Do Wonga actually pay anything for St James’ Park naming rights?

Posted on July 31st, 2013 | 70 Comments |

Wonga.
.
“It’s a big statement by Wonga to say: ‘We want the naming rights and we’re going to give it back to the fans and the community’.” gushed Derek Llambias.

Alan Pardew also chimed in, exulting:

“Getting the St James’ name back is fantastic. It is a clever move in terms of getting fans in a good place.”

“For so long, Llambias and owner Mike Ashley were associated with taking unpopular decisions (“We started off poorly,” he admits) but the announcement of a controversial deal with Wonga yesterday was significantly sweetened by news about the stadium name.” purred the Journal’s Mark Douglas.

Yet the sums just do not seem to add up. It was trumpted by Llambias that the new sponsorship deal with Wonga would be the club’s “biggest-ever commercial deal.” and when asked if the total deal amounted to £8 million per season, he acknowledged that sum was “not far off.” £6 million of this is going into the main shirt sponsorship side of the deal. As I pointed out in this earlier piece, this is actually slightly below the mean figure of £7.36 million for Premier League shirt sponsorship. However both Wonga and Llambias have made much of the fact that a further £1.5 million will go into the club’s Benton Academy and the Newcastle United Foundation, where Wonga will be getting involved with future customers local youngsters from underprivileged families.

But wait a minute!

This comes to £7.5 million, which is “not far off” £8 million. So where is the £8-10 million per season which Llambias promised would bring the club another top player, as well as bringing “affordable football” to impoverished Geordies? Could it be that Wonga allegedly buying the club’s stadium name to give back to the fans (for four years at least) was just elaborate con to keep the fans quiet? Were they killing two birds with one stone, saving face for Ashley after three years of failiure and making the club’s repugnant new sponsors look good with the fans?

Here’s one last quote from Llambias on the matter:

“I would hope to generate between £8 -10m a year. That would give us another player.”

“Yes, we do need to go that one step further to compete. We have had an exceptional year and long may it continue, but the fans want us to buy more players, we need to bring in a striker in January, we will need replacements in the summer.”

As Johnny Rotten once said:

“Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Goodnight.”

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Will you be buying / have you bought a Wonga shirt for next season?

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NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.

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Posted on by workyticket in category: Alan Pardew and Club Policies and Politics and Derek Llambias and Interviews and Mike Ashley and Newcastle United sponsorship deals and St James's Park and St James's Park renaming rights and Thoughts and reflections and Wonga and Workyticket , with tags:
Comment on this post

70 Responses

  1. He doesn’t promise anything, he said he hoped the naming rights would bring in £8-£10 million but it didn’t.

    The only lie told is by you in your article saying he promised anything.

  2. As for it bringing affordable football, you mean like the 10 year season ticket price freeze?

  3. 6M isn’t slightly below 7.36M, it’s 18% less. Of course you knew that, and are a solid rhetorician.

    I guess you know which side I’m on, since I used the word “con” just a few hours ago to describe this crap.

  4. Rangerman @ 1: yes, indeed…we actually settled for 18% less than the PL average. No lies, just misleading bullshit. SOP now from NUFC brass.

    @ 2: with regular rises in the cost of club “membership”? Pull the other one.

  5. Lads, lads, lads, let us not fall out over semantics. Management talk bollocks. Accept this and move on. They can talk about low hanging fruit, synergies, leveraged assets, etc, until they’re blue in the face but all we, the fans, want is good, attractive football and the occasional flirtation with glory. Any more and we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves. I’ve been a supporter of Newcastle for, well, I’m 46 so have a guess, and will be for the rest of my days. Owners, chairmen, players and managers come and go, we are the only constant. Enjoy the game, it is all there is to be said.

  6. Worky: I get links to kitbag.com on your site. I am sure it is google targeted advertising and not you.

    However, I looked at the away strip and it really is just a $75 t-shirt.

    http://images.kitbag.com/kb-131630.jpg?width=160&height=160&quality=95

    Wearing it here in Chicago would just generate a lot of questions about what or who Wonga are.

