Is The Return Of SJP A Sweetener For Fans? Wonga Deal Done!
By Tyne-Talk
October 9 2012
It’s Official! As of today St James’ Park is once again St James’ Park after WONGA signed a 4 year deal with Newcastle United to be its main sponsor. However the move has been criticised by local leaders, fan sites and fans themselves as Wonga are pay day lenders with a 4214% APR.
Errol Damelin, founder of Wonga, said:
"The company were never interested in having the naming rights for themselves. It's not what the fans would have wanted, and in the end football is mostly about the fans.
This is the only way the fans could have got the name back and I'm proud to have been able to do it."
However Nick Forbes, Leader at Newcastle City Council said;
"I'm appalled and sickened that they would sign a deal with a legal loan shark.
We see the devastating consequences of people getting into financial difficulty and we spend a lot of money each year helping people who are in debt through companies like this.
It's a sad indictment of the profit at any price culture at Newcastle United.
We are fighting hard to tackle legal and illegal loan sharking and having a company like this right across the city on every football shirt that's sold undermines all our work.
I fear the long-term social consequences of the decision and I will be writing to Mike Ashley and asking for him to fund the extra debt advice that we will need to provide as a result.
Newcastle United is a role model for thousands of people so what they do matters.
It sets the tone for the city and I don't want this to be a city built on an image of cheap and irresponsible debt."
Could the move to bring back the name above the door be designed to sway the fans vote?
Wonga will be emblazoned on the shirts for the 2013/14 season and the company will put £1.5m into the pot split between the Youth Academy and the Newcastle United Foundation Enterprise Scheme.
NUFC TO PROMOTE PAY DAY LOANS WITH WONGA DEAL?
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I cant say I like the idea of the company but this back lash is a bit strong. Nobody mentioned anything when they set out sponsoring Blackpool and Hearts. There are also other companies as sponsors who are far more bent than Wonga. Barclays for instance.