Shepherd Under Fire Again
Last updated : 27 February 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
... most of the major clubs unwilling to drop ticket prices. We can remember the day back in 1996 when Sir John Hall said: "We won't drop prices at Newcastle. Dropping prices doesn't happen in any business".
Neil Farrington, of The Sunday Sun, has voiced an opinion:
"All power to the Football Supporters' Federation's new campaign against sky-high ticket prices for Premiership away fans.
"Maybe they can have a word with Newcastle about home ticket prices next.
30,000 United supporters paid £20 each to attend a non-event involving a pub side (and SV Zulte Waregem) the other night was a tribute to their loyalty - NOT a vindication of the Magpies' pricing policy.
"It may be that Newcastle are not free to set admission prices for UEFA Cup ties. But this latest proof of a brand of loyalty peculiar to our corner of the country depressed me all the same.
"For I have absolutely no faith it will convince United of the potential of slashing future admission prices they DO control.
"If Middlesbrough can double their expected gate at cup games by halving the cost of a ticket, Newcastle would be pretty much guaranteed a full house by doing the same.
"But if nobody at St James's Park can appreciate that the benefits of a capacity crowd are more than monetary, that's their look out.
"For even Geordie loyalty has its limit."
Mr Farrington has been backed by a group of fans who are desperate to see the end of the Hall/Shepherd reign. This e-mail has been sent to all major Newcastle websites: -
FAO: Mr.W.F.Shepherd.
This is a warning. Not a first, second or final warning - a bona fide
straight up warning.
I will be starting rallies, meetings if you will, to gain support to get
Shepherd out. This will entail stay-aways, protests outside of match days
and general anti-Shepherd actions.
Flyers, internet campaigns (including a petition) and general buy-in from
the entire geordie faithful will follow. The feeling against Shepherd is
incredible - we are going nowhere with a poor manager and sadly have
nowhere else to turn. We are drifting aimlessly and the only recent change
is that we''re about to be sued by Kevin Bond for unfair dismissal - which
he will win. This, coupled with the investor farce, has forced our hand. I
am sending this as a warning, and I suggest it finds its way to the powers
that be.
Your time is running out, Mr. Shepherd. Your time of bleeding this club
dry to line yours, Douglas'' and your families pockets is at an end. You
won''t be bought out, the cash cow milks too well. You won''t stand down,
for the same reason. You are poison to this club, a cancer that needs to
be removed. The jobs-for-geordies mentality is sickening and destroying
this great club. You couldn''t chair a club with 5,000 at a home match,
let alone 50,000. You do not deserve this and we deserve much better than
you - and by Christ, we''re going to get it.
Again, I strongly urge that this gets to Mr. Shepherd - he may owe us the
World, but we will offer him the chance to bow out gracefully. Unless
there is IMMEDIATE change, this club will be all over Sky Sports, BBC and
the Net for it''s fans'' hatred of the owner and the lengths we are
willing to go to to show it. You think there''s nothing we can do? Can you
really stay when MILLIONS know that the people you preach about want you
gone?
This communication will be winging its way around every conceivable
message board, every website, every newspaper and the battle of you, Mr.
Shepherd, VS. the fans (which has ALWAYS been) is about to come to ahead.
I don''t fancy your chances. Do you?