Sports Direct

[Dave]

What tripe.

[Hudson]

I'd love it if presenters took it upon themselves to not call it that because they were siding with us. Im sure there'll be a few. Caulkin for one obviously.

 

I believe Stelling said on air he didn't intend to call it anything other than SJP.

 

That half time tosser Justin Lockwood(?) and the stadium PA must have called it SJP about 50 times between them yesterday, never once mentioned the new title

I noticed that when they announced the crowd figure he seemed to put massive emphasis on saying the official attendance at ST JAMES' PARK today is...

 

I don't think anyone, including our ownership and even potential sponsors, thinks it will ever be known as anything other than SJP.

It won't.

It seems like a storm in a tea cup really and issues like what we're doing for a scouting network etc concern me much more.

If they'd had the savvy to say they were looking for a stadium sponsorship deal rather than use the stupid expression "renaming", it would hardly have been noticed.

it doesn't help that whatever they say or do, short of spending 100mill on players, will be ripped into no matter how innocuous.

 

(and no i'm not saying the stadium name/sponsorship is innocuous)

 

Could spend 200 million on players and i would still rip the current owners to bit's, fact is they cannot be trusted period.

[madras]

What tripe.

how so ? stadium sponsorship was mentioned under the previous regime at about the time they changed the stand names without all this hoo-haa.

[Guest toonlass]

What tripe.

how so ? stadium sponsorship was mentioned under the previous regime at about the time they changed the stand names without all this hoo-haa.

 

I think its more a culmination of the whole mismanagement and bullshit Ashley is guilty of.

[madras]

What tripe.

how so ? stadium sponsorship was mentioned under the previous regime at about the time they changed the stand names without all this hoo-haa.

 

I think its more a culmination of the whole mismanagement and bullshit Ashley is guilty of.

true but it's also true that people now just look for reasons to have a go. just like they did at the end of freds reign.

[Dave]

What tripe.

how so ? stadium sponsorship was mentioned under the previous regime at about the time they changed the stand names without all this hoo-haa.

 

There are a ton of possible reasons, one of which being the lack of internet forums for people to vent their views on and rally up support for protests. Oh, and we'd not just been relegated under the previous regime so people were slightly less fucked off with them. Had Shepherd suggested it towards the end of his tenure it's pretty obvious he would have got as much stick as this. Even he wasn't that fucking thick though.

 

The assertion that the only thing they could do without being slagged off is spend £100m on players is laughable.

[madras]

What tripe.

how so ? stadium sponsorship was mentioned under the previous regime at about the time they changed the stand names without all this hoo-haa.

 

There are a ton of possible reasons, one of which being the lack of internet forums for people to vent their views on and rally up support for protests. Oh, and we'd not just been relegated under the previous regime so people were slightly less f***ed off with them. Had Shepherd suggested it towards the end of his tenure it's pretty obvious he would have got as much stick as this. Even he wasn't that f***ing thick though.

 

The assertion that the only thing they could do without being slagged off is spend £100m on players is laughable.

it's not justabout  the stadium sponsorship. whatever they do they'll get slagged off for.

 

say for example giving fans a vote on the strip. many would still find an angle to slag them off.

[TRon]

What tripe.

how so ? stadium sponsorship was mentioned under the previous regime at about the time they changed the stand names without all this hoo-haa.

 

I find the cack handed methods of Llambias piss me off far more than the subject matter itself. This could have been handled much better and people probably would have kicked up less of a fuss. If it had been made clear that it was the stadium rather than the ground name which was being put up for sponsorship he might have looked less of a buffoon trying to backtrack afterwards.

[Dave]

What tripe.

how so ? stadium sponsorship was mentioned under the previous regime at about the time they changed the stand names without all this hoo-haa.

 

There are a ton of possible reasons, one of which being the lack of internet forums for people to vent their views on and rally up support for protests. Oh, and we'd not just been relegated under the previous regime so people were slightly less f***ed off with them. Had Shepherd suggested it towards the end of his tenure it's pretty obvious he would have got as much stick as this. Even he wasn't that f***ing thick though.

 

The assertion that the only thing they could do without being slagged off is spend £100m on players is laughable.

it's not justabout  the stadium sponsorship. whatever they do they'll get slagged off for.

 

say for example giving fans a vote on the strip. many would still find an angle to slag them off.

