The second international break of the season is usually a chance to take stock and evaluate how the first couple of months have gone for City. On this occasion, it was best not to look too closely – a bonnet that didn’t really need opening.
Unfortunately, said international break is also the trigger for Observer Sport to take a team-by-team look at the Premier League and ask nominated fans for their thoughts on what’s occurred so far at their club. Muggins here currently has that gig.
Quite how tricky a gig it was going to be this time around became clear when I saw the first question:
1) What’s been your team’s single best performance so far? (Could be a match, or a great half. What made it so good?)
For what it’s worth, I (obviously) plumped for the only league game we didn’t lose but tried also to shoehorn in the 6-0 Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth. I think I may have succeeded in the online version, but in print, the cup win made it only as far as the cutting room floor.
For those of us tasked with writing about our club, the gruel so far this season has been undeniably thin but, equally, the events of the week in the North East have served as a timely reminder that there are more things at play right now than just games of football to be won, lost or drawn.
The obvious irony of Newcastle fans celebrating as if they’d just won a trophy and claiming to have won their club back when they have in fact been bought by a Saudi-backed consortium with very close links to one of the world’s most murderous regimes has been lost on no-one… except Newcastle fans.
To be precise, Newcastle United PLC is now owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, the chairman of whom is one Mohammed bin Salman, aka the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. So, let’s be clear, whatever legal gymnastics the Premier League may have undertaken to convince themselves that PIF is an entirely separare entity to Saudi Arabia the state, it’s really not.
But that’s okay. Ignore for one moment the fact that Saudi Arabia is a state with an appalling record in the way it treats women, the LGBT community and religious minorities, not to mention its propensity to either kill or imprison journalists and bloggers who dare critise the country’s rulers. It’s the money that matters.
Just think of all that Saudi Riyal that will come thundering in and out of the Premier League as PIF flexes its financial muscle and brings in the superstar mercenaries of world football to St James’ Park.
Such is the financial might now behind the Toon, poor Sheikh Mansour of Man City may find himself unable to compete. He may even be forced to resort to the ‘poor billionaire’ defence as City fans decry another underwhelming transfer window, where their top targets have been blown away by the lure of Newcastle’s Quayside and salaries and transfer fees way beyond those affordable to the paupers of the Etihad.
And what about poor old PSG? How are they supposed to compete now? Saudi Arabia vs Qatar. No contest.
Let’s not forget too the Glaziers, the Henrys and the other owners of the Premier League’s European Super League wannabees. Poor things. How on Earth are they supposed to remain competitive?
But the thing is, this latest Premier League takeover must surely have edged the European Super League 2.0 that bit closer.
The Premier League is no longer about being innovative, or smart, or spending what money you have wisely. It’s about having an owner who is richer than the next guy. In the last 24 hours, I’ve seen more of the league table that lists the owners of each club based on their wealth than I have the actual league table. We’re obviously 20th in that too.
Yet Newcastle, who let’s face it, have been pretty cr@p for quite a long time, even having been buoyed by Mike Ashley’s multi-millions, will now form part of the ESL conversation. By virtue of a few signatures on a few pieces of paper and a bank transfer or two, they have immediately propelled themselves into the elite of the European game.
Without even kicking a ball.
Great isn’t it?
As ever, a takeover of this ilk produces copy aplenty – articles, blogs, interviews, social media posts – and one of the oddest takes, one that has popped up from several different sources, is that Newcastle fans are among the most hard done by in English football.
They’re really not.
They may support a club that has under-delivered based on the size of its fan base, but they’ve been fed a staple of Premier League football interspersed with the occasional foray into the Championship that invariably ends with a trophy.
Ashley may have given them all the hump, but along the way, they have been able to spend big money on expensive players, and it’s not Ashley’s fault they’ve been sold a few pups and a few Joelintons en route.
Try telling fans of the late Bury FC that Newcastle fans have had it tough. Or Derby. Or Sheffield Wednesday. Or Portsmouth. Or Coventry. Or, even, Ipswich. There are loads who, for a whole variety of reasons, could argue they have been more hard done by than the Toon Army. Dozens.
So forgive me for not breathing one huge sigh of relief that Newcastle have been ‘saved’ and that the club’s fans finally have their club back. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Meanwhile, little old Norwich plots its own self-sufficient course; one that couldn’t possibly be further removed from the route taken by Tyneside’s finest.
