Sheffield Eagles are pleased to announce the signing of back-rower Nick Staveley on a deal until the end of the 2026 season The 21-year-old began his professional career with Hull FC making his debut in May 2023 during a Challenge Cup match against Castleford Tigers showcasing his versatility by playing both in the back row and as a prop Staveley also crossed for a try in Hull FC’s 28-24 victory over London Broncos last season in the Betfred Super League In addition to his Super League experience Staveley gained valuable game time on loan at Newcastle Thunder in the Betfred Championship where he made 13 appearances during the 2023 season After being released by Hull FC last month he recently spent time on trial with fellow Betfred Super League side Castleford Tigers Speaking on the arrival of our new signing Head Coach Craig Lingard said “I’m really pleased to get him in “He’s had a season out with an ACL injury which he got whilst he was at Hull but he was getting a run of games in their side at the start of last season and I’m excited to see what he can bring to us.” Fans can hear from Nick Staveley for the first time next week in an exclusive interview Staveley Road will be made one way southbound from Dunstall Road to Waterloo Road from Monday 13 January It follows calls for action from the community about vehicles often unable to pass each other resulting in congestion There have also been problems caused by pavement parking and the storage of goods and commercial waste containers along the street The one way system will allow for an improved flow of traffic and remove the need for pavement parking Loading restrictions and bollards will prevent obstruction of the highway at key locations Parking bays will be provided on the east side of Staveley Road and some sections of double yellow lines on both sides will be removed to allow a small increase in on street parking City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Green City said: “There has been a detailed assessment of the area and issues there and following public consultation we are now taking action to provide a safer free flowing environment for traffic and pedestrians it will allow more space for cars to park on the road removing the need for vehicles to park on the pavement “I would ask people to help by always parking your vehicle on the carriageway and in a marked bay observing parking and loading restrictions and storing waste containers on private land “We have listened to residents and businesses and we will continue to work closely with the community as we monitor traffic and safety in the area.” As part of the scheme Leicester Street will also be made one way westbound with some sections of double yellow lines removed to allow a small increase in on street parking Parking restrictions will also be implemented along the south side of Dunstall Road between Dunstall Hill and Staveley Road to improve the flow of traffic and safety for pedestrians There will also be an extension of the matchday parking permit scheme from 13 January covering more streets allowing residents to park outside their homes Drivers need a permit if parking within a designated parking zone when Wolves are playing at Molineux and during advertised events You can only apply for a matchday parking permit if you are a resident landlord or business owner of a property located within the matchday parking zone To see all the roads affected or for more information regarding matchday parking permits, please visit Events and Match day parking permits Residents will be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the updated restrictions across all affected streets over 2 weeks following implementation During this period warning notices will be issued however where drivers have parked in a way that is deemed dangerous Once the informative period is over fixed penalty notices will be issued to anyone parked contrary to restrictions NEWCASTLE have offered an olive branch to former directors Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi The Toon invited their former chiefs to Wembley on Sunday The pair left St James’ Park last summer after three years in the boardroom Staveley and hubby Ghodoussi also sold their six per cent stake in Newcastle to majority owners Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Reuben family Jamie Reuben is understood to have invited the couple to the Carabao Cup final as his guests in a sign they remain on good terms with the Toon hierarchy The club have also secured tickets for other members of the family described her departure from Newcastle last summer as “painful” But club sources emphasised she is still highly regarded there for her work in brokering the £305million takeover from hated owner Mike Ashley in late 2021 The couple were also there when Newcastle made the Carabao Cup final in 2023 Since leaving Newcastle, Staveley has been working with Qatari investors looking at buying a stake in Tottenham. She also helped broker the £210m sale of Manchester City in 2008 to Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour Newcastle are looking to win their first piece of silverware in 70 years against Arne Slot's side on Sunday Eddie Howe's side head Wembley with six days rest after edging West Ham 1-0 in the Prem on Monday their hopes might be boosted by Liverpool's Champions League exit on Tuesday Liverpool were forced to play 120 minutes of intense football before losing 4-1 on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ the Tottenham fanbase loses more Daniel Levy apologists With the Spurs’ chairman searching for fresh investment It would be fascinating to see what a Europa League triumph would do for Daniel Levy’s legacy in North London, especially one that coincides with Tottenham potentially finishing 17th in the Premier League Champions League qualification has never been more lucrative who are favoured under UEFA’s distribution for the new 36-team format ENIC will surely have to either money into the club make use of their revolving credit facility (their overdraft or hope whoever is in charge of football operations going into 2025-26 is able player-trade their way to a better squad without external funding Given what we’ve seen from Tottenham this season that would be a miraculous feat of alchemy Spurs will have had six permanent managers since the move away from White Hart Lane