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[Albion] Dan Burn to Saudi FC









Tesco in Disguise

Where do we go from here?
Jul 5, 2003
3,928
Wienerville
Absolutely. But this is about whether we criticise a footballer playing for a football club when the Saudi’s permeate our lives more than people probably know. Someone can’t take the moral high ground having voted a certain way, buying certain products or services that have backing, investments, trade deals from the same regime. There’s a lot of people who say they would never do what Burn has done, but will fill up at BP this week, tune in to BT sport, drive a Jag or Land Rover, bank with HSBC…list goes on, these free trade deals mean the money from all these human rights Gulf countries is flooding in. It seems from your logic as a country we very much advocate.

I don’t, but then I don’t think the likes of Dan Burn or Eddie Howe are the problem either.

Saudis permeate our lives more than we know? I think it's pretty clear, the link between the Saudi royal family and Newcastle FC.

Fine, you might be unwittingly buying a Saudi product when you buy a sports subscription. And obviously when you fill you car up you're supporting oil states. But there's a big difference between being an indirect (or oblivious) consumer of a Saudi service, and going to WORK for an arm of the Saudi state, especially when there are so many alternatives.

The Dan Burn case is slightly different because he has an emotional connection to the club so he is partially forgiven, but the rest of them are entirely complicit in this sportswashing exercise and should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
 


Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,330
Hove
Saudis permeate our lives more than we know? I think it's pretty clear, the link between the Saudi royal family and Newcastle FC.

Fine, you might be unwittingly buying a Saudi product when you buy a sports subscription. And obviously when you fill you car up you're supporting oil states. But there's a big difference between being an indirect (or oblivious) consumer of a Saudi service, and going to WORK for an arm of the Saudi state, especially when there are so many alternatives.

The Dan Burn case is slightly different because he has an emotional connection to the club so he is partially forgiven, but the rest of them are entirely complicit in this sportswashing exercise and should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Sportswashing is a failure of governance, regulators and law makers. Howe, Trippier, Burn really aren't the bad guys in all this. The absolute failure is with authorities allowing the takeover to happen, whether the FA, Boxing, FIA, UEFA, FIFA, UK government etc. etc. It is easy to point the finger at say for Howe taking the job, but frankly it's ridiculous that it gets down to the point a manager can't take a job when fifty potential red flags could have been raised to not let the takeover happen in the first place.

The real bad guys are sat in FA HQ, Whitehall, Governing bodies and the Boardrooms. No one is throwing anything their way, but because it is easy and in our face, we can hang a manager and players out to dry.

This has all been laid out with Man City anyway, and there is zero noise on their ownership generally. Everyone around football fawns over ManCity, their manager, their football. That is sportswashing. Worrying about Howe or Trippier or whoever is missing the boat, plane, train and automobile.
 






Tesco in Disguise

Where do we go from here?
Jul 5, 2003
3,928
Wienerville
Sportswashing is a failure of governance, regulators and law makers. Howe, Trippier, Burn really aren't the bad guys in all this. The absolute failure is with authorities allowing the takeover to happen, whether the FA, Boxing, FIA, UEFA, FIFA, UK government etc. etc. It is easy to point the finger at say for Howe taking the job, but frankly it's ridiculous that it gets down to the point a manager can't take a job when fifty potential red flags could have been raised to not let the takeover happen in the first place.

The real bad guys are sat in FA HQ, Whitehall, Governing bodies and the Boardrooms. No one is throwing anything their way, but because it is easy and in our face, we can hang a manager and players out to dry.

This has all been laid out with Man City anyway, and there is zero noise on their ownership generally. Everyone around football fawns over ManCity, their manager, their football. That is sportswashing. Worrying about Howe or Trippier or whoever is missing the boat, plane, train and automobile.

Totally agree. But just because there was a total abdication of responsibility by the FA does not mean the likes of Howe are entirely blameless. If there was some collective action by players and coaches they could turn this effort by the Saudis into a failure. But of course it shouldn't have got so far that it is on their shoulders.

On Man City, I do still think all their achievements are coloured, though the infractions of the UAE are not as bad as that of the Saudis, arguably.

I think the biggest disappointment in all this is how readily and unquestioingly the Geordies have welcomed the take over. It's difficult to turn your back on your club, of course. But it doesn't seem to even be pricking their conscience.
 


Silverhatch

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2009
4,630
Preston Park
The entire point of buying a cultural icon under the term sportswashing, is to shift public perception. There is little doubt that Newcastle will see eye watering investment from the Saudi state in and around the football club. They have a harder sell than the Emiratis, but much like at City they’ll regenerate the club and the surrounding area. In time their project will become more palatable/normal especially if the wider local community benefits. Dan Burn as a Newcastle fan will clearly have a motivation to help the club and community as well as himself.
 
