ngoshwe
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- Mar 31, 2009
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Championship - Newcastle rename St James' Park
Source: PA Sport
Newcastle have confirmed their stadium will be renamed sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park with immediate effect.
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.
Comments: The approved name, makes New Castle stadium in a list of top ten worst stadium names in the World as follows:
So, sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park?
It sounds to Early Doors like a kind of tacky hotel bar ('Horizons @ Novotel, Wolverhampton'), but it's actually the new name of Newcastle's ground.
While it may be the first stadium that looks like an email address, believe it or not there are worse names.
Maybe. Anyway, here are 10 contenders:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium (Sturm Graz, Grazer AK)
The home of Sturm Graz and Grazer AK opened in 1997 but - after a dispute over an execution in California - Arnie out with his home town and revoked its right to use his name. The stadium is now called the UPC-Arena.
Dick's Sporting Goods Park (Colorado Rapids)
We could fill a whole top 10 with American stadiums (Pizza Hut Park, Home Depot Center), but the home of MLS's Colorado Rapids takes the prize with its combination of folksy charm and rampant commercialism.
Falkirk Stadium (Falkirk)
It's a stadium, and Falkirk play there. The most unimaginative football ground in the world was clearly brought to you by the people who named the European currency the Euro, and who rebranded the National Lottery 'Lotto'.
KitKat crescent (York City)
York City's ground was known as Bootham Crescent from 1932 until a fateful day, 72 years later, when Nestle entered the fray. The Swiss chocolate giant has a factory nearby, but it's a silly name nonetheless.
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium (Dagenham and Redbridge)
A catchy moniker for Dagenham and Redbridge's home, which used to be called Victoria Park. The new name has been in use since 2007 when the Daggers did a deal with the local council.
Spotland (Rochdale)
Rochdale's home ground has plenty in its favour - it has been around for nearly 90 years and is logically named after the area it is based in. But Spotland? It just doesn't sit right with Early Doors. Sorry.
stadium:mk (Milton Keynes Dons)
If the MK Dons were not fake enough for you, witness their 32,000-seater stadium with its stupid, gramatically-incorrect name - no doubt the result of some idiotic marketing brainstorm. (See also: Amsterdam ArenA)
Tofik Bakhramov Stadium (Azerbaijan)
There's nothing wrong with naming your national stadium after a legendary figure, but Azerbaijan's favourite son was a linesman, for goodness sake. Although he was the 'Russian' who won England the World Cup.
Walkers Bowl (Leicester City)
This one never saw the light of day; the evil forces of marketing relented and Leicester City's new ground saw its provisional name softened to the Walkers Stadium. Free crisps no longer included.
Wankdorf Stadium (Young Boys)
Stop giggling at the back. Oh, go on then. The Wankdorf stood in Bern from 1925 and 2001, when it was demolished. It was rebuilt for Euro 2008, where it paraded as the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf.
Source: PA Sport
Newcastle have confirmed their stadium will be renamed sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park with immediate effect.
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.
Comments: The approved name, makes New Castle stadium in a list of top ten worst stadium names in the World as follows:
So, sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park?
It sounds to Early Doors like a kind of tacky hotel bar ('Horizons @ Novotel, Wolverhampton'), but it's actually the new name of Newcastle's ground.
While it may be the first stadium that looks like an email address, believe it or not there are worse names.
Maybe. Anyway, here are 10 contenders:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium (Sturm Graz, Grazer AK)
The home of Sturm Graz and Grazer AK opened in 1997 but - after a dispute over an execution in California - Arnie out with his home town and revoked its right to use his name. The stadium is now called the UPC-Arena.
Dick's Sporting Goods Park (Colorado Rapids)
We could fill a whole top 10 with American stadiums (Pizza Hut Park, Home Depot Center), but the home of MLS's Colorado Rapids takes the prize with its combination of folksy charm and rampant commercialism.
Falkirk Stadium (Falkirk)
It's a stadium, and Falkirk play there. The most unimaginative football ground in the world was clearly brought to you by the people who named the European currency the Euro, and who rebranded the National Lottery 'Lotto'.
KitKat crescent (York City)
York City's ground was known as Bootham Crescent from 1932 until a fateful day, 72 years later, when Nestle entered the fray. The Swiss chocolate giant has a factory nearby, but it's a silly name nonetheless.
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium (Dagenham and Redbridge)
A catchy moniker for Dagenham and Redbridge's home, which used to be called Victoria Park. The new name has been in use since 2007 when the Daggers did a deal with the local council.
Spotland (Rochdale)
Rochdale's home ground has plenty in its favour - it has been around for nearly 90 years and is logically named after the area it is based in. But Spotland? It just doesn't sit right with Early Doors. Sorry.
stadium:mk (Milton Keynes Dons)
If the MK Dons were not fake enough for you, witness their 32,000-seater stadium with its stupid, gramatically-incorrect name - no doubt the result of some idiotic marketing brainstorm. (See also: Amsterdam ArenA)
Tofik Bakhramov Stadium (Azerbaijan)
There's nothing wrong with naming your national stadium after a legendary figure, but Azerbaijan's favourite son was a linesman, for goodness sake. Although he was the 'Russian' who won England the World Cup.
Walkers Bowl (Leicester City)
This one never saw the light of day; the evil forces of marketing relented and Leicester City's new ground saw its provisional name softened to the Walkers Stadium. Free crisps no longer included.
Wankdorf Stadium (Young Boys)
Stop giggling at the back. Oh, go on then. The Wankdorf stood in Bern from 1925 and 2001, when it was demolished. It was rebuilt for Euro 2008, where it paraded as the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf.
