Saudis taking over Newcastle | Maybe not

[ExecutionerWasp001]

No they won't and for a couple of reasons.
The first is FFP, at national level and European level. For all the shit it gets It has more teeth then given credit for.
I expect them to have a decent amount of money but nowhere near what is being discussed.

Everybody knew that City were flagrantly flouting FFP yet nothing was done. The £400 Mill Etihad deal was passed through as an unrelated party & fair value deal despite the fact that it's bankrolled by the Abu Dhabi Royal Family. City would have been able to carry on unabated but for some lax IT security. I'd be shocked if the Saudi's made these kinds of schoolboy errors.

This is all a sports washing exercise as it has been at City. There's no big profits to be made from football if an owner wants on field success. The vast majority of profits have to be put back into player purchasing, wages & infrastucture.

 

[RoyH1]

No they won't and for a couple of reasons.
The first is FFP, at national level and European level. For all the shit it gets It has more teeth then given credit for.
The second is the economic situation in SA. West Texas Intermediate(WTI) crude is currently trading at just under $8 per barrell. If you think any Saudi business man will start burning hundreds of millions in a sports company that will not yield any return, you have another thing coming, never mind the national fund. Most funds will rather hold cash in this climate. Anither thing is SA are trying in a to agressively diversify. They needs .one for other things. They are comparitively a welfare state. That's why they partially listed Aramco.
Another is the political instability. MBS is a loon. Today. you're cool with him, tomorrow you're under house arrest. The Saudi official that drove through this deal could find himself out soon. That's the kind of country it is atm.
I expect them to have a decent amount of money but nowhere near what is being discussed.

You make some very good points
That being said, the price of oil will bounce up at one point in the future. I expect Newcastle o get some sponsorships that they would not have obtained without Saudi ownership. Basically big money will attract other big money.

 

[Adisa]

Everybody knew that City were flagrantly flouting FFP yet nothing was done. The £400 Mill Etihad deal was passed through as an unrelated party & fair value deal despite the fact that it's bankrolled by the Abu Dhabi Royal Family. City would have been able to carry on unabated but for some lax IT security. I'd be shocked if the Saudi's made these kinds of schoolboy errors.

This is all a sports washing exercise as it has been at City. There's no big profits to be made from football if an owner wants on field success. The vast majority of profits have to be put back into player purchasing, wages & infrastucture.

At the end of the day, all that matters is the economic reality. Why do you think all those rumours of SA buying us came to nowt? They couldn't afford to buy us. Saudi Arabia cannot afford to pump hundreds of millions into Newcastle at this moment unless the club is top priority(I don't think it is).
I expect them to take a slow.measured approach towards developing that squad.

 

[Adisa]

You make some very good points
That being said, the price of oil will bounce up at one point in the future. I expect Newcastle o get some sponsorships that they would not have obtained without Saudi ownership. Basically big money will attract other big money.

Lets wait and see. I think the days of high oil prices are gone for the forseable.
I haven't said they won't have money but Newcastle bidding €100m and offering €300,000 a week is still unrealistic imo.

 

[Guy Incognito]

They must really hate Ashley that much. Anybody will do including Saudi's

He seems chuffed

It'll be funny if this falls through.

 

[sp_107]

Anybody worried they buy lot of top quality and win the league with in 2 years under a manager like Pochenteno and In that process they might upset us by stealing our targets?

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

I used to like the bloke but the further his channel has gone the bigger prick he's shown himself to be. He is a huge hypocrite. Talks about City a lot and how fake the club is because of the money and is quite happy to let Laurence talk about their owners and everything wrong about the regimes where they are from but of course once Newcastle are going to get an owner like this he's quite happy to be all "Oh we need to wait for more info" instead of doing the right thing and calling the owners out for the shocking things that are still allowed in their nation.

Yep agree, I used to really enjoy watching his old videos when he used to just sit with a can and rant about the premier league on a weekly basis was hilarious. Now as you say since he’s gotten big he’s just turned into a pure wanker, I also can’t stand that smug cnut Lawrence McKenna, thinks he’s funny but is anything but, absolute tosser!

He’ll sweep all the human rights violations and despicable acts the regime has committed under the carpet and never mention it in his videos, while completely forgetting all stick he gave City fans for being fake and plastic.

 

[Garry Buck]

Anybody worried they buy lot of top quality and win the league with in 2 years under a manager like Pochenteno and In that process they might upset us by stealing our targets?

No question in my mind that within 5 years they will be challenging for the title IF they get the right manager and players in. I also have no doubt they will sign players we are linked with in the future. That being said I am happy with our current recruitment process and I think we are going in the right direction.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Surely their fan base stops at Tyne and Weir and doesn't reach worldwide?

The population of Newcastle is the same as my London Borough.

Millwall are the most supported club in my borough. Are Millwall a big club?

Maybe a big club in the Hooligan league.
I think most people accept that Newcastle have a big fan base.
If you dont thats fine.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Saudi Arabia is an appalling place and the idea that they could own a EPL club shows how morally bankrupt football is.

