My own personal opinion is that the bad feeling has always been there simmering away – it just needed another reason to rear it’s head.
Now this great democracy (hahahaha) we live in allows us, the normal folk, to hold a good old protest providing it’s peaceful, organised and, above all else, legal. There is nothing wrong with people wanting to make a stand of course, but to me it’s all folly and is kind of a pointless exercise. Why? Well here goes…
I’ve read various fanciful suggestions ranging from borrowing another clubs “Poznan” celebration (who in turn borrowed that from another club anyway) and doing it inside the ground to marching before and after matches. Great, wonderful. Whatever floats your boat.
Hardly original though is it? I thought the best fans in the lad were better than that? It also kind of defeats the object of the protest if you ask as ultimately you’ll still be giving your hard earned cash to the club. All you’d be doing is making noise and looking like an idiot with no actual difference to the club whatsoever. You might get your face on camera but going by some of the exhibits that Sky drag up I would guess that’s perhaps not the greatest thing, unless you’re like me and have a face that the camera loves of course!
The idea of a protest is to make a difference is it not? To make the person you are directing said protest to realise that you are making a stand against them. Marches, banners, chants have all been done and guess what? None of them have made a difference.
If people are so determined to make a stand then they need to make a sacrifice. If you love somebody, set them free, and that means parting with NUFC for a period of time.
A lot of people are convinced that Mike Ashley is only in it for the money. The accounts say that the club still owe him cash after all he has put in like, but still people are convinced that he is lining his pockets. Whatever, it’s an irrelevant point.
Why not have the courage of your conviction to turn off that tap and stay away from the ground? Don’t buy merchandise? Don’t buy pies or drinks or anything at the ground. Hit him in the pocket and make him realise that without us suddenly his latest plaything will start costing him more and more money.
I’ve not bought a Newcastle shirt since before we were relegated, which is odd as I used to buy them all. I don’t go to St James’ Park anymore as a general rule but if I do I buy a ticket and that’s it. In fact 99% of games I go to now are away from home. I put as little as is possible into the club. It’s my own little stand which probably saves me around £1,000 a year when totalled up.
Imagine 100 people doing that? Imagine 1,000 people doing that? Will it ever happen? Probably not. Loyalty being the reason that many will state, although I must admit that I’m actually still a Newcastle fan and I’m actually still as loyal as they come.
I just despair when I see these half-baked “Poznan” ideas and thoughts of marches. It’s not original and has been proven not to work in the past. Why waste energy doing it all over again?
Something else I don’t think will work is all these new groups being dicks in general and getting all abusive. Steve Wraith’s latest group done just that. It was a great idea until that happened and you realise that it will end up just the same as the rest of them. If you want to talk to people then don’t slag them off. Is it that hard to understand?
So what do you reckon to my idea? It’s crazy, but it just might work. At the end of the day if people feel so strongly about it then they need to take strong action to back it up. Short term pain, long term gain.
Or are people just going to keep paying their money blindly anyway?
Won’t work, it’ll just add to the drama at Circus Newcastle
Shearers Receeding Hairline(Quote)
Anything connected to Steve Raith is bollox! He is a publicity seeking junkie, end of.
For those who ridiculed my suggestion earlier today that we would go for Sturridge/ Van Aanholt watch this space—didn`t say we`d get them but I know they are firmally on the radar–maybe loan deals tho` with an option to buy! 😆
CT(Quote)
How many times have the fans protested against MA’s regime? It simply does not work! They should be boycotting club merchandise and food items during the games.
sunlounger(Quote)
protesting a waste of time
tony(Quote)
the most important thing is to stick together and support the team on the pitch.
sunlounger(Quote)
Ive said this before I dont think there is a a buyer for a premiership club that would set someone back £200mil plus , unless its a megarich oil sheikh or something. So in that sense fans can protest or boycott but I dont think it will force Ashley to sell as noboy to buy. But I respect anyone’s decision to boycott or to protest.
Johno Toon(Quote)
Just a excuse for other teams to laugh.
I think the poznan one would look good, but would make us all look silly and wont have any effect.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
If I’m perfectly honest I dont think what’s happened recently is worthy of a protest…it’s been blown out of all proportion!
Let’s see how we got on in what remains of the transfer window & the season…maybe revisit things in January.
No-one knows what’s going to happen this season…except maybe Bobby Number 9?!?
witters(Quote)
No protest/boycott will work. He couldn’t sell us if he wanted to (unless as Johno said some filthy rich sheik steeps in). He’s tried to sell us before and no one offered him enough.
