TOON ARMY CONTINUES TO TAKE A STAND
ATTENDANCE ON DECREASE
United have lost 5,000 fans to boycott
Football editor
NEWCASTLE United have shed around 5,000 match-going fans this season with St James’ Park attendances down an average of 9% on last year.
While it’s impossible to ascertain exactly how many fans are boycotting the club in protest at what happened over the summer, a discernible pattern has been established from official St James’ Park attendances for this season’s Premier League games.
It’s a worrying trend of doubledigit decreases on equivalent games last season in a sign that while the team is improving, many fans are continuing to stay away in protest at the way the club is being run.
The team are climbing up the table and United hope results will eventually bring supporters back.
But the win over
West Ham didn’t break the cycle and United dipped under
45,000 again. Newcastle – traditionally so well-supported – continue to have the lowest capacity figures in the Premier League, with 88.1% of the ground full. That figure was 97.8% last season and even 97% in the Championship under previous manager Rafa Benitez.
The reasons for the drop are myriad but dissatisfaction with Mike Ashley and the way the club is run are at the top of it. Price increases in season tickets have also contributed but it’s hard to see that having such a knock-on effect if fans were happy with the stewardship of the club.
United will point to difficulties agreeing with Benitez that they claim aren’t down solely to them, as well as investment in the squad and external visage of the stadium. Whether that will be enough to convince fans to come back remains to be seen.
The dip in attendances is estimated to be costing Newcastle around £300,000 per game as opposed to last year’s gate receipts and various other bolt-ons. Although TV revenue is the club’s most important source
of income, at a club where the mantra has always been that money generated is the cash available in transfer windows it is having an impact.
And longer term, there could be issues. We are heading towards the New Year period when many fans will have decisions to make about long-term deals they’re on, with some 10-year season ticket packages coming up for renewal.
Joe Holliday of Toon for Change, a group that has pledged to put pressure on the ownership, articulated the position of many when he said: “The Bournemouth win is another great result for Bruce and the squad, but in a week where the club allowed the land required to extend St James’ Park to be sold for a pittance, low attendances should concern the club’s owners. “Saturday’s attendance of 44,424 represents the fourth time St James’ has had a sub-47k attendance for a Premier League match this season. Across the last two seasons, this didn’t happen once for a league match.
“Fans in their thousands are making the ultimate sacrifice as far as a football supporters are concerned and boycotting St James’ to take a stand against Ashley.
Fans in their thousands are making the ultimate sacrifice as far as football supporters are concerned