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Arsenal fan from a non football board I frequent posted this from Arseblog. Refreshingly even handed Newcastle fans are excited, and why wouldn’t they be? They hate Mike Ashley, so the fact he’s going to be gone, and replaced by a group that is richer than Croesus to boot, must be very welcome. I reckon Satan himself could rock up to St James’ Park and would be given a warm welcome simply because he is not Mike Ashley. Intense dislike of one thing makes any kind of alternative seem welcome. I’ve read the articles about sports washing, and honestly one of the most disheartening things about football these days is that the genie is so far out of the bottle this kind of takeover is inevitable. I just think it’s a shame that the people who run the game have allowed this landscape to develop, and that fans who want their teams to be competitive basically have to hope and pray that they are taken over by a billionaire, an oligarch, or a nation state. It’s actually depressing. Instead of putting in place some measures which at least try and maintain some measure of financial equanimity – something with more teeth than FFP – they have pandered to the people with money who now ride roughshod over almost every aspect of the game. Broadcasting behemoths call the shots at the expense of fans; rich owners distort the transfer market; players and agents capitalise with lucrative contracts and wages; advertisers and marketers piggyback; gambling firms leech off punters with intense adverting campaigns, and we’re now seeing the rise of unregulated cryptocurrency makers using football as a way to sell their essentially worthless $h1tcoin to fans as they dress it up as some way of having influence. Ugh. This isn’t to be critical of Newcastle fans by the way. How can any Arsenal fan take the moral high ground on their takeover when you look at our club? Our owner is a billionaire who is tied to the Walton family (Walmart) whose influence on American life via its work practices, anti-union stance, working conditions, and lots more have been under constant scrutiny for years. Read here. He’s currently engaged in a lawsuit with the city of St Louis over the move of the Rams to LA. One of his companies broadcast a trophy hunting TV channel where big brave men shot defenceless animals with high powered rifles for ‘sport’. He makes people homeless. And that’s just the tip of the Kroenke real-estate/tax breaks iceberg. Our stadium and shirt sponsor is Emirates Airlines, a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which itself is a subsidiary of the Dubai government’s investment company, Investment Corporation of Dubai. Homosexuality is illegal in Dubai. I love when Arsenal support the Rainbow Laces campaign; I love when the club offers support to LGBT+ groups, because I believe everyone should be allowed be who they are without fear or recrimination, and I think Arsenal do amazing work to help slowly break down barriers and ‘normalise’ things for some of our fans (and beyond). But how to do you marry that with our sponsors? I think they call it cognitive dissonance. Our sleeve sponsor is ‘Visit Rwanda’. If you have the time or the inclination, this video from Channel 4 news is well worth a watch. It features the daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, subject of the Hotel Rwanda film, reacting to her father’s 25 year jail sentence last month after a trial ‘riddled with irregularities and evidence of political interference’ according to Human Rights Watch. Rwandan president Paul Kagame is an Arsenal fan, hence the connection, and he recently made some pointed comments about our start to the season. Paul Kagame ‘long ago quashed any semblance of democracy in Rwanda, and is regularly returned to power with over 90% of the vote. Opponents abroad have been shot or strangled to death. None of these murders has been pinned directly on Mr Kagame’s intelligence services, but the president has openly said that the victims got what they deserved’ [source]. He squashes dissent from media/journalists, Reporters Without Borders say: RPF (Kagame’s party) has recorded the killings or disappearances of eight journalists, and the convictions of a dozen journalists sentenced to lengthy prison terms. In addition, about 30 journalists were forced into exile. It’s only journalists though, don’t worry about them. I guess he might get along with the new Newcastle owners at the Premier League elites mixer, perhaps taking some tips in how to chop up a journalist who asks the wrong questions. Watch out if your enquiry about the tactical shift under whoever the new Toon boss is doesn’t go down well. So look, if you have concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia, that’s a perfectly normal position to take, and it’s certainly much more than a ‘comms issue‘ but I don’t think blame or scrutiny should be attached to Newcastle fans for welcoming a new owner. Why should they be held to higher standards than anyone else? Think pieces about sports-washing and all those nefarious associations need to focus on how and why we’ve got to a point where these kinds of owners are being solicited and welcomed. Obviously it’s not just Arsenal, but see how much cognitive dissonance we have to apply – and we’re not really seen as one of the truly ‘bad guys’. Look at Chelsea. Look at Man City. Look at PSG. Look at all the sponsors and advertisers. Look at how money has corrupted the very essence of the sport. It seems a little bit much to start throwing toys out of the pram now because Newcastle’s owners don’t stand up to moral scrutiny because that has been the case for a long time now in the Premier League. Fit and proper and all that. Maybe the Newcastle thing is the straw that broke the camel’s back for some people – although some might argue it’s a case that those at the top don’t want another team to compete with due to their upcoming financial strength – but nobody stopped to notice the camel has been dead for a long, long time

