Newcastle ask fans to ditch ‘culturally inappropriate’ Arab-style clothing
Newcastle have asked fans celebrating the club’s Saudi-backed takeover not to wear Arab-style clothing for matches in case it causes offence to others.
Some fans wore traditional robes and others headdresses for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham, the Magpies’ first under their new owners.
A club statement said: “Newcastle United is kindly asking supporters to refrain from wearing traditional Arabic clothing or Middle East-inspired head coverings at matches if they would not ordinarily wear such attire.”
Sympathy for Bruce, anger at Newcastle fans and more mails….
The statement added: “A number of supporters have recently attended St James’ Park wearing associated head coverings and robes, marking the takeover of the club by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media.
“No-one among the new ownership group was in any way offended by the attire of the fans who chose to celebrate in this way. It was a gesture that was acknowledged as positive and welcoming in its intent.
“However, there remains the possibility that dressing this way is culturally inappropriate and risks causing offence to others.
“All visitors to the club are, as always, encouraged to wear whatever is the norm for their own culture or religion, continuing to reflect the broad and rich multicultural communities and groups from which the club proudly draws its support.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle fans were in no mood to mourn Steve Bruce’s departure after his ill-fated reign drew to a close on Wednesday.
There was backing for Bruce from current and former players, but supporters’ groups dismayed by his appointment as Rafael Benitez’s successor during the summer of 2019 insisted his exit in the wake of Sunday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat by Tottenham – his 1,000th game as a manager – was inevitable.
Joe Moore, a spokesperson for Toon For Change, told the PA news agency: “It’s been long overdue, to be honest. He was really the uninvited guest at the party on Sunday and it’s been a dark cloud hanging over what is seemingly a bright future.
“The reason so many people didn’t want him from the start was because his record speaks for itself. It’s 1,000 games of failure and mediocrity.”
Bruce parted company with the club he supported as a boy after 25 months at the helm having endured intense and sustained criticism, with many fans calling for his head once again at the weekend in the first fixture under the club’s new owners.
But asked if he had any sympathy for the former Manchester United defender, Moore said: “There’s an argument to be had for the human side, but ultimately we just look at Steve Bruce as a manager and to be blunt, he hasn’t been good enough.”