‘Everyone knows’ - Leeds question UK government link to Newcastle United takeover

Leeds United CEO Angus Kinnear has claimed the UK government were never going to block Newcastle United’s Saudi-backed takeover.

Britain and Saudi Arabia are strategic allies, with over 200 joint ventures totalling $17.billion creating common interests. The most controversial of these partnerships is the UK’s arms exports to the Gulf state amid their military intervention in Yemen. 

Newcastle were dragged into a geopolitical debate once the Public Investment Fund (PIF) attempted to buy the club in 2020. An 18-month saga ended with PIF liberating the club from Mike Ashley but not before endless off-field issues played out.

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The Daily Mail reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warned Boris Johnson, prime minister at the time, about UK-Saudi relations being affected should the takeover fall through. Most sources insisted the deal hinged on piracy, with the Premier League wanting a resolution over the now-scrapped beoutQ box, an illegal streaming service operating in Saudi Arabia that “ripped off” Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports.

Fast forward to the present and the UK government are inching closer to introducing a football regulator that could see controversial takeovers blocked by an independent body. The King’s Speech outlined the proposal in July despite UEFA threatening action against England hosting future tournaments.

While dubious takeovers are a key reason behind the potential regulator, Leeds chief Kinnear doubted whether Newcastle’s would have been affected. He cited the consequences on UK-Saudi relations and questioned whether the government getting involved is a good idea.

"Do you think a regulator would have stopped the Saudi state from entering football?" Kinnear told the Square Ball podcast. "It wouldn't. The Saudis' entry into football was blessed by the British government because of the amount of arms trade we do with Saudi. 

“That's the issue. It's not whether we have a regulator in the middle of it or not. Having an instrument of government (proposed regulator) trying to run one of the most successful products that England exports and has built seems like a bad idea to me in terms of how well the government run everything else but I do completely accept that the game needs significant reform. 

“Everyone knows it needs significant reform. It's not working. I just question whether the government are the best people to reform it."