Richard Branson is the owner of Newcastle’s new shirt sponsors, Virgin Money.
Richard Branson – he plays on the left wing apparently
And with those shirts Newcastle have won their last two games at St. James’ Park beating Manchester United 3-0 in the league for the first time in over 10 years, and then Blackburn Rovers 1-0 in the 3rd round of the FA Cup.
And we noticed when Alan Pardew was playing for Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final against Manchester United back in 1990, Virgin were also the sponsors of Palace at that time.
There are some good photos of Richard with Newcastle players Mike Williamson, Davide Santon and Sammy Ameobi today at the Virgin Money store in Northumberland Street.
Virgin Money recently took over Northern Rock, and they last week agreed to do a two year deal to sponsor the Newcastle shirts, and the reports are that Newcastle will be getting £10M a year, but that seems a little high and is certainly not confirmed by the club.
Richard gives the thumbs up with Mike Williamson
To give him his formal name – Sir Richard Branson spoke to nufcTV today:
“Twenty years ago, we sponsored Crystal Palace and they got to the FA Cup final. Then last week, we sponsored Newcastle and they beat Manchester United 3-0.”
“So we’re a lucky brand, and may the luck continue throughout the rest of the season.”
Now all we need is for Richard to fall in love with Newcastle United and decide he likes the club and the fans so much that he will buy out current owner Mike Ashley it would take around £300M we think.
It would be fabulous to have a man like Richard Branson as the next owner of Newcastle United, and like he has done with his other businesses he would simply get the best people in to run his new business.
That would be Newcastle United Football Club in this instance – and Richard would want to be the best in the business.
And that would mean having Newcastle in the European Champions League and everything else that goes with being one of the big and most successful clubs in England.
That’s what we want to see, and the sooner the better. 😀
Comments welcome.
44 comments so far
G
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:31 PM
Comment #1It almost looks like we have bought Alexi Lallas out of retirment.
ToonFly
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:32 PM
Comment #2“Branson” Ed, not BransTon.
GeordieGerman
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Comment #3And what makes you think that SRB (great initials if you just shuffle them around a bit) would run the club any different than Ashley? Branston is a very very clever business man. So I can’t see him doing anything different, other than maybe talking to the fans.
Markaccus
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Comment #4Hate to be picky ed, but its BRANSON without a T. Branston is a type of pickle 😀
cla5hb0y68
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Comment #5Branston is the pickle and we’ve been in quite enough of those already, as I’m sure you’ll agree.
shearerno9
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Comment #6To be honest its the last thing I would want right now, as much as i have ill feelings for mike ashley it seems that a solid base has been established from our once unstable groundings.
There seems to be alot less/nearly none of the carry on we were always associated with ( the likes of which liverpool are now dealing with, on which seems like a weekly basis) the players we have, have been astute signings that play the type of football every fan wants to see. Yes granted we will sell players if we get big money, but who wouldnt?? even united sold ronaldo for 80 million, kaka from ac milan….. everybody does it, the question is did we get a good deal? well is AC half the player ronaldo is??
The last thing we need right now is an owner change, the club settling down into a nice steady routine is great to finally see, so ill take a few more years of solidarity before an owner change 😉
GeordieGerman
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Comment #7Toonfly, I did it too. Branston and not Branson. Sorry.
Super Simmo Strikes Again
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:36 PM
Comment #8If he does take over.
The Virgin Arena?
Irish-Toon
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Comment #9@Super Simmo.
We couldn’t call it the Virgin Arena, not after we f*cked ManUre there last week
west-ldn magpie
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Comment #10It would be a dream if he takes over,sooner the better,or ashley will start selling players..
MacToon
Jan 9, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Comment #11Major changes in the Ashley household 😉
derekm
Jan 9, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Comment #12I used to work for John Majeski, the Reading owner as well as the Autotrader group at that time. He said that any businessman looking to lose a fortune should buy a football club. Sir Richard is a very very good businessman so buying the toon is probably not an option – ever.
TOONCHRIS
Jan 9, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Comment #13he is a money making magician i am sure he is not interested in buying us but i seriuosly wish he would
shanghai fan
Jan 9, 2012 at 2:17 PM
Comment #14I would love it if he bought the club
All his business ventures are run with that sexy twist and break the status quo (thinking Virgin Atlantic here)
Maybe a return to “sexy football”… Minus the gullit of course 😉
martoon
Jan 9, 2012 at 2:48 PM
Comment #15I would be careful what you wish for – Branson is an astute business man who is not averse to some asset stripping. Sometimes better the devil you know!
Oleg G
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Comment #16Sorry, but SRB is a super owner to have. Run the clb like a business? What’s bad with that?
But he will have better people in the offices. The club will speak more to he fans. Will try and get involved in the community more as the guy is a big philanthropist.
