So. After 17 weeks of fans being left in the dark, Amanda Stavely's Saudi backed consortium reportedly pulled their £350 million bid to buy Newcastle United from owner Mike Ashley, which would've ended his thirteen year tenure as owner of the club.
The Saudi backed consortium reportedly spent three years researching the history of the club, alongside looking at where and how to invest into the surrounding areas of the city itself. However, despite pulling their bid, it has further been reported that all parties, buying and selling, are still communicating and trying to find a resolution which would result in the consortium taking full control of the club.
However, sadly the heartbreak that was felt by the whole of the fan base, and a lot of the city itself, has become a staple of the Ashley era, which for me as an 18 year old, is all I have of memories whilst supporting the club, with the only vague success coming in a 5th place finish, followed by a lengthy Europa League campaign the following season.
Two relegation seasons, an average premier league final standing position of 12th, and countless woeful cup campaigns, it is fair to say Mike Ashley has taken the club from one of the biggest in England, fighting for titles under Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson, to mid table mediocrity, and often taking it to the final day to need to stay in the league.
And for the 17 weeks the Premier League were conducting their 'Owners and Directors test' us fans were allowed to dream of finally being able to go back to the days of the famous 'entertainers' and competing with the best teams in England year in year out. Only for those dreams to be ripped away from us by a mixture of Premier League incompetence and possible naivety of the buying party.
The Premier League offered a no-nonsense approach and a robust 'no comment' response when asked questions about their 'Owners and Directors test', and were set to keep this up, however after extensive and consistent fan pressure, asked for by Amanda Stavely herself, a petition signed by over 100,000 people, and letters from over 30 MP's and the Prime Minister, the Independent Football Ombudsman 'advised' the Premier League to comment, in which they did through a letter sent in reply to MP Chi Onwurah. Although, again the Premier League did not give us fans what we wanted, as Onwurah stated in a tweet saying how 'It acknowledges importance of fans and provides some new info but not the reassurance or transparency I know the fans want'.
As well as this, the Premier League placed the blame at the door of the consortium, and took no blame or acknowledgement of the 17 weeks that the fans had been kept in the dark, and the club in limbo for.
'Wor Flags' have recently created a strongly opinionated flag which encapsulates the feelings of the large majority of fans down into one damning image (pictured below). However despite this, it would appear that the consortium are now the ones with the details they need and knowledge of what they need to change in order for them to be considered 'Fit and Proper owners' of the club, with their intent and passion to buy the club to be seen in the coming weeks.
If they come back and answer the questions of the Premier League then us fans can believe their serious nature and passion about owning the club, however if they do not make any further updates and changes from here, then rightly so in my opinion, they may come under some scrutiny from many fans and pundits for not having a response to the questions.
But, the most sickening aspect of the collapsed takeover is the view that the Saudi backed consortium were prepared to spend over £600 million into the city of Newcastle, with this already being displayed by the Reuben brothers, who were set to have a 10% stake in the club, as while the takeover saga was unfolding donated £36,000 into the 'NUFC fans food bank'.
The fact that the Premier League did not take this into account, alongside the thousands of new jobs that would have arisen around the area, which were especially needed after the impact that COVID-19 has had on the economy and livelihood of many people gives further reason to sicken and aggravate not only fans of the club, but also the population of the city as a whole.
Although as shown, the spirit and unity of the Newcastle fans has not been, and will not be broken. And as usual, we will come through this as a stronger community either still in the dull, lifeless ownership of Mike Ashley or, deservedly for the fans, having hope and life back into the club and city as a whole. And although the 13 years of Ashley have been nothing but backwards steps for the club year after year, as Kevin Keegan said, 'One day you will get your club back, and it will be everything you wanted it to be'. Lets just hope it isn't another 13 years!