View from the Press Box Doug Shulman Last Saturday proved a memorable day at the Abbey and another barometer of how far the club have come in recent years. With two promotions comes bigger and more high-profile visitors, an increase in the quality of football and, of course, some sizeable attendances in CB5. U’s fans amongst the sell-out 7,994 crowd were treated to a rousing second half performance from Mark Bonner’s men who, once again, showed great character to secure their point, thanks in part to birthday boy Joe Ironside’s late equaliser. Elsewhere, the big news in football has been the takeover at Newcastle United. I cannot recall a more publicised and controversial ownership change, but the £305m buyout by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, (PIF) along with the 10% stakes taken by Amanda Staveley and Jamie Ruben, has triggered plentiful debate. Following 18 months of talks, the Premier League received legally binding assurances that the Saudi state would have no control over the running of Newcastle; the stumbling block for so long. The controversy being, that the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman is listed as Chair of the PIF but, the league has been told that the club will be steered solely by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF Governor. Time will tell whether there is a direct involvement by the Crown Prince or the Saudi State and, you would hope, the Premier League are watching even closer. Nevertheless, there are similarities with the 2008 takeover of Manchester City, sold to the Abu Dhabi United Group owned by Sheikh Mansour, the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and a senior figure in several government run companies. The globally influential Sheikh, although working within Premier League guidelines, immediately handed all day-to-day responsibility to Khaldoon Al Mubarek and the City Group, but will surely still be a senior voice at the club?
The international controversy that has followed Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for many years, could also be called into question. What cannot be ignored, though, is the appalling Saudi human rights record, their approach to women, independent and other religious groups and sexuality, all of which they are responsible for. Amnesty International are calling for these rights - or lack of - to be addressed as part of new owner tests going forward, and quite rightly. Saudi Arabia have been involved in sport for many years but, not to this level, so the hope is that being exposed to new cultures may help their moral understanding. What would certainly help, is for the new owners to be directly and very publicly involved with the community from day one and, in particular, groups representing diversity. Making this step may appease the watching world, likewise Newcastle fans who have been starved of hope for many years now. ■ www.cambridge-united.co.uk
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