Like loads of other United fans, I switched off from the outside world on Thursday and sat all day glued to Sky Sports News waiting for updates on the potential takeover of Newcastle United by Amanda Staveley’s consortium.
Also like other fans after four long years of Wor Mandy’s fight to take over and so many past setbacks and let-downs in this particular story I was hoping and praying that this time it would be different. This time it would be good news. This time, just for once fate would smile on Newcastle United – the club I have loved for decades. The club I have stuck to through thin and thin all these years.
I sat there watching the updates come and go, pretty much repeating each tantalising detail they had already announced 10 times before – but enjoying the repeats. Words like “it looks like a takeover of Newcastle United by the consortium headed up by Amanda Staveley could be back on”
The words of Sir Kevin Keegan rattled around my head “I would love it, just love it………”
Things looked promising. The news came through that a broadcasting piracy dispute between Saudi Arabia and Bein Sports in Qatar – seen as one of the major stumbling blocks to a deal – had been settled. This was important, as it had been billed as one of the main stumbling blocks to the consortium passing the Premier League “Owners & Directors” test. So that obstacle had apparently been removed.
As the day progressed the updates seemed to get more and more optimistic – or was it just my imagination?
Eventually, the update that mattered came through.
4.50PM Thursday 7th October 2021 “Our understanding is that shares from St James’ Park Holdings (Mike Ashley’s Company) have been transferred to Amanda Staveley Consortium”
And the rest, as they say, is history!
Cue massive celebrations amongst United fans as thousands headed for the cathedral on the hill for a party.
Mike Ashley had gone. 14 wasted years had finally come to an end. 14 years of the club being run like a sports shop with costs and expenditure cut to the bone. 14 years of a plan that was just about surviving in the Premier League and nothing else. 14 years of no ambition, no hope, no communication, nothing, just pain, frustration and anger.
It’s only two days later – yet already we can see how different life is going to be under the new owners. Amanda Staveley seems to have been everywhere, meeting fans, talking to the media and communicating more in just two days than the previous regime did in 14 years.
The atmosphere amongst fans is electric. Words like hope and optimism are being freely used and there are big big smiles on every face I see.
And that’s before we even talk about the money. Newcastle United have just become the richest football club on the planet due to the power of the Saudi PIF who now own 80% of the club.
There are plans to invest in upgraded training facilities, the academy system and of course in player aquisition. There will also be a fully professional women’s team to compete at the very top.
Amanda Staveley, Chief Executive Officer of PCP Capital Partners, told the Newcastle club website: “This is a long-term investment. We are excited about the future prospects for Newcastle United.
“We intend to instill a united philosophy across the Club, establish a clear purpose, and help provide leadership that will allow Newcastle United to go on to big achievements over the long term.
“Our ambition is aligned with the fans – to create a consistently successful team that’s regularly competing for major trophies and generates pride across the globe.”
I’m going to leave the final word to Ghostfacekillah, a regular contributor to the United forum, who always hits the nail on the heed in his thoughts – and in my view her’s done it again!
I know every fan of every club is entitled to want success, and I don’t doubt this sounds arrogant, especially when you look at what Leeds, Shieffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest etc have been through, but we deserve this, we have been absolutely peed on from a monumental height for years. Just sat in limbo, ultimately knowing a 3rd relegation is around the corner, and likely this season but for what has happened in the last 24 hours.
I am over the moon. I will enjoy laughing at us being linked with stupid managers and stupid players, I want some silliness back, some enjoyment. I want the talking point to be X player isn’t worth 80 million, where are we going to play Y player who we got for 90 million. For years I didn’t want to be another Man City, but then you look at what we have endured over the last 14 years and we are due a bit of a bender. This is like the ultimate holiday for all of us where we can go silly, it’s a one way ticket currently, with no return flight booked, and unlimited spends.
Even with a sensible spin on this, just to be genuinely interested in who owns the club, how they will develop the ground, the training ground, extra facilities for the city. Man City get a lot of grief, but you can not dispute what they have done to try and improve a pretty down trodden area of Manchester, and I hope the same happens for Newcastle.
We have our club back, this is amazing, enjoy it everyone, we have stuck this out, watched games more through a feeling of responsibility than for enjoyment, and this is our time to have some fun!
What do you think? As ever, we would welcome your comments, opinions and views below.
You can also join the discussion at the UTD111 Forum!
Join The UTD111 Forum
The Best NUFC Forum On The Interwebby
…..Probably
Click Here To View 
UTD111 On Facebook
UTD111 On Twitter
UTD111 PODCASTS