    It really is a ripoff because the club shop sells t-shirts with the club crest but no Wonga for about $20. It is not the “official” change strip so I guess some will be willing to fork over the extra $55.

  7. Are you watching Ashley? 72 per cent of fans will not wear a shirt with Wonga on it. Maybe this link up will backfire?

  8. Have you only just worked this out? From day one I realised it was a face saving exercise by the cretins, the stadium naming rights where a poisoned chalase no one in there right mind would have touched them.

  9. Now that Llambeezie is gone , it becomes more obvious that he was no more than a lightening rod for Ashley, relaying what Ashley had in mind for the club and taking the rap for it.
    If by now anyone on this blog has any doubt who has the final say on everything, imagines it’s anyone but our owner, then they haven’t been paying attention.
    Does anyone believe the present transfer negotiations is in the hands of anyone but Ashley and those carrying out the offers are anything but message boys, delivering the offers.
    Question is who is advising him, Joe ? No way, Carr possibly.
    It became apparent in a recent tape by Wor Joey, who spilled the beans on the post second tier episode where both he, his scouse buddy and Christ Hughton, were pushed out the door.
    Which is something I claimed accured in previous rants and Joey has just confirmed.
    Apparently it was about a contractual situation, where players like the two scousers, Alan Smith and our recently let go goalie Harper we’re targeted for the push, being leaders in the dressing room revolt against the particular bonus system.
    Hughton being someone with a sense of ethics , apparently refused to enforce the policy, making him someone suspect in the eyes of the club (Ashley) and suffered the same result.
    Possibly something of a favor, as he is now the manager of a decent if not top side in the PL who by the way has made some decent additions to the Norwich side.
    On the other hand we are stuck with the same clowns, who can take us nowhere, possibly to the chagrin of some decent players, who with a manager with some tactical nous, could achieve a bit of success, ah well !

  11. Army kev says:
    July 31, 2013 at 11:34 pm

    “Have you only just worked this out?”

    No, but if you only write about it once, the message gets lost, kev.

  13. Worky
    Oh! Must have missed it, I mentioned it having seen it only recently, thought in certain parts of the conversation it didn’t as if it was recent.
    Interesting nevertheless.

    And yes you are right in the fact the most effective way of getting a message across is to repeat it
    Constantly, Pavlov knew it.
    I believe some who may read some of my rants, believe I’m suffering from Alsheimers disease or age related dementia, as I intend to repeat myself, nah ! Just getting the message across.

  14. Worky, Have you ever thought of a career in Graphic Design?,
    Because that mock up of W***A.COM, Is perfect, And sums them up to a tee!
    So i take it no one likes our new beloved sponsor?
    That’s a shame!, I cannot understand how these usury merchants, Thought they could get around us, With flattery, And their scrap metal gestures!
    No one in their right minds, Will ever want to be associated with scum like them, Apart from The Sky Sports Specials, Who will be willing to humiliate themselves on screen!
    The deliverance mob will be there with their replica kits, And their 3 teeth, And two in their wallets, Gurning for the camera.

  15. joe hawkins says:
    August 1, 2013 at 11:03 am

    “Worky, Have you ever thought of a career in Graphic Design?,”

    Cheers Joe, and yes. I studied fine art after I left school but I’ve been a web designer and done music artwork and that sort of thing.

  16. Joe

    It should come as no surprise, from the Hallls to Fat Freddy, to Ashley Llambias and the rest of the cronies, like Wise and our current supremo Pardew the one thing they all have in common, is a certain sleaziness, hopefully we have hit bottom with our latest addition Wonga.
    But I wouldn’t bet on it.
    Birds of a feather !

