Newcastle United fans opposed to the club's Saudi Arabian owners are set to hold a protest outside St James' Park ahead of the clash with Chelsea. It is the first public protest organised by NUFC Against Sportswashing, a campaign group which has steadily been gaining traction on social media.
Eddie Howe's side host the Blues on Saturday evening for their final Premier League fixture before the World Cup break. Headlines after the reverse fixture in March were dominated by news the Saudi state had carried out 81 executions.
Thousands will descend upon St James' Park to see if Newcastle can open up a nine-point gap over Chelsea in their surprise bid for a top-four spot. But for a minority of long-time fans, their focus will be on gathering by the Sir Bobby Robson statue more than an hour ahead of kick-off to hold a silent protest against the continued involvement of the Public Investment Fund.