😂

lol I forgot Holt existed, he blocked me on twitter years ago when I think I called him an "Alice-band bellend"

Clearing his desk. Where's that jail picture superimposed on Buckingham palace? Downing Street or on the union jack? Or superimposed on the stars and Stripes or the Israeli flag? Or Chinese? Regional prejudice at work yet again, it's been happening for years and not just restricted to this takeover news. Fuck'em.

See also

Aye it’s a weird angle of theirs, they never stop to think what they would think if a Sheffield United fan came up to them rambling on about how Sheffield Wednesday fans are all deluded pricks and doesn’t everyone just absolutely fucking hate Wednesday fans, but definitely loves Sheffield United fans as they’re all so cool and classy, unlike those Sheffield Wednesday fans who definitely aren’t cool and classy. Their stories are fucking bonkers too, it’s always shite like “I was in a bar in Rome and these three Italian lads, real classy types in suits with jobs and stuff, were just talking about how much they hate the mags and about how the mags have absolutely zeeeero class. Weeeyuh when I telt them I was a massive lads fan they gave iz a wink rolled up their sleeves and had massive sunlan tattoos next to crests of Roma, Lazio, and Juve with big hearts everywhere. It’s almost unbelievable I said that in this random bar in a random location in the world I find three fans of Lazio, Roma, and Juve and they all hate the mags but are MLFs!”. They all then lap it up without anyone going erm seems a bit made up.

I was all in favour of it But now he is gone it's not needed

All that’s very well mate but Caulkin is 100% a Newcastle United supporter. So are a fair few other NE journos who’ve expressed misgivings. … that powerful people don’t like competition isn’t exactly news either. The Saudis and the Qataris are sports washing, that’s literally what they’re doing . Caulkin doesn’t have an agenda and he’s not as “disgusting “as those who cut a journalist to death with bone saws whilst still alive, dissolved the corpse in acid and then dumped what was left in trash bags on some wasteland., or the individual who ordered it. That’s not being racist, they are the facts of the matter. I’m speaking only on behalf of myself here, not this board. I’m a ST holder and will continue to go to games but I’d advise you to lay off the Morrocan woodbines tbh, that shit isn’t showing you in the best light …

He gets in after listening to the Smiths on his walk to the studio, flops down in a chair and goes “ugggh they just don’t get it Martin” “you’re so brave and smart Ollie” “someone has to hold a mirror up to society, I guess it just has to be me”. FWIW no problem at all with articles directed at the House of Saud, or ones discussing the deeper issues that this lot buying NUFC is the pinnacle of. My issue stems from the people acting like this has come out of the blue and we’ve went from some amazing, accepting and peaceful society and league to one that suddenly accepts blood money, or as ones like Holt have done just attack fans that show any level of excitement towards any of this. If Holt is a Man City fan he’s having a fucking laugh having a go at any Newcastle fans mind.

Might've are something that disagreed with him

Even Gaz Top from How 2 would have done a better job

We need someone who can unite the club and city, not bitch about Fat Janice filling her fucking maw with crisps and pie.

I would google about Caulkin again tbh

I guess we know where you're going for tea. Take the family, make a night of it.

🎵And al shit in the cheap seats In wa villages an towans Al be in division three Theyal be champions leyague Theyal ask me how it happened? Al say 'six in a row FTM' Theyal say isn't it a pity That false....mackem.... dig-na-tey. 🎶

Weird that there's no mention of Wraith there. She must just have forgotten.

"Do you need a pillow or two? What time do you want your scran?" Just the lobster tails or would you like the blinis and smoked roe from sturgeon.

I’m going to cry like a baby if they somehow get Keegan back involved with the club. I was a little choked this morning when I saw the video tweet from the club, then our lass showed me a Facebook post from Kath the tea lady’s niece. Basically saying how she would have loved what’s happening and included loads of retirement tributes she got from KK, Arsene and loads loads more. Daft I know, but in a way she seemed to epitomise (that took some spelling ) everything good about the “club”.

