Newcastle United co-owner spotted watching England match with familiar Championship club chairman

Newcastle United co-owner Jamie Reuben has hunkered down to watch England take on the USA in the Qatar World Cup tonight with a familiar footballing face who owns a successful Championship club.

Reuben shared an image to his Twitter account of himself sporting an England jersey alongside Amit Bhatia on what seems to be a luxurious yacht in Doha - one fan cleverly replied: "Is that the North to South Shields ferry you're on there? I know a cracking bar on the North side that's got the match on!"

Reuben's pal Bhatia is the chairman of the Championship side Queen's Park Rangers, which is of course how the two know each other. Bhatia first bought a stake in QPR back in 2007 and eventually became chairman in 2018.

Newcastle fans who have delved into the history of their new owners will know that Reuben and Bhatia are chums thanks to their links to the London side. Reuben was appointed to the QPR board in 2018 when Bhatia became chairman and held a position until he left in 2020.

When he left, Chairman Bhatia said: “Jamie has been a fantastic addition to the QPR Board over the past two years. He has helped us tremendously in a number of different areas and I speak on behalf of my fellow shareholders when I thank him whole-heartedly for his efforts while he was with us.”

Reuben added: “It has been a pleasure to be a part of the QPR family for these past years, with special thanks to Amit Bhatia, Tony Fernandes, Ruben Gnanalingam and the other Board members. I will always remain a supporter of QPR and wish them and the club every success for the future.”

The Twitter post from Reuben also prompted a comment from fellow Newcastle co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi, who is always quick to banter with his colleague online. Ghodoussi, who is married to Amanda Staveley, wrote: "Thanks for the invite me … not."