Al-Sandcastle - the sportswashing barcodes

[Quicksand]

@Limiescouse

@Quicksand

City were a non entity until Abu Dhabi invested, and their growth was rapid enough.
Same with Roman Chelsea…

They were already a top half club and in the ascendency on the back of the spending already sanctioned by the former Thai PM. Kompany and SWP were already at the club prior to the sale. Same model just different scale and potential for longevity.

How is this group different than the one that owns Sheffield United?

Were they competing or near competing? No. They are successful because of Abu Dhabi.

I have no answer on Sheffield Utd

[Kopstar]

Takeover completed.

Premier League statement

[Klopptimist]

Watching Sky Sports News (not in the pub after a long day ahem) loving the fans celebrating. My god (take your pick) they must have hated Ashley.

Will it be a wash plant or serious challenge? We’ll see in January.

[Kopstar]

I worry that there’s just going to be no way we’ll be able to hold on to Origi now.

Presumably, though, we won’t take their money?

[Notasuperfan]

or we can always get Singapore’s GIC Pte Ltd and Temasek Holdings…

If my money is going to be used by my country’s government, I hope it goes to LFC!

[WeeJoe]

The way football’s going I’ll have fallen out of love with it before my son is old enough to enjoy it with

[Klopptimist]

Will keep our ticket prices down?

[Kopstar]

I’m curious. Those who say that they’d stop supporting football or following the club if we were taken over by Saudi Arabia, presumably you would be opposed to the club selling Newcastle any of our players?

If that happened, would you protest? How would you express your opposition? Because presumably you’d have to do so given your views.

[Mascot]

@Kopstar

Gotta say, I’d be welcoming it. We don’t have to imagine swapping places either, just rewind 11 years.

Yep. At the time I reconciled myself with the idea that if we ended up in that position, I’d need a new hobby.

I can’t reconcile enjoying football with the idea that my support was being used to massage the PR of a regime dripping in blood.

[Mascot]

@Kopstar

Takeover completed.
Premier League statement

It’s fucking absurd that the premier league were more concerned with them committing copyright infringement than they were their human rights record. That’s everything wrong with football.

[mattyhurst]

Maybe some people would just walk away…

I kind of did when WWE started these Crown Jewls events, I subscribed to watch WM and one SS since but I’ve not been the same fan.

Maybe it helps that product is being outshined by a competitor but it wasn’t the case for a while.

Maybe your different, as I said I’m not against a technological giant or someone taking us over I think there are deep ideological issues with this lot taking over.

You also have the flip side that they might put the bare minimum in, they have before. Let’s not pretend it’s good for football or those who suffer in the state of Saudi Arabia mind.

[Sithbare]

Point and laugh at you subscribing to wrestlemania

[GermanRed]

[Quicksand]

@Kopstar

I’m curious. Those who say that they’d stop supporting football or following the club if we were taken over by Saudi Arabia, presumably you would be opposed to the club selling Newcastle any of our players?

If that happened, would you protest? How would you express your opposition? Because presumably you’d have to do so given your views.

I am unsure to be honest.
But with this I think the fabric of the game is tearing asunder even more than already torn.
Now we have City and Newcastle owned by super rich oil states who both have serious questions on human rights.
Leaving out the moral questions which are serious in their own right, the question surrounding the non application of FFP means the playing pitch is further sloped in favour of dirty money.

If Liverpool were bought by such an organisation I would be hugely conflicted.
I can’t take the love affair off the table without serious pain, and my moral compass steers me away from such tainted money. Therein lies the dilemma.
In answer to your question
If Newcastle offer £20m for Divock Liverpool will take it. Will I like it? No.
Will that matter? Not a bit.

[Livvy]

Sky Sports News

[Kopstar]

Should the fans encourage Liverpool not to take Saudi money in those circumstances? Protest against our owners if they do? Ask that the club donate part of it to Amnesty International, Liberty, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, MENA, Civicus and others?

[Arminius]

I have to think this will have FSG thinking about the exit. One more infinite wallet player in the league makes a Top 4 spot that much more challenging. It might augur in a new era of spending where the Glazers start to feel threatened at ManU, but I think FSG will be looking at the competitive landscape of the next 5 years, the shortening list of enormous pools of wealth looking for sports-washing opportunities, and decide the time is right to head off into the sunset. It won’t be right away, as they will want to clear the decks of pandemic detritus, but a year from now might be the best chance they will ever have to sell.

[Kopstar]

@Arminius

the shortening list of enormous pools of wealth looking for sports-washing opportunities

Which morally questionable entity do they then sell our soul to?

[Noo_Noo]

Vladimir Putin knowing our luck.

One thing to bear in mind with Newcastle. They have fans. They might actually (if they aren’t already) laugh at City. Wonder how they feel over on Blue Moon over this?

[wyld.at.hrt]

@Kopstar

Should the fans encourage Liverpool not to take Saudi money in those circumstances?

As with any lout with ill gotten gains, fleece them for as much as possible and use it for something positive. Fuck them.