Vinnie Jones has claimed that he knows of an American investor who turned down the opportunity to be part of a consortium considering a bid for Newcastle United because he didn’t like their nickname.
According to the ex-Wimbledon man, he recently had a conversation with the potential investor, but advised him to look at former club Leeds United instead.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Jones said: “I was speaking to somebody at the golf club last week and they had an offer to go in on a consortium with Newcastle.
“This American lad considered doing it, he didn’t know anything about it, but then he said, ‘What put me off was their name – The Magpies’.
“I said, ‘I’ll tell you what mate, I’ll tell you a club – Leeds United is what you want to buy if you have an interest in something that can go through the roof’.”
OPINION
Newcastle fans just can’t seem to catch a break at the moment. If it isn’t Mike Ashley being the most stubborn man on the face of the earth then it’s pedantic investors and Vinnie Jones putting the kibosh on things on a golf course. It seems strange for an potential investor to be put off by something as inconsequential as a nickname, instead of, say, potential profit or affordability, but if he’s going to be ruled out because of something as petty then maybe he isn’t the best man to get involved with the club to start with. Toon fans are fierce over their identity, and as much as they want Ashley out of the club, surely nothing would be worse than a fussy owner coming and changing their nickname to ‘The Pandas’ or ‘The Zebras’ or something daft and monochromatic. The Geordies will have their day when Ashley does sell up, and when that comes, there will be parades through the city, with Magpies being flown all over the place.
