Newcastle United takeover is 'deader than a dead thing from dead land' says former Premier League club owner

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan believes the chances of a Public Investment of Saudi Arabia takeover is “deader than a dead thing from dead land”.
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PIF, in a consortium involving PCP Partners and the Reuben brothers, agreed to purchase the club from Mike Ashley early last year but the Premier League refused to pass the deal through its Owners’ and Directors’ test.

That has led Ashley into taking legal action, launching arbitration and Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) cases against the EPL in a bid to force the £300million deal through.

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Arbitration is set to take place on January 3, 2022, while the outcome of the CAT hearing – which will decide if United’s anti-competition can be taken further – is still be revealed after Wednesday’s proceedings.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley. (Photo credit should read CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/AFP via Getty Images)Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley. (Photo credit should read CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley. (Photo credit should read CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Magpies fans are desperate for the takeover to be approved, which would ultimately end a torrid 14 years under Ashley’s ownership.

Jordan however, speaking to talkSPORT, reckons there is zero chance of the deal being waved through.

“This idea of Newcastle being bought by the PIF fund is deader than a dead thing from dead land,” he said.

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“It’s only the people that want to keep it running for its own motivations – whether that’s Amanda Staveley because she wants to save face of the deal she’s manufactured or whether it’s Newcastle fans wishing and wanting.

“They (Newcastle fans) are right to wish and want a change of ownership – they have every right to want that but they also have to look at the reality of this is going to play out.

“There are lots of different sides to this transaction. This is part and parcel… I don’t expect it to lead to any particular disclosure. I don’t expect the Premier League to be giving anything that vaguely resembles something that can be made mischief of.

“That suggests that XYZ football club has leveraged Richard Masters (Premier League chief executive) into having a biased attitude towards a potential new fox in the henhouse of the big six that controls the Premier League, that’s all they’re looking for.

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“They’re looking for something to build on for their arbitration to discredit the position of the Premier League.”

Jordan, regularly involved in negative conversations with Newcastle, insists he has nothing against the club’s fanbase.

“Of course Newcastle fans want their takeover, they want what they’ve been promised, they want what has been suggested they’re going to get which is a very wealthy set of owners that will come in and change the fortune of the football club from the miserable time they’re having under Mike Ashley.

“I understand that and I don’t suggest that’s wrong. I don’t like some of the observations they make every time you disagree with them – it turns into a personal assault upon you and you seem to have deep hatred of Newcastle – none of the above I have.”

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