Honey Honey

Latest news is Graham Potter being targeted.

It seemed like a year ago they weren't up for pissing money in like Man City and PSG. I don't know if that has changed all of a sudden or not. It's a consortium that includes the wealthiest property developers in the United Kingdom and a state investment portfolio. They're going to grow the asset value and they will need moderate success to do so, but what it sounded like to me back then is that they're not going to piss money in, they're going to grow the club and they're going to have the ambition to be successful. They'll start with money as they've earmarked an amount from the fund to invest. At some point I expect when that ends we might hit a cross roads in which they have to decide if they want to invest further or not. Everything Staveley was saying a year ago is that this is a long term project, not an overnight job.

Wish they made another season of that. I think Staveley may end up the fall person when reality sets in that the PIF are now and never have intended to replicate Man City. She said it wouldn't replicate Man City herself a year ago but right now is saying win the league in 5 years. A year ago the PIF funds allocated were not the kind you would actually need to win the league. Either something has changed since or this one isn't what it seems.

The purpose of building that reputation is because the PIF plan to grow their portfolio to $4 trillion over the next 10-15 years. Qatar and UAE will look like nothing in comparison. They need reputation improvement to get more deals done, to build more trust for their Western business. Newcastle United is now a useful pawn in that as are the NHS and many others to come. PIF and Saudi money is going to be a major part of the restructuring of the UK and US in decarbonisation and the move to a green society. They're already heavily in the tech sector and part of your daily life to the tune of billions and billions. With each year that passes your pension is going to be more and more dependent on the PIF. It's most likely that Joe Biden bottled sanctions because we are already at the point of no return. Many might not realise it yet, but the ambition of the PIF, if it comes to full fruition, is going to emphatically and overwhelmingly tie your life to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Despite all this we do genuinely have a serious relegation risk right now. Some may remember we tried to buy our way out of the drop under McClaren in January and that didn't work. Can someone come in and undo the Bruce damage to the defending overnight, depends, maybe.

Steven Gerrard favourite for the job. However as much as I'd welcome him I hope it's not him so @Dr. Gonzo can keep his hero.

Having had a history of duds, it's likely that we'll find ourselves in the future where the Saudi's are back on the front page putting the club and fans in an awkward position. Though it seems Staveley and Jamie Rueben could start as the face of this venture. We'll see.

Agree with that, will all be dependent on the right signings and manager, which isn't a given with money as you know all too well. With everything I've heard I'd be surprised if we even try to be Man City. This is an investment fund and a UK retail magnate combo consortium with very slow build plans to grow the company by sportswashing standards. This is reuters assessment Soccer clubs are often poor investments. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) may have found an exception with a possible 305 million pound acquisition of Britain’s Newcastle United, known as a “sleeping giant” of the game. Buying a football club may sound like a frivolous investment for the PIF, which is tasked with helping the country wean itself off oil revenues. Yet the fund seems to be getting a bargain. ‘At the mooted price tag, the deal would value Newcastle at 1.7 times its revenue in the last pre-pandemic financial year. Listed clubs Manchester United (MANU.N) and Juventus (JUVE.MI) trade at 4.1 times and 2.1 times respectively. ‘And the club, currently owned by retail magnate Mike Ashley, arguably has better prospects than most. The new owners could crank up commercial income: sponsorships, merchandising and similar revenue sources are just 15% of sales, compared with 44% at Manchester United before the pandemic.’

I'm not justifying the PiF takeover. I'm challenging the navel gazing I'm reading. I sat through debates hosted by Chi Onwurah and including guests from Amnesty International. Their views on what to do if it happens etc, what the role of the community and fan is and has been. Not people who take things lightly. From that I determined a view in what is complex for a Newcastle fan. I just don't accept this navel gazing which I think comes easily to you precisely because football encourages you to treat us as others. So easy to cast judgment and moral expectations onto others. Kevin Maguire reckons it is possible possible spend about £170m within fair play. However despite the talk of us being at the top, Staveley has said before that's not the overnight goal, we'll be spending the next 3-5 years trying to get to the top 5-8. It's a slow burner.

