Ahead of the latest Gulf Derby in the Premier League, photographers at St James’ Park will be disappointed to learn that Covid-19 restrictions mean they will be denied a classic shot of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi owners in the same directors’ box.

Numbers are limited in these bio-secure times and even Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is likely to miss the trip.  

The lenses pointed up at the executives may, however, catch another important figure in City’s ascent who is not from the Middle East, but in fact born 13 miles away from Newcastle in Seaham.

It was 12 years ago when Brian Marwood arrived at the Etihad Stadium as director of football and many at the club would say those early appointments after Sheikh Mansour took control laid the foundations for the Pep Guardiola era.

As Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan plots the future for the club’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) owners, he would do worse than casting an eye over City’s blueprint, with the likes of Marwood appointment paramount in what seems a lifetime ago.

It was so long ago, in fact, that City’s whirlwind takeover gets automatically linked to frenzied spending after winning football’s lottery. There was an element of trolley-dash when Sheikh Mansour landed the club on transfer-deadline day and needed players. Their league position was not as perilous as Newcastle’s currently, but they were a mid-table team and could have gone in either direction. 

Dimitar Berbatov, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robinho were the only high-profile strikers available on the market. Berbatov had his heart set on Manchester United, so Robinho arrived at the Etihad as a Galactico.   

All of this was on the watch of Sulaiman Al-Fahim, the frontman for the takeover who titled himself as a “doctor” but his credentials as an academic or medic was as unproven as his record in the transfer market.