Source: Daily_Mail
Charles Sale: St James' Park rebrand fails to register @ Newcastle
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley's ridiculous decision to rebrand the football stadium sportsdirect.com@St James' Park isn't even being acknowledged by his own staff. [LNB]A press release sent out by the Newcastle media department announcing a minor sponsorship with Thomas Cook referred to the ground throughout by its proper name St James' Park.[LNB]Left out: Mike Ashley's controversial rebrand of St James' Park appears to has passed Newcastle United employees by, judging from their latest press release[LNB]Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney may announce a shock early retirement date at Thursday's board meeting in Preston. [LNB]Former Tory Cabinet enforcer Mawhinney (right) told League directors attheir last monthly meeting that he would detail his future plans tothem at the November summit.[LNB]It was expected that Mawhinney, who has been hugely successful inkeeping 72 clubs in line for so long after the previous turmoilsurrounding the Football League, would stay for as long as the rulesallow. [LNB]This would take him to the end of the 2010-11 season following his 70th birthday next July. [LNB]Yet some directors are now under the impression that Mawhinney willcall time on his executive chairmanship at least a year early.[LNB] More from Charles Sale... EXCLUSIVE: 2018 World Cup crisis summit called as Caborn faces axe11/11/09 CHARLES SALE: 2018 World Cup might bypass Liverpool10/11/09 CHARLES SALE: Jet-set David Beckham divides 2018 World Cup bid team10/11/09 CHARLES SALE: Lines drawn over TV rights report08/11/09 CHARLES SALE: Crocked Dean Ashton to seek FA's millions06/11/09 Charles Sale: England show up clubs on poppies05/11/09 Then there were two: Bolton join poppy parade - unlike United and Liverpool05/11/09 Poppy power! Now only three Premier clubs are refusing to back campaign04/11/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE There is much concern within BBC Sport about the potential clash oftheir flagship Sports Personality of the Year programme on December 13with ITV's X Factor, which attracts the biggest audience on Britishtelevision. [LNB]The last thing the Beeb want is their live Sunday night show,featuring the sporting stars of 2009 they manage to attract toSheffield, being trounced in the ratings, which has already been thefate of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. [LNB]ITV have yet to reveal whether X Factor will take place over two days that weekend or just on Saturday.[LNB] Qatar steal a marchThe Qatar 2022 World Cup bid team are showing promotional initiativearound the England v Brazil friendly on Saturday and again seizingthe high ground from the England 2018 bid following the FA's requestthat neither campaign advertise within the Khalifa Stadium.[LNB]Instead, the Qataris will allow fans to mingle outside the venue inthree fan zones displaying the culture of the hosts and their twovisiting countries, with the England area including a performance bythe Bootleg Beatles.[LNB]Meanwhile, 2018 rivals Russia have stolen a march by sponsoring theSports Cafe networking centre of the upcoming Soccerex Conference inJohannesburg while the England team are still talking about what to dothere.[LNB] The England 2018 bid team are never going to hear the last of theMulberry handbags which had been intended as presents to FIFApowerbrokers until Jack Warner's wife handed hers back. [LNB]A Mulberry was one of the silent auction items at the Sports EventManagement awards dinner at Lord's with a reserve price of £400 rather more than the £230-per-bag the FA paid for their job lot of 24.[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People:Mike Ashley, Jack WarnerPlaces:Newcastle, Brazil, Russia, United Kingdom, Qatar, St James' ParkOrganisations:Football League
