Takeover back on - DEAL DONE

[Tsi]

Lots of bookies stopped taking bets on Bruce being fired next.

Surely the Saudis will deduct the £4m payoff from their offer!

I heard they have offered him a all expenses paid trip to Istanbul

[Remember Colo]

If this is what it took to get it through - the only ones holding things up was Saudi Arabia dragging their feet on ceasing TV piracy and permitting bein sports.

Problem is assuming "that's all it takes" we don't know what hoops the PL would have made them jump through in private, under public scrutiny it's easy to claim it was just a simple solution. But I doubt there would be hefty legal fees paid if the issue was this simple.

No, I know I was oversimplifying things. but spitting in the eye of the league's second biggest revenue for several years certainly wasn't helping their cause. It does feel like the prospective (and existing) owners took a multifaceted approach to resolving this - maybe holding out on this long-overdue action until other things were resolved behind teh scenes.

Though as for the legal fees - if there's anything that outweighs Ashley's love of money, it's his stubborness. I think he was very willing to fight the PL - a group that probably never let him into the fold in the way he'd hoped.

[DDuc]

Not sure what it says about the state of the world when a deal was held up on account of TV money rather than human rights. Seems the Premier League are no longer hung up on the 'state controlled' ownership issue now that their wallets have been accounted for.

I was once a season ticket holder but left when Rafa departed. I doubt I'll be going back anytime soon if this deal goes through. Would rather not consciously line the pockets of human rights abusers.

[Remember Colo]

Surely the Saudis will deduct the £4m payoff from their offer!

I heard they have offered him a all expenses paid trip to Istanbul

[Colback's Orange Tufts]

If George says it's happening then it's happening!

I like George but he said it wad happening a yeae ago. And before that

[lassassinblanc]

Until the club announces it, I'll keep the cans in the fridge.

[seaside nipper]

Luke Edwards on broadcast media just now saying this is going to be world changing for NUFC. I’m paraphrasing but ……
He says the premier league hid behind piracy for 18 months delaying this takeover.
When can this happen …….? Edwards says end game being played , sorted by end of this week
Newcastle United are effectively winning the lottery here.

One caveat IMO I would be wary of Liverpool and Spurs (Levy) back channelling as they see a new force threatening their place at the table.
TalkSPORT saying Top six clubs going to be very jealous !!!!!

[UlversToon]

Friday announcement!

[Don Sholeone]

If George says it's happening then it's happening!

I like George but he said it wad happening a yeae ago. And before that

Someone's on the cans already

[Remember Colo]

Good little Marca article by Chris Winterburn on the subject. Which takes a balanced approach speaking to Ashley's apathy towards the club, the league's indifference to owners like him, why Newcastle fans shouldn't be blamed for what's to come, how more state ownership is indicative to poor custodianship by the FA, PL and European leagues, how the sport failed to use the past 1.5 years to reset, and how the circumstances of this going through demonstrates it was only ever about money.

https://www.marca.com/en/football/newca ... b45ca.html

[biggeordiedave]

I'm betting that absolutely nothing happens tomorrow and then on Friday a "major setback" story will break.

[seaside nipper]

I'm betting that absolutely nothing happens tomorrow and then on Friday a "major setback" story will break.

BGD, your scars certainly run deep
In my oversimplified ideal world, I think some good karma is around the corner for the Toon….., at last

[biggeordiedave]

I'm betting that absolutely nothing happens tomorrow and then on Friday a "major setback" story will break.

BGD, your scars certainly run deep
In my oversimplified ideal world, I think some good karma is around the corner for the Toon….., at last

I don't think that being taken over by the Saudis is necessarily good karma...

[Donkey Toon]

I'm betting that absolutely nothing happens tomorrow and then on Friday a "major setback" story will break.

It would be wonderful if that happened. Unfortunately it would appear the deal is going to go through.

It would appear that after 50+ years I am in my final days as a Toon supporter.

[Don Sholeone]

Good little Marca article by Chris Winterburn on the subject. Which takes a balanced approach speaking to Ashley's apathy towards the club, the league's indifference to owners like him, why Newcastle fans shouldn't be blamed for what's to come, how more state ownership is indicative to poor custodianship by the FA, PL and European leagues, how the sport failed to use the past 1.5 years to reset, and how the circumstances of this going through demonstrates it was only ever about money.

https://www.marca.com/en/football/newca ... b45ca.html

It was never going to be about anything other than money, in a perfect world I think everyone would prefer things to be different. But this is the world we live in and what the sport is now. Leicesters title win was the dying ember of what football used to be. There is no way that will ever be allowed to happen again. Unfortunately money is the game now.