housed at a money-printing new stadium fit for one of the world’s best clubs Joe Lewis isn’t around to take responsibility following his conviction for insider trading in 2022 nor is any other senior figure from Tavistock Group the Bahamas-headquartered company that owns ENIC whose exco is staffed with Lewis and Levy family members Levy has the stadium debt set up perfectly while the club’s flagrantly commercial turn since 2019 has seen sponsorship and retail revenues boom Spurs have lurched from one idea to the next with no pay-off Perhaps fresh investment is the only way to deliver them Tottenham have been exploring external investment options for years Most of Levy’s personal wealth is tied up in Spurs ENIC meanwhile have departed somewhat from Spurs’ self-funding model in recent years with two separate equity injections totalling around £185m coming in 2022 and 2024 respectively They are reticent to put any more money in so are “looking to expand their capital base.” In layman’s terms Former Newcastle supremo Amanda Staveley has been linked with Tottenham The financier is said to have raised £500m for a new football project through her PCP Capital Partners investment vehicle Elsewhere, several groups and private individuals have been linked with full takeover offers. Perhaps most tantalisingly for fans, rumours of Qatari sovereign wealth’s interest in Spurs persist But there are opportunities elsewhere in football finance. AC Milan, for example, are expected to come on the market soon. Real Madrid meanwhile are looking to change their constitution to allow private investment. In the Premier League, most owners in the so-called Big Six will be looking for an exit at some stage. So how do Spurs, who Levy values at £3.75bn “The plus points of the future prospects of Spurs are that they are an elite club, even if its record in trophies suggests otherwise” says University of Liverpool football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire the big upgrades still need to be paid for as far as the stadium is concerned It’s a bit like buying a new house where they have just put in a sauna an extension – they will all be factored into the price “Daniel Levy is showing no interest in making Spurs attractive though a minority investor would want some kind of non-fiscal return on investment initially and given Levy’s tight grip on operations at Spurs that would be a relationship that would struggle to work “Spurs would be attractive but there are pricing issues and control issues Levy is the biggest asset and the biggest liability at that club in that sense.” Football club valuations have trended up and to the right for about a decade now Premier League clubs and their counterparts on the continent continue to lose money Even in the rare event that a club is consistently profitable the owners reinvest the surpluses in the business no one – except agents and players – is making any money Tottenham are held up as an example of one the best run clubs in Europe from a financial perspective but even they are now in the red Even accounting for non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortisation they are running a cash deficit each season So who in their right mind would invest £3.75bn to buy them The faith among investors is that clubs will one day turn a corner Most investors evangelise about how technology can help them scale businesses commercially and one day allow them to skim off the top of profits There is an increasing emphasis on bricks-and-mortar developments too with football clubs position at the centre of Disney Land-style complexes that generate revenues far higher than stadiums have done traditionally But the golden goose is surely cost controls discovery rights and central infrastructure funds would in tandem with the closed-loop system in American franchise sport Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are a weak They haven’t curbed wage and transfer inflations anywhere near as much as the Premier League or UEFA would have liked Until there is either a cultural change within football and a more disciplined collectivist class of investors emerge or stricter spending limits are imposed it’s hard to see how Spurs can justify a £3.75bn valuation The trump card, as ever, is sovereign wealth. For these funds, a return on investment is secondary to the prestige that owning a sporting institution delivers. That is why they are the golden ticket for those fans who want retail therapy in the transfer market, not a sustainable football club. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player accomplished UK fund manager Richard Staveley of Harwood Capital who runs the Rockwood Strategic investment trust takes me through his latest thoughts on the following: 00:00 Secret sauce behind Rockwood’s success.06:40 Capita13:35 Filtronic & how to value the stock19:05 Funding Circle24:00 Vanquis Banking32:55 Argentex38:50 RM43:00 Van Elle47:25 Flowtech Fluidpower52:25 James Fisher56:30 STV Group1:0:55 Kooth1:06:25 Pennant International1:10:35 Favourite stock idea for 2025 & portfolio management 0Disclaimer & Declaration of InterestThe information investment views and recommendations in this article are provided for general information purposes only Nothing in this article should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any financial product relating to any companies under discussion or to engage in or refrain from doing so or engaging in any other transaction Any opinions or comments are made to the best of the knowledge and belief of the writer but no responsibility is accepted for actions based on such opinions or comments Vox Markets may receive payment from companies mentioned for enhanced profiling or publication presence The writer may or may not hold investments in the companies under discussion Vox Markets Limited is registered in England with the Company Registration number 09172648 Registered address: First Floor Office Suite 3 Watch on YouTube 00:00 Secret sauce behind Rockwood’s success.06:40 Capita13:35 Filtronic & how to value the stock19:05 Funding Circle24:00 Vanquis Banking32:55 Argentex38:50 RM43:00 Van Elle47:25 Flowtech Fluidpower52:25 James Fisher56:30 STV Group1:0:55 Kooth1:06:25 Pennant International1:10:35 Favourite stock idea for 2025 & portfolio management ahead of the 13.2% gain in the FTSE Small Cap index Capita (CPI) the