Newcastle owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias have revealed that they still call the club’s stadium St James’ Park, not the Sports Direct Arena.
The Tyneside club made the decision to sell the naming rights to their home to raise revenue, to the fury of the outfit’s supporters.
However, Llambias has admitted that he and the club’s executives still use the stadium’s iconic name.
“Do you think me and Mike call it the Sports Direct Arena? We call it St James’ Park, because it is St James’ Park,” he admitted to Mirror Football.
“The naming rights is such a passionate thing. It’s not about being disrespectful or taking away the tradition or the history of the club – it’s about trying to get another Yohan Cabaye out there on the pitch. That’s how we see it.
“To optimise our commercial side, we needed to get that in there – other clubs do it.
“We’ve had to take the criticism on the nose. We’re not riding roughshod over people’s love. People come to see our players on the pitch. It’s about us, the fans, the manager, the players and the region – it’s an emotional thing.
“If we wanted to ride roughshod, we’d just put the ticket prices up. That’s not happening.
“We know we’ve got a huge responsibility, and we know there’s a lot of emotion involved and we are emotional people, too. We are not being disrespectful. Mike and I understand and feel for it.
“The only area of income we can really build is the commercial revenue. We don’t want to put ticket prices up. We have a 10-year ticket deal and now we’ve announced a nine-year deal.
“We’ve increased our family area to 7,500 and for an adult and a kid it’s 500 quid a year. We’re trying to fill the stadium at a price we can afford. We can’t have it half-full, because we’d lose that spirit.
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“There are only a few ways to increase our income. We know the naming rights is contentious, but that income is something we need,” he stated.
West Ham United are expected to appoint a new manager within the next three weeks after sacking Avram Grant yesterday. The Israeli, who also oversaw Portsmouth’s relegation to the Championship in 2009/10, was dismissed within hours of the Hammers’ 3-2 defeat at Wigan Athletic, a result which ended the side’s six-season stay in the Premier League.
The following managers have all been linked with the vacant Upton Park post, but which one is the right man to replace Grant?
Steve McClaren
The former England manager is currently the bookies’ favourite to take over the reins at Upton Park. After a dismal spell with the national side, the 50-year-old managed to rebuild his reputation on the continent after leading Dutch outfit FC Twente to the Eredivisie title for the first time in their history in 2010. He soon moved on to German side Wolfsburg, but was sacked in February after just nine months at the Bundesliga club.
After rising to prominence as Sir Alex Ferguson’s number two at Manchester United, McClaren performed minor miracles with Middlesbrough and led the Teesside club to a League Cup triumph (the club’s first major honour) in 2004 and a UEFA Cup final in 2006. These successes were largely forgotten after his tenure with England, and West Ham United could provide him with the perfect opportunity to restore his domestic reputation.
Chris Hughton
Harshly sacked by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley earlier this season, Chris Hughton was hotly-tipped to take the vacant West Bromwich Albion job after Roberto di Matteo’s dismissal, but his desire to bring his own backroom staff with him meant that he eventually lost out to Roy Hodgson.
He admirably guided Newcastle back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, leading the Magpies to the Championship title despite the departures of high-profile players such as Michael Owen, Damien Duff and Obafemi Martins. West Ham United owner David Gold has already admitted that he expects the club’s England internationals to leave this summer, and Stratford-born Hughton, a lifelong West Ham fan (he also spent two years at Upton Park as a player in the early 1990s), could be the man to rebuild a depleted squad.
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Martin O’Neill
The 59-year-old has been out of work since leaving Aston Villa in August over disagreements with club owner Randy Lerner. O’Neill enjoyed a successful spell at Villa Park, as he presided over three successive sixth-place finishes. He has won silverware with both Leicester City and Celtic, including two League Cups, three Scottish league titles and three Scottish Cups.
O’Neill was heavily linked with the club earlier this year, but is alleged to have changed his mind about replacing Grant in January after club insiders leaked reports of his impending arrival. Whilst his earlier interest in the post would suggest that he is ready for a return to club management, it is unclear whether or not he would be willing to manage in the Championship.
Neil Warnock
Despite leading QPR to the Premier League in emphatic style, speculation suggests that Neil Warnock may find himself out of a job as the club’s owners seek a more glamorous name to take them forward in the top tier. Despite his chequered past with West Ham United, he has expressed his admiration for the club and its traditions and would relish the prospect of reviving the Hammers’ ailing fortunes.
Warnock has demonstrated tangible success at lower-league level, having achieved seven promotions with six different clubs.The controversial Yorkshireman has also shown that he can work well under high-profile owners at Loftus Road, and would be more than capable of dealing with messrs Brady, Gold and Sullivan should he decide to make the switch from west to east London this summer.
