Newcastle United Gets Sports Marketing

In our continuing coverage of obnoxious European billionaires, Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has given his blessing to the team’s manager, Alan Pardew, to handle the scouting and rebuilding efforts during the international break, which means that Ashley was free to do what billionaires do best – namely throw nightclub parties and strip in front of a crowd of random people.

Thankfully, Newcastle is making up for Ashley’s pasty display with some new team merchandise to help the team’s fans feel a little better about themselves. They’re making sexy underwear.

The contract between the club and Premier Lingerie – described with northern lack of faff as 'football-related underwear specialists' – has a possible interest beyond the usual reasons for giving space to such a subject.

Premier points out that women now form about a fifth of regular football supporters in the uk, but only between three and five percent of club merchandise is aimed at them. (Via The Guardian)

Newcastle obviously isn’t the first team in any sport to sell lingerie, but the idea is still relatively new to the clubs across the pond. West Ham released a limited edition line in 2009, and Katy Perry showed off a sample at the MTV Europe Music Awards that year. I’ve heard that in Europe MTV still plays music.

Katy’s debut outfit and some Newcastle samples after the jump (available for purchase here).