Football Fans–Their Own Worst Enemies?

From the title, you could be forgiven for thinking that I am going to be writing about the rivalry between football fans. Not this time though. I am talking about the goings on at Newcastle United.

The recent history of Newcastle United has been more like a soap opera than the history of one of the best supported football clubs in England. In brief, Mike Ashley, then a relatively unknown businessman bought Newcastle United in the summer of 2007. Initially it all started well, with him appointing Kevin Keegan as manager. The future looked bright, then Ashley seemingly set about sabotaging his own business. He effectively constructively dismissed Kevin Keegan by undermining him by various acts including appointing the inexperienced Dennis Wise as the Director of Football. The club appointed Joe Kinnear as manager and eventually after Kinnear had a heart attack, the club were relegated.

Ashley tried unsuccessfully to sell the club and after being unable to find a full time manager he appointed caretaker manager Chris Hughton as full time manager. The club sold most of its big name players. Despite all this Hughton steered Newcastle to an immediate return to the Premiership.

A good start to the first season back in the Premiership saw Hughton sacked. Yes, you read that right. Instead Alan Pardew who had failed at Charlton, West Ham and Southampton was appointed as manager. Then after Pardew, an unpopular appointment, had started to win over the fans, he had the ignominy of having Joe Kinnear appointed as Director of FA, sorry, Director of Football. Kinnear proceeded to tell lie after lie about his contacts, his history. In fact Kinnear is someone who has never been introduced to the truth. He could not lie straight in bed. To say these appointments were not popular with the fans is an understatement.

Ashley re named the ground the Sports Direct Stadium or some other such abomination that upset the fans, the local council etc.

Ashley managed to get rid of Virgin Money as club sponsor by not even offering them the chance to renew their sponsorship. Instead he signed a sponsorship deal with loan sharks Wonga.

There are so many other things that Ashley has done that he regularly faces abusive chants at games. There is a group called “Time 4 Change” who before a recent home match organised a protest march through the town calling for Ashley to go. The local media covered the march. The result was the football club have banned the local media from the ground. The press ban prompted the following

So, why do I say that football fans are their own worst enemies? Firstly, its not just Newcastle United who have banned the press. Other clubs have as well. However, Newcastle have excelled in that as well as banning the press, they have banned the supporters representative group from liaison meetings for daring to liaise with the fans. Yes, you read that correctly. The details are here.

So despite all this, 51674 turned up on Saturday to watch them play Chelsea. Some of those will be season ticket holders and have paid in advance. however all those who have paid for that particular game have simply made Mike Ashley more money. He is a business man and his interest is in making money. His success with Sports Direct and his other business dealings show this.

Even those who are season ticket holders will have spent money on programmes and refreshments within the ground. Thus providing money to Ashley.

Those who think he will listen to protests are mistaken. Ashley couldn’t care less what people think as long as he is making money. Pay your money to go into the ground and you are boosting his bank balance.

Many Newcastle fans that I have known for many years have stopped going to games. They gave up their season tickets and refuse to pay their money to Ashley. Sadly there are thousands of others to take their place, so the ground remains full, the cash keeps flowing into Ashley’s pocket and nothing will change.

Some fans complain that Ashley will not spend money on transfer fees or high wages for players. Why should he when he can fill the football ground with a team built on the cheap.

The only way that things will change at St James’ Park is if fans boycott games, and those who have paid in advance for season tickets refuse to spend money in the ground. That means not buying overpriced crap food or foul drinks. Not really a hardship is it? If the fans stood up to Ashley by hitting him in the wallet, he would have to either change his approach or else sell up the club. Either way – its job done.

Mike Ashley is to the fans what Michael O’Leary of Ryan Air is to air passengers! if today’s Daily Mail is to be believed, even Ryan Air are having to look again at their passenger treatment following passengers voting with their feet.