Sam Allardyce
Like Martin O’Neill, Sam Allardyce has already seen himself linked with the Upton Park post this season. However, unlike O’Neill, Allardyce has failed to garner support amongst the club’s supporters. West Ham fans are fiercely proud of the club’s tradition for playing free-flowing, attacking football, and this style may be at odds with Allardyce’s more direct style of football.
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Despite this, Allardyce has shown himself to be as an effective manager at Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. Whilst he may not ensure entertainment, he almost certainly guarantees results, and a move for Allardyce could be a wise one if the club’s owners are intent on securing a swift return to Premier League football.
Who would you like to see replace Avram Grant? Let me know below or on twitter.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on Russia playmaker Andrey Arshavin following a number of fine performances this term.
The former Zenit St Petersburg man has proved to be one of the Gunners' stars so far, scoring five goals and laying on several others in the process.
Now, with one-and-a-half-years remaining on his existing terms, the Frenchman would like to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.
"If you look at the stats, he is the player who has created more chances than everybody else in the Premier League this season, so his numbers are quite surprising to people who think he has not done so well," Wenger said.
"I believe that since the start of the season in the Premier League, he has been better at creating chances than anyone else.
"He has a long future at the club – as long as his contract lasts at least, or until we extend his contract, and that is for I think 18 months.
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"We are always in negotiations now because when you sign a player for four years, after two years you have to renegotiate so we keep it as quiet as possible."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Dennis Bergkamp believes that Arsenal have become extremely predictable and that they need to adopt a more ‘English mentality’ if they have any hope to succeed. The Dutchman suggests that the Gunners need to be more divisive on the pitch with their play and that they need some strong characters inside the changing room and around the club.
Elsewhere in the news Wolves look to Alan Curbishley; Martin Skrtel talks up Liverpool’s chances, while Andre Villas-Boas is being undermined at Chelsea according to his former employer at Porto.
Carlos Tevez returns to Manchester City with the threat of further fines. The Argentine got a police escort back into England, but hopes to rebuild some bridges and get his career back on track – Guardian
Dennis Bergkamp claims that Arsenal is predictable at present and need to adopt an English mentality – Guardian
Wolves are ready to interview Alan Curbishley with the view of him taking over the reins at Molineux following the sacking of Mick McCarthy – Guardian
Andre Villas-Boas is being undermined in his role as Chelsea boss, as his former employer at Porto Pinto da Costa revealed that the players have been engaged in conversation with Jose Mourinho – Daily Telegraph
Martin Skrtel has talked up Liverpool’s chances of landing a cup double, as well as qualifying for the Champions League this season – Independent
Scotland manager Craig Levein is risking the wrath of the English FA by moving for some of the nation’s best young talent, with a view of getting them to switch allegiance. The likes of Josh McEachran and Jonjo Shelvey have been those targeted – Daily Mail
Tottenham have agreed a £3.1m deal with Sau Paulo to take Brazil U20 Captain Bruno Uvini to White Hart Lane – Daily Mail
Manchester United has been linked with three players this morning as Fergie looks to freshen up his squad. Benfica duo Garcia and Gaitan are two of the names reportedly on United’s shortlist – Daily Mail
Sammy Lee has returned to Bolton for the third time in his career, to become Head Coach at the Reebok Stadium – Daily Mail
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David Moyes won’t be looking to extend the loan spell of Landon Donavan for the fear of ruining Everton’s relationship with LA Galaxy – Mirror
Paul Scholes has given his first hint that he will stay on at Manchester United next season – Sun
Lassana Diarra has had a strange career since leaving Arsenal back in 2008.
The French midfielder played weekly at Portsmouth, but then upon joining Real Madrid in an £18m move in 2009, he immediately began to sit on their bench, and has struggled to rise from it on many occasions. He happens to be the kind of player that Arsenal are lacking at the moment, in the sense that he is tidy and effective on the ball, and is effectively, the player that Arsene Wenger envisaged Denilson to be.
There would be real issues with Diarra coming back to the club though. He moaned incessantly about being on the bench for long stretches of the opening six months of the season, and eventually left in January having infuriated his team-mates and the manager to such a great extent with his attitude. His return would surely not be a popular one among the team, which is more important than his relationship with the supporters.
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The Frenchman has grown up since he left Arsenal though. He excelled immediately after he left and that was what won him a move to Real Madrid. One could easily argue that when you join a club of the stature of them, with the circus that surrounds them, it was inevitable that he would not have the success that he craved. Unfashionable enforcers are generally not embraced in Spanish football, and consequently, Diarra has had a couple of season’s bench warming rather than time on the pitch.
The 26-year-old is a Premier League style player, and he is a player the likes of whom Arsenal have been missing over the last couple of seasons. In all probability, he would have started every game after the departure of Mathieu Flamini. Speaking purely practically, Diarra would be an excellent signing for us.
