In this article, we look at what Amanda Staveley’s plans, Mike Ashley’s admission and Alan Shearer’s concerns on the Newcastle takeover.
The takeover sees Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) take controlling 80-per-cent stake and end Mike Ashley’s controversial 14-year ownership of the club.
Manager Steve Bruce is expected to be replaced with Newcastle next in Premier League action against Tottenham on the 17th of October – which is also live on Sky Sports.
The scenes outside St James Park as Newcastle fans celebrated the clubs takeover well in to the night ⚫️ ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/YZUTlax3Tv
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 8, 2021
AMANDA STAVELEY INTERVIEW
Staveley has revealed that the new owners have already spoken with Bruce about the takeover and they are set to have a formal conversation with the Newcastle boss in the coming days.
“I did speak to the manager, said hello and introduced ourselves,” Staveley told Sky Sports News. “We look forward to speaking to him over the next few days.
“There’s an international break now, everyone is just relieved at getting some rest before the Tottenham game.
“We’re very supportive of Steve, we’ve spoken to him and what we won’t do is talk about him or players, we’re going to do a review of football operations, commercial side of the club, we’ll come back and make some decisions.
“I’m not able to talk about anything as to players or managers at this stage.”
Here’s a full transcript of everything Staveley said to Sky Sports News on Thursday:
First interaction with the club
“We’ve taken time to get here. The first game I came to was Liverpool vs Newcastle. It took me half an hour and I was in love with the city, the club and the amazing fans.
“Today has been extraordinary.”
On the fans
“First of all we’d like to thank the incredible fans, we wouldn’t be here without them. We want to be great custodians of this club., We take our role seriously, We don’t want to over-promise.
“I’ve seen people coming in and saying they’re going to do… but we want to invest in this club at every level.
“This club is at the heart of the community.
“It’s so touching to be able to talk about this openly.
“I’d like to thank the Premier League and Mike for getting us there.”
On the Premier League
“We’re proud to be part of the Premier League. It’s an incredibly competitive league which we love, Premier League football is the best in the world.
“Newcastle United is the best team in the world, we want to win trophies, top of the Premier League and in Europe. But trophies need investment, time, we want people to work with us to get to where the club needs to be.”
On player signings
“Obviously we’ve just come here, we’ve got a great squad, we’re really proud, I had a great chat with Jamal, we’re really excited about strengthening the squad.
“We have to work with FFP and make sure this is done over a long term.
“You can be assured we want to invest at every level.
“We want to get the best squad we possibly can.
“Everyone talks about big names, but actually what you need is a team that works together, that’s just as important.”
Club’s current position
“Relegation is a real big issue at the moment, performances could do with some improvement. “But we’ve got a great squad. This squad shouldn’t be in 19th position, it shouldn’t.
“With some fair wind and hard work, we’ll get there.
“What I can say about PCP is that I have brave and patient investors alongside me, you have to be patient to take on this challenge. They know how important the club is to this community.
“I was brought up locally, not in Newcastle but I’m a Yorkshire girl so I’m here quite a lot anyway. “I have a business in the Middle East, but we will be here all the time.”
On beIN breakthrough
“I think, the Premier League have made clear their statement today, they’ve issued a statement and it’s clear that the issue was about control. The issue around control has been closed, we’re moving forward.
“We’re delighted with other announcements, but I wasn’t aware of the beIN announcement when it came out.”
Human rights
“Well, the consortium lead partner is PIF, it’s an autonomous commercially driven investment fund, it’s a great partner, I’m very honoured to work with them. They’ve been patient, they’re great partners.
“I knew there was only one partner for Newcastle, you needed someone with patient capital, who can be there on good days and sometimes when the rain falls.
“I do hear… we want all fans to talk to us. Anyone with any issues, come and talk to us and we’ll tell them our plans and introduce them to the PIF team.”
First steps
“Tonight I’m going to sleep, I haven’t slept for a long time. I might have a little drink as well.
“I’ll speak to my son, he’s only 6 but he got into his school team at 6, so he’ll be proud of me and I’m proud of him.”
Long-term goal
“We want Newcastle to be top of the Premier League, and we want to get there. It’ll take time, but it’ll get there.”
“Newcastle United deserves to be top of the Premier League – it will take time but we will get there” 🏆
Amanda Staveley outlines the vision for #NUFC in the next 5-10 years 😮
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 7, 2021
MIKE ASHLEY INTERVIEW
He told the Sun: “I would like it to be known that I received a higher offer for the club than the one that I accepted.
“It was from another reputable bidder, who made a credible case.
“But I felt the bid that we accepted from the current new owners would deliver the best for Newcastle United.
“Money wasn’t my only consideration. There were times when I stepped in financially to keep Newcastle United afloat.
“We ensured the wage bills were paid when we went down in order that we could bounce straight back up.
“Nobody was happier than me when we achieved immediate promotion.”
ALAN SHEARER INTERVIEW
How are you? This is finally happening Alan
“I tweeted maybe a couple of hours ago when the deal was done we can dare to hope again.
“That’s exactly what it is because all we’ve done is tick along and survive for 14 years. We’ve had no real ambition other than to survive, cup competitions have just been non-existent for Newcastle United.
“This city, this football club and particularly our fans deserve better because they’re so loyal, they love their football club and their life is Newcastle United.
“It all depends on whether Newcastle United win on a Saturday, that means fans will have a good week. They work hard all week and spend their money to have a good time, and having a good time is spending money on Newcastle United.
“I understand totally why there is so much happiness in the city today and I’m exactly the same.
