Ankles Bennett

Perhaps we need to start a thread drumming up support to inundated the EPL with a demand that they pass the takeover or to clearly explain why it's not accepting the overwhelming evidence that PIF is not autonomous from the Saudi's gov..

Seems to me that Ashley is perhaps going down the line of saying the refusal of the PL to give a decision on the O&D test by steadfastly refusing to accept the "overwhelming evidence of the independence of PIF", from the Saudi government, amounts to a decision that he plans to challenge. It's a case of the PL deciding the outcome is to reject the takeover and to then demand the consortium provides the adverse evidence to support their decision to reject.

It took the PL 8 months to ratify the Southampton takeover. They rejected the original consortium takeover on the O&D test, and the guy who put it together then discarded the consortium and made his own takeover bid and he passed the O&D test and the takeover was then allowed.

Regardless of what people think of Ashley he has always said he would only sell to someone who could take the club forward. In that respect the consortium are the only buyers who can do that, hence his determination to realise his asset and at the same time can say there you go I've given you owners with a shed load of money that I haven't got.

Rather than appealing the rejection, the club may consider applying for a Judicial Review. A Judicial review process would examine whether the PL have correctly applied the O&D procedures in reaching their decision to reject the takeover. If it is established they have exceeded the parameters of the O&D procedures in rejecting the takeover, regardless of the evidence of piracy etc, they could then be left with no other option than to allow the takeover.

Am I reading something into this statement by the club? It refers to the club and its "owners" i.e in the plural. Does this mean the club has actually been sold to the consortium?

Exactly this. We are just cannon fodder for the top six.

I cant see the Reuben bros buying us. I think they were only onboard so they would get all the Saudi area regeneration funding. They have the land in newcastle all they needed was someone like the Saudi's to fund the various regeneration projects.

Not thick at all. Looking at the situation with critical eyes Nothing to stop him doing some actual journalism and checking to see if what he's been told is actually based in any kind of factual world. Unless it was just an interview and reported as one, rather than taking a single source as gospel That's fine in most scenarios, but with one source (we are assuming) involved in a highly confidential process, I'm not sure how feasible that is. In that case a decent journalist wouldn't report as fact, and would write as an opinion piece. Probably not feasible to report with checks, but that should have been made clear. Caulkin reported numerous times that all he was doing was passing on what he had been told but couldn't vouch for the veracity of what he had been told.

Is this serious? He could be writing a book etc. The ABC of failed NUFC takeovers by George Caulkin

This is not for fans to sort out. Newcastle fans have done their bit, whipped up a storm with MPs and got the PL to talk for the first time. It's now over to those with the power, the millionaires, billionaires, corporations and sovereign states, to sort this out, either way, once and for all and then we can move on to wherever that may be. What I meant was NUST, not individual fans, should write to Al Rumayyan asking for closure one way or another.

This. Sean has always had his best displays for us when he has been given the no 10 role

I support the option of writing to Al Rumayyan at PIF asking for closure for the fans one way or another. It also seems clear to me that it wasn't PIF who withdrew their offer, it was MBS who clearly wasn't amused by the PL line of questioning and therefore ordered them to withdraw the offer, and so I think it is clear he would have been the majority, but lets be clear here, not the sole owner, of NUFC. However, this guy is the Crown Prince, and will be the next King of the KSA, and as such he is feted wherever he goes around the world. Yet the EPL have had the temerity to question his suitability to own a share in a piddling little football club, because that's what NUFC, and by association, the EPL, is to him. MBS clearly felt insulted, and I don't blame him for this, by the fact that the EPL refused to accept the assurance from the Saudi Royal Court that he would not be interfering in the running of NUFC. Hence the withdrawal, and as such, I cannot see PIF would be allowed to resurrect the takeover, unless the EPL say they will pass the takeover without any further questioning. So no, this takeover is sadly, dead in the water.

But the arbitration was simply to determine whether MBS had ultimate control over PIF not whether they could conclude the takeover of NUFC.

Who was the last state to try and buy a PL club? My post didn’t mention states. Also a state wasn’t trying to buy us a sovereign wealth fund was. To be fair Real Madrid are virtually owned by the state as the Spanish government keep wiping out any debt they build up. Completely wrong on all counts. So you dont believe that the Spanish government cleared Real Madrids debts about 25 years ago when they were faced with administration?

It would have been an absolute insult for the PL to actually insist on investigating the Crown Prince of Saudi. Can you imagine the outrage in the british media if the Olympic governing committee had insisted on investigating whether Princess Anne had been a fit and proper person to compete in the Olympics when she did.

