Newcastle can now sign Saudi sponsors with EPL approval

By ROB HARRIS
AP Global Soccer Writer

LONDON (AP) — Newcastle’s Saudi ownership can start signing up sponsors from the kingdom after new English Premier League rules were introduced to end the brief ban on clubs bringing in such deals. It was rushed through temporarily in October after the Saudi state’s sovereign wealth fund bought Newcastle. But Premier League clubs agreed at a meeting on Tuesday to introduce rules that mean sponsorships from companies associated with a club’s owners can resume but have to be approved by the competition’s board. The league will assess if deals such as jersey sponsorships and stadium naming rights have been negotiated at a fair value.