  17. I’m starting to wonder whether the lack of transfer activity, Signifies Pardew is on his way out?
    He wanted to bring in a coach, And i think he got the knock back.
    I remember the same thing happening to Chris Hughton, He didn’t get his coach, And not long after, He got the Spanish Archer!

  18. Sorry to be a boring old git, but as we have done an ED and jumped to another thread fairly quickly I am going to repost my last comment.

    I reckon its the kids who will be getting their parents to buy the W……ga stuff and wearing it to games, a lot of them won’t understand the nasty side.

    It’s really depressing to see that we might be in the market for a decent player then seeing the bigger clubs like West Ham, Fulham, Hull city etc. stepping in and stopping us. How do we compete with these more glamorous clubs?!!!!

    There that makes me feel more fulfilled. :)

  19. joe hawkins says:
    August 1, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    “I remember the same thing happening to Chris Hughton, He didn’t get his coach, And not long after, He got the Spanish Archer!”

    Joe, it was Steve Clarke. Hughton was in talks with him to become his assistant two weeks before he was sacked. Chuck would have almost certainly soiled himself with excitement.

    http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-bromwich-albion-steve-clarke-379663

  20. Grumpy Old-Toon says:
    August 1, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    “Sorry to be a boring old git, but as we have done an ED and jumped to another thread fairly quickly I am going to repost my last comment.

    “I reckon its the kids who will be getting their parents to buy the W……ga stuff and wearing it to games, a lot of them won’t understand the nasty side.”

    Grumpy, Ed does over ten blogs a day!

    You probably have a point about bairns and “pester power” but Wronga are getting their claws into the whole region, not just the football club, and they will brainwash many adults. Just look at how many so called fans were willing to turn on Cisse over Wronga and they’ve hardly even started.

  22. On the subject of companies which come out of nowhere to achieve pre-eminence in new ways of exploiting poverty, does everyone remember how companies such as Ocean Finance, Claims Direct and Cash my Gold did just that? They were never off the telly and raking in many millions, only to seemingly evaporate from the public consciousness sometime later. Who’s to say that won’t happen to Wronga over the four year period of their sponsorship deal with Newcastle United?

  23. This whole saga over Bent and Remy: You can only play hardball on your negotiations if you have something the other side want. We really are bargain basement. Heck, we’re not even bargain basement, we’re remaindered stock.

    Bah humbug.

  24. Worky my comment was said in jest, I know you are not a serial blog new thread poster. :)

    And as you have said Wonga and similar companies may well have already had there day as steps seem to being made to make them less predatory. They may have to become more people friendly to remain in business.

  25. Just buy Remy and Gomis now before it is too late. We don’t want to leave it to the last day and either not get them or they dont get experience training with our team.

  26. France says Gomis deal could be wrapped up very soon, possibly today.

    In other news – French football fans seem to think Pardew’s Newcastle United is a rugby team, not a football team. :lol:

  27. I’m staggered that this Joey Barton footage, Hasn’t been in the domain of many fans.
    This interview was from when he first signed for QPR, And i remember watching it, At the time.

    I have now looked around a few different boards, And they are only just showing it now!
    There is a lot of outrage about it, FFS a lot of fans are sleepwalking, Where Ashley is concerned.
    Only now are they becoming aware of what happened during “The Barton Tea Party”, When he was inside.
    It seems not many fans were aware of what happened during “The Toonpuddle Martyrs”, And the bonus sheet fiasco, And the getting rid of the players involved.
    One of Ashley’s most snide tricks was “The Prohughtono Scandal”, And the way Chris was thrown out of the club, And replaced with Parnocchio!, Is now only coming to light for a lot of people, F**kin’ unbelievable!

    More fans should of had access to this interview, And Fat boy and his puppet, Might not of had the easy ride they did, For so long.
    We have be talking about all these things, On this board, For the last couple of years.

    There has been a softening of attitude towards Ashley, Over the last couple of years, With some of the papering over, Of the cracks, With Parnocchio’s flukey 5th place finish.
    Hopefully these belated revelations might get the fans to start seeing, What these pricks running our Club, Are really like!

