Whitley mag

Talking of journalists great read from Henry Winter, Sean will love the bit about Mandy to. https://www.ne1sgame.com/post/an-interview-with-henry-winter-part-3

Jesus Christ just put MBS’s name on the takeover for fucks sake and dare the PL to fail him.

Superb is he still alive, haven’t seen him knocking around for a good few years ? Aye, he is still wandering around Wallsend trying to bum tabs off people. Seen him in Wallsend last week surprisingly wearing a face mask! Don't know how he's keeping up with his smoking wearing that thing. Fine specimen will probably out live the lot of us, used to be a regular feature down the coast.

Superb is he still alive, haven’t seen him knocking around for a good few years ?

I tell you what is even funnier than these idiots. The idiots in the press giving them the time of day. So blatantly a publicity stunt yet the press are printing everything they say. Yeah when more questions and pressure still needs applying to premier league, it’s nothing more than a distraction.

If only instead of the fucking drama we have to put up with.

But it's been made plainly obvious that the PL won't pass them - even if it takes 18 months to subsequently fail them. It doesn't matter how much PIF want it to happen, it's quite clear it won't. Not really if arbitration find that they’re a separate entity, it would be difficult for them to find grounds to reject using current o & d. The PL are looking to absolve themselves of any responsibility, if it goes to arbitration they can say to bein we had no choice but to approve. Ok but even so, PIF refused that (assuming that they didn't want to have to wait 18 months) so it's not happening. I’m sure Bruce can fast track this within 8 months and get us relegated.

But it's been made plainly obvious that the PL won't pass them - even if it takes 18 months to subsequently fail them. It doesn't matter how much PIF want it to happen, it's quite clear it won't. Not really if arbitration find that they’re a separate entity, it would be difficult for them to find grounds to reject using current o & d. The PL are looking to absolve themselves of any responsibility, if it goes to arbitration they can say to bein we had no choice but to approve.

What a bunch of fickle cnuts, never nice to see people move on from a relationship so quickly. Just wait until Mandy shacks up with Leeds or the Mackems, oh we’ll be fucking sorry for having our heads turned by this younger bit stuff.

What reputation? you not been paying attention? Every c*** hates the Saudis They might well hate them but most businesses and govts seem happy to deal with them, apart from one notable exception. That’s totally irrelevant. Not really I said PIF would not want to suffer any further damage to reputation, you said every cnut hates the Saudis. I think your reply was the irrelevant one.

What reputation? you not been paying attention? Every c*** hates the Saudis They might well hate them but most businesses and govts seem happy to deal with them, apart from one notable exception.

It just doesn’t seem PIF’s style to take legal action or purchase club without approval. As much as we’d love them to they’re not going to risk their reputation on this deal. Our best hope remains political pressure behind the scenes to force a compromise, the PL need to be shown up as inflexible and obstructive to investment in the U.K.

If only there was a profession that could found out facts and write them down for people to read ?

Just for you Odyssey it’s global tonight aswell.

HOPE you are right. For me - for the first time - this week I have felt that is dead. And I am the 'ultimate optimist', it has just felt dead since the Masters letter. I’m by no means confident but I do believe things are still going on in background with possible political involvement, we might know more this week. I’m clinging to that thought for now.

I mean the fact they asked Mike for a 10 million fee to be introduced to them, they’ve obviously done their homework on the seller. We need to keep our eyes on the prize, NUST meeting with Masters this week be interesting to see what vibe they get from that. Also expect something from consortium this week it’s not dead yet.

Faint and silly hope but what if Masters is happy for someone else ( arbitration ) to say yes then hes got no comeback from Qatar , Bein etc ? The arbitration would only decide if PIF are a separate entity, if they found that they were then the PL would probably be unable to pin any offences on them. It would be a road map to getting a decision, but potentially a long one and no guarantee of it going PIF’s way of course. However, this looks like the only way of resurrecting the deal, it just depends whether Saudis will play ball. The PL will have succeeded in kicking this well down the road, and it would probably remove the threat of any legal action from bein if the had to allow it, this was clearly the PL’s escape route and looks like they’ve played a blinder as things stand. The only other feint hope I have is that there maybe political moves going on behind the scenes, with a view to another solution being found. I can’t imagine this has done much for UK and Saudi business.

This should still be the only deal we’re interested in, anything else is a distraction. If Ashley can get the Saudis to pursue arbitration, it might be a long way off but in my view they’d get the club in the end, and would be worth waiting for.

