Newcastle United 2013/14 Home Kit Revealed?

NUFC Blog had the strip sent to them by one of their readers, who claims it's the real deal. The 2013/14 shirt will be the first to bear the image of Wonga, with the loan company tying up a sponsorship deal with the North East club last October in a four-year deal to replace former sponsors Virgin Money. The new sponsorship immediately triggered controversy at the time, and may cause problems for several of the club's Muslim stars. Under Sharia Law, Muslims must not benefit from either lending or receiving money from another person, meaning that interest is prohibited. Interest is not paid on Islamic bank accounts or added to mortgages. Papiss Cisse, Cheick Tiote and Hatem Ben Arfa are all practising Muslims, and could refuse to wear the club's new sponsor on the new shirt. Former Tottenham and West Ham striker Freddie Kanoute once refused to wear the logo of gambling website 888.com on his Seville shirt over his religious beliefs. Wonga have also gained a bad reputation in recent times, and debt is prevalent in the Newcastle area. Should a Newcastle fan accept a loan from the company to buy a £50 club shirt, they would have to repay £71.92 after a month with a rate equivalent to 4,212 per cent per year. What do you think of the new shirt? Is it legitimate? What do you think of the club's new sponsor? Let us know in the comment section, below.

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Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.