Sceptics should now be proud of the fans

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?

Keep up to date with everything the NUFC Daily is doing by following @NUFCDailyBlog on twitter or by liking the NUFC Daily Blog Facebook page!

 

 

 

“Lucky to get 100”? – Prove them wrong!

Will you be there?

What do doormats and Newcastle United fans seemingly have in common? It’s not a hard question, but the answer produces a lump in the throat and a furious reaction. Do we want to change this image of ourselves or remain the proverbial doormats of English football?

How do we go about changing our reputation, reclaiming our dignity and show the football world, and ourselves, that we will no longer accept mediocrity as our bread and butter? I am so glad you asked. Unless you have been living under a rock recently, you will know that there is a march for ambition on Saturday morning 19th October at 10:30am. The march is aimed at promoting what is positive about Newcastle United. its fans and the city as a whole by peacefully showing our displeasure at the direction that Mike Ashley is taking the club in.

It has been widely reported over a number of media outlets, both regionally and nationally, and as such a good turn out is expected. What do I mean by good turn out? Well the organisers of the march claim that they expect a turnout of around 1000 people. 1000 people taking to the street, voting with their feet and saying enough is enough through a peaceful demonstration is quite a platform to build upon.

However, while I was reading the Chronicle the other day I noticed something rather offensive. Newcastle United have a tendency to be very arrogant and disregard Newcastle fans, which has been seen over the years with some of Mike Ashley’s ludicrous decisions. Here is a snippet of the article I was reading the other day, written by the highly regarded Neil Cameron,

The organisers of this Saturday’s Time 4 Change march against the Mike Ashley regime are hopeful of at least 1,000 people turning up.

Someone inside the club I spoke to last week believes they will be lucky to get 100. Others suggest somewhere in-between.

Lucky to get 100? Are they being serious? Is this how arrogant the club is regarding the fans? Is this how little they think the fans care about our club? The club is laying down a gauntlet, claiming that our fans are not interested enough to even march for ambition. The club is sending out a challenge to you. Will you do what they expect of you and sit at home, or sit in the pub? Or will you join your fellow fans and prove the doubters wrong? Don’t let your fellow fans suffer because of your apathy. Don’t let the sizeable media presence report that Newcastle fans don’t care about their club and would rather sit in the pub. Don’t let Ashley roll out a PR spun story of how a poor turnout at a demonstration is indicative of how many people are happy with the way he runs the club.

I have been informed that there will be a silent protest when the march makes its way past the stadium in the form of a white hankie protest. Fans are being asked to bring with them white hankies, tissue paper or serviettes so they can wave them as they walk past the club as a symbolic gesture that we the fans are calling time on Ashley reign at the club. This silent form of protest will carry on into the ground, and will be very eye-catching and a great way of capturing the attention of the television cameras.

Just my own personal added thought is that while emotions may be running high, I personally would hate to hear choruses of “Fat Cockney B*****d” as the march proceeds through the city. I know many fans who are hesitant about joining the march would not want to join in any fan movement if there is a seemingly hooligan aspect to it. It is important that we act in a respectful dignified way. I have faith that every single fan who attends the march will act in such a fashion, but we do not want to see a vocal minority ruining any momentum we could gain from this dignified, peaceful protest.

Your city needs you. Your fellow fans need you. Your football club needs you. Will you answer the call?

Planned protest march – Your views!

Fans group taking action

There has been a lot of talk recently about different fans groups trying to affect change within Newcastle United. Some want to see the owner change his direction of running the club and be less fiscally prudent, while others want the owner out entirely. One fans group that seems to be taking an all-encompassing view of proceedings is the relatively new fans group Time4Change.

In essence, Time4Change is all-encompassing as it collates the general feelings of Newcastle United fans; Most of us can agree that we would like to see things change at the club, and the time has come for that to happen. Simple. Now there is the process of how can we affect change?

While there have been discussions of boycotts, sit in protests, and the like, one idea seems to have come to fruition, and that is the idea of peaceful protest march. This march, as I am led to believe, will take place on 19th October, before the Liverpool home game, and will go through the city centre towards St James’ Park.

The idea behind the march seems to be that while the fans are inside the ground, we need to be as positive in our support for the team. However, when we are outside the ground, we need to be as pro-active in our want and desire for change in Newcastle United. Perhaps, this protest march is the first step in trying to achieve that. Personally, I think it’s a great idea that the overriding message seems to be geared towards positively promoting what is good about the club, while still trying to affect change.

There has been a survey circulating that is trying to gather the thoughts and feelings of Newcastle United fans regarding the march, and if you could just take a few moments of your time to fill the survey out it would give a wider reaching idea of how much support there is for the march. Here is a link to the survey,

surveymonkey.com/s/6JZNGBQ

What do you think? Is the idea of a peaceful protest march a good one? Will it have any impact? Do you fear a negative backlash? Will prospective buyers be enticed by the passion of Newcastle United fans, or put off? I’d love to hear your views.

Keep up to date with everything the NUFC Daily is doing by following @NUFCDailyBlog on twitter, or by liking the NUFC Daily Blog Facebook page!