Newcastle fans against sports washing to protest outside Saudi Arabia friendly at St James’ Park
Newcastle fans against sports cleaning demonstrate outside the St. James’ Park match versus Saudi Arabia.
A group of Newcastle United supporters plan to stage a protest outside St James’ Park ahead of Saudi Arabia’s friendly against Costa Rica on Friday.
Confirmation that Newcastle’s 52,000-seater stadium was due to host two Saudi friendlies, the other being against South Korea, in September was met with outrage.
NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing (NUFCFAS) – staunch critics of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) purchasing the club in 2021 – is co-ordinating a protest and has urged people to meet outside the Alan Shearer statue at 7.15pm, 45 minutes before the game kicks off.
One poster states: “Don’t let the Saudi dictatorship use our city to divert attention away from their crimes” and “Stand against Saudi sportswashing”.
In July, an NUFCFAS spokesperson told i that the friendlies were “the final nail in the coffin in the idea that PIF’s ownership of Newcastle United isn’t about promoting Saudi Arabia to the world”.
The group demanded the FA block the proposed games, advice the governing body did not heed.
They also requested that Newcastle City council cancel the games, but a spokesperson for the council admitted “the city council has no powers to intervene in sporting matches or events at St James’ Park”.
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