Newcastle Utd takeover: Is it sport-washing?

The Middle East has a chequered reputation when it comes to human rights.

Qatar may have won the rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but alongside the practical issues of hosting such a huge sports event in high temperatures, the welfare of immigrant workers has also made headlines.

Nearly 1500 Nepali workers alone are reported to have died in Qatar between 2009 and 2019 with FIFA admitting that there had been breaches in workers’ standards.

Saudi Arabia is another state which has been criticised.

Amnesty International has described the Saudi regime's human rights records as "heinous" and its international head of campaigns Felix Jakens told the BBC that Saudi Arabia’s poor reputation was well-deserved.

He said: “They've got an appalling record on LGBT rights, women's rights, extra-judicial killings, beheadings, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, and their involvement in the ongoing conflict in Yemen.”

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has overseen some sweeping changes in recent years, including allowing women to attend concerts and the cinema; lifting a travel ban for women alone; and letting women drive for the first time – the last country in the world to do so.

Some of the most notable changes relate to sport, with women permitted to attend sports events and young girls now allowed to participate in physical education in school.

It’s all part of a wider 'Vision 2030' strategy to diversify the economy and prompt social change and so it should come as no surprise that the state is now seen as a viable location for global sports events that capture the attention of the world.

The Saudi General Sports Authority says that hosting sports events is part of a plan to portray a new image of modernisation and that to boost tourism is “a journey of transformation.”

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), led by Yasir Al-Rumayyan (above) claims not to be linked to the Saudi state, despite indications to the contrary.

Rory McIlroy ruled out playing in a European Tour event in Saudi Arabia, citing “morality” as one of the reasons why he turned down a huge appearance fee.

But last year’s world heavyweight title fight, which saw Anthony Joshua reclaim his belts in a rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr, was arguably one of the biggest sporting events of the year.

Promoter Eddie Hearn defended the decision to stage the fight in a state with a chequered reputation, arguing that the financial benefits were his priority, particularly in a sport that offers plenty of risk.

It’s happened before, of course.

The Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1974 saw Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in an event which was used as a platform to promote Zaire dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and was sponsored by Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

After declaring martial law, Ferdinand Marcos used the “Thrilla in Manila” to promote Philippines as a 'great' nation which saw Ali face Joe Frazier.

Boxing is not the only sport staging events in Saudi Arabia, with WWE wrestling, the Dakar Rally, the Spanish Super Cup and Formula E all taking place in the state.

Recently revealed documents show that Saudi representatives have had meetings with Major League Soccer (MLS), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Los Angeles Olympic Committee.

Sheffield United were bought by Saudi investors last year and now Newcastle United are set to replace one troubled regime under Mike Ashley with another as the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) attempts to take ownership.

A recent poll by leading Newcastle fan blog The Mag saw over 97% saying that they would prefer the new Saudi owners to Ashley.

Perhaps rather more concerning was that a large portion of fans (58%) said they aren’t concerned about the background of the owners or what happens in Saudi Arabia. While many fans are delighted to see the back of Ashley and the prospect of competing for big-ticket players, the purchase has met with much concern.

Jakens added: "We need to see it for what it is: Saudi Arabia attempting to use the glamour and prestige of Premier League football as a PR tool to distract from the country's abysmal human rights record. There's a name for this - it's called 'sportswashing'.”

According to the Financial Times, the PIF has more than $300bn in assets, with this takeover likely to be just a drop in the ocean as part of a strategy to diversify its operations with foreign investment.

The question remains however, does the club know just who it’s getting involved with and will the takeover negatively impact the iconic Geordie town and its folk?

And beIN Sports, the Qatar-based broadcaster has said that Saudi Arabia should not be permitted to invest in a league after spending a considerable amount of time undermining it through a pirate broadcasting network, which threatens the Premier League’s intellectual property and income.

beIN chief executive Yousef al-Obaidly has written to the chairmen of Premier League clubs saying “the potential acquirer of Newcastle United [has] caused huge damage to your club’s and the Premier League’s commercial revenues.

“The legacy of the illegal service will continue to impact you going forward. Furthermore – given the crippling economic effect that coronavirus is having on the sports industry – this is all happening at a time when football clubs need to protect their broadcast revenue the most.”

Clive Betts, the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Football, said Saudi Arabia's alleged role in pirate network beoutQ "should be an immediate priority for regulatory scrutiny surrounding the takeover.

“Why would you sign contracts and pay money if others just take it for free? It undermines the whole Premier League and it's like inviting a cuckoo into the nest.

“While the Premier League needs to seriously look at any potential conflict between the ownership of a football club and the alleged three-year theft of UK media rights by the future owner, the government should take a role, not sit on the bench.”

The Premier League’s Fit and Proper person rules are unlikely to prevent the takeover from going through and it has been reported that government trade deals with Saudi Arabia mean that they will also not intervene.

So it will be fascinating to see how the club addresses the ongoing human rights concerns their prospective new owners have overseen.

Nelson Mandela famously said that sport has the power to change the world but certainly that change cannot happen overnight.

Saudi Arabia has undoubtedly deserved its reputation as an ultra-conservative state guilty of human rights abuses, but while there is much to do, sports events have the opportunity to accelerate that transformation.

What sports events, administrators and sponsors need to do is work with the local Saudi authorities to ensure that human rights issues continue to be addressed, rather than allowing the glamorous nature of sports events and ownership to gloss over endemic problems.

And the prospective new owners need to address the criticism head on, not with denials and a wave of the hand, but with serious and genuine intent to use this new platform as a further stepping stone to positive progress and improved human rights.

With the eyes of the world watching more carefully and sports journalists continuing to shine a spotlight on the region and hold it to account, rather than sportswashing, as it has been labelled, maybe sport can encourage wider, lasting change in the Kingdom.

Time will tell.