Not having a go at anyone in particular, tbh. Just an observation that the horse seems to have bolted and be trampling all over this land and now many of us want the stable door shut. Seems a bit late to be saying we can't allow these guys to own a football club here when the premier league (and arms industry) are awash with Middle Eastern money.
Not having a go at anyone in particular, tbh. Just an observation that the horse seems to have bolted and be trampling all over this land and now many of us want the stable door shut. Seems a bit late to be saying we can't allow these guys to own a football club here when the premier league (and arms industry) are awash with Middle Eastern money.
It's all shit. All of it. But I don't think that should preclude anyone from objecting to this. The alternative seems to be to say "meh, whatever, let's just enjoy the show" which is exactly what the murderous regime wants you to think.
Personally, I'm just going to watch more non-league football and ignore the PL for the most part.
Newcastle was my team when I used to live in Edinburgh (closest premiership team to where I lived rule. That’s How I started supporting Charlton. I suppose from NZ Southhampton would be the club now, but as we say in NZ ‘yeah, nah’ I’ll stick with Charlton) . So I have kept an eye on Newcastle. I am disappointed in their big news . But can’t stop keeping half an eye on them because an arsehole owns them. If that were the case I would have missed much of the last 10 years or so of Charlton’s seasons.
Feck me... Its the whole "Newcastle have been through some tough shit of late, their fans deserve this" thats pissing me off just a tad - Signed Willock for £25m this summer and have been in the Premier League for all but two of the last god knows how many years.
Dont get me wrong it'll be good to see another side trying to break the monopoly of rich clubs - after all the "its got to be earned, rather than paid for" is bullshit, you dont get anywhere in the Sport without splashing the cash anymore.
The objections to the Saudis buying Newcastle would have a lot more merit if Premier League clubs were not already the target of billions of pounds of foreign investment from dodgy regimes.
Chelsea - Russia
Let's not have anyone kid themselves that Roman would have got absolutely anywhere without his relationship with Vlad, a dictator in a state that is not all that far behind Saudi Arabia in terms of human rights.
The Russians, lest we forget, shot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine, butchering 350 men, women and children on that Malaysian Airlines flight.
Manchester City - Qatar
Not quite as bad as the Saudis, but only in so far as George Bush being mildly less objectionable than Donald Trump.
Manchester City - Thailand
Thaksin Shinawatra was accused of all manner of human rights abuses during his short reign as Thai Prime Minister.
Assorted Clubs - US investors
The US Government has bombed, attacked or invaded about forty countries since 1945 but, of course, they are our best buddies so we don't talk about that.
That's before we get to the fact that the US Government has also overthrown numerous governments it didn't like via the CIA.
Wolves - China
The Chinese Government has a very poor record on human rights, facing serious criticism over its conduct in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjang.
The bottom line is that it suits everybody to ignore the ethical angle of ownership because everyone in the game IS MAKING SO MUCH F******G MONEY.
So, although I have no time at all for the Saudis and their despicable regime I don't really see how they are any different to any of the other malign investors we have seen these last ten years or more.
English football sold its soul to the devil a long time ago.
The objections to the Saudis buying Newcastle would have a lot more merit if Premier League clubs were not already the target of billions of pounds of foreign investment from dodgy regimes.
Chelsea - Russia
Let's not have anyone kid themselves that Roman would have got absolutely anywhere without his relationship with Vlad, a dictator in a state that is not all that far behind Saudi Arabia in terms of human rights.
The Russians, lest we forget, shot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine, butchering 350 men, women and children on that Malaysian Airlines flight.
Manchester City - Qatar
Not quite as bad as the Saudis, but only in so far as George Bush being mildly less objectionable than Donald Trump.
Manchester City - Thailand
Thaksin Shinawatra was accused of all manner of human rights abuses during his short reign as Thai Prime Minister.
Assorted Clubs - US investors
The US Government has bombed, attacked or invaded about forty countries since 1945 but, of course, they are our best buddies so we don't talk about that.
That's before we get to the fact that the US Government has also overthrown numerous governments it didn't like via the CIA.
Wolves - China
The Chinese Government has a very poor record on human rights, facing serious criticism over its conduct in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjang.
The bottom line is that it suits everybody to ignore the ethical angle of ownership because everyone in the game IS MAKING SO MUCH F******G MONEY.
So, although I have no time at all for the Saudis and their despicable regime I don't really see how they are any different to any of the other malign investors we have seen these last ten years or more.
English football sold its soul to the devil a long time ago.
Exactly, the horse bolted in terms of ethical premier league owners a long long time ago. I can honestly say it doesn't bother me, it's a world away from where we as a club ourselves are.
