You're looking at a photo of the crowd at Monday's National Hockey League game between the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. As you can see, the game has started, and the building is practically empty. The announced attendance was a little over 7,000 in a building that holds 19,000. Across the hockey-watching world, photos of the sparsely populated arena were used to mock the club and its lack of support. But as someone who has followed the Panthers for two decades of almost constant ineptitude, I applaud our fans for making their feelings known by staying home. I hope Newcastle supporters do the same and clear out St. James' Park, starting on Saturday.
Whenever a boycott of SJP is mentioned, some segment of the Twitterverse rises in opposition, claiming that empty seats don't affect Mike Ashley in any substantial way. And I'm sure they don't, especially not for a single match in the middle of the season. The tickets are mostly paid for, and the concessions and other ancillary profits from one match probably add up to what Ashley loses in his couch cushions every day. But the message a vacant SJP would send is one that the owner seriously needs to hear: there's a limit to what we are willing to put up with. You've hit it.
Following Monday's de facto closed-doors game, one of the new Panthers owners recognized what was happening, and understood he had to win the backing of the fanbase:
When it comes to hockey in South Florida, we can assure our fans that the past is not prologue. We invested a lot of money in the offseason in the right players for our franchise long term. Vinnie [Viola, Panthers co-owner] and I have said we will earn through honesty, integrity and transparency the patronage of each and every person who comes to our games.
Obviously, expecting a statement like this from Ashley is foolish. But he needs to understand that Newcastle supporters' loyalty - at least when it comes to ticket sales and season ticket renewals - is not guaranteed. If that means tuning in on the radio or watching from the pub, so be it. When the club stops aiming for mediocrity (and failing, if the start of this season is a sign of what's to come), then the fans will fill the ground once again.
Maybe it won't work. Maybe whatever revenue Ashley gets from the TV rights is sufficient, and he genuinely doesn't care whether people show up or not. But there's only one way to find out, because everything else has been tried. At least there's one bright side of opting to stay home on matchday: you won't have to witness Alan Pardew's tactics in the flesh.
At a time when the team needs support incase you hadnt notice we are very near the bottom abandoning the team is not the answer,you dont win every football match,part of being a fan is loyalty,you chose to support Newcastle,for right or wrong good or bad you stick with your team or your just an animal,loyalty is everything
Posted by: Arthur Bainbridge | 10/15/2014 at 09:23 AM
Unerring loyalty is ensuring that Mike Ashley can do as he wishes, including hiring his inept mate to drag us down to fight it out with the relegation contenders. People are far too stupid to see the greater good of staying away from SJP, and it's depressing as hell.
Posted by: Danburnip | 10/15/2014 at 10:34 AM
I agree with Arthur's comment. If you think the players lack passion now, what do you think will happen when the stadium is half full? And from what it seems like, the Florida Panthers aren't getting any better. While it may be better long term, there is no risk of relegation in the NHL, so the owners can promise "long-term rebuilding" all they want.
Posted by: jaeger | 10/15/2014 at 12:02 PM
Silly comments ... first, you're comparing a flight by night crowd in Florida (not even the best team in the area) to The Toon Army ... and then you seriously think people will stay home and not support the players ???
Posted by: Roddy | 10/15/2014 at 01:19 PM
People are very touchy. While I am not for the stay away to force Mike Ashley out brigade. There is a large voice of fans who think it would make a big difference and force change.
Try and look past the fact its a hockey team in FL or assume that the fan base is unloyal etc - its a good comparison based on the arguments people are making in Newcastle and the reason isn't that 'you don't win every game'
Let this sink in -
WE HAVE WON 4 LEAGUE GAMES SINCE CABAYE LEFT - Just saying.
Posted by: Mathew | 10/15/2014 at 02:10 PM