The only way we are rid of ashley is if he gets the finances in order and pays off some/most of his debt.
MDS(Quote)
Good post.
The other thing to consider is what is the actual goal sought? If we want him to sell 2 things are needed
1. A strong business to sell
2. A buyer
Now a financial protest will hamper point 1 so imo a bit pointless. The second is more interesting, (this wasn’t my idea think it was @nufcfans) why not try and garner the interest of potential buyers? Two things could be done – develop a prospectus of sorts oor develop a website highlighting the actual business case of ownership of nufc. Then e mail to as many influential people around the worlld.
A long shot but surely more constructive in the long run.
Andy(Quote)
We put out countless articles like this after “Keegangate” but you get too many superfans, citing loyalty to the players, nonsense like it would affect their performances (Barton called us vicious for being there) yada yada yada.
It’s the only thing that will work, a Carling Cup Game or a televised one would be ideal as nobody will have bought a ticket or they can watch it on tv.
Not enough are prepared to make the sacrifice themselves, selfish?
Many of us gave up our season tickets after that and won’t go back ’til he’s gone, futile as it is, it’s what we believe and we know will work.
Toon Talk(Quote)
Didn’t the protest at the Hull game contribute to our eventually going down? It was certainly a distraction to the players. I would not support any protest in the ground.
Groucho(Quote)
Not renewing this year and agree protests do not influence Mike Ashley. Time and again he is on the TV smiling when the fans are voicing their concerns. Our loyalty is only a cash cow to him.
I’m afraid the supporters have been short changed again and until people start voting with their feet nothing is going to change under this regime. Either accept it or do something constructive.
Neil Calder(Quote)
DON’T PROTEST FFS. We need signings, desperately, and who’s gonna want to come here with fans protests raging? It literally will solve nothing; what is the objective anyway? To make Ashley sell the club? To make him buy more players? He’s gonna do what he’s gonna do. We surely must know that by now. I’m hoping and praying we replace Enrique with M’Bengue – based on the most credible sources reporting on Enrique (LFC official website, Times/Telegraph) the fee is between 8-10 mil. M’Bengue will cost between 6-7. Get him in FFS, he is the only available LB who is worthy of replacing Jose. Mark Douglas reckons our interest remains, and based on the point I raised yesterday about us only thus far signing ONE of Carr’s recommendations, I feel there must be something in this one. If we sign Bridge/Warnock/Shorey then protest a way. Take out a contract on Ashley’s life.
DevonMag(Quote)
Careful Devon about the last line in your post , they are watching 😈
http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/man-in-court-over-web-hate-crimes-515255.html
Johno Toon(Quote)
This is just a minority of fans having a temper tantrum in the frozen isle who aren’t allowed some vienetta….I want I want I want boo ******* hoo
Come on Ashley…just buy an overaged, overrated ‘star’ on ludicrous wages for the rest oc their career to shut these fcukers up!!
witters(Quote)
the one thing that unites the sale of nolan carrol enrique and possibly barton is money carroll left for a huge pay rise nolan left for more money and a longer contract enrique will get a signing on fee and a pay rise as will barton plus their agents will get a fee.what would happen if ashley was to say that we will compete for better players pay stupid wages but of coarse we will have to pay the same money to watch nufc as chelsea arsenal and liverpool.i wonder what our fans would say then
robert naylor(Quote)
there is no way ashley is going till he gets his money back..
hitman(Quote)
haha uh oh Johno. In that case no more talk of assassination. On a serious note, does anyone else remember AP saying about a month ago or so that we have a backup plan in place if/when Jose leaves. Surely his backup plan isn’t, maybe Bridge/Shorey/Warnock might fancy coming? Why would Carr scour Europe to sign ONE player… it doesn’t make sense… not that anything has to with these clowns in charge.
DevonMag(Quote)
Protests won’t do anything.
I’m afraid we’re stuck with him until he decides to sell.
Changing legislation on the way clubs are owned (no sole-owners) could be productive but that’s a long-term process.
geoff777(Quote)
Here’s a link about the German model of ownership.
http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2010/03/11/fan-ownership-the-bundesliga-model/
geoff777(Quote)
I’ll buy 100mill worth of pies from the club, then he will have his money back, you think he would fu’ck off then?
