Fans give as clubs take...

THE contrast between the moral bankruptcy of football clubs and the battle of many fans to use the game to do good has never been more stark than on Tyneside.

Since lockdown in March, Geordie fans have been paying for their season tickets for the current campaign.

Money has flowed from the bank accounts of hard-pressed fans, many with uncertain employment prospects, and into Newcastle United... for games that they won’t see.

Adding to that insult, the same fans have been asked to pay twice... £14.95 if they wanted to watch Steve Bruce’s side play Manchester United last night.

Meanwhile, Newcastle have been shovelling ever more money into the accounts of their players. New deals for Allan Saint-Maximin, Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shlevey, Matt Ritchie.

And they’ve spent £35million on Callum Wilson and Jamal Lewis.

Clubs have been, unforgivably, holding on to fans’ cash.

It’s a sum that the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust estimates at £7m, a figure disputed by the club.

Whatever the total, where was the urgency in refunding this cash?

Why wasn’t it made a top priority over the summer? It is tone deaf at a time of growing hardship not to put fans first. Newcastle suggest refunds are on the way in the next fortnight. Fine, but it’s months too late. Contrast that attitude with how Toon fans reacted to the PPV controversy.

Instead of forking out to watch the game, many decided to donate to the West End Food Bank instead.

A sum of £5,000 has been raised on Tyneside so far and thousands more in Manchester and Liverpool.

The fans give, while the clubs are on the take.