However, there is reason to suggest that there is no way he would ever return to North London. Wenger has a very strict policy on the re-signing of former players, and also there is no guarantee that Diarra will leave Madrid this summer. A lot will depend on the future of Jose Mourinho in the Spanish capital – the midfielder is the kind of player who would excel under his stewardship if given a greater chance. If a new manager came in for whom flair was more important than substance, then Diarra could leave.
His performance against Barcelona in the Nou Camp last week was the best of any player on the pitch. Whether that will convince Real Madrid to keep him, or whether Diarra wants to stay at all, is another matter though. However, what is most likely is that his next destination shall probably not be Arsenal.
Would you as fans like to see Diarra back at the club this summer?
Read more of Alastair’s articles at Gunnersphere
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FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive, Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan
Blackpool boss Ian Holloway hailed his side's 2-1 win at Liverpool as one of the best days of his footballing career.
The Seasiders stunned Anfield with first-half goals from Charlie Adam and Luke Varney and held on for a famous victory after the Reds pulled a goal back through Sotirios Kyrgiakos eight minutes after the restart.
Holloway commented:"It is one of the dreams I've had for years.
"When the fans were singing You'll Never Walk Alone – it's my dad's favourite song but he's no longer with me – I was singing myself and it was a bit emotional.
"This is not far off the home of football – these supporters have seen some of the best football over the years and in my era as a player there was no better team in the world.
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"The boys made me so proud and for that set of supporters to clap us off that is all I wanted – that was what my dream was last night. This is a fantastic moment for Blackpool."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
This season hasn’t been a runaway success for Liverpool, as Kenny Dalglish’s summer signings haven’t quite gelled into an impressive unit. Liverpool also haven’t been helped by the suspension to Luis Suarez and the injury to Lucas.
Brazilian midfielder Lucas was much maligned earlier in his career at Liverpool, but at the start of this season he was in great form. He has been a big loss to the Reds and it will have given the squad a boost to see him back this week, even if it was on crutches.
Here is Lucas with Liverpool teammate Jamie Carragher, but what are they saying to each other?
Leave your suggestions below…
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According to the Professional Footballers’ Association, a top England player would have earned a total of around £1,600 a year in wages, bonuses and international match fees in 1957. Nowadays that money is the equivalent of about £75,000, or the amount that many average Premier League players would earn in a week.
Manchester City’s Yaya Toure is reputed to earn more than £250,000 a week, along with Wayne Rooney and teammate, Carlos Tevez. What’s more, the Ivorian apparently receives £823,000 as a bonus if Manchester City, as it seems they will, qualify for the Champions League this season, and a further £400,000 if they win the competition, plus a £1.65m annual salary for his image rights. Toure is certainly a top-class talent, and has proved an important purchase for the current campaign, but it is worth mentioning that City signed the midfielder following a season in the shadows at Barcelona where he only started 13 games for the Catalans. He has played for the likes of Olympiakos, Monaco and Beveren previously, but is now amongst the highest paid players in not just the Premier League, but Europe.
The consensus opinion has relaxed recently, a contrast to the day when Bryan Robson became the first £1,000 a week footballer in 1981 to the backdrop of public outrage, and extortionate wages are considered an accepted part of the modern, global footballing phenomenon. Football has no wage cap, unlike the wealthiest sports in America, and clubs can pay what they like, buy who they like and sell who they like, which begs the question, how can such excess ever be justified in the name of football?
The counter argument is that the current nature of the sport implies that footballers are entertainers on a similar scale to singers or actors, and are therefore earning legitimate sums when compared with their Hollywood counterparts. In February, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Gordon Taylor, defended the size of his union members’ wage packets at a government inquiry in to the running of football. Taylor explained: “The game is about players. It’s the players who people pay to watch. I don’t think anybody goes to see a film and complains about Brad Pitt’s wages, or a potential Oscar winners’ wages, and the same if you go to an Elton John or a Take That concert. I’ve never heard a fan yet say it’s terrible the money they get.”
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Like actors, a footballers’ value fluctuates based on form or what clubs they have or do play for, or the equivalent of what films an actor has recently starred in. The problem, however, isn’t necessarily the amount a player receives for his services, but the length of time he is contractually obliged to perform. It doesn’t make sense that a footballer can maintain such exorbitant wages when the quality of their performances alter month by month. It is common for a player to demand a pay increase following even a handful of good performances, but they are never quick to accept a wage reduction for poor form.
