Crikey, but you really have to feel for Newcastle United’s long-suffering fans. Bad enough that ‘one of England’s biggest clubs’ hasn’t claimed a major trophy since the Fairs Cup in 1969 (we’re not of a mind to include the 1992/93 Division 1 title or the Intertoto Cup they ‘won’ six years ago) but how is it that one organisation can so consistently find new ways to generate so much negative publicity?

A leading sports economist has stated that sporting bodies around the world are in no position to absorb the dent in funds that would accompany any legal restrictions on alcohol sponsorships.