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Spence you’d have to buy more than £100m worth of pies to pay Ashley back…there’s costs involved making & selling pies 😆
Anyway, I’ll take a bakers dozen off ya hands
witters(Quote)
I protest would be a VERY bad idea. It’s been so obviously proved that it won’t work. Unfortunately, we really can’t do anything because we love the club and the football too much. If I lived in Newcastle, I doubt I would be able to stay away.
Just ignore the fat man, and support the players, coaches, and manager as loudly and passionately as we can. Don’t lump Pardew with these slime balls. He is actually trying but definitely getting lied to and disappointed as much as we are.
And DevonMag, totally agree about M’Bengue. Enrique is as good as good, get the lad in now before idiotic riots break out.
AndrewT(Quote)
Witters-also MA will want all his pies back for his tea 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
There’s no chance of either Llambias or Ashley communicating so we will all form our views and that is the price of being treated as though we don’t matter. Keegan, Shearer and Hughton did not matter either. No explanation was given of their behaviour towards those three quality men.
No one knows what they think. We all know they don’t care about their customers so we should at least restrict what we put in their pockets.
Remember KK explaining to us on the steps of SJP why Andy Cole was sold. Can you imagine Pardew doing that? Don’t think he would be allowed to but that is another story. KK was not allowed to manage the second time around. JFK certainly didn’t so it is fair to assume Pardew is simply coaching the players he is given. On what we see it is a shambles. Our local press is in the communications business and it has failed to ensure the biggest thing in Newcastle communicates to its fans – vastly many more on Tyneside than the 52000 who go to the ground.
If we go to support the players it does not mean we have to spend more as though we are satisfied customers.
Blaydonson(Quote)
*as good as GONE
AndrewT(Quote)
Spence…as long as I get my bakers dozen that’s fine 😆
witters(Quote)
I will probably only be able to but a dozen with the prices they charge 😆
Do you want a pint as well mate? 😛
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
A pint would be nice spence…thanks 😀
witters(Quote)
I think we should all do a llambias and run on the pitch starkers, with DL & MA are tw@ts written on our backsides…
but no, protests do obviously work to some degree but looked what happened the last time, poor Mike was affraid to bring his Daughter to games… we can’t allow that again
mark(Quote)
I also think that the last thing we want to do is **** Mike off even more than he already is. The abuse against Derek a week or so ago led to some bad reactionary things from the board, which may have something to do with the lack of transfer business, they just don’t want to bother anymore.
So despicable.
AndrewT(Quote)
@CT
I hope youre right that Sturridge/ Van Aanholt are still on the radar, it fits perfectly with MA style if we loaned them..
mark(Quote)
This is canny funny…
http://themondaysupplement.co.uk/football-clubs/arsenal/barton-in-come-and-get-me-plea-to-man-united-and-arsenal/
witters(Quote)
A Protest?
My god – smash your own club up because you love it?
I stayed away at the end of FFS’s regime as the beoard had removed 50mill plus to their grubby pockets. The disagreements with Ashley are of opinion only. And those protesting wouldn’t even know 10percent of the facts – therefore protesting about nothing.
Got to be honest Toonsy – thought you were above “Edlines” This whole article sits very uneasy with me. (Maybe that’s a sign of a well written piece – I don’t know)
Stardust(Quote)
@witter
lol, canny read
mark(Quote)
My answer to the post:
No.
Ashley is a hard-nosed businessman. He couldn’t give a monkey’s what the heathen think. He has his own plan in his head, the same one that made him a billionaire. Why the fk would a bunch of shabby Geordies make him see any different. It’s been proven time and time again, the man is devoid of human emotion. WE – ARE – THE – ROBOTS.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Since when has NUFC been a democracy? I’m afraid only one person owns the club and ultimately calls the shots. Fans to MA are just customers to be sold a product.
I’m hoping that his ultimate goal is to trim the clubs outgoings to a point where it is a very sellable club. It doesn’t matter to me if he gets his money back, I’d just like to see people committed to the club take over.
I am a fan of “spending within your means” which I think is where we are headed. However, the way these muppets are going about it is very frustrating.
bkemp247(Quote)
Protest? Not a bright idea – reflect on how our last relegation season started?
lesh(Quote)
Stardust – Its more a reaction to some of tge half baked ideas I’ve read elsewhere.
I actually despise tge idea of a “protest” like we’ve had before. A few bedsheets and a little ditty from the crowd just make those whose egos are bruised feel a bit better and as though they are doing something when in reality they just look silly and lack the courage to do anything substantial such as stay away 😉
toonsy(Quote)
People complain that the Board causes unrest at the club which is fair enough. But surely the solution isn’t to cause more unrest.
