Newcastle fans react to Garry Kasparov’s letter to the Premier League

Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov

Chess grandmaster and chairman of Human rights foundation, Garry Kasparov, has written a letter to the Premier League CEO Richard Masters asking for Newcastle not to be sold to Saudi Arabia.

The potential Newcastle United owners – Amanda Staveley’s consortium — comprising her company PCP Capital Partners (10 per cent), the billionaire Reuben brothers (10 per cent) and the 80 per cent majority stakeholding of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) – have submitted all their paperwork and it is pending approval from the Premier League.

According to reports from the Independent, the takeover is expected to be completed and formally announced by 1 May. The potential owners have already agreed to buy Newcastle from Mike Ashley for a fee of £300m.

However, they are facing objections from all corners, with issues relating to human rights and broadcasting being major causes for concern.

Kasparov has suggested that the takeover should not be handed over to brutal dictatorship. Many Newcastle fans have taken to social networking site Twitter to express their reaction. Here are some of the selected tweets:

https://twitter.com/ToonBarmy59/status/1253712927338704901?s=20

https://twitter.com/outofnufc/status/1253719569614635009?s=20

According to Rob Harris of the AP, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has declined to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, Fair/Square media have expressed their opposition to the Newcastle takeover deal in a letter to the Premier League and their proposal of a private briefing with the FA on the issue puts further pressure on the Premier League over the takeover, after a similar letter from Amnesty International, and a complaint from Bein Sports over broadcasting rights were received.

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