We’ll probably never win anything other than second-tier trophies; we’re probably stuck in an eternal fight for promotion/relegation, but we have a club that doesn’t just purport to be part of its community. It actually is.
We have owners who care. Regular readers of this column will know my thoughts on Michael and Delia’s reticence in the past to even consider alternative forms of funding that could make this club more competitive but, despite any perceived mistakes they may or may not have made, they’re good, decent, kind people.
And right now, that counts for a lot.
***
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Gary
I totally agree with you Gary. Although Norwich should be open to future investment opportunities, not at any cost. Yes, other clubs are controlled by regimes with dubious human rights records and questionable sources of wealth, but being controlled by the Saudi government, that is plumbing new depths, even for the murky world of the Premier League in 2021.
Gary, a fine piece and I agree with every word, such a shame that there’s a need for such an article but the world seems to be a harsher and more greedy place. Why don’t billionaires squander their excessive squillions on other more esoteric pastimes or better still help save the planet, just leave football alone.
Yes Gary, I too saw the videos of Toon fans celebrating as though they’d won the lottery and the very next tweet I saw was Delia and Michael on the pitch singing ‘On the Ball City’ in chorus with the meagre crowd allowed in to watch the Sheffield Wednesday/Cardiff games late last year.
I’m sure that I’m far from being alone in knowing which team I’d rather support!! 😀
Very aptly put, Gary. I have to admit I suppressed a hollow laugh at the Newcastle fan quote I read saying: ‘At last, we’ve got our club back!’ For any of us who’ve been involved in any sort of buy-out/takeover in working life that statement is so misguided and, sadly, the Newcastle fans are now as far away from ‘having their club back’ as it’s possible to be. As things stand, they are very unlikely to ever get it back.
I think we can safely say football is officially no longer a sport (or, more accurately, a game), it is purely a mechanism to generate money and prestige for those who already have a huge surplus of both.
A sorry state of affairs.
Perhaps we should invent a brand new grassroots game with mass appeal? Played on a level playing field for all participants. We could call it… football?
I hate to say this Chris S, but your last sentence will never catch on!!! 😀
We can dream. 🙂
Hi Gary
That was written from the heart.
I’m even more scathing about Delia and MWJ than you are at times – occasionally I think she’s as mad as a crate of green and black amphibians with some of the things she says and does, or rather doesn’t do, but…
There’s no way in the world I would welcome this kind of investment for precisely the reasons you mention. How it ever passed the *fit and proper* test I will never know.
If the jubilant Mags fans copy Man Citeh a few years ago a few of them will turn up at matches wearing white towels tied around their heads with mooring rope. They won’t see the irony in what they are doing. When some of the Barclay turned up in chef’s hats waving wooden spoons about 20 years ago that was funny. And harmless.
I never thought I would say this but I am glad the human rights abusers [fact, not cheap insinuation] chose Newcastle and not us. I’d rather go to matches with a clean conscience.
Well said mate.
Well said Gary….I’d like to see some outside investment in City but not from Saudi. The deal was about money and TV rights. Once the Saudis agreed to stop pirating the EPL games from Qatar, the way was clear for the takeover. Despite the fact that various law firms said that you could not separate the Saudi state from PIF, the EPL in all its wisdom decided that it was separate despite both being headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. I was sickened by those Geordie supporters, tinnies of alcohol to hand celebrating – I’m not sure how many years in jail you’d get for consuming alcohol there. They forget too that Ashley,, whatever you may think of him paid off some of the enormous debts, left by the Hall/Shepherd regime (probably because Ashley didn’t do due diligence in the first place). But before we get holier than thou Liverpool are owned by a hedge fund, Chelsea by a man who took Russian tax payers for a massive ride, Man City ……I’ll stop there.
Hi Gary
Having spent the past week holidaying in Northumbria I have had the dubious pleasure of watching the Geordie nation celebrating their minor windfall. Few if any have questioned the source of their new found wealth or how human rights are impacted (its not the minority that suffer its the majority – women gay etc).
I hope that should a similar offer come our way we would react as we did to BK8 in reality I fear many would turn “a Nelson eye”. Let’s he it doesn’t come to that.
A good read – well put.
