Newcastle United fans hit back at Crystal Palace supporters’ chant about the Saudis, by pointing out the advertising board mid-game.
Luke Edwards (@LukeEdwardsTele) posted on Twitter: “Crystal Palace fans behind the goal #nufc are attacking enjoy a hearty rendition of ‘F*** the Saudis….’
However, eagle-eyed NUFCblog.co.uk responded: “For the Crystal Palace singing “f*** the Saudis”, you might want to check your advertising hoardings… 😬”
For the Crystal Palace singing “f*** the Saudis”, you might want to check your advertising hoardings…😬#NUFC #CPFC #CRYNEW pic.twitter.com/rTXIcj6edd
— NUFCblog.co.uk (@NUFCblogcouk) January 21, 2023
#nufc booed off by Crystal Palace fans at full-time. Chants of ‘F— the Saudis’ #CRYNEW pic.twitter.com/Ht2BrT5AqU
— Ciaran Kelly (@CiaranKelly__) January 21, 2023
The game itself saw Newcastle’s unbeaten streak extend to 15 top-flight matches with a third goalless draw against Crystal Palace.
The Magpies moved up to third with Vicente Guaita denying Joelinton three times, Callum Wilson, Sven Botman, and Alexander Isak also failed to score their chances.
Newcastle now sit eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, playing two more games than the Gunners.
Palace are yet to win a match in 2023. However, this was their second point in four days against a top-four team after picked up a draw against Manchester United in midweek.
It took them 72 minutes to get their one shot at the target with Nick Pope preventing Jean-Philippe Mateta’s effort to make it nine clean sheets.
The Eagles suffered a mixed night, Wilfried Zaha, their talisman forward, was injured in the second period.
In October 2021, Crystal Palace unveiled a gory banner in protest of Newcastle’s Saudi owners following ‘serious human rights breaches’.
Fans unfurled a huge banner protesting at the new ownership of Newcastle – accusing them of terrorism, beheadings and murder.
The supporters in the Holmesdale Road end held the giant mural aloft just before the two sides entered the pitch at Selhurst Park ahead of their Premier League game.
On it was an image of the Saudi Investment Fund PIF brandishing a sword, with Premier League chief executive Richard Masters holding a dagger with blood dripping at his feet around a bag of money.
There was also a checklist of offences human rights organisations say the Saudi regime is responsible for, with a tick next to each one.
The offences were: terrorism, beheadings, civil rights abuse, murder, persecution and censorship.
The Palace ultras wrote a statement during the 3pm kick off: “The Saudi led takeover of Newcastle has rightly received widespread condemnation and anger.
“It is clear the P.I.F is a front for the tyrannical ruling Saudi regime and by endorsing this, the Premier League has made a mockery of its own ‘Owners and Directors’ test.
“The Premier League has chosen money over morals and in green lighting this deal, has done business with one of the world’s most bloody and repressive regimes.
“A country controlled by fear where women are second class citizens, same-sex partnerships banned journalists silenced, imprisoned or killed and ‘dissidents’ brutally persecuted now has a foothold In our national game.
“To give the ‘thumbs up’ to this deal at a time when the Premier League is promoting the women’s game and Inclusive initiatives such as rainbow armbands, shows the total hypocrisy at play and demonstrates the League’s soulless agenda where profits trump all.
“Newcastle, as a team, is now being used to sportswash the blood from the hands of corrupt governance and deluded supporters should consider that reality when singing of ‘getting their club back’
“We are lucky to live incountry where we can display a banner such as this without repercussion.
“Many in Saudi Arabia wish they were afforded those same basic rights.”
Newcastle were then roundly booed by the home crowd as they entered the field.
Visiting supporters from the North-East, with a handful wearing Saudi costumes, did not respond although a Saudi flag was unfurled.
Human rights organisation Amnesty international say the purchase of Newcastle was an attempt to ‘sportswash their appalling human rights record with the glamour of top-flight football.’
CEO Sacha Deshmukh said: “Instead of allowing those implicated in serious human rights violations to walk into English football simply because they have deep pockets, we’ve urged the Premier League to change their owners’ and directors’ test to address human rights issues.
“The phrase ‘human rights’ doesn’t even appear in the owners’ and directors’ test despite English football supposedly adhering to Fifa standards.
“As with Formula One, elite boxing, golf or tennis, an association with top-tier football is a very attractive means of rebranding a country or person with a tarnished reputation.
“The Premier League needs to better understand the dynamic of sportswashing and tighten its ownership rules.”
This is what fans had to say as Newcastle fans hit back at Crystal Palace supporters’ chant about the Saudis…
@Toonern: Bloody hell 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@Axcrazy1: Strange fans.
@joelianton: Couldn’t hear them until the 87th min when they thought they were in with a chance of getting a draw.
@R_Greeko: This isn’t as clever as you think. If anything, it’s simply a reminder that fans aren’t obligated to be blindly loyal to their club’s owners’ financial dealings.
@FYPFanzine: When this sportswashing project comes crashing down, and it will, Palace fans (and all those who continue to oppose NUFC’s Saudi ownership) will end up on the right side of history.
@Classlass: @CPFC hmmm 🤔🤫
@TalkCPFC: For a team that “aren’t here to be popular” and “love to rattle fans” they do seem awfully bothered by the fact other fans hate them
@Pabsyyyyyy: The sooner other fans realise that Saudi money is literally everywhere in sport & just in general the better. Thick cunts.
@bobbi_walker: They had Saudi advertising all around the stadium. 😂
@DavidTa41816701: I don’t know what’s more annoying the drums or the microphones shit atmosphere
@TheHonestJohns: Sounds a bit racist
@JustinTerrett: The hypocrisy, booing Newcastle while having Saudi sponsorship in the stadium 😂😂😂
@saintmaximum1: Saudi money is ok for them though 🤦♂️ seen who their owners are and who they’re in bed with ffs
@bazbrown12345: If you want a demonstration of how badly sound travels in our ground, this is what the whole ‘Fuck the Saudis’ chant sounds like from the player’s tunnel. No wonder away fans can never hear a peep
@Stobert95: Crap fanbase is @CPFC! Any fans that take a drum to a game are pathetic. Jealousy is a cruel thing, they’d love to be richest club in the world and 3rd in the league @NUFC
@TurpinTweets: Lol. This is what it’s doing already. It’s weird. Need to remember how they felt midweek after that freekick. Give them 10 years. The lot of em. Stole 4 points off us this season. Robbery. Stunk the place out both times.
@garrypo57435032: Complete idiots, they have Saudi sponsors round there ground lol
Cough cough 👀 https://t.co/Q6u5ZtYuji
— leezjasp (@leezjasp) January 21, 2023
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