WHAT IS THE BOYCOTT ALL ABOUT?
It’s about the lack of ambition, the feeling that the club is divorced from the community it sits in and also being used by Ashley to promote his main interest, Sports Direct. One thing constantly mentioned by supporters is the attitude to the Cups, with the admission two years ago that they were not a priority in comparison to the Premier League taken as proof that Newcastle do not actively attempt to win them. John Carver has denied that is the case.
Those seem like the main reasons given but there are hundreds of other personal testimonies which all add up to one thing: supporters are deeply disenchanted with the way the club is being run under Ashley.
WHO IS BEHIND IT?
It’s a rainbow alliance, really. First proposed on Twitter by Newcastle fan Craig Nicholson, it was picked up by others including United fanzine True Faith, the newly-formed AshleyOut.com pressure group and given backing by the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust.
Lots of others have backed it, including, unsurprisingly, the Mike Ashley Out Campaign.
It has been mainly driven by social media so it will be interesting to see that transfers into United fans at the ground on Sunday, but straw polls on ChronicleLive have suggested it has backing.
WHERE IS IT GOING TO TAKE PLACE – AND WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Outside the ground, obviously.
The AshleyOut.com group will be handing out 20,000 A4 leaflets to explain details of the protest – and send Mike Ashley a message.
There is also going to be an “audible pre-boycott/game protest behind the Gallowgate, opposite to the club shop, starting 30 minutes before kick-off, at 3:30pm.
The group released a statement explaining the rest of the protest: “Following this protest, we will head over to Leazes Park after the game has kicked off, where no specific protest activities have been planned, but where we will spend one and a half hours feeding the ducks, watching the grass grow and having a kick-about with fellow fans (there is every chance you will see more determination than on the pitch a few hundred feet to the South).
“We encourage those fans who wish to boycott the game for the greater cause, but who can’t deal without their weekly fix of Newcastle United, to watch the game in one of the many pubs who have offered discounts to (season) ticket holders during the game in support of #BoycottSpurs. A list of participating venues can be found at the end of this statement.”
At 5.45pm there will be a further protest behind the Gallowgate end towards the corner of Strawberry Place and Barrack Road.
WHAT IS THE AIM?
Those talking about a boycott are realistic. Nothing is going to change and first and foremost they want to send a message. AshleyOut say “this is only the beginning”.
But some of the protestors have talked about forcing an attendance BELOW the lowest Premier League gate under Ashley. That would be under 46,000.
ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY GOING TO BOYCOTT?
There are still tickets available for the game but that’s hardly a surprise given that it’s on TV. United sources were staying tight-lipped about sales for the match.
HOW WILL THE CLUB RESPOND?
Newcastle United’s response to everything these days is to keep what they see as a level-headed attitude. Lee Charnley remains convinced that the club’s business plan is a blueprint for long-term success and their attitude is ‘Wait and see’.
Wait and see, they say, what we do in the summer. Investment is coming and they are going to appoint a head coach who can make the club competitive too.
Interestingly, the club usually respond to criticism and protest by actually hardening their resolve – so don’t expect any alterations to the business model or Ashley putting the club up for sale just yet.
WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE SUCCESS?
A noticeabley lower gate, for a start. Anything below 45,000 would suggest a sizeable number of fans had decided to stay away – although the club would argue that they have the mandate to run the club as they want if so many have stayed with them.
The battleground is messy and undefined. It’ll be interesting to see how those who have issued a call-for-arms respond on Sunday night: whatever happens.
Long-term, AshleyOut.com want to make life difficult for the owner. They say they are hunkering down for their own long-term fight so to judge the campaign a success or failure based on one event that they haven’t even been behind is probably jumping the gun.
IS MIKE ASHLEY GOING TO THE GAME ON SUNDAY?
It’s the billion dollar question. Ashley has been at more away games than home ones this season and has always been rumoured to be a Tottenham fan (although he denied that in no uncertain terms back in 2008).
He has been seen in recent years in the West End of London celebrating Tottenham wins.
He made a point of going to games when the chips were down last season and his absence or attendance will certainly send a pretty loud message either way. Given past form, at it being Tottenham we are playing ... the owner will probably be there.