Sunderland will face Saudi Arabian opposition Al Shabab in Friendly (poll in Parsnip)

[Roker Mackem]

So if say Sartori is getting someone in from Saudi involved in the club (hypothetically of course) youd be ok with that?


Well he is an official of Saudi to another country so I'd say so yes

I mean this week Poland summoned the Russian ambassador. So he must be high profile official surely?

Someone from Saudi? Probably uncomfortable with it. A murderer from Saudi? Different thing completely.

 

[Skylon]

Really?
What apart from this game makes you think that?
Has he said he is looking to sell?
Just genuinley interested to know how you come to that view.

Looking for investment, not selling

 

[Guinness Guzzler]

I have supported this club since my mother took me to my first game 40 years ago, following her father taking her to her first game many decades before that. I was looking forward to my 3 year old becoming the 4th generation of my family to love "their" club.

I cannot possibly convey how disappointed I am to find myself in a position where to do that I have to accept that the club has decided on a course of action which, however indirectly, will assist the inhuman regime ruling Saudi Arabia.

That regime has clearly embarked upon a worldwide campaign of image enhancement which obviously includes, or even focuses on, sports. To become involved in that campaign, to partake in it, is absolutely to lend it approval and facilitate every piece of suffering, torture and death it is designed to hide.

I find myself powerless, the option is to accept the club is now a tool available for hire to despots or walk away after 3 generations, perhaps slinging off one email to the club to be added to deleted items so I feel I at least tried to do something.

Without a doubt a load of folk are gonna think its an overreaction and its just a tiny bit of our soul we'd be selling but to be honest i quite like that bit of my soul.

Its up to you, of course, but that seems like a massive overreaction. Playing a friendly against a Saudi side (likely because there weren't many other options) isn't, even indirectly, assisting the ruling regime of Saudi Arabia. Neither does it mean we're partaking in it or facilitating it. If it was Saudi state money being injected into the club it would be a very different matter, but that's miles away from playing a friendly against a random Saudi side. A friendly that isn't going to be in any way lucrative for either party and will be very low key.

Its a tone deaf decision, but talk of walking away from the club because of it?

 

[Norton]

Its up to you, of course, but that seems like a massive overreaction. Playing a friendly against a Saudi side (likely because there weren't many other options) isn't, even indirectly, assisting the ruling regime of Saudi Arabia. Neither does it mean we're partaking in it or facilitating it. If it was Saudi state money being injected into the club it would be a very different matter, but that's miles away from playing a friendly against a random Saudi side. A friendly that isn't going to be in any way lucrative for either party and will be very low key.

Its a tone deaf decision, but talk of walking away from the club because of it?

eerr 32 countries have no top flight games for 3 weeks. We could have a) flown somewhere else in the world that does not have Human rights issues b) not chosen a fukin Saudi team as opposition.

I have supported this club since my mother took me to my first game 40 years ago, following her father taking her to her first game many decades before that. I was looking forward to my 3 year old becoming the 4th generation of my family to love "their" club.

I cannot possibly convey how disappointed I am to find myself in a position where to do that I have to accept that the club has decided on a course of action which, however indirectly, will assist the inhuman regime ruling Saudi Arabia.

That regime has clearly embarked upon a worldwide campaign of image enhancement which obviously includes, or even focuses on, sports. To become involved in that campaign, to partake in it, is absolutely to lend it approval and facilitate every piece of suffering, torture and death it is designed to hide.

I find myself powerless, the option is to accept the club is now a tool available for hire to despots or walk away after 3 generations, perhaps slinging off one email to the club to be added to deleted items so I feel I at least tried to do something.

Without a doubt a load of folk are gonna think its an overreaction and its just a tiny bit of our soul we'd be selling but to be honest i quite like that bit of my soul.

With you on this. It is disgusting. Easy for me as I live in Germany but I wont travel to another game with these in charge if this game goes ahead. I have sent an email, it will make no difference, the club have morons in charge, Morons with no idea how the fan base feels. Morons with no morals. Fuck them.

 

[frenchduke]

what a fuss over nothing ffs, we happen to be in that part of the world, what has this team got to do with the Saudi government?

from what I’ve read it looks like club’s biggest financial backer, main supporter and person the stadium is named after worked for the government military and led a campaign that was responsible of a bombing of Yemen in 2009 that killed a thousand people?

Aye it’s just a game and it isnt the same as being owned by the state, and of course you do want to avoid tarring everyone with the same brush, but why do we need to align ourselves with this kind of stuff at all? it’s really uncomfortable and it’s tone deaf

 

[Julio Mackemo]

Already had Mags on to me.... FFS

 

[Norton]

People just love being outraged these days don't they. Assume all those complaining will be careful to make sure they're fuelling their cars with non-Saudi petrol.

Its nothing more than a training game lads ffs. Zero financial/commercial benefit to either side. People need to get a grip.

We do not have the money to spend on something to keep our fans safe in the North stand but we are off on a jolly to Dubai to play a team from Saudi Arabia. Absolutely stinks mate. As for the stupid petrol analogy, do you choose where the government gets petol from?

 

[Guinness Guzzler]

eerr 32 countries have no top flight games for 3 weeks. We could have a) flown somewhere else in the world that does not have Human rights issues b) not chosen a fukin Saudi team as opposition.

