With the vast majority of National League North fixtures postponed this coming weekend due to many teams featuring in the fourth qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup, Gateshead FC’s official betting partner, WhichBookie.co.uk, takes a look at the biggest news story of last week which saw fellow North East side Newcastle United become one of the richest football clubs in the world overnight.
Whether you support them or not, it’s fair to say that life as a Newcastle United fan hasn’t been plain sailing over the past decade. They’ve had a handful of highs and a bucket full of lows but the future looks bright with the long-awaited takeover confirmed last week and Mike Ashley’s 14-year tenure coming to an end.
The club was originally put up for sale in 2008, although no buyer could be found, and after several managers and two relegations into the Championship, the future wasn’t looking bright for the club.
In 2017, NUFC was put up for sale again and after an initial failed bid by Yorkshire-born businesswoman Amanda Staveley, it was announced in 2020 that she was part of a new group that included businessmen brothers Simon & David Reuben and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Advanced talks on the takeover got Newcastle fans excited but yet again, it would amount to nothing as the Premier League blocked the deal due to complications with media group beIN Sports.
However, fast forward another 13 months and the deal was back on and within days of it being announced as a possibility, Newcastle United Football Club had new owners.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns 80% of the club and has a reported wealth of around £320 billion which makes them the richest football club owners in the world. In comparison, Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour has around £23.3 billion in wealth and Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich, £9.6 billion.
So, what does the future hold for Newcastle United Football Club?
In the long term, the possibilities are endless. With the funds that are available, Newcastle could potentially attract the biggest names in football in future years but for now, there are bigger issues to focus on.
The new owners may have just splashed out over £300 million with the vision to take the club to heights never experienced in the North East but the reality is that they’re currently in the midst of a relegation battle.
Newcastle’s season has gotten off to a rough start and they now find themselves winless in their first seven matches and second-bottom with a tally of three points.
No doubt the new owners will be eyeing up potential signings when the January transfer window opens up but for now, it is up to the current squad to move the club away from the danger zone which starts with a tricky clash against Tottenham on Sunday at St James’ Park.
Antonio Conte and Frank Lampard are two managers with Premier League experience who have been linked with the club in recent days along with players such as Gareth Bale, Philippe Coutinho, Edinson Cavani and the PSG duo Keylor Navas and Mauro Icardi.
Newcastle United’s squad is set for drastic changes in the seasons to come which has prompted bookmakers to offer some interesting betting markets.
Bookmaker William Hill have released some unique betting options on the club’s future achievements including the following:
- Newcastle United To Win Premier League 2022/23: 100/1
- Newcastle To Finish top 4 In The 2022/23 Premier League: 10/1
- Newcastle To Win Premier League By End Of 2026/27 Season: 7/1
- Newcastle To Win Champions League by End of 2026/27 Season: 33/1
- Steve Bruce to still be Newcastle Manager at Christmas 2021: 5/1
- Newcastle To Break World Transfer Record (199.8m) by December 2025: 6/1
- Newcastle to Break English Transfer Record (100m) in 2022 Summer Transfer Window: 10/1
- Newcastle To Win Premier League & Champions League In The Same Season by End of 2030/31 Season: 50/1
Without any confirmed signings, it’s hard to see any value in the bets. There’s no doubt that signings will be made in both January and the summers to come but it will take time to attract the best players in the world should the club get the opportunity to do so.
However, if they remain in the Premier League, their squad next season is likely to be unrecognisable from today’s which should provide a solid building block to reach new highs for the club.
For now, Newcastle fans will be looking forward to brighter futures and the reclaimed hope in the city that the takeover has provided.
