‘Rather crass’ – Simon Jordan takes swipe at Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley over controversial Steve Bruce claim

Simon Jordan has taken exception to Amanda Staveley’s comments after she claimed former Newcastle boss Steve Bruce ‘didn’t want to come to work.’

Magpies co-owner Staveley recently divulged the state of the club’s affairs at the time her Saudi-backed consortium completed their takeover of Newcastle.

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Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi oversaw the takeover of Newcastle in October 2021Credit: GettyStaveley’s PCP Capital, Jamie Reuben’s RB Sports & Media and Saudi Arabia’s public wealth fund the Public Investment Fund formed an ownership group to purchase the club from Mike Ashley in 2021.

Immediate changes were made both on and off the pitch with the sacking of Bruce among the new owners’ primary objectives.

Bruce managed just one game under the new regime before the axe was wielded on the former Manchester United captain.

Staveley claims dramatic changes needed to be made as the club had been previously run in a ‘different format’. 

Read more on NewcastleShe bemoaned the club’s lack of commercial deals, an ageing team, a coach that didn’t want to come to work and an angry fan base.

Former Crystal Palace owner Jordan has taken issue with Staveley’s comments while claiming a conversation he had with Bruce put a rather contrasting spin on her version of events.

“I find myself in a territory of not wanting to be polarised into a situation where I’m defending Steve Bruce against observations because people say it’s bias,” Jordan told talkSPORT.

“I’m also privy to the conversation that we had at the time to some extent.

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Jordan was not a fan of Staveley’s comments on ex-Magpies boss Steve BruceCredit: talkSPORT

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Steve Bruce was sacked as Newcastle manager following the club’s 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham in 2021Credit: Getty – Pool”I’m privy and recall the conversations that Amanda Staveley had with Steve Bruce while she was talking to the media about how much she valued Steve.

“Steve Bruce knew he was surplus to requirements and knew they didn’t want him there.

Simon Jordan reminds Amanda Staveley of her comments on Newcastle United’s success after their Carabao Cup final loss last season

“My recall of what Steve Bruce said to me at the time was that he made himself available for whatever they wanted him to do, knowing full well that they didn’t want him.”

Jordan accepts that Bruce failed to cover himself in glory during his time at St James’ Park, but did point out that the working conditions he found himself in were at odds with what current boss Eddie Howe was offered.

“You look at the job he [Bruce] did at Newcastle and you say ‘okay it wasn’t great football at times’, but in a very different set of circumstances, Eddie Howe’s done a brilliant job, “Jordan continued.

“But he’s also had a different atmosphere from the ownership model and from the fans because they got rid of Ashley and you’ve also got a decent amount of expenditure to back Eddie to do a brilliant job.

“I think that’s a rather crass and unnecessary set of observations from Amanda.

“For some reason wanting to promote herself in the conversation rather than just bask in the glory that they’ve got most things right at Newcastle in the last two years.”