Kieran Maguire explains Staveley and Ashley tactics after official Newcastle takeover statement

Mike Ashley is a "hypocrite" for demanding more transparency in arbitration proceedings surrounding a Newcastle United takeover.

That is according to finance guru and Football Insider columnist Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively after Newcastle released an official statement on 1st July.

Citing the need for "transparency and fairness in football governance", the club called call for the arbitration settlement with the Premier League to be made public.

Amanda Staveley, a key powerbroker in the PiF-led consortium attempting to broker a takeover, has also been vocal in asking for transparency.

Newcastle are confident the deal can be pushed through once arbitration proceedings are complete this month, as revealed by this site on 3rd June.

Maguire explained the motives behind Newcastle's transparency request before blasting Ashley for his hypocrisy.

"It shouldn't make any difference on the case itself, in theory," he told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams.

"The people making the final decision are legal professionals and you'd expect them to be objective.

"But what I think Staveley and Ashley are trying to do is get populist support. They hope that this will mean the pressure's on the people making that final decision.

"They'll know that every word and every utterance is going to be scrutinised by Newcastle's fanbase.

"Mike Ashley is a hypocrite because Newcastle are the only club in the Premier league not to publish anything to do with their accounts. That doesn't exactly scream transparency."

Newcastle recently pushed back their accounting period to cover the period up to the 31st July rather than 30th June as originally billed.

Maguire told Football Insider on 4th July that this was further evidence of Ashley's "contempt" for the fans.

In other news, Newcastle United tie star down to bumper new six-year contract.