Thanks for such a considered reply Mervyn. As a football fan I totally understand these deep connections that outlive any particular owner of a football club and the questions of identity it raises.
I should say that every Newcastle based organisation mentioned on the podcast - inclduing NUFC, the Supporters Trust, and Wor Flags - was contacted but none has responded.
I think a lot of them want to bury their heads in the sand - or they want to completely compartmentalize things i.e. Newcastle as a football team over here in this box, Saudi government etc in this box over here which shall remain closed and hidden.
I support NUFC. My father (born in 1916 and now gone) supported them. He told me of watching Jackie Milburn play. Seeing him holding his boots and getting on the bus with the fans to St James’ on matchday.
I was / am against the Saudi purchase of the club though I still do support them now. I tried not to but I have two boys and I want them to experience what I feel…..the connection with my father. A connection I will take throughout my life. There’s other things of course, but NUFC also connects me to our home city and our lives there.
When the takeover happened I saw fans saying all sorts of things about the deal. A lot of ‘whataboutary’ of course, which I saw as being based on a lifetime of underachievement and poor management. Sadly Ashley made many desperate and almost any potential purchaser would have been made welcome. The fact that it turned out to be the Saudi sovereign fund gave many (including the FA) an opportunity to parse the moral question.
My comment on the article is this. I agree with its drift but for balance it should have mentioned the many supporters who have openly criticised the Saudi regime. The supporters associations who have done so. The fans commenting on match reports etc.
I cannot stop supporting the club….it is more than the ownership. I am deeply conscious however of the unpleasant role it now plays with regard whitewashing the Saudi regime. I am hopeful that it may over time be a force for good in the country but I am also concerned when, as night follows day, the regime does something that will cause people to hate the club and in turn, the city. And…more sadly, that it will taint my memories.
I'm also a Newcastle fan and won't stop supporting them because of this. What does annoy me is the fans that want to stick up for the Saudis. I've seen some write that Jamal Khashoggi deserved it etc. I don't understand that mindset.
Thanks Peter. As I mentioned in my response to Mervyn, I totally 'get' football loyalty. I do think there's an extra layer with Newcastle as well, in that the club helps define the city - it's key to its identity
I think you are right. It does define the place far more so than many other places and draws the people who come the city together wherever they may be. I live in London and my son met a father of a friend who is a supporter and they had that common bond that transcended sport but added a place and a ‘culture’.
Thanks for such a considered reply Mervyn. As a football fan I totally understand these deep connections that outlive any particular owner of a football club and the questions of identity it raises.
I should say that every Newcastle based organisation mentioned on the podcast - inclduing NUFC, the Supporters Trust, and Wor Flags - was contacted but none has responded.
I think a lot of them want to bury their heads in the sand - or they want to completely compartmentalize things i.e. Newcastle as a football team over here in this box, Saudi government etc in this box over here which shall remain closed and hidden.
Thinking about it, that compartmentalization is exactly what I've done/am doing.
I support NUFC. My father (born in 1916 and now gone) supported them. He told me of watching Jackie Milburn play. Seeing him holding his boots and getting on the bus with the fans to St James’ on matchday.
I was / am against the Saudi purchase of the club though I still do support them now. I tried not to but I have two boys and I want them to experience what I feel…..the connection with my father. A connection I will take throughout my life. There’s other things of course, but NUFC also connects me to our home city and our lives there.
When the takeover happened I saw fans saying all sorts of things about the deal. A lot of ‘whataboutary’ of course, which I saw as being based on a lifetime of underachievement and poor management. Sadly Ashley made many desperate and almost any potential purchaser would have been made welcome. The fact that it turned out to be the Saudi sovereign fund gave many (including the FA) an opportunity to parse the moral question.
My comment on the article is this. I agree with its drift but for balance it should have mentioned the many supporters who have openly criticised the Saudi regime. The supporters associations who have done so. The fans commenting on match reports etc.
I cannot stop supporting the club….it is more than the ownership. I am deeply conscious however of the unpleasant role it now plays with regard whitewashing the Saudi regime. I am hopeful that it may over time be a force for good in the country but I am also concerned when, as night follows day, the regime does something that will cause people to hate the club and in turn, the city. And…more sadly, that it will taint my memories.
I'm also a Newcastle fan and won't stop supporting them because of this. What does annoy me is the fans that want to stick up for the Saudis. I've seen some write that Jamal Khashoggi deserved it etc. I don't understand that mindset.
Thanks Peter. As I mentioned in my response to Mervyn, I totally 'get' football loyalty. I do think there's an extra layer with Newcastle as well, in that the club helps define the city - it's key to its identity
I think you are right. It does define the place far more so than many other places and draws the people who come the city together wherever they may be. I live in London and my son met a father of a friend who is a supporter and they had that common bond that transcended sport but added a place and a ‘culture’.
Completely agree.
We will come to regret the relationship of that I am sure.