As a football fan i'm just interested to see how they do and look forward to seeing the 'big 6' and top 4 upset when the Geordies come gatecrashing in 2-3 years time.
I'd expect Newcastle will make some decent January signings to ensure they stay up this season, Steve Bruce will obviously be gone and then they'll try to make some big name signings in the summer. I don't think the really big players (Mbappe, Haaland etc) will go there yet, because yes Newcastle can offer money, but so can plenty of other clubs who are in the Champions league.
Feck me... Its the whole "Newcastle have been through some tough shit of late, their fans deserve this" thats pissing me off just a tad - Signed Willock for £25m this summer and have been in the Premier League for all but two of the last god knows how many years.
Dont get me wrong it'll be good to see another side trying to break the monopoly of rich clubs - after all the "its got to be earned, rather than paid for" is bullshit, you dont get anywhere in the Sport without splashing the cash anymore.
Leave out the wounded animal act out of it!!
Spot on. Remember watching Millwall languish in the bottom of the third tier, in a ground a third full, trying desperately not to drop in to the bottom tier, then i’d read an article about a PL club and their fans would be described as “long suffering…” and I’d think to myself “oh do f**k off…”
I'm pleased it's happening to Newcastle fans, not because they've "been through a lot" but by and large they seem like a decent bunch and follow their team home and away.
I also feel strangely depressed. I've always loved the prem but fallen out of love with it in recent years. I just can't motivate myself to watch games anymore. Why? I've watched it my entire life.
I thought it was because the gap between the monied clubs and the un-monied clubs seems so big now, but is that fair?
Also found myself saying 'the glory years of the prem are behind us...' But was it really that great when Utd were winning everything every year. It's actually more competitive now then when I was growing up.
But there's something so soulless about it that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's just the culmination of everything. The change in the rules where, if you even touch a player, it's a foul because you can't risk injuring these expensive players, the mercenary type players (so few with a true affiliation to their club), the owners using teams as investments and changing the culture of the club, knowingly or not, the stagnation of the high press brand of football every team is churning out.
Something about this takeover seems like a watershed moment for English football and seems like it's just going to make all this stuff worse.
I'm pleased it's happening to Newcastle fans, not because they've "been through a lot" but by and large they seem like a decent bunch and follow their team home and away.
I also feel strangely depressed. I've always loved the prem but fallen out of love with it in recent years. I just can't motivate myself to watch games anymore. Why? I've watched it my entire life.
I thought it was because the gap between the monied clubs and the un-monied clubs seems so big now, but is that fair?
Also found myself saying that the glory years of the prem are behind us... But was it really that great when Utd were winning everything every year. It's actually more competitive now then when I was growing up.
But there's something so soulless about it that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's just the culmination of everything. The change in the rules where, if you even touch a player, and it's a foul, the mercenary type players (so few with a true affiliation to their club), the owners using teams as investments and changing the culture of the club, knowingly or not, the stagnation of the high press brand of football every team is churning out.
Something about this takeover seems like a watershed moment for English football and not a good one.
I actually feel that this year is the most competitive league in ages.
3 genuine title contenders, 4 if you count Man Utd. Then a bunch of other sides (Spurs, Arsenal, Leicester, West ham, Everton, Villa) who all have realistic hopes of getting 5th or 6th.
The objections to the Saudis buying Newcastle would have a lot more merit if Premier League clubs were not already the target of billions of pounds of foreign investment from dodgy regimes.
Chelsea - Russia
Let's not have anyone kid themselves that Roman would have got absolutely anywhere without his relationship with Vlad, a dictator in a state that is not all that far behind Saudi Arabia in terms of human rights.
The Russians, lest we forget, shot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine, butchering 350 men, women and children on that Malaysian Airlines flight.
Manchester City - Qatar
Not quite as bad as the Saudis, but only in so far as George Bush being mildly less objectionable than Donald Trump.
Manchester City - Thailand
Thaksin Shinawatra was accused of all manner of human rights abuses during his short reign as Thai Prime Minister.
Assorted Clubs - US investors
The US Government has bombed, attacked or invaded about forty countries since 1945 but, of course, they are our best buddies so we don't talk about that.
That's before we get to the fact that the US Government has also overthrown numerous governments it didn't like via the CIA.
Wolves - China
The Chinese Government has a very poor record on human rights, facing serious criticism over its conduct in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjang.
The bottom line is that it suits everybody to ignore the ethical angle of ownership because everyone in the game IS MAKING SO MUCH F******G MONEY.
