trophyshy

If anyone could buy in at any time wouldn't that ensure ongoing funds or would the plan be to 'cap' ownership?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...ond-parody.html Mike Ashley's stadium renaming takes Newcastle United beyond parody Mike Ashley's renaming of Newcastle United's home as the sportsdirect.com@St James' Park Stadium shows he still does not understand football supporters. By Jim White Published: 7:00AM GMT 06 Nov 2009 It is, according to Derek Llambias, the managing director of Newcastle United, a modern, forward-thinking name, one that demonstrates how commercial considerations and tradition can be happily accommodated in a single, catchy title. Well, that's one way of looking at it. From this weekend the towering white steel cathedral dominating Newcastle city centre, the place at which generations of local fans have gathered to pay homage and pledge allegiance to the Geordie cause, is to be known as the sportsdirect.com@St James' Park Stadium. No, that's not its email address. That is, until the end of the season at least, its official designation. It is, perhaps, fortunate that Viz magazine has its headquarters in the city. At least its editors won't have to travel far to witness something that is beyond even their considerable powers of parody. Because now, following Llambias's announcement, the former Gaylord Entertainment Center – the home of the Nashville Predators ice hockey team – sounds a rather dignified name for a sports ground. In comparison to St James' new identity, FC Dallas's Pizza Hut Park is a beacon of understatement. Maybe Newcastle are attempting to follow their betters in making a few quid out of nomenclature. Chelsea too have announced that they are seeking to sell off the naming rights to Stamford Bridge. Not even Roman Abramovich, it seems, can afford Frank Lampard's salary without a bit of help. But what is perhaps even more astonishing than the ridiculous new label is the timing of its announcement. Last week, Mike Ashley, the man behind the Sports Direct retail company and Newcastle's owner, revealed that following his failure to accrue sufficient profit from his cack-handed tenure, he was taking the club off the market. He was now in it for the long term, he said. He said he hoped the fans would put aside their previous grievances and work with him to ensure the progress of the club. And then, within a couple of days, he proceeds to alienate the majority of the very same supporters by foisting this insulting new title on the stadium. What Ashley has consistently failed to grasp in his time at Newcastle is the nature of football support. Fans don't follow the board, they don't hero worship the chairman or chant the name of the principal sponsor. Their allegiance even withstands the passing of managers and players. It is based, rather, on something more spiritual: a sense of community, a fellowship of the stands, an association with the place in which their club is situated. There are only a couple of tangible points around which such affiliation can form. One is the shirt. At Newcastle that is already defaced by the logo of Northern Rock, an appropriate symbol of hubris. The other is the stadium, the last unsullied reference point of the club's history and continuity. Anyone with half an ounce of football sense would appreciate that you tinker with that at your peril. So what has Ashley, already the most unpopular man in the sportsdirect@St James' Park Stadium, gone and done to prove he is now with the club long term? He has sanctioned the temporary name change in the hope of flushing out a sponsor who might pay upwards of £3 million a year to have their own trade name incorporated. "We have to do something to maximise revenue streams," said his sidekick Llambias this week. "The club finances are in disarray following relegation." To which the response from the terraces is: and whose fault is that? As self-destructive acts of commercial judgment go, this naming decision is up there with Gerald Ratner's notorious assessment of his own product. With it, Ashley can now be classified as the clumsiest owner of a football club in recent memory. And given that that long list includes Oxford United's Firoz Kassam, Chester City's Terry Smith and George Reynolds at Darlington (or should that be @Darlington?) that is saying something. Ashley has demonstrated yet again that he is a chairman whose understanding of the organisation he owns is roughly on a par with an eight year-old's grasp of quantum physics. Everything he does seems designed to annoy his client base. Sure, football fans are odd, illogical and hopelessly romantic. But nobody was forcing him to buy into their obsession. And now he has he really ought to make an effort to understand them, to appreciate who they are and why they support his property. Mind, there is another theory spinning round Newcastle about the new name. It goes like this: far from displaying naivety, Ashley knows precisely what he is doing. Maybe by saddling the stadium with such a comedy moniker, he is trying to undermine the opposition before the rights are eventually sold to the highest bidder. Because frankly nobody could now argue against a name change; compared to the one he and his chums have come up with, almost anything would sound better. If that is indeed the case – and it seems the only logical explanation – then Ashley's cynicism deserves everything it gets.

you callin' me a fool Pud?

Good News! Congratulations!

when I get these emails from the club I always reply along the lines of; 'get bent cuntflaps' 'fuck off mike and decca you dickless retards' 'piss up a rope, fuckstick' etc I'm sure no one reads them but every little barb I can send back in their direction makes me feel a tiny bit better.

I'm in. Worth £2.5k to get that cunt away from sportsdirect.com@St James' Park

40 years of psychedelic kids TV!