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Justice

Dangerous Idiot
Jun 21, 2012
20,338
Born In Shoreham
How many here would turn down life changing money, financial security for life for you and the family in exchange for two years work with Saudi’s doing exactly what you do now? Easy to criticise others when you don’t have that opportunity in front of you.
 




Tokyohands

Well-known member
Jan 5, 2017
940
Tokyo
I'm really pleased for him. Given an extended opportunity to prove himself this season, he grabbed it with both hands. Turns out that all the hard work he put in was a winning lottery ticket to a big pay rise, a signing on fee, a return to his roots and his family ties and a chance to play for the club he supported as a kid and probably still does. He'll be forever grateful to Albion and yes, he is a legend. His journey to being the tallest wing back in the world and joining Newcastle is the stuff of dreams, almost worth a short movie!

Or a tall story at least ???

I loved the shifts he put in for us, I just bloody well hope he doesn't put one in Vs us. Otherwise I wish him all the best as it really is a dream move for him and his family.
 








Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
30,330
Hove
[tweet]1488424616368517124[/tweet]

:lolol:

Is he sure he's made the right move!?

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BHAFC_NTG_13.jpg
 
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attila

1997 Club
Jul 17, 2003
2,260
South Central Southwick
Unsavoury scumbags are sportswashing and plundering all over football, and not just the Premier League - whether the horrendous Saudis, the disgusting Eastern European 'oligarchs' with their fortunes plundered from their countries' GDPs or the run of the mill domestic asset-strippers and ego-trippers we know so well, whose baleful influence stretches down as far as non league. It doesn't have to be like this (the German model being the most obvious alternative) but it's how it is, and each of us makes an individual decision as to how much of an accomodation can be made with it. It's as simple as that really.
 


highflyer

Well-known member
Jan 21, 2016
2,513
How many here would turn down life changing money, financial security for life for you and the family in exchange for two years work with Saudi’s doing exactly what you do now? Easy to criticise others when you don’t have that opportunity in front of you.

Unless he's been building up gambling debts or something, he was already in receipt of 'life changing money and financial security'.

I've turned down opportunities to earn more plenty of times in my career because I didn't want to work for that employer, for a variety of reasons. I have always had the luxury of earning sufficient (not premier league footballer amounts, but sufficient). I would never judge anyone for taking a job when that isn't the case. But for Howe and Burn, 'more money' isn't an excuse. For Burn I understand the desire to play for his childhood team, and to move back home, albeit I wish he hadn't gone. For Howe, not so much.
 


highflyer

Well-known member
Jan 21, 2016
2,513
How many here would turn down life changing money, financial security for life for you and the family in exchange for two years work with Saudi’s doing exactly what you do now? Easy to criticise others when you don’t have that opportunity in front of you.

Unless he's been building up gambling debts or something, he was already in receipt of 'life changing money and financial security'.

I've turned down opportunities to earn more plenty of times in my career because I didn't want to work for that employer, for a variety of reasons. I have always had the luxury of earning sufficient (not premier league footballer amounts, but sufficient). I would never judge anyone for taking a job when that isn't the case. But for Howe and Burn, 'more money' isn't an excuse. For Burn I understand the desire to play for his childhood team, and to move back home, albeit I wish he hadn't gone. For Howe, not so much.
 


timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,407
Sussex
Unless he's been building up gambling debts or something, he was already in receipt of 'life changing money and financial security'.

I've turned down opportunities to earn more plenty of times in my career because I didn't want to work for that employer, for a variety of reasons. I have always had the luxury of earning sufficient (not premier league footballer amounts, but sufficient). I would never judge anyone for taking a job when that isn't the case. But for Howe and Burn, 'more money' isn't an excuse. For Burn I understand the desire to play for his childhood team, and to move back home, albeit I wish he hadn't gone. For Howe, not so much.

You are forgetting that BDB has only earned top dollar PL wages for a few years with only 18 months to go on his Albion contract. A loss of form or serious injury could leave him without the funds to finance the standard of living he wants for his family for the rest of his life. I can see the attraction of higher wages for a longer time.
Effectively he is only the petrol pump attendant!
 




Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
23,483
Brighton


willalbion

Well-known member
May 8, 2006
1,559
London
Interesting.

He comes across very well, humble, intelligent and complimentary about our club.

He was inspired to take up football from being a season ticket holder at NUFC as a young child and is clearly overwhelmed to be back there having being released as a youth player.

Yet some still believe he is motivated by money.

Yeah, I watched it and was taken with what a decent bloke he is. He's blown away to be back at Newcastle, obviously a huge fan. That's what's so horrible about the premier league allowing a murderous regime to take over Newcastle. For fans, it's almost impossible to move away from a club that's in our blood. Listening to BDB I actually feel sorry for decent-minded Newcastle fans - love for the club tempered by the rank sportwashing that Man City started (all forgotten now as they're so 'good'). Football has truly sold its soul and sold out us fans.
 


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