Jump to content
IGNORED

A Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle United is close to being agreed.


Jerseybean

Recommended Posts

9 minutes ago, grifty said:

Why would a country/state want to own a football club anyway? Let alone one 4000 miles away.

Saudi is opening up. What better way to advertise than through the PL. Geordies might get a shock when they fly into Riyadh for a piss up mind...#nohandsleftforclapping

  • Like 3
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, walnutroof said:

I really don’t get the narrative of how Newcastle fans have been so badly treated and how they deserve so much more, it just seems they’re happy paying £300-400 for a season ticket and expect the owner to pay multi millions every season whereas he seems to have tried to run them to be sustainable with the odd PR disaster thrown in 

They’re currently where they deserve, Bruce might not be everyone’s cup of tea but he’s kept them there despite their so called support while they continue playing the victim 

Especially when you consider their neighbours Sunderland are trapped in the third division. Shearer said on Match of the Day recently that there was “no hope” at Newcastle - try saying that to a Bury season ticket holder. It’s a load of bollocks to be honest. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, grifty said:

Why would a country/state want to own a football club anyway? Let alone one 4000 miles away.

Where do I start ?

Prestige, international acceptance through sport , a chance to play football video games but for real , possibly make some money. 


Certain people are so rich that they don’t know what to spend their money on next.

A  ‘top league ‘ club gives them a chance to join in making history and enjoy a nice day out at Wembley or the Nou Camp etc. 

They can lump it in with their racehorses, Formula 1 teams etc.

 

  • Like 4
  • Flames 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Where do I start ?

Prestige, international acceptance through sport , a chance to play football video games but for real , possibly make some money. 


Certain people are so rich that they don’t know what to spend their money on next.

A  ‘top league ‘ club gives them a chance to join in making history and enjoy a nice day out at Wembley or the Nou Camp etc. 

They can lump it in with their racehorses, Formula 1 teams etc.

 

Them, UAE, Qatar- sportswashing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, BetterRedThanBlue said:

Whilst I'm happy for their fans getting rid of Ashley who feels like he ripped the soul out of the club I'm always on the fence with capital from Saudi Arabia with their human rights issues.

Lots of comments along these lines, but there seem to be few objections to Abramovich or Chinese owners. I doubt the Saudis are anywhere near as bad as the Chinese on human rights issues.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, BetterRedThanBlue said:

Whilst I'm happy for their fans getting rid of Ashley who feels like he ripped the soul out of the club I'm always on the fence with capital from Saudi Arabia with their human rights issues.

Would this soul be regularly getting gates of 17,000 before Keegan turned up and was allowed to spend big to stop him having a hissy fit and walking out which eventually happened anyway? 

Their fans seem to like rewriting history and playing the victim, there seems to be a reason why they haven’t won anything for donkeys years and it’s not Ashley..


 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Fuber said:

To be fair - their owners have done a fair bit in the local community.

Re the Super League, I got the feeling that it was American Execs that were overall to blame for that fiasco, i.e. Bruce Buck at Chelsea.

Leicester show how it should be done. Overall material wealth means nothing unless used strategically.

The same Leicester who cheated ffp to get to the money league ? 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, walnutroof said:

Would this soul be regularly getting gates of 17,000 before Keegan turned up and was allowed to spend big to stop him having a hissy fit and walking out which eventually happened anyway? 

Their fans seem to like rewriting history and playing the victim, there seems to be a reason why they haven’t won anything for donkeys years and it’s not Ashley..


 

13k when I went there with City in about 1990! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Leveller said:

Lots of comments along these lines, but there seem to be few objections to Abramovich or Chinese owners. I doubt the Saudis are anywhere near as bad as the Chinese on human rights issues.

I wonder...

The Saudi system is also quite medieval however or has been- but unsure which is worse. Unsure that the gap is quite as high as you state.

11 minutes ago, Portland Bill said:

13k when I went there with City in about 1990! 

In fairness, this neglects to mention that football attendances from say early 1980s to early 1990s were much lower than now, they only really started to edge sharply upwards again from late 1990s...so it's fair but also misleading. Average attendances is a useful metric as well- as well as the whole counting season tickets, something that goes on at all grounds as having attended regardless.

Edited by Mr Popodopolous
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I wonder...

