ST JAMES' PARK will still possess Mike Ashley's Sports Direct branding despite Newcastle's £300million takeover by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.

Sports Direct signage can currently be found everywhere you look at the Magpies' historic home.

Most fans will be glad to see the back of it, with Ashley even having tried to rename St James' Park the Sports Direct Arena in the past.

But for now the last remnants of Ashley's reign will remain.

The Times' George Caulkin reports that the signage won't be coming down 'for now' because of terms of the sale.

But he adds that it 'won't be long' until it disappears for good.

Ashley, 57, exclusively told SunSport last night that he rejected a higher bid for the club in order to 'deliver the best' for Newcastle.

He said: "I would like it to be known that I received a higher offer for the club than the one that I accepted.

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“It was from another reputable bidder, who made a credible case.

"But I felt the bid that we accepted from the current new owners would deliver the best for Newcastle United.

"Money wasn’t my only consideration. There were times when I stepped in financially to keep Newcastle United afloat.

"We ensured the wage bills were paid when we went down in order that we could bounce straight back up.

"Nobody was happier than me when we achieved immediate promotion."

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