As it stands, it looks almost certain that Newcastle United will shortly be owned, at least in the majority, by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF). The excitement in the North East is tangible and the media reaching fever pitch. We are regaled with videos of joyous Newcastle fans turning up at St James’ to try and find out the latest, interviewed fans expressing their overwhelming delight with the regime change and social media is abuzz with fans cheering the news.
But someone has to say it. Someone has to point to the elephant in the room here right? The big fucking bonesaw wielding, journalist murdering, homosexual stoning, woman hating elephant standing there dripping blood on the carpet? Because amongst all the palpable delight at the end of the Ashley regime, all Newcastle fans now sit faced with a moral dilemma about what the new owners mean for how we, as individuals, support the club.
With zero apols for giddiness and everything else – Pt 2 of our Vox Pop – Takeover Special – https://t.co/jDToafEhlh #NUFC
— True Faith: Newcastle United Fanzine and Podcast (@tfNUFC) October 9, 2021
I will start with some caveats. All of this is my own opinion, reflecting my own thought process as I work through moral maze. It is not intended as an expectation towards others to follow my thinking and it most certainly isn’t intended as a criticism of others who hold a different opinion. Each and every one of us will just need to work through this individually and there shouldn’t be any judgement between fans about where other land.
Apols for content updates in the last couple of days – we've been shaking with excitement –
Back to biz – New Online – TF Writer Reaction Pt 1 – https://t.co/sbHsTM93bE #NUFC
— True Faith: Newcastle United Fanzine and Podcast (@tfNUFC) October 9, 2021
There can be no denying that it appears an overwhelming majority of Newcastle fans are in favour. The NUST survey showed that 94% of surveyed members are in favour of the takeover by the PIF, not just any takeover, but specifically this one. Social media, whilst not ever a true indicator of public sentiment, shows Newcastle fans overwhelmingly in favour of it happening. As someone who is delighted that Ashley is going but has deep concerns about the potential new ownership, I find the overwhelming level of support to be surprising so let’s dig a little deeper into thinking.
- Firstly, I think we can safely discount the idea that fans are not aware of the nature of the Saudi Regime. Their crimes and abuse of human rights is well documented and covered in the press.
- Secondly there are those who say the domestic affairs of Saudi Arabia are not the concern of Newcastle fans, we have no interest in geopolitics and just want to watch the football. Our own government deals with Saudi, so why can’t we support a club owned by them? I have some sympathy for this argument, but the reality is that with this takeover you can no longer separate the two. The club is being bought precisely as a tool to mitigate attention about the domestic actions of Saudi Arabia. Sticking our fingers in our ears doesn’t make it goes away or change the reality of what our club will become.
- Thirdly, we have the ‘whatabout’ defence, essentially the theory that because there are other owners of football clubs who are loosely or directly tied to bad things then that makes it ok for Newcastle fans to be ok with the Saudis. Examples of the ownership of Man City, PSG, Chelsea, Wolves are, rightly or wrongly, held up as proof that anything should be allowed to go. Personally, I just can’t buy this thinking. It is ok to highlight double standards in terms of accusations levelled at Newcastle fans, but it doesn’t refute the fact that the Saudi Arabian regime is still abhorrent. Just because other bad things happen doesn’t mean we should be ok with this bad thing happening.
- Finally, we have some who will point out that the PIF has its fingers in many pies. Whether we are using Disney or Uber etc, we are all essentially dropping out money into the coffers of the Saudi state and therefore tacitly supporting that regime. I can get my head round that argument, but still don’t buy it. The intention with the purchase of Newcastle is different to their investments in those other businesses. They aren’t held up as shiny examples of Saudi acceptability. Newcastle will be. We will be the acceptable face of their regime and the link between them and our club will be shouted from the rooftops. It’s sportswashing, pure and simple.