The Saudi system is also quite medieval however or has been- but unsure which is worse. Unsure that the gap is quite as high as you state.

 

Apart from being medieval, the Saudi system is (or, certainly,was) an extremely male dominated hierarchy.

I worked there for many years and, amongst the many stories I could relate, two spring to mind:

1. Compensation for, inter alia, deaths as a result of a motor accident is (was) pre-quantified. On the highest scale were males and camels, whilst one scale lower were women!

2. I once took a photograph of a small pick-up truck, the ubiquitous Toyota Hilux, being driven in the height of summer. The (male) driver and his sons were seated in the (presumably air-conditioned) driving compartment whilst his wife, dressed in the customary black hijab and abaya, was sitting unprotected in the back. Accompanied by a camel!  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

Apart from being medieval, the Saudi system is (or, certainly,was) an extremely male dominated hierarchy.

I worked there for many years and, amongst the many stories I could relate, two spring to mind:

1. Compensation for, inter alia, deaths as a result of a motor accident is (was) pre-quantified. On the highest scale were males and camels, whilst one scale lower were women!

2. I once took a photograph of a small pick-up truck, the ubiquitous Toyota Hilux, being driven in the height of summer. The (male) driver and his sons were seated in the (presumably air-conditioned) driving compartment whilst his wife, dressed in the customary black hijab and abaya, was sitting unprotected in the back. Accompanied by a camel!  

Whilst segregation is rife it's somewhat of a Western simplification to assume that's the result of a patriarchal theocracy. On my many visits there any 'policing' was done as much by women as men, albeit which door to use on public transport, which table to sit at in a cafe, which terminal to attend to board a flight (which was always a 747 with a couple of dozen passengers for an internal flight.)

In the same way there is no literal translation of the Shahada beyond Islamic culture, it's easy but incorrect to use terms like 'medieval'. They live, as do we, now, yet hold wholly different values including over such fundamental concepts as 'time'.

My invitations to The Kingdom came from (the then Prince) King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. I first attended the Saudi Embassy with a very fancy, personally signed letter, shown to a VIP room for priority service only to be informed by a flunky that "... you may not enter The Kingdom." "Why?" " Might I suggest on your application you amend your Religion from 'none' to 'C of E', or whatever your preference." Within seconds of doing as instructed a very fancy visa and welcome awaited. It's that fundamental. 

And that's the misunderstanding. My trying to set up meetings with Ministers and censors only to be rebuffed every time I suggested a date or time, not for any specific reason rather 'Inshallah'. You wait and wait and when Allah wills it it will happen. And He did. Hanging around with little to do you eventually you get how it works there.

I'm uncertain of the tie-up between Saudis and Geordies other than both have a sense of over-importance in global terms. They're welcome to each other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

Apart from being medieval, the Saudi system is (or, certainly,was) an extremely male dominated hierarchy.

I worked there for many years and, amongst the many stories I could relate, two spring to mind:

1. Compensation for, inter alia, deaths as a result of a motor accident is (was) pre-quantified. On the highest scale were males and camels, whilst one scale lower were women!

2. I once took a photograph of a small pick-up truck, the ubiquitous Toyota Hilux, being driven in the height of summer. The (male) driver and his sons were seated in the (presumably air-conditioned) driving compartment whilst his wife, dressed in the customary black hijab and abaya, was sitting unprotected in the back. Accompanied by a camel!  

Seen that myself when I was there

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Whilst segregation is rife it's somewhat of a Western simplification to assume that's the result of a patriarchal theocracy. On my many visits there any 'policing' was done as much by women as men, albeit which door to use on public transport, which table to sit at in a cafe, which terminal to attend to board a flight (which was always a 747 with a couple of dozen passengers for an internal flight.)

In the same way there is no literal translation of the Shahada beyond Islamic culture, it's easy but incorrect to use terms like 'medieval'. They live, as do we, now, yet hold wholly different values including over such fundamental concepts as 'time'.

My invitations to The Kingdom came from (the then Prince) King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. I first attended the Saudi Embassy with a very fancy, personally signed letter, shown to a VIP room for priority service only to be informed by a flunky that "... you may not enter The Kingdom." "Why?" " Might I suggest on your application you amend your Religion from 'none' to 'C of E', or whatever your preference." Within seconds of doing as instructed a very fancy visa and welcome awaited. It's that fundamental. 

