At a glance
- Newcastle fans investigated for ‘persistent standing’ during Barcelona game
- Fans respond angrily to club
- What it means for future stadium plans
Some Newcastle United fans have received word that they are being ‘investigated’. This comes after the club received complaints of ‘persistent standing’ throughout the Barcelona game.
Emails have been sent to Newcastle supporters who were seated in the Gallowgate end for the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie. The reported standing is considered a breach of the ground regulations and terms and conditions for a season ticket holder.
It comes in tandem with many fans complaining about the current state of the St James’ Park atmosphere and largely backs up the sentiment.
What will happen
Whilst the consequences of being found guilty are not yet outlined, the email provided suggests there will be some once the investigation is concluded.
Given that the investigation is ongoing, there could be several possible outcomes for those found guilty.
The club could issue them a written final warning, which would be the most lenient of options. Alternatively, the club may issue a temporary stadium ban for a few games. Or, in several cases, a season ticket can be revoked entirely.
Whichever is decided upon, it’s safe to say it will be almost entirely unjustified.
An ongoing issue
The reaction on social media has been massively negative, for obvious reasons. Many are suggesting that the investigations are an admission that the club now cares more about commercial success than the hardcore fans who go week in, week out.
There have been raging ticket issues throughout the season. A large portion of home tickets is being sold on third-party sites for well over face value. At the Barcelona game itself, there were pockets of home seats occupied by brazen away fans. The main qualm is that the club are actually doing nothing about it at the current moment.
Wor Flags’ survey
Newcastle United’s fan-funded display group, Wor Flags, ran a survey with a view to combating the drop in atmosphere of late. The findings showed an overwhelming majority in support of extending the ‘safe standing’ area that currently sits in the corner of the Gallowgate stand.
Wor Flags have reportedly presented the information they gathered to the club and asked that changes to the current standing areas be considered.
They believe, just like many other Newcastle fans, that standing in the stadium should be encouraged rather than prevented. Mainly to preserve what is widely considered one of the best atmospheres in any stadium in the country.
Should the club fail to address the growing concerns of the fans, the consequences could be dire. If the diehard fans begin to lose their spark, the entire project is jeopardised.
A sign of things to come?
Amid the ongoing talks about a possible new stadium, or St James’ Park upgrade, this sort of thing is bad news for the club. When the Saudis took over, the fanbase wanted assurance that they would not be sacrificed to accommodate so-called ‘tourist’ fans.
But with situations like this one becoming increasingly prevalent in and around Newcastle. That appears to be the way the club is going. If a new, state-of-the-art stadium were to be purpose-built, the likelihood of those extra seats being filled by casuals appears high at the moment.
Similarly with a St James’ Park upgrade, if the seats with the current capacity are filled with away fans and those who don’t follow the club weekly, the chances of extra seats being utilised by real fans is exceedingly low.
