Newcastle sign four year shirt deal with ''Wonga''

[McFaul 35]

Agreed. Outrageous that he's questioning morality with some of the stuff he writes about Rangers.

Aye, he's a fat mackem bigot. Don't get me wrong it's difficult to find a bigger bunch of wanks than Rangers fans, but Celtic's are no better, I don't recall him tweeting about this...

 

[Gemmill 44539]

Are the Muslim Council aware that both Northern Rock and Virgin Money give and receive interest. The utter choppers.

[wykikitoon 19986]

McNally tweeting loads about this, completely ignoring Invest in Africa or any other dodgy sponsor. I asked him to name any ethical sponsor in football and he said that Barce were sponsored by UNICEF. I thought Barce were giving the shirt-space as a form of charitable donation?

 

Barcelona paid UNICEF IIRC and they are no longer on their shirts anyways aint they?

[JawD 99]

My first reaction to this was disgust, but after sitting back and considering it more, I fail to see how anyonein football can really be so high and mighty morally on this one subject? We have chelsea fans backing JT, mackems backing Bramble, we have racism, homophobia and gingerism. We have a league sponsor who manipulated bank libor rates and is under investigation, numerous clubs sponsored by gambling outfits or alcohol companies and players on >£100K per week. Can we really talk about morals? Really? Wongas business model preys like vultures on the desperate, but its one of a long line of companies.

[Gemmill 44539]

Aye you can't ask or expect anyone in football to, but you can ask it of yourself.

[wykikitoon 19986]

My first reaction to this was disgust, but after sitting back and considering it more, I fail to see how anyonein football can really be so high and mighty morally on this one subject? We have chelsea fans backing JT, mackems backing Bramble, we have racism, homophobia and gingerism. We have a league sponsor who manipulated bank libor rates and is under investigation, numerous clubs sponsored by gambling outfits or alcohol companies and players on >£100K per week. Can we really talk about morals? Really? Wongas business model preys like vultures on the desperate, but its one of a long line of companies.

 

Thought you had it spot on this morning JawD with your tweet.

[Christmas Tree 4711]

Yesterday’s sponsorship announcement capped a busy fortnight for Newcastle United. Managing director Derek Llambias talks to chief sports writer Mark Douglas about how the club is laying firm foundations for the future.

 

THERE was a moment during yesterday afternoon’s hastily-convened Press conference when Errol Damelin, the CEO and founder of Wonga, announced that his company had purchased the naming rights to St James’ Park and you feared that Newcastle United were heading down a well-worn path.

 

You know the one by now: the crisis cul-de-sac that the Magpies have revisited far too often for comfort in their recent history.

 

When, with his next breath, he announced that the company would not be inflicting a corporate monstrosity on us but rather bringing the club into line with everyone else and reverting the proud stadium back to its birth name, it revealed an emerging trend on Tyneside.

 

Newcastle United: club of stability and sensible decisions? With the ink barely dry on the eight-year contracts handed out to key staff just over a week ago, managing director Derek Llambias would certainly like to think so.

 

“It’s been a big fortnight – a very big fortnight,” he said.

 

“For me it’s all about stability. To be able to get the coaching staff on side for eight-year deals and the manager on side for eight-year deals and then complete our sponsorship deal with Wonga, plus the stadium naming rights as part of that . . . it’s a good two weeks – it’s a very good two weeks for the club.

 

“It’s all about the season for us now. It’s about getting the injuries cleared up, but that’s Alan’s job. Thank God I don’t have to get too involved in that!”

 

 

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.

 

Of course, few referred to it as the Sports Direct Arena anyway. You certainly never saw it called by that name in these pages, but a few media organisations did and it was a significant sore for many proud supporters, who bristled at the garish signs that adorned their “cathedral”.

 

Just over a year on from the first controversial announcement, United have taken a “significant” amount on top of the shirt sponsorship deal merely to change it back to the name that it was called for more than a century.

 

Wonga, for their part, get the good PR, while United get money that may mean the difference between getting another signing in January or not.

 

Llambias said: “The naming rights were a very difficult pick, but it was one we felt we had to do to. Today we feel as if we’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve and calling it St James’ Park again is a massive plus.

 

“The deal they have negotiated would not have given them naming rights. It is on top of what they’ve paid with the shirt. They’ve bought the naming rights on top of the shirts and that’s a big difference. It’s the biggest deal that we’ve done so far. We’re still working on others, by the way.

 

“It was an always an option (to rename it St James’ Park). We looked at all the options for a sponsor, whether they wanted to call it whatever they wanted to call it or whether they wanted to give it back to the fans. There were a lot of different options.

 

“The best option was this one. For Mike and myself we’re absolutely delighted.”