So Newcastle fans, if you want to bring about change, you need to vote with your feet and hit Ashley in the wallet. The same applies at many other clubs as well. Shout and complain all you like, but its not your club, it belongs to the shareholder( s ) and their interests are not the same as yours. The only way to have an effective voice is to hit the owner in the pocket.

Ground Hopping: Gateshead Leam Rangers FC v Spennymoor Town FC Durham Challenge Cup 2nd November 2013

For today’s trip I was up in the North East with my good lady. I had the choice of a couple of lunchtime kick offs. It had to be a lunchtime kick off if I was to get to a game as I had to go out in the evening to a bonfire function.

So, the options were to go to St James’ Park to watch Newcastle v Chelsea in the Premiership or go to Gateshead Leam Rangers FC for the 2nd round of the Durham Challenge Cup between them and Spennymoor Town FC. I should add that Leam Rangers are currently 2nd bottom of the Wearside League which is at Level 11 of the Football Pyramid. No contest really was it?

So, off to Leam Rangers it was. A miserable day weather-wise. Torrential rain and probably the coldest day of the autumn so far.Leam Rangers play at the Hilltop Ground. That should have been a clue as to the conditions to be found.

Today was the biggest day in the history of Leam Rangers. Admission to the ground was only £5. A bargain compared to the £28 Peterborough were charging for their League 1 game against Leyton Orient today. (That is a level 3 game). No turnstiles here, the money is paid to the gatekeeper at the entrance to the car park. For today’s game, the club had made arrangements for an overflow car park in the local school. A club having consideration for its neighbouring residents and avoiding parking problems? That’s clearly not a professional club.

The club has only been in existence for some 20 years, most of these as a youth team. They run numerous youth teams these days and have a great set up. There is a large club house and changing rooms, a first team pitch and a 2nd pitch on the site along with all weather 5 a side pitches.

The club house is large and serves alcohol, has sky TV and pool, darts etc.It is a well appointed facility and is far better than many clubs much further up the pyramid. It is for example several times bigger than the bar at Trafford FC who are in the Northern Premier League Premier Division (level 7). game).

The pitch itself was surprisingly good. It is far better than many of the pitches at level 8 and below. What was immediately noticeable was that there was no seating or covered standing. Indeed there was only hard standing along

one side of the pitch. Behind both goals and along the far side of the pitch it was simply grass. For the level they play at, it is not necessary to have these facilities. Similarly, there are no floodlights at the ground. There was one unusual feature at the ground. High Voltage power lines run above the length of the pitch! This is not something you see at many grounds.

I never did get to find out what happened if the ball hit the power lines.

 

At this level, the facilities are rather different from the Premiership. The teams have to walk across a car park to get from the changing rooms to the pitch? Can you imagine Chelsea and Newcastle walking across a car park to get onto St James’ Park

 

The catering at the ground was very good value, with tea and coffee only 50p a cup. Chips at £1 a tray and burgers only £1.50. It was interesting to note the catering facilities are open every weekday night from 5pm – 8pm. This gives some idea of the number of children using the facilities each evening.

 

The team at the top of the Northern League against a team 2nd bottom of a league 2 steps below. Surely the game would be a one sided affair. The score line at 4-0 to Spennymoor would suggest it was, but that is unfair on Leam Rangers. They battled well throughout the game and did not make it easy for Spennymoor.  It was always a game where Spennymoor’s extra class was likely to show, and if it wasn’t for some hard work from Leam Rangers, it could have been double figures.

The Leam Rangers goalkeeper deserves a word of praise, he produced some great saves to keep Leam in the game.

The weather may have been foul, but I hope the future is bright for this go ahead club who provide lots for the local community.

 

So, a day when Spennymoor progress comfortably in the Durham Challenge Cup, Newcastle turned over Chelsea, Sunderland humiliate themselves again and Leyton Orient win the top of League 1 clash at Peterborough. The weather fails to dampen a great day. Especially when one adds into the equation wins for the England Rugby Union and Rugby League teams as well.