And that's the misunderstanding. My trying to set up meetings with Ministers and censors only to be rebuffed every time I suggested a date or time, not for any specific reason rather 'Inshallah'. You wait and wait and when Allah wills it it will happen. And He did. Hanging around with little to do you eventually you get how it works there.

I'm uncertain of the tie-up between Saudis and Geordies other than both have a sense of over-importance in global terms. They're welcome to each other.

That's how Saudis work until they build up a relationship and trust in you. Can take years to achieve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read an interesting stat recently about Newcastle under Ashley.
 

On his watch their average position among the 92 was 14th. In the 70 seasons before his takeover their average position was 17th, so compared to their historical average over a fairly long period he actually improved their position. 

Newcastle fans would argue the 15 or so seasons prior to Ashley’s takeover (during which they qualified for the Champions League and came close to winning the premier league a couple of times) is a more apt benchmark. Going back more than 70 years would also bring in some of the seasons when they did win the league (and would improve their average from 17th), but it’s interesting nonetheless. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, North London Red said:

I read an interesting stat recently about Newcastle under Ashley.
 

On his watch their average position among the 92 was 14th. In the 70 seasons before his takeover their average position was 17th, so compared to their historical average over a fairly long period he actually improved their position. 

Newcastle fans would argue the 15 or so seasons prior to Ashley’s takeover (during which they qualified for the Champions League and came close to winning the premier league a couple of times) is a more apt benchmark. Going back more than 70 years would also bring in some of the seasons when they did win the league (and would improve their average from 17th), but it’s interesting nonetheless. 

If you follow The Price Of Football they've been banging on about it for years. Just how deluded and ungrateful Newcastle fans are.

When Ashley took over they were  within weeks of bankruptcy, losing around £400k per week. He steadied the ship and I think apart from Spurs he made them the most financially prudent club in the top flight. They exist because Ashley bought them.

Yet because they're gobby sods with ideas above their station they complained when he wouldn't throw worse money after bad trying to buy them the success they've rarely enjoyed this past half century or more.

Big club, my arse. Fickle & fair-weather morelike. I've seen us there in front of 13k, you couldn't miss the Gallowgate as there was hardly a sod stood on it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, Ivorguy said:

Another slide down the slippery slope for English football.

Total lack of moral compass.

 

Football has been pay to win for over 30 years, there never has been a moral compass. 

Salary cap is the only way there will ever be a level playing field and that will never get voted in. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

If you follow The Price Of Football they've been banging on about it for years. Just how deluded and ungrateful Newcastle fans are.

When Ashley took over they were  within weeks of bankruptcy, losing around £400k per week. He steadied the ship and I think apart from Spurs he made them the most financially prudent club in the top flight. They exist because Ashley bought them.

Yet because they're gobby sods with ideas above their station they complained when he wouldn't throw worse money after bad trying to buy them the success they've rarely enjoyed this past half century or more.

Big club, my arse. Fickle & fair-weather morelike. I've seen us there in front of 13k, you couldn't miss the Gallowgate as there was hardly a sod stood on it.

All my in laws and subsequent family are geordie and it goes far, far, far deeper than just on the pitch stuff. Outside of two relegations, Turned the club shop into a Sports Direct, stadium name change, tried to have the Bobby Robson statue moved, pushed for Shearer’s bar to be renamed ‘number 9 bar’ as he didn’t want anything pre his ownership to be near the club. Raised Ticket prices to some of the most expensive in the league in a pretty deprived area. 
 

People may underestimate how big this is for the league actually. They could genuinely go on to be the next Man City now, without needing to plough money into an academy/training, one club city etc

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Midlands Robin said:

Driving the kids to swimming lessons tonight having to suffer "Toon" fans saying how hard done by they've been over the last 14 years and how they'll be in the Champions league final in 10 years time.

Sounds like buying a trophy is really easy 

All the money in the world at Man city and they still can't win it.. Not sure what planet these toon fans are on.

Edited by Street red
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, WolfOfWestStreet said:

Football has been pay to win for over 30 years, there never has been a moral compass. 

Salary cap is the only way there will ever be a level playing field and that will never get voted in. 

And nearly 100 years ago people complained about Arsenal being the "Bank of England" club. People have been moaning about money in football for longer than anyone can remember. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...