So whats your take on Ashley nowadays, the team are in their highest position for years, playing good football by some good players, you seem to have a good manager, (who everyone laughed at when he was first appointed). Ashley has been spending some money and all was looking rosy. I got in my car this morning with Talk Sport on the radio and they announced that the historic SJP is no more and history is all it is now.I must say, it certainly woke me up laughing that much that early in the morning. I remember the 'Cockneys out' banners et all not so long ago. Is that still the stance ? Not taking the piss here just interested in your thoughts of Mike ?
Its his business to do what he likes. Its not ideal but as long as results remain as good as they have been it will be fotrgotten quickly.
It will always be St. James Park so if the renaming brings in cash for new players / keeps ticket prices at an affordable level or even brings in a new owner who cares. We are in the 21st centuary and we move with the times or stagnate. As I said at the beginning to all football fans it will always be ST. JAMES PARK.
It's a tough one to call to be honest. On the one hand you have a stadium that can bring in up to £8-10 million added revenue per annum if someone opts to sponsor it. That in itself is a very easy revenue generator and if the money is spent on the squad to improve it and give some added depth; can we not agree that it's beneficial overall? On the other hand you have 119 years of history wiped out in a single club statement which came out of the blue. St James' Park is a place of pilgramige to fans. It's name is inexoribly linked to the history and fabric of Newcastle United. There are positives though and as long as the money a name change can generate is spent as intended; within the club, then I have to see it as worthwhile. I have one hope that the board will not just take the highest bid on offer and actually think about the name of the sponsor. It can't be some tawdry corporation whose name will just cause hilarity amongst opposition supporters nor should it be a corporation whom may have a bad repuation. The Sports Direct Arena is at present the BETA name of the stadium and whilst it's named thus I'd hope that Sports Direct can actually contribute some funding towards the team because all that's occurred so far is Sports Direct have elevated themselves in the media. Chelsea are selling the naming rights to Stamford Bridge and Spurs are to follow suit. It now seems a way for clubs to comply with the new financial regulations and break even.
The only reason you could laugh at this is if you thought Ashley was taking the p*ss out of the club and fans. He is merely caretaker of the club. No more than that.
Not happy but listening to LLambias is makes financial sence and to be honest I think a lot of clubs might go down this road. For the die hard fans like myself it will alway's be St James Park.
Bugger pressed the wrong button. The problem with change name is our Stadium in not a new one. If we were moving into a new one, dont think there would be a problem but it arent and thats the problem. Llambias said he repected our tradtion and fans, bull, leave it at St James Park then.
First of all, he's not been spending money. He has made a hell of a profit from transfers. People go on about him clearing the debts and saving us from 'doing a Leeds' but they fail to point out that his decisions were the cause of relegation. Most of the fans still hate him but they've not been talking about him so much as we actually have something positive to focus on - the team. I don't think this will wash with the media, everyone will still call it SJP so I couldn't give a monkeys personally.
