Football News: Newcastle United fans slam EPL chief Richard Masters

English Premier League CEO Richard Masters has come under fire from both Newcastle United fans and Amnesty International over the handling of a failed Saudi-backed bid to take over the club. The four-month takeover saga came to an end on Thursday after a consortium consisting of Saudi Arabia's public investment fund (PIF), the British-based Reuben Brothers and PCP Capital Partners announced they were pulling out of a 300-million (UK) pound deal to take over the north-east England club from the current owner, British retail tycoon Mike Ashley. Newcastle United’s first Fan Liaison Officer, Steve Wraith, told SNTV on Friday that Richard Masters was “the villain of the piece” for thwarting major investment in his club. The bid was complicated by the World Trade Organisation recently ruling that Saudi Arabia failed to stop a broadcasting operation pirating sports coverage — including Premier League games — and blocked moves to shut it down because of an economic and diplomatic dispute with Qatar. Amnesty International had also asked the Premier League to block the bid, saying that Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, who oversees the sovereign wealth fund, had been involved in a crackdown on human rights in the country. Newcastle United fans are unhappy with the Premier League CEO Richard Masters for not backing the Magpies to have a powerful Saudi-backed ownership.