*The NUFC Supporters Trust (NUST) have sent an email to members regarding the failed Saudi takeover and their correspondence with the Premier League throughout the process.
Read their in-depth letter sent to Richard Masters HERE (June 23th) and the response they received (on June 29th) from the Premier League’s CEO below, followed by their latest message to Newcastle fans following yesterday’s devastating announcement:
“Dear member,
“It has been a terrible day or two for Newcastle United. For the first time in over a decade we have had a clear and coherent message from both the owner of Newcastle United that he wishes to sell the club, and a buyer who has passionately stated on the record that they have the funds (and the vision) to buy Newcastle United.
“For the hopes of hundreds of thousands of supporters to be dashed in the manner they have is wrong. We are still in the dark about why the Premier League did not approve of the proposed takeover of Newcastle United. The League had 17 weeks to make a decision but made none. For supporters to be kept deliberately uninformed in a process that affects us more than any other is a scandal and things must change. To be clear there would be no proposed takeover without you, the supporters. There would be no Premier League and no football clubs without you, the supporters.
“It is only because of this interview with Amanda Staveley in The Athletic that we know very much at all about what the buyers believe has happened. The Premier League is aware of the 96.7% of you who made clear you were in favour of this takeover. Indeed that survey you completed in April this year has gone around the world, quoted relentlessly by almost every single sports reporter in the world who has covered this story. Your voice was heard by the world and yet it would appear Premier League has not taken that into account.
“We need answers and as a board, the Trust is committed to trying to get answers.
“We had some dialogue with the Premier League earlier this summer about fan refunds on tickets and the Premier League spoke to the club on our behalf to get us the resolution we wanted. We also engaged legal counsel to write to the Premier League in support of the takeover on behalf of our members, this included detailed legal analysis in support of a positive resolution in the face of an endless barrage of negative anti-takeover letters being issued to the Premier League urging them to refuse the sale. At the time we took the decision not to publish our letter (and therefore also the subsequent basic acknowledgment we received) following discussions with our legal team. It was felt that to do so would undermine the arguments we presented with the Premier League and render the exercise pointless. This was particularly relevant in light of Richard Masters writing about his annoyance that correspondence between him and others on the same subject being leaked to the media. Given the news yesterday we feel it is now right to provide you with copies of this correspondence and a copy of the correspondence is below (view them here).
“We will now once again attempt to engage in constructive dialogue with the Premier League to get Newcastle United supporters the answers they deserve. We cannot make any promises on resolutions, but we have already made a request through the Football Supporters Association to be able to speak to both Bill Bush and Richard Masters.
“We will always fight for the right of Newcastle United supporters to be heard and to be treated with respect. A supposedly confidential process has been confidential only to football supporters, as disgraced broadcasters in the Middle East, UK broadsheet newspapers and many others have claimed to have spoken to Premier League ‘sources’ about why this deal ‘should not’ go through.
“We have spoken to a number of media outlets to stand up for our members on the takeover, including on BBC Radio 5 live here and speaking with BBC Sport here – with the BBC today confirming over half a million people had viewed this article. We will continue to respond to media requests where we can because we feel it is important to get supporters voices heard nationally.
“Newcastle United is the heartbeat of this region and this community. It deserved to be given the chance to flourish once again and that has been taken away from us. We need to know why.”
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