By Simon Evans MANCHESTER, England, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Newcastle United begin their new era under Saudi ownership when they face Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park with Steve Bruce set for his 1000th game as a manager and possibly his last with the North East club. Last week, to the delight of their fans, Newcastle was sold to a consortium dominated by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) alongside minority partners PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media. While human rights groups such as Amnesty International have condemned the Saudi take over, Newcastle supporters are delighted to see former owner Mike Ashley sell his stake in the club and have relished the promises of "heavy" investment in new players. Many fans would also like to see the back of Bruce, who despite hailing from the region and managing to keep the club in the top flight, has been unpopular with supporters.