Wonga deal could lead to Newcastle's Muslim players boycotting shirt (From The Advertiser Series)
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Wonga deal could lead to Newcastle's Muslim players boycotting shirt
10:20pm Wednesday 10th October 2012 in Sport
By Mark Summers
Demba Ba wearing the Virgin Money logo that will be replaced by Wonga
NEWCASTLE United’s Muslim players are being urged to boycott shirts bearing the name of the club’s controversial new main sponsor.
The club has been widely criticised since signing a fouryear deal, said to be worth £24m, with online payday lender Wonga, which charges the equivalent of a 4,214 annual percentage rate on its short-term loans.
The Muslim Council of Britain has warned that charging interest is prohibited by Sharia Law and that adherents must not benefit from lending or receiving money.
High-profile Newcastle players Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse, Cheick Tiote and Hatem Ben Arfa are practising Muslims.
They could follow the example of fellow Muslim Freddie Kanoute who refused to wear the shirt of sponsor 888.com, a betting website, after he joined Spanish side Sevilia from Tottenham in 2005 and wore a jersey without the firm’s logo.
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: ‘The idea is to protect the vulnerable and the needy from exploitation by the rich and powerful.
“‘Freddie was allowed to wear a top without the 888.com and that is a reasonable request to be made by the player.
“Assuming all four are on the pitch at the same time, if you have seven out of 11 (with advertising on their shirts) you have sufficient coverage.
It is not asking too much, I believe.”
The club’s spokeswoman declined to comment, but one club insider said: “The club’s shirts are currently sponsored by Virgin Money and before that by the Northern Rock. Both of those are lenders who charge interest.”
Wonga, which says the actual interest it charges on loans is 360 per cent, has announced the club’s ground will revert to being called St James’ Park.
Politicians, including Darlington’s Labour MP Jenny Chapman, who are campaigning against payday lenders, have criticised the club for working with a “legal loan shark” – but the club said the deal will give it a brighter future and allow it to develop its academy.
Meanwhile, online money management website My- MoneyPA has cancelled customer hospitality it was planning at a forthcoming match at St James’ Park because of the Wonga sponsorship.
Managing director Glenn Morrill said: “As a Newcastle United supporter, I am particularly upset about the sponsorship deal and will not attend any matches at St James’ Park while Wonga are involved in the club.”
Comments(21)
BMD
says...
4:47pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Islamic law is not British law and Football is its own Religion!
NO EINSTEIN
says...
5:23pm Wed 10 Oct 12
viccarlton
says...
5:27pm Wed 10 Oct 12
He needs to wake up to reality, footballers are mercenaries, Newcastle United have done what appears to be an astute deal financially, why would the players even give it a second thought?
frankyboy
says...
5:45pm Wed 10 Oct 12
blindgary1
says...
5:57pm Wed 10 Oct 12
MSG
says...
8:04pm Wed 10 Oct 12
S1rbobby
says...
8:24pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Jan Van-Winkel
says...
8:46pm Wed 10 Oct 12
oblivia
says...
3:38am Thu 11 Oct 12
Seriously, how many people in Britain don't have a bank account, mortgage or any type of insurance? How many corner shops and curry houses don't use bank accounts? Indeed, how many people in the world — including the Muslim world — have none of these things? Any company that offers consumer finance, which means all car makers for example, are also in breach.
And don't believe the nonsense about "Islamic banking". Take a look at the balance sheet of an Islamic bank and you'll see that the relationship between borrower and lender is exactly the same as at any western bank, yet they claim to offer a fairer deal based on shared risk. If this were true, Islamic banks ought to be far more risky than western ones, but they aren't. In other words, it's a con. Where are all the critics of this shameful deceit?
It seems cruel to continue pointing out the hypocrisies, but I can hardly ignore the fact that the Premiership is sponsored by Barclays (which is partially owned by Qatar, so I guess it's okay, while Wonga is owned by two Jewish guys).
drainman
says...
6:52am Thu 11 Oct 12
frankyboy
says...
9:39am Thu 11 Oct 12
Duke of Aycliffe
says...
9:45am Thu 11 Oct 12
RobAycliffe
says...
11:40am Thu 11 Oct 12
This seems to be a campaign directed solely at Wonga, but are they really a worse blight on the 'vulnerable and needy' than Bet365 or 12Bet?
MSG
says...
1:08pm Thu 11 Oct 12
When i was at the Euro 1988 footy finals in Germany. i was enjoying a quiet pint in a pub in Boppard with several other England fans. In came a coach load of Irish fans. they turned off the german music and put a tape on of rebel songs that insulted England . I told them to take it off. They did not and you can guess what happened next!!.
darlo oily
says...
6:52pm Thu 11 Oct 12
Don't knock it the premier league could do with some morals!
Allanopie
says...
9:58pm Thu 11 Oct 12
Quaker79
says...
11:37pm Thu 11 Oct 12
1. Pay day lenders like this should be illegal.
2. If wearing this shirt is so morally wrong for these players, give them the option of terminating their contracts with immediate effect & no pay - see if they go for that...
robbithesmoggie
says...
9:56am Sat 13 Oct 12
frankyboy
says...
8:23pm Sat 13 Oct 12
robbithesmoggie wrote:Ha! Ha! Nice one.
It shouldn't matter whether they have the logo on their shirts as long as they go out on the pitch and give 4,214 %
John Justice
says...
9:46pm Sat 13 Oct 12
Normski1960 says...
4:46pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Does pose an interesting debate, Great Britain Rugby League Players in the 1980s refused to wear British Coal sponsored shirts at the time of pit closures for moral reasons.