Newcastle United now owned by the PIF | PL receives "legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control NUFC" ;)

[Ananke]

I’d say ‘the Devil you know’ but I think we already know both in this case…

Honestly if I were a Newcastle Fan after Ashley’s reign, probably be excited as hell. But there’d still be that underlying feeling that something just ‘isn’t quite right’ with it all.

Newcastle United are now controlled by the Saudi state, all the bull aside, that’s the bottom line.

 

[Flytan]

I’d say ‘the Devil you know’ but I think we already know both in this case…

Honestly if I were a Newcastle Fan after Ashley’s reign, probably be excited as hell. But there’d still be that underlying feeling that something just ‘isn’t quite right’ with it all.

Newcastle United are now controlled by the Saudi state, all the bull aside, that’s the bottom line.

It's probably a lot easier for them to swallow since they aren't the first club to do this. It's basically the norm now unfortunately

 

[Dancfc]

Many good points - I kind of understand Newcastle-fans. But at the same time - it is another nail in the coffin of football. Reaching top-4 was hard before - now you will have yet another wealthy club throwing around money. I really feel for Leicester - doing everything right, but now they could be overrun by the biggest joke of a club in the last 25 years. You look at the 100 biggest transfer flops of the P.L - and I guarantee Newcastle have between 10-15 of the players. And then you look at the 100 best signings of the Premier League and they might have 2 or 3.

Leicester got to where they are in the first place because they 'doped' their way out of the Championship with a wage bill alone higher than their turnover.

Do you have the same sympathy for Derby who would have got a PL place that year if Leicester did it "organically"?

 

[moses]

I kinda get the drunk youngsters outside of St James', as silly as I thnk they are.

That open letter though from the supporters club: "Dear His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Amanda, and Jamie... ".

It's not just drunk kids, Kenny Cunningham said on Irish radio that he's delighted for the fans.

 

[Infra-red]

Will this breathe new life into the Superleague?

The Elite clubs knew what was coming, next up will be Norwich to be taken over.

You wouldn't have a superleague without Newcastle, now. They'd be invited if it ever gets resurrected.

 

[stevoc]

Why is the moral onus on Geordies and not the League or the Government. The British Taxpayer and the Saudis have a long cosy mutually beneficial relationship.

Don't know if anyone's ever accused the Premier League or the UK Government of having morals.

 

[mancan92]

You're a few hundred years off there.

In the 1500s Europeans were still learning to find Africa let alone colonise it. That happened in the last 200 years.

Eh Im not talking about just Africa. It's just an example of a place that recently still has huge amounts of atrocities happening by the British just done on the low and swept under the carpet.

 

[DOTA]

It might have been mentioned already but what do you think this could do for Newcastle as a city? The one thing I'm sympathetic about all this is how a takeover and increased interest in the football team might help improve aspects of the local area - firstly increased tourism but then through improvements to business and housing, etc.

It will moderately increase house prices wherever the really posh bit of the northeast is. But, yeah, I don't think it'll have any major effect.

 

[11101]

Eh Im not talking about just Africa. It's just an example of a place that recently still has huge amounts of atrocities happening by the British just done on the low and swept under the carpet.

500 years ago Britain wasn't even Britain, it was a collection of countries and fiefdoms fighting each other. Invading the French was about as far as we got. You can't use that time period as a way to assuage guilt over supporting the Saudis.

 

[Moston Red]

Seeing shearers smugness is starting to wind me up.

 

[mancan92]

Congratulations. You are todays champion in the International Whataboutery games.

You’ve also opened my eyes. Here I was hating on MBS for chopping up journalists, killing dissidents, bombing starving Yemenis, funding extremism throughout the Middle East and also in western countries, and having an abhorrent human rights record in his country….

Then I remembered that I have an iPhone which is essentially the same thing.

The maddest thing about this post is we know that the British and the US have been involved in all these things in the last 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan infact there is an active direct link to the US & British disruption in that part of the world and the more extreme ideologies coming through.

 

[moses]

Don't know if anyone's ever accused the Premier League or the UK Government of having morals.

Yeah, that wasn't my point.

 

[DixieDean]

Yeah, putting it in print is kinda shocking.

You couldn't make it up. Do these people not have any morals, like at all? ''They welcomed the mass murderous with open arms!''. All this for a trophy?

 

[mancan92]

500 years ago Britain wasn't even Britain, it was a collection of countries and fiefdoms fighting each other. Invading the French was about as far as we got. You can't use that time period as a way to assuage guilt over supporting the Saudis.

