I don't see how a boycott will change anything, one by itself can easily be ignored, however if the fans were to not buy any season tickets, nor tickets to games for a whole season, nor buy anything from his superstores, then that might get his attention.
Small pockets of fans just chanting at him will do nothing as far as I can see, it might make the fans themselves feel like they have put across their side, and aired their feelings for the world to hear, but if Ashley didn't listen to them, what good was it?
I am sure other clubs would love to be in Newcastle's position, I wonder what Portsmouth, Leeds, Wigan, and Blackpool fans make of this?
It is easy to wish for something to change, but be careful you don't know in what direction that change could take you.
Once again, that is not the point.
While of course folk have sympathy for these clubs and their fans' plights caused largely by ownership madness, noone is asking Ashley to go remotely mad.
All that is being asked is some vision of football progress and communication of that vision, however relatively modest that is.
And also again, a football club is not about just going from year to year with no plans ( certainly that are apparent ) to progress forward.
I don't see how a boycott will change anything, one by itself can easily be ignored, however if the fans were to not buy any season tickets, nor tickets to games for a whole season, nor buy anything from his superstores, then that might get his attention.
Well we know that. Ashley hasn't shown any signs of listening to our fans before and noone is suggesting that this boycott/protest is going to change anything overnight. And fans have been suggesting doing just that... jacking in their season tickets, not buying from club stores, Sports direct etc. But for every one person who decides to quit there's someone else waiting in line to get in the queue for a season ticket. One boycott, if enough people buy into it, will hopefully get the owner to maybe just listen.
Small pockets of fans just chanting at him will do nothing as far as I can see, it might make the fans themselves feel like they have put across their side, and aired their feelings for the world to hear, but if Ashley didn't listen to them, what good was it?
I'm sure the fans have more in mind than the odd boycott. The AshleyOut campaign has gained much publicity over the last few weeks. Ashley will surely know he's up against something huge particularly if results continue the way they are going. And even if they're do improve it will not change public opinion. As you've probably noticed public opinion has been against Ashley for a long long time. We've had Keegangate, Hughtongate, Shearergate... we've had the renaming of the St James's Park stadium. We've had the stadium used as an advertising vehicle for Sports Direct, which understandable as it may be has been unwelcome. We've had the farce over the appointment (twice in may respects) of Joe Kinnear, who failed to bring in a single good permanent signing as Director of Football.
What else? Oh yea.. signings in general have been below par or more often than not completely non existent. December 2013 was a crucial time for the club at a time when we were fancied to challenge for a top 6 place. Things were actually quite decent. Remy was a decent goalscorer for us and Cabaye was doing good things for us. We lost Cabaye albeit for a decent fee, didn't replace him. We failed to get Remy on a permanent deal.. didn't replace him. Sadly it lead us to bomb the way we're doing right now this season.
All in all.. the fans have had enough! We deserve better than this.
I am sure other clubs would love to be in Newcastle's position, I wonder what Portsmouth, Leeds, Wigan, and Blackpool fans make of this?
It is easy to wish for something to change, but be careful you don't know in what direction that change could take you.
Do you know something? In spite of everything I've said in my post above like many of our fans over the past couple of years I've been filled with so much apathy. The magic, the passion, the dreams and the ambition that comes with being a Newcastle United support has long gone. It's been taken from us by a regime that has turned us into a basket case of a club; a PR disaster that openly states that we're not interested in challenging for a cup competition and just remain happy staying in the premier league.
We don't want to settle for that. We shouldn't want to settle for that. We want to challenge for cup competitions.. we many to challenge the top 6 of the premier league. Officially, right from the boardroom, we don't want it. We're not even trying"
It got to a point last season where I lost most of my passion for the team when we were getting outclassed by Sunderland, Tottenham, Everton, Liverpool, Man Utd, all at home. I'm not saying I ever stopped supporting the club or ever will... Newcastle is MY club. But why should I invest my emotions in a club that isn't trying to progress.
For all that happened to the likes of Portsmouth, Leeds, Wigan, Blackpool... at least they've achieved or tried to achieve something. We don't even have that anymore.
You don't only protest if you're guaranteed a result, most don't. That's not the point.
I must not understand protests, if by doing them you don't hope for a result of some sort, seems pretty pointless to just do them if you know nothing will change.
While of course folk have sympathy for these clubs and their fans' plights caused largely by ownership madness, noone is asking Ashley to go remotely mad.
All that is being asked is some vision of football progress and communication of that vision, however relatively modest that is.
And also again, a football club is not about just going from year to year with no plans ( certainly that are apparent ) to progress forward.
Would you put up with that ? I suggest nit.
I am not a Newcastle fan, so I am not about to offer them advice, or pretend I know how they feel, because I don't, if they are unhappy (as it seems some or most of them are), then fine, but as an outsider looking in, a club run well, or at least not run severely into debt is not a bad thing, I think plenty of clubs would wish that their club was run along those sort of lines.
Of course they, just as any fans would, want to see their club progress up the league table, and to have something to show for a season's efforts, be it a cup, or a high finish, or a high profile signing, and if none of these things happen, then yes fans will have every right to be downbeat.
I don't know if protesting is the right thing to do, (as apparently I don't fully understand the reasons why they do them, -see above), but if it he's to quench their frustrations, then go for it, but I cannot see a single one-off protest achieving any sort of change.
But good luck to the fans, I hope that they emerge full of hope from this period.
I must not understand protests, if by doing them you don't hope for a result of some sort, seems pretty pointless to just do them if you know nothing will change.
You're absolutely right. You don't understand protests.
