FANS MUST PUNISH ASHLEY FOR NAME GAME SHAME
IF you venture to Johannesburg for next summer's World Cup and find yourself in rugby-loving company, do not make reference to Coca-Cola Park - the venue for five group games, one second-round match and a quarter-final.
Physical violence is likely to ensue.
The spiritual home of South African rugby, which staged its first Test match in 1928 against the All Blacks, became a branded venue in 2008 when it sold a name spoken reverentially around the world to the soft drinks company.
For thirty million quid.
But try finding a soul in South Africa who refers to Johnannesburg's hallowed stadium as Coca- Cola Park.
If you do, he's an administrator, a foreigner, or a Coke executive.
Journalists, fans and players still go to Ellis Park.
It is a defining symbol of a city.
Just as St James' Park is.
And as long as it remains Newcastle's mountainous landmark, St James' Park will always be St James' Park regardless of whether or not Mike Ashley finds a business warped enough to believe that attaching their name to the ground - and, consequently, to a completely discredited owner - will bring them anything other than negative publicity.
But it's the notion, an ill- conceived whim that reads like something scrawled on the back of a beer-mat, that rankles.
After a grotesque two years of ownership - featuring the hiring and constructive firing of Kevin Keegan, the employment of Dennis Wise and the incompetence that froze out Alan Shearer, to name but a handful of disasters - this is simply another breathtaking show of disrespect towards the supporters. It's not insensitive, it's an insult. An insult to a set of fans who, for all their inflated self-importance, remain wonderfully loyal.
Yet that loyalty is a double agent.
A credit to the local population, a comfort to Ashley.
The dedication of supporters is something that rarely ceases to amaze.
I was at Molineux to see Portsmouth record their first win of the season. Their following was simply fantastic. But they are following a club that is a disgrace - a club once crackling with traditional values now being shuttled between shadowy foreign figures in a web of financial intrigue.
After the Sulamain Al-Fahim farce, it seems new owner Ali Al-Faraj hasn't got enough cash.
So, according to chief executive Peter Storrie, a loan is being provided by Israeli businessmen Balram Chainrai and Levi Kushnir - men who once had links with Arcadi Gaydamak, the father of former owner Sacha and now on the run in Russia after a French court found him guilty of arms trafficking.
Pompey Chimes? Pompey Crimes, more like it.
Will the new owner and his lenders have enough money to stave off another firesale in January? My guess is no.
Will the debts to Arsenal and Chelsea be met? My guess is no.
Will the faceless wheeler- dealers who engineer these takeovers and murky refinancing packages get their millions? My guess is yes.
And still they expect the fans to turn up, to buy a programme, a pie, a pint, another replica shirt.
Mug
When Newcastle ground out a victory against Doncaster Rovers last weekend, over 44,000 fans were inside St James' Park.
So what if, to a man, they despise Mike Ashley? Think he cares?
You're buying his programmes, his pies, his pints, his shirts.
I know football is in the blood, in the heart. It's a passion for the team, whoever the owner. It's loyalty. It's habit. It's a community. It's a sense of belonging. It's tradition, it's history.
But in Portsmouth and Newcastle, it's ripping you off, taking you for a mug.
People who can ill-afford them already have season tickets. No one would expect them to waste a few hundred pounds on a point of principle.
But for all the uproar on internet forums and radio phone-ins, for all the rebellious chants, there is only one surefire way of getting through to the likes of Ashley.
Don't give him a penny of your hard-earned money.
There may be someone out there daft enough to fork out millions to rename St James' Park Stadium.
There's no one out there daft enough to rename Half Empty Stadium.
This article has 13 comments
We're STUCK with him, he'll never go. Its HEARTBREAKING what he's done to our club, he's ripped us to pieces, you just think WHAT NEXT!
You're right we are mugs and dont the press just love it!
An empty stadium would be great but that would never happen, so as I say we're STUCK with him.
PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP?
By Ann. Posted November 1 2009 at 2:20 PM.
There needs to be a campaign for all NUFC fans to boycott products of whoever buys the naming rights to SJP.
By SR. Posted November 1 2009 at 12:38 PM.