So what is it, precisely, that Newcastle fans should do? This is the bit I personally am finding the most difficult. For some in the press, Glendenning for example, tell us that we need to simply immediately stop supporting the club and walk away. But how in reality does that work? I still remember my first game back in 92 vividly. My old man and my grandad took me. My memory is probably rose tinted glasses, but in my head it was just as Sir Bobby describes it: a young lad holding his dad’s hand and climbing the steps at St James’ park, coming out from the dark of the stands and seeing the flash of green of the pitch, and wham, hooked for life. Since then, I’ve had a season ticket most of my life and followed the club a bit away from home as well.
I have a long, emotional tie to the club. I’ve known it longer than I have my wife, my children and many of my friends and I’ve spent more time watching it than I have with many of them. So the idea of just switching off my support like a switch due to the new owners just doesn’t seem possible and is counterintuitive to how human feelings work.
The next idea is that Newcastle fans should withdraw our direct, and particularly, financial support. Don’t go to games, buy merchandise (not hard) etc. Ok, I can see the logic behind this and I know of at least two people of my wider matching going friends who have already said they won’t be going to any more games after the takeover. But it isn’t easy though, going to the game is a ritual many of us have had in our lives for a long time, breaking it isn’t something done lightly and the truth is that it’ll be even harder if Newcastle start being successful on the pitch.
Everyone is going to have to figure that out for themselves. But what about watching on TV? Is that still ok or only if I don’t cheer? The club gets far more money from TV than it does from tickets or merchandise so perhaps that shouldn’t be allowed. But then that should apply to all football fans, including opposition ones. You can’t single out Newcastle fans and tell them not to watch Newcastle in any form but be ok with others doing so.
‘The podcast we never thought we’d record’
Full reaction from the night of the takeover – thank you for all of the kind feedback so far
I can’t remember recording most of this but I think it turned out okay https://t.co/I74hZGqOxf
— Alex Hurst (@tfalex1892) October 9, 2021
I really don’t know personally how this will affect how I support the club. I suspect it is something which evolves over time. Will my love of the club be diminished with the knowledge of those who control it? Will any long awaited any success be tinted by the nature of how it comes about? I was already fairly depressed about the state of the modern game, will this be thing that finally pushes me away from the game? Each of us, as fans, need to ask the question of ourselves as to whether we are still comfortable supporting this club in the same way knowing who now owns it. I don’t have any answers, because the answer for each of us might be different.
I’ll finish with two wishes:
- That all of us, not matter our opinion on the takeover, accept and respect the fact that there will be others who do not share than opinion. A united support is a great thing, an important thing, but we also need diversity in thinking. There is no right and wrong answer here and fellow fans are never the enemy.
- Even for those who are able and happy to separate their support for the club and the moral and political actions of the owners, please don’t become apologists or cheerleaders for what is undeniably an abhorrent regime. Don’t let success on the pitch hide or distract from that and remember the values which make this support, this city and this region so great.
Right. Tin hat on. Let’s hear your thoughts?
Bob Helpful
Manchester City are not owned by the UAE. I see this repeated again and again. The owner is Sheikh Mansour. It’s the same set up as Sheff Utd where a Saudi Sheikh owns the club but the the Newcastle Utd takeover effectively mirrors the set-up at PSG where the Qatari state owns the football club.
I don’t get the moral panic. Much of the infrastructure of the British state is owned by overseas pension funds. Saudi Arabia does not have a commonwealth. For the Saudi intelligence service see the CIA, MI5, MI6 etc. This is described as whataboutery but those who condemn middle-eastern states start by making a comparison between authoritarian states and the British way of life completely forgetting the role of Empire in forging this divided world. It simply feels wrong to me for our media and politicians to point to human rights abuses by middle-eastern states when it’s ultimately caused by Western interference and militarism.
As one of the tiny minority who voted No in the NUST poll, I’d like to thank Bob for finding the words I’ve been trying to articulate. JAH expressed it well also: Ashley Out! Say No to the murderous Saudi regime!
