Council condemnation for name change

toonsy

St James' forever!
Newcastle City Council are the latest voice to come out and condemn the club over the decision to change the name of St James’ Park.

And rightly so in my opinion. It makes a change for a local authority to stand up for something that is held so close to the hearts of many of its residents.

It’s not just the residents that who have something to lose in this after all. For fans it’s merely an emotional attachment to the name but for the local council it is a source of income fro tourism and the name and stature of St James’ Park is something that is a key component of advertising the City of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to any number of parties ranging from investors to property developers to tourism agencies. And let’s not forget that the council, in part at least, owns the ground St James’ Park is built on!

Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for quality of life, Henri Murison, said: “The name of St James’ Park has been synonymous with Newcastle United football club and the city for more than 130 years.”

“It is recognised around the world and the decision to change it, without consultation, will upset the overwhelming majority of fans who loyally support the team week in and week out.”

“While I understand the commercial reasons for renaming sports venues when they relocate, this is not the case in this instance, and some things are beyond profit when they mean so much to people.”

“The football club is part of the beating heart of the city, and while the council values its relationship with the club, it has no plans to change any existing wayfinding signs which bear the name St James’ Park.”

“As far as the fans and Newcastle City Council are concerned, the home of Newcastle United will always be known as St James’ Park.”

As I said earlier, the Council part owns the land along with the Freemen of the City so it’s nice to hear them echo the views of many fans and insist on still calling it St James’ Park. Ultimately though they are powerless to step in and stop any changes in the name of the ground, or at least it seems that way, and lets not forget that they did give planning permission for all the signs on the exterior of the ground. Maybe in doing so they made a rod for their own back?

It will always be St James’ Park to the fans and I personally will never refer to it as it’s new official name. The unofficial one has been good enough for me, my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents and my great great grandparents for over 130 years and that is something that will never be changed.

It’s a habit, but it’s a habit I won’t be breaking any time soon!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

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208 thoughts on “Council condemnation for name change”

  1. Exactly toonsy, its good to hear the newcastle city council have voiced their opinion and it has cheered me up a bit. Hopefully with enough nagging they’ll change it back. :mrgreen:

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  2. Good to see the Council not buying into this. Hopefully the media (particularly local journos) will refrain from referring to the SDA – Jeff Stelling on Sky has already said he will call it St James’Park

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  4. i’ve just bee watching sky sports news… have you seen the morons they’ve interviewed around sjp? i’m sure they interview normal people as well but go… “they’re not idiotic enough… edit them out and keep the retards in”

    Also…. Lee ryder can fu” off. 👿

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  6. Nobby…… Sky Sports as usual interviewing the local rats carrying their sports direct bags and cheap trackys from that tacky shop….

    I understand the supposed ‘revenue’ it may bring in but 10million…. Man City get a hell of a lot more than that.

    That aside we know its St James’ Park and it always will be!!!!!

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  8. They’ll probably try and make money of the letters and sell them too fans!!!! If he makes some profit for champage and chinese food he’ll do it

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  9. Another example of money ruining football. St. James’ Park it will always has been long before Cashley & it will be long after he’s gone.

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  10. FFS – Councillors whom have never had to generate a penny in their lives, who live on handouts from the state – try to give real life commercial advice!?!?!?

    Seriously – how can anyone ask the club to compete and spend IF they are willing to throw 10mn a year away on a whim. You CAN NOT allow your competition that advantage – end of story.

    The only people who are against this are people who have never had to compete at anything.

    In competition you have to level and improve your advantage. And the PL is a competition.

    Are people really that stupid?

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  12. stardust. yep im really that stupid iv looked at all the evidence over the last 3 years and have come to the conclusion that not in a million years will any money made of the latest dodgy deal go anywhere near the club or buying players i have based this assumption on the fact that the last time the club was promised money in the value of 35 million pounds none of that money has gone into the club in any way shape or form .
    Also add this to the other lies and player sales that have not gone back into club and it makes me feel like not believing them , stupid me eh .
    Add this to me being a football fan and wanting whats good for the team now and in the future and not the owner making money for himself selling high value players and relying solely on free or cheap finds from our scouts which can not continue .
    Are people really that stupid ?

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  13. Keith – there was no need to elaborate – should have stopped after the first comment and stopped digging. 😆

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  15. Lets get something staight here, Newcastle United have not decided to drop the name of St James Park. We, the Fans of said club are Newcastle United and as such , we have not nor will ever be changing the name of our club. Leopards never change their spots and I for one will always bleed Black and White. CASHLY, are you listening! GET OUT OF St JAMES PARK. YOUR NOT WANTED. HWTL.

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  16. If the council owns the land then can they insist that the location (on maps and things) is St James Park and that merely the stadium is called SportsDirect Arena. A bit like naming a building on a street – like Wellbar Central on Gallowgate. The land is still actually Gallowgate the building’s name can change without affecting that. Everyone can all still go to St James Park as the named piece of land is still there regardless

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  19. Hey guys, I need some help.