Always lurking here. Found my 93-94 shirt the day before the take over.

He would be an excellent choice either as manager or director of football.

Joined the forum yesterday....

Deacon Blue Pop?

Bringing Keegan out next Sunday would get the place jumping

Can't believe I'm still sat waiting to hear from Gutierrez. I went for a run then had two cans last night and I've got a ten can hangover* *estimated. I haven't drank 10 cans in one go since my teens.

And Murdoch who billions of Saudi money in Fox. It’s all jealous bollocks and no doubt more of the same shite in the Sundays tomorrow. Come and have a word with us when you’ve finished with every other investment they have in the UK. Til then, fuck all of them, twice.

Yep, that's hard to look at. Then again, the Times is owned by Murdoch who, as i recall supported the Iraq war. 460,000 deaths followed that. It's very sad that our society permits this, but on the other hand, this is the society we choose to have. If there's blood on our hands, there's blood on everyone's. I vote against this shit every time I get the chance. Does Murdoch? Does he fuck.

Aye exactly, they’re doing their typical thing of making stuff up then deciding it’s 100% fact and then saying that when this made up thing (that they’re now sure will happen) happens then it will be hilarious. They all seem to keep stating that Staveley is a fraud despite the fact this is a woman that has forged an incredibly successful career for herself in the Middle East, clearly is respected there, has brokered other deals in the past, and has a pretty public record of success, meanwhile their owner is a 22 year old trust fund kid who has done pretty much nothing with his life besides fail out of Uni and live off mammy and daddy’s money, they are of course completely convinced she’s the fraud and he’s the brilliant professional one . I’m also massively enjoying the whole “deluded geordies are fawning over every word and believing their lies it’ll be hilarious when it goes tits up” remind me on which fan base was it that gleefully performed manual labour for free for a complete Billy bullshitter owner that literally anyone with half a brain could see was a chancing prick? The only deluded people in this situation are the ones dreaming up that the Sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia are chancers and it’ll all go tits up. They can keep deluding themselves but it’s just going to hit them all harder when they realize it won’t go the way they’re hoping.

First and foremost we need to get our current players winning games. The whole league will be crossing their fingers that we get relegated and we've suddenly become everyone's cup final again. And until January we are stuck with Hendrick and Joelinton et al! We need a new manager bounce and we've already played most of our easy games for the first half of the season. Bruce's fucking legacy

Probably because their 19 year old owner got his PIN taken away by mummy

Listen, I'll slag Edwards and Taylor off all day long, but I can't go swinging at the top dog of NE journalism.

ahem

Glad you didn't post the full length photo where you can see he's pulling his strides down taking a nervous shit.

I'm up for giving Wykiki a shot tbf

Names already starting to be linked. Tarkovski is a good shout and better than what we've got. Eric Bailly, not so much! We could do without looking solely at cast off's from the top 6. We did that years ago with Parker, Duff, Geremi, Butt, Owen etc and it got us relegated

A small cog. To be fair, I wish I had a smidgen of this fucka's mammoth confidence in himself.

Apart from what this means for the club, I can't wait until Ant and Dec do a It's a knockabout revival live from Riyadh.

If any of the Yemenis tried to seek asylum here, a sizeable number of their fans would soon show their true colours

That was basically it. I dunno what I was expecting, it's not like he was gonna turn up with Staveley's knickers in his back pocket and the inside track on the next manager, but the first question was showing him the goal v West Ham and asking how it felt to score given the circumstances. Sort it out Graves.

Get him doing the David Brent dance in the centre circle.

Better not be Warren Barton.

The world: Today on 9/11, we remember those that were lost. #NeverForget. And let's hope that something that bad never happens again. Ollie Holt: Hold my beer.

I see it’s as believable as ever.

To give him his dues he knew his London pubs.

Finally took a quick look over on ready to groom to see how our little inbred neighbors were doing and: The delusion of them man , they’ve now all seemingly decided it’s all going to be a complete flop. One citing that football has moved on since 2004 and 2008 so throwing money about won’t work, I guess he’s forgetting the PSG acquisition and their rise to the top, regardless this lot will be successful that’s exactly why the “big 6” are up in arms about it, this isn’t some rich bloke with no football knowledge who will throw money around for a few windows and get fed up when it doesn’t work ffs. One of them even equated it to Ellis Short ffs Never change you pack of fucking tramps, I’m going to enjoy every fucking minute of this.