MDS(Quote)
Stardust@34, I’ve got to stick up for the posters on this blog here. You simply cannot compare the regurgitated sh1te Ed puts up to the wide and varied opinions voiced up on here.
Ed swarms newsnow, copies and pastes like nobody’s business, and has the SAME anti Ashley stance with every article. At least on here you get well thought out stories and analysis.
Rodzilla(Quote)
MDS, exactly!
I really hope no protesters show up, but based on reading comments on the chronicle and skysports websites, there are plenty of idiots out there who completely blame Ashley for this debacle, with Barton a justified saint. Such a shame.
AndrewT(Quote)
Rod you seen his latest? Taken from a sourceless/quoteless story on caughtoffside. Even a few of his regulars are complaining.
MDS(Quote)
Andy @ 10
you could ask the Hong Kong multi billionaire buying Northumbrian Water if he’d like a job lot to include Nufc.
sidekick(Quote)
Andrew- I’m just sick of all the drama, whether it be from the Board, the players, the supporters or whomever.
MDS(Quote)
MDS, nah mate, I tend not to bother even clicking these days. I’m barred from commenting on there anyway after my late night “non football related” comments.
Rodzilla(Quote)
😆
MDS(Quote)
I certainly do agree 100% with the no pain no gain thing. All the major protests in history that have ever come to anything have required some form of sufferage. It will no doubt take something monumental to shift this detestable regime but what, other than as you suggest, removing the thing that makes the fat man tick. Cold hard Cash.
I would ernestly urge ALL fans to stay away from as many games as possible this season, the merchandise, and anything else which would ultimately end up in his account. Who knows if we can manage to starve him out but we have, must try something.
By doing this, it will be painfull for us as fans to exist without our weekly fix, but try and imagine the effect in the press and media outlets when the lumpy stuff hits the central heating. Scenes shown on worldwide sports programming would do nothing but good to the cause and create enormous embarrasment to his lordship and friends. Questions would be raised fingers pointed and accusations made causing red faces upstairs.
Yes it would be excruciatingly painfull for the loyalest of supporters, but as they say, no pain no gain. and boy do we need to gain. I cannot stress enough the need to get motivated in this quest and believe me, you will win in the end. Remember, we are NEWCASTLE UNITED and UNITED we should be. This is your club so is it not worth a bit of discomfort in fighting for it. Tomorrow is the first day in the history of our club.
Long live the Mags, England and St Geordie.
Porciestreet(Quote)
right with ya MDS. Yeah, I was massively pissed when the decision to free up Barton was made, but once I slept on it, I was totally over the guy. The guy has forced Ashley to make this decision by openly insulting and calling out his employers.
The reports of him being a source of negativity within the squad definitely warrants getting rid of alone.
Just get on with the job. Board: bring in the new players that we desperately need. Pardew: encourage Ashley to loosen the purse strings and focus the lads on why they’re getting paid gobs of money and have thousands of people supporting them and chanting their names. Players: play to your best and shut your mouth; surprise us even with what you can do! Fans: stop getting pissed and childish and actually be the best supporters in the land and help the squad compete by surprising the world at how positive we can be in the midst of all this ****.
Easy, right? You would think so. Pride is a very stupid thing.
AndrewT(Quote)
Porcie, imagine how our team (you know, the football players) would perform if half of the home support just wasn’t there. Much less intimidating stadium for away teams to come to, and much less empowering when a half-empty stadium is cheering for you. How disappointed would Cabaye, Ba, Marveaux, and hopefully some more signings be if it came to that.
A protest, in any capacity, will just not work with this guy. Just stop biching and support the players.
AndrewT(Quote)
well said
MDS(Quote)
As much as what is going on leaves a sour taste in the mouth , boycotts and protest will not work for one reason alone and that is that the majority will not give up on the team we love. Yes Ashley makesmistakes however a lot of his policy is actually quite shrewd . I think joey is a great player but is the architect of his own downfall his comments about loving the club are very contradictory . at the endof the day he should let hisfeet not his mouth do the talking. We have to stick together and support the team . Ashley may be wrong with some things but the policy is generally noe bad .a few shrewd signings and we have a good side the days of mega million pound signings are gone , the facts are they never got us anywhere anyway. keep the faitn unite and support the team.Personally i beleive in the long run we will be ore financially stable this way but just like the recession it hurts.
