EPL fans urged not mock new Arab owners

3 years ago 299

Newcastle United has issued a connection urging fans to refrain from wearing mock Arab covering oregon caput coverings pursuing the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover of the club.

Many supporters wore what appeared to beryllium towels oregon sheets connected the time the takeover was announced and subsequently astatine the Premier League lucifer against Tottenham astatine St. James' Park connected Sunday.

"A fig of supporters person precocious attended St. James' Park wearing associated caput coverings and robes," the connection read.

Newcastle United fans seen wearing a caput covering during the Premier League lucifer betwixt Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur astatine St. James Park connected October 17, 2021 successful Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) (Getty)

"No-one among the caller ownership radical was successful immoderate mode offended by the attire of the fans who chose to observe successful this way. It was a motion that was acknowledged arsenic affirmative and welcoming successful its intent. However, determination remains the anticipation that dressing this mode is culturally inappropriate and risks causing offence to others.

"All visitors to the nine are, arsenic always, encouraged to deterioration immoderate is the norm for their ain civilization oregon religion, continuing to bespeak the wide and affluent multicultural communities and groups from which the nine proudly draws its support."

The three-party consortium that purchased the nine includes the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), task superior and backstage equity institution PCP Capital Partners, and RB Sports and Media.

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There has been overmuch contention astir PIF's engagement successful the takeover, but the consortium was seemingly capable to successfully show that Saudi Arabia would not person power of the nine and could truthful walk the Premier League's owners' and directors' test.

PIF is simply a sovereign wealthiness money chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Its engagement successful the takeover of Newcastle has been a long-running saga successful English football, during which clip Saudi Arabia's quality rights record, including the execution of writer Jamal Khashoggi, has travel nether scrutiny.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 17: Newcastle United fans are seen during the Premier League lucifer betwixt Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur astatine St. James Park connected October 17, 2021 successful Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) (Getty)

At a proceeding connected Tuesday, Scottish National Part MP John Nicolson, who is portion of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, said his bosom went retired to Hatice Cengiz, fiancée of the precocious Saudi journalist, erstwhile helium saw the celebrations from immoderate Newcastle fans.

"I'm trying to ideate what it indispensable beryllium similar to beryllium Jamal Khashoggi's widow, erstwhile her hubby has been chopped up and murdered connected the instructions of the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and she sees numpties dancing astir successful cod-Arabic headdresses extracurricular Newcastle United," helium said.

"On a idiosyncratic ground for her, that indispensable beryllium heart-rending."

At the clip of the takeover, Cengiz tweeted: "It is truthful unspeakable to work that erstwhile again wealth has been much important than justice. What a shame and embarrassment for @NUFC. What a shame and embarrassment for @NUFC.

"I anticipation the fans and players of @NUFC volition clasp their owners to relationship and inquire them wherefore nary 1 knows wherever Jamal's assemblage is yet?"

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