Although the transfer window may be shut, it hasn’t stopped the drama for many club executives involved in English football. Newcastle United, owned by Mike Ashley, was recently relegated from the FA Premier League’s top division after spending some time at the bottom of league. It goes without mentioning that fans are clearly upset at the situation. There is nothing worse for a club than having disgruntled fans unhappy with the way the executives have been running it. Sure, these die-hard fans can be brutal and are often portrayed as hooligans with retched teeth, but they have banded together to create NUST, Newcastle United Supporters Trust. NUST leadership revealed that they have raised $20 million to purchase a stake in the club. For now they only want a stake in the club holdings as well as a prominent voice to be heard on the board. Although there hasn’t been an official takeover in the club’s ownership, it won’t be ruled out of the picture. There are several prospective buyers of the club, but agreements have been wishy-washy (if that’s a real term), and NUST wants to assist in the takeover of the club at some point.
Portsmouth Football Club of the English Premier League has undergone some difficulties under owner Sulaiman Al Fahim. The club has finally reached an agreement with a new owner who will hold a 90% stake in the club. From Saudi Arabia, Ali al Faraj, has made his mark as a billionaire through the work with his company Falcondrone Limited. Under the new regime, the club expects to have at least $50 million dollars pumped into the club, catching them up with some expenses. Portsmouth allegedly had some financial skeletons come out of the closet last week. The club revealed that Portsmouth’s executives and players did not receive their salaries on time, creating some turmoil that is unacceptable in professional sports.