As if anyone was asking us.
I’d like to hope that the FSA will get some answers from the Premier League, and that the government review will improve things for the future – but I’m too much of a realist (cynic?) to hope for anything good from any of them.
The game is sick, at least the game we grew up with. But I’m not sure I can say goodbye after all these years either.
Would it have been better if there had been a mass boycott in 2009 and the club had eventually gone bust in the second or third division? Was there a missed opportunity for fan ownership and a chance of a rebuild? Rightly or wrongly, wittingly or unwittingly the people who’ve been paying to watch NUFC over the last 14 years (including the writer of this piece) have helped to facilitate this takeover. Did they think Michael was going to sell to a carbon neutral, ethical, autonomous peace-loving consortium?
The media are obviously going to be negative about it and decide the average man on Barrack Road should somehow take responsibility for human rights violations… That’s a better story for them. I’m sure they’ll not have the same attitude towards formula one fans come December and boxing fans etc same as the world cup in Qatar, will they be expecting footballers and supporters not to go in protest at the issues that regime presents. I’m pretty sure I saw an advert on Sky recently advertising holidays in KSA so that’s ok. My view is having them in the spotlight may influence some change for the better. After all the takeover figure head is a female and the other partner is from Jewish descent so there’s diversity straight away. There has to be a point in history where things begin to change for the better and maybe this could be the catalyst.. After all we don’t castigate Jurgen Klopp because of atrocities committed during the war, he’s one of the good guys now.
As a long time fan I’m also quite conflicted on this unique situation. On one side there is a huge wave of hypocrisy from critics preaching to us fans we should not accept these new owners. The same people posting such sentiments on Saudi invested Facebook, wearing Saudi invested Nike (which historically has had no problem with sweatshop labour) clothing, using Saudi invested Uber and watching Saudi invested Disney movies on a flight in a Saudi invested Boeing aircraft. They have also been largely ignorant of the wrong doing associated with billionaire owners of various other clubs but somehow Newcastle gets singled out. I won’t go into that as most people are familiar with the atrocities committed by certain regimes. Most foreign billionaires didn’t grow their wealth by always conducting business in a legitimate or moral manner. Most of us fuel our cars with oil provided by these evil empires knowing full well what kind of world it came from. It is possible to separate yourself from these ethical traps but it’s difficult to function in a modern society without them. We also accept that western governments readily trade with such regimes and even provide military resources to them. We still elect these officials. We usually do little to combat the phenomenon. Yet now it has become the plight of a simple football fan.
On the other side, I cannot easily reconcile with the fact that our new owners are indeed being run by a consortium that has some connection to pain and suffering. I don’t claim to fully know the extent of that connection. And I’m not sure we ever really will. We must draw inferences from what the media has reported on these events. I could argue the consortium formed a legally binding agreement with the league to separate kingdom from ownership but we all sense that is on paper only. It might indeed be yet another attempt to sportswash. It might even be a genuine attempt to change their tact and do some good in the world. Again, being in another part of the world, so removed from that region and its reality, I will probably never properly understand the issues.
I do believe the fans are so exhausted by the dreadful, neglectful ownership of the greedy Mike Ashley that we don’t actually have the energy to take up another fight. It’s also difficult to know where to start, especially when Chelsea, City, and PSG fans get off seemingly scott-free. I admire the way clubs like Athletic Bilbao, Bayern Munich, and Sassuolo are run. I wish we had a benevolent owner and a sustainable way of doing business. It wouldn’t make me love the club anymore but it would make me feel more at ease with the juggernaut of corporate influence on the sport that I live and breathe.
I tried to equate this to a person working for a coal company. You know your work is contributing to bad things but you want to feed your family and live a comfortable life. Sure, you could choose a different profession or industry, but you studied and trained to do your job and it’s what you know. There’s got to be a better way, and you know it, and people keep preaching to you there is, but you keep on working with the company because you enjoy the work and the comraderie. You feel like you belong to something. In a perfect world all energies would be renewable. All clubs would be Bilbao or Bayern. Newcastle could be owned by Elon Musk or some other noble philanthropist.
