Sign Of The Times @St James Park: Ashley Dismantles Newcastle United

Not content with failing to secure a striker in the 7 months since Andy Carroll left for pastures new at Liverpool, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, and his partner in crime Derek Lambias have decided to cut a piece of the club's historical heart out, by removing the much-loved "Newcastle United" sign that has sat on the roof of the St James Park East Stand for some years (and which is the first thing visitors on the club's stadium tours wish to be photographed in front of). According to the Shields Gazette, the sign, which has been as much a part of recent St James Park history as the Jackie Milburn statue that sits outside the stadium, is only being taken down by the club's powers that be temporarily in order to be replaced with new identical lettering. Presumably cheaper, younger, better lettering... That's fair enough, and I'm not sure any Newcastle fans would argue with the decision if it was as simple as that, since that sign is part and parcel of the excitement attached to the unveiling of new signings (something they have been woefully short of in recent times). Because the first sight of a new star that Toon fans are likely to get, other than on the back page of the Chronicle usually looks like this:

But given the ferocity of the advertising offensive (how appropriate a term) that Mike Ashley has undertaken in the past few months, splattering his Sports Direct signs all over St James Park, Newcastle fans can be forgiven for doubting that this is the full story. Because here's the most important part of the original story:

However, a club spokesman said they were unable to confirm or deny mounting speculation that commercial signage promoting owner Mike Ashley€™s company, Sports Direct, would be added to the stand.

Silence speaks volumes in the world of football PR, and that reads double for Newcastle United, so it's almost impossible not to suggest that some sort of branding is going to be added to that prime space for the duration of Mike Ashley's ownership of the club. Whether that will be the dreaded Sports Direct@St James Park sign we've all come to expect, or simply Sports Direct logos either side of the new Newcastle United sign is open to debate at this point, but it would be a foolish man to suggest that the sign will read exactly as it did at the start of this week and for the past few years. At some point we're all going to have to start wondering just when Ashley will start listening to the fanbase, or whether he will at all. Precedent would suggest that he won't care what supporters say as long as they continue to turn up for games in plus 40k numbers each week. And that's the thing about being a Newcastle United fan - and indeed most other fans - it simply isn't an option not to support the club, even when the ownership seems intent on sticking the knife in at every possible turn.