Fans Meeting

Why 99% then? If you are right then surely ALL football fans are stupid. Those 1% (which I assume you think you are part if) who are supposedly intelligent enough realise they are being shafted by rich men are even bigger fools, because they know. Or they (you?) actually like being shafted by rich men!

 

Of course I fall into the 1% because I used to go to games and used to buy things and then I started eating musli in the mornings and said to myself no I will not allow myself to be brainwashed into a fruitless cult.

Look mate it doesn't take too many grey cells to work it out - much in the same way there isn't any such thing as Ghosts.

 

So you really are a real fruit case then?

 

[video=youtube;L8H4IC9ttIU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8H4IC9ttIU[/video]

 

I'm fruity all right!!! sorry I've gone off on one but my opinion wont change.

We all watch everyone die and then die anyway so who gives a **** about Joe bastard Kinnear and the beloved newcastle united

 

you must, as why are you writing about it all the time

 

I'm writing about the fans complaining about things under MA and then still handing over their money - It's ridiculous!!!! I can complain without looking stupid because I haven't paid the **** sicne the Keegan saga. These ****ers are like the degenerates that are complaining about David Cameron when if they had got of their stupid arses and voted things might have been slightly different.

 

Really what is being discussed is how much 'agency' the average fan has compared to the 'structure' of wider bodies that is imposed upon the said individual.
The reality is such a binary argument, whether applied to football or anything else for that matter, is too simplistic.
Discontent driven by the perceived lack of agency is only due to fragmentation of power and the lack of a collective, hegemonic voice. Further more, the discourse resources deployed are created by the majority: Not the elitist minority.
Thus, if you love something the answer is to have collective goals and apply the strength of the all too frequent silent powerful majority.
A boycott actually removes power leaving the status quo to continue unchallenged.
R.

 

What was the muesli like ?

 

He has a sheeps brain

 

Actually, no. Quite the opposite really.

A well organised boycott will do the following. First of all the sale of tickets will go down, the empty seats will be shown on television as an immedite effect.

The sales of merchandising will go down. The latter is still insignificant in terms of income lost but it gets a message through. When old style shirts are being worn in the streets of Newcastle rather the new ones as a symbol of solidarity and protest shows common support for the protest.

And here's the big bit. If any boycott is strong enough to last then what happens is that StP becomes quiet. The quietness will become unbearable and then the club will find it hard to attract the players that they want. That is when it really starts to hurt. Moreover current players will start to hand in their transfer requests because they'll start to feel uncomfortable.

Of course this can only work if a boycott lasts more than ten minutes for three games. Those protests are pointless and the money still flows into the club and the owners are happy.

But no significant numbers will do this. They'll want to support the players they say, the players need the support they say. So nothing happens. A well organised boycott will sting, that's the point of it all, and may send the club down a division or two. But guess what? In the long term scheme of things it won't matter; the end result is what matters and then when the goal is attained then start to turn up again and support the club once more.

But as long as people keep turning up at StJ, the largest milking shed in the country, making an atmosphere to the players to want to play in, then nothing will never happen. But how many people will have the guts to do that?

Exactly.

Which is why a boycott will never work.


edit. To clarify my personal opinion: I don't believe that a boycott is called for here but my post is to say that a properly run boycott can be a very powerful weapon. It's like going on strike; one has to have the stomach for it and it's one out - all out, anything less is useless.

 

That's not my opinion, but I could be wrong. A powerful show of discontent can be met with polar opposites range of reactions. Ashley must realise that his latest changes have got a lot of people, both business bosses and football experts laughing at him - but is he bothered? And will he be bothered if St James' Park is seen half empty by the TV cameras week in week out? Will mass demonstrations that bring Newcastle city centre to a standstill cause him to even blink? I doubt it.

He has the power to take the TV money this season, put nothing in, take more money by selling all our players that can command a fee, and just let bad management and zero ambition do its worst.

... Then for the next couple of years there's parachute payments which coupled with no-one on big bucks means minimal losses. We continue our slide down the leagues. He's got the financial muscle to absorb losses anyway thanks to his retail dominance.

The bottom line must be that he detests us - so what's to stop him try to murder our community if we really try to interfere with his business model.

My own take is that Toon fans won't do anything collectively focused - because everyone just won't fall into line without a union boss calling the tune, and those days are gone.

 

Has no-one considered the possibility that Ashley is over a barrel with regards Kinnear?

Kinnear left due to ill health just 4 months into what would likely have been a 3 year deal. The contract isn't then just torn up, and I believe Kinnear always had the intention of returning if he could. He's finally been passed fit enough and has said to Ashley - "right, either we honour this contract you gave me, or you can pay up". Coincided with Ashley needing a football guy in the board room, hey presto.

Just seems to me the fans are a bit thick. Reading some of the comments about all the problems under Ashley - I bet if you offered half of them Shepherd they'd take it!!!

 

Took you eight atempts to get it? What firewater are you on?

 

site threw a wobbly last night. It froze and looked like nothing had posted for about 5 minutes, thn multiple versions appeared at once. I think was signal interference due to alien space ships preparing to attack.

 

Damn, another invasion imminent?