Is Simon Jordan correct? Alarming comments as PIF commitment to Newcastle United questioned
Investment at Newcastle United has stalled in recent years following the initial buzz of the Saudi-backed takeover.
Simon Jordan is unsure why the Public Investment Fund have toed the Premier League line since buying Newcastle United.
Saudi Arabia have bulldozed their way into sport over the past five years. Billed as part of the country’s wider Vision 2030 strategy, PIF - the sovereign wealth fund - have invested in golf, boxing, WWE, tennis and esports.
Newcastle became PIFs frontier in the Premier League in 2021, with thousands of supporters celebrating Mike Ashley’s long-awaited exit. The Saudi Pro League soon became a big player in the transfer market, with FIFA also awarding the country the 2034 World Cup.
While the Magpies have fared considerably better under Saudi ownership, PIF are unable to inject a bottomless pit of wealth akin to Manchester City’s transformative takeover in 2008. This has led to widespread frustration on Tyneside at current financial governance.
Simon Jordan questions PIF
PIF have always maintained they will play by the rules despite other clubs seemingly using loopholes to beat the PSR system. Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan believes Saudi’s contrasting approach to Newcastle and other ventures - like boxing and golf - should be looked at.
“I'm also curious about the Saudi attitude,” he told talkSPORT. “Because the Saudis aren't pushing the envelope. They're not challenging the orthodoxy. They're not pushing back against it. They seem to be awfully compliant with playing ball with the football establishment.
“They've gone into golf, they don't care about breaking up the golf establishment. They've run roughshod through boxing yet, in football terms, they seem to have bought a football club, harnessed it, told the world that they're going to be very motivated yet they're not pushing the envelope and challenging the orthodoxy.”
Simon Jordan rubbishes Newcastle United stigma
One theory behind Newcastle’s demise this summer - where several top targets have snubbed a move to St James’ Park - is the club’s North East location. Jordan, however, downplayed that suggestion.
“Newcastle comes with that little bit of stigma as to where it is,” he added. “It is a beautiful part of the world. It's a fabulous town. It's a great football club. They’ve just got to work harder. They've got to work harder on creating the optics and re-evaluating in people's minds that ‘we’re owned by the richest people in sports. We’re owned by (people with) huge opportunities and huge influence.
“Look at what we're doing in boxing in our space here. Look at what we're trying to do with golf, trying to do with football. Newcastle is our club that we're going to achieve it through. And we've got potentially the next England manager in our dugout.
“We've got a whole raft of things. We've got top players. Look what we did to Joelinton’. It's all about making sure that people get the right message.”
‘Up your game’ - Simon Jordan
“Without being critical, because I'm not privy to the conversations, people have got to up their games at Newcastle, perhaps, and up the woo that they're pitching,” Jordan finished. “The (selling) club is the easiest part of the equation to secure - just pay them what they want.
“The player is the more difficult part of the equation. The player is the challenging aspect. London is a pull, isn't it? And people will say, ‘Well, it's because you're a Southerner’. No, it's because it's a pull to internationals. People think of London when they think of England.
“They don't think of rainy days in Manchester, do they? They might do because they've got a music scene there and Oasis is alive and current right now. Manchester United is such an iconic football club and Manchester City have been the best football club for the last 10 years in terms of achievements.