The NSNO Everton Forums

AjaxAndy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 3:11 pm I think even if not for my son being a Newcastle supporter I'd have enjoyed them winning because it just means so much more to their fans and players... There's genuine joy all around here today kids have been allowed in to school wearing footy kits, people at the golf course all talking about it, local friends on Facebook absolutely buzzing. So much better than one of the established elite pretending they're happy about winning something they not so secretly believe is actually beneath them as a club.

They are owned by Saudi Arabia.

They’re the richest football club to ever exist. They’re now a part of the established elite.

Those fans should be more than wary about the direction their club is headed.

There is no good news story here. It’s a disgrace whats happening over there and their fans should be ashamed at what they’re letting happen.

I’m baffled at how many people I’m seeing making out this is some sort of fairytale story. It’s anything but.

TheRam wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 3:50 pm They are owned by Saudi Arabia.

They’re the richest football club to ever exist. They’re now a part of the established elite.

Those fans should be more than wary about the direction their club is headed.

There is no good news story here. It’s a disgrace whats happening over there and their fans should be ashamed at what they’re letting happen.

I’m baffled at how many people I’m seeing making out this is some sort of fairytale story. It’s anything but.

I agree but on an individual fan level, especially for kids, it's still an amazing story.

Which kind of exposes one of the problems with following a football team: what gives? Are you willing to trade morality for the feeling of genuine community it gives? I honestly don't know where my line is, I'd like to believe quite close to the morality side but I won't really know until it's tested. We can definitely see though that for the vast majority of football fans it's on the other end of the spectrum.

TheRam wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 3:50 pm They are owned by Saudi Arabia.

They’re the richest football club to ever exist. They’re now a part of the established elite.

Those fans should be more than wary about the direction their club is headed.

There is no good news story here. It’s a disgrace whats happening over there and their fans should be ashamed at what they’re letting happen.

I’m baffled at how many people I’m seeing making out this is some sort of fairytale story. It’s anything but.

I mean I completely understand the Saudi issues but I'm not going to deny my 10 year old his happiness because of something out of his control.

I could have forced him to support Everton but we were owned by a Russian Oligarch so the moral high ground would have been pretty fucking shallow.

I'm happy for him, I'm happy for the fans because I'm not willing to lump them all in with the crackpots that turned up in Saudi costumes when it was announced etc. Most fans just want to enjoy watching their team rather than get deep in to the international political situations of their owners when powerless to do anything about it... Let them have their day in the sun FFS.

Can't be arsed with fans being held accountable for what wealthy people do behind the scenes and the premier league allow. I don't think many fans of other teams have much of a leg to stand on with criticism given their own ownership histories and inability to change it.

My issue with Newcastle fans is they were all over Mike Ashley's dealings and twatness yet when the actual evil people come to own their club... Nothing.

AjaxAndy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 4:59 pm I mean I completely understand the Saudi issues but I'm not going to deny my 10 year old his happiness because of something out of his control.

I could have forced him to support Everton but we were owned by a Russian Oligarch so the moral high ground would have been pretty fucking shallow.

I'm happy for him, I'm happy for the fans because I'm not willing to lump them all in with the crackpots that turned up in Saudi costumes when it was announced etc. Most fans just want to enjoy watching their team rather than get deep in to the international political situations of their owners when powerless to do anything about it... Let them have their day in the sun FFS.

Can't be arsed with fans being held accountable for what wealthy people do behind the scenes and the premier league allow. I don't think many fans of other teams have much of a leg to stand on with criticism given their own ownership histories and inability to change it.

Surely you can see how this differs from anything we’ve seen in the premier league before?

Unfortunately for them, the forgone the right to separate the politics from the football when they had mehrdad ghodoussi lift the trophy last night.

I’m more than happy to generalise and call out the vast majority of Newcastle fans who have celebrated and defended an oppressive regime running their football club.

I’d like to think our fans would have more moral fibre to act that way, but we’d probably be the same which is really sad.

These clubs are massive parts of working peoples live and communities and they’re being taken over by scumbags who want to use them as nothing more than a geopolitical pawn to distract from all the horrors they commit. It’s called sportswashing for a reason.

TheRam wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:00 pm Surely you can see how this differs from anything we’ve seen in the premier league before?

Unfortunately for them, the forgone the right to separate the politics from the football when they had mehrdad ghodoussi lift the trophy last night.

I’m more than happy to generalise and call out the vast majority of Newcastle fans who have celebrated and defended an oppressive regime running their football club.

I’d like to think our fans would have more moral fibre to act that way, but we’d probably be the same which is really sad.

These clubs are massive parts of working peoples live and communities and they’re being taken over by scumbags who want to use them as nothing more than a geopolitical pawn to distract from all the horrors they commit. It’s called sportswashing for a reason.

They beat the shite in a cup final. We know they are owned by utter cunts, but find me any Premier League Club that does not have an utter cunt pulling the strings in the background.
Let's just enjoy the silence from across the park for a little bit.

74Blue wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:27 pm They beat the shite in a cup final. We know they are owned by utter cunts, but find me any Premier League Club that does not have an utter cunt pulling the strings in the background.
Let's just enjoy the silence from across the park for a little bit.

You’re right.

Jim ratcliffe and the Saudi state are the same.

