A letter signed by a coalition of Newcastle United supporter groups has been sent to PIF governor Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan, the PIF board, PCP and the Reubens.
Please read the letter below, which urges the three sides of the Saudi bid to put their offer back on the table in an effort to push through this takeover – something that could have unprecedented ‘investment in the City and the region’, not just at NUFC.
As shared by NUFCFansUtd.com, here is the letter full:
To:
H.E. Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan (Governor);
AND the Board of The Public Investment Fund;
PCP Capital Partners;
Reuben Brothers,
Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, Sirs and Madame,
There is an old saying that things happen for a reason and that was certainly how we felt when the news broke back in January that, as governors of the Sovereign Wealth Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia you were interested in purchasing our football club, Newcastle United.
For years our club has languished in the doldrums; starved of success despite an appetite for football second to none.
Now we could start to dream again. Owners that matched our desire for success were coming and those dreams might just turn into reality!
We hold the vision of a partnership between supporters and owners that will bring with it the first real hope and prospect in many years of rejuvenating one of the most storied clubs in England.
With The Public Investment Funds wealth and experience in business matched by the supporter’s passion and devotion to their club we might finally be in possession of the winning ticket.
PIF is the engine behind economic diversity in the KSA. It also develops high focus strategic sectors by growing and maximising the impact of the fund’s investments, making it the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world.
Moreover, we know that the program establishes strong economic partnerships that help deepen the KSA’s impact and role both regionally and globally.
As supporters we were delighted to hear that the Club’s Football Academy and youth development would be put centre stage for investment. We believe that such an investment provides far more than football development. It gives young players the opportunity for an education and pastoral care that supports them not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.
These aspects are often overlooked in many areas of the game of professional football and are aptitudes that young people need to help them be successful in whatever career path they choose.
The age of talent drain from the region with something like this in place would finally be over.
Planned investment in community relations and the Foundation shows how PIF understood the importance of growing the Club alongside and in partnership with the local community.
The city and surrounding communities have a long and famous history. Indeed one of Newcastle United’s unique synergies is that of a club that sits at the very heart of the city, a fan base that turns up in numbers week in week out to support the team and a city, wider region and community that the club very much represents. It is often said that when Newcastle United win on Saturday, productivity rises in the region by 30% the next week. Whilst this may be anecdotal it is very hard to disagree.
Investment in the City and the region (by both PIF and from the multiplier effect) is badly needed and just as importantly would be a welcome interface.
The feeling of many in the North East is that we are overlooked with regard to investment in the UK therefore the mooted levels of investment that a PIF backed takeover of Newcastle United would generate would be viewed as a massive opportunity missed if the bid doesn’t go ahead.
In many ways this is about renewed hope not just for the football club, but the city and the region as a whole.
By declaring an interest in Newcastle United you have demonstrated to fans that PIF is a forward thinking and genuine long-term investor. What PIF and their partners had in mind for regional investment, coupled with a developing Saudi Arabia prepared to partner with and share economic and cultural
growth alongside the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, would be spectacular for the region and mutually beneficial to us all in many diverse and exciting ways.
It is clear that PIF has thought its bid through very carefully and has assembled a leadership team that Newcastle fans can certainly believe in. Leadership has been sadly lacking at Newcastle United for many years. The Club is perceived like a ghost ship with a skeleton crew.
We are crying out for a leadership team that cares, will nurture the club and one which values the club in the same way that we, as fans, do.
We remain convinced that the team assembled, including PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben brothers would do this and very much more with the backing and expertise of PIF.
As you will no doubt be aware, the Newcastle fans and the local community are deeply concerned about how the English Premier League conducted its Owners’ and Directors’ Test in regard to your bid and we have written to them demanding answers. A petition calling for an investigation into the English
Premier League has already exceeded 92,000 signatures at the time of writing this letter to you. Numerous Members of Parliament have also written to the
League to seek answers for their prolonged and highly unsatisfactory process as a result of thousands of their constituents writing to them.
Yes; things happen for a reason and we hope that as a governor of the Sovereign Wealth Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and potential investors in Newcastle United FC you can once again be energised by the opportunities of being part of something special.