  28. joe hawkins says:
    August 1, 2013 at 5:18 pm

    “More fans should of had access to this interview”

    Well as I mentioned to Chuck, they’ve had access to it on here since December 2011. It was sent to me just after it was made.

    https://nufcblog.org/2011/12/joey-barton-interview-video/

    https://nufcblog.org/2011/11/barton-reveals-on-ayatollah-ashley-ultimatums-players-committees-hughtons-sacking-and-everything/

    https://nufcblog.org/2011/12/llambias-have-you-no-shame-whatsoever/

  29. Worky, I watched it myself about 2 years back, When Barton signed for QPR.
    I find it amazing that not many people knew about it, And it’s only now, It’s coming to light.
    I think it was Barton’s first interview with the Qpr fans group.

  30. 18 days to kick off…

    …we loaned out Richardson.

    Guess big Mike is counting on luck to improve our performance from last season.

  31. Well the way this Gomis thing is going, it seems that everything is cool between Newcastle and Lyon according to Lyon’s chairman, and he is putting it all on Gomis and his agent. He also mentioned that Gomis has refused five clubs so far, and is in danger of ruining his career. he also mentioned that although Marseilles are a Champions League club, there’s no way they can afford Gomis.

    I also picked up something about a dispute over Gomis’s wages to the tune of 3000 euros per week, but that his signing could be imminent.

  32. Do you really think we have any intention of signing Bent? I think it is a smokescreen and a negotiating tactic to pressure Lyon and Gomis’ Agent.

    With Fulham and their new rich owner in the picture I would say the odds are very slim. There’s no way we would pay his wages unless we get him for virtually free, thus the 2 mil offer.

    I don’t think it is Uncle Joes fault or bad negotiating. They are playing a game that Ashley has seen work before so he’s doing it again.

    I hope we get Gomis because I think any decision to charge Remy or not does not come until September after the transfer window is closed. I think that is also what ‘Arry is parping on about when he is saying he wont loan him out.

  33. I think we will get one striker – Gomis soon, or Remy on loan close to transfer deadline day.

    We might get one loan from Europe that I have never heard of but Worky will have seen.

  34. And I bet most of the reason QPR are saying they will not loan us Remy is because Ashley is asking them to pay part of his wages.

  36. Well after what I’ve been reading in France, Gomis certainly seems to be the most likely, unless his agent or Gomis himself walks away over personal terms.

  37. GS says:
    August 1, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    “Well, we are making news in Abu Dhabi:”

    That was a syndicated story from Richard Jolly, a scumbag who writes for ESPN.

  38. Worky: I thought the Richard Jolly piece was pretty balanced, especially when compared to most NUFC Blogs. Do any of us know if Kinnears time away from football will impact his skills when he eventually becomes manager?

    I was trying to think of any manager who had been away for a while and then came back and was successful. I am sure there must be someone (probably Cruyff), but I could only think of failures like Keegan and Dalglish. yeah I know, Keegan probably doesn’t count because he didn’t survive long enough to tell.

  39. GS says:
    August 1, 2013 at 9:53 pm

    “Worky: I thought the Richard Jolly piece was pretty balanced”

    No it wasn’t, it started with a nasty title then it got nastier. Don’t try to pretend otherwise because I read it.

  40. Worky, I suppose you are right. I read it again and saw that he did make a lot of snide comments and when he made a compliment like the following he was damning with faint praise:

    “A relic from the past century – albeit, to his credit, when he was actually a hugely effective manager of Wimbledon – he transports Newcastle back to an unpleasant part of their past”

  41. GS says:
    August 1, 2013 at 11:06 pm

    “Worky, I suppose you are right. I read it again and saw that he did make a lot of snide comments and when he made a compliment like the following he was damning with faint praise:”

    Two or three times perhaps, the rest was just plain nasty. What is most dispiriting though is that they know their market. Too many Geordies nowadays are just nasty little bastards who behave like a medieval mob, yet they combine this with a self righteous pomposity, as if they think they are superior to others. It’s the combination of the two that makes them particularly loathsome.

