A slight change in Newcastle United’s ownership has been confirmed through a Companies House update.
Amanda Staveley, Newcastle United’s co-owner, has had her interest in the club reduced yet again.
Staveley’s portion was lowered by 0.3%, from 6% to 5.7%, while RB Sports & Media’s share increased to 14.3%. It is the second time in 2024 that a Companies House report has verified a minor change in Newcastle’s ownership, with the previous statement in January indicating that Staveley’s stake had been decreased from 10% to 6%.
PIF’s 80% ownership position has remained unaltered since the October 2021 buyout by Staveley and RB Sports and Media. PIF purchased an 80% share in the club through NCUK Investment Limited, while Jamie Reuben’s RB Sports & Media and Staveley’s Cantervale Holdings each received 20% through JV1 Limited.
RB Sports & Media and Cantervale Holdings initially held equal stakes in the club, each owning 10%. However, the most recent JV1 Limited Companies House statement, issued on April 14, indicated that Staveley now has only a 5.7% ownership in the club, while RB Sports & Media’s part has increased to 14.3%.
A Companies House update also verified the removal of pre-emption rights at JV1 Limited, which implies that new shares do not have to be issued to existing shareholders in identical proportions. The additional 7,400,000 shares issued on April 4 were entirely allocated to RB Sports and Media.
The £7.4 million investment gives Reuben’s RB Sports & Media a somewhat larger share in JV1 Limited, which in turn owns Newcastle United Football Club.
Despite her minority stake, Staveley is an important player at Newcastle and, alongside her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, is in charge of the football club’s day-to-day operations. Staveley also helped Joelinton agree to a new four-year contract after lengthy contract negotiations.
The club’s most recent records, published in January, indicated that £1.2 million had been loaned to Staveley. A £600,000 interest-free loan was made in November 2022 for legal fees, which was still unpaid at the end of June 2023. A further £659,056 was lent on August 31, 2023. Senior club sources have assured that the debts will be fully repaid.
