It was a day of celebration for Newcastle United supporters as they poured into St James' Park on Sunday for their Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
The match itself seemed like a side note as Newcastle fans celebrated the club's long-awaited purchase by the Saudi-backed consortium.
Supporters will be hoping for the dawn of a new era following the £300 million ($408 million) deal, led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF, along with British-based Reuben brothers and financier Amanda Staveley.
The only way now seems to be up for Newcastle, who are without a win in their opening seven league games. Manager Steve Bruce was expected to be shown the door by now. Instead, he will take charge of the 1,000th match of his managerial career against Spurs after being given some more breathing space by the new owners.
"Change does not always happen overnight - it demands time and that we follow a carefully considered plan and strategy," director Staveley had said.
"Steve has been very professional in our dealings with him and he and his coaching team will take the team on Sunday. If we make any changes going forward, Steve will be the first to know."