 

Newcastle shied away from revealing the exact figures yesterday, but Llambias confirmed it was the club’s biggest sponsorship deal, and said that quoted figures of £8million per year over four years of the deal were “not far off”.

 

In news that might not please so many supporters, Sports Direct’s name will be taken from the external visage of the stadium, but will remain inside the ground, and on top of the stadium.

 

There was a stoic defence of their association with a pay-day lender which has been criticised by the city’s Labour MPs though.

 

“We have done our background (research) into Wonga. They are a legal company, they have licences,” he said.

 

“They have 30,000 customers in the region. Their complaints are next to zero. There are banks and institutions with far worse feedback than Wonga. There are enough people saying Wonga is a terrible brand, but why?

 

“People buy in to Wonga because they buy into it. You are not forced to sign a deal with Wonga, you are not forced to sign a deal with any bank or lender. People in the North East or anywhere have a mind themselves to decide whether they want to sign a deal or not. I am delighted (to have this club associated with this brand).”

 

For their money, they are agreeing to spend £1.5million to help Newcastle’s Academy and Foundation.

 

That means that Category One status for the Academy will be forthcoming – as revealed in Saturday’s Journal – and United continue to strengthen their foundations. It is a trend that Llambias is proud of, a healing of old wounds.

 

“We started off poorly. I came in after the first year: I picked up from there and it’s been a difficult, difficult period.

 

“We’ve been plugging away, slowly. You don’t understand what we’ve done – we’ve done a good job. We’ve been realistic about what this club can do and what it can do in the future.

 

“Financially we are stable and we will get stronger and stronger. Financially we don’t take anything out of the club, remember that. We don’t charge the club any interest on the loans – we’re not interested in that. What we want to do is bring something to the club and eventually, with eight years’ stability, hopefully we’ll do that.

 

“You have to understand, we’ve got an owner who’s not used to failure. What we’ve got now is a very good format moving forward.”

 

 

SPONSORSHIP CASH GOING TOWARDS SIGNINGS:

 

“It helps. No money will go outside the club, we’ve always made that commitment. It adds to a pot and that pot can only get better. It’s a question of what we do on the pitch now.

 

“People haven’t given us enough credit for what happened in the summer. We didn’t lose any of our players and that was a massive plus – and we bought in Anita, who’s a world-class player. He just needs to settle in like everyone else. I think we haven’t changed our policy as far as our team’s concerned.”

 

THE WONGA PARTNERSHIP:

 

“Generally we’re delighted that we’ve got a sponsor on board that wants to connect with us, connect with our fans and the community. 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’.

 

“It’s a pretty big statement. We’re excited for all those concerned. It was always about bringing more income in and we’ve achieved that.”

 

 

NAMING RIGHTS:

 

“It wasn’t a decision we ever took lightly because of the history and the tradition and the passion in Newcastle. It was something that we felt we needed to do to bring in extra income.

 

“The naming rights were a very difficult pick but it was one we felt we had to do to. Today we feel as if we’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve and calling it St James’ Park again is a massive plus.”

 

THE ACADEMY:

 

“We will have Category One status, there’s no question of that. We’ll have that.

 

What the investment in the Academy is that they’ll invest in different types of technical equipment which is expensive. We’re talking about pitches, we’re all talking about different things they can do for our Academy and maybe opening one or two more centres of excellence from the Foundation.

 

THE CLUB WINNING SOMETHING:

 

“Knowing Alan Pardew as I do, that guy wants a trophy. This club deserves a trophy – FA Cup, whatever, it deserves a trophy. That’s where Alan is at, that’s where we’re at.

 

“You have to understand, we’ve got an owner who’s not used to failure. What we’ve got now is a very good format moving forward.”

 

 

Journal

[Gene_Clark 12]

 

And the Baggies went down with this kit in 85/86 - remember us absolutely battering them 4-1 in Sept 85, though they were in the away number of course.

 

I seem to recall a bonkers own goal as well.....

[David Kelly 1224]

You can't compare any sponsorship deal of today with anything like the WBA no smoking thing. The amount of money in football these days make comparison irrelevant.

[Christmas Tree 4711]

Laughed yesterday when I saw something on the Internet about the false morality surrounding Wonga when we have players picking up nye on 100k a week.

[ewerk 30385]

Barcelona paid UNICEF IIRC and they are no longer on their shirts anyways aint they?

 

They're still on the back of their shirt. IIRC the only reason that Barca had Unicef there was because it was the first time they ever had a sponsor on their shirt and it made it slightly more palatable to the traditionalists before moving on to paying sponsors such as the Qatar Foundation.

