Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley is renaming Newcastle United’s football ground sportsdirect.com@St James’ Park.

The retailer who bought the northeast football club for £134m in 2007, is changing the name of the ground for the next six months to the domain name of his Sports Directchain’s website.

Ashley’s old adversary, JJB Sports founder Dave Whelan, named the football stadium he had built for Wigan Athletic after his retail group. It has since been renamed DW Stadium after DW Fitness, after the brand created when Whelan acquired JJB’s gyms business.

The move by Ashley has been greeted by some resentment from fans who have started a petition against the renaming.