outsourcing group that once graced the FTSE 100 before plunging from a 785p peak in 2015 after announcing a ‘very positive’ £180m sale of software arm Capita One A new independent café has officially opened its doors in the Healthy Living Centre in Staveley – further boosting facilities for sports centre customers and residents The new outlet – called the ‘Coffee Stop’ – has been created on the ground floor of the Chesterfield Borough Council-owned leisure centre It is open seven days a week – serving a variety of hot and cold drinks and provides a new social place for sports centre customers Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: “This independent café is a great new addition to our centre and comes just weeks after the newly-refurbished gym was unveiled boasting a range of state-of-the-art fitness equipment a fitness class or watching your child’s swimming lesson can be as much about socialising and making new connections as it is about exercising – and the Coffee Stop provides the perfect place to meet up or enjoy a post-workout refreshment “We are delighted to welcome this local business into our centre The council had offered the opportunity for a leaseholder to take space in the ground floor of the centre on Barlow Road as part of its plans to both improve local facilities but to also make the best use of its buildings co-owners of the Coffee Stop and who also operate the popular café at Poolsbrook Country Park said: “We’re so excited to open our doors in the Healthy Living Centre and bring even more facilities for people to enjoy in this hub of the community “We’ve already got a great family of customers at our café in Poolsbrook Country Park and we hope everyone will love the opportunity to enjoy our relaxing atmosphere and tasty menu in this additional new venue “We’ve been working hard to get everything ready and to recruit some new team members – and we look forward to seeing customers old and new in our new home!” The café is open from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm on Saturdays and 9am to 5pm on Sundays Visit http://www.coffeestopcafe.com/ for more information and to view the menu Destination Chesterfield Coordinator (Investment and Marketing) Chesterfield is improving its standing as an attractive town for businesses and professionals Our businesses step up to support vital causes and breathe new life into community initiatives Ann Fomukong-Boden shares her excitement for a packed summer of events in Chesterfield Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Undefined cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads Preference cookies are used to store user preferences to provide content that is customized and convenient for the users like the language of the website or the location of the visitor Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Staveley has gained a new impressive landmark following the installation of the new Trans Pennine Bridge over the Chesterfield Canal The structure was lowered into place on Monday It spans 38 meters in length and weighs around 40 tons It replaces a brick bridge on what was originally the Great Central Railway The old bridge was knocked down about thirty years ago and since then users of the Trail have had to go on a ‘zig-zag up and down’ route They will now be able to go straight over the new bridge The project has been managed by the Chesterfield Canal Trust. It is the first phase of a £6 million canal restoration scheme. Most of the money will come from the Staveley Town Deal a £25.2 million investment in Staveley through the Government’s Towns Fund O’Brien Contractors readied the site and installed the massive bearing structures CTS Bridges delivered the two halves of the bridge on 8th October These were welded together and painted before the final lift took place The rest of the earthworks and finishing works will now be completed ready for the bridge to be opened to the public before the end of October Tony Mitchell commented: “The installation of the bridge marks the continuing works towards the reinstatement of the Chesterfield Canal and O’Brien Contractors are proud that we have been able to contribute to this.” Ivan Fomin said: “This is not only a huge milestone for the Chesterfield Canal Trust but also for the Staveley Town Deal Work to restore the Canal is one of our key projects and will help attract more visitors and improve outdoor facilities for residents There has a been a lot of hard work to get to this point and I want to thank all the staff and volunteers at the Trust for their efforts.” a length of canal will be reinstated under the bridge along with a new lock and another accommodation bridge at the bottom of Bellhouse Lane There will also be a pumping system and Bellhouse Basin will be restored The towpath will be upgraded to a multi-user trail stretching over two kilometres all the way across the Doe Lea Valley to Renishaw Finally, the whole area will be planted with wildlife friendly vegetation and a seating area will be installed for people to enjoy the tranquillity of the newly restored canal. You will be able to follow the progress of the works as they happen by going to the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s website. Publicity Officer for the Chesterfield Canal Trust said: “This is an incredibly important achievement for the Trust It proves to our supporters and to potential funders that we can take on huge engineering challenges and bring them to fruition We owe a great debt of thanks to our Development Manager who has been working on the whole project for four years and to Jon Lindley of Beyond consultants who has managed the bridge project with O’Brien’s.” Chesterfield Canal Trust supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Politicians and businesses are calling for government funding to help bring forward the Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route (CSRR) to ensure a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revitalise several former north Derbyshire mining communities is not missed Harworth Group and The Devonshire Group have both submitted planning applications to Chesterfield Borough Council to develop their respective parts of the former Staveley Works site which if fulfilled could generate an additional £205 million of spend per annum into the local economy The Devonshire Group is