    I’m making my 300 mile journey up to the Toon at the end of this month and hoping to go see the Chelsea match while I’m up visiting the family.

    Much to my horror I’ve realised that since the relocation of the Toon Ultras and the discount season ticket sale the seats I’d usually like in Gallowgate/Strawberry Corner are full up and even the upper tier Gallowgate seats are now all £36 each!

    I paid £20 to sit in Strawberry Corner the last time I was up… Which was at the end of last season for our win against Birmingham.

    Is £36 the cheapest I’m gonna get it? I’ll pay whatever I have to to be honest but it’s Christmas soon and my train ticket up is gonna cost me a further £100 (and that’s with a railcard!).

    Help? 🙁

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  20. If the council want to keep the ground as SJP they can always buy the naming rights – there’s more chance of us buying a new player in January than the council doing that .!

    In the interview by DL did he say if we got a sponsorship deal soon enough we would be able to sign a new forward in January?
    I,m on record on a blog last month saying we would not buy in the January window – looks like I got that right.!

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  22. Listening to those two muppets on TalkSport Durham & Gough….seems we need to ‘get with the times’ and stop whingeing. Someone asked if ManU sold naming rights to OT would there be an outcry, Durham’s answer is we cannot compare ourselves to such a leviathan and we should be happy with any crumbs we can pick up………..nice!

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  24. Adrian Durham is a wancher. I’d love nothing more than for him to die in a flaming fireball. I realise all fireballs are flamey but I want an extra special one for him 😈

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  26. Dave – that’s the crux of it. I alluded before it could be spin.

    If we got nothing for it I’d be disappointed – but I’d understand it.

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  30. Stardy you answered that like a politician, it really only required a yes or no answer 😉 so will you answer it straight its not a trick question and im not trying to catch you, just interested in what you think Fella.

    Nobby aye was what I expected of him 😉

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  31. Stardust:

    If Mike Ashley knocked SJP down and built a multi-storey car park on the land, you would applaud his vision for making money while the team played at Leazes Park.

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  32. Hey people, sorry this isn’t Newcastle related but it’s really important. This blog kindly retweeted this but i’d like to share it here too.
    Bethany Mickleburgh is only14 years old and is from Leicester. She has leukaemia and she desperately needs bone marrow otherwise she will die.
    There is an event being held at Leicester Tigers THIS Saturday from 12 to 4 http://pic.twitter.com/xMkkfsMs
    Obviously a lot of you wont be near Leicester so if you could possibly register for Anthony Nolan http://www.anthonynolan.org/What-you-can-do/save-a-life/Online-application.aspx Then you could save someone’s life maybe even Bethany’s

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  33. Jamie
    By choosing to watch the Chelsea game whether by deliberate or convenience you have chosen what the club class as category A game. This means they hike up the prices. The seat you are sitting in will be a lot less for example for the next home game after Chelsea (swansea)

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  34. stardust@13
    not digging just ashley lovers make me laugh . 🙂
    They throw stats at you when it suits them and call you for being on a morale highground.
    Then go on a morale highground themselves when the stats dont work out .
    I would have just admitted i was wrong but thats just me . 😉

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  35. sorry fellas ashley and co have a vision……….advertise next year and build!!!!your in the top 5 nufc!!!!!!!big time ahead for hells sake!!!!(what were we all calling ashley and co last year?)..lets enjoy it what ever the name is called cos we got no say in it…..

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  36. john “top 5 nufc ” “big time ahead” thats great i cant wait woop woop , i wish i had seen sense earlier .
    Iv seen the light iv seen the light and thats why my heart sings dum dum de dum dum dum de dum da di da di da da .
    Where are these people from …. mars ?
    john please just tell me when the lying stops and the spending (on players) starts or come the revolution can we finish 5th and mike still makes 50 mill a year profit on player sales ?

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  38. The bottom line is, whoever the potential sponsor may be in the future, the wedge generated from this will go straigtht into Ashley’s wallet anyway. In the mean time, with this Sports Direct Arena **** Ashley is getting some high profile exposure for his gash company…

    Another issue, when the benefactorial sponsor actually does arrive with his 10 mill per year for the naming rights, what will happen to the 20000 square metres of Sports Direct gash currently adorning the walls, bus stops, hot dog stands etc at the toon ? You cannot honestly tell me that they will be allowed to stay in there current form ? No way I would say…

    We also all know that Sports Direct will soon be appearing on the toon strips, once the Northern Rock sponsorship deal runs out.

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  39. Does anybody really think we’ll get 8-10m for it? Personally I don’t.

    It’s probably a perfect plan by Ashley, Llambias said that they would keep trying to find a sponsor however long it took, something tells me it may be a while and Ashley would be delighted.

