It was bad enough when people with the dubious track record of Man City's owners were welcomed with open arms by the Premier League, they've truly outdone themselves this time. The mental gymnastics and double-think required to convince yourself that this isn't an extraordinarily transparent sportswashing exercise for one of the most abhorrent regimes on the planet must be off the scale.
Nice that he is not pretending they have moral high ground, but depressing how shallow you have to dig to find this kind of thing with all the big clubs.
Essentially Newcastle's new owners have three times the wealth of all other Premier League owners combined. This pie chart was made last season but the sums remain the same. Football's farcical finances just properly jumped the shark.
@MindlessDrugHoover said:
Essentially Newcastle's new owners have three times the wealth of all other Premier League owners combined. This pie chart was made last season but the sums remain the same. Football's farcical finances just properly jumped the shark.
Nice that he is not pretending they have moral high ground, but depressing how shallow you have to dig to find this kind of thing with all the big clubs.
Thanks for finding and posting. Thoroughly depressing read. Makes me wish the Super League had happened and the rest of us could actually enjoy football without them all
Totally agree with that Arsenal blogger. The time for outrage has well and truly passed, that horse bolted a long time ago. Good luck to Newcastle. Yes their new owners are deplorable, just like the rest of the footballing elite. For fans to accept everything that's happened to the game in the Premier league and Champions league era and now suddenly become disgusted by the Newcastle takeover is laughable.
Hmm, I don't think anyone is only now disgusted. They've just gained greater awareness of what's going on (i.e. sportswashing) as things have moved towards this point. Besides, Newcastle are associated with a regime markedly worse than even the UAE.
In truth the level of the outrage about this deal seems a little odd. We seem to be outraged at selling a football club to this appalling regime yet few raise any complaint at selling the same regime billions of pounds of killing equipment. Not sure we have got our moral compass quite right here.
@DevC said:
In truth the level of the outrage about this deal seems a little odd. We seem to be outraged at selling a football club to this appalling regime yet few raise any complaint at selling the same regime billions of pounds of killing equipment. Not sure we have got our moral compass quite right here.
I'd say that's because fewer people are aware of that happening as it's not reported in the way this takeover has been. I think there's also a sense (however unrealistic) that fans could have put up enough resistance to stop the deal, whereas people feel (and really are) completely powerless when it comes to state level dealings.
Football puts us in difficult positions. And it can make hypocrites of us, too. We hate that tough-tackling bastard who plays for another club, right until the moment he signs for us and becomes our bastard. VAR is a joke and then our team gets a lucky, baffling call and it's the best thing ever!
When it comes to bad behaviour or bad or good decisions, we tip-toe through a minefield. We don't care about others. We only care about us.
I'd like to think this isn't true for all of us. I'd like to think that if our whole season hung on a VAR decision i'd still think VAR was a bad thing. I'd like to think that if we were bought by the Saudis i wouldn't be down at Adams Park gooning in front of the camera, no matter how bleak the last decade had been.
I'm not and would not sell arms to Saudi and do not agree with torturers and promoters of international terrorism taking over my club so I think my moral compass is okay @DevC I cannot control what my government does either and do not and have not agreed with many aspects of foreign policy since Robin Cook ethical foreign policy died a death. So I am allowed to call out dodgy takeovers on a football forum in my opinion.
There was a Newcastle fan on the radio this morning saying it's a bit unfair how football fans are being asked to answer questions about the Saudi regime when the red carpet is literally rolled out for them when they make official state visits
I thought that was a fair point. I'd imagine loads of Newcastle fans are deeply uneasy about the whole thing but they don't really need everybody else jumping straight on them demanding they justify the actions of the Saudi state
Agreed @eric_plant It is not the fan's job to justify the politics of their owner or the government. Like @floyd I would like to think I would not be celebrating a Saudi takeover and it would certainly stop me going to AP...but I recognise that might not be a majority view. I was unhappy with the Kuwaiti takeover at Forest, but I suppose I had the luxury of being down here.
