Wonga

I'd hope we wouldn't associate ourselves with a company of this nature, they're parasites obviously. However Ashley will just want the maximum he can get in monetary terms, and I'm sure Derek will tell us the extra 3m a year from the Virgin deal means we can buy a better player. Their point will be that Wonga are legal company and no amount of mud slinging from the local council will change that.

I'm surprised we do not have better options but it is what it is. One thing we have learnt is that under Ashley he is thick skinned enough to ride out any PR storm. Its probably not worth people getting miffed about all said and done.

 

This is doing the rounds on twitter, Bad times.

 

I think this is as much another reason for people to add to the negative image of Mike Ashley citing him as greedy or whatever, however the truth is that the moral outrage is totally misplaced, football club owners have no responsibility when it comes to who they choose to sponsor their club, and as custodians of the business interests of the club their job is to get the best deal they can. So while Ian Lavery rightly has misgivings about Wonga, this is surely clouded by his dislike of Ashley, if you want to discuss the morality of Premier League sponsors then he may want to look across the league at the glut of gambling and alcohol firms that sponsor teams, two areas of life that negatively affect far more people in the North East of England than the irresponsible lending of Wonga.


It's also worth remembering that Virgin Money benefited from the use tax payers money - eg. the money of all NUFC fans - in order to make the risk-free takeover of Northern Rock before then making several hundred North Eastern workers redundant. Add to that the huge bankers bonuses paid by companies such as Standard Chartered and Investec (recognise those names) and the large part this played in the current economic downturn, and of course a certain sponsor that is a front for exploitative oil exploration in Africa, and it's clear that we are not the only club with a wonky moral compass when it comes to sponsorship.

Finally, nobody (other than George Caulkin) has pointed out that the entire league is sponsored by a company who's ethics have been hugely questioned, recently leading them to be fined a record £2.5bn for illegal trading. So the problem is not a one related to Mike Ashley, or Newcastle United, but football now in general, where money is far more important than ethics, it's all well and good taking a holier-than-thou view on the Wonga deal, but in reality it is very much the norm, and not Ashley doing anything other than making money for the club in the same way the majority of other PL team owners already do, and we already have been doing.

 

Well said. There's also the dodgy record of most sportswear manufacturers when it comes to child exploitation in the third world, which is surely worse than lending out a few hundred quid to somebody who knows exactly how much they'll have to repay.

 

Definitely is a football thing. Obviously the very biggest tend to care more about their reputation and image, and therefore avoid being associated with companies like Wonga. But they have already been involved with Hearts and Blackpool.

To be honest as I dislike the idea of us becoming involved with them and how it will cheapen the Newcastle United brand, I raised more of an eyebrow when I saw we've gone and got ourselves listed as on the shortlist for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The idea of our pitch being tore up by rugby is not one I'm overly cheery about!

 

I think we could apply the Ethics measure towards lots of companies to be fair.. especially some of the far eastern sponsors.
If the company name were something like Cashcall it maybe wouldn't be so bad but for me it's just the fact that the name is slang and cheesey slang at that.
I'll get over that, as we all will and I won't be buying a top with that on TBH. There's enough old school tops around to fill hat void I'm sure.
Fast forward 3 years and if the money is spent wisely and our club has progressed further I can see us with a big global sponsor and all will be forgotten.

 

Well it's on nufc.co.uk that we have agreed a 4 year deal with wonga, so that is that.

 

At least we save money by not buying the shirt with that lot on it... If you are struggling and even think of getting any sort of loan you are mad.

 

Wonga - done deal

A press conference is currently in progress at NUFC, where the identity of their new shirt sponsor has been confirmed as Wonga - on a four year deal.

 

Article on Wonga deal on nufc.co.uk

http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20121009/newcastle-agree-four-year-wonga-deal_2281670_2944166

 

@lee_ryder Wonga rename stadium St James' Park

 

I LOVE WONGA <3

 

It's true, it's breaking news, what a clever, clever move on the part of Wonga!
All that 'Sports Direct' rubbish should be removed from the roof of the stadium now.

 

Here here! As much as I despise the notion of Wonga being on future Toon kits. Football has long since lost it's soul/morale compass - the day clubs began selling space on shirts to corporations, was the day that ALL clubs had the capability of being whores to the corporate world.

Wonga are a dodgy company in every sense, but aren't as bad as some mentioned by CA. I believe Standard Chartered were threatened with expulsion from the New York Stock Exchange, for their dealings with Syria (millions of pounds from the regime kept in SC accounts).

It's a murky world out there and we're at the mercy of some of the worst people imaginable. It's probably not worth worrying about it, or you could go crazy about the current plight of the world.

Like has been said. Don't buy the shirts, support the team and try and enjoy the good things in life - at least the things that are left for us to enjoy!

 

Just created my new account on yet another fantastic day to be a Newcastle fan.

"Wonga will sponsor the team shirt from the start of the 2013/14 season, work on a range of other initiatives with fans and invest at least £1.5m in two of the Club's most important projects"

Considering the numerous amounts of unfulfilled pledges to reap the benefits both financial and other of incidents like these, I can imagine the only thing that will really come of this is another blow to the regular fan. I dont understand how a few people can so readily disregard the people who keep them sitting high in the first place. The players who wear the shirts represent the club, therefore what is on the shirt and sponsors the club can only be considered to be endorsed and supported by the club itself what in my opinion is a legalised Loan Shark.

And apparently wonga want to have the stadium called St James Park. I dont think even they could consider having the wongarena

 

Yeah, definitely won't be buying a new shirt with Wonga on, but a very sensible move by them regarding renaming the stadium. The popularity of the firm (whatever it has left anyway) would have plummeted with "wonga" in the title.

 

Hi BigTuna
we already have a thread called wonga
I'm sure someone will merge


Introduce yourself on the 'Welcome to all Guests' thread above
anyway nice to have you onboard

 

Welcome, or welcome back as the case may be... What was your last account called?

I'd pass some rep, but all out at present.

 

welcome on board mate.
Have merged the two threads but great to see you.

 

Welcome to the crazy house. Have yourself some WONGA, sorry i mean REP. Enjoy.

Well im all out of REP as well but i will get you when im allowed...damn rep limits