So, although I have no time at all for the Saudis and their despicable regime I don't really see how they are any different to any of the other malign investors we have seen these last ten years or more.
English football sold its soul to the devil a long time ago.
I’ve personally objected to every single one of those owners in the past and largely stopped watching the PL, so I’m quite comfortable with the merit of this objection. It’s a huge shame that so many people are willing to say ‘fuck it, let’s just enjoy the show cos they’re all bad people!’
@Chunes been getting that way for a while. If we end up with Norwich/Watford being relegated and WBA & Fulham coming back up a lot more people will feel the same.
Happy to admit I don’t watch any premier league football on tv. Got access to Sky and BT but don’t watch it.
After 30 years of the premier league, only thing which would get me excited about it, excluding Charlton being back, is seeing one of the top 6 side being in a genuine relegation battle in March/April time of the season. Lets be honest it has not happened in 30 years and probably will never happen again.
Feck me... Its the whole "Newcastle have been through some tough shit of late, their fans deserve this" thats pissing me off just a tad - Signed Willock for £25m this summer and have been in the Premier League for all but two of the last god knows how many years.
Dont get me wrong it'll be good to see another side trying to break the monopoly of rich clubs - after all the "its got to be earned, rather than paid for" is bullshit, you dont get anywhere in the Sport without splashing the cash anymore.
Leave out the wounded animal act out of it!!
Spot on. Remember watching Millwall languish in the bottom of the third tier, in a ground a third full, trying desperately not to drop in to the bottom tier, then i’d read an article about a PL club and their fans would be described as “long suffering…” and I’d think to myself “oh do f**k off…”
Did you have a particular "PL club" in mind?
Meanwhile another Spanner has written IMO the best article on the "ethics/morality" of this. What's the world coming to? :-)
Football is plastic, especially the top end of the game. As much as it’s great to see other parts of the world get to enjoy football in the same way we have for many years, it’s the productization that I take issue with. Football in the Middle East is an exercise in branding, sponsorship and raising the profile of the Middle East. There’s nothing wrong with that part of the world and they are entitled to enjoy the game as much as we have. However, let’s be honest, real football is about supporting a club and experiencing those in real life moments when you’re in the midst of a ridiculous sea of ‘limbs’ and you’ve been rewarded for the hours of effort and toil you put in over the years.
That’s the Beautiful Game for me. I know there are people who cannot attend games who are equally as passionate from the pub or their living room, so I don’t trivialize their support either. I do just look at anything involving places like the Middle East or China and think it’s completely the antithesis of what I think the game stands for, but it’s just my opinion.
I cringe at the All or Nothing Amazon docs and the likes of Levy extending the commercial reach of a club like Spurs so they can host the Joshua fight and go on tours to far flung places to play in made up trophies. I get it, and I understand it has to be this way, but I find it amazing that they can do all this with a solitary League Cup to their name in the last 20 years. If it were on trophies won, they’re in the same bracket as the likes of Middlesbrough & Birmingham, we don’t see documentaries about them, or Adele performing at the Riverside.
It will always be something I watch and enjoy, but give me the coach with about 40 hardy souls on a Tuesday night in November on the way to Morecombe, over my club being used for commercial gains and building a global brand or whatever such bollocks these clubs now refer to themselves as
@Chunes been getting that way for a while. If we end up with Norwich/Watford being relegated and WBA & Fulham coming back up a lot more people will feel the same.
Happy to admit I don’t watch any premier league football on tv. Got access to Sky and BT but don’t watch it.
After 30 years of the premier league, only thing which would get me excited about it, excluding Charlton being back, is seeing one of the top 6 side being in a genuine relegation battle in March/April time of the season. Lets be honest it has not happened in 30 years and probably will never happen again.
Never say never, when they all become rich surly one of them has to fail.
I hardly ever watch football on tv nowadays, it bores the life out of me but that might be the presentation of it, the hype, commenters and the picking over of even the most minuscule incident or what players should have done by explayers who probably made the same mistakes. When I watch Charlton I don't need any analysis to know why we lost or who fluffed his lines, its there in front of me 11 on 11 very simple to understand.
There are only so many world class players to go round,most will go to clubs where they can win trophies and play in the Champions League.Newcastle are light years away from this level,their team needs a complete revamp and Bruce is a spent force who should retire.I can see a lot of panic buying by a supposed world class coach(Who we probably wont ever have heard of)I doubt if patience is a word the new owners are familiar with.There will be a lot of mercenary players go there for a pay day,and I can really see the Geordie supporters becoming quickly dissilusioned,when progress on the pitch fails to materialise.
