The £300million Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United might be the last of its kind after the UK Government backed an independent regulator for English football. A fan-led review chaired by former sports minister Tracey Crouch had been ongoing since the fallout of the European Super League last year.
Other areas of scrutiny include club ownership following the collapse of Bury and Derby County’s well-documented financial difficulties. At the other end of the scale, moral questions regarding the new regime at St James’ Park surfaced upon completion of the deal in October. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s alleged ties with Vladimir Putin also heightened calls to enforce a more rigorous owners’ and directors’ test.
A new regulator - expected to be in place by 2024 - will apply an ‘enhanced’ test to analyse whether potential owners are of a certain level of integrity.