exploring how it can redevelop the adjacent former Staveley Chemical Works site for employment uses These proposals are dependent on the delivery of the Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route which if constructed will also unlock other regeneration and development opportunities in the Staveley area relieve road congestion and improve air quality The former Staveley Chemical Works site together with the former Hartington Colliery site are also earmarked for inclusion in the proposed East Midlands Investment Zone – where the priority will be to attract new green technology and advance manufacturing businesses and create new high-quality jobs for local people Funding for the road project is currently being considered by the Department for Transport Many of the region’s political leaders have signalled their support for the new route and the regeneration that would be unlocked by it including East Midlands Combined County Authority Mayor Claire Ward Toby Perkins MP said: “The Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route is vitally important to the regeneration of Staveley and alongside improving traffic flows for everyone it is likely to lead to thousands of new jobs and hundreds of new homes It is important that money is found to complete the detailed land investigation work which is needed to provide certainty on the costs of the clean-up and construction And after that we need confirmed approval that the funding for the road will be made available I will be stressing the importance of this to the new Roads Minister alongside our new Mayor Claire Ward and other local politicians and business leaders.” Louise Jones MP said: “There is huge potential for the Regeneration Route to unlock the homes and jobs that our community needs I’m determined that we grab this opportunity with both hands – I’ll be working with Toby Perkins Claire Ward and our local councils to secure the funding we need to get the project up and running.” said: “We couldn’t be better placed to realise the enormous potential of the Staveley Growth Corridor The public and private sector are fully aligned in terms of their shared commitment to delivering 1,300 new homes and separately building a commercial estate that will support the creation of 6,400 new jobs over a five to ten-year horizon “Our collective ability to do this is however reliant on government support for the Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route and trying to secure this is a priority action It is therefore very encouraging to have the full support of our local MPs and East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward “We want Chesterfield to be a thriving borough and working together as partners we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver long-lasting change and future prosperity for communities that are still recovering from the decline of mining and other traditional industries.” Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment said: “The Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route is one of the most significant economic growth opportunities in the East Midlands It has the capacity to deliver the government’s growth agenda by reclaiming brownfield land and facilitating forward jobs ensuring an old industrial site is brought back to life we want to work with government to deliver this transformational investment that will bring widespread benefits to communities along the Staveley Corridor and join the dots with other strategic investments in Chesterfield and across Derbyshire’s northern growth zone.” Jo Neville, Harworth Group’s regional head of planning said: “The walkaround the site and the previous visits from the East Midlands Mayor earlier in the summer show real commitment from the region’s leaders to addressing local housing need and creating opportunities for communities “We’re looking forward to continuing to work with our partners in Chesterfield to deliver at Staveley Works and hope the government recognises the strategic case for investing in this part of the country as part of its national growth agenda.” Andy Byrne, Group Property Development Director at The Devonshire Group, said: “We are committed to helping bring the successful regeneration of this once thriving industrial heartland to fruition so it is reassuring to see and hear the continued support of local politicians With plans submitted and the support from local stakeholders so all that’s left is commitment from the Department for Transport to help deliver the new route and unlock this once-in-a-generation opportunity.” The 47-year-old has transformed the club from a relegation-threatened side to one that challenges for Europe every season Newcastle United are favoured to return to the Champions League after winning their last three Premier League matches and having a game in hand over their rivals in the table The win against Leicester City on Monday night moved them up to fifth in the Premier League and they could move even higher with a win against Manchester United on Sunday Even if the Magpies return to the Champions League, nothing will top the Carabao Cup final win in March, which saw Newcastle end an agonising wait for silverware which lasted over half a century The win means that Newcastle will play in Europe next season with the Europa Conference League a certainty even if they fall out of the race for the top five While Newcastle fans want to build Howe a statue former Crystal Palace owner turned talk show host Simon Jordan has suggested this could be as good as it gets for the Toon boss on Tyneside Very few would have predicted Newcastle’s meteoric rise after Howe was appointed head coach in 2021. Former Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley was warned against hiring Howe but she later admitted that it was the best decision the club made following the takeover Howe was considered for the England job after Gareth Southgate left but was never approached for the role despite being a heavy favourite to take over as Three Lions boss While Yasir Al-Rumayyan thinks Newcastle will win more trophies in the future, Jordan believes that Eddie Howe will not be the person to do that Jordan discussed Newcastle’s Champions League hopes and what the future holds for Howe “If (Newcastle) can compound the League Cup win with an appearance in the Champions League They’ll be