Dr Dan: Newcastle have a ‘huge issue’ after Government chief speaks out
Concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record are here to stay – and Newcastle United must find a way to manage them.
So says finance expert and new Football Insider columnist Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively about the Magpies’ new owners.
Human rights activists are concerned that the Saudi state is using Newcastle for soft power and to legitimise their totalitarian regime.
But as quoted by The Guardian on 13 November, the UK Government’s special envoy to Saudi Arabia Ken Costa said critics’ misgivings were “just noise”.
Plumley, however, claims that the decision-makers at St James’ Park will need to develop a strategy to combat the negative press.
“There’s a wider political side to this away from football,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams.
“This will not go away any time soon. It is a huge issue that I think will always be in the background. The club is just going to have to manage that.
“They have just become the richest club on the planet and other clubs are going to be jealous of that, irrespective of where the money has come from.
“It was the same with Man City in 2008 and Chelsea in 2003. There is no doubt that their ability on a financial scale dwarfs pretty much every other club.
“From a sporting perspective, other clubs aren’t going to be happy if they begin to challenge the established elite in the Premier League.”
In other news, Kevin Phillips claims two fringe Newcastle United players set for “huge” roles under Howe.