A boycott actually removes power leaving the status quo to continue unchallenged.
R.
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.