It was so disappointing to read Premier League CEO Richard Masters letter in reply to the MP for Central Newcastle, Chi Onwurah.
Chi did her job and after about two weeks following the Amanda Staveley consortium bid collapsing, Masters detailed the reason.
He said it was not clear who would be the beneficiaries of the takeover and who would run Newcastle.
The answer from the consortium was the PIF were the majority owner and the PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan (or his representative) would be the Chairman, with Amanda Staveley as the CEO who would run the club on a day-to-day basis.
But it seemed the Premier League were wondering what the difference was between the PIF and the Saudi Government itself was, since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the Chairman of the PIF.
The consortium said there was a clear difference and the Premier League disagreed,
They offered arbitration but the PIF refused and I don’t blame them.
Richard Masters – CEO of PL – clutching at straws
The Saudis had said there was separation so why have the arbitrators come in and say differently?
That’s how we basically read the letter and it sucks.
It only goes to show the deal was turned down on a what was a soft reason – even a technicality.
Masters linked the deal to the owners’ and directors’ test, with who would own the club, and they didn’t get a satisfactory answer.
Whether this deal can ever be resuscitated is now doubtful.
And as everybody suspected it was the PIF who called it a day and pulled the plug on their participation in the deal after the PL had put one hoop after another that the consortium had to jump through.
It took four months for the PL o get to the point where they found something that at least allowed them to put the deal on hold.
It does mean that the PIF cannot own a Premier League club in the future, which we’re sure they would have liked to have done, because of the global coverage the league gets.
It’s the most popular sports league in the world, with its games shown on TV live around the world.
So there you have it – the Master letter probably made things worse if anything.
When my son Neil called me when the news broke I felt like vomiting down the toilet and I’m sure other fans felt the same way.
It’s another case of our dream being ripped away from us and this time it’s the Premier League themselves who did it – with Masters, new to his job, being the key culprit.
We will just have to hope other bidders come in, but they will not have the financial might of the PIF.
But they will be better than Mike Ashley.
Why Newcastle fans, the best in the business, have to be dragged and tortured through these takeover attempts is beyond reality.
That also sucks.
Not sure where this all leaves us now – although we need to strengthen the side this summer under Steve Bruce, gibe him and the players our support, and get a decent start to the season.
And then maybe others will come in with offers and Ashley could be out by Christmas.
But these takeovers drain the energy of faithful Newcastle fans everywhere.
Did I say this all sucks?
Comments welcome.
20 comments so far
Optimistic prime
Aug 15, 2020 at 9:55 AM
Comment #1Bills
We agree on something.
Walk the walk or talk the talk, its time to shit or get off the pan.
Cant be dragging this on into next season, too damaging for the club.
mindshaft
Aug 15, 2020 at 9:58 AM
Comment #2Nice intelligent debate as ever…
Jib
Aug 15, 2020 at 9:42 AM
Comment #409
toon22
Bills Argue ArgueArgueArgue
That’s what a blog’s for you cretin
Do you honestly believe Ed’s site gets so many visits because of your drivel ?
(actually the stupid twat probably does)
mindshaft
Aug 15, 2020 at 9:59 AM
Comment #3Could be worse I guess… we could support Barcelona
Jib
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:03 AM
Comment #4mindshaft
At the end of the day the EPL is ran by an old boys club,
You are getting confused with the FA
toon22
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:07 AM
Comment #5JIB
Did you google that ?
Optimistic prime
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:08 AM
Comment #6Its run by a bunch of TW@s
mindshaft
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:10 AM
Comment #7Jib,
You can’t read? Or maybe comprehension is a problem …. The EPL is ran by the f.a which is the old boys club …
Optimistic prime
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:20 AM
Comment #8Any transfer news, I need a laugh
lochinvar
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:22 AM
Comment #9Masters letter would have you believe that other clubs and other parties have no influence over him and decision making, or the lack of it.
Remember that the EPL appointed Susanna Dinnage way before Masters got the gig. You will recall that she suddenly withdrew or was encouraged to withdraw perhaps due to external pressures or realisation that the EPL were run by other interested parties.
From 2018.Susanna Dinnage had a fierce dispute with Sky last year, protesting about cuts in the fees being paid to carry the Discovery channels on its platform. She alleged then that Sky was exploiting its “dominant market position to further its own commercial interest over those of viewers and independent broadcasters”.
So she would hardly be welcome at the EPL then.
Masters has stated no club exerts undue influence over the EPL yet Bruce Buck of Chelsea clearly has a role and was very pleased to see Masters appointed.
