Various: N-O has lost the plot over potential end of Mike Ashley's tenure

[Dr Jinx]

You have to pass the test before every season though. Once the rules are changed they could just be booted out.

 

I’m not sure that’s how it works, there’s no way the PL have the resources to carry out 2-4 week checks out on every single owner before a season starts. I think it’s a one time deal unless something scandalous comes out like fraud, corruption charges etc.

[Decky]

I keep seeing that its taking longer because the PL have the issue of restarting the league to deal with, but would the same people be dealing with both?

[Charlies]

[Guest Carrick18]

Starting to worry now. Too much noise and opposition. Time ticking away. Something’s  wrong, I can easily see the dying out and again it’s been all for nothing.

It's worth noting if they were to reject the takeover there would likely be a legal challenge of some kind, and I don't think the British government would be too happy. The Saudi's are a massive trade partner for the UK, and to say they couldn't invest in football would be a bit like making your dinner guest eat their meal in the hallway while drinking their expensive bottle of wine in the dining room. They also will likely be sitting down with Saudi Arabia to discuss a rights package in the near future. Imagine doing that having just told them they can't own a club.

 

As others have suggested, I think they're going to wave this through and use it as a precursor to major reform. The truth is both the Premier League and the EFL need to reform their tests. They're flimsy at best and the lack of diligence opens up clubs to really bad owners (Blackpool and Charlton spring to mind, as does them across the road).

 

The smart PR move is to release this story, privately vent your unease through 'sources' and 'begrudgingly' pass it.

 

FWIW, I'm not a fan of us being taken over by PIF. It's another instance of the league selling it's soul to anyone that can afford it, and I fully expect there will be political ramifications to this, but in the same way I can't personally dislodge Ashley, I see little opportunity to move PIF.

 

 

[loki679]

Greg[/member] on Look North without finger up his nose

 

I'd post the image again but I think Gorg would ban me

[madras]

Starting to worry now. Too much noise and opposition. Time ticking away. Something’s  wrong, I can easily see the dying out and again it’s been all for nothing.

It's worth noting if they were to reject the takeover there would likely be a legal challenge of some kind, and I don't think the British government would be too happy. The Saudi's are a massive trade partner for the UK, and to say they couldn't invest in football would be a bit like making your dinner guest eat their meal in the hallway while drinking their expensive bottle of wine in the dining room. They also will likely be sitting down with Saudi Arabia to discuss a rights package in the near future. Imagine doing that having just told them they can't own a club.

 

As others have suggested, I think they're going to wave this through and use it as a precursor to major reform. The truth is both the Premier League and the EFL need to reform their tests. They're flimsy at best and the lack of diligence opens up clubs to really bad owners (Blackpool and Charlton spring to mind, as does them across the road).

 

The smart PR move is to release this story, privately vent your unease through 'sources' and 'begrudgingly' pass it.

 

FWIW, I'm not a fan of us being taken over by PIF. It's another instance of the league selling it's soul to anyone that can afford it, and I fully expect there will be political ramifications to this, but in the same way I can't personally dislodge Ashley, I see little opportunity to move PIF.

 

 

Precisely.

[TooonDoom]

I think this could go on for weeks or months. The premier league is under no obligation to complete the tests in any time scale. They have the perfect excuse to drag their heels right now. When they do make a decision either way they are in for a shit storm. If it happens soon great I’ll be over the moon that I’m wrong but I just don’t see it coming any time soon.

[Dr.Spaceman]

You have to pass the test before every season though. Once the rules are changed they could just be booted out.

 

How would that even work?

 

FA: "You've failed mate, you have to sell the club."

 

Mike Ashley: "Been trying for 10 years..."

[Guest reefatoon]

So when they officially own the club, what will the first major announcements be?

 

DoF? Training ground revamp?

 

Round up the dissenters from the recent meeting for a public flogging on the pitch. Handed out by non other than Saudi Steve.

[toontownman]

I think this could go on for weeks or months. The premier league is under no obligation to complete the tests in any time scale. They have the perfect excuse to drag their heels right now. When they do make a decision either way they are in for a shit storm. If it happens soon great I’ll be over the moon that I’m wrong but I just don’t see it coming any time soon.

Nah. Be done within the next two weeks

 

They arent going to string the prospective owners along and risk losing the potential windfall and cash injection into the league.

 

[Paully]

As I said a while back, there is no way the Premier League will reject it. It's massive exposure for the league at a time when sport is at a complete standstill not to mention they'll have their arses sued by three different groups!

 

Patience people! We've been DESPERATE for nearly 12 years to get rid of this pig so an extra week or whenever won't harm us!

 

 

[Scoot]

As has been mentioned a few times by different journalists and media outlets since the companies house documents became public, it'll be mid-May. This doesn't stop me from refreshing on here and twitter every 5 minutes mind

[Paully]

As has been mentioned a few times by different journalists and media outlets since the companies house documents became public, it'll be mid-May. This doesn't stop me from refreshing on here and twitter every 5 minutes mind

 

Ha ha yep!

