Positive Optimism - Saudi Takeover Edition

[Yorkie]

From Rob Elliot

 

"Whenever I see anyone, they always ask us what's going on and stuff and to be honest with you, as players, we don't know much," Elliot told the What's Next podcast.

 

"When the takeover was going on, everyone was like, 'What's going on? What's going on?' I don't know!

 

"If the Saudis come in with all this money to spend, do you think they're going to give me a new contract or go out and sign [Gianluigi] Buffon?

 

"They're basically not going to tell the lads because they're just going to sack all of us anyway and buy a load of superstars so they're not going to tell us they're coming in. I always try and say that to people.

 

"They're not going to say, 'Oh yeah, the takeover is happening lads. Get ready. Oh, by the way, we've just signed four superstars tonight and we don't need any more goalies anymore!'"

 

I listened to that and you can tell, after a good few years of being stuffed in there, he's really got used to enunciating despite Pardew's buttocks pressing against his face. Spoke really clearly on the pod.

[SUPERTOON]

I thought it was the fact that the premier league didn’t believe PIF where separate from MBS that was supposedly the reason for the takeover falling through and the subsequent legal cases and possible arbitration?

 

If so the Qatari/Saudi relationship is surely irrelevant and not important at all in the takeover being resolved?

[gdm]

I thought it was the fact that the premier league didn’t believe PIF where separate from MBS that was supposedly the reason for the takeover falling through and the subsequent legal cases and possible arbitration?

 

If so the Qatari/Saudi relationship is surely irrelevant and not important at all in the takeover being resolved?

 

Jacobs did say the premier league waited for the WTO report about beoutQ so piracy was an issue as well

[Whitley mag]

I thought it was the fact that the premier league didn’t believe PIF where separate from MBS that was supposedly the reason for the takeover falling through and the subsequent legal cases and possible arbitration?

 

If so the Qatari/Saudi relationship is surely irrelevant and not important at all in the takeover being resolved?

 

I’m not sure they really care about who runs the club day to day, it’s all about linking the state to piracy. Once piracy is no longer an issue, we’ll find out if they’re prepared to fight a legal case based on separation. Allegedly they didn’t seek any outside legal advice in relation to this matter, and it’s worth bearing in mind other ownership models in the PL have dubious ownership structures in place.

[gdm]

Jacobs also said that he could see some movement on bein being allowed back in Saudi within 4-6 weeks but it’ll take time as discussions need to be had

 

He also said the club legal case could be concluded before the bein/Saudi situation is sorted because the time it will take to get bein back might take longer than the arbitration case

 

Reckons PIF didn’t answer all the questions the PL put to them

[Joe_F]

Interesting discussion with Ben Jacobs. He came across well tbh

[St1pe]

 

That’s the podcast with Jacobs if anyone’s interested but I’m no clearer on how I see it playing out. His closing opinions were that he believed that the Premier League has a stronger legal case if it went to court but believed it would be settled in arbitration which could lead a path for the takeover to go through.

 

It was nice to hear PIF are definitely still interested though.

[gdm]

Maybe the wrong thread but by sounds of it it’s certainly not cut and dry that things will be sorted after bein is allowed back in to Saudi.

 

Jacobs reckons the separation issue is still the first hurdle and would have happened regardless

[Mikky]

Quite enjoyed that - came across well did Jacobs

 

Said we could hear something big by mid Feb.....

[gdm]

He really came across well and balanced.

 

He reckons if it goes to court the PL would win but can see an amicable resolution. He said he knows Newcastle fans are confident because of the legal team representing the club but he believes the PL have a stronger case.

 

[Scoot]

Jacobs saying he expects the club case "to be settled" baffled me a little bit. If the arbitration case is about whether PIF is separate from Saudi Arabia, it either is or it isn't. I'm not sure what they could settle on there.

 

Anyway, it sounded positive to say if the club case was settled (as he expected) and bein was reinstated in Saudi Arabia (again, as he expected) it will leave a clear path for the Saudis to return and the takeover to be completed. He then added we could see movement by mid March, if not before.

 

That's now a number of sources saying end of Feb - mid march being an important time.

 

Fingers crossed lads...

[SUPERTOON]

Every time we get any sort of update it always seems to be along the lines of news within a few weeks. We just need a resolution one way or another to draw a line under the whole thing, because I can already see this dragging into next season.

 

Also the but about him being confident the premier league would win the case is quite concerning.

