David Hopkinson embroiled in ‘nightmare’ over another Newcastle 'drama'
Newcastle United’s chief executive David Hopkinson is in for a tumultuous few weeks as the club begin a consultation with supporters over a change in their badge.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes it is inevitable that the issue will split those connected to the club drastically.
The club recently confirmed that supporters will be able to vote on the possibility of a new crest for the club, to replace the current design that has been in place since 1988.
Wyness made it clear that Hopkinson and the rest of the club hierarchy have stepped into a “nightmare” with the decision, as he feels it will be impossible for them to please everyone with the outcome.
The North East outfit are hoping to improve the marketability of their crest, but several sections of supporters have already made it clear that they value tradition in their emblem.
Wyness is expecting a somewhat messy situation to unfold at St James’ Park as the project presses forward, and believes there are often “no winners” from debates like this.
Keith Wyness: Newcastle badge consultation a ‘pointless exercise’
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the badge consultation could prove to be a “pointless exercise” for Newcastle.
The Scottish businessman made it clear that the board “can’t win” in situations like this, such is the likely polarisation of views among the fanbase.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, he explained why the consultation could lead to “all sorts of drama” on Tyneside.
“We keep mentioning David (Hopkinson), the CEO up at Newcastle, and he has decided to take on the thorny issue of the badge,” he said.
“It's always a nightmare, a minefield whenever you try and get involved with it. I've been around it a couple of times, and it’s a no-win situation because, like many things in football, it's 50-50.
“There'll be 50 that want to stick with tradition, and there'll be 50 of the younger ones that understand the need for a simpler version of the badge. To me, it's almost a pointless exercise because you can't win and you have to go through all sorts of drama.
“There could have been better ways to have handled it. I think you may have kept with a traditional badge on the shirt, but you may also have had a social media type badge in some ways, a sort of halfway house.
“But it's a difficult one, particularly with Newcastle fans who are so keen on tradition, quite rightly. We do have traditions, and that's what football is about.”
Newcastle’s chances of securing Carl Rushworth deal revealed
Former Coventry City assistant manager Mick Brown told Football Insider earlier this week that the Sky Blues remain the “front-runners” to sign Brighton goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, despite growing interest from Newcastle.
The newly-promoted outfit already seen two offers rejected for their former loanee, the second of which came in just £5million short of the Seagulls’ £30m asking price.
Newcastle have been considering a potential hijack for the 25-year-old as they target a new number one between the posts, but the chances of them succeeding with that plan are unlikely at the moment.
It has been a difficult summer for Howe and Co., who could yet head into the new season with veteran Nick Pope as their starting gloveman.