Whitley mag

‘Used to annoy us otherwise by standing and watching the entire midfield get overrun without tracking back or getting stuck in in any way, though’. We already have a midfielder who carries out this role we don’t need another one.

Not sure there is a date set in stone. Someone mentioned on Wraiths podcast about a date on the CAT site as early July(might have been 5th can’t remember) but it wasn’t confirmed what that date related to.

When Man City we’re under investigation for FFP and we’re subsequently cleared, Fenway we’re up in arms saying it threatened their whole financial model. I agree don’t think City would have objected overly, as Abhu Dhabi have close links with Saudi Arabia. I’m inclined to think at the moment this CAT case is the key to unlocking all this. If the PL are already trying to get the case heard privately, I think that tells us everything. If their challenge fails I have a feeling they fold due to potential risks of losing case. I also think these Clubs and Bein will have been naive / arrogant enough to not even consider anti competition. As long as this case doesn’t get thrown out on some technicality, I’m convinced it gets us our takeover. This case is unprecedented, I think realisation will quickly set in at the PL of the enormity of the consequences if it gets green light from judge.

Mike Ashley will argue that the Premier League's dithering during last summer's takeover process was on purpose - and that Richard Masters and top-flight officials knew it would hinder the sale. The Premier League tried to prevent Ashley's anti-competition claim from going through and feel that there is a jurisdiction issue on the matter with the case very similar to the arbitration battle that goes ahead next month. Ashley wanted to sell the club for around £340million last year to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers. But a 17-week wait left the bidders frustrated and they eventually walked away from the deal as the Premier League failed to approve or reject the takeover. The Competition Appeal Tribunal's summary of claim reads: "The Claimant (Ashley) alleges that the Defendant prevented, or hindered, the Proposed Takeover and knew that its actions would prevent and/or delay the Proposed Takeover. "The prevention and/or delay of the Proposed Takeover was liable to and did distort and/or restrict competition between PL clubs" Premier League officials stated to the bidders that they were concerned over who would be running the club and feared it would be State-led. It's also why Ashley is eager for the CAT claim to proceed so that there is a greater possibility of transparency compared to a closed shop situation in arbitration where the public may not get to see anything other than the final result. Ashley does not only believe the dithering was done to kowtow with the Prem's big six but also feels Masters and co's conduct helped time waste during the process, which ultimately resulted in his buyers walking away. Privately, Ashley has told those close to the takeover deal he remains furious that the sale was blocked and that his endgame is to get the takeover pushed through. Ashley is attempting to gain damage costs from the Premier League after the £340million deal collapsed last year. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-takeover-mike-ashley-20795783

Superb just mentioned this on Wraiths podcast aswell.

Ryder’s up early today. ‘In the build-up to the anti-competition claim, the Ashley camp have briefed with confidence that they will get the result fans are hoping for and that the Premier League were wrong not to approve the sale that would have ended the Toon tycoon's tenure in charge. It is believed that the Premier League will try to make an application today that the CAT claim should not go ahead’.

Ziegler is a long time friend of Qatar and was anti takeover from the outset. Funnily enough he was very happy to turn a blind eye to Qatar’s human rights issues when they we’re after his beloved Leeds ‘The biggest sleeping giant in English football’. Compare the below article with his views on our takeover, and you’ll find another journalist with an anti Saudi agenda. There’s agendas everywhere when it comes to this takeover and Middle East / PL politics. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/andrea-radrizzani-new-qatar-investor-can-get-leeds-up-to-level-of-man-city-bfd0gcqlf

This is old news Joey, gdm beat you to the punch earlier. Welcome aboard though choo choo, I won’t tell Fanny if you don’t.

Just had word from Keith he’s also en route to Nice. The legal bills have cleaned him out though and the meeting has been delayed 24 hours. All the major players will soon be round the table though. HTFL

I recognise people can change their mind like anything in life. However I just beg to differ on some of the information people have put weight on in here to constantly change their position on whether it’s happening.

Go on gdm lad keep this going !!

I’m just not used to seeing positive tweets from you, no dig intended just light hearted fun ?

Don’t beat yourself up it was nice to see you spreading positivity for 30 seconds. In future stick this kind of bollocks in the positivity thread though, and leave this thread to the realists gdm. I’d hate to see your reputation as the gLOOMINdOOMmERCHANT getting tarred with a major faux pas like this.

I want in on this Plane spotting shit.

If only Ashley and PIF said fuck them.

It’s hard to believe the PL, Bein and top 6 won’t have fallen foul of this highlighted article. If the bar is set that low the PL lawyers must be twitchy re CAT case if it gets the go ahead.

Who’s said their statement is damaging apart from Jacobs ? I’m not sure anyone knows if that will be the case or not. Once again your hanging off Jacobs every word.

So what should happen when rule F.26.1. cannot be satisfied. What you have quoted there only details what is required at - F.24.1.2. submit to the Board a duly completed Declaration in respect of each Person who will become a Director upon the proposed acquisition of Control; So when this has not been complied with what should happen next. You still haven’t shown a reg that satisfies your argument.

There statement wasn’t going to read we’ve pulled out because the PL think we are basically the Saudi state now was it ? No it hasn’t been explained, show us the reg in the PL rule book where they have acted accordingly.

PIF pulled out to save face and embarrassment, simple as that. The PL had basically took the piss for 17 weeks, and the price of the deal had gone up as a result. In their eyes there was no way forward and what the PL we’re asking in relation to the state was unreasonable. They obviously believed arbitration wasn’t the answer a the time, but due to support of fans and persuasion from Ashley they agreed to wait in the background until pathway to deal was cleared. To an organisation like PIF this could be damaging to reputation if linked to state, I would also think in their eyes they we’re hugely insulted by the PL’s behaviour in the end. The PL did not act in accordance with their rules but we’ll agree to disagree on this, even though you still haven’t referred to the guidance where they did follow their rules.

I think it was the journalist Rob Draper wrote an article at the time where he claimed the PL we’re quite happy to keep asking questions and never make a decision. I think the whole point is that they thought the PL would never make a decision and basically stalled the whole process with arbitration. Obviously the consortium weren’t happy with arbitration on the one single point of separation and thought they had no other option. The PL instigated the whole situation knowing fine well in my opinion that the deal had a sell by date, remember Ashley actually put the price up when the deadline passed. If the PL had followed the rules and made a decision, the judiciary panel would have heard the case much quicker without a years delay. For whatever reason they didn’t fancy the judiciary panel route and banked on arbitration instead. Ben Jacobs believes that the PL we’re acting fairly by offering arbitration, however I just don’t think that was their motive somehow.

Aye, think he ties himself in knots at times. Stand to be corrected, but I can’t even see anywhere that allows the PL to make a provisional determination on who should be tested ?