the iron dog(Quote)
Cheers Toonsy – Rodz – Toonsy knows I respect what he does – its just I hate out to do with protests when it damages something we all love – at this juncture – its simply counter-productive
Stardust(Quote)
heres a thought,just protest to get rid of lambias.its a start like 😆
hitman(Quote)
We have now raised around £50m in player sales. The wages of new players can’t be coming out of it. After all what was being paid to Campbell, Kuqi, Tozer, Routledge, Nolan, Barton, Enrique?£250,000 to £300,000 a week? Are Cabaye, Marveaux, Abeid, Ba being paid that? I don’t think so.
If we were told the Carroll money would be spent these seem like fair questions, aren’t they?
Blaydonson(Quote)
Ed I read your comments every day and today you are right on the button
Mr Ashely and his London friends have no history or passion in football or Newcastle Utd.
He is a typical big egoed money collector and that is his tender spot. I truly believe that after his failed attempts to sell the club, he realised he must get his investment back (with a little bit of profit ) by fair means or foul and reduce the running cost of the enterprise by bringing in untried potential. This will make the club attractive to interested buyers. Always bearing in mind Mike has already filled his pockets Carrol Money ? )
As long as we buy his product and feed his purse we assist him to treat us like Northern fools.
Joey may have been a little zealous in his critism but I,m not hearing much in the way of a counter argument, and I believe Britain is still a democracy with freedom of speech is it not.
Jordy Canuck(Quote)
Jordy, Barton wasn’t talking about the government, he was talking about the guy who signs his paycheck. 😉
And Ed doesn’t live here. Try pushing yourself to having some positive, constructive opinions rather than the stuff thats been said for the last 2 years.
AndrewT(Quote)
If we were told the Carroll money would be spent these seem like fair questions, aren’t they?
———————-
Very fair questions IMO. Clearly, they can no longer say the wages on new signings have come out of the 35M
MDS(Quote)
ANDREWT (50)
A good point and well made . I’m just fcukin hurtin a lot. HWTL.
Porciestreet(Quote)
PORCIESTREET,
….partially agree with your rationale, but there’s a big but for me, and I….. LIKE…. BIG…… BUTTS, ana can not lie……
yoyomofo init.
Hitting fatty in his kebab/casino/million quid in chips to peer wallet, yes, but the fans need to be a little savvy to past protest failures. I’ll elaborate in 3 simple points:
1 Hit his kebab fund via not buying any jars of Dolmio from a Mexican
2 Ignore all Iguanas you may ever glance upon.
3 Benny Hill + Les Dawson = Zeinab Badawi
Job done.
Rodzilla(Quote)
thanks for lightening the mood Rod. 😆
AndrewT(Quote)
Joey must be running oot of mates. he is retweeting Toby
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Stards53, anar mate. Same here, even keel tends to do me like, until am provoked. All good, healthy discussion, nonetheless.
😎
Rodzilla(Quote)
Andrew- thank you! Freedom of speech means you are free form government reprisals for the things that you say. It does not mean your employer cannot fire you for something that you say
MDS(Quote)
TOBY LE RHONE……..
…….OUT ON HIS OWN,
TRIANGULAR CHAKLIT.
…….THAT”S TOBY LE RHO-OHNE!!!
Rodzilla(Quote)
Thanks Porcie. I’m hurtin too, but we have to get past the selfishness that we’re getting angry at Ashley and Barton for revealing and sacrifice that pride for the good of the squad and the club. So many people are getting impassioned for having this righteous anger toward the board, but it doesn’t do a lick of good. We have to stand up, be adults, and do something that will actually lead toward some sort of positive outcome.
AndrewT(Quote)
off to work on some papers.
Howay the lads!
AndrewT(Quote)
Rod (60)
I don’t know where yr gettin it, but Give me a pint of what yr on mate.
Porciestreet(Quote)
AndrewT
Where do you live that you are delivering newspapers at this time of night
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Toby le rhone- Who has he retweeted.
My first names toby by the way 😛
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
toby 🙂
writing papers for grad school. 4 due tomorrow. Nothing like procrastination 😉
AndrewT(Quote)
Porcie, currently enjoying a pint of Geordie WTF – it’s bitter but pretty strong.
Rodzilla(Quote)
AndrewT,
…yee a printa like?
Rodzilla(Quote)
28 Facebook likes 😯
toonsy(Quote)