TheRam wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:30 pm You’re right.

Jim ratcliffe and the Saudi state are the same.

We were all up in arms when we were spending Uncle Al's money weren't we?

74Blue wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:33 pm We were all up in arms when we were spending Uncle Al's money weren't we?

I was, yeah.

Still, there’s a world of difference between that and what’s happening at Newcastle.

TheRam wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:34 pm I was, yeah.

Still, there’s a world of difference between that and what’s happening at Newcastle.

Ah, so you were one of the thousands of protestors demanding that we hand the money back when USM were awarded first dibs on naming rights for our shiny new stadium in return for a big sackful of blood money? You were one of the massive group who chose to boycott Goodison, rather than countenance the sudden appearance of Megafon advertising all around the stadium?

...thought not. Yes, you were truly up in arms over is having a mega rich Ogliarch washing his I'll gotten gains through the club. In fact, you were so incensed, you were even tempted to write a strongly worded letter to the Guardian.

Truth is, when Usmanov was dropping money left, right and centre into Everton Football Club, we all knew it was dirty cash. We were all complicit in it and only started to give a shit when he was sanctioned and we were left well and truly in financial shit!

TheRam wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:00 pm Surely you can see how this differs from anything we’ve seen in the premier league before?

Unfortunately for them, the forgone the right to separate the politics from the football when they had mehrdad ghodoussi lift the trophy last night.

I’m more than happy to generalise and call out the vast majority of Newcastle fans who have celebrated and defended an oppressive regime running their football club.

I’d like to think our fans would have more moral fibre to act that way, but we’d probably be the same which is really sad.

These clubs are massive parts of working peoples live and communities and they’re being taken over by scumbags who want to use them as nothing more than a geopolitical pawn to distract from all the horrors they commit. It’s called sportswashing for a reason.

Different shades of shit isn't it... Easy to ignore your own club's dealings and say 'well it wasn't as bad as this though' whilst ignoring the fact whilst worse you're comparing Saudi ruling to Oligarch with strong ties to Putin. At what level do this would you hand in your season ticket, Russian human rights or Middle Eastern?

You've also mentioned how clubs are the beating heart of communities but think they shouldn't be allowed to celebrate because of something out of their control. I don't get that argument.

Football is the ultimate form of escapism, you're never going to convince people to think deeply about stuff they can't control... They just want to go and do what's been down for generations and cheer their heroes on and forget about life for a while. The ire generated about ownerships needs to be focused on the premier league and wider society as to why stuff like this can happen.

AjaxAndy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 7:24 pm Different shades of shit isn't it... Easy to ignore your own club's dealings and say 'well it wasn't as bad as this though' whilst ignoring the fact whilst worse you're comparing Saudi ruling to Oligarch with strong ties to Putin. At what level do this would you hand in your season ticket, Russian human rights or Middle Eastern?

You've also mentioned how clubs are the beating heart of communities but think they shouldn't be allowed to celebrate because of something out of their control. I don't get that argument.

Football is the ultimate form of escapism, you're never going to convince people to think deeply about stuff they can't control... They just want to go and do what's been down for generations and cheer their heroes on and forget about life for a while. The ire generated about ownerships needs to be focused on the premier league and wider society as to why stuff like this can happen.

Hmmm

You seen the human rights shit in Saudi??

Audrey Horne wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 8:13 pm Hmmm

You seen the human rights shit in Saudi??

Yes I'm in no way downplaying anything to do with Saudi Arabia, I very strongly oppose their regime.

Russian Oligarchs and Putin are also extremely grim is my point.

AjaxAndy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 8:17 pm Yes I'm in no way downplaying anything to do with Saudi Arabia, I very strongly oppose their regime.

Russian Oligarchs and Putin are also extremely grim is my point.

You’d have a point if Vladimir Putin was the one who owned Everton.

74Blue wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 6:52 pm Ah, so you were one of the thousands of protestors demanding that we hand the money back when USM were awarded first dibs on naming rights for our shiny new stadium in return for a big sackful of blood money? You were one of the massive group who chose to boycott Goodison, rather than countenance the sudden appearance of Megafon advertising all around the stadium?

...thought not. Yes, you were truly up in arms over is having a mega rich Ogliarch washing his I'll gotten gains through the club. In fact, you were so incensed, you were even tempted to write a strongly worded letter to the Guardian.

Truth is, when Usmanov was dropping money left, right and centre into Everton Football Club, we all knew it was dirty cash. We were all complicit in it and only started to give a shit when he was sanctioned and we were left well and truly in financial shit!

Massive whataboutary this mate.

If the old site was still going you can go and see my posts on Usmanov and what I thought of him being a part of Everton.

Even got pelters at the ground when I walked down to protest

Was one of the very few fans who thought we fully deserved the points deduction because of what I thought was rampant corruption within the club.

My conscience is clear.

But there’s still a world of difference between that and what’s happening at Newcastle.

Newcastle are part of a wide sportswashing movement designed to detract from what is an incredibly oppressive regime.

Their owners make decisions that oppress women, oppress people of the LGBTQ community, commits war crimes and kills journalists who dare to speak out, among many other things.

This is so far from the underdog, fairytale story people think it is.

It’s one of the worst things to happen in the game.