Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has delivered a scathing verdict on Amanda Staveley – but believes a takeover deal involving the financier could still be revived.
Speaking on TalkSport, Jordan is quoted saying:
“I have always had reservations about the look of this deal.
“Deals that tend to get done aren’t the ones that get splashed over the back pages of newspapers.
A lot of this has been driven by Amanda Staveley wanting to say things when it suits her and not wanting to say things when it doesn’t.”
“Where this lands at this moment in time is, if the Premier League are really saying they have exceeded their reach by not being reasonable in providing a solution to a particular problem which initially was the political resistance to the regime that would have owned the football club.”
“And then the clear and unequivocal resistance in terms of the piracy issue then the third thing is the shape of the ownership.”
“If that is really the Premier League exceeding its ability to do so, why aren’t Amanda Staveley and Mike Ashley asking the Premier League: ‘Hang on a minute, this is a restriction of trade. You are prohibiting a trade that is beyond your remit. Why are you doing this? Neither of them are saying this.”
Amanda Staveley had claimed if the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund’s intention was to engage in ‘sports washing’, the consortium would have targeted a takeover of Manchester United, given their global influence.
But Jordan poured scorn on those claims:
“Amanda Staveley is a 10 per cent shareholder. She will not be the controlling influence behind this transaction. Whoever is behind it, which is Saudi Arabian money, will be the controlling influence behind it. Once you are above 75 per cent you can do as you wish.”
“Amanda is sitting there saying such things as if it was about a nation’s sports washing, they could go out and buy Manchester United for £3billion and have control of 500million people’s thinking behind the world on it.”
“But Amanda wouldn’t have 10 per cent of that because she doesn’t have £300million to fund that purchase and the Reubens probably wouldn’t come in at £300million. When it is £300million for the entire deal that is different.”
Strange claims from Jordan who seems to think his opinion is always right and he’s in the know. Generally, neither is true. He’s just expressing his opinion as he sees it and probably hoping his “inside” knowledge gives credence to his claims.
I guess unless Masters and/or The Premier League issue a statement we’ll have to put up with these sort of articles for the foreseeable future. They hurt and don’t help the faithful Geordie supporters get over the crushing blow of the collapsed takeover.
But then bizarrely Jordan appears to slightly contradict himself with a claim that despite everything the takeover could still yet be on and go through.
“Where it sits right now is there is £17million deposit sitting with Mike Ashley that, as I understand it, is non-refundable.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this deal comes back on but Amanda, again, is using the media for leverage with emotivity, with statements of support towards the fans.”
“But if she is going to control of this business, why was she surprised this deal was going to be pulled on yesterday?
“Surely she must have known that…”
From where I stand, and I may be a 1,000,000% wrong, Staveley seems genuine in her words and was clearly upset yesterday. It was also as far as I can see the first time she has spoken out. Since this she’s clearly shown her disregard for the Premier League’s part in this and the outcome.
As for Jordan well he may still be a wealthy man but then if the former owner of Crystal Palace who did little with his Club and now supplements his income by working for TalkSport is to be believed his opinion counts?
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