We urge you, with every fibre we can muster, to consider bringing back your bid and together we can make our hopes and dreams a reality for everyone who wishes to be part of this truly momentous opportunity.
Yours faithfully,
A coalition of Newcastle United Supporters Groups
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Really hope this comes off – we need a strong Newcastle United once again, we need to dream.
I may even call my Cats off Masters.
Ian Cusack(Quote)
Muderous regime….Should be never let anywhere near NUFC
The horse(Quote)
Amazing letter, which sums up perfectly just what a ‘never to be repeated’ opportunity this is for Wor Toon in its widest sense. HTL!
David Rocky Kemp(Quote)
Cringeworthy letter
The horse(Quote)
To the horse
Only one thing Cringeworthy and thats you !!!!
Toon Army(Quote)
I hope like all Geordie fans they take note of this letter and act by redirecting the bid.
David Ascroft(Quote)
This forthcoming premier league season should be halted until a full investigation into how it is run,
The only reason for the sale not to go through is for political reasons and the premier league is not allowed to get involved in government or political agendas.
The investment group has done everything possible to buy Newcastle United, the premier league board members should all step down with immediate effect.
Garreth ormerod(Quote)
We are united
Kevan Roche(Quote)
It would be fantastic if the bid is resurrected, this would give the supporters fresh impetus (indeed if they needed any) to hound this Premier League and its cartel to sanction the ODT. It disgusts me that the top six clubs hold away over all decisions that are made to the detriment of the others, their greed and selfishness will come back to bite them in the backside.
Time is of the essence, with all the pressure being exerted by the fans let’s hope we can succeed.
JoeMck & granda(Quote)
Love a toon meltdoon…Toys out of the pram…6 in a row….love the arabs red and white headdress
Horse punchers(Quote)
Guess if it happens we get the sponsors would all the other teams follow suit and complain to the Premier League if they cannot sponsor the teams they want to invest in? 😈
Raymond(Quote)
My most cringeworthy letter is probably ‘j’. Thanks for your interest.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Although I do also have cringeworthy lettuce in my fridge.
Utter disgrace : (
Rodzilla(Quote)
Horse punchers, I’m guessing from your username you enjoy a good fisting?
Rodzilla(Quote)
Me too anyway, last time I met an obliging horse I got all four hooves up there. Had to dismember it first mind. Logistics were tricky. #tynetunnel
Rodzilla(Quote)
The horse …I thought something stunk on here it must be you being a sad lonely unwashed Mackem ! Trying to get under the skin of us geordies, NO,NO,Bad inbred Mackem ! As my old mam used to even the wrong attention is still attention! Go back to peeping on your sister in the shower
Buffalo bill(Quote)
Rodzilla or Aston Villa……Sob On The Tyne
Horse puncher(Quote)
Interesting to see Sky Sports finally acknowledging the questions being asked anyway.
F•ckwit Boris seems to be listening. Or rather his horse is, after years of abuse.
Rodzilla(Quote)
No Bull actually a Geordie who supports Sunderland.Thousands of geordies support them.So geordie is not only for mags.Wev’e also got a Supporters branch in the centre of Newcastle. Yeah Geordie Sunderland supporters who would have thought
Horse punchers(Quote)
Horse puncher, or should I refer to you as HP, you tasty sludgy mess. Haha.
I’m most certainly not sobbing on the Tyne, although remember the AV blankets well. Rodzilla is, and will always remain 100% NUFC.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Each to their own HP.
(I prefer English mustard, but I’m not racist)
Rodzilla(Quote)
The safc lads are having the best summer ever………the gift that keeps giving…twitter …showing yourselves up………..crying like babies…..man up and take it the Saudis want nowt to do with you…………………Madness song…………………..your an embarrassment…The rest of the country’s fans are finding out what a deluded set of babies you are
Horse puncher(Quote)
So, to sum everything up:
Donald Trump – psychopathic, narsissitic cu•t
Boris– psychopathic, narsissitic d•ck
Premier League – *** arsed botters
UK Government – Trying hard to distinguish arses from elbows
Summary: I got those, can’t get enough of those Blue Ribband Blues. Blue Riband’s the milk chocolate wafer biscuit I always choose.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Free ticket mags
Horse puncher(Quote)
We are on holiday in Greece
Yesterday, while unloading the car after a shopping trip, a young boy, probably around 13 years old, wandered into our yard.
