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A UK lawmaker has described the mass euphoria amongÌý supporters about a buy-out of the football club by Saudi investors as a "sickness at the heart of football".

Scottish National Party MP John NicolsonÌýslammed the sale of the Premier League side to Ìýdue to Riyadh's human rights record, including the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by state officials.

The buy-out has been met with mass celebrations in the North East. Some Newcastle fans have donned dishdashas and headscarves at St James' ParkÌýto celebrate the new owners -Ìýan act broadly viewed as racist.

"I'm trying to imagine what it must be like to be Jamal Khashoggi's widow, when her husband has been chopped up and murdered… and she sees numpties dancing around in cod-Arabic dresses outside Newcastle United," the Ochil and South Perthshire lawmaker said.

"That must be heart-rending," heÌýtold a hearing.

The MP said about the celebrations: "That's a kind of sickness at the heart of football, isn’t it?"

and other rights groups have slammed the move withÌýÌýaccusedÌýof a litany of ÌýagainstÌýactivists and clerics.

To be sure, sports-washing is neither a new concept nor associated with Saudi Arabia alone - Kristian Coates Ulrichsen reports

— °®Âþµº (@The_NewArab)

Sections of the Newcastle crowd have worn "Arab" clothingÌýand waved Saudi flags.

it was "asking supporters to refrain from wearing traditional Arabic clothing or Middle East-inspired head coverings at matches if they would not ordinarily wear such attire".

Newcastle insisted the fancy dress wasÌý"positive and welcoming in its intent" and did not upset any of the team's new proprietors.

"However, there remains the possibility that dressing this way is culturally inappropriate and risks causing offence to others."