Who was the last state to try and buy a PL club? My post didn’t mention states. Also a state wasn’t trying to buy us a sovereign wealth fund was. To be fair Real Madrid are virtually owned by the state as the Spanish government keep wiping out any debt they build up.

If the 110k who signed the petition told the PL they were going to cancel their Sky subscription unless they gave a decision and/or explained why they couldn't we might get some answers. 100k subscriptions cancelled would at a very conservative estimate lead to sky losing £5m each month.

This could easily be resolved by the PIF if MBS resigns his position as Chairman and PIF appoint Al Ruumyaan as Chairman of PIF.

But if you didn't have to do something you probably wouldn't. And when you ignore something long enough,usually it goes away. I keep seeing the 360 account saying let's turn the screw, rallying calls to Mps, etc etc, Yes at least they're doing something fair enough,but the elite in this world dont give a shit about anyone, so given the fact they're not forced to respond bothers me a bit. And will Stavely and Ashley actually bother to drag this through court or just move on. But, now MP's are involved, writing letters, etc. if the PL still stay silent, and don't acknowledge them at all, then it may increase the chances of this actually being raised/debated in Parliament itself, which the Petition, even with 100k of signatures still may not have achieved. And remember, to wasn't just local MP's writing, it was MP's from further afield, who are arguing for the same transparency from the PL for all clubs, not just us. Probably not like but, ya reckon the PL are being silent 'cos the O&D test is actually still ongoing and they're not saything anything because it's a confidential process?.. I hope it is, but then you kinda think if it is because the talks are back on / O&D test still ongoing, then surely they could come out and say 'something' along those lines, rather than face the online and selective media flack they are getting at the moment. I just hope this is an ongoing thing, and at some point the consortium will be able to satisfy the PL that they can approve the takeover. It took 8 months before the PL approved the Southampton takeover so it could be that this could rumble on for another 4 months, so we could be looking at a very nice Xmas present and an enjoyable January transfer window . Here's hoping.

It's the legal battles where I feel you may be misleading yourself. I think we all want to believe that if it gets rejected, PIF will spend millions taking them to the cleaners but i've yet to hear anyone put forward anything that suggests that they'd have any kind of strong case, if any case at all. I think someone yesterday suggested only MA would have a legal angle, if he felt compelled to go down that route. Whether that's right I don't know but in basic terms, if feels like if it gets rejected because of the PL's own test, rather any kind of UK law, then they'll be able to back that up. I just don't see this going legal. I may be completely wrong but I would imagine that the matter falls under the remit of contract law. The O&D test unequivocally states that confirmation will be given within five working days, the PL is in breach of that element of the rules and that has caused the consortium to lose its £17m deposit (which would have been refunded if the PL had issued a refusal). So if it does go to court it will be so they can get the deposit/damages/costs back. Can't see it forcing them to approve I don't think it would be within the remit of a an English court to influence the actual decision (it would possibly be within the remit of the Court of Arbitration for Sport though). But, from my point of view, this is more about speculation of what might be going on behind the scenes and the pressure that might be put on the PL to make a decision. I think if it does get as far as legal action that would probably mean the deal is dead, because it could go on for years. The £17m deposit was paid by the consortium in the knowledge that if the takeover was rejected by the PL they would get their £17m refunded, if the takeover was passed then all they had to do was hand over the balance of £283m so there was no risk at all to the deposit. By refusing to give a decision the PL are effectively withholding the £17m that was, in the minds of the consortium, ringfenced. Having said that, for all we know, they may have had their deposit refunded by the PL/the top 6 clubs, to ensure there was no legal comeback in refusing to make a decision.

That's a stupid comment!

This issue that the PL has of MBS being chairman of PIF is rubbish. I mean Prince Charles is commander in chief of the armed forces but he doesn't exactly lead them into battle does he. This is really about the other member clubs objecting to the takeover and nothing else and not making a decision is the only way they can cover that up. A rejection would be appealable and as they say "the truth will out"!!!

Now that the takeover is unlikely I cant really give a toss who we sign. Who ever we sign it will be bargain basement .

Is has nothing to with us. Plus would we be at all suprised if it was true? Probably believe it especially if this intelligence officer has defected to Qatar/sold state secrets to Qatar. It might even be the real reason Khashoggi was assassinated because he was in Qatar's back pocket and attempting to destabilize the saudi state through the media. But that's just speculation on my part.