Cash from stadium naming rights to go on players.

Posted on November 1st, 2009 | 70 Comments |

'The Adidas Arena'?
'The Adidas Arena'?
Alan Oliver is running an article in The People claiming that all the money from the stadium naming rights will go straight to Chris Hughton to spend on the Newcastle United squad.

Ashley has apparently insisted the naming rights won’t go cheap and he’s looking for £6m a season before he’ll sell off our heritage.

A Toon source (that lad again) said:

“But all he is asking is for the fans to sit back and take a realistic look at the situation.

“It is costing him £3m a month out of his own pocket to run Newcastle and he is trying to look at other ways of raising revenue – the St James’ Park name is one of his few valuable assets.

“But he is not going to flog the name of the stadium to the first bidder.

“He is looking for a significant figure for the stadium naming rights and if he gets it, all the money will go to help Chris Hughton strengthen the team.”

The source goes on to claim that none of our young, up and coming stars like Nile Ranger and Andy Carroll will be sold as these are the ‘rewards’ of the clubs investment in youth.

“Mike has to run the club as a business and at the moment it is probably in a better state than 50 per cent of teams in the Premier League.

“Yes, Mike has made mistakes, none more so than the appointment of Dennis Wise as director of football, but what has not been a mistake is the way the club is now reaping the rewards of unearthing young talent.

“Mike is absolutely delighted at the way the likes of Ranger and Andy Carroll have come through.”

Mike Ashley is however still only here until the right buyer comes along.

“If someone with real financial clout came in, like Sheikh Mansour did at Manchester City, then Mike would sell it overnight.

“He accepts that the Newcastle fans are never going to love him, not until he gets the club back into the Premier League.

“But he just wants the fans to love their team and he has been thrilled by the way they have done this season.”

On a related note, The Mirror reported that Adidas are leading the bid to become the new owners of the stadium name. Adidas, who are already our kit suppliers, want to call the stadium the ‘Adidas Arena’ and are hoping to win over a reluctant Geordie public by naming one of the stands after Sir Bobby Robson.

With the contract for supplying kit due to be renewed next season, Adidas are hoping they can clinch both kit and stadium as part of a £20m deal. A source from Germany said:

“Adidas feel they are in prime position to win the naming rights as they have a long and proven relationship with Newcastle. But they are aware that there is hostility to changing the name and know they will have to tread carefully.”

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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70 Responses

  2. Whoopee Dooo
    But it’s not true

    At least, we have no way of knowing as it’s just one of these daft “sources”

    Love the bit about “Mike accepts the fans won’t love him till he gets the club back into the Premier League”

    Got news for you FCB – your name and “love” will never feature on our agenda yer daft Tottenham barrowboy

  4. Hitman, the blog was upgraded last night, although I haven’t personally had a problem logging in. Do you get any error message? If you can, try clearing your cookies and try logging in again. Apologies for the problem though.

  5. UTD111 says: “But it’s not true. At least, we have no way of knowing as it’s just one of these daft “sources””

    Very true. If it is true then it should have come from Ashley. Where the money will go is a material consideration in how people some might react to the stadium renaming.

  6. hitman – the site has been upgraded so it’ll have lost saved login details.

    UTD111 – I hear ya but the problem with what you’ve said is that Ashley probably didn’t say that (as you suggested). I can’t imagine even he is so blind to the realities that he’ll never be loved up here.

    Going on the notion that it’s all fabricated but judging it as a topical issue – it’s funny that Bassong was at one time the best product of our academy for ages. Now I realise his desire to leave was probably an issue but look at that ‘reward’, straight in the bank!

    It’s a bit rich taking the plaudits for Andy Carroll when he was here before Ashley was. And if he wants to take the applause for getting Richard Money in to maximise the youth potential, he’s now managed to sicken him and allow him to leave. So where does that leave us going forward?