I don't know if protesting is the right thing to do, (as apparently I don't fully understand the reasons why they do them, -see above), but if it he's to quench their frustrations, then go for it, but I cannot see a single one-off protest achieving any sort of change.
But good luck to the fans, I hope that they emerge full of hope from this period.
Is that me you're referring to? If so... Would you care to expand?
Fair play to the fans if they do that. These fans are spending money on tickets and travel, so if they want to boycott the stadium, they have every right to.
After seeing todays Newcastle's performance in the Leicester City v Newcastle match, all points regarding to not seeing why the fans are protesting, are muted. I don't really follow football much but on odd occasions, and I just happened to watch Newcastle today(well watched first half and listened on the radio for the second), damn were they beyond dreadful, losing 3-0 and getting 2 players sent off, marking 8 losses in a row. After looking up their points in the league, they could be in danger of being relegated too.
Having good finances is one thing but the appalling performance of the players were just an eyesore and that was just from the first half I watched. They seriously need to invest for the next season, however with Mike Ashley's record, that's unlikely.
Comments
Once again, that is not the point.
While of course folk have sympathy for these clubs and their fans' plights caused largely by ownership madness, noone is asking Ashley to go remotely mad.
All that is being asked is some vision of football progress and communication of that vision, however relatively modest that is.
And also again, a football club is not about just going from year to year with no plans ( certainly that are apparent ) to progress forward.
Would you put up with that ? I suggest nit.
Well we know that. Ashley hasn't shown any signs of listening to our fans before and noone is suggesting that this boycott/protest is going to change anything overnight. And fans have been suggesting doing just that... jacking in their season tickets, not buying from club stores, Sports direct etc. But for every one person who decides to quit there's someone else waiting in line to get in the queue for a season ticket. One boycott, if enough people buy into it, will hopefully get the owner to maybe just listen.
I'm sure the fans have more in mind than the odd boycott. The AshleyOut campaign has gained much publicity over the last few weeks. Ashley will surely know he's up against something huge particularly if results continue the way they are going. And even if they're do improve it will not change public opinion. As you've probably noticed public opinion has been against Ashley for a long long time. We've had Keegangate, Hughtongate, Shearergate... we've had the renaming of the St James's Park stadium. We've had the stadium used as an advertising vehicle for Sports Direct, which understandable as it may be has been unwelcome. We've had the farce over the appointment (twice in may respects) of Joe Kinnear, who failed to bring in a single good permanent signing as Director of Football.
What else? Oh yea.. signings in general have been below par or more often than not completely non existent. December 2013 was a crucial time for the club at a time when we were fancied to challenge for a top 6 place. Things were actually quite decent. Remy was a decent goalscorer for us and Cabaye was doing good things for us. We lost Cabaye albeit for a decent fee, didn't replace him. We failed to get Remy on a permanent deal.. didn't replace him. Sadly it lead us to bomb the way we're doing right now this season.
All in all.. the fans have had enough! We deserve better than this.
Do you know something? In spite of everything I've said in my post above like many of our fans over the past couple of years I've been filled with so much apathy. The magic, the passion, the dreams and the ambition that comes with being a Newcastle United support has long gone. It's been taken from us by a regime that has turned us into a basket case of a club; a PR disaster that openly states that we're not interested in challenging for a cup competition and just remain happy staying in the premier league.
We don't want to settle for that. We shouldn't want to settle for that. We want to challenge for cup competitions.. we many to challenge the top 6 of the premier league. Officially, right from the boardroom, we don't want it. We're not even trying"
It got to a point last season where I lost most of my passion for the team when we were getting outclassed by Sunderland, Tottenham, Everton, Liverpool, Man Utd, all at home. I'm not saying I ever stopped supporting the club or ever will... Newcastle is MY club. But why should I invest my emotions in a club that isn't trying to progress.
For all that happened to the likes of Portsmouth, Leeds, Wigan, Blackpool... at least they've achieved or tried to achieve something. We don't even have that anymore.
That is a cause worth protesting for IMO.
I must not understand protests, if by doing them you don't hope for a result of some sort, seems pretty pointless to just do them if you know nothing will change.
I am not a Newcastle fan, so I am not about to offer them advice, or pretend I know how they feel, because I don't, if they are unhappy (as it seems some or most of them are), then fine, but as an outsider looking in, a club run well, or at least not run severely into debt is not a bad thing, I think plenty of clubs would wish that their club was run along those sort of lines.
Of course they, just as any fans would, want to see their club progress up the league table, and to have something to show for a season's efforts, be it a cup, or a high finish, or a high profile signing, and if none of these things happen, then yes fans will have every right to be downbeat.
I don't know if protesting is the right thing to do, (as apparently I don't fully understand the reasons why they do them, -see above), but if it he's to quench their frustrations, then go for it, but I cannot see a single one-off protest achieving any sort of change.
But good luck to the fans, I hope that they emerge full of hope from this period.
You're absolutely right. You don't understand protests.
Is that me you're referring to? If so... Would you care to expand?
You sit back and do nothing and whatever will be will be or you protest and make your feelings very clear and ultimately things might just change.
Reference : 'It's not rocket science, part 52C'
I think it's celesti. Hopefully my latest post above might help re this curious failure to grasp what protest is often about beyond immediate results.
Its not just about that though, there's a big organised peaceful protest going on today!
today's attendance given as 47,427.
granted their lowest home crowd of the season, but a mass protest??
Having good finances is one thing but the appalling performance of the players were just an eyesore and that was just from the first half I watched. They seriously need to invest for the next season, however with Mike Ashley's record, that's unlikely.