[gdm]

Every time we get any sort of update it always seems to be along the lines of news within a few weeks. We just need a resolution one way or another to draw a line under the whole thing, because I can already see this dragging into next season.

 

Also the but about him being confident the premier league would win the case is quite concerning.

 

We know there are a few on here that are convinced we’d win the case because ‘just look at the people Ashley has hired’ and I’ve tried to say this a few times that it’s not as cut and dried as this. The PL must believe they have a strong case and if Jacobs is right that PIF didn’t fully answer the questions put to them then not sure what they’d expect to happen.

 

He also said something along the lines about the separation that PIF has a government website and has government employees so a bit of paper from the Saudi government stating pif is a separate entity might not mean much in U.K. court

 

Our best hope is an amicable resolution/settlement

[Candi_Hills]

Can we not get a mega podcast with Keith, Ben and George?

[morpeth mag]

Every time we get any sort of update it always seems to be along the lines of news within a few weeks. We just need a resolution one way or another to draw a line under the whole thing, because I can already see this dragging into next season.

 

Also the but about him being confident the premier league would win the case is quite concerning.

 

We know there are a few on here that are convinced we’d win the case because ‘just look at the people Ashley has hired’ and I’ve tried to say this a few times that it’s not as cut and dried as this. The PL must believe they have a strong case and if Jacobs is right that PIF didn’t fully answer the questions put to them then not sure what they’d expect to happen.

 

He also said something along the lines about the separation that PIF has a government website and has government employees so a bit of paper from the Saudi government stating pif is a separate entity might not mean much in U.K. court

 

Our best hope is an amicable resolution/settlement

 

But if the UK Government says it views them as distinct then maybe an alternative view reeks of other outside interests.

[LV]

Does it say in owners and directors test or whatever they call it now that a State

cant own a premier league club?

[SUPERTOON]

Does it say in owners and directors test or whatever they call it now that a State

cant own a premier league club?

 

Not sure but isn’t it the state that is guilty of the privacy and other crimes which would make them fail the test ?

[Jackie Broon]

Every time we get any sort of update it always seems to be along the lines of news within a few weeks. We just need a resolution one way or another to draw a line under the whole thing, because I can already see this dragging into next season.

 

Also the but about him being confident the premier league would win the case is quite concerning.

 

We know there are a few on here that are convinced we’d win the case because ‘just look at the people Ashley has hired’ and I’ve tried to say this a few times that it’s not as cut and dried as this. The PL must believe they have a strong case and if Jacobs is right that PIF didn’t fully answer the questions put to them then not sure what they’d expect to happen.

 

He also said something along the lines about the separation that PIF has a government website and has government employs so a bit of paper from the Saudi government stating pif is a separate entity might not mean much in U.K. court

 

Our best hope is an amicable resolution/settlement

 

They would expect the PL to disqualify the proposed directors under rule F.1.1.1

 

F.1. A Person shall be disqualified from acting as a Director and no Club shall be

permitted to have any Person acting as a Director of that Club if:

 

F.1.1. in relation to the assessment of his compliance with Rule F.1 (and/or any

similar or equivalent rules of The Football League or The Football

Association) at any time, he has:

 

F.1.1.1. failed to provide all relevant information (including, without

limitation, information relating to any other individual who

would qualify as a Director but has not been disclosed, including

where he or they are acting as a proxy, agent or nominee for

another Person);

 

If the PL did think they had a strong case they would have just done that and allowed the club to appeal rather than going through all of this. Their only strength is in their ability to delay.

 

I think the legal relationship between a Saudi company and the Saudi state could probably only be a matter of Saudi law, I don't think a UK court could apply our company law to establish the relationship between the two. If that is the case any legal position from a Saudi jurisdiction would be likely to hold significant weight.

[et tu brute]

Every time we get any sort of update it always seems to be along the lines of news within a few weeks. We just need a resolution one way or another to draw a line under the whole thing, because I can already see this dragging into next season.

 

Also the but about him being confident the premier league would win the case is quite concerning.

 

We know there are a few on here that are convinced we’d win the case because ‘just look at the people Ashley has hired’ and I’ve tried to say this a few times that it’s not as cut and dried as this. The PL must believe they have a strong case and if Jacobs is right that PIF didn’t fully answer the questions put to them then not sure what they’d expect to happen.

