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Newcastle United, St. James' Park And The Fallout From A Poor Decision

By Jim McMeachin
"Wait until they see my <em>next</em> trick, hoHO!"
"Wait until they see my next trick, hoHO!"

 

Striker Sammy Ameobi, 19, made his first home appearance for Newcastle in the 2-1 win over Everton last weekend. And he tweeted: "Guess my very 1st game at St James' Park...was also my last!"

On the occasion of the long gap between the home match v. Everton and the next home match with Chelsea in December, an infamous decision has been made regarding the naming of Newcastle United's ground.  Needless to say, it has gone over amongst the fans like a lead balloon.  Today's links are dedicated to the one singular event that every tongue in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is talking about.

 

 

St James's Park, the original football ground of the city back in 1880, now houses several floors or corporate suites and is the third largest club stadium in the country after Manchester United's Old Trafford and Arsenal's home at the Emirates Stadium. That is something of which Geordies can be mightily proud and is a monument to their loyalty and devotion in the face of a total lack of silverware. Without their regular coming there would have been no need for a capacity as large as 52,000.

 

I DON'T know about you, but the thought of Fabricio Coloccini uttering the words: "We need to make Sports Direct Arena a fortress again" does not really lie easily when it comes to 131 years of history.

 

 

 

  • COMMENT: Gibbo says St James' Park tradition lives on - NUFC Latest News - Newcastle United - ChronicleLive

    GEORDIE fans harbour a great pride and love of tradition when it comes to their treasured football club. It's what makes them tick. When devotion and loyalty are the driving forces, because ultimate success is rarely ever achieved, then they fall back upon the 130-year history of their beloved black and whites to give them dignity and a sense of stature.

    And so it's all out there, anger, justification, blame, shifting of responsibility.  The move was calculated but unfortunately for them the justification is flawed, which puts any claim on dubious legs with the fans who are already angry about the situation in the first place.  The claim of the ownership is that this move will allow companies to see the benefit of purchasing the naming rights to Newcastle's ground.  I believe that the only thing that is going to come out of this is that prospective sponsors are going to see that, no matter what, St. James' Park is always going to be St. James' Park.  Geordies will always call it so, members of the media have already professed that they will always call it so.  Perhaps someone will sit back and be impressed by the overt love and devotion that Newcastle have for St. James' Park and decide to sponsor on that, knowing that any name they try to attach will be popularly rejected.  Otherwise, all this is showing is that, despite outward appearances, there is no limit to the gall possessed by Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias.  Let's have it out now, because there will be no going back on an "official" level.

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