    As for spendig money from the renaming on players. I don’t see it happening and I’d honestly prefer that we struggled on as is without the money to invest. The fact that we and our heritage are paying for his incompetence and that people imply we need to support his commercial decision is pretty disgusting really. And the fact he has no alternatives to this proves yet again he’s out of his league running a football club.

  8. Although ide like for it to remain St James’ Park-i quite like that name mind…. The Adidas Arena – sounds good!- sounds canny posh and important…… lol

  9. I see Alan Oliver has still got “exclusive-itis” from his days at Thomma House…..

    “we were first to tell you…..”

    “we exclusively revealed….”

    Doesn’t he realise that these days the internet is always way ahead of the newspapers when it comes to rumours, leaks and outright bollox? And that nobody gives a monkeys these days how quick a newspaper prints a story as we all know 90% of it is fiction??

  10. I cant understand the big deal, it is not that long ago that Freddy was looking to take us to gateshead

    Cash is king

  12. Nick – practicalities of moving to allow more supporters in, is one thing. Messing around with tradition isn’t it.

    While cash is undoubtedly king, we are the cash ultimately and we can make a difference. If we sit around just talking about how Euro Super Leagues are inevitable then we reinforce their inevitability. If we say Mike it’s OK to do what the hell you want to our club he’ll do it.

  13. So, let’s be clear on this, Ashley is looking for £0.6m less than Arsenal got for their naming rights…now I KNOW it’s a joke. Good luck with that Fat Boy….get used to disappointment….Christ knows we have!

    Never happen; he’s punting that figure up so, when a lesser amount arrives, he can say it’s a compromise and pocket the cash himself to cover “running costs”.

    As far as £3m a month in basic running costs…it’s his club, he owns it!!! Didn’t he realise that it would need investment? Waste of time bleating about it now!!

    The sooner this cancer is cut from us the batter.

  15. Excelsior – is the “batter” part of out celebratory dinner? :)

    I hadn’t even made the connection but you’re right. He’s probably asking a lot there. Where have we heard that one before?

  18. And…..£6 million a year to invest (minus all the profits from players sold?) would buy us what to compete in the premiership? The square root of damn all I suspect! And is that £6million to invest in BUYING or to include the cost of (say) a 4-year player contract? I’m finding it so hard to contain my apathy!

  19. BBM

    “And if he wants to take the applause for getting Richard Money in to maximise the youth potential, he’s now managed to sicken him and allow him to leave. So where does that leave us going forward?”

    You have really went downhill BBM – you pillory Ashley for poor appointments yet fail to congratulate for good.

    I ask you this – did you read Richard Moneys statement on leaving? I better paste it as below for you. It was the love of another club that made him leave – where does the below say he was sickened?

    “Richard added: “I am very sad to be leaving Newcastle United, however, the job opportunity I have been offered at Luton Town, where I still have very fond memories of my time there as a player back in 1982/83, is something that I simply cannot turn down. As well as being a great challenge, it’s exciting and hopefully, at the end of the season, rewarding.

    “Newcastle United have a dedicated and hard working staff within the Academy and I thank them for all the assistance they gave me during my time at the Club. I believe collectively we made great strides to improve all facets of the Academy and I am sure that the progress we made will continue.

    “I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the Club’s elite young players and given what I have seen I am sure that in the future a number of them will go on to become regular first team players. I thank them for their willingness and desire to learn and improve and wish them all the very best for the future.

    “Finally, I would like to thank the Board for the way in which they have handled this matter and for the support they gave me throughout.”

    As you can see BBM – you formed an opinion without evidence – opinions which I have advocated should not be formed. You have just demonstrated moblike tendencies. Shame on you.

  20. Ah come on Stardust, you’re throwing the usual rhetoric into the mix?

    Why is it that someone is always forming opinion without evidence if you diagree with it. Just argue the point, stop trying to take people’s knees out.

    Money seems like a good guy but he’s hardly going to start life at Luton by bad-mouthing Newcastle and not championing his Luton appointment?

