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Simon Jordan risks his reputation with comments on Newcastle United takeover

4 years ago
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Simon Jordan has built up a formidable reputation when it comes to Newcastle United.

Recent years seeing him take up some ridiculous positions in defending his ‘friend’ Mike Ashley and attacking Newcastle fans.

Supporters seeing him as a real irritant in defending the indefensible.

However, Simon Jordan now finds himself in real danger of throwing away this carefully constructed reputation for talking nonsense about our football club.

As instead, the former Crystal Palace owner has become a real voice of reason when it comes to the Newcastle United takeover.

It is ironic that Simon Jordan has repeatedly used the emotion of Newcastle fans to build up his media profile and yet now, is the one who is taking all the emotion out of the issues, when discussing rationally the issues surrounding the takeover.

Jordan acknowledges the moral outrage regarding the Saudi regime, as well as the debate around TV piracy…BUT says that the actual reality is that: ‘I don’t have any anticipation that the Premier League will stop this acquisition.’

The bottom line once again is that the Premier League process is a legal checklist, not a moral one, or one depending on accusations…no matter how often they are repeated.

Simon Jordan has been a Premier League club owner and it is his area of expertise.

As he says, there may well be moves behind the scenes by the Premier League to use the Saudi PIF takeover of Newcastle United to help them in some way(s) help them tackle the piracy, or other issues, but that is far different from being something that would actually stop the takeover happening.

Simon Jordan speaking to Talksport:

“I’ve never thought that it [Newcastle takeover] wouldn’t [go through].

“The first challenge was the moral outrage about the regime and people within the confines of the Premier League were apparently objecting to it…and the proper persons test was being looked at.

“Then that moral outrage, given the fact that the government deals with the Saudi Arabian regime, is going to be difficult to impose upon.

“So the next one [challenge] is of course, a real legitimate situation, around the regime being involved in piracy.

“I believe it is going to be very, very, very difficult for the Premier League to stop this acquisition, this takeover.

“I think that right now they are getting their ducks in a line with the broadcasters and with finances and I think that given the nature of public scrutiny and people have a lot more time on their hands to really scrutinise this transaction…

“There are regimes that have bought football clubs that are equally as…maybe not equally as unpalatable as certain aspects of this regime but are also not the most ideal regimes.

“So I think Newcastle fans have the right to have the owners that they want.

“They want these owners and I think they will get them.

“And I don’t have any anticipation that the Premier League will stop this acquisition.

“They might use it as great leverage to see if they can find any mechanism to stop some of the piracy of their rights, that are being sold to one of their business partners, which is beIN, being hijacked and used for the benefit of BeoutQ, or Arabsat.”

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