AyeDubbleYoo

You can quite honestly go f*** off then you tosspot. I live and breathe for Newcastle you have never met me who are you to pass judgement on me. I cried for a solid two days when we were relegated, I pay ridiculous money so I can watch Newcastle play, I buy the merchandise and proudly wear it. So you've been to Villa Park and not St James' Park? Odd. When did I say that you bellend Relax my man. I don't see how you can criticise us for being angry about this renaming when you cried for two days over relegation. Relegation is a normal part of being a football fan, having your city's biggest icon renamed isn't so much. Anyway, as I said I wasn't trying to be patronising, I just think it's stupid to criticise people for expressing their genuine feelings.

Look, football is supposed to be different to other pastimes and forms of entertainment. The club is the army of the city, it's their representative around the country and abroad. It's the thing that gives working class people something to look forward to on a weekend and 90 minutes to forget anything else that's going on in their lives. When we're kids, we can dream of playing for the team, when we're adults we can appreciate the game, the history and enjoy endless banter with friends and family, whoever they support. For Newcastle the club is unique as well, a one-club city with miles between it and the nearest close rival. St James' Park is even more unique still, its position in the centre of the city and on the hill makes it visible from everywhere, totally inconic. You only have to look at the place or walk past it to feel massive pride, even when it's not a matchday. I know this makes me seem like I'm overreacting, and maybe I will calm down in time (we got over everything else Ashley has done eventually) but I hoped that there was something in football that was not for sale - the soul and identity of our club. If everything is just about finance now, then football has lost what made it great and has already become a completely different game. Maybe that's inevitable, but if so then it's sad and future generations will miss out on a lot. All I can hope is that everyone keeps calling it SJP until Ashley eventually moves on. [/rant]

For what exactly? What has he done that other owners and boards haven't already or are considering doing all over the world that makes them considered good owners. We really can't have this entire debate again from scratch, I couldn't take it.

You can have your opinion mate, but I won't consider it as valid as someone who lives and breathes Newcastle and has done for generations. I'm not trying to be patronising - anyone is welcome to support the club - but to suggest people are overreacting about the name of a 120 year-old city icon being changed to the tackiest brand in the country is just crazy.

Feel sorry for Pardew as usual when Ashley makes a massive fuck up. He'll have to answer questions all about this for weeks.

I'm dreading going to my first game after this is done. The signs and branding will be insulting and the atmosphere will be terrible.

In theory some other brand will see how amazing it is to have a Premier League stadium named after them and come in and pay £50m for the rights next season. In reality nobody will touch it with a bargepole and we'll be stuck with Sports Direct for years.

If everything has a price though, does football have any more meaning than the cinema or the theatre?

Well argued mate.

I honestly would be just as angry had they sold the naming rights to any other brand. Sports Direct is tacky as fuck, but that's not the main issue. The place my grandparents and parents used to go to watch Newcastle, where my Dad took me to my first match, the place that is in all those black and white photos throughout the years, the place where Shearer was unveiled, the biggest icon of our city and our region - that's St James Park. Right now it feels like it has just disappeared. Just when I was starting to enjoy football again, I'm reminded that it doesn't have any soul or meaning any more.

I'm raging about what Llambias said about the fans wanting to buy more players. I'd rather we never signed another player than sold the entire soul and identity of our club. Properly depressed about football at times like this.

I know I'm late to the party here, but this has got to be one of the worst posts I've ever read on here. The lack of understanding beggars belief.

Commentators reading this out is going to be like a punch in the stomach every time I watch or listen to a match or highlights. Does make you wonder if there's any point to football except money any more. I'd gladly be relegated or sent down to League 2 to avoid shit like this. Maybe over the top but that's how I feel right now. Football clubs have to have a soul or they're meaningless. So depressing.

Feel literally sick, don't know what to say. Honestly don't think I can go back. Why has he done this, now of all times? He was getting people back on side FFS.

Stuart Pearce has already said he doesn't want the job as he's not experienced enough yet, IIRC.

More fool them then And how is a well argued post about how a player might fit into the team baseless? I mean the whole argument is pointless, people arguing against non-existent positions. Nobody has written HBA off and nobody thinks he should start automatically, yet we've had 20+ pages of debate and people posting screenshots to highlight one individual pass he didn't make. It's loco.

It should, but unfortunately nobody can be bothered to read it and the debate is baseless anyway.

:lol: We've had a whole discussion since then man, move on for God's sake!

But so what?

Wouldn't go that far. If a reserve comes in and performs well it's great and obviously helps his cause, but I don't think it means he automatically should start. Especially since he only played in the first place due to injury. Guthrie has waited for his chance and when it came along, took it with flying colours. I think it's vital that every player gets the message that if they play well enough, they get their reward, and the team is picked on merit, not reputation. I always felt that the period where Shearer was getting picked regardless of performance was very corrosive of team spirit. Players have to be judged on the performance that we see, not the one we expect to see. Personally, I'd written Guthrie off as a long-term prospect for us, but he played with such calm authority against Stoke and Everton. Perhaps he's responding to a different atmosphere in the squad, but whatever the reason it does look like he's found a confidence and maturity that wasn't there before. I know what you mean, but Tiote and Cabaye had performed very well and are clearly better players. It makes no sense to drop either of them. We want to keep Guthrie motivated, but that needs to done by praising him when he does well and relying on him without question when he's needed. And yes, if someone's form dips he should come in. But right now I wouldn't leave him in when Tiote and Cabaye are fit.

It is madness when you look at it like that.

Maybe 'Alex Ferguson' was a bad choice of words in this tabloid, sensationalist, literal age where people pounce on every detail of your words. Kids these days

WTF. I'm not guaranteeing he's going to win multiple championships or owt, I'm just saying that he could have a long and successful career here and it would be a shame to see him abandon it so early for England. Why couldn't it happen? I demand you take me seriously!