Championship - Newcastle rename St James' Park

PA Sport - Wed, 04 Nov 12:12:00 2009

Newcastle have confirmed their stadium will be renamed sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park with immediate effect.

FOOTBALL St James' Park Newcastle United - 0

Managing director Derek Llambias said the famous ground would bear the name of owner Mike Ashley's company until the end of the season, when naming rights would be sold on the open market.

Llambias said: "We will showcase Sports Direct until the end of the season. I'm sure we're going to get a sponsor in for next season."

Although the club insist the St James' Park name will not be lost, the decision to sell rights has met with opposition from fans after it was announced on Monday.

"We could have worded it better, and that's why we came out yesterday to explain what we're trying to achieve," Llambias said.

"With the renaming it was always going to be whatever brand it was, at St James' Park. For the remainder of this season, we already have sportsdirect.com on the Gallowgate so we'd like to take that branding through the rest of the stadium."

Ashley has suffered huge losses since buying Newcastle in 2007, paying £134 million up front plus another £120 million to pay down the club's debts. He claims the club is still costing him £20m every year.

Ashley is still looking to sell the club, and last month cut his asking price from £100 million to £80m, although a proposed takeover by businessman Barry Moat fell through.

Despite chaos off the pitch the team, managed by Chris Hughton, top the Championship with 30 points from their first 15 games.

PA Sport

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  1. renaming thwe stadium is pure lunacy.talk about­ wrecking a club. if theyre gonna wrecjk a club then­ wreck someone worth wrecking like chelsea or united.­ fear not though nufc fans because theres still plenty­ of arabs out there who mite buy your club. shame it­ hasnt happenbed to liverpool yet we need to get rid of­ those USA c-r-e-t-i---n---s. Anyway they could have­ wrecked someone worth wrecking like MANURE or chelsea.­ im a liverpool fan btw YNWA!

    From little man, on Fri 6 Nov 12:38PM

  2. A new word will soon be added to the English­ dictionary. Ashley (meaning - something unpleasant or­ harmful) By the way, is it true that Freddy Shepherd is­ to re-name a Newcastle scrapyard as Ashley's Dump?

    From Brian, on Thu 5 Nov 7:51PM

  3. and you wonder how he passed the "fit and proper­ person" test

    From yeovilfan1, on Thu 5 Nov 7:37PM

  4. We'reNotGoingUp@SidJamesPark

    From Eluive, on Thu 5 Nov 7:07PM

  5. this is funny as f***. lets just say that you had it­ coming, you have all been thinking that you are a big­ club saying that you will win something. well you have­ won nowt. the premiership neighbours are loving this­ next escapade in the farce at sid james park,­ priceless. dont expect any sympathy from us, just like­ we dont expect any from you. long live ashley, bring­ back king kev. F.T.M.

    From everett711, on Thu 5 Nov 6:52PM

  6. THE STADIUM OF BLIGHT

    From jose, on Thu 5 Nov 4:40PM

  7. sadly-we-are-a-laughing-stock@st-james-park

    From Beau Gurmee, on Thu 5 Nov 3:30PM

  8. I am speechless. Yes lesser clubs move to new grounds­ and sell the naming rights or invent a ridiculous new­ name. City of Manchester Stadium doesn't have the­ same ring as Maine Road. They should have changed the­ names of the roads rather than rename the ground.­ Anyway where did "stadium" come from? A­ dreadful American word. They are football grounds. Next­ you will be telling me he gave an assist and got a­ penalty shot during a time-out.

    NUFC playing anywhere­ other than St James' Park is absurd. Like Old­ Trafford being renamed Glaiser Park, or Goodison is now­ Chang Stadium.

    What next from Ashley & Llambias I­ wonder?

    From KEVIN P, on Thu 5 Nov 3:05PM

  9. OMG what a @#$% name. It would be a nightmare for the­ newcastle fans.

    From cokrowinoto, on Thu 5 Nov 2:58PM

  10. When we (Leicester) moved to our new stadium, we had to­ put up with much p**s taking, because it is called the­ Walkers stadium (Crisp bowl etc), but if they had­ renamed the old Filbert street with some such­ commercial rubbish i think then we like the Newcastle­ fans now would have been well p***ed off.
    Just another­ case of b*****ks to the fans & the history of our­ clubs!

    From Steve, on Thu 5 Nov 1:27PM

  11. I cannot understand how you can still be calling this a­ great club. Great support yes, great passed glories,­ yes but by that token notts county, preston, wolves­ could still call themselves a "great club".­ But still agree the owner should take a long­ walk...
    Time the football league thought long and @#$%­ how to stop these ill equipped jokers spoiling­ clubs.
    Best Regards anyway
    Shropshire Lad

    From alan.bunford, on Thu 5 Nov 1:00PM

  12. Who cares, surely it will always be called st james­ park by the fans, the people who matter.

    From y, on Thu 5 Nov 12:22PM

  13. Newcastle fans have had to endure a lot in recent­ times, this just adds to the pile...

    From Mohammed R, on Thu 5 Nov 12:22PM

  14. That fat slag has GOT to go and take the rest of his­ creep cronies with him as soon as possible. NUFC Team­ abd Fans do not want him or his stinking cash anywhere­ near them. GET OUT ASHLEY NOW!!!!!!!!

    From CHRIS, on Thu 5 Nov 12:18PM

  15. inov8rdrumandbass, addidas have already turned down the­ opportunity, and that is a fact.

    From Mike, on Thu 5 Nov 12:16PM

  16. At least it can be shortened to the Sportsdirect­­ Stadium

    From Mike, on Thu 5 Nov 12:14PM

  17. Tee Hee Oh how we laugh at these Geordies who think the­ real world of footy excludes them. How many messiahs­ have you had as manager now. You lot would give a horse­ the managers job if it was born in geordie land and you­ would still think it was the messiah.

    From BARRY, on Thu 5 Nov 12:13PM

  18. Businessman tries to make money. More on this at 10.

    From dave_usher, on Thu 5 Nov 12:12PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    nothing can be funnier than Newcastle thinking they­ were ever a big club so this is nothing for them

    From mdowds, on Thu 5 Nov 12:07PM

  20. Ashley has only one aim and that is to completely ruin­ NUFC. It was his own fault that he had to pay off debts­ he should have done "Due Dilligence" and then­ wa;lked away. Pity he hadn't. Time for the real­ fans of this great club to boycott home games until­ this idiot sells. The rate it is going it will be­ offered on e-bay with no reserve.

    Dennis­ D.
    Westbury
    Wilts

    From DENNIS D, on Thu 5 Nov 12:06PM
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