Mike Ashley arrived in London today hoping that it would be the beginning of the end as far as his time as Newcastle United owner was concerned. The much mooted July date had finally arrived for his arbitration case, however, he was left with no choice but to reluctantly agree to wait even longer for some type of conclusion to his legal wrangle with the Premier League. Ashley initially wanted the deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers pushed through before the summer transfer window shut for business. Instead, he was dealt a major blow when discovering the emphasis will again be on him to provide funds to ensure Newcastle are fit for the Premier League in the 2021/22 season. Some hours after the hearing, Ashley gave a statement the green light to update supporters on Monday night.
The statementh read: “The parties attended a hearing today in the case between Newcastle United and the Premier League. The main hearing of the arbitration has regrettably now been adjourned until early 2022 due to issues with the disclosure of evidence. The parties will be making no further comment at this time.”
The delay comes down to issues caused by evidence from both sides meaning more time in the court room is needed to resolve the issue. Yet, while the news will leave the Toon fanbase massively frustrated, it is still significant as far as the bigger picture is concerned.