    He says he has very fond memories of Luton Town, if you want to translate that into “It was the love of another club that made him leave” then fine. That’s your pregogative.

    I did infer congratulations, but I also said Money is now like a lot of others, probably thinking of better options to get away from this circus. Who needs it?

    I’m sure Luton Town seems like a better option at the minute, at least they can call themselves a proper football club with real confidence. We’re a moving billboard, selling ourselves down the river until Ashley can get his money back. I know which position I’d prefer to be in.

  22. Isn’t the square root of ‘damn all’ actually something?
    I’m sure i heard that somewhere.
    :)

  24. OK Stardust, fair enough.

    (* BBM falls back in line to confer with fellow mobsters before posting what appear to be his own opinions but are actually the views of all pitch-fork-wielding villains *)

  25. CLiNT FLiCK says:”Isn’t the square root of ‘damn all’ actually something?”

    If ‘damn all’ is 0, then its square root is 0 too.

  26. Excelsior “The sooner this cancer is cut from us the batter.”

    Not one to pull up on typo’s normally but since you are……

    Anyway – I assume from that post the cancer to which you referred was “unrealistic selfish expectations of fans?”

  27. Look that up Hugh, you ‘may’ be incorrect.
    Not saying for definite, but i’m pretty sure.
    Strange i know.

  28. Clint, as far as I remember the square root of 0 is 0, algebraically speaking anyway. I think it gets complicated when we start talking about limits and such. 0 is unusual because it only has one square root where most numbers have two (for example sqrt(4) can be either 2 or -2). Although I could be wrong – maths was never my strong point.

  30. Me either Hugh, i’m just pretty sure i saw/heard it somewhere undeniable i.e. QI, universally challenged or some such respectable source, y’know?

  32. CLINT FLICK
    Sounds like that quote from David Niven’s autobiography “Bring on the empty horses” when a foreign film director is shouting angrily at some actors –
    “You think I know f*** nothing – I tell you I know f*** all!”

  34. I don’t see the fuss about renaming the stadium, after all it will still be known as St James’ Park to the fans, much like The Gallowgate was still known as the Gallowgate even though it’s name was changed to the Newcastle Brown Ale stand.

    The problem we’ve got is the club isn’t making any money and if we want to compete in the transfer market then we’ve got to either up our revenue or cut our costs more, if the club can get good money from someone like adidas for the naming rights then they should go for it.

    Fans want the stadium name to remain the same, cheap tickets and free drinks yet expect the club to be spending millions in the transfer market too but it isn’t going to happen.

  35. Aye, the place is already known by several names: Barrack Rd. St. James’ Park, SJP, Gallowgate, ‘the match’ & probably various others, don’t really see what difference another will make(for money).
    Some are gonna complain, cry, be outraged by everything/anything that anyone does. Some people hate or a scared of change, it usually kicks in after people pass, oh say, 25? Even younger with lads sometimes.
    We complain when sponsors change, we complain when players go/come, managers, owners, We complain when the kit changes, even if it’s the 3rd kit.
    So, just look at it as something to whine about-Happy?
    We can ALWAYS turn a drama into a crisis & do, frequently.
    Nowt new there then, nothing to see ’round here, drive on.

  36. Did Hughton actualy get the job then, i’ve lost track with all this stadium re-naming malarky going on?
    Anyhoo, if he did, welcome aboard Chris, & all the best man.

    Funny how the media/press have seemingly over-looked this & therefore the media-led fans have, as per, followed their ‘real’ messiah all the way down the line.
    After all, crisis is far more interesting etc.
    Deep sigh.

  37. I embrace change normally and as much as I can, but I’m not accepting St James’ Park changing without some sort of fight. Both for the sake of tradition and the way in which he approached it. Both are relatively inexcusable. If we’re supposed to support commercial decision, why not test the water and ask supporters about such an integral change, rather than cack-handedly and flippantly mentioning at the end of that last statement?

