What a little birdie told me at my desk in Dubai – Third time lucky for NUFC?

So, here we are again. Another transfer window, and another takeover story hits the headlines before we so much as get a sniff of our first swoop for a colossus going cheap.

The third takeover attempt in as many transfer windows, so will it be third time lucky I wonder? Amanda Staveley got as far a having a curry with our esteemed owner, before being blown out the water (near the end of the transfer window) as being a time-waster.

Peter Kenyon managed to write an impassioned open letter to the fans with our chubby leader saying that this was his preferred buyer… Then lo and behold, he’s gone too with no money and no consortium… and another transfer window almost gone.

As many of you may know, I live and work in Dubai, but born in Benwell in the Toon many moons ago. Last Sunday, I came into the office as usual, and a colleague says to me, “well it looks like the Toon will be City’s little brother, and I guess you think it’s your birthday”. I’m a little incredulous and ask him what he’s talking about, to which he replies, “well it’s documented in Reuters, the Toon have been bought by the cousin of Sheikh Mansour”. And so, it began. (Please note this is not the ‘big reveal’ and it gets better / more believable…so keep with me).

Needless to say, I had to check it out, and sure enough, the papers are full of it, Newsnow is in overdrive, and as the days go by, there is one contradicting story after another. It’s sold, it’s not, an offer is in, no offer made…the Premier league knows, and the Premier league knows not. Same old s*** but different transfer window, so I take a big pinch of salt and keep reading. After all, we’ve been here before, haven’t we lads and lasses, but hope springs eternal as they say.

The contradicting stories continue, ho hum, but then I start to see some articles appearing here in the local press and nothing is denied by the club (which usually happens when rumours fly).

I have a small glimmer of hope. I’m probably not alone, in that I’m ever an optimist, so I’m happy to cling to hope however big or small.

Then, a few days ago I was talking to another colleague in the office. We got to chatting about football as you do, and I told him about my concerns, and he says with absolute belief and surety, “no need to worry, it’s a done deal”. He goes on to tell me his wife, who works in a very high up position in the financial district here, (this I already knew), is working on the deal, and that her company is the financial group tasked with putting the deal together for the real estate part, the stadium, etc. He insisted that it is a done deal from the buyers side for sure.

The Bin Zayed Group and Sheikh Khaled are well known and certainly have the money to do a deal of this magnitude. BZG would not come out and say the things that they have said if they didn’t believe them to be true.

And so, my optimism has increased to a level where I’m beginning to believe!

306 thoughts on “What a little birdie told me at my desk in Dubai – Third time lucky for NUFC?

  1. Something must be gong on with the takeover. The continuing silence is ridiculous.

    What happened at the training ground? Something physical must have happened between Rafa and Charnley. A signature perhaps? Otherwise it would have just been on phone. It’s all getting weird.

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  2. Stuart: Shaheen has a hitch in his arm action as well. Another chucker.

    Silence at NUFC so may as well talk cricket.

    India must be favourites now!

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  3. The one thing I am noticing with the white ball is that there is no spin for the finger spinners so I don’t know why any team would play any of them. A straight 50 mile an hour ball is just asking to be hit.

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  4. It is so bitterly frustrating that we approach the end of yet another week with no notable progress – either on the takeover or Rafas contract.

    I appreciate some of the hold ups may be out of their hands – but I’m sure outside influences are only a small part of the problem.

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  5. Eric – with the lack of all things NUFC to talk about, I was on YouTube and found this. You may not want to spend 10mins on Jack Wiltshire, but it offers a good perspective of what he’s been through –

    https://youtu.be/V1qOrFFq0Mw

    In fairness to you, I know it’s not him you have a problem with as such, but more the way a player is hyped up to be a superstar, without having really achieved anything. It’s still a decent watch though.

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