Last night’s loss to Tottenham marked another low in the story of Newcastle United. The official attendance was 20,577, which meant that a lot of Geordies spent one less evening of their miserable, meaningless lives inside St. James’ Park. This says a lot, and perhaps signals a sea-change in North-East sensibilities. This refusal to even witness such tasteless fodder is akin to turning away when driving past an especially gruesome accident sight.
Off the field, and away from the terraces, comes even more diabolical news that a Nigerian consortium has indicated its interest in buying the club. Now, I know enough about Nigeria to suggest that this is a Red Herring of the Utterly Red Variety.
Indeed, the Nigerian consortium’s “frontman”, Chris Nathaniel, went so far as to protest, ever so loudly, and before any stone has been cast, that
“It’s a serious offer, they’re very serious business people and passionate football fans.
“We’re still at the early stages, but hopefully in the next 48 hours we’ll be in a position to make a statement and take the situation further.”
Nigerians in control of Newcastle? A perfect match. Or, as they say in Lagos, a perfect 419.
