Newcastle United takeover: Competition Appeal Tribunal confirm live stream details for case against the Premier League

Mike Ashley has made a claim under section 47A of the 1988 Competition Act following the Premier League’s failure to make a timely decision on the approval of a proposed £300million takeover last year.

The Premier League made an application in the summer to contest the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s jurisdiction.

And this application will be heard on Wednesday. The hearing - which fans will be able to watch live on a stream - will decide whether the claim can go forward.

The initial hearing gets underway on Wednesday at 10.30am and it is expected to last all day.

Fans may have to wait for a final judgement, though, as it won’t necessarily come on Wednesday.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal posted this update from their official Twitter account on Tuesday morning: “Case 1402/5/7/21: St James Holdings Limited v The Football Association Premier League Limited.

“A direct link to the Livestream will be publicised via Twitter on the morning of the hearing.”

What is the CAT hearing about?

It’s alleged that the Premier League were in infringement of articles 101 and 102 of the Competition Act 1998 when they failed to approve the proposed £300million takeover, which included Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund last year.

This is what the court documents state: “The Claim states that the Defendant exercised its power to block the Proposed Takeover when it decided between June and September 2020 that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would be a director exercising ‘control’ over NUFC, for the purposes of the Rules (‘the Director Decision’).

“In reaching the Director Decision, the Defendant failed to apply the Rules in a fair, objective and non-discriminatory fashion and/or used its powers under the Rules for the improper purpose of promoting its own commercial interests and/or the interests of its business associates and/or certain of the PL member-clubs in a manner that was detrimental to competition and consumers.

“As a result of the breaches by the Defendant, the Claimant has suffered loss and damage. In particular, the Claimant has lost the immediate sale, or lost the likely opportunity of an immediate sale of its shares in NUL (which owns NUFC) to the Consortium Company.”

Ashley, also pursuing arbitration, wants the Premier League to reconsider the deal. The club’s owner is also seeking damages, interest and costs.

When does the CAT hearing take place?

Newcastle United’s anti-competition case against the Premier League is set to take place at 10:30am on Wednesday, September 29.

How can I watch the CAT hearing?

Newcastle United’s anti-competition case against the Premier League will be live streamed via the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s website.

CAT have advised that a link to the hearing, scheduled to begin at 10:30am, should appear on the website at around 9am on the diary page.

The hearing is expected to last a day.

Who makes up the CAT tribunal?

The tribunal is made up of three men – The Honourable Mr Justice Miles, Michael Cutting and Tim Frazer.

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