Newcastle fans, as expected, have reacted angrily to the club’s decision to sell the naming rights of St James’ Park.
Club owner Mike Ashley has decided to change the name of the stadium to the Sports Direct Arena for the remainder of the season, with the intention of signing a long-term sponsorship deal next summer.
The move is expected to bring in extra revenue to the Tyneside club, but it is a decision that has also alienated the team’s fans.
“What the club has done just reinforces what everyone has thought about them, that no matter what strides the likes of Alan Pardew and the players might take on the pitch, there is always something from above that undermines everything,” Mark Jensen, editor of fanzine The Mag stated.
“It’s no coincidence that they have performed a typical politician’s trick and waited until things are going well to slip in something like this on the back of a cut-price season ticket deal which has filled the empty seats. It’s quite cynical.
“It showed when Kevin Keegan was here the first time as a manager that when you start a bandwagon rolling at Newcastle like he did, it’s a pretty powerful force.
“They should have been spending these two weeks really reinforcing the feel-good factor.
“As it stands today, this announcement has brought no extra money into the club, but they have seriously annoyed a large proportion of their fan base.
“Maybe now people who were thinking of buying a shirt or whatever from the club shop will think, ‘Right, I’m not doing that’.
“Certainly in the short-term, the only person who is benefiting is Mike Ashley and Sports Direct,” he concluded.
Newcastle are still unbeaten in the league this season, but face an acid test after the international break as they take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
By Gareth McKnight
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