Comments
Personally, I'm just going to watch more non-league football and ignore the PL for the most part.
Dont get me wrong it'll be good to see another side trying to break the monopoly of rich clubs - after all the "its got to be earned, rather than paid for" is bullshit, you dont get anywhere in the Sport without splashing the cash anymore.
Leave out the wounded animal act out of it!!
Chelsea - Russia
Let's not have anyone kid themselves that Roman would have got absolutely anywhere without his relationship with Vlad, a dictator in a state that is not all that far behind Saudi Arabia in terms of human rights.
The Russians, lest we forget, shot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine, butchering 350 men, women and children on that Malaysian Airlines flight.
Manchester City - Qatar
Not quite as bad as the Saudis, but only in so far as George Bush being mildly less objectionable than Donald Trump.
Manchester City - Thailand
Thaksin Shinawatra was accused of all manner of human rights abuses during his short reign as Thai Prime Minister.
Assorted Clubs - US investors
The US Government has bombed, attacked or invaded about forty countries since 1945 but, of course, they are our best buddies so we don't talk about that.
That's before we get to the fact that the US Government has also overthrown numerous governments it didn't like via the CIA.
Wolves - China
The Chinese Government has a very poor record on human rights, facing serious criticism over its conduct in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjang.
The bottom line is that it suits everybody to ignore the ethical angle of ownership because everyone in the game IS MAKING SO MUCH F******G MONEY.
So, although I have no time at all for the Saudis and their despicable regime I don't really see how they are any different to any of the other malign investors we have seen these last ten years or more.
English football sold its soul to the devil a long time ago.
As a football fan i'm just interested to see how they do and look forward to seeing the 'big 6' and top 4 upset when the Geordies come gatecrashing in 2-3 years time.
I'd expect Newcastle will make some decent January signings to ensure they stay up this season, Steve Bruce will obviously be gone and then they'll try to make some big name signings in the summer. I don't think the really big players (Mbappe, Haaland etc) will go there yet, because yes Newcastle can offer money, but so can plenty of other clubs who are in the Champions league.
I also feel strangely depressed. I've always loved the prem but fallen out of love with it in recent years. I just can't motivate myself to watch games anymore. Why? I've watched it my entire life.
I thought it was because the gap between the monied clubs and the un-monied clubs seems so big now, but is that fair?
Also found myself saying 'the glory years of the prem are behind us...' But was it really that great when Utd were winning everything every year. It's actually more competitive now then when I was growing up.
But there's something so soulless about it that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's just the culmination of everything. The change in the rules where, if you even touch a player, it's a foul because you can't risk injuring these expensive players, the mercenary type players (so few with a true affiliation to their club), the owners using teams as investments and changing the culture of the club, knowingly or not, the stagnation of the high press brand of football every team is churning out.
Something about this takeover seems like a watershed moment for English football and seems like it's just going to make all this stuff worse.
3 genuine title contenders, 4 if you count Man Utd. Then a bunch of other sides (Spurs, Arsenal, Leicester, West ham, Everton, Villa) who all have realistic hopes of getting 5th or 6th.
Happy to admit I don’t watch any premier league football on tv. Got access to Sky and BT but don’t watch it.
After 30 years of the premier league, only thing which would get me excited about it, excluding Charlton being back, is seeing one of the top 6 side being in a genuine relegation battle in March/April time of the season. Lets be honest it has not happened in 30 years and probably will never happen again.
Meanwhile another Spanner has written IMO the best article on the "ethics/morality" of this. What's the world coming to? :-)
Newcastle's Saudi takeover will cause faux morality of football to collapse.
I cringe at the All or Nothing Amazon docs and the likes of Levy extending the commercial reach of a club like Spurs so they can host the Joshua fight and go on tours to far flung places to play in made up trophies. I get it, and I understand it has to be this way, but I find it amazing that they can do all this with a solitary League Cup to their name in the last 20 years. If it were on trophies won, they’re in the same bracket as the likes of Middlesbrough & Birmingham, we don’t see documentaries about them, or Adele performing at the Riverside.
It will always be something I watch and enjoy, but give me the coach with about 40 hardy souls on a Tuesday night in November on the way to Morecombe, over my club being used for commercial gains and building a global brand or whatever such bollocks these clubs now refer to themselves as
I hardly ever watch football on tv nowadays, it bores the life out of me but that might be the presentation of it, the hype, commenters and the picking over of even the most minuscule incident or what players should have done by explayers who probably made the same mistakes. When I watch Charlton I don't need any analysis to know why we lost or who fluffed his lines, its there in front of me 11 on 11 very simple to understand.