As a man, a person, he is a very smart and nice guy, so I think he would enjoy the fans and the club and they would enjoy him and his way of dong things.
Of course this is all dreaming and wishing, but he will be so much better then M.Ashley. Also, don’t forget that he is richer, so will be able to help the club more. (We all know that with all the new rules, nothing will really change).
And if nothing more then only for the fact that our current owner is a tit, and not the good kind.
ONLINE GUY
Jan 9, 2012 at 3:39 PM
Comment #17You could never call it the Virgin Arena
I once scored there on the center spot with a bit of fluff from Scrogg road …aint naming no names ..Agnes, Agnes ! put the kettle on Pet !
Scottishtoon95
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:24 PM
Comment #18If he buys stadium rights we should make sure he uses some of his airline stewerts for the ticket office, and entrances, using hand gestures to tell fans where their seats are and were the exits are, and have some on the pitch to distract players like Terry, a.cole and Rooney. Lol
max
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:29 PM
Comment #19MA get out!!!
bills-son
Jan 9, 2012 at 6:01 PM
Comment #20shearerno9 @ 6
Good post.
Apart from the stability issue the difference with Ashley is that he is hands on at NUFC – with SRB it would just be another company run by a minion, and not a very big company or big profit earner in the Virgin scheme of things. Good PR opportunity to be milked – but then Ashley does that so nothing new.
I still can’t get my head round fans agreeing we have some of the best players in ages; Krul, Santon, Collo, STaylor, Cabaye, Tiote, HBA, Guti, Ba – ALL SIGNED OR GIVEN NEW CONTRACTS UNDER ASHLEY – yet fans want shot of Ashley ???
Thinking that a new owner – even SBR – would do far better than Ashley is naive. Very, very, naive.
Ian Magpie
Jan 9, 2012 at 6:45 PM
Comment #21bills -son …………. Mike Ashley………..Hands on???????????????????????????????????????????????? Lad give thee heeeed a shake lol!!!
bills-son
Jan 9, 2012 at 6:51 PM
Comment #22Ian Magpie – hands on doesn’t mean he has to be sat at SJP 24/7 – but if you don’t think Ashley controls practically every major strategy and decision at the Toon then you are mistaken.
He is more hands on in that respect than SBR would ever be.
Give yoursel a shake pal.
Fact is if Ashley isn’t hands on and making the decisions how come so many fans hate him? You can’t have it both ways.
Jinky Jim
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:10 PM
Comment #23your all wrong ! it,s Branstoon.
stuart no9
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:18 PM
Comment #24to have branson as owner would be a dream to 95% of NUFC fans He owns and expects nothing but quality, quite the opposite of our current tacky cheap cockney b….rd. I however doubt this will happen as our bungling owner would try to be alittle bit too greedy and price us out of a deal, as like the last time, when the people who wanted to buy the club , went on to buy man city instead. The rest is history.
Ian Magpie
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:18 PM
Comment #25bills – son….lol was wondering how long it would take you to bite!
Ive been reading the tooing and frowing on the subject of MA for a while and like you I have my opinions and im not one to slag anyones opinion off that differs to my own.
Both MA and and SRB are prudent, successful businessmen and both are ruthless when needed. One has been proven in court as a liar and the other is erm er well……………………………….a successful businessman!
Love the crack on here but Banter aside, I respect someone as yourself who obviously believes so strong about his club as I do so tuchet marra!
solano
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:23 PM
Comment #26Bills@20 -“Apart from the stability issue the difference with Ashley is that he is hands on at NUFC ” What are you on about you snivelling winnet?
My God, the escalators are turned off during the week at SJP to save on the leccy bills! There is a skeleton staff present at the ground – a man walked out with his heritage brick and posed for a photo in a national newspaper and no one stopped him. LLambias spends most of his time in London in a normal working week and decides to go on holiday when the transfer window opens – scandalous.
Hands on Ashley? Stability? The club is a joke as regards PR and communicating with its loyal customers and has no ambition to compete or to improve the lot of the city and the region – that is one thing that I guarantee Branson’s Virgin brand would rectify.
solano
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:27 PM
Comment #27Strategy? To p*ss off 95% of your loyal customers!
stuart no9
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:46 PM
Comment #28shearerno9 @6 “united sold ronaldo” yes but the major difference there is , he wanted to leave . Man u tried every thing in their power to keep him, where as with FCB, he would sell his granny for a profit, if that was possible, I hope branson takes over before ash sells HBA Make no mistake about it , he will. That goal he scored on saturday has just put 5-10 million on his valuation . I can just see horrible mike now rubbing his fat hands together , wondering how much he is going to be worth next season to an ambitious club.