Ps Martin the tea cloths were in evidence at the party outside Jeddah Park as were copious quantities of alcohol
Hi Gerry
It’s the irony of the fancy dress coupled with the tinnies that gets me. I don’t expect everybody to have a social conscience and I’m certainly lacking in that department myself sometimes but this is a little bit too much for me.
I used to work in Cramlington on occasions and therefore know how wonderful these folks are first hand. I’m sure not every Mag will be truly delighted with this buyout.
Hi Gary. Talk about falling out of love with the game. I was sickened by the long drawn out news and even wondered whether EPL club(s) had the guts to boycott games against Newcastle?
However, as climate change bites even harder, surely the world will come to its senses and force the oil, gas and coal rich nations to keep it in the ground? OK I’ll wake up in a minute but something has to give or our children and grandchildren will literally go to hell in a hand cart. Then where will the Saudis be (among many others)…..
By then nothing much will matter and certainly not football.
Great column Gary; well said!
What grinds even more is to see the so called “expert”, Mr Shearer, almost gloating and drooling with expectation as soon as the deal was completed.
Do these fallen superstars have absolutely no idea of what’s going on in the world outside of their pampered little bubble?
Obviously the EPL’s “fit and proper” rule continues to be totally unfit for purpose.
O T B C
I’m afraid Gary that we live, through choice, in a capitalist system which results in fewer and fewer people owning a bigger slice of the cake. Until we can come up with a better system we have to accept things for what they are.
The problem with Norwich is that judging by the way things are going we are soon going to be priced out of the championship.
If you don’t accept the system and look for owners who can provide adequate finance to compete at the higher level our club is inevitably going to move into decline.
If you compare our two previous efforts in the premiership with our current one it would be difficult to argue that it hasn’t already started.
Years ago it was the clubs with the biggest catchment that thrived so there was never a level playing field although it’s morals may have been preferable.
Hi Gary
Saudi are suppose to be trying to clean up their Human Rights and become a one stop holiday destination like Dubai but on the Red Sea Coast.
Have worked there it has some fine beaches and some worth while historic sites to visit.
Kids are just kids and play football on any bit of open sand they can and always have a laugh at foreigners who join in which we did on occasions.
Over the years I have worked with many Newcastle supporters and in general found them great company till it gets to football then they become like Loserpool, ManU and think they are entitled to success.
The Saudi takeover is as everyone has commented bad news but I don’t think the EPL had much choice with all the concerned parties going to court to turn the first decision around in their favor plus a parliamentary review into how that decision was handled.
Also I think the Boxing gave them some legitimacy and with them clearing the BeIN problem over EPL rights there reasons for not approving were getting less each day.
Newcastle aren’t a top club to me their trophy haul over the years hasn’t been that great compared to other clubs and yes better than cities see below
4 League Titles
6 FA Cups
1 Charity Shield
1 Inter City Fairs Cup
1 Inter Toto Cup
The last was 2006 so not regular winners and most pre WW2 with 2 FA Cups in the 50’s living on past glories.
Can the Saudi’s buy success well they have the Riyal to do so, will the Newcastle supporters mind how they are financed no will they moan about ground improvements, better training facilities or how much players cost or paid no is the simple answer.
The top clubs followed by 13 other lambs tried to stop this takeover not on moral ground for human rights but they could see the danger to their success but let’s not for get before buying Newcastle they had tried to buy ManU for £4+billion and Spurs £3+billion and approached Loserpool and Everton over the last few years but got turned down as the owners wanted more but would any of those supporters have reacted any differently.
At present ManU supporters are protesting against the Glaziers and have been since they took over the club.
Spurs supporters are calling for Lewis and Levy to sell the club
Arsenal want the Kronke out and WHU want the porn kings out.
Staveley says they have a 5-year plan and a 10 to be multi-title winners.
How long will it take for the party atmosphere to evaporate if they keep Bruce and struggle to get a top-notch replacement that the supporters want, but then the owners will lean on KK or Shearer for advice as both admitted that they have been in talks to return to the club in some capacity.
Great piece Gary.
I for one would not want this kind of investment at our fine club. We have all criticized and/or praised Delia and Michael on here. As you say they are fine, good and kind people.
How the hell did this get past the upstanding persons’ test? It didn’t but the EPL was petrified of getting sued so they buckled.
