Just when it seemed that the relationship between the Newcastle United board and the fans was on the up and up after a stupendous start to the season which has seen the team from the North East rocket up to third in the Premiership table, club owner Mike Ashley has once again gracelessly managed to disrespect the rich heritage of one of England’s most venerable sporting institutions.
The conversion of Newcastle’s home ground, St James’ park to the Sports Direct Arena would be comical if it weren’t so depressingly tragic. For all the arguments about the need to generate extra revenue and compete financially with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, the tactless washing away of 119 years of history has unsurprisingly antagonized an all-ready sensitive fan base. Mark Jensen, editor of the Mag fanzine, said, “It’s very hard to take. Everyone understands the economics of football in that you need to maximise the revenue but I think most fans would rather the ground not be renamed at all. Most fans will see this as pretty opportunist.”
St James’ has been the home of Newcastle United since 1892, and has earned an iconic status for being the only stadium in the UK to be located in the centre of a major city. It is one of the most atmospheric and revered grounds anywhere in the world and the name leant it the kind of grandeur and glory which fit with the aspirations of the club and the city. The rebranding is not only a kick in the teeth for all those associated with Newcastle, but the whole incident is another beleaguered reminder to football fans everywhere that heritage and tradition have no place in the modern game.
In the case of stadium naming rights, some of football’s most hallowed ground names have been lost to sterile branding over the past decade or so. When Arsenal moved out of Highbury in 2006, the ‘Emirates’ was, given the location, somewhat bizarrely announced as the name of the new ground. Manchester City’s Maine Road has long given way to what is now the Etihad stadium, while Leicester City who once played at the charmingly named Filbert Street, now entertain visiting teams at the ‘Walkers Stadium’ – named after a brand of crisps. The future does not look bright either. Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have for some time know made it known to the clubs’ supporters that when their new stadiums are built all three will sell the naming rights to the highest bidder, meaning that three of British football’s most famous and loved ground names, Goodison Park, Anfield and White Hart Lane will be lost forever. It is not just through their stadia that football clubs are selling away their heritage. Current Spanish and European Champions, FC Barcelona, finally gave into market forces this year by agreeing a shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation and ending their 111 year tradition of not having a shirt sponsor. Their only previous deal with UNICEF was unique in world football as it was the club who paid money to the organisation for having their logo appear on the kit. Suffice it to say the Catalan Giants’ ‘more than a club mantra’ – no longer has the same appeal.