MacToon
Jan 9, 2012 at 7:53 PM
Comment #29Oleg G @16, well said
Bills-son, what a predictable idiot, are you picking up pay cheques from Ashley in any capacity?
swoopingmagpie
Jan 9, 2012 at 8:01 PM
Comment #30Edd, that would be just great if he would take the club. We need someone who wants to build a great team and not just to be a feeder club for the so called big boys. Branson has integrity – a quality you can build with. Something Ashley and Lambias will never have, they are self comfessed bad boys.
stuart no9
Jan 9, 2012 at 8:38 PM
Comment #31bills- son cmon mate come clean are you mike ashley ? that is a serious question.
oldbobaycliffe
Jan 9, 2012 at 9:02 PM
Comment #32i am amazed that we are still slagging off ashley the club is in a better position than we expected in the next round of the fa cup have some really good players a manager who is doing a hell of a job.a chief scout who has brought us some real gems and a squad of players we will become proud of also compare what debt liverpool will be in and just one point ahead of us
Cheick and Bake
Jan 9, 2012 at 9:49 PM
Comment #33Mactoon … wtf is your problem you idiot … now how does that feel ?? i happen to agree with bill son and i will not call a person an idiot just because his opinion is different … you are just one of those people who wanted fat freddy to sell when mike ashley came in with an offer … best thing that happened to nufc in 8 or 9 years … but now you want anyone to buy it from ashley .. just because he sold caroll .. barton .. nolan and brought cabaye and demba ba and obertan … ashleys only mistake was when keegan left us hanging in september.. and then sued the club for a couple of million …
stuart no9
Jan 9, 2012 at 10:00 PM
Comment #34wait and see untill ash sells the likes of ba, -tiote, -hba ,then tell us he is doing it for the love of the fans and the club. maybe not this window, but come summer???????
Gascoigne - Legend
Jan 9, 2012 at 10:05 PM
Comment #35Ashley/ Lambias are not interested in what the fans want, we happen to have been lucky with Cabaye, Ba, producing the goods and yes great playersWe take a punt on Obertan as its only 3m , has it paid off?Ferguson doesnt get rid of players if any good!! , imagine had we tried to keep Barton, Nolan, Enrique etc how bigger our squad would have been and i am sure we would be even better off in the league! There is one thing being careful with finances for the good of the club and being cheapskates missing out on real quality affordable players!! We should be in for Cahill, Samba even at 8-9m he would give us 5 decent years . We need to realise Ashley only spends a fraction of what he rakes in in transfer fees!! Branson would be different class and listen to the fans , Ashley never listens and does as he pleases. “Sports Direct Arena” FFS
stuart no9
Jan 9, 2012 at 10:36 PM
Comment #36tsgascoigne, funny you should mention sports direct arena. That name is being mentioned a lot more now. in papers ,and in commentry on games . in a few years time SJP will be no more. The next generation will know it only as S,D.A. sad eh
MacToon
Jan 9, 2012 at 10:43 PM
Comment #37Cheick and Bake, come in half way through an arguement why dont ya! and for your information Bills has given more verbals than I would dream of giving anyone.
I notice you’re new here so again fyi, I will not call anyone on here unless provoked into doing so and even then most people are not worth the bother.
MacToon
Jan 9, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Comment #38Cheick and Bake, reading your post again I find you have no idea what you are talking about 😉
cupiddstunt
Jan 9, 2012 at 11:29 PM
Comment #39God you intellectually limited lumps are at it again, try and make some statements based on fact.
If MA would sell his granny for a profit why did he let Barton (£5 mil) walk out for free?????
Shearer is the only top player I can remember finishing his career at NUFC so proof we have always been “a selling club” even before MA.
We have better players in to replace those that left yes less expensive but technically superior, years younger and a lot more committed, just look at the stats.
Never mind the billionaires there’s not a millionaire that has not lied, in fact I doubt there has ever been a human being that has not lied.
To be honest I think you are unhappy because we have an owner that is not throwing his money around like confetti.
We have been there and done that and we were a laughing stock because of it, personally I think all the signs are there that we have an owner that is acting with his head first instead of his wallet.
I think that is the problem, FS would throw money at players left right and centre “to try to appease you so called complaining fans” and you can see that MA will not..
We were a laughing stock because of the number of managers we went through just trying to keep the so called fans happy.
And yet you still complain.
Gascoign-legend @ # 36
Florlan, pre manure ratio 1 in 2 at manure 1 in 6 post manure 1 in 2, Veron, great anywhere but manure, then are loads of examples, or is your brain just like pauls???? PICKLED!!!!
cupiddstunt
Jan 9, 2012 at 11:36 PM
Comment #40By the way mactoon read the thread again, you and solano started the name calling, all bill-son said was the negative thinkers were naive