St. Maximin Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 3 hours ago, geordiesteve710 said: To clarify, I do have my doubts that "sportswashing" is an effective way to repair/reset a country's brand or image. For example it's never going to magically make everyone forget the abuses and get on their side. But my comment was more aimed at those who doubt the very existence of sportswashing as a concept. You've now got Newcastle fans (often but not always the same people) saying that they just want to watch football but then getting defensive and justifying the ownership every time it is attacked. We are only five weeks in and already Saudi flags are a consistent feature in our away ends. The extreme version is you've now got Keith, a fan who has considerable influence within our fanbase doing a video in arab garb with Saudi flags pinned all over his basement explaining that they're not all that bad and there's much we can learn from each others cultures. And in honesty there are many (not all, obviously) who are happy to hang on his every word and get behind this narrative. Fwiw I also agree with you that journalists are somewhat counter-productive, but as long as they get their clicks that's the main thing for them. This is where sportswashing is clever- it plays on the tribal instincts of football fans. The natural instinct in any close community is to see an attack on one of us as an attack on us all, especially when some of the attacks are aimed at the fanbase itself and worded provocatively often by (if we're honest) hypocritical dickheads. It plays on strong human instincts that are heightened by the passionate, tribal nature of football and I don't agree that it's insulting anyone's intelligence to say that it is a strategy that a) is used and b) potentially could have some success. Put the above together and all of a sudden you've got a section of voices in the UK fighting the Saudis corner and defending what they previously would have seen as the indefensible. Not everyone, but a section, and all of a sudden it's a legitimate debate. Good post, thanks for clarifying. When it comes to 'doubt' I would say I doubt the intentions and outcomes of these investments are for a change of reputation on a large scale. The use of Saudi flags in the ground on Twitter, whoppers dressing up in tea towels and the fans defending KSA I find not only embarrassing but distasteful. However, for sportswashing to have major concerns (that I imagine AI and the media have written about), there needs to be a change of reputation on a much bigger scale, perhaps with a notable proportion of the UK's football fanbase fightong the Saudis' corner, but really I am only seeing this from a small minority of Newcastle fans. The takeoover has been used to turn a lot of other fans against us really so from a sportswashing perspective I don't feel too concerned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Maximin Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 2 hours ago, Happinesstan said: Are you not pleased? With the takeover, definitely. More due to Ashley going. It's not made me think the Saudi state are all great lads now or that they really wanted my approval. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manorpark Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, St. Maximin said: The takeover has been used to turn a lot of other fans against us really so from a sportswashing perspective I don't feel too concerned. Most of the other clubs fans who have said they have turned against us, have done so because our club is now very wealthy, far more wealthy than they are with all that goes with that. The "source" of (some of) our wealth is not the thing that really bothers them. However, the source will often (very often) be what they "say" is the reason why they have turned against us. My lifetimes experience is that people generally say what suits them, and what suits them is VERY rarely the truth !!! Edited November 12, 2021 by manorpark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey47 Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Don't know if this has already been posted in another thread but this concept kind of fills me with dread. I don't want a kit with Saudi green and definitely don't want fucking swords on it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
veriaqa Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smal Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Sorry for the mail link but yeah… an account ran by an alleged Saudi torturer/murderer and NUFC fans are lapping it up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Linton Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 4 minutes ago, Smal said: Sorry for the mail link but yeah… an account ran by an alleged Saudi torturer/murderer and NUFC fans are lapping it up. Wasn't this the lass Wraith claimed he'd personally met? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chapo Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Wonder did Kate mention that she was a Saudi torturer to Wraith when they met. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHoob Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Reason #32732 why Wraith should get in the fucking sea. Grim as fuck, thankfully just seems to be a handful of whoppers actually sticking up for the account, think the majority clocked it for what it was a while back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Linton Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 2 minutes ago, CFlan said: Wonder did Kate mention that she was a Saudi torturer to Wraith when they met. Told her all about the Krays Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack j Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Funny as fuck this Kate Stewart crack on twitter today. Steve wraith still claiming its a real person man??? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafalove Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Someone from the dailymail reading this forum? We were on about this just the other day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Rafalove said: Someone from the dailymail reading this forum? We were on about this just the other day. Top Snagger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumbheed Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Rafalove said: Someone from the dailymail reading this forum? We were on about this just the other day. If they are then let me be the first to tell them they're cunts for working for that shitrag. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HTT II Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 7 minutes ago, Thumbheed said: If they are then let me be the first to tell them they're cunts for working for that shitrag. Except Craig Hope, he’s lovely him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heron Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 What was so relevant about this Kate Stewart BTW. Like it was just a fake account wasn't it? I don't really follow this stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 7 hours ago, jack j said: Funny as fuck this Kate Stewart crack on twitter today. Steve wraith still claiming its a real person man??? Steve Wraith is not a well man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelphish Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Wraith makes my skin crawl. Imagine still maintaining you met this 'woman'. Utter creep. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokko Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that he did meet someone called Kate at a protest. If they are that involved to create accounts like Kate then they'll easy hire an actor to legitimise it at a crucial time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafalove Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 4 hours ago, Heron said: What was so relevant about this Kate Stewart BTW. Like it was just a fake account wasn't it? I don't really follow this stuff. Its still active. Very active. Constantly tweeting pro Saudi, pro British propaganda especially towards both our own respctive royal families. Also posting a lot about NUFC, belligerently Going after any journalist who criticises our Saudi ownership or club. i’m not actually on Twitter so I’m not sure exactly how many of our fans are falling for the bait, but this godawful Twitter account is trying to create a siege mentality among Newcastle fans against people who criticise our club or Saudi regime. It seems to be working atleast a little bit judging by some of the replies. what is more sinister is who is behind the account. Which according to the F. B.I is Saud Al Qhatani. The man who orchestrated the murder of the journalist Jamal Kashoggi, and many other torturings and killings. here is his Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saud_al-Qahtani Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smal Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 Good work Jamie! Oh wait. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantail Breeze Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 He looks incredibly uncomfortable Great sum for the foodbank mind. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smal Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 It’s understandable that he looks uncomfortable considering the donations he’s made to the party who’ve increased the necessity of food banks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitley mag Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 Great gesture by the Reubens everyone’s entitled to their political leanings in a democracy, in no way does it diminish their support of foodbank. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleBingo Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 20 minutes ago, Smal said: It’s understandable that he looks uncomfortable considering the donations he’s made to the party who’ve increased the necessity of food banks. Indeed. A bit like an arsonist who has helped put out a fire. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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