better equipped for next year than they were the first time around because they’re going into a new format and they’ve seen the beneficiaries of being other clubs that would not have necessarily thrived the way that they did had it been the one that Newcastle played in “I still maintain the view that I don’t think Eddie Howe will carry them to the Premier League – I hope he does I’m not suggesting that this is a diminishing aspect “I don’t think the PIF bought Newcastle to win the League Cup you saw the biggest reveal in the emotional outburst with Amanda Staveley saying ‘we’re gonna win the Premier League “To do that there is going to have to be a significant change in the rules or allow Eddie to develop this football club over a five and I don’t think anyone gets that time in football anymore.” Jordan is referring to Staveley’s claim about Newcastle’s future following their defeat to Man United in the 2023 Carabao Cup final where she claimed that the Magpies will win every trophy available The comments at the time were possibly emotionally driven but have been used as fuel for Jordan’s argument in this case At one point this season, Newcastle could still win the domestic treble They achieved one-third of that by bringing the Carabao Cup back to Tyneside but failed in their efforts to win the FA Cup Newcastle can still win the Premier League but it would take an almighty collapse from Liverpool to achieve that While there may not be any more silverware this season there are high hopes that Newcastle can push on and bag more trophies in the 2025/26 campaign Fabian Schar was a star against Leicester City on Monday, and he spoke to the Chronicle about Newcastle’s aspirations for next season for sure (there is more to come for Newcastle) The last few weeks have been pretty good for us “The cup title and the last few results in the Premier League We know we have to perform every week in the Premier League as it is a difficult league English top-flight soccer side Newcastle United have reportedly been valued at more than UK£1 billion (US$1.3 billion) after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought former minority co-owner Amanda Staveley’s stake It was announced earlier this month that Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi had left the club as a result of the transaction which saw majority owner PIF increase its stake in Newcastle to around 85 per cent and RB Sports and Media the sports arm of British businessmen David and Simon Reuben PIF initially acquired 80 per cent of the Premier League club as part of a takeover in October 2021 paying about UK£305 million (US$392 million) The other 20 per cent was originally split between RB Sports and Media According to Bloomberg Staveley’s six per cent stake in Newcastle should fetch about UK£60 million (US$77.1 million) Her original ten per cent shareholding was reportedly diluted as a result of PIF’s equity injections of UK£260 million (US$334 million) since the takeover Newcastle’s latest purported valuation puts the Magpies at approximately the same level as Italian giants AC Milan, who were bought by US private equity firm Red Bird Capital Partners in summer 2022 for €1.2 billion (US$1.3 billion) Despite having access to PIF’s vast financial resources – the sovereign wealth fund has estimated assets of US$925 billion – Newcastle’s heavy spending meant the club had to scramble to meet the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) Darren Eales, Newcastle’s chief executive, confirmed this month that the club had met the top flight’s spending requirements, thanks in large part due to the sale of homegrown midfielder Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and Yankuba Minteh’s switch to Brighton and Hove Albion Work to increase revenues off the pitch continues and the club has more than doubled its turnover since Staveley’s consortium completed its takeover “Our revenues have been rising and it’s been incredible to see – turnover from UK£140 million to UK£180 million to UK£250 million this past financial year will be north of UK£300 million so that’s over 30 per cent compound annual growth While Staveley is no longer part of Newcastle, she looks set to remain involved in the sport, having reportedly raised UK£500 million (US$643 million) for a fund that will invest in a soccer team. Newcastle’s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur are among Staveley’s potential targets When asked by The Athletic what she could say about Bloomberg’s report She continued: “My preference would have been to stay with Newcastle but unfortunately life doesn’t always work out exactly the way you want it to work out the club and the people and that can’t change but I didn’t want to get in Newcastle’s way It’s got to be about what’s best for Newcastle.” Staveley added that moving on to “other projects” is now “possible” even though she plans to continue following Newcastle as a supporter “Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on,” said Staveley I love to be very busy and to engage and I love football we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club and that’s difficult but you can never move on from the love I have for Newcastle and I would love to come back for matches but I will always have that chemistry and that love.” Get access to richer content, exclusive reports, unparalleled business intelligence, and community benefits to help you navigate the next frontier of sport and make more informed decisions with a SportsPro+ Premium membership. Discover more here Already a member? Log in here but Amanda Staveley might just deliver that dream at Tottenham As the broker behind the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s takeover of Newcastle United and Abu Dhabi-backed buyout of Manchester City, Staveley appreciates the modern game’s passion for petrodollars The dealmaker, a former model and girlfriend of Prince Andrew, is one of the most respected operators in football finance and She and her husband and business partner Mehrdad Ghodoussi therefore understand the emotions of supporters how to craft a narrative centred around them and use them to their strategic advantage That was clear to see in her rhetoric ahead of the Newcastle takeover in October 2021 which sold a vision to fans of the club becoming a global powerhouse by drawing on a bottomless well of Saudi cash