 

He also said something along the lines about the separation that PIF has a government website and has government employees so a bit of paper from the Saudi government stating pif is a separate entity might not mean much in U.K. court

 

Our best hope is an amicable resolution/settlement

 

 

Let’s be honest here, I’ve no clue whether the takeover will go ahead or not, but, Jacobs is no legal expert and will not have a clue which case represented by the two parties in law will win. I saw off a tweet that he was also trying to say the big 6 have had no influence. Yeah ok Ben. Wait for it to conclude, NOBODY knows what is happening apart from the parties directly involved.

[Scoot]

Does it say in owners and directors test or whatever they call it now that a State

cant own a premier league club?

 

Exactly what I was thinking. Although Jacob's never mentioned this, I think the the whole separation thing comes down to linking PIF to the Saudi state and then directly to piracy. Surely that's what it comes down to if there is nothing in the ODT about states owning clubs?

[Awaymag]

Every time we get any sort of update it always seems to be along the lines of news within a few weeks. We just need a resolution one way or another to draw a line under the whole thing, because I can already see this dragging into next season.

 

Also the but about him being confident the premier league would win the case is quite concerning.

 

We know there are a few on here that are convinced we’d win the case because ‘just look at the people Ashley has hired’ and I’ve tried to say this a few times that it’s not as cut and dried as this. The PL must believe they have a strong case and if Jacobs is right that PIF didn’t fully answer the questions put to them then not sure what they’d expect to happen.

 

He also said something along the lines about the separation that PIF has a government website and has government employees so a bit of paper from the Saudi government stating pif is a separate entity might not mean much in U.K. court

 

Our best hope is an amicable resolution/settlement

 

But if the UK Government says it views them as distinct then maybe an alternative view reeks of other outside interests.

 

So hold on then, this confidential process, that the PL insist is watertight and no outside influences but Ben Jacobs claims to know the inner workings and that PIF didn't answer all questions.  Does this not reek of Bullshit, just like all the other ITKs etc. 

 

So bored of this....

[et tu brute]

Every time we get any sort of update it always seems to be along the lines of news within a few weeks. We just need a resolution one way or another to draw a line under the whole thing, because I can already see this dragging into next season.

 

Also the but about him being confident the premier league would win the case is quite concerning.

 

We know there are a few on here that are convinced we’d win the case because ‘just look at the people Ashley has hired’ and I’ve tried to say this a few times that it’s not as cut and dried as this. The PL must believe they have a strong case and if Jacobs is right that PIF didn’t fully answer the questions put to them then not sure what they’d expect to happen.

 

He also said something along the lines about the separation that PIF has a government website and has government employs so a bit of paper from the Saudi government stating pif is a separate entity might not mean much in U.K. court

 

Our best hope is an amicable resolution/settlement

 

They would expect the PL to disqualify the proposed directors under rule F.1.1.1

 

F.1. A Person shall be disqualified from acting as a Director and no Club shall be

permitted to have any Person acting as a Director of that Club if:

 

F.1.1. in relation to the assessment of his compliance with Rule F.1 (and/or any

similar or equivalent rules of The Football League or The Football

Association) at any time, he has:

 

F.1.1.1. failed to provide all relevant information (including, without

limitation, information relating to any other individual who

would qualify as a Director but has not been disclosed, including

where he or they are acting as a proxy, agent or nominee for

another Person);

 

If the PL did think they had a strong case they would have just done that and allowed the club to appeal rather than going through all of this. Their only strength is in their ability to delay.

 

I think the legal relationship between a Saudi Company and the Saudi State could probably only be a matter of Saudi law, I don't think a UK court could apply our company law to establish the relationship between the two. If that is the case any legal position from a Saudi jurisdiction would be likely to hold significant weight.

 

 

Agree

[gdm]

I agree no one knows. I’ve been banging that drum for weeks. Interesting to get another perspective on it that’s all. Just fed up hearing “but but we have the Messi of sports lawyers” like the actual strength of the case we actually have doesn’t even matter

[gdm]

Does it say in owners and directors test or whatever they call it now that a State

cant own a premier league club?

 

No but Bin Salman put himself forward for the test I don’t think it’d be an issue but he won’t

[et tu brute]

Does it say in owners and directors test or whatever they call it now that a State

cant own a premier league club?

 

No but Bin Salman put himself forward for the test I don’t think it’d be an issue but he won’t

 

 

That’s the whole point of the arbitration. If in legal terms it is found that PIF and the Saudi state are separate then why should he.