 

And with good reason. Quite simply they're not trustworthy, and have even admitted as much themselves. They've been an utter disaster for this football club.

 

What's your point; that we should STILL be giving them the benefit of any doubt, after all that's happened? I'm sorry but that ship sailed a long time ago. And I say this as someone who mistakenly gave them the benefit of the doubt for a long time.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I've been a long time looker-on-the-bright side, but even my patience has run out now. Every decision seems to be worse than the last, and I don't see any reason to expect a sudden change.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

[Robster]

it's not justabout  the stadium sponsorship. whatever they do they'll get slagged off for.

say for example giving fans a vote on the strip. many would still find an angle to slag them off.

What have they done recently that has been worthy of praise or support ?

[dustynrg]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

 

Desperation? How do you work that one out?

 

It's been done to get free advertising for his crappy shops. Perhaps this was his aim all along. I'll be very surprised indeed if he even looks for a sponsor, why bother? He doesn't need to splash the cash on TV advertising or newspaper full page spreads, he's got St James' Park. Desperation has nowt to do with it.

 

This is how he has made all that filthy luchre. Going for the sidestep and surprising everyone. We just have to hope he gets done and becomes an improper person overnight. I won't hold my breath though. Billionaires don't get done like that. Or is he just a multi millionaire now? Anyway, you get my drift.

 

 

[ohmelads]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

 

Looking at the name, the most obvious conclusion is that it's been done to piss people off. There'll be other motives, but that was definitely one of them. Ashley flew in with his helicopter like the big boss, handed Hughton a contract, took the club off the market and gave the stadium a comedy name which has left fans up and down the country laughing at us again. He wants to prove he's in charge. Who's going to argue with him? Llambias? Hughton?

 

Just to eliminate any doubt in your mind, I will remind you of our stadium's new name:

 

Sports Direct @ St James Park Stadium.

 

It's clearly a pisstake man, look at it. They have even tagged 'stadium' on the end of 'park' just to emphasize the name change. Ask fans of other clubs what they think and they will tell you it's clearly a pisstake, that's half the reason they're finding it so funny.

[johnnypd]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

 

Looking at the name, the most obvious conclusion is that it's been done to piss people off. There'll be other motives, but that was definitely one of them. Ashley flew in with his helicopter like the big boss, handed Hughton a contract, took the club off the market and gave the stadium a comedy name which has left fans up and down the country laughing at us again. He wants to prove he's in charge. Who's going to argue with him? Llambias? Hughton?

 

Just to eliminate any doubt in your mind, I will remind you of our stadium's new name:

 

Sports Direct @ St James Park Stadium.

 

It's clearly a pisstake man, look at it. They have even tagged 'stadium' on the end of 'park' just to emphasize the name change. Ask fans of other clubs what they think and they will tell you it's clearly a pisstake, that's half the reason they're finding it so funny.

 

absolutely. Ashley seems to have this siege mentality in whatever he does, ie 'parking the tanks on the lawn' of his opponents or calling his shareholders 'crybabies' or the dubai shenanigans or offering unqualified outsiders like Llambias, Hughton & Kinnear contracts. He does things his own way and revels in causing a controversy.

 

I don't buy the line that he's ran the club into the ground out of spite - that makes no sense. And i genuinely think he wants to sell the naming rights to make some money. But the temporary naming, a move which gives the club absolutely no benefit whatsoever, is clearly a two fingers up at detractors.

[Village Idiot]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

 

Looking at the name, the most obvious conclusion is that it's been done to piss people off. There'll be other motives, but that was definitely one of them. Ashley flew in with his helicopter like the big boss, handed Hughton a contract, took the club off the market and gave the stadium a comedy name which has left fans up and down the country laughing at us again. He wants to prove he's in charge. Who's going to argue with him? Llambias? Hughton?

 

Just to eliminate any doubt in your mind, I will remind you of our stadium's new name:

 

Sports Direct @ St James Park Stadium.

 

It's clearly a pisstake man, look at it. They have even tagged 'stadium' on the end of 'park' just to emphasize the name change. Ask fans of other clubs what they think and they will tell you it's clearly a pisstake, that's half the reason they're finding it so funny.

 

absolutely. Ashley seems to have this siege mentality in whatever he does, ie 'parking the tanks on the lawn' of his opponents or calling his shareholders 'crybabies' or the dubai shenanigans or offering unqualified outsiders like Llambias, Hughton & Kinnear contracts. He does things his own way and revels in causing a controversy.

