Interesting to read through these BBC Sport ‘neutrals’ comments, following on from an article they published on the Newcastle United owners, specifically the Saudi Arabia PIF majority ownership.
This coinciding with the club’s owners descending on Tyneside for high level meetings to progress the club.
The meetings at Matfen Hall in recent days including a party of 25 representing the Saudi Arabia PIF ownership, with Newcastle United Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan the key figure.
That BBC Sport article entitled ‘Saudi Arabian owners’ desire for Newcastle ‘unchanged’, it has provoked an interesting response.
The BBC Sport readers comments from neutrals reacting to it, Newcastle United fans as well, plus no doubt a fair few Mackems.
Here is a selection of responses from the ‘neutrals’ to the Saudi Arabia PIF owners piece on BBC Sport:
‘The difference between Newcastle and the like of Man City and Chelsea is that Newcastle will have to build more slowly and live within their means. It makes sense but it does mean other clubs have had an unfair head start. Also, anyone complaining about where the money is coming from might want to take a closer look at most EPL owners…’
‘They just need some ‘clever’ lawyers like Man City had, and to sponsor themselves’
‘Its not a head start is it though as that implies equal rules now, the money teams have a huge advantage and can keep any challengers at arms length.
They can have the biggest squads, buy their way out of trouble, brush off bad buys, get paid more for doing the same in the CL etc etc’
‘Unless the Saudi owners want to challenge the PL rules they wont ever have a team to compete at the very top.
City barged their way in by massively overpaying on wages, NUFC aren’t allowed to do that and if NUFC cant overpay then they cant compete on any decent signings or keep hold of their star players.’
‘newcastle were small when pif invested that is the problem, if they invested in any of the big 6 they would already be winning trophies’
‘They could follow the Chelsea model.
Sell Eddie to themselves, lease him back.
Get sponsored by the Strawberry to the tune of £100m.
Or the Manyoo model , just get ticked to the eyeballs , get a Don King haircut , so you can get ticked even higher..’
‘The Big Six includes Spurs, so there are small clubs in that elite group!’
‘Unpopular remark coming in… If 2030 is the target, buy the squad on long term contracts, break all the rules, get punished, recover from the punishment and have a decent squad for 2030 whilst doing the infrastructure upgrades?’
‘i.e. doing a Chelchester City? I was thinking that Newcastle were going to do this, seeing as though they won’t be in Europe next season without some very strange league results. With the withdrawal from LIV, I expect low level sports washing, not putting in the billions in transfers and legal fees to buy the league position and the league’s soul!’
‘The amortisation loophole has been closed. You can only do this over 5 years now, regardless of contract length.’
‘Get punished? Clearly not talking about Chelsea or Manchester City then.’
‘Cheat for years , get to win cups by cheating for years.
Make multi millions on winning cups you cheated to get.
Then ,when found out , assist in admitting you cheated to get reduced sentence.
Namby party authorities fine you £10m,as you assisted by admiting you cheated for years, although you made HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in the cheating years , won trophies by cheating.
£10m is not punishment enough.’
‘Nah, if they deliberately did that, they’d be hit with a punishment that would have huge consequences for the club in the future not just until 2030!!’
‘It seems to be quite a popular remark.
There’s a good reason why Newcastle’s owners, and Newcastle’s owners specifically will go out of their way to avoid doing anything that might cause them reputational issues. They can’t play the villain, the whole raison d’etre of buying a football club to promote their generosity is to improve their perceived reputation.
You don’t do that by breaking rules.’
‘If 2030 is the target, realistically they need to take St James park down, piece by piece, then relocate the whole thing south of Watford Gap.’
‘I guess The BIG THR££ spenders (every season) did’nt want the league to become a four way bid. Horrid clubs.’
‘The death of modern football was when foreign ownership came in. All clubs should either be owned locally or have the German model, with bigger local community focus.
This would stop the super rich using big institutions, like Newcastle, which are essential for local community being used as “play things”, where they eventually lose interest.
Happened to my club Reading with our last owner’
‘It wouldn’t matter if they left and all we had as owners were the Reuben brothers (co owners) we’d still have the second richest owners in the league.’
‘Got to love a bit of media sensationalism. Just because LIV is failing, doesn’t mean every other venture they’re in evolved it is at risk too. In the past month the stories about Newcastle have gone from ridiculous to utterly ridiculous.’
‘In the past week they’ve ripped up a 10 year contract(that they were 2 years into) for snooker and announced pulling out of golf. Its “utterly ridiculous” to completely dismiss the possibility that they’ve gave up on sportswashing.’
‘It’s not just LIV, they have sold one of their state owned clubs, cancelled several sporting games they won hosting rights for and scaled back NOEM and several other projects’
‘just wondering how PIF need to sportswash? is oil money illegal?’
‘They put 5 billion with a B into LIV. NUFC investment (especially with no stadium nor training ground) is a flash in a pan compared to the amount they sunk into LIV.’
‘FFP may be the saving grace here, unlike the golf where you can waste millions your tied here so NUFC are almost a cheap investment and cheap to keep running compared to paying 250 million every time someone hits a golf ball.’
‘Governments owning football clubs in ridiculous and don’t try to tell me that PIF is anything other than that.’
‘Are you saying Man 115ity & PSG etc , are fronts for something else’
‘likewise Real are the spanish governments play thing , but there are few questions over them.’
‘Newcastle owners coming over to discuss long term plans, have pushed heavily on improving the clubs stadium and infrastructure. One of the owners has made billions from real estate in the area, told the club weeks ago their plans were totally unchanged…
…BBC HYS commentors hammering the boards with ‘theyrr gonna ditch newcastle funding’
Wishful thinking or just dont read things?’