  43. BREAKING NEWS!

    We finally signed someone. The new tea lady is very happy about her new role.

  44. Kath reveals the tea and coffee secrets of some of the 27 NUFC managers she has served. I think the Silver Fox must have another notch on his bed post judging by the way she gushes over him at the end. :-)

  45. Another post about Wonga on this blog, yawn! I understand there is not to write about at NUFC in terms of transfers or optimism but its becoming an obsessive, dull debate

  46. Worky @19 #
    Yes indeed the thought of someone like Steve Clarke inheriting the managerial role at the time , certainly perks my interest, though the firing of Hughton still rankles.
    Obviously an apprenticeship under the great one doesn’t hurt, as both Clarke and Rodgers have shown us some attractive football, from their sides.
    I suppose the reason they were never considered for the management role at
    Newcastle was, they were too low on the sleaze scale.
    If Kinnear wants to be remembered at this club for doing something positive as someone who may be trusted and have Ashley’s ear, then I suggest he select not players, they will have little effect while Pardew remains as our ace tactician.
    But a creative young manager that can effectively use the present talents we already have, but knowing how Ashley works, choosing sleazy companies and people to work both for him and with him, I fear that’s out of the question, but he did accept Carr, who appears to be doing a decent if not perfect job (Amalfitano) think they signed the wrong brother.
    So there is hope, problem is if we start winning he may panic at the thought of having to spend to continue on a successful run.
    When all he needs in order to be profitable is mid league mediocrity.
    But he’ll we can lice with that (have been) as long as we see our club playing attractive football, cause, that’s what it’s all about, entertainment.
    Which I can assure him, hoofball aint !

  47. Geordielaa
    If you are bored here, I suggest you try Ed’s. or Toonsy’s blogs, where you can listen to Ed’s. feel good pieces, where he invites hits by enquiring how you feel about something that leaves you cold or read the comments from mostly those who appear to be twelve year olds.
    As for toonsy’s he does at times come up with interesting points of view, but his following are a dull bunch, so there’s not much as far as controversy, which is what makes certain blogs interesting.
    It’s as the masthead of this blog sez, about debate, discussion, controversy, without which, becomes boring and yes you have a point, in regard to wonga, but it’s just people venting at a sleazy organisation that our owner has associated with what most consider to be their side, therefore associating them with this sleazy loanshark outfit and expecting them to in return for fifty quid or so, to advertise that same sleazy organisation, with insult added to injury, spend it in Ashley’s other sleazy business that treats ninety percent of the staff, like interchangeable parts, called to work when needed, told not t show up when not needed, worked in four hour shifts, to avoid having to pay for meal breaks etc.
    How this government allows usary laws and labor laws like both Ashleyand Wonga take advantage of is unbelievable, Maggie Thatcher and those that followed have a lot to answer for, as has organised or diss organised labor.

  48. Chuck says:
    August 2, 2013 at 11:27 am

    “Obviously an apprenticeship under the great one doesn’t hurt, as both Clarke and Rodgers have shown us some attractive football, from their sides.”

    If you mean Mourinho, Chuck, he’s never really been noted for his attractive style. It has certainly been effective and ruthless but not necessarily attractive.

  49. I hear we are re-signing ranger to play up front with remi in a new-look charged with rape strikeforce.

  50. So it appears Cath the tea lady has avoided getting the push, she probably knows where the bodies are buried and could send a lot of people to jail.
    Guess Ashley, when he cut ground staff. And others was smart enough to keep her as it could have turned into one of those stories that made him look like an ass hole, though he doesn’t need much help in that direction.

