers/construction workers shows the country is quickly changing from its hideously restrictive past. Despite the occasional zealot trying to disrupt this new western lifestyle (three performers from a foreign group stabbed during an open air concert in November)

No means perfect though.




Still got the old democracy and open press issues but so have all other gulf states and the war in Yemen and oppression of Shia Saudis in the east.

Errr....https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53677869

The fact that the government is cracking down on critics such as writers, academics and entrepreneurs shows they are trying to silence criticism of the Saudi Government.

And lots of other stuff:

Check out Amnesty's report from last year:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/saudi-arabia/report-saudi-arabia/

Still, there's a female cycle race on.

As much will be given as to quell unrest. Nothing more.

 

[BBassic]

Looks like this one could be picking up pace again:

Saudi Arabia has lifted its four-year ban on beIN Sports – which not only means that Premier League, Uefa and Fifa matches will soon be broadcast legally in the country again but could also have significant ramifications for the Saudi-backed Newcastle United takeover.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...oost-as-saudi-arabia-lifts-ban-on-bein-sports

 

[drew]

Personally hope the deal still fails. Newcastle fans don't deserve it.

 

[BBassic]

Personally hope the deal still fails. Newcastle fans don't deserve it.

You could read that in two ways.

1 - They don't deserve to be showered with riches because their means of 'protest' against an owner they despise is to fill the stadium every week, buy kit at his stores and then wonder why he won't go away all the while boring the rest of us to tears.
2 - They don't deserve to become yet another sports-washing PR mechanism for an oil state with an atrocious human rights record.

Either way, I agree. They don't deserve it.

 

[Weststander]

If it happens, they’ll be guaranteed EPL football ad infinitum and will never again be a relegation candidate, joining Citeh and Chelski as sportswashing/dubiously financed clubs. The ruling classes of Saudi commit atrocities home and abroad. The CL will become NUFC’s realistic aim.

Is that a good thing for the Albion and football in this country?

 

[Danny Wilson Said]

If it happens, they’ll be guaranteed EPL football ad infinitum and will never again be a relegation candidate, joining Citeh and Chelski as sportswashing/dubiously financed clubs. The ruling classes of Saudi commit atrocities home and abroad. The CL will become NUFC’s realistic aim.

Is that a good thing for the Albion and football in this country?

Very, very bad indeed, and not just for us. To sell to a wealthy owner is one thing, but to the financial arm of a regime with a very dubious human rights record and which executes its own citizens at home and abroad? I know Ashley is a bad owner, but surely this is too high a price to pay to get the club away from him.

 

[sparkie]

How sad.

Another football team loses its soul to a Petrostate.

I'd be corrupting my digital season ticket if it was us.

 

[Stat Brother]

They'll still moan.

 

[Danny Wilson Said]

How sad.

Another football team loses its soul to a Petrostate.

I'd be corrupting my digital season ticket if it was us.

A particularly evil one.

 

[Weststander]

They'll still moan.

If they spend like Citeh and Chelski, all that also-rans whinging will disappear overnight. Already tentative Champagne corks are popping online, cockiness, talk of the next manager and spend.

Once likeable Citeh fans and many peoples second favourite club, almost overnight became insufferable in phone-ins. If anything it led to enhanced arrogance .... "after what we've endured, we're owed all this success. Don't give a monkeys where the money came from".

The EPL doesn't do humility or morality.

 

[Barham's tash]

It’s funny isn’t it? Pretty soon the Premier League will be 80-90% owned by sovereign wealth or Private Equity all demanding instant success and chasing effectively 4 prizes of any worth. 16/18 into 4 doesn’t go. And then what?!

Our little island of private ownership will become the exception to the norm and I only hope we can continue to exist amongst the big boys against all adversity and occasionally challenge the status quo and watch them implode.

 

[Icy Gull]

I’d rather get relegated from the PL with TB than win the PL as an Arab states play thing. Mad I know

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

It’s funny isn’t it? Pretty soon the Premier League will be 80-90% owned by sovereign wealth or Private Equity all demanding instant success and chasing effectively 4 prizes of any worth. 16/18 into 4 doesn’t go. And then what?!

Our little island of private ownership will become the exception to the norm and I only hope we can continue to exist amongst the big boys against all adversity and occasionally challenge the status quo and watch them implode.

Looks that way, in years to come there may only be a 'few' places left for all the other teams to spend a season or so in the premier League.

 

[BBassic]

I think the fact that it seems Saudi piracy was the stumbling block here says a lot about the priorities of the league.

 

[BN41Albion]

Is that a good thing for the Albion and football in this country?

No, it's depressing as **** as far as fair competition etc in football is concerned. This is the way the world at large has gone though in terms of the super rich, which is also depressing as ****.

 

[BN41Albion]

Personally hope the deal still fails. Newcastle fans don't deserve it.

Agreed. Passionate, die hard fans my arse. Utterly pathetic protests against the owner they supposedly despise so much.

 

[drew]

You could read that in two ways.

1 - They don't deserve to be showered with riches because their means of 'protest' against an owner they despise is to fill the stadium every week, buy kit at his stores and then wonder why he won't go away all the while boring the rest of us to tears.
2 - They don't deserve to become yet another sports-washing PR mechanism for an oil state with an atrocious human rights record.

Either way, I agree. They don't deserve it.

Not just about their means of protest being almost invisible but there was a clip of a representative of supporters group who basically said he didn't give a damn about human rights overseas if it meant his beloved club were rich.

 

[Weststander]

No, it's depressing as **** as far as fair competition etc in football is concerned. This is the way the world at large has gone though in terms of the super rich, which is also depressing as ****.

There’s a depressing inevitably about all this and more to come. Clubs whoring themselves out to blood money or overseas best mates of criminal leaders.

Spuds and Arse will succumb one day if the price is right. Derby thought they were in 9 months ago …. every poster on ramstalk didn’t give a xxxx about EFL due diligence.

The brave new world of 51% fan ownership was a pipe-dream and fans love the current blood money buyers in any case.

This century Leicester, Wigan, Birmingham and Pompey were unlikely winners of proper trophies. See that receding into the ever distance memory.