In October 2021, Newcastle United fans gather outside their stadium and sing. Some wear traditional robes from the Arab world. The fans celebrate the takeover of their favorite club by the PIF, the billion-dollar sovereign wealth fund from Saudi Arabia.
John Hird watches the TV news and is shocked. He grew up near Newcastle in a working-class family. He was active in trade unions and campaigned for human rights in his free time. John Hird doesn’t want to accept that his club is now controlled from Saudi Arabia: “I looked around on social media, on Twitter and Facebook, back then during the pandemic. I was looking for like-minded people. In our first online -We were about thirty people at the meeting. From then on it happened quickly.”
Group mobilizes on social media
John Hird and his colleagues establish a network. The name, translated into German: “Newcastle United fans against sportswashing”. The group mobilizes on social media. She publishes articles, videos and petitions on the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.
John Hird also approaches the local media in Newcastle. He says: “In the beginning it was difficult to get into the reporting. The sports journalists in particular were happy that Newcastle United was doing well financially. They would also prefer to report on the Champions League. It’s part of the club’s strategy To involve fan groups. Newcastle were in Saudi Arabia twice for test matches. There were uncritical YouTubers and fan magazines there. We don’t know whether they were paid for it. But they shape the mood.”
There is a widespread perception in the north of England that they are at a disadvantage compared to the capital, London. When it comes to investments in infrastructure, education or social programs. The local media is facing a dilemma, says Aaron Stokes, a reporter for the Newcastle Chronicle, the city’s largest newspaper. On the one hand, they should report critically on the influence from Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, they want to document the spirit of optimism in the region.
Aaron Stokes gives another example: Manchester City, under the control of Abu Dhabi since 2008: “In Manchester there is the Eastlands. An area that was run down, with a lot of crime and poverty. Manchester City has a modern one there for many millions of pounds Training academy was built. This improved the whole community. Something like this won’t happen in Newcastle overnight, but perhaps in the long term. For example, a new fan zone will be built next to the stadium. Small things like this show: There is more hope for new investments.”
Politicians’ interest is declining
In September 2023, the Saudi Arabian national football team will play two test matches in Newcastle. A harbinger for further investments? Will Saudi logistics companies secure access to the North Sea port of Newcastle? Activist John Hird and the group Newcastle United Fans Against Sportswashing protested against the international matches. And they invite the Saudi exile Lina al-Hathloul to events.
Among other things, it deals with the multi-year prison sentences for activists in Riyadh, reports John Hird: “We wrote to members of the British Parliament and members of the city council. Five years ago we could probably have had dozens of conversations with politicians about human rights. And now? There was just one conversation, unbelievable. If you can silence politics just by taking over a football club. What happens when Mohammed bin Salman buys newspapers or radio stations? A worrying development.”
“Newcastle United fans against sportswashing” grow
The “Newcastle United Fans Against Sportswashing” have around 7,500 followers on the X platform. A small, critical and apparently well-organized minority that is growing. And it is larger than the minorities surrounding Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, which has been owned by Qatar since 2011.
But how can you keep the attention in Newcastle high when the majority of fans are aligned with Saudi Arabia? Colin Taylor from Amnesty International’s Newcastle group believes it is important that critical minds raise their voices together: “We attend and organize different events. We write articles for online media that are noticed by local politicians. And we write letters to local representatives.”
Colin Taylor has been a Newcastle United fan for decades. He would like an answer as to why the club’s away kit is now green and resembles Saudi Arabia’s national kit. But officials, coaches and players rarely talk about their owners. Newcastle United last won the English championship in 1927. The next title is no longer unrealistic. The “Newcastle United fans against sportswashing” would like to win it, but not with help from Saudi Arabia.