Newcastle have announced a four year sponsorship deal with Wonga, and they will have their emblem on the Newcastle shirts starting next season, and they will be replacing Virgin Money as sponsors.
This is what the new Newcastle shirt will look like
This will hardly please Newcastle supporters since Wonga is not a respected company, and charges ridiculous interest rates on their pay-day loans, and sometimes in excess of 4,000%, APR, which is nothing less than a complete and utter rip-off.
Wonga already sponsor the shirts at both Blackpool and Hearts up in Scotland, but to have Newcastle associated with a company like Wonga is not good, to say the least.
And Wonga is only a UK firm and not word-wide, so that will not do much for the global name of Newcastle United – at least Virgin was known and respected throughout the world, whether you liked Richard Branson or not.
Newcastle’s Managing Director Derek Llambias said the following:
“We’re building a club that can regularly compete at the highest level.” “A strong commercial program is vital to this goal, and I’m delighted to welcome Wonga into the fold as our lead commercial partner.”
A club statement from Wonga said they will also invest “at least” £1.5M in the club Academy and the Foundation Enterprise Scheme.
There’s no news on how much the deal is worth over the four years – but it should be sky high to persuade Newcastle to go with a company like Wonga.
We should have stayed with Richard Branson’s Virgin Money company, and this will not be well received in Newcastle by the City Council or by the fans.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
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123 comments so far
ichrisho
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Comment #1Misleading article – Not true Ed… they will not be shirt sponsors…they just looking after the academy… we deserve all we get in the press… Toon Fans writing their own headlines everyday… ridiculous..
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Comment #2Just another day in the life of an NUFC supporter. I’m sure Mike Ashley would sell his soul to the devil if it meant an extra 10 quid sponsorship a year, Oh wait he has no soul 🙂
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:51 PM
Comment #3Wonga Deal on Club Site:
http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20121009/newcastle-agree-four-year-wonga-deal_2281670_2944166
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Comment #4“In addition to sponsoring the team shirt from the start of the 2013/14 season and working on a range of other initiatives with fans, Wonga will invest at least £1.5m in two of the Club’s most important projects.”
Tom4Nufc
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Comment #5http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20121009/newcastle-agree-four-year-wonga-deal_2281670_2944166
tequilamag
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Comment #6ichriso it is for shirt sponsorship, read the Newcastle Website. Wonga are asking fans to come up with designs for the shirt.
Tom4Nufc
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:53 PM
Comment #7Slice of humble pie for anyone criticising Ed perhaps?
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Comment #8@ ichrisho
Have you even read the article
In addition to sponsoring the team shirt from the start of the 2013/14 season and working on a range of other initiatives with fans, Wonga will invest at least £1.5m in two of the Club’s most important projects.
Yes they will be on the shirts for all to see. Its safe to say I will not be buying a home shirt from 2013-2017
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Comment #9@6
Anything but their logo!?
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Comment #10Other initiatives with Wonga will include a straight talking forum with the fans for discussing ideas for fan involvement in the Club and working on a specific new initiative to involve fans in the design of the shirt.
tequilamag
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Comment #11Other initiatives with Wonga will include a straight talking forum with the fans for discussing ideas for fan involvement in the Club and working on a specific new initiative to involve fans in the design of the shirt.
Better get working on that design ichriso
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Comment #12Straight Talking Forum will be interesting, bet Mr Ashley shy’s away from that one!!
GeordieMeerkat
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Comment #13New stadium name announced:
St. James’ Park
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Comment #14@13, where’s that from?
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Comment #15I have heard we will be naming the stadium
the Al-queda arena 🙂
wynsleap
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Comment #16We have an owner with no class – now we have a sponsor to match.
Oh, almost forgot …. they’re putting in a few quid. That’s alright then.
What’s that old saying about selling your soul to the Devil?
thud and blunder
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Comment #17WONGA.com HAVE bought the rights…but they are changing it back to ST.JAMES’ PARK!!