Realistically, there are not many rich and noble people getting around. For the Newcastle fan, very few people really cared when we endured thr Mike Ashley reign. We witnessed the disrespect of club legends, the mistreatment of loyal players (Jonas Gutierrez comes to mind), the shameless rebranding of our historic stadium, the obvious disdain of the fans, and the blatant refusal to actually progress the club in its core business mission: competing for things. Now we are suddenly being placed in a no-win situation, we suddenly have people telling us how to react and accusing us of welcoming in blood money. The fans never had a say in any of this. We merely tried to voice our concerns over a decade about a toxic ownership. Nobody intervened, nobody cared. The only way out was for Ashley to sell. Along comes this serious buyer and the league’s only impediment to the sale appears to be a tv rights issue. Ashley makes an escape of Shawshank proportions – gets out barely unnoticed, with his comfortable profit. No blame for Ashley. The man who exploited many workers, sucked the soul out of a club, and then sold to a group of bidders with questionable ethics – when he had multiple chances to sell in the past. No blame for the Premier League, who ultimately approved the sale and have been happy to receive investments regardless of their origin, as long as piracy issues don’t hinder the global profitability of their product. Instead the blame is shifted to us, the regular supporter. The club still employs regular, honest, hard working people. Are they expected to quit their jobs because of geopolitics in the middle east? Should the players hand in transfer requests to be consistent with their stances against social justice issues? Will the other clubs and their fans boycott Newcastle games as a protest against the atrocities linked to its new ownership? Will the broadcasters refuse to televise anything NUFC-related to help raise awareness for the cause?
The crux of this rant basically comes down to where do we draw the line? And who gets to draw the line? I’m not going to refrain from consumerism, for which the purchase of NUFC pales in comparison to the money thrown at Western culture by Saudi investment. Neither is virtually anyone else, critic or otherwise. So what good will it do to simply give up supporting a sports team and the community that has loved it for generations? To make me sleep better at night? To appease a few moral crusaders on the internet?
I actually don’t know the answer right now. I’m going to see how this plays out for the moment. I’m going to research the underlying issues more thoroughly. I’m going to understand what human rights abuses take place all across the world. I will try to make the most informed decision I can. Maybe I’ll donate to Amnesty, maybe I’ll connect with Saudis who have actually been affected by what goes on in their country. Maybe I’ll just accept a very flawed football reality which reflects the downward spiral of capitalism.
For now, I’ll probably relive some Alan Shearer highlights and drink some brown ale. Thanks for reading and thanks for the insightful commentary.
Here we go typical bloody Guardian ideology shite. Human rights, whatever that means, if indeed human rights actually exist. Is just a means of imposing one’s own moral judgement upon another regardless of any consideration other than their own perceived piety.
Whilst you’re very much welcome to an alternative opinion Steff, to suggest that ‘human rights’ do not exist seems a bit of a stretch for me. I think you have a valid point around how the commentary and narrative is shaped through a western lens which makes it a values based judgment on Middle Eastern democracy tricky. However, certain rights eg the right not to be murdered for your sexuality are global and transcend any cultural differences. I think us Newcastle fans need to be very careful with our language because it will be weaponised by those who seek to denigrate us.
Admire your patience with Steff, Bob (who got up this morning and casually denied the existence of human rights!!?!?) It’s the time we’re living in sadly. “I never seen a panda so how comes I know dey even exist?” Bloody lefties innit.
And what if KSA recognise this and want to change for the better? If they want to expand their global portfolio then this is what the must do. At some point in history there is a turning point, British empire, Germany anyone? Everyone is having a hissy fit but I don’t see anyone demonstrating at no 10 who supply the arms. Maybe I am a dreamer but I am hoping good will come from this.