I was amused at the outrage from Manchester City … really !!
I had hoped the new ruler was going to be a breath of fresh air in that part of the world. Sadly it doesn’t seem as if that is happening.
This is the problem we have, we want investment but not at any cost.
How can clubs like Norwich compete in the PL? The European super league may have died before it even was born. However, the PL is turning into the English super league. Spurs, Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and lord knows who many other clubs with $$$$$$ coming out of their ears. The Smiths would never have sold the club to Saudi owners no matter how much money was on the table. Football is creating its own dot.com bubble and it will all come crashing down some day. The inflationary pressure on the whole football pyramid must be creaking at the seams. There are only so many top top players. It will be a bidding war with no limit in site. Imagine the next Messi/Ronaldo on the scene. The above clubs plus PSG offering hundreds of millions (will we get our first billion $ player?) and the ridiculous salary on top of that. I love football and will always support Norwich but I can’t see them ever being a stable of the PL. The odd season here and there and if we are lucky we might survive for a handful of seasons back to back. We are at the point where we are lucky if they just stay in business let alone argue what division they are in. Perhaps one day Norwich will attract a big money owner who loves football and comes with no political or human rights baggage. It could be though that this will only happen when all the more fashionable clubs have been taken over. It will be like when you were at school being picked for a team in games lesson. Norwich will be one of the last ones!
So pleased the Toon have sold their soul to the Devil. They will now be the most hated club in Europe and still never win anything. I’m not sure true geordies will feel comfortable, it wont sit well with many decent folk.
I’d say let the rich guys go and ‘play with themselves’, together with several others we ain’t part of the world they operate in anyway.
I’m interested in following real football not billionaires row. I like the way City are building a solid future in difficult times.
Mr Shearer has let himself down again in the excitement, must be the promise of Golf trips to the desert.
The EPL has always been about money – that is why it was created. All we are seeing is things done on a (much) grander scale and exposes even further how far we are cut adrift compared to the others clubs.
Much has been made of the Newcastle take over. Ashley got involved to make money out of it and their fans now have it in droves. Looks like a win win. If they don’t win anything in the next few years, they never will. As they say, it’s the hope that kills you and there could be a lot more on Tyneside.
Am I envious? Not really. However, it has been used as an excuse by many Norwich fans to keep the status quo of Delia and Michael and to be grateful to be ‘oh so lucky to have them’. Really.
It reminded me of around a decade ago when classic car prices were a lot lower than they are now. I had the opportunity to by a Ferrari. I could have bought it, but I couldn’t really afford to run it so I politely declined. Of course the car has now trebled in value, but the fact still remained that I should not have gone anywhere near it as my earnings could never do it justice despite my love of the car, then and now. That’s how I feel about Delia & Michael. Except, metaphorically speaking, they bought the car and try to run it on anything but premium unleaded. I digress.
So Newcastle United are (now) a complete extreme to Norwich City. Does it have to be an either/or?
Few fans would expect, or want billionaire owners at Norwich City. But the club does need investment that are current owners are neither prepared to fund themselves or externally. How is that helping the club other than an exercise is being obstinate? Giving the two fingers to Newcastle Utd does not help the blind reality of trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.
So whether its Newcastle Utd or Norwich City, in a way they both have the same problem – money. How they use it to sustain a successful future will be of great interest as both clubs have as much to lose as to gain, but who would your money be on to succeed?
The answer could well be neither.
Hi IR
Back in the 70s my Dad bought an E-type Jag for not very much money at all. He was a working Copper and could barely afford to put petrol in it and his flashy toy quickly became a liability.
As soon as the rust set in he got rid – maybe he got his money back, maybe he didn’t – but as a young impressionable teenager I loved to go out in it. Citrus yellow, an unusual colour as well for one of those I believe.
Gee whizz, I wish that had been part of his legacy.
There’s a parable in there somewhere 🙂
Well said Gary. What this decision by the football authorities confirms is that when any dishonest corrupt and violent regime anywhere in the world wants to polish its PR the EPL stands ready to help. We can look forward to the Ayatollah’s in Tehran, the nuclear warhead owning North Koreans and the climate threatening Chinese acquiring one of the clubs in the coming years. Just so long as they bring loadsamoney.