It is an illuminating comment on the Premier League and its unabashed worship of money that when a purveyor of pre-meditated murder, mass executions, state-sponsored misogyny and widespread oppression of LGBT rights rides into Newcastle United with blood still dripping from a bone-saw, English football’s top flight rolls out a red carpet for him and scoops up the drops of black gold that leak on it as he passes.
The hated Mike Ashley is gone and it is hard to begrudge Newcastle fans their rejoicing that they are rid of the cruel mix of joylessness and hopelessness that their former owner inflicted on the club for too long.