Amanda Staveley is the financier behind a proposal to take over Newcastle United for 340 million. She has asked the government to urgently make the Premier League's decision about the club's future ownership transparent.After their failed bid of 340m last year, the financier is leading a possible takeover of Tyneside club.Staveley sent an open letter on Sunday to Tracey Crouch, former Conservative sports minister. He accused the Premier League's lack of transparency around the deal.The club is frustrated by the inability to get updates about the process. Staveley said that it was in the best interest of the government to improve transparency within the organization and make all discussions around ownership of football public.Staveley said that he wrote a letter asking the government and the football regulators to ensure that issues related to sporting governance and arbitrage around sport were made public."We believe this is important for fans and especially for all stakeholders in sport. Transparency in sport is what we seek."I reached out to Oliver Dowden, Nigel Huddlestone and sent them a letter earlier today [Monday].] We haven't heard back but Tracey replied very quickly."We asked Mr Dowden for the same issues that I raised with Tracey to be taken to the heart of the government and we want the government to join our request to Premier League to have these processes possibly in public."We don't know anything about arbitration. We can't participate in the arbitration. And we don't understand what's happening. It's possible to get a better understanding of what's happening and how we handle it by having it in public."I don’t get why transparency is a problem for major companies. First, I must say that I love the Premier League. Naturally, I want to be a part of it."We should be proud of the Premier League. However, with an institution as important to Britain and the UK as the Premier League, it is important that there is transparency about the decisions made by regulators."Unless journalists, and especially fans, are able examine the materials in these forums, we will never be able see the real behind-the scenes."Ms. Staveley criticized the use of confidential arbitration to resolve football disputes in her letter. She then added: "One might legitimately ask why that model has been favoured so much by those responsible for regulating it if they have absolutely nothing to hide."Image: Mike Ashley, Newcastle United's owner, was frustrated at the Premier League's handling Staveley’s takeover offerMike Ashley, Newcastle club owner, demanded transparency from the Premier League regarding the handling of the failed bid and urged them to make the arbitration process public.Staveley stated that he sympathizes with Mike's situation. He's been tireless in trying to sell the club. He made a very public statement. I can recall seeing him on Sky two years ago and thinking, "okay, there's really a chance for us to purchase Newcastle."He said, "I will sell the club. I need a buyer who has deep pockets. It's not about me having the money in my pocket, it is about who will pay the cash to Newcastle."He's done everything that fans asked him to do but he still can't reach the goal. He is disappointed that I said the same thing to him in April last year when we reached a legal agreement. And here we are 15 months later, still not there. I can understand his position.The club is expected to initiate independent arbitration proceedings as early as this month.The Premier League maintained that it did not reject PCP's offer, but instead concluded that the PIF was controlled by the Kingdom Saudi Arabia. This verdict effectively stopped the takeover.Ms. Staveley's letter addressed to Ms Crouch, former sports minister, includes her most vocal comments about the proposed takeover.She wrote in it: "Fans certainly deserve absolute transparency from regulators across all of their processes - so that they can act responsibly."They perform a function similar to that of a government regulator, but without the same accountability systems.Ms Staveley stated that now was "a chance for Newcastle United bid participants to be seen taking a strong stance, just like the government did so decisively and effectively in the European Super League disaster".She told Ms Crouch that there was a real urgency, as the NUFC arbitration hearing is scheduled to take place in this month."We need to intervene immediately to bring the matter out in the open."It seems likely that this would be enough for those involved to behave more responsibly and signal that the government is ready to take effective action in the country's best interests.Ms. Staveley pursued Newcastle for over three years and had previously agreed to a takeover agreement with Mr Ashley in 2020.The Premier League declined to comment.