 

I don't buy the line that he's ran the club into the ground out of spite - that makes no sense. And i genuinely think he wants to sell the naming rights to make some money. But the temporary naming, a move which gives the club absolutely no benefit whatsoever, is clearly a two fingers up at detractors.

 

I'm an outsider, so god forbid me to know MA more than you do, but I think that the current name is just one of those "trying to please everyone" hackjobs that end up horribly. It seems to me that he just tried to tag a commercial name while being able to say he's kept the original name of the stadium and thus respected its history, and the result has been worse and more humiliating than if he just swapped the name outright.

[quayside]

I

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

 

Looking at the name, the most obvious conclusion is that it's been done to piss people off. There'll be other motives, but that was definitely one of them. Ashley flew in with his helicopter like the big boss, handed Hughton a contract, took the club off the market and gave the stadium a comedy name which has left fans up and down the country laughing at us again. He wants to prove he's in charge. Who's going to argue with him? Llambias? Hughton?

 

Just to eliminate any doubt in your mind, I will remind you of our stadium's new name:

 

Sports Direct @ St James Park Stadium.

 

It's clearly a pisstake man, look at it. They have even tagged 'stadium' on the end of 'park' just to emphasize the name change. Ask fans of other clubs what they think and they will tell you it's clearly a pisstake, that's half the reason they're finding it so funny.

 

absolutely. Ashley seems to have this siege mentality in whatever he does, ie 'parking the tanks on the lawn' of his opponents or calling his shareholders 'crybabies' or the dubai shenanigans or offering unqualified outsiders like Llambias, Hughton & Kinnear contracts. He does things his own way and revels in causing a controversy.

 

I don't buy the line that he's ran the club into the ground out of spite - that makes no sense. And i genuinely think he wants to sell the naming rights to make some money. But the temporary naming, a move which gives the club absolutely no benefit whatsoever, is clearly a two fingers up at detractors.

 

I think those that think it's a pisstake are crediting Ashley with too much intelligence.

 

His track record at the club proves beyond all doubt that he's intellectually out of his depth in anything other than the "pile them high, sell them cheap and lie about the rest" mentality that is behind his success at Sports Direct. I do agree with your point about him always doing things his own way, but he has shown relentlessly that he is too thick to twig when he's in danger of dropping a bollock or indeed when he's already dropped one. There's a sort of neanderthal stubborness about him.

[TRon]

I

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

 

Looking at the name, the most obvious conclusion is that it's been done to piss people off. There'll be other motives, but that was definitely one of them. Ashley flew in with his helicopter like the big boss, handed Hughton a contract, took the club off the market and gave the stadium a comedy name which has left fans up and down the country laughing at us again. He wants to prove he's in charge. Who's going to argue with him? Llambias? Hughton?

 

Just to eliminate any doubt in your mind, I will remind you of our stadium's new name:

 

Sports Direct @ St James Park Stadium.

 

It's clearly a pisstake man, look at it. They have even tagged 'stadium' on the end of 'park' just to emphasize the name change. Ask fans of other clubs what they think and they will tell you it's clearly a pisstake, that's half the reason they're finding it so funny.

 

absolutely. Ashley seems to have this siege mentality in whatever he does, ie 'parking the tanks on the lawn' of his opponents or calling his shareholders 'crybabies' or the dubai shenanigans or offering unqualified outsiders like Llambias, Hughton & Kinnear contracts. He does things his own way and revels in causing a controversy.

 

I don't buy the line that he's ran the club into the ground out of spite - that makes no sense. And i genuinely think he wants to sell the naming rights to make some money. But the temporary naming, a move which gives the club absolutely no benefit whatsoever, is clearly a two fingers up at detractors.

 

I think those that think it's a pisstake are crediting Ashley with too much intelligence.

 

His track record at the club proves beyond all doubt that he's intellectually out of his depth in anything other than the "pile them high, sell them cheap and lie about the rest" mentality that is behind his success at Sports Direct. I do agree with your point about him always doing things his own way, but he has shown relentlessly that he is too thick to twig when he's in danger of dropping a bollock or indeed when he's already dropped one. There's a sort of neanderthal stubborness about him.