So when it emerged in June that Staveley had raised £500m and is interested in buying into Tottenham, it naturally went down well with Spurs fans The 51-year-old financier’s book of contacts in the Middle East is peerless as far as potential investors are concerned inviting fans to envision Persian Gulf money flooding into North London Since then, it has emerged that – as reported by TBR Football – Staveley is speaking to potential deal partners in the Middle East and the United States Given the capricious form of Ange Postecoglou’s side and the growing agitations about Daniel Levy and ENIC’s suitability to take Spurs forward Tottenham are currently 11th in the Premier League table that is also exactly where the Levy-ENIC ownership regime rank in the table of the league’s richest owners The ENIC regime – and Levy especially – have transformed Spurs over the last two-and-a-half decades in terms of their prestige and commercial standing While it justifiably went down like a cup of cold sick with fans, the fact Spurs were one of 12 invited to join the European Super League in 2021 was a testament to how they have broken into the financial elite they have done so without winning any silverware since 2008 And while the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019 has yielded the increase in spending on recruitment and retention that was promised the gap between their revenue and squad cost is widening It isn’t hard to see why a Staveley-fronted consortium of investors is an evocative prospect for Spurs fans especially with Middle Eastern money in the mix the identities of Staveley’s would-be deal partners may have just come into slightly sharper focus there have only been relatively vague allusions as to who Staveley could bring onboard as co-investors at Spurs the consortium was always likely to contain Gulf money But Gulf money is not a monolith – there is a big difference between a sovereign wealth fund and a private investor Now, CityAM have reported that Staveley is in talks with ‘Qatari investors about investing in another Premier League club’ including Liverpool University football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire suggest Spurs are the only English club in whom she has a serious interest at this point also appears to suggest that her and Ghodoussi’s deal partners are likely private individuals as opposed to a PIF-style fund the report also reinforces Staveley’s Middle East connections by suggesting that she has been offered an informal advisory role by Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2034 World Cup There may have been a handful of well-place leaks but there has been very little information to date about the composition and motives of Staveley and PCP Capital Partners with regards to Spurs It has previously been reported that Tottenham and Staveley could have a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place that prevents either party relaying specifics to the media or fans “We can’t say too much at the moment because of you know rules around it,” she said at a recent sports business conference That would appear to suggest that Staveley has indeed already agreed some form of agreement – formal or informal with Tottenham or perhaps another club – that prevents her from addressing matters directly Staveley has also privately expressed interest in AS Monaco where Russian billionaire Dmytry roboblev is looking to sell his majority stake The market for minority investment in Premier League clubs is saturated at present meanwhile – Brentford Wolves and Crystal Palace are all looking for new equity partners But Spurs are the easily the most glamorous club on the market and the whose business fundamentals make them the most attractive asset on paper became directors and minority co-owners of Newcastle in October 2021 when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) purchased an 80% majority stake and Staveley and Reuben Brothers each assumed 10% holdings With Newcastle then without a chief executive or a sporting director the Saudis handed Staveley and Ghodoussi a rolling management contract to handle the day-to-day running of the club The pair played a key role in appointing Eddie Howe as the manager in November 2021 and have since struck up a close relationship with the person believed to be the Football Association’s first choice to replace Gareth Southgate, should the latter resign as England coach after Euro 2024. Read moreIf Howe is unlikely to be surprised by the news that the Saudis and their co-director Jamie Reuben have joined Staveley and Ghodoussi in reaching what has been described as a “reluctant” conclusion that the time is right to separate he may well be unsettled by the loss of such key allies Staveley played a vital role in brokering the hugely controversial £300m deal that ended Mike Ashley’s 14-year ownership of Newcastle and subsequently helped negotiate a series of key transfers involving players such as Bruno Guimarães and Kieran Trippier arriving at St James’ Park As Howe’s side finished fourth in the Premier League in 2022-23 and reached the League Cup final she also prioritised the club’s women’s team proving a key figure in its rise from the fourth to the second tier The appointments of Darren Eales as Newcastle’s chief executive and Dan Ashworth as sporting director reduced her role though and it seemed significant that she reduced her stake to 6% last year while the Reuben Brothers increased theirs to 14% It is unclear whether they or the Saudis – or both – have bought her out now but it is understood no fresh investors have been sought In March a series of listings at Companies House removing Staveley as a director of 20 companies related to Newcastle United raised questions about her future on Tyneside but she said it was merely a form of administrative housekeeping Dan Ashworth left Newcastle to be sporting director at Manchester United the financier was involved in a court case when she failed in an attempt to persuade a judge to dismiss a bankruptcy claim brought by the Greek shipping tycoon Victor Restis who originally claimed Staveley owed him £36m She has said she intends to appeal against the judge’s verdict Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Yet if Staveley and Ghodoussi were preparing for a departure from Newcastle in the spring it was almost certainly delayed by Ashworth’s defection to Manchester United and the need to recruit a new sporting director it appeared Staveley’s work at St James’ Park was finally done Newcastle declined to comment on her departure For the first time in 70 years, Newcastle United have won a major domestic honour The Carabao Cup final was an amazing occasion. Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley and really could have won by more It was only Federico Chiesa’s late goal which threatened to ruin the dream Newcastle have entered a new dimension now No longer can the lack of silverware be used as a stick to beat supporters with This has been an amazing journey. The PIF takeover was always likely to change the story on Tyneside but few could have imagined things having altered so quickly The Newcastle owners have completely transformed the club and Sunday’s Carabao Cup win was further proof of that While Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Amanda Staveley left the club last summer the former sent an emotional message after the result Ghodoussi and Staveley were both in attendance at Wembley watching the team they brought so far get over their biggest hurdle yet While there will surely be more finals and more trophies to come Ghodoussi and Staveley were not technically part of the success but it was fantastic to see them at the national home of football to share in the remarkable success he posted an emotional message after the game Amanda and I had a dream when we first came to Newcastle, that dream came true tonight #HWTL #NUFC @Carabao_Cup pic.twitter.com/VRjZIxUta9 The Carabao Cup win is surely just the start it’s a moment to be savoured and it would be foolish to place too much emphasis on the future now but the ambition at the club is the most exciting part of it all PIF plan to make Newcastle into one of the biggest clubs in the world the first part of the plan has been realised Everything about Newcastle United has now changed It has been suggested that Amanda Staveley was “forced out” of Premier League club Newcastle United after being accused of being ‘too involved’ Staveley joined Newcastle towards the end of 2021 as she was involved in PIF’s £300m takeover of the Premier League side PIF purchased an 80% stake in the English side as part of this deal, while Staveley and the Reuben Brothers each had a 10% share Staveley was Newcastle’s director before it was announced in July 2024 that she was leaving the club She has since admitted that her “preference would have been to stay at Newcastle” but she refused to rule out the prospect of “taking a stake in another club or buying another club” Staveley’s departure somewhat came out of the blue, but a recent report from The Daily Mail revealed the ‘truth’ on her exit It’s claimed that things ‘started to come apart towards the end of last season’ when Jacobo Solis — a senior figure from the Saudi Public Investment Fund the majority owners — asked questions over the day-to-day running of the club Eales communicated that he could not do things as he would like because Staveley and Ghodoussi were too involved ‘It caused a split at the very top of the club and Staveley and Ghodoussi felt they had no option but to sell their six per cent share and go Finance expert Keith Wyness – who has previously had spells as CEO of Everton and Aston Villa – believes Newcastle CEO Darren Eales is coming under scrutiny as Staveley was “forced out” Wyness said: “This has been leaked and there are so many leaks coming out of the club after Amanda Staveley’s departure It looks like she was basically forced out “The fans are watching Newcastle and Darren Eales closely because they greatly admired Amanda and how she acted in the first year or two they were very successful in handling that transition “Staveley did things in a considered way and I’ve applauded them But now there seem to be leaks of dissatisfaction at the top.” Chris Sutton has explained why he thinks “problems could be on the horizon” for Newcastle.  I think that could be a problem further down the line,” Sutton said “Eddie has done a phenomenal job at Newcastle I’m not privy to what goes on in the background at the club that would concern me if I was a Newcastle United fan “The club managed to hold onto Alexander Isak Guehi was a player who Howe felt would allow him to do that and the club didn’t get it over the line for whatever reason Howe has every right to feel pretty peeved about that “There could be problems on the horizon (between the manager and the board) and they sort of got away with one at the weekend against Tottenham.” © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved OneFootball's home page Search Settings Sign In Sign InJoinAmanda Staveley company now forced into liquidation | OneFootballThe Mag Fair to say that 2024 might prove to be not the best of years for Amanda Staveley The Saudi Arabia PIF and Reuben family taking full control of all shares at Newcastle United The originals shareholdings after takeover on 7 October 2021 showed Saudi Arabia PIF owning 80% of the club When this summer it was announced that Amanda Staveley would no longer own any part of Newcastle United, filings at Companies House clearly appeared to show that the funding of her original shareholding at NUFC had came from the Reuben family with the loan(s) paid back when her shares were sold to the other shareholders Amanda Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi also saw the end of their contractual arrangement with the club, as they had been paid to help run Newcastle United post-takeover Amanda Staveley has also had a number of legal battles in the courts in recent years, mainly to do with non-related Newcastle United stuff Greek shipping tycoon Victor Restis took legal action and demanded £37mn from Amanda Staveley claiming she had failed to repay a loan he made 15 years ago Now that case has seen Amanda Staveley have her company forced into liquidation Staveley’s Apollo Belvedere Services has now been liquidated by a High Court judge The Financial Times report that this relates to an original £10m loan that was made to ‘Staveley’s business ventures’ 16 years ago Amanda Staveley was ordered to pay an amount of around £3.5m after she lost a High Court challenge in March of this year with both sides indicating that this has now been paid Victor Restis was also demanding interest payments