@Wycombe85 said:
Totally agree with that Arsenal blogger. The time for outrage has well and truly passed, that horse bolted a long time ago. Good luck to Newcastle. Yes their new owners are deplorable, just like the rest of the footballing elite. For fans to accept everything that's happened to the game in the Premier league and Champions league era and now suddenly become disgusted by the Newcastle takeover is laughable.
Laughable?
Which other owners are linked with international terrorism, locking young women up in prison for driving a car and most recently murdering and dismembering a journalist in a foreign embassy? Unedifying and corrupt as many Premier League owners may be and how greedy the league undoubtably is and however much fans have either had to accept or willingly turned a blind eye to, I would not describe unease in this particular case as laughable myself.
@DevC said:
The UK Government sells c £1bn worth of arms to the Saudi regime every year. Much of that is currently maiming and killing defenseless Yemeni civilians.
If that is considered OK, hard to see how the Premier League can enforce a higher moral standard than our own Government especially with the strong likelihood that any attempt to do so would be subject to strong legal challenge.
Horrible world, horrible species.
Its not considered OK. People frequently protest it and I suspect most people find it pretty abhorrent. Such is the state of democracy in the UK that it continues regardless.
Over half the country would vote to continue selling arms to Saudi even if they wiped out the rest of the middle east, so long as they get a blue passport, the crown print back on their pint glass and are empowered to shout at dinghies, then anyone wanting any trade restrictions is a dirty communist obviously. It's not that surprising that plenty of people couldn't care less about the Saudis buying Newcastle
@Username said:
Over half the country would vote to continue selling arms to Saudi even if they wiped out the rest of the middle east, so long as they get a blue passport, the crown print back on their pint glass and are empowered to shout at dinghies, then anyone wanting any trade restrictions is a dirty communist obviously. It's not that surprising that plenty of people couldn't care less about the Saudis buying Newcastle
Over half the country have never voted for anything ever.
Wow, just heard the Newcastle trust spokesman saying that it's too much pressure for ordinary fans who don't know about these things to be asked about it...... and if Newcastle fans aren't aware of the issues then it's Amnesty who aren't doing their job properly.....
That's weapons grade denial.
As for Ashley I'd definitely be worried if he pitched up here, I wasn't delighted to see his company's name around the dugout. Have at look at his efforts to "help out" at Rangers if you're unsure.
As always the reality of football at the moment means that with his level of wealth he could do very well for a club at our level but only if he suddenly became philanthropic and put someone else in charge.
I don't think it's a given that they suddenly start competing for the top prizes, in a year or two.
They'll still need the right manager, and either pay China level wages and risk payers there for the wrong reasons, or really sell the "project" to top players.
They'll still have to compete with City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool at home, and a few clubs abroad.
When the likes of Ben White are going for 50m, you can imagine how much clubs will charge when they hear Newcastle are at the bidding table.
@Malone said:
I don't think it's a given that they suddenly start competing for the top prizes, in a year or two.
They'll still need the right manager, and either pay China level wages and risk payers there for the wrong reasons, or really sell the "project" to top players.
They'll still have to compete with City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool at home, and a few clubs abroad.
When the likes of Ben White are going for 50m, you can imagine how much clubs will charge when they hear Newcastle are at the bidding table.
They've got the money to just buy the best 11 players from the top 6 clubs and have a squad of 66 if they really wanted, so I don't think it will take anywhere near as long as it took city to be competitive. They're starting from a bigger base too
@Malone said:
I don't think it's a given that they suddenly start competing for the top prizes, in a year or two.
They'll still need the right manager, and either pay China level wages and risk payers there for the wrong reasons, or really sell the "project" to top players.
They'll still have to compete with City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool at home, and a few clubs abroad.
When the likes of Ben White are going for 50m, you can imagine how much clubs will charge when they hear Newcastle are at the bidding table.
