Newcastle takeover blow as Mike Ashley fails in legal bid to replace panel chairman but vows to 'fight tooth and nail'

March 5, 2021

NEWCASTLE owner Mike Ashley has suffered a new double setback in his legal battle with the Premier League.

Toon chief Ashley launched arbitration proceedings in November over the collapsed planned £340m Saudi takeover.

Ashley then launched a bid to get the panel chairman, sport law specialist Michael Beloff QC replaced and for the entire proceedings to be conducted in public.

Newcastle argued that Beloff could not be impartial as he had previously advised Premier League chiefs on takeover rules that led to involvement in broadcast “piracy” leading to automatically failing its owners and directors test.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is the head of the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund that was the leader of the Toon consortium.

It has also been named by the World Trade Organisation as responsible for the beOUTQ service that pirated the beIN Sport feed of Prem and other sporting rights in the Middle East and North Africa region.

But Newcastle’s arguments were rejected by the High Court, serving Ashley a significant blow.

Ashley was quoted on Sky Sports saying the club will fight 'tooth and nail' to get what they 'deserve.'

He said: "Newcastle fighting tooth and nail, the fans and the region are being denied what they deserve.”

A full statement from the club read: "The Club asked for the Chairman to be removed on the ground of apparent bias.

“The Club made the application because two weeks after the Chairman had been appointed the lawyers representing the Premier League, Bird & Bird, disclosed information that the Club had previously been unaware of.

“In particular, Bird & Bird disclosed that the Chairman had provided confidential advice to the EPL in 2017.

“Although the advice was not provided to the Club, the Club was informed that the Chairman had advised the EPL on amendments to its ‘Owners and Directors Test’ (‘OADT’) in Section F of its Rules.

“Shortly after the Chairman provided that advice in 2017 the Rules were changed to prevent a foreign owner involved in alleged broadcasting piracy from passing the test.

“The Club shall continue to actively pursue its claim in the arbitration and calls on the EPL to resolve the matter in a speedy and transparent way that does not prevent the substantial investment into English football, and the North East region, that the proposed takeover would bring.”

Newcastle’s case remains that “MBS” is not a “director” of the PIF, despite that being the findings of the WTO and Premier League.

Last week the United States CIA report into the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the Saudi regime, ruled that MBS had “ordered” his killing and that the PIF had supplied the getaway planes for those responsible.

In his ruling, Judge Mark Pelling declared that giving advice to the League in 2017 would not make a “fair-minded observer” conclude “there was a real possibility” Beloff was “biased”.

He added that the Premier League had decided the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia “was to be regarded as a director”, which the arbitration panel will now decide was correct or not.In a statement responding to the ruling, Newcastle insisted: “The Club is disappointed with the Court’s judgment on this issue.

“The Club is committed to the speedy and fair determination of its claim so that the proposed takeover can go ahead as soon as possible and is considering whether or not to pursue an appeal.

⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

Source: Read Full Article