With you on this. It is disgusting. Easy for me as I live in Germany but I wont travel to another game with these in charge if this game goes ahead. I have sent an email, it will make no difference, the club have morons in charge, Morons with no idea how the fan base feels. Morons with no morals. Fuck them.

We could have chosen not to fly there. But once we did, we were tied into that one week. We were going to play someone else (Stoke) but something caused it not to go ahead. At that point there will have been limited options in terms of who was a) in that location and b) was ready to have a friendly in terms of time until their next match and c) hadn't already arranged one with someone else. I agree we should have gone to a different place, but this Saudi opposition wasn't our first choice and were likely one of the few options when the other game didn't go ahead. They still probably shouldn't have arranged it, but it's hardly walking away from the club stuff is it?

 

[I am Boss]

We could have chosen not to fly there. But once we did, we were tied into that one week. We were going to play someone else (Stoke) but something caused it not to go ahead. At that point there will have been limited options in terms of who was a) in that location and b) was ready to have a friendly in terms of time until their next match and c) hadn't already arranged one with someone else. I agree we should have gone to a different place, but this Saudi opposition wasn't our first choice and were likely one of the few options when the other game didn't go ahead. They still probably shouldn't have arranged it, but it's hardly walking away from the club stuff is it?

Guessing by your opinion we can't be relying on a strong response from RAWA then

 

[Norton]

We could have chosen not to fly there. But once we did, we were tied into that one week. We were going to play someone else (Stoke) but something caused it not to go ahead. At that point there will have been limited options in terms of who was a) in that location and b) was ready to have a friendly in terms of time until their next match and c) hadn't already arranged one with someone else. I agree we should have gone to a different place, but this Saudi opposition wasn't our first choice and were likely one of the few options wren the other game didn't go ahead. They still probably shouldn't have arranged it, but it's hardly walking away from the club stuff is it?

Planning to fly to Dubai and all the costs involved (have they bought a net yet?) without having a back-up plan other than Stoke? Stoke who took our manager a few weeks ago? As i said shit planning, but no surprise whatsoever.

 

[CaptainRed]

I knew this hypocrisy would come back to bite us on the arse one day, although I'll admit I didn't expect it to happen so soon, which now explains my stance on their takeover.

The problem for me was always the money they had behind them, not that they were Saudi backed.

 

[foghorn]

Yup. Most of our fans think the same

Do you mean most of the fans on here.....well not me ...total over reaction from those on the moral high ground

 

[cluffy]

Stoke?
Story just gets sillier and sillier.
Fckin hell.

 

[Guinness Guzzler]

Guessing by your opinion we can't be relying on a strong response from RAWA then

Why would you think that? RAWA represent the views of their members. I've already commented to the board members of RAWA that various people have been in touch criticising the decision and that a vast majority of the support seems to be completely against it. I said that, as such, I'd expect us to bring it up with the club so that they are aware of the strength of feeling. Whether the RAWA board want to go further would be something for them to decide and would again likely be based on the strength of feeling of the members

My personal opinion doesn't matter in that regard and no doubt won't be shared by all at RAWA. And anyway, my opinion is that we shouldn't have arranged the friendly and shouldn't have been flying there in the first place. I'm just pointing out that the club, whilst making a very tone deaf decision, probably didn't have a huge number of options when finalising the fixture. I don't think it's too outlandish to say that, whilst a daft decision, and one they shouldn't have taken, it's nowt like the mags being bought and used by the Saudi state, and to most people wouldn't be a reason to walk away from the club.

 

[Safc98]

I knew this hypocrisy would come back to bite us on the arse one day, although I'll admit I didn't expect it to happen so soon, which now explains my stance on their takeover.

The problem for me was always the money they had behind them, not that they were Saudi backed.

Mag

 

[CaptainRed]

Mag

 

[Hampshire makem]

Had they arranged a behind closed doors fixture without any publication of it then it may have been understandable if they thought it was the most competitive opposition available at that time. To publicise it? Absolutely minging

But surely to f**k SAFC know the feelings the fans have about the saudi regime taking over the scum to realise that organising a game against a team from
that country whether it has or has no links to the regime would have this very reaction mindbogling really

 

[DrManhattan]

I knew this hypocrisy would come back to bite us on the arse one day, although I'll admit I didn't expect it to happen so soon, which now explains my stance on their takeover.

The problem for me was always the money they had behind them, not that they were Saudi backed.

Not biting me on the arse - I’ve made my opinion clear on the friendly.

 

[Norton]

But surely to f**k SAFC know the feelings the fans have about the saudi regime taking over the scum to realise that organising a game against a team from
that country whether it has or has no links to the regime would have this very reaction mindbogling really

They obviously don't give a shit about our thoughts or safety.

 

[HoxtonMackem]

And what are the training facilities like in the Canaries and Greece compared to Dubai? It’s not a holiday ffs.

'Facilities?'

We've gone to Spain many times over the recent years and it has been completely adequate man .

I just don't see what benefit flying 6 hours is, at double the expense at least, to the UAE for a training camp and break for the players when the same can be done nearer the UK and for cheaper.