The Premier League have revealed they are reviewing their owners’ and directors’ test in the wake of criticism of their handling of the collapsed Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle.
A consortium backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund pulled out of a £300million deal to buy Newcastle last month, blaming the ‘unforeseeably prolonged process’ after they had waited 17 weeks to gain Premier League approval.
More than 108,000 fans then signed a petition demanding answers from the Premier League, with local politicians writing to the organisation’s chief executive Richard Masters seeking clarity.
Masters confirmed the League wished to make plain the link between club and Saudi Arabia
And on Friday, Masters finally broke his silence on the doomed deal in a letter to Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle Central, in which he admitted: ‘The Premier League is reviewing its owners’ and directors’ test in the coming months to ensure it remains robust and fair to all interested stakeholders.