Sticks and stones

One story I missed last week, was the announcement by Northern Rock that it was terminating its sponsorship of the club early. At the time that may have looked like a reaction to the name change, but in the cold light of day, it appears that it was linked to the sale to Virgin Money. Expect a flood of predictable jokes about Newcastle shirts with the word "Virgin" on them breaching advertising regulations...

Quite when their logo will disappear from shirts is anyone's guess, but if they do pull the plug before the end of the season, what price Jabba's crappy sports store logo makes an appearance "to demonstrate to potential sponsors how their brand might be displayed" (without charge, obviously).

Someone who hasn't taken to the change of stadium name is Graeme Cansdale, who has been so incensed that he's dug up the brick with his father's name on outside St James' Park, and replaced it with a blank brick instead, vowing not to return the brick while Jabba remains at the helm.