Sky, Barclays, Chelsea etc etc
Let’s look through the keyhole and see who lives in the EPL house
lochinvar
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:30 AM
Comment #10December 2019
At a special meeting held today, Premier League clubs approved the appointment of Richard Masters as its Chief Executive with immediate effect.
Bruce Buck, Chairman of Chelsea Football Club and Chairman of the Premier League Nominations Committee, said: “Richard took on the role of Interim Chief Executive a year ago. Since then, the clubs have seen Richard rise to the occasion, dealing with our various stakeholders and partners with aplomb and skill.
This will be the same Richard Masters that is unable to make a decision then?
Bruce Buck is an experience lawyer. Maybe he came up with the Arbitration ruse.
Masters had failed to do his job.
Wonder how much his pay off will be when he “steps down”?
Kevin Vegan
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:32 AM
Comment #11Bruce Buck has an admin role in the PL appointments committee, but he doesn’t just get to pick and choose who gets appointed.
Chelsea have no more say than any of the other clubs. All 20 have one vote each as a shareholder.
Jib
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:34 AM
Comment #12The FA is a special shareholder of the Premier League.
It has the ability to exercise a vote on certain specific issues,
but has no role in the day-to-day running of the Premier League.
Each year, the Premier League submits its rules to The FA for
approval and sanction.
lochinvar
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:37 AM
Comment #13David Pemsel didn’t make the grade either at the EPL stepping down due to personal reasons at the Guardian. This information being widely reported in the press.
Yet Bruce Buck had turned to The Guardian to make that appointment. Surely not the same Guardian that expresses so many opinions but not necessarily balanced opinions on the NUFC takeover.
The Premier League has announced David Pemsel as its new Chief Executive following a recruitment process overseen by Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck.
Pemsel is currently CEO of Guardian Media Group (GMG).
lochinvar
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:39 AM
Comment #14It’s about “influence”, quiet words, opinions, cozy chats, off the record, suggestions.
That’s how it works.
Zele
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:42 AM
Comment #15lochinvar,
The Premier League will say that all its members have an equal say but like Communism some are more equal than others.
The top six clubs will have a greater influence than all the other clubs in the PL because they generate the greatest interest globally from where the PL generates a greater part of its revenue.
The influence will never be noted in writing and like all institutions it’s nods and winks in corridors, clubs, boardrooms and golf courses.
woodsee
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:43 AM
Comment #16This arbitration thing makes no sense,ofcourse there gonna reject it,in 18 months there’s a very good chance we won’t even be in the premiership ,who’s gonna pay300 million for that
Optimistic prime
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:45 AM
Comment #17Can some Tweet this on yo Stavelys fellas page or whatever, I don’t have Twitter.
https://youtu.be/bWcASV2sey0
woodsee
Aug 15, 2020 at 10:46 AM
Comment #18Anyway ,I’m 53 now anychance of seeing so much as a caraboacup have just gone sailing down the swanny
9
Aug 15, 2020 at 11:15 AM
Comment #19We’re giving the consortium too much of a free ride here. All the criticisms of the EPL are valid, there’s cronyism in there for sure, but just like a stuck clock is right twice every day, the fact the EPL aren’t straight doesn’t make every decision they make wrong. Nobody, anywhere, thinks Saudi is straight, and it beggars belief that nobody in that group was able to predict the obvious: everything to do with the PIF is ultimately controlled by the oaf MBS, this is indisputable. We know Sheff U is owned by a Saudi, but that is an individual (Prince Abdullah bin Musa ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud), NOT a state outfit (PIF).
However dark the shenanigans are that go on behind the scenes in Saudi, the Sheff U owner is in theory no more linked to the Saudi state than Mike Ashley is to HM Gvmt (note I say in theory). You can’t get away from the fact that 80% of the money is at the whim of MBS – why else would the bid be withdrawn? – the same MBS in charge of pirating EPL broadcasts as part of his useless, failed, vendetta against Qatar, it never had a leg to stand on, in retrospect.
Full disclosure: I was wildly enthusiastic about the bid and never dreamed it would fail – I didn’t reckon Saudi would be unprepared for the obvious enquiries and, anyway, I assumed they would just bung the EPL enough money to change the broadcasting rights in Saudi. Wrong again!
OliveRoll
Aug 15, 2020 at 11:35 AM
Comment #20I still hold some hope, there is no doubt outside sources have influenced this deal.
I still think there is a twist to come, if PIF can provide the document they say showed they and the KSA were different entities then it will put the ball firmly back in the EPL court.
Glass half full never done anyone any harm. Cmon still dream.