FORMER Sunderland chairman Sir Bob Murray has blasted the Premier League for permitting the Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle United.

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns 80 per cent of Newcastle, and St James’ Park recently staged two friendly matches featuring the Saudi Arabian national side.

The Premier League gave the PIF’s takeover on Tyneside the green light despite strong criticism from groups like Amnesty International, who have campaigned against the Saudi state’s dreadful human rights record, and Murray, who was chairman of Sunderland for 20 years before selling up to Niall Quinn and the Drumaville consortium in 2006, despairs at what he sees at St James’ Park.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Mirror, Murray said: “Kids are running around in Newcastle’s Saudi away strip – the colours of a state that routinely violates human rights.

“Last week, the Stadium of Light hosted the Lionesses and we sold out. Up the road at another club, we’ve just had Saudi Arabia playing South Korea and Costa Rica. I know which stadium I would rather be at.

“I can’t see the ownership of Newcastle changing for 1,000 years. Football should not be used to boost a country’s position. There is a possibility of harm. It won’t stop here. I don’t think it should have been allowed to happen – for the supporters or the city – yet it was waved through.”

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Murray is releasing an autobiography next month, ‘I’d Do It All Again’, with all of the proceeds going to the Foundation of Light, which he helped establish and of which he is still a trustee.

He has been reflecting on his time as chairman of Sunderland, and the various ups and downs of the Black Cats’ rivalry with Newcastle during his time at first Roker Park, then the Stadium of Light.

He said: “We had no relationship between Newcastle and Sunderland when the Halls were there, and Freddy Shepherd. We saw them on match day, but there was no etiquette.

“Mike Ashley was happy to suppress Newcastle. He got relegated twice with a club of that size. When you have a bad owner, it tends to fall to another bad owner – like here with (Ellis) Short.

“Sir Bobby (Robson) would come to watch us all the time. He was offered the Sunderland job by (former chairman) Tom Cowie. Kevin Keegan ran the Great North Run in a black-and-white and red-and-white shirt. He was the perfect gentleman.”