    It’s the Leazes ‘end’ and the Gallowgate ‘end’. The stands are what they’re formed on. The stands were built for safety reasons, otherwise supporters probably wouldn’t have accepted the stands either. Some things shouldn’t need to change in my opinion. Not if the majority are happy with them.

    A simple question, I’d like considered and answered honestly by you guys who don’t see an issue with it.

    –

    If the name of the ground is not so important, why are people prepared to pay so much money for the privilege of it?

  38. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    November 1, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    “i’ve lost track with all this stadium re-naming malarky going on?”

    Clint, have you ever thought that this could be the whole point of the “stadium re-naming malarky”? Draw the fire towards one target as a diversionary tactic?

  39. worky – do you think that’s acceptable though? Why is their decision-making and PR either so inept or sneaky?

    CLiNT FLiCK – I think it’s inexcusable the way he’s messed Hughton around and then soured what should have been a big occasion for him. I fear for Hughton in the coming weeks and months and I hope he knows what he’s gotten himself into because whatever blueprint is in place now, they have demonstrated they will change it whether he’s in agreement or not.

    We can only hope Chris prevents us from becoming a laughing stock on the field as well, because fortunately, that being one of the more important aspects of a football club, we’re just about staying above water on that front.

  40. In all honesty I can’t make up my mind about the SJP renaming. My heart resists it but my head isn’t sure. Have to agree with BBM that the way fatboy went about it was a disgrace though.

  41. Yes i did worky, i am aware of those kind of tactics. I just wanted to see if anyone thought in such terms, sorry for being a tad under-hand.

    Although, i still don’t see the point, CH is still ‘in charge’ & the stadium ‘may’ still get a name change.

    Y’gotta stay up all night to get one passed me like. :)

    Bowburn, i understand your stance mate, although tradition generally leaves me cold as ice.
    & i do understand that a hell of a lot of Geordies are emotional people, tend to wear the hearts ‘all over their bodies, rather than just sleeves.
    But…

  42. BBM: Sorry for the typo everyone…the “batter” is something one might make Yorkshire puds out of…mmmm, lovely!!

    Stardust: To describe Bowburnmag as “You have really went downhill BBM” is as ridiculous, clumsy, moronic a twisting of grammar as I have ever seen.

    I don’t normally point things like that out but….seeing as it’s you I’ll make an exception.

  43. Ch is an under-current type of guy, so he might have wanted it that way, for all we know?

    Can something be ‘reasonably inexcusable’?

  45. In answer to ‘the question’ bowburn:
    Cos plenty of people do hold so much stock in a name & advertisers actually think adverts work.
    Maybe they do?

    They tend to have the opposite effect on me like.

  46. Relative to his previous excusable and inexcusable actions, and those of a normal person’s expectations of what is excusable or inexcusable.

    There now, I bet that makes much more sense………

    No probably not. Just forget about the ‘reltively’ part of it. They’re both inexcusable. I was just trying to tone it down, so as people wouldn’t immediately laugh it off as mob-like….. ;)

  48. bowburn, i’m sure you still have most of your own teeth, therefore, can’t be construed as ‘mob-like’. :)

  49. Hugh de Payen says:
    November 1, 2009 at 12:56 pm (Edit)

    “Clint, as far as I remember the square root of 0 is 0, algebraically speaking anyway.”

    “As far as I can remember” lol. You’re such a nerdy swot Hugh, you know you’re right really. :-)

  52. Hugh de Payen says:
    November 1, 2009 at 9:39 am

    “Hitman, the blog was upgraded last night, although I haven’t personally had a problem logging in. Do you get any error message? If you can, try clearing your cookies and try logging in again. Apologies for the problem though.”

    I tested the login to death very early this morning, but if anyone else has any problems with this or other stuff, let me know.

  53. I still get annoyed at these “Johnny-come-latelies” who refer to the Popular Side as “The East Stand”…

    Grrrrrr

    ;)

  55. bowburnmag says:
    November 1, 2009 at 9:49 am

    “Richard Money in to maximise the youth potential, he’s now managed to sicken him and allow him to leave.”

