Premier League sent Saudi takeover warning after secret government meetings are leaked

MPs have teamed up with the NUST to demand answers from the Government over their secret meetings regarding the blocked Saudi takeover.

The Chronicle’s exclusive yesterday claimed that the Premier League had requested a meeting with the Government to make sure that they were ‘both on the same page’ when it came to the £300m deal.

These details were released on the result of a Freedom of Information request by the paper, and now the findings have been universally slammed by the many parties protesting the takeover decision.

Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central, has spoken about the need for transparency on the situation. Her petition on the takeover that she put forward in Parliament reached over 20,000 signatures.

Here is what she's told The Chronicle:

“Congratulations to the Chronicle for its investigative journalism. Over twenty thousand worried fans signed my petition following the collapse of the Newcastle takeover this summer.

"The Premier League takeover process lacks transparency, accountability and consistency and fans feel they have no voice.

"Knowing that the Foreign Office held meetings with the Premier League and the content of those meetings is hidden behind redacted documents, adds further concern to fans who want to know exactly what happened.

"If the PL wanted to meet the Government to know they were on the same page, surely the public, and Newcastle fans, in particular, have a right to know what page they were on?"

The key take-away from this is whether it can help the ongoing legal case in its pursuit to get the deal over the line. This certainly looks like skulduggery from the Premier League and especially Richard Masters, who outright told supporters months later that there had been no contact with anyone in Government.

It certainly can’t hinder our case, given the fact that the Prime Minister wrote a letter, albeit a cut and paste one, asking for clarity from the top flight in the aftermath of another NUFC petition.

The Chronicle did not state whether the Foreign Office actually played any part in blocking the deal, but this does pour more mud onto the already filthy hands of the Premier League.

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