The director who will run the club said she understands the questions on human rights and takes them seriously
Amanda Staveley has spent sufficient time in Middle Eastern souks to be able to spot a precious stone hiding, unpolished, amid a sea of replicas.
No jewel, though, has ever quite captured her heart the way Newcastle United did when, almost exactly four years ago, she arrived at St James’ Park to watch Rafael Benítez’s then team draw 1-1 with Liverpool. “I fell madly in love,” she says. “Newcastle’s unique; it’s like a fantastic gem which needs buffing up at every level.”