  51. sampdiago says:
    August 2, 2013 at 12:03 pm

    “with remi in a new-look charged with rape strikeforce.”

    It would give a new meaning to Pardew’s phrase “he absolutely raped him.”

    Though to be fair, many players have been falsely accused of rape. I can only think of one in the UK who’s actually been convicted (Ched Evans) and one convicted of sexual assault (Marlon King).

  52. Worky
    I disagree, ruthless sure, lacking an attractiveness, I don’t think so, no where near as unatractive as a Stoke or BSA side not to mention our present supremos re-invention of the hoofball of the seventies and just because either of the mentioned managers learned from him, doesn’t necessarily mean they have to play a similar style, both having developed distinctively differing styles both from each other and Mourinho.
    Which I’m sure you will agree with, my point was that both served something of an apprenticeship with the great one and have obviously profited from it, but have subsequently developed their own particular tactical styles.
    No different from all of the present managers who have taken from Bielsa, but not entirely.

  53. After watching Swansea last night I think a punt on them for the EPL title wouldn’t be too much of a long shot.

    Initially Bony didn’t look to good but two smart goals (cue a big exasperated Grrrrrrrrr from Worky) showed what he is good at. A first class performance from Routledge (another big Grrrrrrrr from Worky) and Swansea proving a hard team to score against plus top class strikers suggest not many teams will get wins against them.

    a lot of people seem to be hoping that we get off to a bad start so that the exit sign is showed to Mr Pardew, the only problem with that is that no matter who comes in to replace him is that we will already into the relegation dogfight. although a lot of people seem to want that anyway in the hope that Ashley sells up and moves out.

    I can’t help feeling we will be one of the relegation favourites anyway.

  55. Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman folk, Are we any closer on The Gomis deal?, Reports from France Seem to suggest an agreement has been reached, For his services.

  56. Think you’ll find that removing Man City/Arsenal/ManU/Chelsea and Liverpool from figures you’ll find the shirt sponsorship average to be a lot less
    It’s only worth what a company is willing to pay and sadly the Wonga deal was the best we could get (think we can forget Bransons PR exercise)
    Sadly Newcastle are tainted by the Sports Direct brand even if they have removed it from the stadium … would you really want your brand associated with that

  57. @Grumpy – you’re joshing mate, I def don’t want us to get off to a bad start, all that means is that Pards will get the boot and JFK will be in charge … talk about frying pan / fire …… no I insist talk about it

  58. On a non related note…. well it’s sort of related as I use it for streaming footy matches

    I’ve just ditched my broadband provider BeBroadband after it was bought out by SKY, when I phoned to cancel they were doing the usual sales patter crap but when I said look I’m not interested just give me my mac code, the guy turned round and said how would you like free SKY HD for a year….
    I said no but still have the option to withdraw my cancellation – anyone else had this offer??

    Anyway I hate Murdoch but I also hate Branson – anyone got any recommendations for a decent broadband provider??

  59. stevep says:
    August 2, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    “Think you’ll find that removing Man City/Arsenal/ManU/Chelsea and Liverpool from figures you’ll find the shirt sponsorship average to be a lot less”

    Steve, would you like me to remove Liverpool, Tottenham, Sunderland and Aston Villa too, as they also get more from their shirt sponsorship than we do? I really can’t see the point of that?

  60. More info, twitter stuff etc. (I don’t do Twitter or facebook)

    Thank you! You’ve just sent an email to Sports Direct, calling on them to offer all staff the option of a fair contract, with guaranteed hours.

    The more of us that contact Sports Direct, the more likely we are to persuade them to do the right thing for their employees. Please let your friends and family know about the campaign so they can add their support. There’s an email below you could forward if you like.

    If you use Facebook and Twitter please also share using these links:
    Facebook: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/sports-direct-facebook
    Twitter: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/sports-direct-twitter

  61. SteveP, NO I don’t either, but there some on this blog who have said they would tolerate a bad start and even relegation to see the back of Pardew and Ashley. Even if it meant going down two league steps.