They've got the money to just buy the best 11 players from the top 6 clubs and have a squad of 66 if they really wanted, so I don't think it will take anywhere near as long as it took city to be competitive. They're starting from a bigger base too
Yes and No.
We don't know their intentions yet.
For example, Kronke has a 6 billion fortune (higher than the PSG owner), but hasn't been too bothered about trying to boost Arsenal back into the big time.
@Malone said:
I don't think it's a given that they suddenly start competing for the top prizes, in a year or two.
They'll still need the right manager, and either pay China level wages and risk payers there for the wrong reasons, or really sell the "project" to top players.
They'll still have to compete with City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool at home, and a few clubs abroad.
When the likes of Ben White are going for 50m, you can imagine how much clubs will charge when they hear Newcastle are at the bidding table.
They've got the money to just buy the best 11 players from the top 6 clubs and have a squad of 66 if they really wanted, so I don't think it will take anywhere near as long as it took city to be competitive. They're starting from a bigger base too
Are they starting from a bigger base? City's owners were the second dodgy regime not the first, they'd got the new stadium and been through Sven and co with the previous lot I think. No doubt they have a bigger following but not sure that matters of you're that minted.
Comments
It was bad enough when people with the dubious track record of Man City's owners were welcomed with open arms by the Premier League, they've truly outdone themselves this time. The mental gymnastics and double-think required to convince yourself that this isn't an extraordinarily transparent sportswashing exercise for one of the most abhorrent regimes on the planet must be off the scale.
Arsenal blogger makes some salient (and depressing) points about the issue here:
https://arseblog.com/2021/10/the-premier-league-camel
Nice that he is not pretending they have moral high ground, but depressing how shallow you have to dig to find this kind of thing with all the big clubs.
Essentially Newcastle's new owners have three times the wealth of all other Premier League owners combined. This pie chart was made last season but the sums remain the same. Football's farcical finances just properly jumped the shark.
https://mobile.twitter.com/FootballlForAll/status/1446102904625041410
The absolute state of it
Why do I feel this is going to just screw over the lower leagues even more? Oh yes, that's right...because it will.
Thanks for finding and posting. Thoroughly depressing read. Makes me wish the Super League had happened and the rest of us could actually enjoy football without them all
Totally agree with that Arsenal blogger. The time for outrage has well and truly passed, that horse bolted a long time ago. Good luck to Newcastle. Yes their new owners are deplorable, just like the rest of the footballing elite. For fans to accept everything that's happened to the game in the Premier league and Champions league era and now suddenly become disgusted by the Newcastle takeover is laughable.
Hmm, I don't think anyone is only now disgusted. They've just gained greater awareness of what's going on (i.e. sportswashing) as things have moved towards this point. Besides, Newcastle are associated with a regime markedly worse than even the UAE.
In truth the level of the outrage about this deal seems a little odd. We seem to be outraged at selling a football club to this appalling regime yet few raise any complaint at selling the same regime billions of pounds of killing equipment. Not sure we have got our moral compass quite right here.
I'd say that's because fewer people are aware of that happening as it's not reported in the way this takeover has been. I think there's also a sense (however unrealistic) that fans could have put up enough resistance to stop the deal, whereas people feel (and really are) completely powerless when it comes to state level dealings.
Football puts us in difficult positions. And it can make hypocrites of us, too. We hate that tough-tackling bastard who plays for another club, right until the moment he signs for us and becomes our bastard. VAR is a joke and then our team gets a lucky, baffling call and it's the best thing ever!
When it comes to bad behaviour or bad or good decisions, we tip-toe through a minefield. We don't care about others. We only care about us.
I'd like to think this isn't true for all of us. I'd like to think that if our whole season hung on a VAR decision i'd still think VAR was a bad thing. I'd like to think that if we were bought by the Saudis i wouldn't be down at Adams Park gooning in front of the camera, no matter how bleak the last decade had been.