on the loan and last week rejected a £1.6m offer from Apollo/Amanda Staveley the Greek businessman instead opted to continue pursuing a winding-up petition against that company (Apollo Victor Restis has told the Financial Times that he would now seek the appointment of specialist insolvency practitioners as liquidators of the company to conduct an investigation into its affairs and Staveley’s conduct as designated member The Financial Times report that the entity has no assets and has shown no signs of active trading for a number of years with this liquidation coming after London’s High Court in March threw out Staveley’s attempt to block the statutory demand served on her by Victor Restis Amanda Staveley had said in response to the March ruling in the High Court that she would appeal on the grounds that she was not personally liable for the sum Victor Restis had initially demanded £36m but Amanda Staveley’s legal representative said in March 2024 that Restis had abandoned an attempt to pursue her for more than £30m in interest The Financial Times report that: ‘Staveley’s lawyers previously argued in court that she had signed some agreements with Restis under duress and that he had taken advantage of her Huntington’s disease a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time in March Judge Daniel Schaffer in the Insolvency and Companies court found against Staveley on a series of grounds stating that Restis was merely acting as “a businessman who would take a tough position on substantial monies which had been owed to him for a considerable period of time” “In my judgment duress of any kind cannot be shown,” he added Staveley’s contention that the tycoon threatened her with violence over non-payment lacked credibility while a claim she made in a witness statement that she did not understand that she was personally liable ventured “into the realm of fantasy” As Newcastle United fans I think a case of just hoping that whatever has and hasn’t gone on regarding these non-NUFC business dealings that Amanda Staveley is eventually able to put all of this behind her and get on with her life Related NewsManchester United Eyeing Move to Sign £60m Premier League Star – Report 🚨 Nottingham Forest stumble again in unconvincing draw at Crystal Palace Leicester City set £22m transfer asking price as Newcastle & Aston Villa circle Brighton fans comments after Sunday’s draw against Newcastle United – Interesting Danny Murphy on Eddie Howe and Newcastle United – This is really good Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Eberechi Eze scores as Eagles get ready to peak in FA Cup final Glasner will be content with his side’s performance against a team chasing Champions League qualificationCrystal Palace had their chances and could have nicked it late on, but a 1-1 draw... Football transfer rumours: Rashford in Man Utd exit talks; Real Madrid suffer Alexander-Arnold setback Real Madrid 'agree terms' with Carlo Ancelotti over his departure Carlo Ancelotti's future appears to be sealed after the iconic Italian manager has reached terms over his pending departure from Real Madrid.According to fresh reports from The Athletic, an agreement... Richard Tesseyman of C L Tesseyman & Son has been using his snow plough to clear “back roads” across the region and has also been assisting North Yorkshire Council with some of the major routes And he believes that the work done by gritters to prepare the area's roads deserves praise.  Talking about his work during the heavy snowfall We had the job of doing the back roads which we got done as fast as the council were clearing the main routes but the snow was filling it in again so we dropped onto those to keep them clear.” Richard and his colleagues have since been assisting motorists who have been stuck or are in need of towing This included rescuing a lorry which had become stuck on the Boroughbridge slip road off the A1(M) we know the area and the villages that seem to get more snow and the hills where people get stuck - so we have to use our best judgement.” The reaction to the adverse weather conditions has seen some residents question North Yorkshire Council's proactive and reactive measures Richard disputed claims that gritters had not been used before the adverse weather arrived last weekend “You get people saying they haven’t seen a gritter but I think most of them have had their eyes on Facebook and not seen the thing go past “We live out near Staveley and they often come past here at 3am in the morning “Sometimes I feel like a bit of a fraud because as soon as we go out in a snow plough we get all the credit but those gritter guys have probably been out two three or four days before us all night before the cold snap comes.” Richard was also asked for his opinion on North Yorkshire Council’s reaction to the snow and icy conditions across the region “They’re working hard and doing what they can with the resources they’ve got “It doesn’t snow every year in this country - we can have two or three years without - so are the council meant to gear up for a Swiss Alps scenario or do they take a view that a couple of days every year or two we’re going to struggle “It’s a case of waking up in the morning or during the night and looking at where in North Yorkshire the snow has landed and how bad it is - and it can change as the day moves on “The council have to think on their feet and move resources around.  “It’s not as simple as sending out all the gritters and snow ploughs to a certain area - it’s got to be targeted.” Contractors have been working to clear regularly used roads around Harrogate Listen to the full chat when Richard Tesseyman joined Your Harrogate’s Pete Egerton here: SHEFFIELD EAGLES have announced the signing of back-rower Nick Staveley on a deal until the end of the 2026 season Staveley has made eight appearances for Hull FC crossing for a try in Hull FC’s 28-24 victory over London Broncos last season in the 2024 Super League Staveley gained valuable game time on loan at Newcastle Thunder in the Championship he recently spent time on trial with fellow Super League side Castleford Tigers now Staveley has penned an 18-month deal with the Eagles with head coach Craig Lingard saying: “I’m really pleased to get him in “He’s had a season out with an ACL injury which he got whilst he was at Hull and I’m excited to see what he can bring to us.”