Harper spent 20 years with Newcastle prior to a summer move to Hull and with a Milan XI due to take on a Newcastle XI in Harper’s testimonial game, at Newcastle’s St. James’ Park, the veteran has spoken out on the current state of affairs on Tyneside.
And Harper is concerned that the fervent support of the club by the people of Newcastle is not valued by the current owner, Ashley.
Steve Harper: “If the club was a body, the fans are the heart.
“They are its heartbeat, but the link between the brain and the heart is no longer there.
"Newcastle are bleeding. If that isn’t addressed, if the wound is not allowed to heal, whatever is special about the club is in danger of dying.
“The fans make the club tick, but they feel detached from it. Whenever the club has done well over, the fans have been on board.
"They have been fully behind their team, their club.
“I think their loyalty has been tested far too often in recent years.
"If I had a message to Mike Ashley it would be to engage with the fans, to repair that relationship. It’s not totally broken, but it doesn’t just need a plaster on it, it needs to be fixed.”
Saturday September 14
12:45 Man Utd v Crystal Palace
15:00 Aston Villa v Newcastle United
15:00 Fulham v West Brom
15:00 Hull City v Cardiff City
15:00 Stoke City v Manchester City
15:00 Sunderland v Arsenal
15:00 Tottenham v Norwich City
17:30 Everton v Chelsea
Sunday September 15
16:00 Southampton v West Ham United
Monday September 16
20:00 Swansea City v Liverpool
NEWCASTLE UTD RESULTS
PREMIER LEAGUE
NEWCASTLE 1 FULHAM 0 (Ben Arfa)
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita 65' (Cabaye), Marveaux 74' (Remy), Shola Ameobi 65' (Gouffran), Cisse
Subs: Gosling, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 0 WEST HAM 0
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita, Marveaux 66' (Sammy Ameobi), Shola Ameobi, Cisse 72'
Subs: Gosling, Bigirimana, Elliot, Vuckic, Dummett
MAN CITY 4 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, S Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Sissoko, Tiote, Gouffran 45+4' (Dummett), Ben Arfa 65' (Sammy Ameobi), Gutierrez 44' (Anita), Cisse
Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, Obertan
LEAGUE CUP
MORECAMBE 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi)
Elliot, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Good, Dummett, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux 88' (Sissoko), Vuckic 46' (Shola Ameobi), Sammy Ameobi, Gouffran 71' (Ben Arfa)
Subs: Santon, Anita, Alnwick, Streete
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NEWCASTLE UTD 1 FULHAM 0
1. Tim Krul
26. Mathieu Debuchy
13. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
2. Fabricio Coloccini
3. Davide Santon
10. Hatem Ben Arfa
7. Moussa Sissoko
8. Vurnon Anita 65'
22. Sylvain Marveaux 74'
23. Shola Ameobi 65'
9. Papiss Cisse
Subs
4. Yohan Cabaye 65'
11. Yoan Gouffran 65'
14. Loic Remy 74'
15. Dan Gosling
21. Rob Elliot
28. Sammy Ameobi
36. Paul Dummett
Hatem Ben Arfa ended Newcastle's wait for a Barclays Premier League goal after 411 minutes to hand Alan Pardew a precious victory over Fulham.The France international produced a piece of individual magic four minutes from time to create half a yard of space and rifle a stunning left-foot shot past the helpless David Stockdale to claim a first league win of the season.
Until his last-gasp intervention, it looked like being another frustrating afternoon for Pardew and his players as chances came and went without the deadlock being broken.
Papiss Cisse saw a 78th-minute header come back off the crossbar and Yoan Gouffran, who passed up a glorious opportunity against West Ham last weekend, glanced a header harmlessly wide with the goal with his mercy after Yohan Cabaye had been introduced to a mixed reception as a second-half substitute.
But Ben Arfa's inspiration proved enough to send Newcastle into the international break with the win they craved, although with Cabaye's future unresolved and a desperate search for reinforcements ongoing.
Newcastle dominated for long periods as Fulham arrived prepared to soak up what pressure their hosts could muster and then hit them on the break.
However, the killer instinct which has deserted since the end of last season continued to be conspicuous by its absence as a series of openings, albeit few of them clear-cut, went begging.
Mathieu Debuchy and Cisse were both denied by Stockdale before the break, and the keeper did well to claim Ben Arfa's deflected 62nd-minute effort.
Pardew sent on loan signing Loic Remy, the only new face to arrive at St James' Park so far this summer, with 16 minutes remaining, and his arrival prompted a fresh assault on the Fulham goal, although ultimately to no avail.
And it might have been even worse for the 52-year-old when Adel Taarabt was presented with the ball by Fabricio Coloccini 15 yards out, although keeper Tim Krul, who had earlier clawed away Bryan Ruiz's goal-bound free-kick, saved once again.
NEWCASTLE UTD FIXTURES
Saturday September 14
15:00 Premier League
Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Saturday September 21
15:00 Premier League
Newcastle United v Hull City
Wednesday September 25
19:45 League Cup - 3rd Rnd
Newcastle United v Leeds United
Monday September 30
20:00 Premier League
Everton v Newcastle United
Saturday October 5
15:00 Premier League
Cardiff City v Newcastle United
Saturday October 19
12:45 Premier League
Newcastle United v Liverpool
Sunday October 27
13:30 Premier League
Sunderland v Newcastle United