Fans to be proud of
As everyone will be aware of by now, there was a protest march before the Liverpool game calling for change in Newcastle United, and I am delighted to say that it passed without incident and that every fan who showed up acted with dignity, which is something that each and every one of them should be commended for.
Over the course of the week I read a number of comments from Newcastle United fans who were sceptical of the march, claiming that a gathering of Newcastle United fans could lead to trouble, inappropriate chanting, and hooligan-like behaviour. Well, the fact of the matter is that this false perception of our fellow fans is just that. Newcastle United fans are honest people, and just like the 52,000 who showed up to give their wonderful support to the lads during the game yesterday, the 1000 fans who had joined in the march yesterday (numbers courtesy of Northumbria Police) are good honest people who simply want change in our club.
The marchers were in full voice throughout the march, with chants lauding club legends such as Shearer, Keegan and Robson, coupled with calls for change within the club. There was also a silent white hankie protest as the march passed the Milburn Stand which was followed by all, and was quite an eye-catching spectacle. Also seeing many fans along the side of the road applauding, and even joining in with the march is a sign that there are more out there, perhaps waiting to see if Time4Change develops further before pledging their support.
If we are to succeed in trying to come up with a workable alternative to Mike Ashley, this silent majority needs to make its voice heard. Yesterday can be seen as the first step in trying to give you all a platform, we just need you to join us in our fight to reclaim our club.
Other criticisms such as, ‘having a march will have a negative impact on the team’ have been roundly dispelled as well, given how well the team played yesterday. Maybe the march even had a positive impact on the team… 😉
The important thing to take from the march yesterday is that we have a fan base that I am incredibly proud of, as we all should be. Take comfort in the fact that there are people out there who feel as passionately about the club as you do, are willing to try to do something to effect change, and will conduct themselves in the right fashion in order to achieve it. All they need is your support and help. Will you give it to them?
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Wow – impressive.
700 people (figures courtesy of the march organisers) behaved themselves.
Not quite sure how much you know about football but yes the crowd was almost 52,000 but some of them turned up to support the other side. This often happens in the big leagues.
Just out of interest, what exactly is a “working alternative to Mike Ashley”?
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Would love to read the march organisers report if you have the link Archie?
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You should familiarise yourself with the many methods of football governance. Or better yet attend the NUST football governance conference that explains how fan involvement could work.
Educate yourself, seek information rather than have it spoon fed to you.
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I for one stated through the week that I did not support the march yet I am genuinely relieved that, from what has been reported, the few hundred or so that joined did not cause any embarrassment to the club. I am waiting now with bated breath on what Mr Ashley conjours up in response, best case would be an olive branch to fans groups but as he genuinely likes to wreak havoc on the masses in response to the minority, I wait with trepadation and intrigue. Fair play to All fans in the ground, great atmosphere and no hint that there had been some sort of protest earlier in the day
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so what now the 700-1000 all put their pennies in a jar until they reach 130million quid, get pvercyourselves he will sell if and when he fancies and protests wont make a jot of difference to him, time will show he was no better or worse than any other owner over the last 100 years
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Well done to all that attended the march and showed their displeasure at this regime’s lack of ambition in a peaceful manner.
Well done to the team who battled hard for a well earned point when it looked like going down to ten would prove more costly.
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I was away for the weekend (out of the North East) and I have to say there was no coverage or mention of the march in any of the reports I read so I’m not sure how much effect it will actually have!
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I would like to see the march organizers’ report too.
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Just my opinion but I believe the group have gone about it in the wrong way, this idea that the march was a way for the fans to show the world who and what we are in an attempt to try and entice a new buyer has got to be one of the most pathetic idea’s that I have ever came across, as if a billionaire would be sitting at home and say ” oh, what a lovely bunch of people they are, I think I will buy their football club and make them successful ” what a load of bollox, it was never going to attract that many fans as most who I have spoke to have had the same opinion as I have, the reasoning is pathetic and in all honesty rather embarrassing.
Give the cause a meaning, a bit of gusto, a bit of fight, then you have half a chance, something on the lines of “we are protesting against the tyrant in an attempt to force him out and we will continue to protest until we do force his hand, enough is enough, we can no longer sit back and accept “his” money making and our “soul destroying ways”, we will succeed, we will get rid of him”, if it was something like that, a rallying call then the troops might come out fighting, but this mamby pamby nonsense was never going the fuel the hunger or the passion of the fans, we are a passionette bunch, fuel the passion or fail, what the group did was to give the toon army, and we are an army, a box of tissues to fight a war which desperately needed some big guns to have the slightest chance of winning, drastic changes in approach are required if the group are to generate sufficient interest to make a difference, must do better, much better.
But that is for the organisers and not a reflection on the fans who did what they believed was for the good, I admire them for their efforts, but I feel with this softly softly approach it will all be in vain.
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Softly softly approach? You clearly didn’t hear the rallying speech from the organiser after the march.
You are slated for some for trying to push positive ideals, and you would be equally slated for pushing negative ideals.
It is easy to sit back and criticise, much harder to actually get up and do something about it. Which camp do you fall in to?
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It sounds like he falls into the “willing to be convinced and not totally hostile” camp, Ciaran.
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