Did I say people should support Saudis? Nope I said don't try to take moral highground over Newcastle fans excited about how their club or city might improve for the better.

 

[FatTails]

The maddest thing about this post is we know that the British and the US have been involved in all these things in the last 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan infact there is an active direct link to the US & British disruption in that part of the world and the more extreme ideologies coming through.

Stop deflecting and going back to whataboutery. Maybe once, try not to.

 

[moses]

Stop deflecting and going back to whataboutery. Maybe once, try not to.

Ah he has a point, the selective moral outrage is frustrating.

 

[Someone]

Newcastle are still favourites to get relegated - 3 points from 7 matches and there could be a negative reaction from players uncertain about their future at the club with a manager who will already be considering his next role but anticipating a nice pay off. He will obviously be gone in the next week.

True. Not sure how can the players and the manager actually put any effort knowing that they'll be out of the door regardless. Also their fixtures from now till Jan are brutal include games against Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, City, Man United, and Everton.

 

[Ainu]

Ah he has a point, the selective moral outrage is frustrating.

He doesn't have a point at all. This thread is about Newcastle, people don't have to preface any criticism of Newcastle fans by first criticising every other morally dubious thing in the world. It's nonsense.

 

[mancan92]

Stop deflecting and going back to whataboutery. Maybe once, try not to.

Thats not whataboutery you brought up issues that you have with the Saudi Government I am just showing you that your own government have carried out every single one of the things youve brought up.

 

[FatTails]

Ah he has a point, the selective moral outrage is frustrating.

I don’t think he has a point but if either of you fail to see how the Saudis differ from the Americans, I don’t really see how I can show you. It is pretty obvious to be honest.

Let’s leave it at that. I have no further interest in arguing for the sake of arguing. I will continue to mock Newcastle fans and their owners. I’m far enough to not be at a serious risk of being chopped up.

 

[Lay]

 

[DixieDean]

Ah he has a point, the selective moral outrage is frustrating.

What's happened is outrageous and deserves every bit of criticism coming its way. The idea of a state, much less, one like Saudi, being allowed to buy a football club is absurd.

It's easily one of the lowest points in English football history. City was bad, and this is somehow worse.

 

[duffer]

Thats not whataboutery you brought up issues that you have with the Saudi Government I am just showing you that your own government have carried out every single one of the things youve brought up.

If the UK government bought a club and their fans were out dancing in the streets and writing love letters to Boris Johnston, that would be a reasonable comparison.

Lots of us Brits hate the government and hate a large amount of our nation's history. That's got nothing to do with an opinion on MBS buying Newcastle and some of their fans turning into boot lickers.

 

[Teja]

What's happened is outrageous and deserves every bit of criticism coming its way. The idea of a state, much less, one like Saudi, being allowed to buy a football club is absurd.

Obviously the financial aspect of it is absurd, but then City, PSG are absurd by that standard as well. This is nothing new.

It's a bit unfair to even lump the likes of Roman with nation state levels of wealth. Chelsea are closer to United / RM than City / PSG.

 

[mancan92]

What's happened is outrageous and deserves every bit of criticism coming its way. The idea of a state, much less, one like Saudi, being allowed to buy a football club is absurd.

Then be pissed at the government and the powers that have influence. I don't see how you can be mad a Newcastle fans who are happy about what good could come for their city and team. They literally had no ability to choose their owners or the decision the British government and the premier league took.

 

[mancan92]

If the UK government bought a club and their fans were out dancing in the streets and writing love letters to Boris Johnston, that would be a reasonable comparison.

The UK Government doesn't need to do that as they already own many countries unlike the Saudis

 

[FatTails]

Then be pissed at the government and the powers that have influence. I don't see how you can be mad a Newcastle fans who are happy about what good could come for their city and team. They literally had no ability to choose their owners or the decision the British government and the premier league took.

We can be mad at whoever we want, what’s it to you? We are thankfully not living under MBS’s thumb and there is no serious risk of us being chopped up right now.

Newcastle fans celebrating in the streets are myopic idiots, with a limited view, and lacking in any self-awareness and self-respect. They deserve all the mockery that comes their way and I’m sure they don’t mind, since winning some tinpot trophies in a made up game and signing some expensive players makes it all worth it.

 

[DixieDean]

Then be pissed at the government and the powers that have influence. I don't see how you can be mad a Newcastle fans who are happy about what good could come for their city and team. They literally had no ability to choose their owners or the decision the British government and the premier league took.

Because it's incredibly tone deaf to be rolling out the red carpet to these people!! There is more to life than football.