    When did he say that he was “sickened” Bowburn? He left because he was offered a post as a full manager at Luton. It’s called furthering your career.

  57. Money has no idea how to better himself….

    If he’s just hung around for a few month, he would be promoted to manager of a Championship club when the Chuckle Brothers get the old heave-ho……

  58. The one thing about renaming that would be totally unacceptable is if the name makes us once again a laughing stock.
    We can always call it SJP if we want – but if it’s on tele as the “Pampers stay-dry’ stadium or “The Cheesy Whotsits” stadium I’d tear the plate down myself (well, if I could climb up there)

  59. Bowburn Mag

    Regarding Richard Money leaving. I may be looking at it naively, but I just assumed he wanted to get back into management. If there was rancour with the board I’m not sure he would have added that sentence thanking the board for their support and understanding in the statement he made. However who knows

  60. worky – fair enough, with all due respect to Luton Town, I just don’t see the Blue Square Premier as furthering his career? He did really well with Walsall as a manager but from what I understand of him, the bulk of his experience and success has been working with academies as a coach/director. He turned down the Swindon manager’s about a year ago. And all this after he claimed ‘Newcastle were too big a club to turn down’.

    I just read more into this than his cliched comments, that’s all. I see it as just as much of a convenient escape route as it is an opportunity on it’s own standing personally.

  61. deb – it’s just my opinion, people can shoot me down for it if they like. I understand it might just seem like I’m looking for another opportunity to criticise the club. As for the thanks, some people don’t believe in burning their bridges unnecessarily.

    Maybe it is just coincidence? Either way, I suspect we’ve lost yet another shining light unfortunately.

  62. Can anyone really blame Money for leaving? Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have thought a non league managers job would be as attractive as acadamy director at NUFC but I fear Money knows the clubs not in great nick.

    Anyway, this stadium malarky really is neither here nor there. The only thing I do doubt is that what money comes in from it is given to Hughton. The club is quite obviously losing money so it will go to that not on players.

    I’m even more dissapointed in Ashley (if that’s possible) that he has just dropped this bombshell and left it at that. He seems to have learned absolutely nothing. He has a chance to say something, explain what his plans are and AGAIN he and Llambias are hiding in their bunkers!

    This man really cannot be that stupid surely?

    Another missed opportunity I fear.

  63. sorry bbm i have to agree with stardy (have i ever said that before) but i dont think money left because hee was sickened by the club but because he wanted a chance to manage luton which is better than the job he had here because its a job for the first team and he is fond of luton

  64. so69 – hey, like I said to Deb, it’s all about opinions. That’s just mine. I can see why people just take it at face-value.

  65. BBM – maybe because its anchored in the usual hateful claptrap you’ve been spouting lately?

    That was my take anyway.

  67. Aye it could be that Stardust. That’s certainly one train of thought. I imagine I’m ill-informed and unfair in my final conclusion of Mike Ashley and his doomed tenure? Perhaps even irresponsible in my power to wield my undoubtedly amateur journalistic stick at anyone willing to pay attention?

  68. Feckin IPhones!!!!

    Ah bollox to it. I was prepared to give Ashley more than one chance blah blah etc etc but to disrespect and incompetence, blah blah lost my trust long etc etc now I’m bitter and spiteful blah blah he should rot in his business hell. And so forth……

  69. What was it? 5m. a year combined shirt endorsement and stadium naming income.
    That`s 50m. over a ten year period with possible an increase after the first five.
    Listen , That aint hay !
    I often hear people mention it`s about the team, whatever helps the side.
    How much would 50m. help the side or would you prefer to be a proud but poor side=crap.
    Sure we dont like the idea of a name change, but it`s only a sign, ignore it, think twenty five million over 5 years instead.

  70. Bowburnmag

    Ignore the criticism, mate…

    The more the Ashley lovers criticise you, the surer you can be that you are right….

    Keep the faith