  62. On reading the latest transfer news I am now more confused than ever.
    It appears we couldd buy Remy, a player who gets his goals as he proved last season.
    Then Wor Joe goes and makes a lowball bid, less than Fulham had bid recently for Bent.
    While there’s a nickel and dime game going on at Lyon, same old chiseler.

    It’s a typical Ashley like low ball situation, no different from the Debuchy deal .
    Either get Gomis or Remy in, not keen on Bent, though they are all proven scores. I don’t get the loan bit for Remy, he has a buy out clause and if we were to sign him next season, we would pay the same, seems to me at the current prices being paid that either Remy or Gomis could be bought for a reasonable price, but what’s reasonable to Ashley ?

  63. Fee for Gomis agreed between Newcastle and Lyon. Confirmed by both sides according to skyports transfer clockwatch.

  64. Grumpy Old-Toon says:
    August 2, 2013 at 1:08 pm (Edit)

    “I’ve just received an e-mail from 38 degrees about Sports Directs poor attitude to 90% of their staff.

    “If anyone wants to join the protest go to this link”

    Grumpy, I got abuse from my fellow fans, was told I was wrong, that Ashley was the most generous employer around because of all that stuff about bonuses on the various occaisions I’ve mentioned it in the past. I was also accused of being a liar who was deliberately spreading false rumours about the four hour shifts (because Ashley’s too greedy to pay for lunch breaks) and cases of workers been refused toilet breaks. I was even told that zero hour contracts were actually great for employees the last time I mentioned it on “The Mag.”

    We’re all just anti Ashley / Anti Wonga bores who should get behind the team and STFU.

    I’ll send a letter in.

  65. Paulos says:
    August 2, 2013 at 1:53 pm

    “Fee for Gomis agreed between Newcastle and Lyon. Confirmed by both sides according to skyports transfer clockwatch.”

    Aye Paulos. The Lyon President, Jean-Michel Aulas, has been saying that for a few days and blames Gomis’s agent, Pierre Frelot, for the hold up.

  66. Stevep, sorry to say that I am with the Archdemons network provider, I succumbed after bad experiences with BT and Virgin. I have to admit that I have had no problems with Sky although they do work out to be expensive for all of what I require. Other people I talk to seem to have horror stories about the alternatives so I see no reason to change at present.

  67. stevep says:
    August 2, 2013 at 1:31 pm

    “Anyway I hate Murdoch but I also hate Branson – anyone got any recommendations for a decent broadband provider??”

    Me too, Steve. I’ve had some awful episodes with VirginBB. I would have recommended BE but not now!

    Hugh’s a geeky server expert and stuff like that and he recommended “Zen” to me but it will seem a bit pricey compared with all these huge companies who offer phone and TV deals, money off periods etc. The honest ones with proper customer service always do seem pricey though. ;-)

    http://www.zen.co.uk/home-office/broadband/home-office-broadband.aspx?page=38

  68. Worky, I would bet that a lot of the people who criticise your stance probably do not look at the news beyond the tabloids. I’d bet there’s a lot who don’t know who Mugabe is (current nastiness)

  69. Cheers for the broadband help – I’m happy with freeview so no need for all that TV bollocks where you get 250 auction channels and 15 mins of free pr0n

    @worky re: shirt sponsorship – we are nowhere near Liverpool, ManU etc regards to global exposure and will never demand similiar money – we should be getting as much as Mackems/Villa etc though but guess the Sports Direct connotations and Ashley/Llambias/jfk constant cockups dont exactly make us the first club on the list when companies are looking to invest sponsorship cash

    Fook me – we might have signed a player ….. that no one else wanted

  70. GS & worky: not that you care about my opinion but having read it a few times, I don’t see the big problem with the Jolly piece. (Other than disagreeing about the quality of the decision to hire AP.) But then, I don’t identify with Kinnear at all.