How Newcastle United co-owners make unprecedented use of Twitter to shine ‘positive spotlight’ on ownership

Newcastle United co-owners Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Jamie Reuben are actively using social media to show the 'core message' of the club's ownership.

Sport PR experts Outwrite PR have analysed the unusually active use of social media platform Twitter by the duo who have worked to repair the damaged relationship between fans and club left by Mike Ashley.

The Sports Direct tycoon sold the club to the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), PCP Capital Partners the Reuben Brothers in a deal worth £305 million in October 2021 after more than a year of controversy regarding the involvement and morality of the Saudi state.

On takeover, PIF claimed a majority 80% of the club while PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben Brothers took 10% each after the Premier League "received legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" would not control Newcastle United.

Despite PIF owning the majority of the club, it is PCP's Amanda Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi alongside Jamie Reuben who have come to be the faces of club ownership.

It's been a sea of changes at Newcastle since the takeover with new personnel on the pitch and ambitions to develop St James' Park along with a feeling of positivity to owners from the majority of supporters.

A key tacting in patching up that post-Ashley relationship has come online with Ghodoussi and Reuben choosing to use social media to interact with fans regularly. Such active use and presence online are almost unheard of by owners, all too wary of walking into a lion's den of passionate fans.

Anthony Bullick, managing director at Outwrite PR explained: "There are a variety of reasons most owners avoid frequent and informal social media use, for example, time constraints or knowledge of how to use the different platforms.

"In addition, the emotions of football fans run high when performances and results on the pitch are not meeting their expectations. Many owners may wish to avoid bearing the brunt of the backlash online in the aftermath of a defeat or run of losses.

"Also, local and national media are likely to write news stories about any social media post an owner publishes, which may lead to further unwanted negativity in the comments section."

Mr Bullick referenced the example of former Notts County owner Alan Hardy as to the risks of a Tweet taken out of context or an 'ill-advised' Instagram post. In 2019, in an attempt to post two screenshots of a 'fickle' fan online, Hardy accidentally shared an image of his camera roll which included an intimate photo of his penis.

Nonetheless, when used correctly Mr Bullick acknowledged the huge benefits owners could reap.

He said: "Social media is an incredibly powerful tool to build relationships as it provides a direct channel to your stakeholders, with brands and individuals not having to rely on third parties such as media outlets to share their messaging.

"We’re based just 20 minutes north of Wrexham, where the Hollywood ownership of Rob McElhenny and Ryan Reynolds have transformed the football club both on and off the pitch.

"They have been extremely active combining physical appearances at games with tonnes of digital content and engagement to truly immerse themselves in the local community."

Following the Newcastle United takeover, questions as to the owner's Saudi connections remained from supporters, wider football fans and the media. In the Middle Eastern country, women are subject to regular discrimination, free speech and protests are banned, torture and executions are employed and homosexuality is punishable by death.

When asked if Ghodoussi and Reuben could be using social media as a form of sports washing, Outwrite PR explained that while that could be the case, the co-owners have not changed their online approach since the Newcastle United takeover.

Mr Bullick said: "There is no hiding from the fact the new ownership at Newcastle United divided opinion. It’s a common tactic for brands facing criticism to shield any individuals who may attract more negative attention and comments while building positive relationships elsewhere.

"However, Mehrdad Ghoudoussi and Jamie Reuben were active on social media prior to the takeover being completed, so it appears as though the duo are simply continuing with their communication style and preference despite the extra attention it brings as owners."

Examples of how Ghodoussi and Reuben have used their online platforms for good are plentiful.

Ghodoussi has been known to spot fans fundraising money for charity via the platform and donate huge sums of money to their cause. The businessman also uses it for light-hearted interactions, recently promising to hold the hand of YouTuber Adam Pearson while he gets a tattoo of the co-owner as a thank-you for securing Champions League football.

Before the final match of last season, Ghodoussi and Reuben even bantered online in response to a Toon Polls Tweet, committing to taking on the St James' Park half-time challenge and donating to the Newcastle United Fans Food Bank.

Mr Bullick looked at those three types of interaction and said: "The three examples above show one core message: they care about the Newcastle United community.

"They recognise that fans are everything for a football club, and they are using their position to have an impact in the North East beyond success on the pitch.

"Importantly, they don’t appear to be just using social media as a megaphone to shout their own messages. The likes of Twitter and Facebook are fantastic listening tools to gauge opinion as well as look at what the community is up to. This is evidenced by Mehrdad seeing a fan’s fundraiser online and donating.

"Many owners and senior club officials across the country support the local community and engage in fan activity, but it goes unnoticed as many then don’t take to social media to share the story. Mehrdad and Jamie are showing us the benefits of using social media to build relationships and have a positive spotlight shone on a club’s hierarchy."