The ever reliable George Caulkin wrote a fascinating piece for The Athletic earlier this week, which outlines the immediate plans of our potential new owners – and it’s hard to not get excited reading them!
Caulkin has maintained a close relationship with Amanda Staveley since he interviewed her in the aftermath of her unsuccessful attempt to buy us back in the winter of the 2017-18 season. He’s always maintained he saw her 3 official bids in person at her home in London, after Staveley felt the need to go public after she was the subject of some vicious defamation from Ashley and his camp.
Nearly two and a half years it seems Staveley is finally about to get the keys to St James Park, subject to the Premier League owners tests, and the following is a direct translation of what we can expect next:
- A ‘mission statement’ is being worked on, which would be released either when the Premier League gives its approval or earlier (in the unlikely event that Ashley releases a statement of his own).
- This would set out the new ownership’s aspirations. Original plans had featured the block-booking of specific hotels in the city ahead of a media blitz but, for obvious reasons, that has now been shelved.
- Newcastle’s non-playing staff would be taken off the government’s furlough scheme, mirroring U-turns already made by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Doing the right thing will be about more than words.
- Lee Charnley, the managing director, will be asked to remain in his post for the time being, to coordinate the handover and maintain dialogue with the Premier League and other authorities over the coronavirus. In these exceptional circumstances, some form of continuity, however temporary, will be vital.
- Steve Bruce would stay in charge of the first team. There has been no contact with the head coach, either officially or otherwise, but with nine games still to play this season (theoretically, at least), there is no need to make a decision on his future now.
- For all the speculation about the hiring of a more-illustrious manager — Rafa Benitez was an integral part of Staveley’s previous bid, but is now tied to a £12 million-a-season contract with Dalian Professional, the Chinese club — nobody is lined up. There is appreciation for the job Bruce has done and the way he has handled difficult circumstances, although whether he is the man to take Newcastle forward is another matter. In any case, potential candidates may become available in the summer. There is no rush.
- Informal overtures have already been made to some supporters, former players and other key figures in the city. Staveley did this last time. After 13 years of limited communication between Ashley, the club and the wider community, this is another indication of change. There is a desire to make the club better and more in tune with its surroundings and history. That dialogue is taking place.
- A gesture in support of the local NHS hospital is being considered. What form this would take is still to be decided.
- A root and branch reform of Newcastle’s operation will take place. As part of the process of buying the club, Staveley’s group have conducted due diligence and studied the financial situation. In that sense, there should be no surprises. They do lack knowledge on how the club has made decisions and who takes on certain responsibilities. Do staff need to be supported? Will some need to be moved or replaced? What about contract negotiations? Notes and employment files will be released on takeover.
- The same applies to other staffing decisions. They cannot make offers to people already in jobs or with contract notices to see out at other clubs until they are in situ.
- They have already received contact from player agents. This is not surprising. But, again, too much is unknown, not least when the transfer window might reopen and what the market will look like when it does. Will financial fair play rules be relaxed? Will wages and fees be depressed? Two years ago, when she admitted to having financial backing from sovereign wealth funds, Staveley planned to invest £100 million on players over the first two transfer windows and the same again on infrastructure. But Saudi involvement and COVID-19 have changed the environment.
- Remote meetings are being held regularly. This a long-term investment and there is an understanding that Newcastle will not be able to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool and Manchester City from the outset. What they can do is work quickly and work smartly, although how they do that efficiently with their complex ownership structure is not straightforward. Streamlining their decision-making is being discussed.
If you’re a subscriber of The Athletic and would like to read the piece in full, please do see the link above – you won’t be disappointed!
After all that, this seemingly imminent takeover can’t come quick enough.
Exciting times may finally await just around the corner..
Caulkin on the ball, again. happily give him the PR job @ the toon. thanks George
madmod63(Quote)
Staveley? After receiving her nonsensical fee it’s hard to believe she has enough (or any) experience in running a football club. One thing Ashley was right about is that she’s a self publicist. Her background will always raise questions , she’s always had an eye for the main chance and joining the board may be no more than just another way to keep skinning the cat. Brokers get paid commission from Broking ……often for doing very little. Let’s hope the Saudis pay for that, not NUFC. …after that the Club is owned by the Saudi PIF management team with the Head responsible for NUFC management. On that basis, post sale, why would they choose Staveley? What special skills would she bring to managing a PL football club? She wanted a role at Man City after being paid £8m fee for supposedly negotiating, but was firmly rejected by City on the grounds of inexperience.
Emmerdale 56(Quote)
It seems traditional to establish your bona fides as a supporter of Newcastle United before offering an opinion on the state of the Geordie nation. ‘Life long supporter’ doesn’t cut it for me. It’s possible to claim that dubious accolade without ever having moved from the settee, and many do.
I’ve had the same season ticket for over 30 years, and alongside thousands of others, suffered the highs and lows of following a team that appears to have developed a more or less complete immunity to quantifiable success.
My contempt for Mike Ashley, let me be clear, is complete, and inspired a chest clearing 20 verse rant on his multifarious failings. I called it ‘The Cultural Vandal’ and should you doubt the level of invective this odious man was subject to therein, it includes the line, ‘I’d pop rivet the ******* to a plank without pity’.
That line, over the top as it appears to me now, in or out of its vaguely humerous context, has returned to haunt me. We are now about to welcome a new owner of Newcastle United, and one who has at his disposal, a complete team of torturers, whom it seems, are equally effective at achieving a result, whether they are playing home or away.
If this takeover does take place, and over time we do have cause to celebrate, it will be in splendid isolation from much of the global football community, who will regard our ‘success’ with distaste and justified contempt. We’re not going to be anyone’s ‘second team’.
Perhaps the new owners should take care. This is a singular region, and its people are no strangers to dissent if suitably moved. It may be that the light reflected from the anticipated glut of silverware, will shine just as brightly on the prisons and detention centres of Riyadh as it does on Tyneside.
Others have described the shameful human rights record of the Saudi elite and I won’t repeat their infamous catalogue of terror and repression here. Suffice to say that this is a place where women are subject to a disgraceful sexual apartheid, where public execution is regarded as a suitable riposte to adultery (if you are female), and to ‘witchcraft’, and homosexuality among others. I wonder how many empty seats there would be at St James’ Park should similar laws apply here?
It seems ironic that while the world suffers from a virus that seeks to prey on the the weak and vulnerable, we should allow the introduction of another to infect a culture that has, historically, always allowed room for its conscience.
NUFC is poised to become nothing but a bumper sticker for one of the most noxious and intolerant regimes on the planet. Doubt my credentials as a life long fan if you dare, and call me snowflake if you must, but personally I’m not OK with this, and as the new owners may discover, I’m not the only one.
Pete Sanderson(Quote)