Mike Ashley Re-Names St. James' Park

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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.”

EXCLUSIVE: Newcastle's St James' Park stadium renamed the Sports Direct Arena as Mike Ashley ends 120 years of history - News - MirrorFootball.co.uk


******* ridiculous if you ask me. St. James' Park is such an iconic name and importance to the club, IMHO only new stadia should be sponsored like this. Would Man U fans like it if Old Trafford was named the 'DHL Arena', or Chelsea renaming to 'Samsung Park'.
 
Absolute. Pisstake. It's like destroying a piece of football history by removing the name from the stadium. Another example of a businessman not giving a toss about the fans. Yeah he may have pumped money into the club, but come on. To take the name away like that is just the highest form of being a narrow minded, pompous, disresecptful oaf. But what would be even hard to take is the fact.....it's absolutely worthless and doesn't bring any money in whatsoever.
 
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the man is a ****** its as simple as that, I sometimes wonder if Ashley and Llambias are actually trying to either **** of newcastle fans or ruin that club or both? sooner he sells the club the better for both newcastle and english football
 
Unprecedented step in English Football, the Emirates was a christened name if you like they didn't exactly rebrand Highbury with all it's history. Manchester City had the City of Manchester stadium, which is essentially a Commonwealth games converted arena without any real history. So you can completely understand those decisions, when it comes to even contemplating rebranding institutions like St James' or Anfield I feel entirely different personally.

You're essentially selling the clubs history for the sake of a bit of extra cash, doesn't sit well with me. I have no issue with new stadiums being branded to help fund the move or the club but when it comes to renaming institutions it's just not right.

As for Mike Ashley, the fans want a striker and he goes and renames the stadium...

The biggest threat to Newcastle's aspirations this season is their owner, not Leon Best, which sounds bizarre but is nonetheless proven true.
 
Unprecedented step in English Football, the Emirates was a christened name if you like they didn't exactly rebrand Highbury with all it's history. Manchester City had the City of Manchester stadium, which is essentially a Commonwealth games converted arena without any real history. So you can completely understand those decisions, when it comes to even contemplating rebranding institutions like St James' or Anfield I feel entirely different personally.

You're essentially selling the clubs history for the sake of a bit of extra cash, doesn't sit well with me. I have no issue with new stadiums being branded to help fund the move or the club but when it comes to renaming institutions it's just not right.

As for Mike Ashley, the fans want a striker and he goes and renames the stadium...

The biggest threat to Newcastle's aspirations this season is their owner, not Leon Best, which sounds bizarre but is nonetheless proven true.

Dangerous time to do it, bearing in mind he's hated so much already. It's like lighting a fire, and Ashley giving the fans the petroleum to fuel it. Very dangerous.
 
Meh, it's always going to be St James' to the fans,
 
Meh, it's always going to be St James' to the fans,

Live commentary should be interesting. Already a "gentlemans agreement" to ensure that journos and match day commentators, call it the new name that I shall not ever be using.
 
Tbf Newcastle are doing way to well atm, so the fans dont give him as much abuse. He had to think of a way that would defiantly get them on his back again!
 
Did'nt this story come out ages ago?

Swear I heard about this like 6 months to a year ago....

Still it's absolutely f'in ridiculous!

EDIT: just saw it was 2009! LOL! But that was when they started calling it the SportsDirect@St James’s Park stadium

so they're actually dropping the only important part of that name (and the @)!
 
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I thought Ashley was a Spurs fan anyway? Piece of ****.
 
f*cking kidding me. i really like it the old way. St. JAMES park !.

(but i seek revenge for this memorable game ;) grrrr... )

Newcastle 4 (good job, it would have been better if u won it) - Arsenal 4 (screw our back four and diaby (6) *shakes fist* )
 
The biggest threat to Newcastle's aspirations this season is their owner, not Leon Best, which sounds bizarre but is nonetheless proven true.
Leon Best has done fairly well this season, maybe second best striker behind Ba...

I thought Ashley was a Spurs fan anyway? Piece of ****.
That would explain a lot, then!

I hope Newcastle get taken over, due to the current ****-poor owners. Mike Ashley is a terrible, heartless owner and considering he's not a very good (successful) businessman, it seems he just likes to annoy people. I certainly wouldn't want someone so ignorant and stupid to take over Arsenal, but re-naming one of the biggest (and arguably) best stadiums in the world is a very irrational idea although most people will still refer to it as St. James Park.
 
He didnt say there was anything bad 0_o

He is implying that Ashley is destroying Newcastle so they wont be a threat to Spurs.

Surprised that hasn't been mentioned on the conspiracy theory thread lol
 
I really dont see the big deal with it?

Chelsea are doing the same aswell with renaming stamford bridge

They are going to get lots of money for it which could keep a player, buy a player etc
 
This is ridiculous. Football has become way too money-oriented these days. History counts for close to nothing in today's game.
 
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He is implying that Ashley is destroying Newcastle so they wont be a threat to Spurs.
Nevertheless, I don't think it's the chairman who decide if a team will posse a threat or not, it's the players. If they are determinated, they can get a decent result against any opponent.
 
Toon fans look at it this way ... better future>history .... If I was a toon fan I would welcome this idea, look towards the bigger picture, more money usually = more success, plus if the article says it encourages cheaper match tickets, then be happy.

Peace out !
 
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