Ankles Bennett

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.

Looks like the Qatari's are at it again. Some ex Saudi Intelligence officer says MBS tried to have him assassinated in Canada.

It seems pretty obvious that it's the other member clubs that are stopping this takeover and have obviously just told the PL to not give a decision so there can be no appeal against a rejection.

The PL tests were not applied with such rigour back then I am guessing, perhaps because there wasn't really a clique of nationally approved top clubs. Liverpool were struggling so the door had to be left open for them to be taken over by a state backed owner if one came along. Also I would reckon CL money has probably widened the gap since City took over, so the current PL top clubs won't want anyone else joining the party. Mansoor set up a company and installed a minion as the owner of the company and then transferred ownership of man city to that company so he isn't even a director of that company. Can't understand why Amanda didn't do the same here with PIF, although that's probably what they intended doing once they had bought Newcastle. However, the PL have put a roadblock on that by not allowing the purchase to proceed to that stage, if indeed that was the intention. I mean Mansoor is the deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, as is MBS in the KSA so there is no real difference between them as far as I can see. One is allowed to buy a PL club, but to then effectively sever all ties to that club while, PIF are not allowed to do the same. Perhaps that would be the answer. Set up a company with Amanda/Reuben Bros as the joint owners and tell the PL if the sale is allowed the club will be transferred to that company and put under the sole ownership of that company, with PIF representation on the board, and all 3 parties only having joint voting rights.

Very good, but what the PL seems to have completely overlooked in all this is even if the PL accepted MBS as a director of PIF, as the Crown Prince, does he really have the inclination to get involved in the politics of running a football club, when he has a massive country to run. Anyway why doesn't PIF set up a limited company in Al Rumayan's name and make him the owner/managing director/Chairman of that company and have that company buy us, in much the same way Sheikh Mansoor did with Man City. That would sever any direct link to the SA government and MBS. Everyone knows that the club belongs to Mansoor, and if he told them to sell the club to a third party and place the money into his bank account it would be done.

step 2 is wrong. According to Staveley it’s the PL request to put SA as director. step 2 is wrong. According to Staveley it’s the PL request to put SA as director. I will bow down to a more knowledgable person who can show me in company law where a country can be a director. You are hanging on to this as if it’s gospel when it is so clearly not right it’s laughable. As I said all parties except PL are saying this is the case. PL is silenced. Go ahead. You are wasting my time. Some things make sense and somethings don’t make sense. That doesn’t make sense and when there are solicitors involved they will know what can and cannot be done. So while those words came out of her mouth, they were said for impact. The only thing that makes sense is that they want the SA government to be the owners. What you you are suggesting doesn’t make sense. So you can continue to believe the misinformation at face value or try to make some sense out of the nonsense that is said about this deal. So in demanding SA becomes a director, the PL are asking consortium to do the impossible because a country cannot be a director, and the PL have effectively backed them into a corner that they can't get out of, because the PL are saying that if you don't do what we request, you have put the PL in a position where we can't complete the O&D test. Its a win win situation for the PL whichever way you look at it.

Is it worth fans e mailing the PIF to demonstrate our unwavering support for the takeover. It can't harm and might persuade them to say bollocks lets force the PL to give a decision. If the PL continue to sit on there hands and not give a decision, the publicity will tarnish the reputation of the PL.

Having forced the Saudi's to walk away it will be interesting to see if BeOutq is suddenly resurrected once the new PL season starts.

Dream scenario to stuff it up the EPL is to see PIF take over AC Milan and then buy all the top players from the EPL so everyone wants to watch SeriA rather than the dull dross served up by the EPL.

Instead of moaning to each other about Ashley and how you guys are never going back you should be bombarding the EPL with e mails complaining about the lack of confidence you all have in the EPL by subjecting the consortium to far too rigorous a test that simply does not exist in the O&D test..

What's left, 1 year? Its not worth £500m. The buyers would be investing more than that year 1, then on and on, unlocking a 35m viewer market. Those right treble with KSA being the one of the biggest markets in the deal. Don't forget the draw we have as a club on viewing figures as well. When we drop out the league viewing figures tumble. We have more of a voice than you'd think. When fans are allowed in if we have banners at every home match calling the pl corrupt in front of the tv cameras it wont get us anywhere but be nice to see them squirm with embarrassment and just might have an effect on their ability to sell the EPL tv rights.

So when we play Liverpool and spurs at SJP any takers that there wont be any hot water for showers !!!

This OD test is far too stringent. Let's say it was passed and MBS then starts meddling in issue regarding nufc. All the EPL has to do is disqualify the club from membership of the EPL. Sorted

Come on now, its finished. Maybe in the original iteration, but it's not done. No way. Of course its finished. Saying what you want to happen won't make it happen and will just consign you to more heartache. Just accept its over and move on.

But now not making a decision is potentially going to cost the PL a minimum of £17m. How's that? Ashley gets the 17m deposit, not them The PL's actions, or lack of them, have caused the consortium to lose the £17m deposit. They would've got it back if they'd refused the test. So they will have a case to take the PL to court to recover that money as an absolute minimum. So the PL will conclude there O&D test and refuse the takeover in order to avoid a legal battle for the £17m in which case PIF gets their £17m back. But now the PL have given a decision PIF has grounds to appeal that refusal. Could it go to a Court of Arbitration for Sport? If so they may find the PL reasons for rejecting to be unreasonable.

By the same token this applies to Man City and Sheik Mansoor as well. Who can say that MBS doesn't have the power to control the Sheffield United owner?

Fair play to the number of posters on here who predicted that only to be shot down. I guess it’s proven to be massive naivety on my part but I just didn’t foresee an entity like the PIF walking away in response to something like that. But, if what AS says is correct, the PL wanted KSA not PIF to be named as the majority director, which 'is impossible'. So with the PL refusing to approve or refuse them and with no timescale for any sort of decision, then the uncertainty going on just ends up harming the club and its ongoing plans. If the PL haven't been made formally aware of the withdrawal yet, in theory the tests are still on going. Of course the headlines will have made it back to the PL, and perhaps this will force a dialogue with them asking what is happening. Who knows, perhaps a dialogue + adverse publicity will engineer a way through to suit all parties, and it could be back on. #Clutching I suspect the PLwanted the saudi state to be named as a director so they had a solid case to reject it on the basis of their failure to combat the tv piracy. Clearly they couldn't pin that on PIF as a director. Effectively the PLtried to maneuver the consortium to a position that gave them grounds to reject instead of accepting PIF as a director.

They will probably invade Qatar now. They nearly did just that some time ago, but were persuaded not to by the Trump administration, I think it was shortly after he got elected.