Newcastle – Full Of Virgins Tonight?

Confirmation is awaited but according to the Chronicle, ‘Virgin Money’ could appear on Newcastle United’s strips as early as tonight.

Virgin Money’s deal to buy Northern Rock formally went through on January 1^st for £747m.

Just in case you didn’t know, Virgin Money’s logo is Red & White…

‘NEWCASTLE United could face Manchester United tonight with a new sponsor emblazoned across their shirts, it is understood.

The club’s kit sponsor Northern Rock may be replaced with the Virgin Money logo after a late deal was brokered between the team and the company.

If that happens it will mark the end of Northern Rock’s eight-year relationship with the St James’ Park outfit.

A statement is expected to be released later this afternoon confirming a sponsorship deal between NUFC and Virgin Money.

It comes after Gosforth-based Northern Rock was sold to Richard Branson’s Virgin empire in a £747m deal in November – which included 75 branches and 2,100 staff, one million customers, a £14bn mortgage book and retail deposits worth £16bn

The buy-out secured jobs in the region after it was revealed they were protected from compulsory redundancies for the next three years.

Newcastle United’s latest sponsorship deal is believed to have been secured after Virgin Money’s chief executive visited the region yesterday.

Jayne-Anne Gadhia said the name would not be changing on Newcastle United’s shirts for tonight’s game against Manchester United, but that position appears to have changed following 11th-hour talks.

The Rock secured a £10m deal in January last year to sponsor Newcastle United for four years, but the firm enacted a break clause in November to cancel that deal at the end of the current season.

It is not currently known how long the new deal is for, and more information is expected this afternoon.’