CROWN PRINCE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN TAKEOVER OF NEWCASTLE UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB - STATEMENT

The public confirmation that Saudi Arabia's chief dictator was heavily involved in the NUFC takeover is vindication for NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing and other groups who opposed the deal.

Amanda Staveley’s leaked messages from the man who ordered the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi has confirmed the open secret that it really was the Saudi royal dictatorship which bought our club three years ago.

At the time of the takeover NUFCFAS was attacked for daring to say the truth; which is Newcastle United Football Club were bought as a tool to be used in the sportswashing project of the Saudi regime.

In the North East, Newcastle City Council, Tyneside MPs and most official fan groups need to be held to account for going along with what was an obvious lie. They should have known better, but the hope of winning a trophy at any cost made them look the other way. Away from the minors on death row and young women jailed and abused simply for standing up for their rights. Not once in three years have fan groups such as Wor Flags made good on pre-takeover promises to support Saudi women oppressed by a government which the Newcastle United Chairman is a member of. In fact Yasir al-Rumayyan, who is a close confidante of Mohammed bin Salman was even addressed as ‘his excellency’ by local media.

Let’s not forget either that an enormous campaign in support of the takeover involving local media, fan groups and politicians in the North East and beyond, with more than 80 MPs calling for ‘greater transparency’ in the takeover process paved the way and pressurised the Premier League to wave the deal through.

The government of Boris Johnson also played a role in putting pressure on the Premier League to green light the deal, with The Athletic reporting after the takeover: “pressure has also been applied from the government and through other avenues, given that this takeover bid also promised investment in the north east, as well as in Newcastle United”.

The Premier League must also answer some serious questions.

Did they know about Mohammed bin Salman pressurising  Boris Johnson and the UK government to make the deal happen?

What were the 'legally binding assurances' that Saudi Arabia would not control NUFC?

In the interests of transparency surely those ‘assurances’ must be published now?  It would not be surprising if there were a legal challenge to oblige the Premier League to do so.

NUFCFAS made it clear from day one that the Saudi dictatorship would be the real owners of our club. The evidence was there for all to see, yet Newcastle City Council, MPs, local media and even official fan groups ignored the obvious truth.

There was a collective fog of cognitive dissonance on the Tyne, which we hope will now start to lift.

Following Freedom of Information Requests obtained by NUFCFAS, we uncovered collusion between Newcastle City Council and what should be known now as ‘Mohammed bin Salman's club’.

Newcastle City Council suggested strategies to the club to help the new owners be accepted with public relations tips such as the infamous proposal that the Saudi regime should fund free school meals in Newcastle . The council was in effect aiding sportswashing.

Newcastle City Council needs to answer for its actions and an independent review must be held.

As an act of good faith, new council leader Karen Kilgour should make good on her albeit tentative commitment to meet Saudi human rights activist Lina al-Hathloul and a delegation of Saudi human rights advocates.

The fact that Mohammed bin Salman was personally involved in the takeover of NUFC is not surprising but just the tip of the iceberg in this sorry scandal which has stained the reputation of our club and region.

Saudi state ownership of Newcastle United has infected local politics, diluted commitments to human rights and muted the press. Time to kick back and really get our club back.

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