Finance guru baffled amid Boris Johnson’s alleged Newcastle United cover-up
We may never know the exact story of how Boris Johnson and the Cabinet Office handled the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s takeover of Newcastle United.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the controversial £305million buyout completed in October last year.
The Premier League green-lit the takeover after it was given legally binding assurances that there would be no state involvement in the running of the club.
But critics have scoffed at this stance and claim that the Magpies are effectively now a sportswashing vehicle for the despotic Saudi regime.
The Daily Mail reported last Saturday (21 May) that the Cabinet Office is now blocking the release of correspondence regarding the takeover between the Prime Minister and Ken Costa, former special advisor on Saudi affairs.
The newspaper has requested a review of Downing Street’s Freedom of Information ruling and have accused Number 10 of a cover-up.
Plumley admitted he is baffled as to what the correspondence might entail.
“Ultimately, we’ve got no idea what this is about,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Some things will never enter the public domain. Whether it’s in the public interest or not probably comes down to which club you support.
“If you’re a Newcastle fan, it’s probably not. But to fans of other clubs, it might be.
“The journalists involved are just doing their job. You can see where the narrative of the story is going, i.e back to the structure of the ownership.
“But I think it’s unlikely that they are going to get anywhere with this.”
Newcastle visited Saudi Arabia during the winter break in January.
They are also due to turn out next season in an away kit featuring a Saudi-inspired green and white colour scheme.
In other news, expert suggests Newcastle United could strike controversial commercial deal after transfer confession.