Right, this set of circumstances is rather convoluted however I would like anyone on here with an interest or opinion to express it, particularly if you have experience in these matters, specifically employment law. I was asked at the end of last year to investigate opening a new area of business for the organisation, I spent 3 or 4 months, developed a business case and presented to the whole company. My plans were quite ambitious and I wanted them to throw some cash and support behind it (it's around sustainability and green stuff, my bag yeah). They didn't go for the big picture however they acknowledged that some of the things could make them some money so I was offered the opportunity to crack on. In March 2009, I was told by the then Chief Executive that I was to be promoted into a different team as an Executive. However, this promotion was not actioned before the CEO left the organisation, and the new management did not choose to honour his verbal assurance. The new team was not consulted on this and so the CEO had put their noses out of joint. From May 1st 2009, I was seconded into a six month Executive position (promotion but not permanent) to develop a new business offering. I was given a Special Responsibility Allowance, effective until October 31st 2009 (this recently renewed to March 2010 with the message 'we should have you sorted by then'). I was not given a contract for this new position, nor did I receive any formal documentation apart from a letter from HR confirming the Special Responsibility Allowance amount. I have been working at Executive level since May 1st, despite having no certainty regarding my contractual arrangements. Through my actions I have our organisation involved with a potentially massive UN/central govt. backed national training scheme in an arena we have no previous involvement, so I have delivered and have been acknowledged for this. In August our company was subsumed into a new organisation, a new JV between our old parent company and a bigger but similar organisation. My substantive role had been filled by a temporary employee, and during the process of transfering into the new organisation, management decided to abolish this role, releasing the temp and neither informing nor consulting with me in any way. Obviously it was a tad unnerving that my substantive post has been dissolved without notice. This is illegal under TUPE as it is the only position I have any formal contract with. Everything else is based on good will. A senior director with whom I beleived I had an excellent relationship has been keeping me at arms length by implying he was not able to make the role permanent, that it was out of his hands. Not once has he explained to me what I need to do to make the role permanent, I have regularly been pushing for this and has said 'just wait, it will all get sorted, just wait, there are loads of people in your shoes etc etc' flannel, basically. I have just learned that the interim CEO asked him directly if I should be made full time in this role and he blocked it. He has not presented this to me at all and has fudged around the issue and now appears totally spineless to me. So I had already launched a breach of TUPE claim to embarrass them into making my role permanent which I think will happen and is underway. I was going to drop the case when I get the role. However, I am irritated that this director has been blocking my promotion but at the same time implying it was not his decision. Basically I am thinking of taking the TUPE claim all the way because of this duplicitous bastard. Thoughts?

You never see a positive drugs story on the news, do ya? No. Always negative. But the news is supposed to be objective. I mean, isn't it supposed to be THE NEWS? But every drug story is negative? I've had some killer times on drugs! I'm not promoting it, but I'm not denying it. Same LSD story every time: "Young man on acid, thought he could fly jumped out of a building, what a tragedy." What a dick! He's an idiot. If he thought he could fly, why didn't he take off from the ground and check it out first? What a moron. We lost a moron. WE LOST A MORON!!! I don't mean to sound cold or cruel or vicious, but I am so that's the way it comes out. Professional help is being sought. But wouldn't you like to see a positive LSD story? Would that be newsworthy? To base your decision on information rather than scare tactics and superstition and lies? Just once, to hear what it's all about: Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. That we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death. Life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather!

tbh Ive had the promotion of Sports Direct as being Ashleys aim from the very start of buying the club. Sell lots of football gear in stores, link stores with football club, tell football players to win League, rake in profits from club and additional sales in stores.

discussing this on 5 live this morning, in a fairly piss-takey way. Just to hear Nicky Cambell saying "Sports Direct dot com at St James' Park Stadium" makes me want to hunt and kill those two tasteless greedy chav wankers.

aye, shoot your foot if you want a shotgun high.

Zammo?

has anyone tried this 'plant food' doing the rounds?

Sabotage is a good idea. Rearrange the letters from sportsdirect.com to Scrimped Cost. Rot Seriously someone should hypothetically take his website down for good.

good lad.

Parky, if that was insensitive I apologise unreservedly.

It's not like it was coons or darkies or anything, ffs. You ARE black, deal with it. Don't go projecting your angst on us decent white folk.

This is merely a theoretical question and I would in no way encourage or advocate the following behaviour Isn't it possible to take a website down if you have the appropriate skills? Just make it totally inaccessible and therefore ensure no customers whatsoever? Hypothetical thinking, like I said.

Way to remind me, fuckface. tbf I think he is leaving too.

how the fuck do you manage that?? i thought the tax burden (including stealth taxes) was about 45/50% Talking strictly about my payslip.

Well it's about 45% in Germany and France. Are their other taxation systems commensurate with ours? Is life better there? Where does the money go?

Over a third of my salary is taken by the government.