Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has claimed “dark forces” are preventing the club from becoming a football “powerhouse” after it said an HMRC investigation into its tax affairs has been dropped. Ashley’s comments came just hours after it was revealed Newcastle have taken the Premier League to the Competition Appeal Tribunal over the collapse of the takeover of the club last year. The claim says the Premier League “prevented, or hindered, the proposed takeover and knew that its actions would prevent and/or delay the proposed takeover”. Ashley bought the Magpies for £134.4million in 2007, but has been trying to sell it for much of the time since. The CAT is a specialist judicial body which hears and decides cases involving competition or economic regulatory issues.

Source: Express May 06, 2021 17:48 UTC