Newcastle fans today slammed the club for pressing ahead with controversial plans to sell the naming rights to St James' Park.

Fury erupted after owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias dropped the bombshell early this morning.

United announced the 119-year-old venue is to be called the Sports Direct Arena – after Ashley's retail company – until a permanent sponsor can be found.

And the club claimed selling the naming rights could generate £10m a year.

But supporters lambasted the decision which they claimed torpedoed the feelgood factor which has surrounded the club's excellent start to the season that has seen them chalk up an 11-game unbeaten run to leave them third in the Barclays Premier League.

Mark Jensen, editor of fanzine The Mag, hit out: "What the club has done just reinforces what everyone has thought about them, that no matter what strides the likes of Alan Pardew and the players might take, there is always something from above that undermines them.

"They have performed a typical politician's trick and waited until things are going well to slip in something like this on the back of a cut-price season ticket deal which has filled the empty seats. It's quite cynical.

"They should have been spending these two weeks really reinforcing the feelgood factor."

Llambias has insisted selling the naming rights is essential if the club is to maximise its potential revenue streams in a tough financial climate.

However, Jensen is not convinced the proposal will do that. He added: "The writing is on the wall. The shirt deal is up at the end of the season and I don't think anybody would be surprised if we ended up with Sports Direct as the shirt sponsor.

"As it stands today, this announcement has brought no extra money into the club, but they have seriously annoyed a large proportion of their fan base. Maybe now people who were thinking of buying a shirt or whatever from the club shop will think, 'Right, I'm not doing that'.

"Certainly in the short-term, the only person who is benefiting is Mike Ashley and Sports Direct."

Llambias defended the move and said it had to happen if Newcastle are to maintain pace with the Barclays Premier League's big boys.

He said: "I would hope it would generate between £8million and 10million a year. That would give us another player. The club needs to be self-sufficient, and this will help us be self-sufficient."