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  41. Northern Paul

    I’m an individual fella – I don’t have a woolly coat that needs shearing, nor do I bleat, nor jump of cliffs while waiting in a line with my fury mates. So far, yes I’ve agreed with most things we have done under his tenure and I think our financials and league position backs me up.

    Dave – Do I expect anyone else other than SD – and you want a yes or no answer? If I was cornered like the little rat I am 😆 I’d say on the balance of probabilities it’ll be the SD Arena for some time yet. I would answer no.

    But I will await and see outcome, as I said even if it remains SD – I would understand it, a small price to pay for a 150mn interest free loan.

    Also if he takes it free – it means we have even more to make up revenue wise as we’d have a shortfall – which would only be made up by player sales 🙁

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  43. MM don’t tell me you believe that there will be any potential sponsor other than SD 😕 Man that is why Jabba bought the club SJH said ‘They wanted to market their sports goods in the Far East and would use the Club to help do this.’
    There will be no sponsors buying the name I would put my House on it and i’m not a betting man

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  44. I really wouldn’t be surprised to hear one day that Ashley has signed Sports Direct up with NUFC on a ten year contract for £1 per year, so if he sold he’d be quits in.

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  45. I’m an individual fella – I don’t have a woolly coat that needs shearing, nor do I bleat, nor jump of cliffs while waiting in a line with my fury mates.
    ——————-
    Well, that’s reassurring. 😯 🙂

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  46. Big D. I don’t expect to see any sponsors arriving to rebrand the stadium, apart from SD.
    We’ve got the SDA (I refuse to write the full caboosh) now, and now we’re stuck with it. Next stop is the strips.

    The only thing which could turn Ashley’s heed would be the Greggs Arena… 👿

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  47. Richard Branson’s company should become our stadium and shirt sponsor. Imagine the gags that would generate.

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  48. well it just shows what kind of an idiot and uncapable businesman owlheed is! We must find a sponsor soon as puma want to print the new strips! We need one yesterday! Well that puts u idiot in gr8 position to negotiate! U might get take it or leave it offers! So much for ensuring to get best revenue! What a ******! But it could well be another smokescreen to get sd on the strips too! We did not get the right offers etc…

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  50. evening every1!!! absolutely gutted about 2days news!! its a joke and it just leaves a sick feeling in my stomach when ever i think about it!! fecking sports direct arena sounds terrible!! never mind , the main thing is if the team plays well and thats all i care for , ashley and lambias have pushed it a wee bit to far now 😐

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  52. theres a sports direct just round the corner from where i live in ashington and im so tempted to spray paint st james park on the walls of it tonight!!! 😆

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  55. dave its very tempting mate!!! it really scares me what has happened in 12 month at newcastle!! selling andy carroll for 35m, sports direct.com on st james park and now fecking sports direct arena!!!! COMPLETE JOKE!!

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  56. SpencerTheToon
    November 10, 2011 at 20:42

    It makes me feel sick to army, I pray he doesn’t change to colour of the strip!

    THAT WOULD FINISH ME OFF THAT LIKE!! 👿

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  57. Stardy @ 41 on the £150mil interest free loan, why did we need that ? was it because he jumped in without doing DD then fuked everything up kk etc then got us relegated ❓

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  62. Big Dave
    November 10, 2011 at 20:06

    “There will be no sponsors buying the name I would put my House on it and i’m not a betting man”

    I’ll take you up on that. You’re probably right and I’ll more than likely lose, but it aint every day you get the chance to win a palace 😉

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  63. aye batty,i says on the last thread the new away strip will be red and blue,if he changed the home strip there would be total fkin riots(no doubt stardy would try and put a positive spin on it 🙄 😆 )

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  71. munich mag@38 thankgod there are some sane people out there.
    northernpaul@31 spot on .
    stuart79@39 again spot on sense at last good man.
    stardust@41 absolute tosh its not an interest free loan its an assett if it was in the bank which it was he would be paying 60 % tax on it as an assett its interest free ta da , thats what rich people do they hold assetts rather than ready cash you know . And you dont think he makes fortunes on player sales now and will continue to do so !
    And my fave “you have agreed with most things we have done under his tenure ” Sacking his first manager and losing in a tribuneral for lying or employing d wise or employing j kinnear or getting us relegated or lying about spending carroll money or lying about getting a striker in or lying about renaming the stadium ?
    Ill take it for granted those are not things you agree with being a football fan who follows newcastle united so pray tell what are “most things”

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  73. yeh but Hitman you have to remember that there is a load of supporters who are running the price into the ground for us by kicking rreeeeeet off

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  74. Toonsy @ 62 I would even through in my fav tattoo machine. As I keep saying the thing that surprises me the most is that some fans believe the **** that owlheed has come out with about showcasing it to potential sponsors, even though that was the main reason Jabba bought the club in the 1st place.
    There is more chance of the ground being named the dave whelan stadia than anyother name other than sd

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  75. the fat c unt has liared to us time after time **** on us **** on toon ledgends and even **** on clueless chris ,off with his head 👿

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