NewCastle United Takeover MBS
Man City sources claimed that rival Premier League clubs were jealous of their potential during a bitter legal fight with the Premier League. Rule changes that were brought in shortly after Newcastle United’s Saudi-led takeover in 2021 resulted in City seeing two massive sponsorship deals being blocked. The same associated party transaction (APT) rules prevented Newcastle from spending more and found themselves restricted by PSR rules.
Amanda Staveley, former Newcastle United co-owner, expressed her frustration over these developments.
Staveley said, “We’ve really taken a big battering. We did not expect that to happen. I was shocked that we could buy a club, pay a full price and then rules just change. I think that’s what p****d me off, because we had so little revenue anyway, that if you’re just going to ban everything… We were 20th, we had nothing.”
In response to their legal efforts, a City statement read, “The club has succeeded with its claim: the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules have been found to be unlawful and the Premier League’s decisions on two specific MCFC sponsorship transactions have been set aside.”
Notably, during Manchester City’s legal case against the Premier League, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Brighton, and West Ham served as witnesses for the Premier League. Meanwhile, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Everton supported Man City as witnesses.
