It didn't happen ... and there was uproar on both Tyneside and Wearside.
Hall looked at it from a business point of view, with no consideration for the history of either club.
And I was a little surprised to hear Hall tell the media last season: "Mike Ashley is wrong to change the name of St James' Park, because he is ruining the history."
Of course Ashley is wrong to change the name ... but at least he doesn't want us to move to Washington (like Hall did).
Over to Merseyside ...
Today David Moyes believes it would 'make sense' for Everton and Liverpool to share a stadium, but doubts such a scenario will ever become a reality.
Everton's Goodison Park home and Liverpool's Anfield ground are separated by Stanley Park, but there has been talk for many years that the two Merseyside rivals should join forces to build a new venue.
The Toffees' own attempts to explore building a new stadium have failed to come to fruition and there have also been plans from Liverpool to expand Anfield.
David Moyes: "We know we could do with some more cash and we would like a new stadium but we have an awful lot of things going for us.
"I think Everton probably need a new stadium more than Liverpool but it is not something we have in our culture because we don't share grounds.
"It does make sense, we could really redevelop the whole area around Stanley Park.
"For us it is definitely worth doing.
"We'd take it but I don't think Liverpool would probably want us or need us and from that point of view I think that is where it will end up."