Newcastle rename home ground

[Badboy 1,526]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11678/7301078/Magpies-drop-St-James-name

Newcastle are to rename St James' Park as the Sports Direct Arena as they look to sell the naming rights to their stadium.

The Magpies hope to follow fellow Premier League clubs Arsenaland Manchester City by licensing the naming rights to the ground which has been their home since 1886.

St James' Park, which has a capacity of over 52,000, could join Emirates Stadium and the Etihad Stadium in adopting the name of an external backer if the plans announced come to fruition.

Until the club can find a sponsor to buy the naming rights the ground will be named after owner Mike Ashley's sports retail company.

Newcastle originally planned to allow sponsors to link their brand to St James' Park but that idea, put forward in 2009, is now replaced by the offer to purchase full naming rights.

Deliver success

"These are very difficult economic times and the board have a responsibility to maximise all revenue streams for the benefit of the club."

Derek LlambiasQuotes of the week

Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias said: ''Our aim forNewcastle United is to continue to deliver success for the fans and everyone associated with the club. We must make this club financially self-sufficient in order to deliver that success.

"To grow sustainably and allow us to invest in our future, we will need to rely increasingly heavily on commercial income.

"These are very difficult economic times and the board have a responsibility to maximise all revenue streams for the benefit of the club.

"Stadium rebranding offers a lucrative way for clubs to secure significant additional income.

"When we initially launched our plans at the end of 2009, we invited sponsors to attach their brand to that of St James' Park.

"However, it has become clear that in order to make the proposition as commercially attractive as possible, a potential sponsor must be given the opportunity to fully rebrand the stadium.''

Opportunity

Llambias added that a shirt sponsorship deal might also be available to any company interested in taking on the naming rights of the stadium.

"Naming the stadium the Sports Direct Arena helps up to showcase the opportunity to interested parties,'' he said.

"We are now actively seeking a long-term sponsor wishing to acquire full naming rights for the stadium.

"Our shirt sponsorship deal with Northern Rock will also expire at the end of this season, which presents would-be sponsors with the opportunity to acquire both the naming rights and shirt sponsorship deals.''

[Badboy 1,526]

''Sports Direct Arena'' I really hope this does not happen to us, this is terrible in my honest opinion. Samsung Arena

[Fulham Broadway 16,855]

Ashley certainly knows how to wind up the barcodes.

The fans will still call it St james Park and just hate Ashley even more

[Badboy 1,526]

Ashley certainly knows how to wind up the barcodes.

The fans will still call it St james Park and just hate Ashley even more

Ashley is actually a big Chelsea fan lol, i would of loved it if he bought Liverpool FC.

[Ollie 4,400]

That's quite shocking, we better get used to the idea, it'll be us soon lol. Samsung arena at least sounds kinda respectable.

[Fulham Broadway 16,855]

Ashley is actually a big Chelsea fan lol, i would of loved it if he bought Liverpool FC.

Now that would be funny. Talking of which I notice King Kenny is having a right old moan about the league cup fixture, threatening to play an 'experimental' team. He might like to have said that before they sold out their allocation.

[Krypt 241]

It will happen to us eventually , we need the money from the sponsorship , especially with a smaller ground.

[Ollie 4,400]

It will happen to us eventually , we need want the money from the sponsorship , especially with a smaller ground.

[matty18 15]

Now that would be funny. Talking of which I notice King Kenny is having a right old moan about the league cup fixture, threatening to play an 'experimental' team. He might like to have said that before they sold out their allocation.

Have they sold all 7,000 already?? Tbh, i think he is bluffing and just having a moan. If only one scouser turned up would he applaud the fans and say thanks for not supporting us and doing what i said? Dont think so. He knows that game will probably be a sell out and that it is the competition that they have the best chance of winning and one of the only 2 that they have any chance of winning. He has put out a strong team in all previous rounds so see no different here, plus they havnt got a game till the monday after. So in the big picture 3 games in 8 days.

[Ollie 4,400]

Who doesn't play experimental teams in this shit competition anyway? I know they are desperate as they ain't been to wembley since '96 and have probably forgotten the way but moaning about needing to play an experimental team is stupid. In a season, you have to use your squad if u play 60+ games. There's not even any matches from like the 5th november til the 20th so what a load of shit.

[Fulham Broadway 16,855]

I was just thinking if AVB had moaned like that , the press would have been all over it like dose of syphillis. But with King Kenny none of them have piped up

[Krypt 241]

I was just thinking if AVB had moaned like that , the press would have been all over it like dose of syphillis. But with King Kenny none of them have piped up

True , Kenny is untouchable by the meida ... other than Carlo non of the media outlets have liked our manager think we should just get used to it.

Back on topic do you think we will see all stadiums eventually renamed due to the revenue it can provide ?

[zolayes 14,489]

If we keep our older players perhaps we could get Viagra to sponsor our ground ...."Viagra Bridge " has a certain ring to it

[Fulham Broadway 16,855]

True , Kenny is untouchable by the meida ... other than Carlo non of the media outlets have liked our manager think we should just get used to it.

Back on topic do you think we will see all stadiums eventually renamed due to the revenue it can provide ?

We keep hearing how football is a business, so yes I think most owners would sponsor their grannies if it meant more revenue. Wouldnt be surprised if theie were more sponsors on the kits soon, like F1.

[Krypt 241]

We keep hearing how football is a business, so yes I think most owners would sponsor their grannies if it meant more revenue. Wouldnt be surprised if theie were more sponsors on the kits soon, like F1.

True , lower league teams already have sponsors on there backs now. its only a matter of time before its introduced for PL teams. I have to say it will be a shame when there are no grounds with there original names , but this is Modern Football now. A lot of traditions are disappearing quite rapidly.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

This won't happen to us, Buck said he'd preserve the Stamford Bridge name, whatever happens. Then again, they do like to break promises.

On to Newcastle. Well, my NUFC supporting fan is outraged. "I don't like using this term, but Sir Bobby Robson would be spinning in his grave". It's a shocking move by the Newcastle board, the remove the history & prestige of that ground without a second thought. The worst part is, they haven't even found a real sponsor so at the moment it's free advertising for Sports Direct, which Ashley owns.

Despite what 'market experts' told Newcastle United's board, other experts warn sponsors might be put off because of the fan backlash. The Newcastle council are refusing to rename street signs from "Towards St. James' Park" to "Towards Sports Direct Arena".

This epitomises the business aspect of football now, wiping out traditions & co. You go to London and ask someone top landmarks to visit if they were a football fan & Stamford Bridge may be there in the top 20. You got to Newcastle, St. James' Park is in the top 3.

Classless act by Newcastle. They can only hope someone buys out Ashley and brings back the traditions of that club.

[Badboy 1,526]

The thing is it just sounds so ugly ! Naming a ground after a brand then putting ''Arena'' at the end is just horrible.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Samsung Stadium....