Newcastle United: Never Mind The Wonga - Think Of The Money

And it one brief sentence, Pardew encapsulated all that is wrong with British football - it just doesn't know where to draw the line.

Last week Here Is The City published a post, a Muslim's opinion on the Newcastle United and Wonga debate, which turned out to be pretty controversial in itself. But this post, in the end, only succeeded in moving the Wonga debate towards a discussion on religion, when the issue here is not about religion at all - it's more about the difference between right and wrong.

Now critics will point out (and they already have) that football lost its soul a long time ago, when clubs first started to sign-up to sponsorship deals with beer and drinks companies, casino businesses and banks, etc.

And cynics will suggest that the furore over the Newcastle deal is hypocritical, bearing in mind that there was no such uproar when the loans company entered into sponsorship agreements with Blackpool and Hearts. But those who make this claim have short memories, as there was disquiet expressed in some quarters at the time these deals were originally announced too.

But Newcastle United, of course, are a far bigger club than Blackpool and Hearts, with a much bigger following and recognition in the game, and the club's deal with Wonga will be significantly more impactful for the loans company.

For a club with such a proud heritage, and in an area which is currently suffering such financial hardship, to be associated with a business that can charge short-term borrowers interest rates that may hit 4,214% APR is wrong. British football has to learn that sometimes it's right to take the moral high-ground, and it's better to walk away from sponsorship deals that just don't smell right. Some deals just aren't worth it - not for all the Wonga in the world.

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