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Comment #18Can Wonga change their logo to be like the Broon Ale Star?
Big Pappa Cissé
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Comment #19I vote the design should be in Black and white stripes that perfectly blend in with the shirt so it is invisible to the naked eye 🙂
tarie4
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Comment #20Repost
tequilamag
As I expected U read what U wanted to hear.
my point with that quote was to draw ur attention to this
‘Their terms are clearly expressed and they are there for exactly what they say, a short term loan. if people need a longer term loan then they are stupid to use Wonga or the like for this.”
As Ibiza said
“If you don’t know you’ll be able to meet the clauses of the agreement, you shouldn’t proceed with it. That is simple really”
There terms and conditions are clearly stated and if U want 400, for 30 days they tell U before borrowing that it will cost U 180 therefore U return 580. Now I would never go for that. But I appreciate them telling me all the costs upfront.
GeordieMeerkat
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Comment #21SSN, Lee Ryder, Simon Bird, Mark Douglas
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Comment #22Where does it say about St. James?
dave 1961
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Comment #23OH no one of ed’s adds is for quick quid I’m getting bombed by loan sharks.
thud and blunder
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Comment #24just been announced by David “twat” Craig on SSN
GeordieMeerkat
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Comment #25http://tyneandwear.sky.com/newcastleunited/article/42572
Munster Mag
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Comment #26Please all you silly people – leave Mike alone. You just dont understand corporate reality. Wonga are lovely people and once helped out a family in Byker with a short term loan and didnt send the boys around , or anything! Oh indeed , its a slippery slope with big Mike. Do you know, if we renamed the ground Roker park it would provide massive benefits and make us £1million extra per year? And then we could buy more players you see???? Please Ashley doubters, you really must wake up , he’s the best thing to ever happen to us. You’re all sooooo ungrateful! Incidentally, its becoming rarer to see St James Park now in papers etc. As I keep telling you, Lansdowne Road is now the Aviva Stadium, end of. That took just a couple of years, having had the name Lansdowne Road longer than any rugby ground. In the world.
dave 1961
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Comment #27Big Pappa Cissé
how about the Wonga sign on the inside.
wynsleap
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Comment #28thud and blunder. – Would be happy with that if it were true and those Sports Direct tat signs all came down.
Then if they were to revert to our simple black and white striped shirts with the company badge on we’d all be happy.
In fact how about a return to decency, respectability and normality in its entirety?
tequilamag
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Comment #29ichriso they can put he terms in bold print 24 size font for all I care. They are still exploiting people and has the penny dropped they are sponsoring the shirt yet?
thud and blunder
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Comment #30Wonga lovely people?? You must be a mackem!! Theyve been on Watchdog, taking money from peoples bank accounts without the people actually having anything to do with wonga. Isnt that “stealing”
Gateshead-Mag
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Comment #31so the 8 million a year for shirts and stadium was right!!
anyone else think thats a sh**e amount of money when the makems get 20 a season just for shirts??
glad SJP is back though
richyg01
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Comment #32I don’t actually beleive Wonga are such a bad company.
Terms & Conditions are laid out as you take out a loan, there is no pressure sales, at the end of the day it is up to the consumer to say Yes or No to the loan.
In terms of what they can do for us, it sounds like they are going to have a rather active role in the club and we are going to get more from them than Northern Rock / Virgin Money.
At the end of the day, what is most important? A. The logo on the shirt,
B. The name of the stadium,
C. The team on the pitch
I know where my vote lies, and so should yours.
thud and blunder
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Comment #33@ Wynsleap
I agree, but the sports direct signs will still be all over the ground im sure of that.
GeordieoftheSouth
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Comment #34I don’t understand all the negativity around this Wonga business!…especially when you moan that we don’t sign enough players, this will contribute to a player or two.
And with regards to Wonga themselves…the only idiots are the ones who agreee to use them knowing what they charge!…it’s not rocket science!