I understand Sheffield United made changes to their ownership structure during the past 17 weeks, shortly after someone asked the same question you did. That could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure it’s not. And I guess, when it comes down to it, the main difference is that I took a swig of one of those f***ing cans I was told to buy and washed the bad taste out of my mouth. I’m at peace with the PL being openly corrupt, that Ashley is here for the short-medium term at least. It f***ing sucks, but it’s like getting mad at the tide. Not true, really - I’m not at peace. I quibble like a proper c*** when I disagree with some people here I can relate to not being at peace, forever the thought of what might have been will be with me. It’s a sickening blow to have it snatched away, the fact that no compromise could be found when so many wanted this to happen.

I said they need to resolve their governance issues. They might think they’re sweet, but the PL doesn’t agree. Any other acquisition is comparing apples and oranges. Even a fantasy PIF bid for Milan (mooted a few weeks ago) would be an entirely different commercial transaction, with different contexts - Serie A seems to be courting KSA favour, and would therefore be more inclined to accept the exact governance structure that the PL rejected didn’t approve. I’d still like to see some evidence of governance issues they’ve had with other transactions, they seemed to be widely acknowledged as a separate entity across the world even by the WTO. All the evidence suggests the PL have conveniently used this as an excuse to delay and ultimately derail the deal. Also I’d like to know how you believe the PIF’s ownership model for us differs from Man City’s ? Neither I (nor the PL) give a flying f*** about any other transaction have ever done - except where it might relate to their acquisition of NUFC. That means I have an interest in BeOutQ and ArabSat as well - because however much people say “No guilty verdict ever”, I’m not alone in thinking those distinctions are... complete bullshit. And Man City is equally as irrelevant. UAE weren’t being sued by current PL partners, nor had the PL previously attempted to sue UAE entities, when Mansour bought them. I 1000% agree the PL contrived a result here - but for the deliberate and specific reason to say to KSA “f*** you guys, no.” Because they have stolen from the PLs buddies. “No guilty verdict”, “WTO exoneration”, “no direct links”... yup, and Trump had a bigger inauguration than Obama. Well then we agree of sorts that the PL contrived this outcome, and I agree it’s all about piracy. However, the PL are now on record as stating this was about the ownership structure firstly and then would have applied test. If then they believe the structure is not acceptable due to govt influence, how do they reconcile themselves with the Sheffield Utd ownership. Surely they must consider that MBS as defacto ruler would have influence over the Prince in charge there. By not making a decision and making some ludicrous offer of arbitration before a decision had been made, will forever leave this process open to cries of foul play, and a very bad taste in the mouth.

I said they need to resolve their governance issues. They might think they’re sweet, but the PL doesn’t agree. Any other acquisition is comparing apples and oranges. Even a fantasy PIF bid for Milan (mooted a few weeks ago) would be an entirely different commercial transaction, with different contexts - Serie A seems to be courting KSA favour, and would therefore be more inclined to accept the exact governance structure that the PL rejected didn’t approve. I’d still like to see some evidence of governance issues they’ve had with other transactions, they seemed to be widely acknowledged as a separate entity across the world even by the WTO. All the evidence suggests the PL have conveniently used this as an excuse to delay and ultimately derail the deal. Also I’d like to know how you believe the PIF’s ownership model for us differs from Man City’s ?

This, people who choose to believe the PL is not a cartel choose to ignore how the latest CEO was selected. But when the Saudis return to purchase Man U for 3 billion in 2 years, they might realise they were a tad naive. If they spent the intervening three years sorting out their broadcasting and governance issues, purchase the next round of rights - and then decide Man U is a better proposition at that time - would you take them passing the O&D test then as evidence of cartel behaviour? The PIF flaw has, apparently, been revealed as fatally flawed. Both the PL and one of their their biggest commercial partners were in legal conflict with KSA entities prior to launching their bid. There's about ten thousand questions related to that, but those prior lawsuits are a fact - and that has, seemingly, influenced their behaviour more than anything any club might have said. The PIF deal with businesses and institutions around the world without difficulty, they don’t need to change their governance, only the PL seems to have a problem with the issue of them being a separate entity.

This, people who choose to believe the PL is not a cartel choose to ignore how the latest CEO was selected. But when the Saudis return to purchase Man U for 3 billion in 2 years, they might realise they were a tad naive.

If you’ve got a spare 2 hours some interesting stuff in this. As per golfmag’s claim Yassir Al-Rumeyyan personally came to London and delivered documents and assurances to PL headquarters.