[PaddockLad 17130]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/9598023/Newcastle-Uniteds-Muslim-players-told-wearing-Wonga-sponsored-shirts-infringes-Sharia-law.html

[ChezGiven 0]

http://www.telegraph...Sharia-law.html

 

Football Association general secretary Alex Horne expressed reservations about the deal. "The Football Supporters' Federation of Britain told us in no uncertain terms it's not appropriate, [sunderland non-executive vice-president] David Miliband has told us he does not think it is appropriate," Horne said.

"We are talking to the leagues on Friday about it. If you consider it as in the category of things that are inappropriate for children like gambling and alcohol, it feels like it is in that category to me."

 

So is he arguing that gambling and alcohol sponsorship should also be banned? I'm fine with that as long as we arent being unfair, hypocritical or hysterical about all this.

[wykikitoon 19986]

http://www.telegraph...Sharia-law.html

 

FFS Like what Gemmill said, Virgin did loans, where were the Muslim Council then? Fucking thick twats.

[Andrew 4723]

FFS Like what Gemmill said, Virgin did loans, where were the Muslim Council then? Fucking thick twats.

 

somewhere else trying to get in the papers.

[trophyshy 7073]

If it means free money lending then I'll happily accept the odd minor drawbacks of Sharia Law.

[ChezGiven 0]

Someone ask him by email/twitter then. Ask him to explain why it was ok for them to wear Virgin money. Dont make any sarcy comments about it being to do with keeping the 72 customers in heaven happy either.

[Andrew 4723]

Someone ask him by email/twitter then. Ask him to explain why it was ok for them to wear Virgin money. Dont make any sarcy comments about it being to do with keeping the 72 customers in heaven happy either.

 

 

tweeted the Muslim Council account and asked

 

@MuslimCouncil Hello, as an NUFC seeing your recent input on our new sponsor I have a question, we were previously sponsored by Virgin 1/3

 

@MuslimCouncil Money, A bank who offer loans and mortgages and charge interest on those offers, what difference is there in regards to 2/3

 

@MuslimCouncil Sharia law between Wonga and Virgin Money? 3/3

 

I'll let you know if there's a reply!

[Guest Your Name Here]

FFS Like what Gemmill said, Virgin did loans, where were the Muslim Council then? Fucking thick twats.

I did some research on this last night and the problem is that although non islamic banks aren't exactly operating within Islamic principles, when it comes to payday loan companies there is no scope for pragmatism. Excessive interest bearing loans simply aren't allowed.

 

A practising Muslim would obviously pick huge holes in my interpretation but it looks like Ba and Cisse are going to be in difficult position next season, if we haven't sold them.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Your Name Here

[PaddockLad 17130]

I did some research on this last night and the problem is that although non islamic banks aren't exactly operating within Islamic principles, when it comes to payday loan companies there is no scope for pragmatism. Excessive interest bearing loans simply aren't allowed.

 

A practising Muslim would obviously pick huge holes in my interpretation but it looks like Ba and Cisse are going to be in difficult position next season, if we haven't sold them.

 

I think you're right, its fuckin serious this...it affects 4 out of 5 best players, 2 of whom seem pretty devout practitioners of the relegion.

[wykikitoon 19986]

Fucking joke.

[Gene_Clark 12]

Tuesday 9th October marked a watershed in shirt sponsorship deals; when it was assumed by fans and media commentators alike that all questions of just what was ethically repugnant and morally reprehensible to sports fans had finally been answered, new depths were plumbed. I’m talking about the decision of Meath’s county GAA board to strike a deal with Tayto Park (www.taytopark.ie), the potato crisp Disneyland just outside Ashbourne off the N2. In County Meath, they may have a high transfat snack product on their shirts, but they also have the East Meath Credit Union providing affordable financial solutions for ordinary people in that area. Meanwhile, the clownish circus at the bottom of Barrack Road that simply keeps on creating copy for the Fourth Estate, announced that squalid loan sharks Wonga had handed over something in the region of £24m to get their names on the front of Newcastle United shirts, rumoured to be made by Sondico in future, from the start of the 2013/2014 season. However, as a simpering codicil to the deal, the ground would be renamed St. James’ Park, which was all anyone had called it any way, other than quisling apologists for the Ashley administration. Indignation swiftly followed; some of it opportunistic and false, especially among the jaded NUJ contingent and some of it passionate and heartfelt in the NUFC family. Attending Whitley Bay 4 Marske United 0 that night, I spent much of the time with The Independent’s Martin Hardy, who reacted with genuine disgust to the news and fair play to him for that, as many of his colleagues saw the deal as simply another wearisome opportunity to give the club, and especially the support, an on-line shoeing.

 

As ever, the international break had been viewed by the current “owners” of the club as the appropriate time to launch yet another initiative that seemed, on the surface, designed, as per usual, to piss off the fan base and allow for some shallow handwringing and petty point scoring by the various hacks and scribes on both local and national titles. The Grauniad’s self-mythologizing narcissist David Conman took time out from retweeting obsequious praise of his latest dull book to fire off some sombre and shallow pronouncements that were gobbled up by similar ahistorical chuckleheads, meaning they could temporarily abandon their endless questioning of the validity of Graham Carr’s role and his 8 year contract.

