NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing: United with Newcastle

Newcastle United guest writer John Hird talks sportswashing, the new Football Regulator and our clubs' geopolitical ties.

Words: John Hird, NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing

Sheffield United fans will have observed the controversial Saudi takeover of Newcastle United. Months after the event it was revealed that Boris Johnson secretly pressurised the Premier League on behalf of Mohammed Bin Salman to allow the Saudi state to buy Newcastle United.

The ‘legally binding assurances’ that the 80 per cent owners, the Saudi wealth fund (PIF), are independent of the Saudi regime have been seen not to be worth the paper they were written on as the regime rebrands the club as a Saudi propaganda tool with Saudi strips, sponsors and last September three Saudi internationals at St James’ Park, which NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing protested at.      

It is speculated that the creation of the new Independent Football Regulator is expected to see Newcastle United's ownership placed under fresh scrutiny. Under the new laws, clubs will have to obtain a license to operate and that will only be granted when they have proved the identity of their ultimate owner. The important point is that it will apply to existing as well as prospective owners.

Those famous ‘assurances’ seem certain to be re-examined when the new independent regulator is in position, especially as no-one connected with the club or the PIF bothers to pretend anymore that it is not the Saudi regime which really owns the club.

The government claims the sustainability of the football pyramid will be addressed but it says nothing about the nation-state ownership of clubs like Newcastle United and Manchester City, which really do threaten the future of football. Nation-state ownership, if allowed to continue, brings closer the prospect of multi-club ownership dominating the game and has serious ramifications for the competitive integrity of the game. 

Sheffield United are owned by Saudi Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Al Saud who is heavily involved in the multi-club ownership model which has a financially destabilising impact; and the use of clubs as branding vehicles for abusive states, known as sportswashing, is not good for the game or indeed the regions where the clubs are based.

Geopolitical Premier League

There is also the question of the geopolitical rivalries between the states which own two of our historic football clubs. Fans are supporting clubs competing in a league where tensions between foreign states have the potential to overshadow the competition. Our game is at risk of becoming inextricably entwined with the foreign policy of the UK, which has very substantial political, economic and security interests in the Gulf region.

The proposed bill and legislation should be a moment of reflection for fans of all clubs. NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing in partnership with FairSquare and ALQST for Human Rights, has urged the UK government, in a letter sent on 9 April 2024, to remove a clause from its Football Governance Bill that could have the effect of increasing state ownership of English football clubs. 

Only two Premier League clubs are owned by nation states at the moment. Apart from having owners who commit gross human rights abuses, the corrupt practices of these dictatorships could be the beginning of the end for football, if allowed to continue. It is creating a financial imbalance. Nation states have bottomless pockets. 

Manchester City are still facing 115 charges of alleged rule-breaking from the Premier League, ranging from assisting league investigations, profitability and sustainability, to manager remuneration and accuracy of financial information. 

So, while Sheffield United fans can say their club is not being used directly and so blatantly by the Saudi state, as our club is, having an important and key regime figure in Saudi sport as the owner does raise questions. 

An influential player

But Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz al Saud really is an influential man. 

According to senior analyst Stanis Elsborg from Play the Game who has researched the power players in Saudi Arabia's sports strategy, the prince played a crucial role in the early involvement of the Saudi government in the sports world, serving as the president of Saudi Arabia's General Sports Authority, the predecessor to the later Ministry of Sports. 

In 2014, Prince Abdullah became Minister of Sports in Saudi Arabia and at the same time head of the Saudi Olympic Committee. He held these positions until 2017.

"While his current role may not encompass high-level functions within the regime, it is essential to remember that he is, after all, a member of the royal family and remains actively engaged in the sporting world, as evidenced by his ownership of Sheffield United," says Elsborg.

Being a former minister in Saudi Arabia carries significant influence, and with his network in the UK, Elsborg believes that Prince Abdullah can be an extremely important asset to the Saudi regime.

"In recent years, the regime has expanded its diplomatic and business ties to the UK, and the connection has been strengthened further by the Saudi state ownership of Newcastle United. They have numerous strings to pull and an expansive web of connections, making them the most powerful emerging player in world sport," adds Elsborg. 

Today Prince Abdullah is a multi-owner of football clubs in several countries and in several parts of the world and is involved in the operation of the clubs Beerschot VA (Belgium), Al-Hilal United (United Arab Emirates), LB Châteauroux (France), Kerala football team (India), and Sheffield United (England).

As well as the human rights implications of having a Saudi regime figure owning Sheffield United, fans of the club, like all football fans, should consider the impact on the future of the game if the multi-club ownership model is allowed to spread.

Human rights forum in Newcastle    

NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing are holding a Newcastle Human Rights / Sportswashing Forum today (7-9pm) in the city, and we invite participants who want to discuss the effect the Saudi state takeover of the club has had on press coverage of the issues and on local democracy. We’d also like to invite Sheffield United fans who are in the city to give their perspective regarding the links their owner has with the Saudi regime.

Speakers include: Ian Hodson, President of the Baker’s Union, and Andrew Feinstein, writer, campaigner and ex-ANC MP who wrote The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade. There will also be NUFC fans, local human rights campaigners and a Saudi human rights speaker.

Newcastle vs Sheffield United, April 27th

On Saturday, April 27th Newcastle United will play Sheffield United. 

This is an opportunity for fans of both clubs to show that, although we continue to support our teams, we do not support the Saudi regime and its repressive laws and they cannot use our clubs to divert attention away from their many ongoing human rights abuses.

On April 27th we want to highlight the situation facing Saudi women, specifically the case of Saudi prisoner Salma al-Shehab. Salma, a mother of two, is currently serving 27 years in prison for posting tweets in support of Saudi prisoners of conscience. 

She was studying at the University of Leeds, and when she visited home was arrested and imprisoned. NUFCFAS urges Newcastle and Sheffield United fans especially to show solidarity with Salma. We also appeal to fans of all clubs to support our campaign against sportswashing and in favour of human rights.

Finally, we ask Newcastle and Sheffield United fans to download and display #FREESALMA posters at the match in the 27th minute. Salma is in prison for 27 years for tweeting in favour of free speech. Let’s use our free speech to support Salma and all Saudi prisoners of conscience and show that football fans can make a difference.