This point came to my attention last weekend when the Argentinian striker, Franco di Santo, scored his first Premier League goal in 18 months, a 90th minute consolation in Wigan’s 4-2 defeat by Sunderland. This is di Santo’s third full year in English football and he has now recorded a goal ratio of one every year-and-a-half, having failed to find the net for Chelsea, but did score once on loan at Blackburn – a header in a 3-2 victory against Burnley in October 2009. Ordinarily, I don’t think it’s fair to evaluate the worth of a striker based purely on goal-scoring, seeing as there are several other important aspects to the trade, but di Santo’s record represents a disgraceful return for a forward who contributes very little in other departments too. The Wigan number 7 definitely takes home a healthy sum considering his incompetence at the job he makes his living from, and in fact was denied a loan move to Feyenord before he joined the Latics last summer because the Dutch club couldn’t even afford a percentage of his wages.
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The wage structure in England, despite several incongruities, is probably a lot closer to being fair than not. The best players are entrusted with the most confidence and are subsequently offered the most money for the longest time. A journey down the Premier League table, and even further down the football league ladder, demonstrates that the lower the quality of player, the less he will be earning for a reduced amount of time, which in theory is completely logical. In practice, this may be harming the room for lesser clubs to expand and improve, but isn’t different from the principles evident in any other branch of the entertainment industry, from working on Hollyoaks to working in Hollywood.
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Manchester City winger Adam Johnson has been warned by manager Roberto Mancini not to relax now that he has broken into the England international set-up.
The 23-year-old has featured in all three of England internationals since the World Cup finals in South Africa, but Mancini is concerned that Johnson's head could be turned by such recognition.
The Italian commented:"Adam has to understand that sometimes it is important for a player to play for a team.
"He can have a top career if he understands that he must work and think about football every day, not about other things.
"I am very happy that he played for England, but he needs to keep his feet on the ground. That is important, not just for Adam, but for all young players.
"It is easy for a player like Adam, with a good attitude and good quality, to arrive at the top. But you must always stay there. You can never go back.
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While scoring goals has been a worrying concern for Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool this season, the Reds have had very little trouble keeping them out.
Free-scoring Manchester City were the latest side unable to find a way past a determined Liverpool defence in the Carling Cup on Wednesday evening as the Reds moved one step closer to their first Wembley appearance since their cream coloured suit catastrophe in 1996.
The Red men repeatedly frustrated Roberto Mancini’s men throughout their 1-0 first-leg victory, becoming the first side since Birmingham in November 2010 to keep a clean at the Etihad Stadium with an archetypal, defensive away performance. Liverpool were so comfortable in the first-half that City did not manage a shot on target until the 43rd minute.
Dalglish’s side currently boast the second meanest defensive record in the Premier League having only conceded a measly 18 goals in 20 games this season; only two more than current league leaders City, marshalled superbly by their outstanding Belgian skipper Vincent Kompany.
Slovakian international Martin Skrtel and his slick sidekick Daniel Agger have been the lynchpins at the centre of the impressive back four having started the last 11 league games together, losing just two. While Skrtel has been a regular in the heart of the Merseysiders’ defence, starting every league game last term, Agger’s contribution to the thriving partnership has seen Kop legend Jamie Carragher settling for a place on the sidelines.
After picking up an injury in a Carling Cup tie at Stoke earlier in the season, Carragher has not started a Premier League game since October but has impressed when called upon in cup victories over Oldham and Chelsea. Liverpool’s No.23 turns 34 before the end of the month and the Bootle-born defender may struggle to win his place back as an automatic starter should Agger remain free of injury and in-form.
The £5.5 million summer purchase of left-back Jose Enrique was an acute piece of business by the club, with the Spaniard earning plaudits from critics and fans as one of the signings of the season so far. Enrique has slotted perfectly into Dalglish’s defence, finally solving the Reds’ eternal quest to find a capable Premier League left-back, with previous lacklustre incumbents including Djimi Traore, Andrea Dossena, Emiliano Insua and more recently Paul Konchesky.
England international Glen Johnson has also been in fine form this season, finally finding the perfect balance between his necessary defensive duties and natural attacking flair. Youngsters Martin Kelly and Jon Flanagan have also stepped into the fold on occasions and are benefiting from playing in a team full of confidence and self-belief. Pepe Reina, despite a couple of uncharacteristic errors against Fulham and Manchester City, also remains one of the league’s top three goalkeepers.
Skrtel believes the back room addition of former Chelsea assistant manager Steve Clarke has also played a major part in the Reds’ improved defensive displays, saying: “We work a lot in training on defending with Steve and that has probably helped not only me but all the guys who play at the back.
“Since Kenny and Steve have come in the atmosphere changed around the team. Everything is much, much better now. If I feel the confidence from the manager that is important for me and maybe that is the reason.”
With one foot already in the final at Wembley, Dalglish is on the verge of delivering Liverpool’s first trophy since the FA Cup in 2006. City must score at Anfield to make it to the final at Wembley; something Liverpool’s exceptional back four have developed a habit of stopping teams from doing.
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