[Ankles Bennett]

In my limited view we all seem to be missing the reason for what we all perceive as human rights abuses in saudi, is their religion which requires medieval punishments, i.e removing hands for theft etc.  Radically altering the punishments for transgressors would be tantamount to denying the validity of their religion.  In that circumstance the religious leaders would almost certainly stir up the populace to oust the House of Saud which would then in all likelihood be replaced by even harder line rulers opposed to western influences.  The western government view seems to me to be it's basically better devil you know!

[GWN]

In my limited view we all seem to be missing the reason for what we all perceive as human rights abuses in saudi, is their religion which requires medieval punishments, i.e removing hands for theft etc.  Radically altering the punishments for transgressors would be tantamount to denying the validity of their religion.  In that circumstance the religious leaders would almost certainly stir up the populace to oust the House of Saud which would then in all likelihood be replaced by even harder line rulers opposed to western influences.  The western government view seems to me to be it's basically better devil you know!

 

 

[SUPERTOON]

Seems more than anything from Craig Hope’s tweets that the premier league trying to get the football back is the reason that this is taking so long more than anything.

[Paully]

Caulkin reckons next week too as well as Hope so it looks like we can 'relax' this week!

[morpeth mag]

In my limited view we all seem to be missing the reason for what we all perceive as human rights abuses in saudi, is their religion which requires medieval punishments, i.e removing hands for theft etc.  Radically altering the punishments for transgressors would be tantamount to denying the validity of their religion.  In that circumstance the religious leaders would almost certainly stir up the populace to oust the House of Saud which would then in all likelihood be replaced by even harder line rulers opposed to western influences.  The western government view seems to me to be it's basically better devil you know!

 

 

link=topic=104153.msg7214256#msg7214256 date=1588748048]

In my limited view we all seem to be missing the reason for what we all perceive as human rights abuses in saudi, is their religion which requires medieval punishments, i.e removing hands for theft etc.  Radically altering the punishments for transgressors would be tantamount to denying the validity of their religion.  In that circumstance the religious leaders would almost certainly stir up the populace to oust the House of Saud which would then in all likelihood be replaced by even harder line rulers opposed to western influences.  The western government view seems to me to be it's basically better devil you know!

 

 

You could also argue similarly for the role of women in society. Seems to me like the West likes to eat cake; treat women equally AND be free to worship how you want. Tough to modernise SA to Western standards when you are the centre of Islam.

 

Additionally I'm not sure the EPL is going to get far with owners / sponsors coming to the table with snowflake ethics and a transparent and virtuous moral history. As well as as Arab states we'd probably have to exclude Chinese and Russian money for democratic reasons. Half of Europe for flirting with fascism / colonialism. Alot of UK and US wealth for historical links to slavery / colonialism etc. We'd be left with recently self made people, but then have to exclude those with £300m to spare who got that money in a totally immoral way. Haven't mentioned only allowing sponsors that are not selling vices.

 

IMO the nufc bid will go through because the EPL has built a greenhouse.

[Guest chopey]

Absolutely and until we follow the German model of club ownership that will never change

[Pilko]

When people say the PL are busy sorting out the return of football as a priority ahead of the takeover, you can tell they're under the Ashley years doctrine of thinking every large organisation has a max of two senior officials running it and can therefore only deal with one thing at a time.

[NG32]

When people say the PL are busy sorting out the return of football as a priority ahead of the takeover, you can tell they're under the Ashley years doctrine of thinking every large organisation has a max of two senior officials running it and can therefore only deal with one thing at a time.

 

Yeah 

 

Pretty sure they have different departments fully staffed and qualified in their respective roles.

[STM]

When people say the PL are busy sorting out the return of football as a priority ahead of the takeover, you can tell they're under the Ashley years doctrine of thinking every large organisation has a max of two senior officials running it and can therefore only deal with one thing at a time.

 

Yeah 

 

Pretty sure they have different departments fully staffed and qualified in their respective roles.

 

Yeah but if they have one legal team, they could have their time taken up by the return of the PL. Plausible in my mind.

[Robster]

When people say the PL are busy sorting out the return of football as a priority ahead of the takeover, you can tell they're under the Ashley years doctrine of thinking every large organisation has a max of two senior officials running it and can therefore only deal with one thing at a time.

Yeah 

Pretty sure they have different departments fully staffed and qualified in their respective roles.

It's the COVID-19/furlough element though surely? That has to have an effect down the line with the time that things get turned around.

I have no clue if the PL/FA/PFA/lawyers are all fully staffed but there has to be an impact somewhere down the line.

[STM]

I think it's fair to suggest they might be, at the very least, stretched at the moment.

[LV]

They probably all playing FM when they should be working, like the rest of us.