Sports
“It’s crazy,” Gary Neville makes Newcastle claim, as Ian Wright delivers his verdict on Manchester City’s sponsorship controversy
Newcastle United fans are eager to know how the new Premier League sponsorship decision will affect them after Manchester City won their tribunal.
Both Manchester City and the Premier League felt they were winners when a panel ruled on linked party transactions.
Those rules were altered following Newcastle United’s purchase, with Premier League teams trying to prevent PIF from agreeing to over-inflated sponsorship deals that would raise the club’s earnings and allow it to spend more.
It was an obvious attempt to stifle Newcastle United following the ownership shift, with teams concerned about another superpower developing in English football. However, Manchester City, not Newcastle, took the legal path and challenged the Premier League.
According to Manchester City, the panel ruled that the Premier League’s APT regulations were illegal. Meanwhile, the Premier League has indicated that the tribunal determined that the APT rules are necessary, despite certain tweaks that must be made.
Ian Wright and Gary Neville react to Man City sponsorship hearing
It is a very difficult and messy situation, and Gary Neville believes it will only grow messier.
On the newest episode of Stick To Football, he discussed the Manchester City vs Premier League ruling with Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Jill Scott, and Ian Wright.
Wright believes it is ‘crazy’ for clubs to accept on sponsorship arrangements with connected companies.
Wright: “For them to want associated partners to be able to just sponsor and say whatever they want without saying well it doesn’t cost that much. It’s crazy. You can’t allow that. It would be crazy. You could do anything you want. That’s what they want. They want to be able to do anything.”
Neville: “It was stopped. That’s what Newcastle were not allowed to do – those type of deals. It was stopped a few years ago.”
Wright: “That shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and this is the problem. We’ve went down the road of countries owning football clubs and they want to what they do. It used to be business against business. Now it’s business against country. What chance have you got? Of course they want more, because they’ve got more. They want to put more in, they’re going to find any way they can to put more into their team.”
Neville: “It’s going to get quite messy, I think.”
Newcastle United have been held back by fear
Newcastle fans believe their club is being kept back by its rivals. It is not fair that a rule was issued to prevent them from doing something they may not have done.
Since the takeover, Newcastle has signed sponsorship partnerships with Saudi corporations. Sela sponsors the shirts, and Noon sponsors the sleeves. There have also been agreements with Saudia and Savvy Games Group, as Newcastle seeks to expand revenue and awareness in Saudi Arabia.
Despite others’ best efforts to stop them, the Magpies have followed Premier League rules. They do not want another Manchester City, since Pep Guardiola’s side now dominates English football.
That worry is natural, but the playing field does not appear to be level. While Newcastle scrambles to comply with PSR, other teams benefit from shareholder loans that have no influence on earnings or sustainability. That is grossly unjust, even though fair market value is very necessary.
What this means for Newcastle United
Financial expert Adam Williams has told Geordie Boot Boys that Newcastle would celebrate the ruling, but he does not feel it is as big a deal as some have portrayed it.
Meanwhile, Newcastle has been in talks with possible Saudi sponsors in recent months, and it will be interesting to see if a regulation change accelerates these deals.
However, it remains to be seen whether this would provide the financial boost that some Newcastle United fans believe it will.
Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer makes Manchester United point as England confirms Thomas Tuchel’s appointment
“All we talked about was Celtic,” Arsenal star completes emotional transfer homecoming after meeting with Rodgers in London
Dan Ashworth plotting the ultimate’middle finger’ towards Newcastle United amidst £6 million compensation claims
Chris Sutton makes Aberdeen title prediction, as he warns Celtic and Rangers
‘I tried’: Marc Guehi delivers statement on £70 million Newcastle United transfer saga
Amanda Staveley’s Newcastle United ‘legacy’ is remembered with superb Adidas social media post
Chris Sutton explains why Robbie Savage is wrong about Celtic fans only wanting winning results dig
‘I could be ‘ranting until this time next week’, Unhappy Kris Boyd summarises the major difference between Celtic and Rangers right now
Brendan Rodgers calls out VAR nonsense and skewers critics following Celtic’s blunders