 

Of course, criticism of Pardew and his team’s similar long term deals has pointedly been lacking; then again the chance of another day’s work experience at Darsley Park and an opportunity to hobnob with the first team squad may mean it’s hard to judge people who’ve splendidly indulged you in the past. This is especially important when one considers that the new sponsors have offered to set up meetings with fans’ leaders in the future, considering some of the fiercest critics of this deal are ones who’ve been the most keen to spend time with club top brass, from Chris Mort onwards, at various times in the past; perhaps they may exploit any opportunity to hook up with the current “owners” or their underlings, not to mention Wonga apparatchiks in the future. Who can tell?

 

Much of the criticism, both from fans and journalists, has centred on the “morality” or otherwise of the deal and Wonga as a company. It seems that the use of such terms within the context of football arguments has steadily been gaining popularity, perhaps since the 1998 News of the World sting involving Hall fils and Shepherd that became known by the vile soubriquet, Toongate. I am not happy with the loose bandying about of the term “morality,” as it generally seems to be a lazy, catch-all explanation by many users for why the opposing point of view is wrong, rather than looking in detail at the mechanics of the deal. Money lending is wrong, according to both Christianity and Islam; this makes it immoral to adherents of these religions. Yet much of the criticism of this deal is based either on aesthetic grounds, in terms of the media profile and public image of Wonga, or because of the business practices of a company that charge 4,217% on their pay day loans.

 

The former argument is specious, as it presupposes that other companies, regardless of their business practices, will be more acceptable, because of their advertising campaigns or the product they sell. In harking back to the days of Northern Rock, surely far more NUFC minded people suffered penury and financial hardship as a result of that, previously long-respected and popular local business hitting the buffers than Wonga? The latter argument is about the ethics of how the sponsors operate; undeniably, Wonga prey upon vulnerable people in this harsh economic climate and that stinks. It’s a repulsive way to make a living and my conscience wouldn’t allow me to drive people to the verge of destitution as a way of making a living.

 

Sadly, we are talking about capitalism; a system without conscience existing purely to make money for the ruling elite by exploiting the working class. Pre-paid electricity and gas meter cards that are set at a tariff considerably higher than the ordinary charges for punters paying monthly by direct debit, cash machines in corner booze shops that charge £3 for the privilege of accessing the customer’s money, endless parades of fast food outlets offering diabetes, obesity and early death to young and old alike, sub-standard health, education, welfare and housing facilities; Cash Convertors (sponsors of Hull City don’t forget) on every high street; this is the reality of poverty under capitalism. Let us not delude ourselves, Wonga are no better or worse than any other financial corporation or multinational company operating in the world today; many of who, such as Capital One with the League Cup or our soon to be ex-sponsors Virgin Money, have taken the cynical opportunity of associating their rapacious brand with a football club.

 

Let’s be clear about this; “morality” and capitalism are mutually exclusive terms. As fans, we have the right to object, vociferously if needed, about the deal, but it can’t end with just a few random moans and groans. The deal must not be viewed simply as another snide attempt to wind us up by Ashely and Llambias, so getting angry about it is pointless; look at things from a wider perspective. We must be tough on poverty and tough on the causes of poverty, to bastardise a phrase; save questions of “morality” for discussions about why John Terry got away with a 4 game ban for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. Fair play to PFA leader Clarke Carlisle for putting his head above the parapet and announcing he feels the ban is disproportionately minor for the transgression Terry was found guilty of; racism in the game is decidedly immoral.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Gene_Clark

[Tooj 17]

Gene do you have a website/blog if you like that you put all of your articles up on? As I like reading your style of writing.

[PaddockLad 17130]

Gene you're a moslem, will Demba and Cisse leave because they cant wear the shirt next season?

 

Oh, and paragraphs son, paragraphs....always a help

[Guest Your Name Here]

Fucking joke.

There were always going to be implications of signing a deal with a company who's morality was being questioned in the public domain long before they turned up at NUFC. The club decided all this shit was a price worth paying for some extra money, how much extra is a mystery.

 

The figure of £24m over fours years has been reported across a few media outlets, the club of course can't say more than reports it's £8m a season aren't too far off the mark. That they won't confirm any of the financial details (like how much Wonga paid for the naming rights the club valued at £10m a season this time last year) suggests the deal isn't as good as they are trying to portray.

 

Now we have Pardew sticking his oar into the moral debate. You're a football manager, shut the fuck up about Standard Charter and put some fucking cones out.

 

What a mess.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Your Name Here