Report: Spurs among clubs most strongly opposed to Newcastle takeover

The Daily Mail have revealed that Tottenham Hotspur were among the clubs that opposed Newcastle United’s £305million Saudi-led takeover.

The report reveals that representatives from the 19 top-flight clubs other than Newcastle were part of a meeting this week in which the Premier League explained their decision to approve the takeover.

It is explained that the likes of Spurs, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal were the ones who objected most strongly to the takeover.

According to insiders, Spurs, United and Everton were the most vocal in the meeting and there was a belief among others that they were angered by the prospect of increased competition for Champions League places.

Additionally, some clubs were also thought to be concerned about the prospect of the Magpies now lining up a lucrative shirt sponsor to immediately boost their revenues, and therefore widening their scope for spending under FFP regulations.

The Premier League allegedly reiterated during the meeting that they had no option but to approve the takeover once they received legal assurances of separation between the Saudi state and the Public Investment Fund, who now own 80 per cent of Newcastle.

An unnamed executive from one club is quoted in the report as saying: “This is mainly an issue for the bigger clubs, although there are concerns over the immediate impact on the relegation battle.

“They are nervous that precious Champions League places have suddenly got harder to come by. A lot of the smaller clubs are pretty relaxed about it.”

Spurs Web Opinion

English footballing is now about which club has the richest owners than about competing with one’s own resources. FFP is simply not implementable in the way it was designed as there are simply too many legal loopholes (as we saw with the City case last year).

This stacks the cards against clubs like Spurs and Arsenal, who have competed fair and square by generating their own money. I, like many fans, am slowly but surely falling out of love with English football.

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Related Topics

Have something to tell us about this article? Let us know