"Your sentiments are sound but you aint a Geordie, and aint a member of the Toon Army - i just can't give up the love of my life. Period. I will always go to the match, as will thousands of others."
I AM A GEORDIE...To me, YOU DONT love Newcastle United otherwise you would not feed the cancer that is eating the club.
The boycotts worked in the late 80's and if organised properly they will work again.
By giving him ashley your money you are simply endorsing his ownership and giving him signals that its OK to keep on fleecing the club.
You "I cant stay away" Ashleyites need to grow a backbone.
By D Burn-Agroboy. Posted November 1 2009 at 11:46 AM.
I doubt very much staying away would worry Ashley as he's already loaded. All we can hope for is a) someone meets his buying price - after he's put the club up for sale again or b) Ashley all of a sudden has a spectacular change of heart and becomes a competent owner and then starts to do the right thing...
By WarriorOfToon. Posted November 1 2009 at 10:50 AM.
pre sir john hall we stopped going (11000 for a home game )and things changed for the better ..so dont give me that toon army drivell..stop giving him money and things will change again ..or go sit there be spoon fed ashley's crap ,say thankyou and give him another 30 quid ..mug's we are and he know's it ..AN EX SEASON TICKET HOLDER WHO REMEMBER'S THE REAL BAD OLD DAY'S ..if you dont like it do something about it ..
By ray. Posted November 1 2009 at 10:24 AM.
Toon....if that's what you want to call yourself!!
If Ashley sells the naming rights, where is the money going to go? yes that's right, straight into his coffers, we the supporters will never see a penny of it spent on Players, because he doesn't spend money on players.
the same £20 million he has supposedly put into the club for transfers... In October btw, when the transfer window is shut........... I bet it'll be gone by january, why? because it wasn't there in the first place.... this whole regime are liars, the keegan judgment showed us that.
you're probably one of the people that actually think the club was up for sale in the first place, and just not an excuse for ashley to tighten his pockets in the transfer window.... while selling all the players he did and making millions in the process.
Great article btw
By Tony. Posted November 1 2009 at 9:52 AM.
STEVE...... Yes those clubs changed the name but thats because they changed to NEW STADIUMS you fool. Just how much money do you think we will get and do you really think Fat Ash will put any of it back into the club or use it to paper over large cracks in his sports shops?
Your as bigger fool as him.
By dean. Posted November 1 2009 at 9:48 AM.
Toon69, CMR.
You ain't a Geordie, you ain't a supporter. You're just an insignificant messenger who rather shut his gob about Ashley and enjoy a farcical game of throwing of gauntlets and money laundering fatheads. You love Newcastle? Love it if you can't spell SJP anymore? Love it if SBR comes back down and give you a whopping?
Any toon fan who disregard the greater security of SJP and NUFC's future ain't a real fan: just a misguided fool who apparently entered the wrong stadium. But you're right about one thing...they're always thousand of others more willing to sell their soul than lose a few hundred quids.
By FM. Posted November 1 2009 at 9:23 AM.
We have St James metro station so what is wrong with the Adidas Arena @ST.James Park home of the loyalist football supporters the world has ever had.
By Kimbo. Posted November 1 2009 at 9:34 AM.
The hated glazers have put us in a massive debt,sold Ronny and banked the cash,foisted the failed .A.I.G.on us plus many other things we don't like........but they know if they tried to sell the great name of Old Trafford.........
By steve. Posted November 1 2009 at 3:06 AM.
You don't half talk drivel. At the end of the day Newcastle need that money so it could survive - Arsenal changed name and didn't moan, Bolton changed and didn't moan, so why should we??? I sooner sell our name out if it meant our club will remain in tact.
By Toon 69. Posted November 1 2009 at 1:28 AM.
Your sentiments are sound but you aint a Geordie and you aint part of the Toon Army - we have no choice, we love the Toon and will always go to the match.
By CMR. Posted October 31 2009 at 10:54 PM.
Your sentiments are sound but you aint a Geordie, and aint a member of the Toon Army - i just can't give up the love of my life. Period. I will always go to the match, as will thousands of others.
By CMR. Posted October 31 2009 at 10:52 PM.