The furore engaged in by fans of Newcastle United – myself including – is perhaps a tenuous link to this blog on grassroots sport.
But it does make me more appreciative of the relative innocence of sport at its purest level.
Newcastle United’s controversial owner Mike Ashley has renamed the 120 year-old stadium, St James’ Park, the Sports Direct Arena. It has provoked outrage – but is sadly inevitable.
Photo: Twitter, @suttonnick
Within a couple of decades, perhaps less, I would not be surprised to see the vast majority of decent-sized English football stadiums carrying a sponsor’s name. The pragmatist within me is aware that fans of top sports teams cannot have it two ways and that money rules completely in professional sport.
That will hardly make it any easier to swallow the name change – indeed all Newcastle fans will continue to refer to this beacon towering over the centre of Toon as St James’ Park.
I am not naïve as to think money does not play a role in grassroots sport, too, but there is a clear predominance of on-the-field concerns.
When fans see stadium names changed on a whim or when they see players refusing to play, they are hardly likely to be endeared to the professional game. The same goes for rugby, cricket and other sports, but football, the most lucrative game in this country, clearly suffers more than others.
The frustration with the treatment of the regular punter, whose interests appear to be secondary to those on various club’s executive boards, is what drives many people to choose to watch grassroots sport.
It is arguably only at that level that the true emotional ‘value’ of sport can still be determined.
An Early Bath 