RIATH AL-SAMARRAI Why the Saudis' LIV shutdown scares St James' Park
RIATH AL-SAMARRAI Why warns that the Saudis' abrupt termination of the LIV golf project, coupled with an inexperienced manager and a squad stripped of its best players at St James' Park, leaves Newcastle United fans facing a daunting fresh start.
LIV project faces abrupt end
The LIV finale in Indianapolis is set to conclude on Sunday evening, just as Newcastle and Liverpool finish their fixtures. The tournament, more than a competition, represents a league‑wide concept that now faces a possible death after the final putt at Chatham Hills. Saudis' funding will stop, leaving the sport hanging across the Atlantic.
RIATH AL-SAMARRAI, CHIEF SPORTS FEATURE WRITER, noted in August that early 2026 saw Yasir Al‑Rumayyan promise endless cash to the golfers, calling LIV his ‘f****** baby’. That assurance vanished when a henchman delivered the news that the money tap had been turned off. How the Saudi sovereign wealth fund will react now is the big question.
Newcastle's precarious start
Newcastle United enter the new season with Matthias Jaissle, an inexperienced manager, and a squad stripped of its best players, while Liverpool sit first up the schedule. The club’s chairman, Yasir Al‑Rumayyan, controls the Saudi Public Investment Fund and may reassess support if results worsen. St James' Park fans are left to wonder whether the Saudis will tolerate a decline.
Earlier this summer the PIF hinted at selling a minority stake in Newcastle to ease the burden of a stalled stadium purchase. A new training ground was announced on Thursday, a sign of commitment amid a summer described as messy, slow and embarrassing. That development sits alongside broader Sport concerns about Saudi spending priorities.
Eddie Howe’s departure removed the club’s difference‑maker, and Bruno Guimaraes has already joined Arsenal. Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak and Joelinton have all signalled exits, while Hugo Ekitike was missed last year and Victor Munoz may line up for Liverpool on Sunday. Al and James both watch the exodus with growing alarm.
Bookmakers now list single‑figure odds for Newcastle’s relegation, a scenario many consider unlikely but increasingly plausible. The Saudis have shown a swift and brutal termination of LIV, adding pressure as the same investors have pulled back from other projects. FOR fans, the risk of a drop looms large.
WHY this matters is clear to investors. How Newcastle navigates this turbulence will determine whether the Saudi backers stay the course. The club must GO beyond short‑term fixes and secure stability before the season’s end. The broader implications reach far beyond football.