I agree in general with you Bob, but I would go much further. Here is my take:
The bloody, theocratic Saudi dictatorship has taken over Newcastle United Football Club (NUFC). Lest we forget, the man behind the Saudi Public Investment Fund ‘ the state’s sovereign wealth fund ‘ is Mohammed Bin Salman, Crown Prince, aka the ‘butcher of Yemen’ and the person who ordered the murder of Yamal Jashogyi, the Saudi journalist who was tortured then killed in the Saudi embassy in Turkey.
Many NUFC fans are making convoluted arguments to justify the takeover, ‘anyone is better than Mike Ashley’ (current owner of NUFC and Sports Direct), and too many, unfortunately, are looking the other way.
As as Newcastle fan, ask yourself honestly, can you support the takeover of NUFC by a regime and individuals who are directly involved in:
the bombing and murder of civilians in Yemen
the exploitation of migrant workers akin to bonded labour and even slavery
having the worst workers’ rights in the region and paying starvation wages
treating women as minors and second class citizens in a ‘legal’ sex segregation, gender apartheid judicial system
the absolute discrimination of LGBT people including punishments of fines, public whippings, beatings, vigilante attacks, chemical castrations, prison time up to life, capital punishment and other forms of torture.
Newcastle fans might point out that a Premier League team is already owned by a Middle Eastern billionaire. Other clubs are owned by the obscenely wealthy of Russia and the USA. Many expensive properties and businesses are owned by corrupt overseas owners. Britain has massive business ties with China and Israel. All that is true but that does not make this takeover right.
Power of fans’ protests
During the Coronavirus crisis the millionaire owners of clubs like Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Norwich outraged working class fans by initially and cynically taking advantage of the government scheme, under which employers can claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ wages, while star players remained on astronomical salaries. Under pressure these clubs were forced to back down. This is an answer to fans who think public pressure and campaigning cannot stop the Saudi takeover. Also, fan power forced the so-called ‘Big Clubs’ to withdraw from the European ‘Super’ League.
The movements against cutthroat capitalist Mike Ashley over the years have been sizable and show the potential for public involvement and action. NUFC fans have protested against the Ashley regime and linked their opposition to his chairmanship of the club to his exploitation of workers at Sports Direct.
Socialists and trade unionists who are NUFC fans have consistently opposed Ashley and campaigned to get him out of our club. However, we must be absolutely clear about this: Newcastle fans have no business supporting the takeover of NUFC by a consortium largely financed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Kick big business out of football!
We also need to expose the hypocrisy of the fat cats who run football. Premier League rules prohibit minor criminal offenders from ownership, but do not require any scrutiny of those accused of being war criminals, human rights abusers or murderers like Mohammed bin Salman. The Premier League meekly accepted the Saudi regime’s pledge that they would not interfere in the running of the club. Money talks. However, the Saudi press spells out the intentions of Mohammed Bin Salman clearly, ‘Breakthrough $410m deal gives Kingdom a seat at top table of European football.’ (Arab News)
The Premier League cannot be allowed to let Mohammed bin Salman to ‘sportswash’ the Saudi regime. NUFC fans cannot look the other way. We must say no to the war criminal, human rights abuser and accused murderer taking over the club.
If we remain within the confines of big business and the inflated prices in corporate football we will not get anywhere. We need to look beyond the business model of capitalist, fat cat run football. Football came from the working class and we need to reclaim the game.
The Coronavirus crisis and economic crisis has shown the weakness of capitalism and the football business is not immune to this. In the Spanish La Liga, the club in the best position financially at the moment is the fan owned club Athletic Bilbao, mainly because they only play with Basque players and they do not have the multimillion inflated wage bills of other clubs.
Joaqu’n Caparr’s, ex-Athletic coach, now in charge of Armenia has said there will be a ‘before and after the Coronavirus crisis’ for football. He says that football fans will demand restrictions on player’s wages and clubs like Athletic who encourage local talent and have invested in young players rather than spending obscene amounts on transfer fees and wages could have an advantage post-Coronavirus.
