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There has been much criticism of Newcastle United for signing a sponsorship deal with Wonga.  For anybody from Mars, Wonga run what is known as a "payday lending" business - essentially short-term loans at an eye-watering rate of interest.  But the outrage is not so much directed at the football club as at Wonga itself, which is seen as a company which makes its money on the back of poverty and desperation   Now I certainly hold no brief for Wonga, but once again, I think we are missing the big question, which is - why are Wonga so successful?  And they are indeed successful - they have recently posted profits of some £45m and their business has grown by getting on for 300% over the past year.  And the answer is clear - they make borrowing money easy and fast.  It takes a matter of minutes to arrange a loan, and the money is usually in your bank account within the hour.  Compare that to the hoops you have to jump through to arrange a loan or overdraft with a bank or building society.  So don't blame Wonga for seeing a gap in the market and exploiting it - blame the "traditional" lenders for creating that gap.  And if you want to see the end of Wonga and the other payday loan companies, the answer is obvious isn't it?