Newcastle United fans are outraged with the Premier League after they extended the sponsorship ban, effectively blocking vast investment from the new owners.
The ruling leaves Newcastle in a sticky situation meaning they now can’t spend freely while complying with the financial fair play (FFP) regulations. This is a huge blow to the Magpies who were no doubt looking to go big in the January transfer window to try and maintain their Premier League status.
FFP has always been controversial as it could be seen as not letting the smaller boys compete if they have the financial capacity to.
However, after seeing the demise of Bury FC and the awful positions clubs like Macclesfield Town and Bolton Wanderers have found themselves in, regulated spending isn’t all bad. It prevents teams from spending outside of their means and then facing dire financial consequences.
The other Premier League side that were against the ruling but ‘reluctantly agreed’ like Newcastle had to were Manchester City… What a shock!
How the Newcastle United fans reacted to Premier League ruling
“Bottom of the league and still trying to stop us! Hilarious! Wasn’t that when Ashley had FREE advertising for 14 years!” @Robbiewad79
“How is this allowed to happen? Anti-competitive surely?” @BillinghamMag
“It is clear the cartel of which Tottenham/Arsenal/MU are part of running the Premier League. They shout and the Premier League jump, that is clear.” @wiseman3terry
“So now FFP has gone from protecting clubs from financial ruin to stopping competition.” @allyandthecavs
“Unbelievable this like. It’s anti-competitive and anti-Newcastle.” @scxttnufc
“This is anti-competition. Take them to court!!!” @DavedixonAkk
This ruling is no doubt a huge setback to the chances of survival Newcastle had. If they can’t invest as much in January then they could be relegated, a disaster for the new owners.
The transfer window could well be the difference between certain relegation and the chance of surviving, so the investment is paramount for Newcastle.
The wealth of the Saudi led takeover basically means that they have unlimited funds to spend, not surprising when they’re supposedly now ten times richer than Manchester City!