 

Agree 100%. He's convinced me that not only is he far stupider than I previously thought possible, he's also managed to make Freddie Shepherd look a class act, which is some achievement.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Agreed, I still think the name is a hideous error more than a calculated move to annoy us. A bit of a persecution complex creeping in I reckon, not suprising after everything we've been through.

[madras]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

i honestly think we'll see more clubs doing it.

[80]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

 

Looking at the name, the most obvious conclusion is that it's been done to piss people off. There'll be other motives, but that was definitely one of them. Ashley flew in with his helicopter like the big boss, handed Hughton a contract, took the club off the market and gave the stadium a comedy name which has left fans up and down the country laughing at us again. He wants to prove he's in charge. Who's going to argue with him? Llambias? Hughton?

 

Just to eliminate any doubt in your mind, I will remind you of our stadium's new name:

 

Sports Direct @ St James Park Stadium.

 

It's clearly a pisstake man, look at it. They have even tagged 'stadium' on the end of 'park' just to emphasize the name change. Ask fans of other clubs what they think and they will tell you it's clearly a pisstake, that's half the reason they're finding it so funny.

 

absolutely. Ashley seems to have this siege mentality in whatever he does, ie 'parking the tanks on the lawn' of his opponents or calling his shareholders 'crybabies' or the dubai shenanigans or offering unqualified outsiders like Llambias, Hughton & Kinnear contracts. He does things his own way and revels in causing a controversy.

 

I don't buy the line that he's ran the club into the ground out of spite - that makes no sense. And i genuinely think he wants to sell the naming rights to make some money. But the temporary naming, a move which gives the club absolutely no benefit whatsoever, is clearly a two fingers up at detractors.

 

I'm an outsider, so god forbid me to know MA more than you do, but I think that the current name is just one of those "trying to please everyone" hackjobs that end up horribly. It seems to me that he just tried to tag a commercial name while being able to say he's kept the original name of the stadium and thus respected its history, and the result has been worse and more humiliating than if he just swapped the name outright.

 

Just to clarify, sticking 'stadium' on the end of ours is akin to calling yours the 'Camp Nou Arena'. It's just totally illogical. I'd have gone along with your explanation until that point.

[Mowen]

It would at least have made some sense if it was The sportsdirect.com Stadium @ St. James' Park

[TRon]

I don't think it's been done to piss people off, it's been done though incompentance and desperation.

i honestly think we'll see more clubs doing it.

 

Wasn't there a story about Chelsea going down a similar route? Probably a good idea for them as it would suit their London spiv image.

[LooneyToonArmy]

Famous fans protest at renaming St James'

 

Nov 10 2009 by Alastair Craig, Evening Chronicle

 

NEWCASTLE United fans, bitter at owner Mike Ashley’s renaming game, are winning the backing of followers across the world – including the Toon’s most famous fans. Alastair Craig reports.

 

Several banners and chants were in evidence at St James' Park

 

FAMOUS Toon fans are lining up against Mike Ashley in the United name-gate scandal.

 

The Newcastle United Supporters Trust launched a petition against rebranding the ground SportsDirect.com@St James’ Park.

 

Geordie musician Sting and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet stars Jimmy Nail and Tim Healy have backed the protest along with 20,000 other signatures left on the group’s website.

 

Sting, Nail and Healy, along with his Waterloo Road actress wife Denise Welch, are demanding a U-turn on owner Ashley’s decision to “sell the soul” of the club.

 

Thousands of NUST members gathered outside entrances to the ground on Saturday with banners reading “Saint Robson, Saint Shearer, Saint James” in reference to the club’s proud history.

 

On the stadium’s new name, former Police singer Sting said: “No, I don’t like it.

 

“I’m a traditionalist, you know. It’s St James’ Park. Always has been, always should be.”

 

Neil Mitchell, interim chairman of the NUST, says: “Its amazing that so many people have taken the opportunity to sign the petition at www.nust.org.uk.

 

“The backing of the St James’ Park name by Sting, Tim Healy, Denise Welch and others shows that the feeling transcends boundaries.

 

“It’s not just a name, it’s something that all Geordies have been brought up with.

 

“It’s part of a rich cultural heritage as Sting has said.

 

“We think it shows clearly that tradition and integrity do not figure highly on the agenda of the current regime and the Trust will be launching a campaign in the very near future to ensure that the values mentioned are returned to our club.”

[Keefaz]

Bet Sting could put in a bob or two.