Reclaim the game ‘ fan owned clubs
Ultimately, the future of football lies in reclaiming the game for the people with the model of fan and community run clubs along the lines of some Spanish and German clubs. Many fans are sceptical about how this can be achieved, although agreeing it is a good idea in an ideal world. Ashley is set to make another fortune by selling the club. Fans ask how they could possibly get that kind of money together to buy the club? Many believe this is not achievable and that is why they passively go along with the Saudi deal.
In 2005 American businessman Malcolm Glazer’s takeover of Manchester United was opposed by fans. Ultimately Glazer bought the club and many fans decided that was a bridge too far and decided to set up FC United of Manchester. The success of this fan led club has been a reflection of working class fan’s desire to bring football back to its local and community roots.
NUFC’s fans may have not reached that breaking point yet but we are near to it. Many NUFC fans have voted with their feet during Ashley’s cynical, money grabbing regime and as bad as it has been, Saudi blood stained money has to be rejected. Ashley has to go but Bin Salman is not the solution. Big business cannot be trusted to run our club, neither can the Saudi dictatorship.
Polls claim 93% of NUFC fans are in favour of the takeover by the murderous Saudi regime. This can be explained by 14 years of having Ashley in control of the club and up until now no Labour MPs have opposed the dirty deal. They are too scared of going against so-called ‘public opinion’ whipped up by the local paper the Evening Chronicle. Pundits like Alan Shearer inevitably fall into line and use twisted logic to suggest that having a theocratic dictatorship take over NUFC will help to reform them! ‘I understand also that questions have to be asked with the human rights issues, it’s really important we don’t brush it under the carpet. We have to educate ourselves and this I think this will only highlight it even more.’
However, many fans, although a minority at the moment, are not taken in by this nonsense. Socialists and figures in the labour movement need to stand up and be counted on this issue, give a lead and expose this grubby deal for what it is: ‘sportswashing’ on a monumental scale. All the perfumes and money of Arabia will not sweeten this deal or wipe away their crimes. NUFC fans in time, will come to regret looking the other way on this.
Ashley has dragged the club through the mud now it will literally be dragged through blood. As many have argued for years, the only solution for NUFC is a takeover by the fans.
Ashley Out!
No to the takeover of NUFC by the murderous Saudi regime!
Sack the board (For old time’s take)
Reclaim the game!
For a fan’s takeover of NUFC
Bob, firstly, I enjoy your comments on the Gaurdian after match sections.
The “line in the sand” has consistently been kicked over and redrawn with each multi-billionaire takeover so whataboutery is a real thing. It seems as if (on social media at least) everyone is now a fully paid up member of Amnesty International and they’ve been out picketing the various embassies of KSA, China, Pakistan etc in their spare time between posting on sporting websites about this takeover. So, yes it is right to point out their hypocrisy
It can now only be a personal choice as to where your line is drawn as, unless you’re Owen Jones who who no doubt filters all of the tainted products and influences from his life, we’re all complicit if you dig only slightly below the surface.
For me it’s 50 years this year since my first game at SJP. Ashley drove me away and I reluctantly game up my ST after nearly 28 years. Will I go back? I doubt it as my politics are more ingrained than I thought. Will I ever stop supporting The Toon? Never.
You’re probably right there are some Amnesty entryists plus jealous fans looking to take hypocritical pot shots. But the whataboutery argument is for me flawed – Bob’s spot on there. Replace Pif with KKK and does the argument still stack? Of course not- ergo moral/ethical degrees form the heart of the debate. “It’s all very well criticising – say – a murderer on the news when we haven’t submitted our tax form on time.” That’s where whataboutery leads.
There may be a sober, qualified stance which means you or I can still support our team of decades – despite misgivings about the owners. Getting there as Bob says is a matter for the individual and his/her conscience.