As for the takeover I've always been in favour of it, but this resolution has killed all faith I had in the governance of sport in this country. I think the court case being made public was a key factor. It makes me think about what could have potentially come out for them to be scared into u-turning so dramatically. Piracy will always be the cover story but I think this buries information that would have been devastating for the league.

[biggeordiedave]

I'm betting that absolutely nothing happens tomorrow and then on Friday a "major setback" story will break.

It would be wonderful if that happened. Unfortunately it would appear the deal is going to go through.

It would appear that after 50+ years I am in my final days as a Toon supporter.

I think I'll probably continue much the same as I am now. The club very rarely gets any money out of me (maybe £10 ever other season) and I don't think I've watched a full match since we were in the Championship. Some days I forget we're even playing I'm that out of touch with it all.

[Donkey Toon]

It would be wonderful if that happened. Unfortunately it would appear the deal is going to go through.

It would appear that after 50+ years I am in my final days as a Toon supporter.

I think I'll probably continue much the same as I am now. The club very rarely gets any money out of me (maybe £10 ever other season) and I don't think I've watched a full match since we were in the Championship. Some days I forget we're even playing I'm that out of touch with it all.

I've been increasingly uninterested and detached as well in recent years. I don't expect to find it that difficult to take the final steps into not bothering at all.

[Remember Colo]

Good little Marca article by Chris Winterburn on the subject. Which takes a balanced approach speaking to Ashley's apathy towards the club, the league's indifference to owners like him, why Newcastle fans shouldn't be blamed for what's to come, how more state ownership is indicative to poor custodianship by the FA, PL and European leagues, how the sport failed to use the past 1.5 years to reset, and how the circumstances of this going through demonstrates it was only ever about money.

https://www.marca.com/en/football/newca ... b45ca.html

It was never going to be about anything other than money, in a perfect world I think everyone would prefer things to be different. But this is the world we live in and what the sport is now. Leicesters title win was the dying ember of what football used to be. There is no way that will ever be allowed to happen again. Unfortunately money is the game now.

As for the takeover I've always been in favour of it, but this resolution has killed all faith I had in the governance of sport in this country. I think the court case being made public was a key factor. It makes me think about what could have potentially come out for them to be scared into u-turning so dramatically. Piracy will always be the cover story but I think this buries information that would have been devastating for the league.

I think people continue to downplay the significance of the TV piracy. The Premier League makes 2.3 billion pounds a year in revenue from TV contracts. You absolutely cannot have one of your club owners brazenly pirating the product and undermining those TV contracts. Especially when they're specifically stealing from the largest international broadcast partner. Otherwise next time the contracts go out for tender you'll have the potential partners asking "why should I bid 500m if others are going to just air it for free?". But even more than that money - it would have been an embarrassment to Qatar, and everyone involved is about flaunting money and pride.

[Remember Colo]

Good little Marca article by Chris Winterburn on the subject. Which takes a balanced approach speaking to Ashley's apathy towards the club, the league's indifference to owners like him, why Newcastle fans shouldn't be blamed for what's to come, how more state ownership is indicative to poor custodianship by the FA, PL and European leagues, how the sport failed to use the past 1.5 years to reset, and how the circumstances of this going through demonstrates it was only ever about money.

https://www.marca.com/en/football/newca ... b45ca.html

It was never going to be about anything other than money, in a perfect world I think everyone would prefer things to be different. But this is the world we live in and what the sport is now. Leicesters title win was the dying ember of what football used to be. There is no way that will ever be allowed to happen again. Unfortunately money is the game now.

As for the takeover I've always been in favour of it, but this resolution has killed all faith I had in the governance of sport in this country. I think the court case being made public was a key factor. It makes me think about what could have potentially come out for them to be scared into u-turning so dramatically. Piracy will always be the cover story but I think this buries information that would have been devastating for the league.

The other thing I'd say - I do wonder what the long-term game is. You can have middle-east states throw billions of dollars at football clubs for a time, but for how long? When does that investment cease making sense? When it's an operating cost issue and not simply a capital expense, they're committing a budget line that produces theoretical returns in international clout, and feeds a sheik's love of sport. And Barca demonstrates that without a state behind you, even the most powerful clubs can't keep up the spending of the past 2 decades.

[Donkey Toon]

Not sure what it says about the state of the world when a deal was held up on account of TV money rather than human rights. Seems the Premier League are no longer hung up on the 'state controlled' ownership issue now that their wallets have been accounted for.

I was once a season ticket holder but left when Rafa departed. I doubt I'll be going back anytime soon if this deal goes through. Would rather not consciously line the pockets of human rights abusers.

I think it says that when money and morality come into conflict money nearly always wins. Which I don't think is really a revelation to anybody. Unfortunately.