 

[Sied]

At the end of the day, all that matters is the economic reality. Why do you think all those rumours of SA buying us came to nowt? They couldn't afford to buy us. Saudi Arabia cannot afford to pump hundreds of millions into Newcastle at this moment unless the club is top priority(I don't think it is).
I expect them to take a slow.measured approach towards developing that squad.

I think you're underestimating how much money the SA fund has to play with. They've been making big investments in huge companies like Carnival Cruises and Shell since the market crash. It was clear oil prices weren't going to be recovering any time soon when the made those investments. Plus one of the purposes of their fund is to diversify them away from total economic dependence on oil. £300m for Newcastle is a drop in the ocean relatively.

That said, I'm not sure they'll go the same way City & PSG did. From what I've read, they see Newcastle as a good investment compared to a club like United, who have limited possibility of further growth. As long as they see Newcastle as an investment, rather than a toy to inject billions into, they might be planning on staying within FFP or even trying to turn a profit.

 

[flappyjay]

Maybe a big club in the Hooligan league.
I think most people accept that Newcastle have a big fan base.
If you dont thats fine.

Definitely having a lot of local support is important. They won't and have never struggled to fill up their stadium

 

[flappyjay]

Anybody worried they buy lot of top quality and win the league with in 2 years under a manager like Pochenteno and In that process they might upset us by stealing our targets?

Their transfers would all have to go perfectly and also find a way to avoid ffp.

 

[Stacks]

Maybe a big club in the Hooligan league.
I think most people accept that Newcastle have a big fan base.
If you dont thats fine.

Why though? Big compared to what? If it because they have a 50k stadium? I doubt they are even known outside of England. Newcastle fan TV has 21000 subscribers. That's pitiful and suggests to me they do not have a big fan base

 

[Lj82]

Why though? Big compared to what? If it because they have a 50k stadium? I doubt they are even known outside of England. Newcastle fan TV has 21000 subscribers. That's pitiful and suggests to me they do not have a big fan base

Actually they do have a decent following outside of England for a club that doesn't challenge for honours.

 

[RUCK4444]

They must really hate Ashley that much. Anybody will do including Saudi's

He seems chuffed

Of course he's feckin' chuffed. It's only this lot here that apparently wouldn't be.

I guarantee you that there won't be more than a muttering about the moral issues surrounding this. They will just be accepted as another club that have won the lottery and seen as part of the Chelsea, City group of new money clubs.

All the moral insecurities people feared here will be proven as a feckin' nonsense.

 

[passing-wind]

Of course he's feckin' chuffed. It's only this lot here that apparently wouldn't be.

I guarantee you that there won't be more than a muttering about the moral issues surrounding this. They will just be accepted as another club that have won the lottery and seen as part of the Chelsea, City group of new money clubs.

All the moral insecurities people feared here will be proven as a feckin' nonsense.

This is the crux of the average passionate football fan. Newcastle fans who are worried eventually will eventually diminish once the club start having stability in challenging. I'm sure there's many loopholes surrounding FFP they'll amass a decent squad of players within a few seasons.

 

[TheReligion]

Anybody worried they buy lot of top quality and win the league with in 2 years under a manager like Pochenteno and In that process they might upset us by stealing our targets?

Do you get worried if there's a gust of wind when you leave the house?

 

[AltiUn]

Anybody worried they buy lot of top quality and win the league with in 2 years under a manager like Pochenteno and In that process they might upset us by stealing our targets?

If Newcastle are able to poach are targets by offering them more money then they're players we wouldn't have wanted here anyway, we've seen in the past where that's got us. Newcastle won't even be remotely as attractive as some are inferring, there's no easy way to the top, it'll take years of careful planning and building to become a top team, maybe in the distant future we can worry about losing players to them.

 

[Bullhitter]

Saudi Arabia is an appalling place and the idea that they could own a EPL club shows how morally bankrupt football is.

All elite level sport and most people are morally bankrupt and most of the ones that aren't is due to a lack of opportunity.

 

[SilentWitness]

Of course he's feckin' chuffed. It's only this lot here that apparently wouldn't be.

I guarantee you that there won't be more than a muttering about the moral issues surrounding this. They will just be accepted as another club that have won the lottery and seen as part of the Chelsea, City group of new money clubs.

All the moral insecurities people feared here will be proven as a feckin' nonsense.

Wrong.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-re...-human-rights-situation-newcastle-united-deal

 

[marukomu]

Wrong.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-re...-human-rights-situation-newcastle-united-deal

Selling them a football club is a lot better than the £6bn of weapons they've been sold in the last 5 years. They need to keep them sweet.

 

[Cassidy]

Saudi Arabia is an appalling place and the idea that they could own a EPL club shows how morally bankrupt football is.

Like the EPL isnt already morally bankrupt ha

 

[pratyush_utd]

Wrong.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-re...-human-rights-situation-newcastle-united-deal

UK just like other countries cannot stop their relationship with Saudi Arabia. It's way too important country to cut bilateral trade ties with.

