Sports Direct Signs Ripped Down - Pictures

I'll keep this short and sweet. Today the dog-awful, shameful Sports Direct signs (and spit) that have defaced our famous stadium are being ripped down and hopefully will never be seen again. Look!

This puts an end to a sorry year or so where Sky Sports, Match Of The Day and newspapers alike have been calling our stadium by this cheap nonsense. All of which was completely unnecessary. Let's face it, how much are Wonga actually paying us to call the stadium what it should be? A million quid? That's certainly way short of the '£8 to £10 million' Mr Llambias told us re-branding the stadium name would bring. The fact that Wonga have called it St James' in the first place just shows how ridiculous the whole thing was.

I am not going to go on a rant. But this image reminds of when a few 'fans' tried to do this themselves during a reserve game a few months back. Now I don't condone vandalism and as you may have noticed I use the term 'fans' loosely, they were just louts for all I know. But I certainly didn't mind the fact these signs were being ripped apart. I'd probably do it myself if I could have managed to bear stepping into the stadium surrounded by that cheap crap. However, I just took the high road. Now that these signs are down and the St James' Park sign will be back, I may be tempted to step back into the stadium I love. Maybe. Mr Ashley is still in his seat in the stadium and I would find it very hard to sit within 500 feet of him. Reason being for the good that has come from his tenure, financial stability being the main one, he is still the man responsible for some of the most embarrassing and totally unnecessary moments in our history. Since he came here we have had a year of Joe Kinnear in charge, a year in the Championship and a year in the Sports Direct Arena. All of which make me want to throw up and find one of these signs and smash 'em in his face.

At this stage right here and now we find ourselves back in Europe after 5 years of his 'leadership' but at what cost? Was is necessary to drag the club to the depths it has gone to? No. No way. Before he came here, we had a year in the Uefa Cup under Glenn Roeder and we weren't a million miles away from being a top 6 European team again then. What we are experiencing now could, if not should, have been met within the first year or two of when Ashley first wore the black n white shirt downing a pint with the fans. After all, what kind of a football club that is on the edge of being a top team again is the subject of a billionaire takeover, then goes backwards? So backwards that it gets relegated? Relegated just 2 years after being in the Uefa Cup? Embarrassment.

Anyway, I said I would keep it short and wouldn't rant. I'm resisting. The signs are down. St James' sign will be back up. So can we all just forget this sorry affair ever happened please? Thank you!

.........until the next one.

(Comments welcome. Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano)