What you say about Newcastle United
Oct 31 2009 by Dan Warburton, The Journal
:: Click here to see our survey results in full
MORE than three quarters of fans believe under-fire Newcastle boss Mike Ashley is selling the soul of the club by renaming St James's Park, a Journal survey reveals today.
Almost 1,000 supporters logged on to the journallive.co.uk website for our four-day poll, which offered fans the chance to have their say on the state of the club.
And the pressure mounting on Mike Ashley is laid bare as the Magpie fans vent their anger at the Newcastle hierarchy.
Around 76% of fans believe that rebranding St James’s Park would destroy a 100-year-old Tyneside tradition, with only 14% saying the move was necessary to compete with the finances involved in the modern game.
Earlier this week experts claimed the club could earn £3m a year as part of Ashley’s future plans to sell the stadium-naming rights to the highest bidder.
But nearly 89% of fans believe Newcastle should never have launched a search to find corporate sponsorship for St James’s Park.
Angry supporters rounded on those involved in Ashley’s regime this week and claimed the ground would always be known as St James’s Park.
Supporter Michael Lee wrote: “It is not part of modern football. Naming rights are sold to new grounds when a club moves stadium. This is understandable as the new stadium has no history or heritage attached to it.
“Old, established grounds should not be renamed. They are part of the club’s history, and the history of football in this country.”
Graeme Reynolds said: “This is a new low, even for Ashley. People say that the man does not understand the region or the club’s importance to the people in Newcastle, but he understands perfectly well.
“How else could he have done the damage he has? He is deliberately tearing the heart out of the club.”
Ashley has faced a fierce backlash over his attempts to offload the club, coupled with his treatment of Kevin Keegan.
Nearly nine out of 10 fans that responded to our survey said they could not trust Ashley’s pledge to plough £20m of investment into the club.
And our survey showed that even if the sports tycoon helped the Magpies back into top-flight football, more than 94% of supporters could still not forgive him for the way he has handled the club.
Roy Johnson wrote: “We need an owner and chairman committed to the club, like Jack Walker at Blackburn Rovers, John Cobbold at Ipswich Town, and dare I say it, Niall Quinn.
“Most fans I know believe he only wants to get us promoted so that he can increase his asking price for the club once the Premiership TV revenues start flowing again. Newcastle United are just another business to Ashley – not a passion.”
More than 84% of fans are furious at Ashley’s decision to take Newcastle off the market, with only 16% saying a takeover would be the wrong move.
Just over 35% of fans believe Chris Hughton is the man to guide the club back into the Premier League, but the remaining 65% called for a man with more experience to be installed in the dug-out.
Supporter Peter D said: “He is a first class coach and his work for the club in difficult circumstances deserves reward.
“There were no other serious contenders for such a difficult position and Shearer proved himself totally unsuitable last season.”
Fans were undecided over whether the club and its current regime could muscle their way back into top-flight football after just one season in the Championship.
Around 47% of fans believe Newcastle will be playing Premier League football next season, but 53% believe that is unlikely.
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