He was in an awful state. No shoes, torn clothes, unwashed, and we suspect he was under the influence of one of the local fashionable “substances”.
He asked “can you please give me some food” (though obviously not in English).
We gave him lunch. He was in tears.
That kid had more dignity than the pathetic individuals who have written to PIF begging “please can you buy our club!”
First off, be aware, you only represent SOME of the fans of our great club.
Many fans are relieved that the takeover DID NOT go ahead, even though it may mean a longer period under the guardianship of Ashley. These fans are what is referred to as “informed”, with for want of a better, less cliched term, a reasonable moral compass.
Most important, though is the fact that over a span of a hundred years we have built a reputation for being amongst the finest fans in the country. Sadly all that has been destroyed with a few snivelling, whinging keystrokes of these so-called supporters groups, who would rather ignore, or even worse, ignorantly deny the atrocities brought about by the Saudi regime, just so we can buy a better striker.
You are a disgrace to football, but even worse, an embarrassment to our great club.
Have some pride. Have some dignity. Real Newcastle supporters do not beg!
BykerBill(Quote)
Anybody else find it funny that some fans would prefer to have a genocidal dictator in charge rather than a mean businessman?
Just saying!
BykerBill(Quote)
The way the English Premier League conducted its Owners’ and Directors’ Test during the takeover bid for Newcastle United has been appalling. What normally takes about four weeks has taken in excess of four months and even now they cannot make a comment. They have concerns as to who will run/manage the club yet it was mention months ago that the consortium of Amanda Staveley, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Reuben Brothers have thought its bid through very carefully and has assembled a leadership team which did not include his Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
They should not be taking any notice of outside bodies “such as Jamal Khasoggi’s finance Hatice Cengiz, Amnesty International etc) who are not associated with football management.
With a former Barclays Bank director on the PL management team is no doubt venting his frustration during the takeover process for being involved in Amanda Staveley’s court case. The talk of the top four PL chairmen also putting their penny’s worth in to frustrate the process. They do not want another team breaking into there cartel as another successful team would reduce the funding they receive from the PL as well as increasing the competition for the purchase of quality players in the future.
Such indecisiveness from the PL management team offers no confidence for the future of football and a complete overhaul of the Director’s should be called for as well as an investigation into the dealings they have conducted during the take over process.
MagpieJoe(Quote)
It’s a begging letter. I get the sentiment behind it but I find it massively embarrassing. I want rid of Ashley as much as the next man but all through the process felt uncomfortable about selling my morals to the Saudis. Not enough to do anything about it mind. I’ve even signed the petition to get answers from the premier league. But this letter, it feels like we’re positioning the fans and the region as a charity case, begging for money and has little in the way of dignity about it. It’s depressing what Ashley has turned us into.
Jason Pettitt(Quote)
I’m one of those rare Toon supporters that don’t mind if Sunderland do well, as long as they don’t do as well as us. The reason being that I have way too many friends that support SAFC and I enjoy friendly banter with them where we can both see where we’re coming from. That said some of the comments on here are laughable. One actually says it’s the best summer ever for SAFC fans. Really, REALLY! All I can see is a once proud Club spiralling into obscurity and that for me is really sad. We can’t put our house in order whilst Ashley is around but the situation at SAFC is even worse!
Uncle Jeff(Quote)
I’m loving the Geordies passion and drive to reconnect with the Consortium and the hope and faith that they have that they can help resurrect the deal. Obviously I hope that we can but I must admit I can’t see it happening with the PIF. Perhaps PCP and The Reubens can find someone else but I really fear they can’t and it’s going to be a mess next season.
Uncle Jeff(Quote)
Laugh a minute…..Do mags have no dignity
Horse puncher(Quote)