I accept that the club is intertwined with Saudi reputation now. That's part of it and I'm not telling you not to. I'm not telling you to stop calling him out at these football occasions or using the club to attack him. We are now part of British diplomacy and that is actually part of it. That's fucking awkward. What I don't accept is the idea that the Newcastle fan should be boycotting and burning his club, especially when the people expecting that don't hold themselves to the same standards as they tweet or Facebook post whilst watching the Mandalorian among other collections of PIF funded things.

I look forward to Spurs fans boycotting their game with us in protest. Oh. These people invest in much of your daily life, it's a national question. The nation allows them in under our rules, to allow them in to chip away at them to change back home. The model is to allow positive relationships with an overarching reputational challenge to bring about change. Whether anyone likes it or not Newcastle and Tyneside's role in that kind of relationship is now primarily the positive aspect to this diplomacy, yes with some negative questioning and the local press will get that ball rolling. I accept that we as a club are fair game when it comes to Saudi reputation now. I'd prefer if we weren't, but I will defend the community from attacks by hypocrits. Why is it OK for you to benefit from dodgy arab money in your life but it's not ok for the Newcastle United fan with a tea towel on his head, the Geordie should sacrifice his football club at the alter, he should carry the weight of it all whilst you continue to sacrifice nothing. That will help maintain the myth of football being more virtuous than other businesses probably. Have them take this money that will bring jobs to Tyneside and fuel south east house prices some more instead perhaps. We will see a lot of people tweet about how a brick layer from Heaton should be burning his club to the ground in anger, completely unaware of Saudi funding to keep twitter going. Herein lies the hypocrisy that comes with having an opinion on this takeover. Beware anyone who claims to be virtuous and clean for they are simply part of the big dirty lie that besets the United Kingdom. Watch how easy the middle class target working class blokes with Saudi flags, far easier and comfortably than anything else they've bothered to do to rid their country of investment from people that are wrong'uns.

It's easy to chastise from a far, but I and many other Newcastle fans have to learn how to live within this situation. How to challenge and when to challenge. In my view today is not the day for the Newcastle fans to challenge. Today is about a new start for our community and for me personally its a hope of rebuilding family relationships that were heavily damaged by Mike Ashley. It is however the day for you to flag the Saudi's. I encourage you to do so. Nationally you need to play that role, but I vehemently disagree with pinning it on the Geordie and making the Geordie carry the burden and shame. Particularly when it's impossible to have a view of the takeover without being a hypocrit, either way.

The club wont be rich, just as Ashley is a multi billionaire the owners have money but it doesn't mean they'll put that money into the club. The Rueben's, one of if not the richest people in Britain? Will own a small share, they're not putting up the capital they're in it for the property developing and what can be done to the city of Newcastle, akin to what happened in Manchester perhaps but on a lesser scale. Some reports have mentioned that there will be £250m put into the club over the next few years, but not just for players, it's going to cost a bit to upgrade the neglect Ashley has left the stadium, training ground and general infrastructure in. The club needs to be reconnected to the community. Just waiting for the news it's over the line and Ashley is finally gone. Think I might have a little cry of joy when it happens. For me this season has been the worst in my entire life. Finally ground down to absolute disconnect, hopelessness and a sense of what's the point anymore. A more moved on depressive state, whereas previous years those feelings were full of anger and frustration, more alive emotions.

Antonio Conte's odds to replace Bruce have come crashing down to 5/1 Will he get the best out of Jeff Hendrick?

Saudi takeover to go through in next 48 hours. Source- everywhere

5000 nufc trust members voted in a snap poll after the Wolves game, with 94.3% saying Bruce should resign or be sacked in the best interests of the club.

Bloody hell sea levels have risen a lot more than I expected

I could be wrong but the gangs in Yorkshire being referred to specifically and deliberately targeted non-muslims didn't they? In that sense I'm not surprised if someone was to label it Islamic. Whereas the issue of incest in Yorkshire, particularly in places like Bradford, I've only ever heard it referred to as Pakistani or Asian and not Islamic.

They wouldn't get the coverage. They wouldn't be on morning tv. People protest in numbers that small and smaller at government buildings all the time. Many occasion have I taken a leaflet from someone dressed as a badger or walked past a bloke who stuck a load of plastic bottles to himself. Many have been arrested. When an ambulance is trying to get through its time to stand up, get off the road.

Yikes.