“I understand also that questions have to be asked with the human rights issues, it’s really important we don’t brush it under the carpet. We have to educate ourselves and this I think this will only highlight it even more.
“Our fans need to know they matter. For 14 years, they haven’t and that’s why it’s such a special day for them today.
As far as Saudi ownership goes, how comfortable are you with it?
“It should not be swept under the carpet, we have to talk about it. You can not ignore it, but already the Saudis are massively invested in this country and hugely invested into other sports.
“Our government is heavily invested with the Saudis so I think it is a huge issue. But I think we have to highlight with Newcastle fans that this is not their fault, they don’t get a say in who runs their football club.
“Their football club hasn’t been run very well at all for the last 14 years, so I totally understand mine and particularly their excitement.”
You tweeted we can dare to hope again. So what is the dream for you?
“The dream is that we have an owner that wants to try and give us a little bit of hope. There is this assumption about Newcastle fans that they are demanding and want too much.
“There isn’t, they just want a little bit of hope and excitement. They want to know they are going into a season trying – not just trying to survive, but trying to achieve what their football club can be.
“There is no harm in that, and I really understand our excitement because of that.”
We know Newcastle fans are both celebrating new ownership and the end of a regime that many of them were frustrated by long ago.
“I think that’s being polite using the word frustrated! The Newcastle fans haven’t mattered for 14 years, they’ve not been consulted, their money spent hasn’t been invested.
“I think I saw today Mike Ashley had a net spend of around £130m over his 14 years.
“My maths isn’t great but that’s around £10m per year, and to have a football club that has that passionate support, 52,000 almost guaranteed week in week out, then that’s not a huge investment at all.
“We’re now going to have owners that will invest and listen to the fans, and that’s all our fans have asked for.”
Do you hope there is also investment off the pitch?
“When you come to St James’ Park, you’re seeing a tired old stadium that needs a bit of love. If you ever go to the training ground, it has had a lick of paint in the last 20 years or so.
“It’s a million miles behind what it should be in terms of other Premier League clubs. So they can invest in the ground, the training ground, they can invest in the city and I know people will say I’m biased but this city needs it, it needs a little bit of hope and excitement.
“If they do exactly what they say they’re going to do, it will be all the better for it.”
Patience is lot to ask for when there’s so much excitement, but it might need a little bit?
“Yeah, that’s fine. We don’t expect to be winning the league in the next three years, or winning the Champions League. We just expect a little bit of hope, give us something to look forward to, a bit of excitement.
“These fans deserve that, they are such loyal and passionate supporters. They’ve been on the brink.
“We were lucky to go all the way, we’ve played in the Champions League and got so close to winning the Premier League. This place was buzzing, it was happy, it was thriving, it was the place to be.
“There hasn’t been any of that for 14 years. If any fans deserve a little bit of luck, it’s the Newcastle fans.”
Fans reacted to all things Newcastle takeover – Staveley’s plans, Ashley’s admission and Shearer’s concerns…
@pauljb123: “Deserve” Newcastle don’t deserve a damn thing just like every other club. You earn it, that’s it.
@Willy_Turner: Fucking winds me up statements like these, why do they deserve to be top of the Premier League? For what reason? They deserve the position they are in the table because they’ve earnt the points they have
@Redsmail: Deserves? On what basis. That’s pathetic. You deserve to be top of the league if and only if they have more points than any other team.
@JAMESFF9: Haven’t been top of the English top flight after a season since 1927. Haven’t won a trophy since 1959. So why do they deserve it?
@TransferChecker: Amanda Staveley’s suggestion that “Newcastle deserve to be top of the Premier League” is snobbery of the highest level. No club ‘deserves’ to win anything. Especially a club that hasn’t won a league title since 1927. You earn trophies by merit. That’s the whole point.
@Thenewmatthew: Bruce is due 8 mil in compo? What crazy world are we living in? I know money isn’t an issue but that man isn’t even worth a fraction of that. He didn’t even do the job! We could’ve throw a coin in a crowded street and anyone it hit would’ve been a better manager than him!
@tfandy1892: Perfect time to peddle Bruce. International break. Bruce without a win all season. Exploit feel good factor.
@Mr_Dolf: Ambassadorial roles bollocks: Shearer needs his statue moved to the actual ground, the bar renamed Shearers and KK needs a stand named after him and an actual role in the running of the club. Also need something immediately for @elgalgojonas and Chris Hughton #NUFC #NUFCTakeover
@NUFCLC: I love her already ❤️❤️ Wor Mandy ⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️ #NUFC
@Brady1892: He’s had over 2 years and 120m to show us what he can do, which to be honest is pretty much nothing. He even needed a new bloody coach to sort out tactics, enough is enough I’m afraid. New start, fresh ideas from management and a whole club behind the new man, time’s up Brucey.
Amanda Staveley arriving at St James Park pic.twitter.com/p8Xxo9nhfd
— EnGee (@_EnGee) October 7, 2021
Who the fuck is Dan Neil?
— Lewis Mishner (@LewisMishner_) October 7, 2021
admin buzzing hes off Mike Ashley’s minimum pay and now he’s getting millions
— george (@StokeyyG2) October 7, 2021
Manchester City ‘fans’ migrating from Manchester to Newcastle: pic.twitter.com/o7lzn9jUsG
— Narek #EdenSZN (@Narek_RMA1) October 7, 2021
Newcastle owners have shares in Facebook and BP too. Meaning everytime a Sunderland fan scrolls though Facebook or fills their care up they’re funding their rivals.
Brilliant 😂#NUFCTakeover #NUFC
— WBA Rainbow Stand 🅙 (@TheRainbowStand) October 7, 2021
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