gjohnson

Yes that is true, but it doesn't happen immediately. It takes a few years of success for any particular team to generate money for the PL. Leicesters year was the most entertaining in bloody ages, but almost certain the PL income was down that year, as they didn't have the reach of the traditional 'big' teams

Their former owner was pressured by the Premier League to sell after an arrest warrant for him was issued and his assets frozen, meaning he had no money to run the club. As the Premier League had urged him to sell, and he had no money to keep the club going, they weren’t in a position to reject it. PL/FA rules at that time also forbidded an owner with a criminal record from owning a club. There was also no Global pandemic, no accusations of piracy, and no objections from Amnesty or fiance's of murdered journalists.

No it's no conspiracy, but could potentially disrupt their cash flow for a few years and no business likes uncertainty in their figures beyond annual growth. If Newcastle got into the top regions of the league they'd probably suffer a drop at least initially, and this has the potential to disrupt their growth plans for the next few years. Would be interesting to see what kind of hit they took when Leicester won a few years back. Almost a pity it was pretty much a one off (despite this seasons good form). Football reputations and finances generally change pretty quickly barring some exceptions based on massively extended success. We're probably the best example, showing how quick and easy it is to fall behind. From being one of the biggest earners in mid-90's and a couple of years early 2000's we've gone to a club just making up the numbers. A few better decisions over the last 15 years and it could easily have been us sitting in the Tottenham/Arsenal/Liverpool situation.

Why would they care? One of their big 'money making' teams (Man Utd/Man City/Liverpool/Chelsea/Arsenal/Tottenham) will miss out being in the top 6, and they're will be a few years gap in their finances till Newcastle have enough of a following abroad to replace it.

More likely agent driven having told him that there are Championship and League 1 players being paid significantly more than he is.

Batistuta. Closest player to Shearer I've ever seen

This. Every time is is reported as close, another objection comes crawling out from somewhere. Someone somewhere with actual power wants this stopped for whatever reason. No idea who really, but simplest thing would be to chase the money, and who benefits from this failure. Obvious and probably wrong answer is all other Premier League clubs, as the Saudi Wealth is bigger than the rest of League combined. like it or not the Premier League will listen to. Maybe BeIn, as they'd probably lose rights going forward. Despite the negatively of this post, still think it will go through as PIF will throw a bit extra to the Premier League, and probably promise to bid for rights going forward.

Neymar is a good example. One of the best, at one of the best clubs in the world suddenly decides PSG is the place to be. Remove their wealth and would he have gone there? Probably not. Never believed the excuse about him being sick of living in Messi's shadow

Money talks one way or another....yes you get agents and players going on about wanting Champions League and Trophies immediately, but add a zero to their pay and suddenly a 'project' becomes interesting. Also, if these players wanting immediate success were actually as good as they think they are, surely they would back themselves to bring whoever they join to the elite.

Bruce has no long term future here. We know it, he knows it, the players know it, PIF know it, every pfm knows it. Save some time, pay him off and get someone who's up to the job

The RAF retired the Tornado from service in April 2019. F-35B Lightning is the replacement. What has this got to do with the NUFC takeover again? Nothing at all...just a possible reason why someone might hear a plane near the airport not on the normal flight path.

I live about four miles away from the airport, but we aren't on the flightpath, so we never get planes directly overhead. In the middle of the night I was woken up by a very LOUD plane flying directly overhead, never heard anything like that here before. So I immediately thought (still 95% asleep) "that's them, the Saudis, flying in from a different direction from normal planes" and then I went straight back to sleep. It may all have been a dream of course, but in the morning I felt it was real !!! (how 'wound up' into all this, am I . . .. ) There's only two ways to land a plane at Newcastle. Straight in from Whitley Bay area, straight in from Hexham area. Anything else would end in disaster. Unless the Saudi private planes are like Harrier jump jets. Maybe you heard the Northumbria Police Ghetto Bird tracking some villains ? Or a military jet. get occasional Tornado's and Typhoons flying around at low levels. Takes what about 2 minutes to get to Leeming when you're doing 7-800mph?

Not seen any published. PIF could have easily done this all alone, so in my view they hadn't considered it in the past but were approached by Staveley who wanted a cut for starting the deal, and the Reubens jumped on as part of their buy up of property all around Newcastle. Or, they just want to be owners and have others do all the day to day running

Sod the football, I'd pay to watch that

Certainly before its time. If it came out now (as adidas and not puma) pretty sure it would be liked...not maroon and blue hooped liked, but still popular. Fix the colour and its a winner. Although....change the orange and green for black and white, lighten up the purple/blue and there's a masterpiece

I got that in Magaluf the summer it came out, weeks before it had been released in the UK. Walked through Newcastle airport like royalty, everyone was coming up to me asking where I'd got it from. Id love to see this design return. Just a pity it didn't come out while we were decent, otherwise it might have been remembered more fondly. Unfortunately it is associated with a team that fell from 2nd to 13th and lost a cup final. Seem to recall it was only worn once too (vs Leeds?) A decent team seems to make a kit more memorable....example the banana/custard cream kit. By every reasonable metric it's horrific to look at, but it was liked as it was associated with a good enjoyable season

Wasn't it 'How's the bacon, did you say?'

https://www.google.com/search?q=99+newcastle+away&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB900GB900&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGoKLdhcfpAhUDSBUIHQoKBsQQ_AUoAnoECA0QBA&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=D26xd1Kd-YUUAM

https://dnre29p915wg3.cloudfront.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/700x700/0dc2d03fe217f8c83829496872af24a0/n/e/newcastle-97-away-use_18_2_1_1_4_1.jpg Hated this one when it came out, but like it now as it's so different, and was surprised to find it is actually historically relevant

Ryder

When you can afford a Ferrari, you don't go looking for Mondeo

Perhaps a different way to look at the letters.... What is actually trying to be achieved by them? Attention to Saudi's terrible human rights record - I think is a fair comment. If the letters succeed, PIF moves on to another investment and Newcastle is never brought up again by any of the individuals or agencies involved and they move on to the next highest profile investment whoever that is, be it Disney/Uber/LiveNAtion. If they fail, Newcastle is taken over and there is relative semi-permanent eyes on everything they do. Neither will succeed in bringing the journalist back, but both have raised the attention. Only issue is one way is potentially very good for NUFC and the region on a sporting front the other is not. Whatever happens once it's all done and dusted either way its unlikely that the fiance will ever be heard again in relation to Newcastle

That is nonsense. Chelsea have arguably the best academy in the country now, they’ve also built a brand so they can be pretty much self sufficient and don’t really need an owner to be injecting cash. No doubt Man City are here to stay but they will have some ups and downs too especially if Pep leaves. Maybe, maybe not. My opinion is that if they hadn't been forced to rely on it due to their transfer ban, players like Mount, Odio, and possibly Abraham wouldn't be in their first team at all

He's no Shearer or Ferdinand. Probably a bit more of a goal scorer than Asprilla, but no where near as entertaining

But we monitored the hell out of it