On the other hand, they could make rule that countries investment fund should not be allowed to invest in sport teams as it gives unfair advantage as no company can compete with them. I don't know if that is even practically possible.

 

[onetwo3oclock4oclockrock]

Someone should make a Jamal Khashoggi-chant that is sung on every stadium that Newcastle visits (and by the decent Newcastle fans at St.James'), so that this Saudi whitewashing campaign backfires heavily.

 

[stevoc]

Of course he's feckin' chuffed. It's only this lot here that apparently wouldn't be.

I guarantee you that there won't be more than a muttering about the moral issues surrounding this. They will just be accepted as another club that have won the lottery and seen as part of the Chelsea, City group of new money clubs.

All the moral insecurities people feared here will be proven as a feckin' nonsense.

I may be wrong here but are you trying to say you think people were only objecting to the Saudis owning United because they were afraid United would get bad press?

 

[Antisocial]

David Squires has taken a fantastic look at the situation in his weekly comic:

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...res-newcastle-united-potential-saudi-takeover

 

[Abdullah7]

Saudi Arabia is an appalling place and the idea that they could own a EPL club shows how morally bankrupt football is.

based on what? I'm a Saudi and can say without any doubt that Saudis live a comfortable life, safe and sound without any governmental hindrance. Have you ever heard about Sheffield United's owners? they already own a club who's fighting United and Chelsea for a champions league spot. not too shabby ..

 

[onetwo3oclock4oclockrock]

I'm a Saudi and can say without any doubt that Saudis live a comfortable life, safe and sound without any governmental hindrance.

Do you have any gay, atheist friends in Riyahd?

 

[Infra-red]

David Squires has taken a fantastic look at the situation in his weekly comic:

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...res-newcastle-united-potential-saudi-takeover

Very good.

 

[Abdullah7]

Do you have any gay, atheist friends in Riyahd?

Saudi Arabia is a part of the Arabian peninsula who have an Islamic identity even before the house of al Saud. I knew of gay people or atheists but I chose not to be friend them. I've never seen any type of abuse or discrimination towards a specific group. We have a law like every country and it's working really good for us. Compare the crime rates between London and Riyadh for a matter fact to get a taste of how safe we feel in our Kingdom.

 

[charlenefan]

I've not read the thread but anyone think this is going to end up being a bit of a fail and Newcastle still won't reach the heights they want to?

 

[devilish]

Hopefully this will be yet another nail to the Glazer's administration coffin. Good luck getting top 4 on a regular basis with Shitty, Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and us competing for it. Unfortunately I can't think of anyone mad enough to buy United at the prices suggested by the media.

 

[RoyH1]

Someone should make a Jamal Khashoggi-chant that is sung on every stadium that Newcastle visits (and by the decent Newcastle fans at St.James'), so that this Saudi whitewashing campaign backfires heavily.

The chants against their ownership are going to be epic.

 

[Rish Sawhney]

Saudi Arabia is a part of the Arabian peninsula who have an Islamic identity even before the house of al Saud. I knew of gay people or atheists but I chose not to be friend them. I've never seen any type of abuse or discrimination towards a specific group. We have a law like every country and it's working really good for us. Compare the crime rates between London and Riyadh for a matter fact to get a taste of how safe we feel in our Kingdom.

"I knew of gay and atheists but I chose not to befriend them." You just described discrimination. If you refuse to be friends with people based on religion or orientation you're a prejudiced and discriminatory person. Thank you for proving everyone's point.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Wh

based on what? I'm a Saudi and can say without any doubt that Saudis live a comfortable life, safe and sound without any governmental hindrance. Have you ever heard about Sheffield United's owners? they already own a club who's fighting United and Chelsea for a champions league spot. not too shabby ..

The public stoning to death near to where I stayed was the pinnacle of disgust I felt for the Saudi Elite. I guess you might think they deserved it, maybe they were gay or had been caught with somebody not their husband. It’s a disgusting regime and should have no influence in the U.K.
You are correct, the Saudi Elite have a privileged life.

 

[RedDevil@84]

I've not read the thread but anyone think this is going to end up being a bit of a fail and Newcastle still won't reach the heights they want to?

Depends on what you define as heights. If the Saudis recruit the right kind of footballing heads, don't think it will be difficult to make Newcastle a top 4 team in 4-5 years.
But then it is too early to predict. It is not easy to get all things right that fast, regardless of the money.

 

[Olly Gunnar Solskjær]

"I don't want to be friends with gay people and athiests... I haven't seen any group be discriminated against"

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Someone should make a Jamal Khashoggi-chant that is sung on every stadium that Newcastle visits (and by the decent Newcastle fans at St.James'), so that this Saudi whitewashing campaign backfires heavily.

"You're getting dismembered and dissolved in acid in the morning" will be sung to all struggling Newcastle managers.

 

[Garry Buck]

I don’t think Newcastle are going to splash tons of money on starts all at once. I think they will buy sensibly and perhaps but a star name once a season or something like that.