Again, if it was me I would bin the club, but if they don't want to do that there are things they could have been doing to discourage the takeover and there are protests they could do in the future. Of course, they won't because Trophies mean more to them (and most football fans) then human rights abuses.

 

[moses]

What's happened is outrageous and deserves every bit of criticism coming its way. The idea of a state, much less, one like Saudi, being allowed to buy a football club is absurd.

It's easily one of the lowest points in English football history. City was bad, and this is somehow worse.

I agree. It's shocking, but not as shocking as selling them arms and turning a blind eye to their human rights violations, and the football club purchase is pretty much inevitable once already have that sort of relationship with them. This sale is not an outlier in UK / Saudi relations at all.

 

[duffer]

The UK Government doesn't need to do that as they already own many countries unlike the Saudis

I don't support the UK government, I didn't vote for this UK government and I'm not writing open love letters to the UK government.

"You can't judge X because your government does y" is ridiculous.

 

[mancan92]

Because it's incredibly tone deaf to be rolling out the red carpet to these people!! There is more to life than football.

Again, if it was me I would bin the club, but if they don't want to do that there are things they could have been doing to discourage the takeover and there are protests they could do in the future. Of course, they won't because Trophies mean more to them (and most football fans) then human rights abuses.

Sure just like every other social issue. We have a premier league where fans boo the players for protesting against racism. My point is everyday people shouldn't be getting abuse. The government are the ones to be fought cause they actually can do something.

 

[FatTails]

I don't support the UK government, I didn't vote for this UK government and I'm not writing open love letters to the UK government.

"You can't judge X because your government does y" is ridiculous.

or because you have an iPhone

 

[moses]

I don’t think he has a point but if either of you fail to see how the Saudis differ from the Americans, I don’t really see how I can show you. It is pretty obvious to be honest.

Let’s leave it at that. I have no further interest in arguing for the sake of arguing. I will continue to mock Newcastle fans and their owners. I’m far enough to not be at a serious risk of being chopped up.

Who mentioned the Americans?

Look, I have no time for the Saudis, but them buying a football club barely registers. You misunderstood what I meant by selective outrage.

 

[Ainu]

I agree. It's shocking, but not as shocking as selling them arms and turning a blind eye to their human rights violations, and the football club purchase is pretty much inevitable once already have that sort of relationship with them. This sale is not an outlier in UK / Saudi relations at all.

But people aren't celebrating those arms deals or human rights violations in the streets. How is this even a comparison?

 

[mancan92]

I don't support the UK government, I didn't vote for this UK government and I'm not writing open love letters to the UK government.

"You can't judge X because your government does y" is ridiculous.

Sure but I guess you have voted for one of the governments in your lifetime. Anyway my point is not to say you should support the Saudi's my point is attack the people that actually can do something. Not the Newcastle fans just happy to have some relevance again. They are not happy about what the Saudi government do. That much you know.

 

[Gary_Walsh_Nou_Camp_Hell]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8Jbn4uT/

 

[moses]

But people aren't celebrating those arms deals or human rights violations in the streets. How is this even a comparison?

You can bet those deals are celebrated. And the UK taxpayer benefits hugely from them. Also this culture of trade and overlooking human rights issues makes this purchase possible.

 

[mancan92]

But people aren't celebrating those arms deals or human rights violations in the streets. How is this even a comparison?

Neither are the Newcastle fans. They are celebrating that they might have exciting growth in their football team and city. They are not celebrating that the Saudi government silence people or that they sell weapons to extreme groups.

 

[DixieDean]

I agree. It's shocking, but not as shocking as selling them arms and turning a blind eye to their human rights violations, and the football club purchase is pretty much inevitable once already have that sort of relationship with them. This sale is not an outlier in UK / Saudi relations at all.

Fine, but I'm talking about this particular football issue. And that is something the PL can control. All they had to do was put a rule in place to stop such takeovers. It's not hard to do their part, and in that, they failed spectacularly. Feck them. I hope the league is nuked in the next few years and we can all start again.

 

[Dancfc]

The maddest thing about this post is we know that the British and the US have been involved in all these things in the last 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan infact there is an active direct link to the US & British disruption in that part of the world and the more extreme ideologies coming through.

And The Glazers funded Bush and Trump so by the logic of some people on here anyone who's put a penny into United (and by extension The Glazers pockets) in the last 16 years are as good as justifying the shit those two have done.

People are really following the wrong sport if they're looking for a moral compass, any form of morality in football was gone before most if not all of us on here were born.