Fan-led protest group ‘If Rafa Goes We Go‘ have now released their first media statement, explaining who they are, why they have formed and how they plan to create a revolution at NUFC – with the end goal being to force Mike Ashley out at St James’ Park.
Incase you haven’t seen over the past 24 hours, @IfRafaGoesWeGo is a fan-led movement that emerged on Twitter on Thursday night, vowing to boycott Mike Ashley’s Newcastle United IF Rafa Benitez leaves the club last summer.
The response to their campaign has been huge (now have over 7,000 followers just hours after forming), with several supporters, celebrities, ex-players, NUFC fan accounts, journalists (both local and national) getting behind the movement already.
Even Ant and Dec have showed their support, tweeting ‘#IfRafaGoesWeGo’ to their 6.7million strong following earlier today!
Here’s their official statement that has been released today:
Who are we?
‘We are fans of Newcastle United Football Club. We love our club. We love our city.
‘We are brothers and sisters. We are mams and dads. We are sons and daughters. We are grandparents and grandchildren. We are friends. We are best mates.
‘We’ve had enough of Mike Ashley and the way he runs our club. We respect and value Rafa Benitez.
‘We think (we fear) this could be his last season as our manager. We will do everything possible to keep him here. Failing that, if he goes we go.
‘We are a fans movement. We are a platform for all voices. We want to be a force for change. We want to inspire action.
‘We are the fans.’
Why now
‘For too long, Ashley has mis-managed our football club and failed to even consider the potential of what could be achieved.
‘We have a manager who fits. A manager who, like Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson, understands the fans, the club, the city. A manager who would help us to realise some of our potential with the right backing.
‘A manager who will honour his contract and, if he leaves, he will have tried everything in his power to change the toxic regime that Ashley thrives on. We will know then that it’s time for us to say “no more”. We will leave as well.’
What are we going to do?
We aren’t going to just sit here until May, watch Rafa leave and then follow.
We believe in positive action.
We’re grateful for the contact we’ve already had from groups/organisations who have the best interests of Newcastle United fans at heart.
Our focus will be on four main areas in partnership with those who want to work with us.
Direct action/protests at and around St James Park
Direct action/protests in connection with Sports Direct
Lobbying, talking to and working with people and groups who can improve the situation at Newcastle United
Marketing and Publicity – making sure that everyone hears our collective voice.
We will be seeking support from individuals and companies in terms of both funding and helping to promote the action being taken.
Our priority is to do everything possible to ensure that Rafa Benitez is the Newcastle United manager for many years to come.
#IfRafaGoesWeGo
What do you make of this folks? Could this be the start of something big?
Follow them on Twitter at @IfRafaGoesWeGo and contact them on [email protected].
For me, it’s a bold but brilliant move and one that was coming, with Benitez’s fate all but sealed unless change comes. Unless Ashley is forced into action (whether that be to show ambition or sell up), Benitez will be gone next summer – and that’s something I am not ready to accept.
A revolution for Rafa has begun. A storm is coming for Mike Ashley is he lets Rafa Benitez slip away from St James’ Park.
The best way to hurt Ashley is to go into his stores pick up a item go to the till let them ring it though then say you changed your mind and don’t want it then walk away
You are not breaking the law you are just changing your mind
Do that to all his stores and that will affect his trade as it goes though the till as a small then returns as a return
Spud you like(Quote)
While i welcome this and would love too see Ashley gone i dont think it will achieve much untill SJP empties and season tickets are not renewed. A half empty SJP would get Ashley panicking in regards too selling the club , 52,000 fans every week is the biggest selling point .
Life is Black and White(Quote)
Our loyalty is our downfall ,more loyal we are the more pound signs cashley sees ,we keep filling ground he aint going nowhere,
Bicko(Quote)
Just inconveniencing the people who work on the till. Do it more than once and they will call the police on you, and bar you from the shop. Get real.
potski(Quote)
But rather denies the claim that they are behind Rafa, if he goes out on to the pitch at kick off to find a half empty stadium or a toxic stadium protesting. That’s been done, it got the club relegated when the team couldn’t play in that atmosphere, and specifically when the two numbskulls with their banner saw us concede a second goal to Hull, that proved to be the difference between relegation and staying up.
potski(Quote)
As long as protests are kept OUT of the ground. You cant protest ashley and support the boys at the same time. The atmosphere inside the ground needs to be aggressive and intimidating for the right reasons.
Toonkev(Quote)
For the last fife seasons I have been saying (on here) that we need to boycott the games in the masses. Ashley wouldn’t give a **** if Rafa left. he hates us just as much as we hate him but he’s the one that pulls the strings so therefore we need to be hurting him week in week out till he sells up. And I don’t think ít would take that long once he sees how much he is losing every week. We have had all the fruitless campaigns in the past and not one of them has worked
Danny(Quote)
How are these guys in any way different from NUST, who after almost 10 years have achieved absolutely nothing?
Brrrian(Quote)
This is a really really sad reflection on the intelligence level of the average Newcastle fan.
Fans groups in various guises have threatened Ashley ever since he took over.
He doesn’t care.
It was made clear 3 years ago that fans are not willing to desert the terraces in sufficient numbers to affect revenue, plus, I’d guess season ticket sales are already at a very advanced stage. So too late for threats of this kind.
Then again we should remember that Ashley was once described as a man who likes to park his tank on other peoples’ lawns.
If you’re going to threaten Ashley, you have to be capable of hurting him. And at the moment this new group is in an even worse position than NUST were.
If you want to hurt him – get your numbers together first then challenge him – not the other way round.
THey should have assembled a fans forum of all season ticket holders, then lobbied, then announced.
Brrrian(Quote)