The Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO) has demanded a response from the Premier League once again following a further increase in the number of complaints concerning Newcastle United's takeover saga.
Supporters have got in touch with the IFO after calls for the club's upcoming arbitration hearing to be held in in public were met by a wall of silence.
While the government have been urged to intervene by Amanda Staveley and Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah, a spokesman for the department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) previously told ChronicleLive that 'as the governing body in this instance, it is up to the Premier League to come to a conclusion as quickly as possible and with due regard to transparency'.
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Newcastle fans staged a peaceful protest on the transparency issue at Parliament Square and outside Downing Street and the Premier League's offices in London on Friday.
ChronicleLive understands 175 supporters have also contacted the IFO in the last two weeks alone in the hope of getting some form of a response from the Premier League.
The IFO was set up by the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League in 2008 to investigate complaints which have not been resolved by these organisations.
Although club ownership and the Premier League's owners' and directors' test do not fall under the IFO's remit, the ombudsman, Professor Derek Fraser, has made the top-flight aware of the increased volume of complaints from Newcastle fans and is awaiting a response after passing on 'new information'.
The ombudsman is unable to respond to each individual complaint but he sent a personal note to Richard Masters last week and asked the Premier League's chief executive to 'take these concerns with the seriousness they merit and respond in a way which will address the legitimate request for transparency'.
The IFO previously advised the Premier League to make a statement to fans on how the takeover was handled last August, which 'pleased' Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Masters ultimately wrote a letter of reply to Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah before he was quizzed by the Newcastle United Supporters' Trust (NUST) a few weeks later.
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