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:07 PM
Comment #35Munster….I will take your comment about “this becoming tedious” to mean the situation and not my postings.
No, I am not saying we couldn’t or could have got a better sponsor for somewhere in the same ballpark. I don’t know. Is it fair to assume that we’re going with this as it was the best deal available? Probably, but not conclusive.
I can see beyond Ashley, but you’re entitled to view things as you wish. I would be thoroughly p*ss*d off if they suggested a change of colour, as I was about the stadium rename. I am still waiting for a new sponsor to come in for the stadium and it is one of the things on my Ashley dislike list. It is possible after all, for me to like somethings he does and not others. For me, and honestly, most people, it is still SJP and always will be. Let’s say the stadium burned down (god forbid), would that re-write our history? Extreme example I know and not a decision made for financial gain.
If we want tradition and to to progress, what’s the big plan other than getting a wealthy owner to pump money in? Anyone?
I am not an expert, I admit it, but from what I have seen, I have come to the best conclusion that I can, apologies if it is not the same as yours or is in fact wrong.
What do you mean with your last comment? What sponsorship money has been slow to the CB bargaining table? The Virgin money? From what I’ve seen recently, it was nearer £3m a year and didn’t we buy Cisse after that?
Let’s keep issues separate, as it clouds things. Perhaps as owner, Mike should make funds available for transfers, but he has said he isn’t anymore. So, what to do?
P.S. Yes, I have corrected a spelling mistake of “clouds” from the previous thread
Ed Harrison
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:07 PM
Comment #36Sorry – I lost the article for a while there – I’ve nor recreated it.
thud and blunder
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Comment #37Geordieofthesouth
Mate that was promised with the last deal..did we sign anyone?? No. We had a net outlay on signings of about 2 million, but our squad is actually smaller.
Wish folk would smell the coffee and realise that all Ashley wants is our money
Rotonda heights
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:09 PM
Comment #38Manu have a 350M 4 year sponsorship deal and a global brand. We have a 4 year deal with UK only loan sharks for 24M. What’s wrong with this picture!
The only plus of this is that apparently Virgin were only paying us 3M a year, not the rumoured 10M. Even so,
just being associated with Virgin was good news. You just can’t really say anything good about Wonga. 90% of the UK have an IQ below 100 and are easy game to these loan sharks.
toonLYF
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:10 PM
Comment #39i actually feel sick. People may think i’m over reacting but this is IMO my second worst experience as a Newcastle fan, just behind getting relegated.
I’m usually the most positive and optimistic of fans, but this is it for me,
Yes, it’s still the same players, we’re still the fans etc…. and i will be forever, but we are not the same Newcastle United that has it’s place in sporting history anymore. Our beautiful, famous and monumental Newcastle United badge, now has to be coupled with this desperate company who nobody respects. I don’t even care that’s it’s immoral and all of that, Newcastle United is what i care about over any of that. Established clubs have big established sponsors, Wonga reminds me of something that would be seen on a Sunday league team.
I am being kind of contradicting here as some may say if i cared about NUFC as much as i say, i wouldn’t care what sponsor is on the shirt. BUT I DO, a Newcastle tops are landmark stages of years for me, when i was a kid i counted down the days for the most recent Newcastle top to be released for months! It was bigger than Christmas for me, and still is to an extent, and to have that taken away from me due to “Wonga” being paired with my beautiful black and white. That is what makes me feel sick.
It does make me feel slightly better that they are apparently going to brand our Stadium as St James Park once again. But in full truth, i would rather Mike Ashleys face on our kit than that fcking god awful Wonga logo.
thud and blunder
Oct 9, 2012 at 2:11 PM
Comment #40We are having to rely on a squad that is too small and full of untried and injury prone players.
Those being…Steven Taylor, Colo, Vuckic, Gosling, Sammy Ameobi, Ferguson, et al. We need to start to strengthen the squad with first team player, it was clear to see on sunday that we need at least two defenders and a change back to 4-3-3!!