Or, even worse, we ever signed Danny Hylton.
I'm not and would not sell arms to Saudi and do not agree with torturers and promoters of international terrorism taking over my club so I think my moral compass is okay @DevC I cannot control what my government does either and do not and have not agreed with many aspects of foreign policy since Robin Cook ethical foreign policy died a death. So I am allowed to call out dodgy takeovers on a football forum in my opinion.
There was a Newcastle fan on the radio this morning saying it's a bit unfair how football fans are being asked to answer questions about the Saudi regime when the red carpet is literally rolled out for them when they make official state visits
I thought that was a fair point. I'd imagine loads of Newcastle fans are deeply uneasy about the whole thing but they don't really need everybody else jumping straight on them demanding they justify the actions of the Saudi state
Agreed @eric_plant It is not the fan's job to justify the politics of their owner or the government. Like @floyd I would like to think I would not be celebrating a Saudi takeover and it would certainly stop me going to AP...but I recognise that might not be a majority view. I was unhappy with the Kuwaiti takeover at Forest, but I suppose I had the luxury of being down here.
Laughable?
Which other owners are linked with international terrorism, locking young women up in prison for driving a car and most recently murdering and dismembering a journalist in a foreign embassy? Unedifying and corrupt as many Premier League owners may be and how greedy the league undoubtably is and however much fans have either had to accept or willingly turned a blind eye to, I would not describe unease in this particular case as laughable myself.
The one thing that gives me some comfort is that this is Newcastle.
I wouldn’t put it beyond the realms of possibility that even as the best funded club in the country they managed somehow to get relegated
Its not considered OK. People frequently protest it and I suspect most people find it pretty abhorrent. Such is the state of democracy in the UK that it continues regardless.
Over half the country would vote to continue selling arms to Saudi even if they wiped out the rest of the middle east, so long as they get a blue passport, the crown print back on their pint glass and are empowered to shout at dinghies, then anyone wanting any trade restrictions is a dirty communist obviously. It's not that surprising that plenty of people couldn't care less about the Saudis buying Newcastle
If Mike Ashley was interested in investing in WWFC, would anyone be against it?
@Otter87 You asking for a friend?
Over half the country have never voted for anything ever.
Yes, but I wouldn't stop going if he did.
Also yes from me, but he would at least be an upgrade on Sharkey Hayes and again would not stop me going.
Wow, just heard the Newcastle trust spokesman saying that it's too much pressure for ordinary fans who don't know about these things to be asked about it...... and if Newcastle fans aren't aware of the issues then it's Amnesty who aren't doing their job properly.....
That's weapons grade denial.
As for Ashley I'd definitely be worried if he pitched up here, I wasn't delighted to see his company's name around the dugout. Have at look at his efforts to "help out" at Rangers if you're unsure.
As always the reality of football at the moment means that with his level of wealth he could do very well for a club at our level but only if he suddenly became philanthropic and put someone else in charge.
I don't think it's a given that they suddenly start competing for the top prizes, in a year or two.
They'll still need the right manager, and either pay China level wages and risk payers there for the wrong reasons, or really sell the "project" to top players.
They'll still have to compete with City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool at home, and a few clubs abroad.
When the likes of Ben White are going for 50m, you can imagine how much clubs will charge when they hear Newcastle are at the bidding table.
They've got the money to just buy the best 11 players from the top 6 clubs and have a squad of 66 if they really wanted, so I don't think it will take anywhere near as long as it took city to be competitive. They're starting from a bigger base too
Yes and No.
We don't know their intentions yet.
For example, Kronke has a 6 billion fortune (higher than the PSG owner), but hasn't been too bothered about trying to boost Arsenal back into the big time.
Are they starting from a bigger base? City's owners were the second dodgy regime not the first, they'd got the new stadium and been through Sven and co with the previous lot I think. No doubt they have a bigger following but not sure that matters of you're that minted.