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St James' Park


Delima

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/EXCLUSIVE-Newcastle-s-St-James-Park-stadium-renamed-the-Sports-Direct-Arena-as-Mike-Ashley-ends-120-years-of-history-article828848.html

Newcastle will today controversially end 120 years of history and scrap the St James’ Park stadium name.

 

Owner Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias are renaming the venue the Sport Direct Arena.

 

And they have kicked off the search for a £15 million combined shirt and stadium sponsorship deal with global companies.

 

The move is likely to spark anger among Geordie fans and bring charges of wrecking a piece of Tyneside heritage.

 

But Newcastle’s chiefs argue they need to tap into the lucrative blue-chip branding market - with money raised reinvested in Alan Pardew’s squad, and keeping ticket prices down.

 

Ashley first announced plans to sell the naming rights to St James’s Park in October 2009, and a watered down version SportsDirect@St James’s Park has been used ever since, maintaining the historical link.

 

But United have tested that concept and potential sponsors have shied away - demanding complete stadium rebranding as the preferred option.

 

The stadium naming rights will be sold as a package with the shirt sponsorship - because Northern Rock, the current name on United’s strip have decided not to renew their deal when it expires in May.

 

Newcastle hope to raise the equivalent of buying a decent young player every season from the deal.

 

The Sports Direct Arena, as St James’s Park will now be known as from this morning, will “showcase” what is on offer for new sponsors.

 

Newcastle know that the plan will reignite the fury of two years ago when the idea was mooted. That even triggered an Early Day Motion in Parliament signed by MPs.

 

A senior United source last night said the move was to maximise revenue and push annual turnover beyond the £100 million mark.

 

A source said: “We are not disrespecting the history or heritage or the fans. We are doing this to keep ticket prices down - we have already had two popular offers for season tickets, the 10 year deals and the recent deal for the rest of the season.”

 

Newcastle want to fill the stadium this season with an average of 49-50,000 near sell outs and have tried to do ticket deals to help generate near sell out crowds and extra atmosphere.

 

United believe with extra revenue and careful buying of players they can eventually compete with the likes of Spurs nibbling away behind the top four or five.

 

The club hierarchy will ask to be trusted on their latest move, after the success of other unpopular changes including sacking Chris Hughton last season.

 

They insist the money raised will be reinvested in the club and not taken out as profit.

 

A source said: “It is a golden opportunity and something we have to explore.”

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Can quite easily see him changing the badge and the club colours to go with his shitty brand, and I wonder if the FA have the power to veto a name change.

 

Hyperbole? Don't put anything past this scum.

 

I could definitely see them advertising the shirt colour as being a saleable asset to any wannabe-sponsors in the near future. As you say, they're completely out-of-touch with (or - more likely - apathetic towards) the sentimental value of these things that it just seems inevitable. Everything is for sale, the whole lot.

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A massive banner needs to be made for the Chelsea game stating this is St James' Park and forever it shall be.

 

Won't be allowed in, remember.

They could do fuck all to stop an organised display similar to those seen at the Shearer testimonial. By that I mean each person holds a card aloft and together it spells out St James' Park. It would take some organising but the effect would be tremendous, they'd be powerless to stop it too.

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I actually think it's quite likely to see some seating and kit colour change, man. Next season?

 

Not a chance, what's happening here with the stadium name is sickening and should be stopped at all costs, however its something that's happened at multiple clubs in the past.  No club, AFAIK, has ever change the colours of its home strip to match a sponsor.

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I'd be pissed off, but it seems like all stadia are up for grabs, name-wise.

 

The chances of real historic stadia like Old Trafford or Anfield being renamed are absolutely nil. Because the people who run those clubs don't have a compulsion to treat their supporters like shit for the sheer hell of it.

 

That'll be the Anfield they're dying to leave, so they can shoehorn more paying punters in?

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Guest bimpy474

Tin hat on.

 

What if someone does but the naming rights for £15m a year that is to be spent on transfers ?

Someone bought a lanky bell end off us for £35 million and that was spent on fuck all, I doubt we'll see anything from this farce.

 

Aye....:(

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Guest bimpy474

He's using his brand to take the flak so that supporters are desensitised to the whole thing when a proper sponsor turns up.

 

Very clever, not clever enough with the timing though the fat bellend.

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Tin hat on.

 

What if someone does but the naming rights for £15m a year that is to be spent on transfers ?

 

Why don't Man Utd and Liverpool rename their ground for a bit of cash? Fancy renaming a stand after Sir Alex Ferguson, fucking mugs, should have whacked First Allied Corporation on the top of it.

 

Clubs are about more than money, or cheap tracksuit bottoms.

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Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. I'm actually heartbroken here.

 

Howay man, get a grip FFS.

 

Fuck off Otter you utter cretin.

 

You have absolutely no idea about passion and love for NUFC. If you can't understand him saying he's hearbroken then you really need to fuck off from 'supporting' NUFC.

 

Sorry lads...he's just wound me right up there.

 

I know this news has ignited passions somewhat, but can we direct all vitriol at the appropriate people, and not each other please?

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I don't care how this get's dressed up, I am fucking gutted. People will say 'arr it's always St James' man' well its not is it. We will be watching MOTD and Gary Lineker will be like 'and our reported at the Sports Direct Arena, was Guy Mowbray' and it will make me sick. Fucking arseholes.

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