Newcastle United Simply Must Offer A Season Ticket Pay Holiday In Tough Financial Climate

Back in December, when the lowest crowd in almost a decade turned up to watch Newcastle United beat Southampton, Steve Bruce made a plea. Rather than it being to those who didn’t take their seat, the Magpies manager looked up within the club. Perhaps he was naive in ignoring what felt the genuine reason for such a poor attendance, the bitter but apathetic feeling from the fanbase towards club owner Mike Ashley, or maybe he was looking to put a positive spin on the story knowing full well what it really was. He made a point about the general public not having enough funds to go to matches over the cold, hard winter months.

Rightly or wrongly, the club’s response was swift. An initiative to offer 10,000 free tickets, around the same number of recorded empty seats on the day of a 2-1 win, was announced. It was first come first served for those who had already committed for the entire campaign, and brought its own problems; to this day, it has split opinion and felt anticlimactic in terms of having the effect Bruce desired. The atmosphere, right up to the last match played at St James’ Park, remained flat for the most part, despite certain results helping Newcastle steer clear of any real danger and progress in the FA Cup beyond any point reached in the last 14 years. Those who had taken the offer of a chance to go to the match were neither active in the protest groups nor particularly interested in rocking the boat.

What that gesture did allow was the opportunity for some parents or grandparents and children to sit together and take in the action, a proud tradition in the city and surrounding areas for many a generation. Younger supporters who didn’t care about the politics got the chance to experience matchday. Only even that was cut short; the coronavirus pandemic has left everybody in the world on edge, worrying for a number of different reasons. Soccer, Newcastle, that shared experience and even the ability to share anything have all been put on hold for the foreseeable future.

Contracting the illness is a huge concern for many, but the economic prospects are just as horrifying. Jobs are at risk thanks to the lockdown measures many countries, including the United Kingdom, are beginning to adopt. While the state of the club under Ashley, rather than financial struggles, were more likely to be the reason for low crowds at the time, Bruce wasn’t wrong to point out the hardship many in the area face. These issues are to be laid bare even more by the current crisis; millions of people across the world are having to look at the way they live their lives and adapt accordingly. Preservation and survival are suddenly taking priority; just weeks ago, they were taken for granted.

For so long, the relationships between clubs and supporters has been too one-sided. Soccer has become far too engulfed by its own wealth that it has forgotten about those who fund it. At Newcastle, the problems are magnified; those paying for tickets, matchday food and drink and merchandise have too often been met by a callous, clinical approach from the hierarchy, and thus been repaid very badly on and off the pitch. Times like these require a collective spirit, and sport has played a part in helping those most in need, but it could always do more. Other clubs have taken this step, notably Brighton and Hove Albion, but Newcastle could shake the reputation they’ve created and suspend all payments on season tickets for the time being. Doing so would show they care about making a difference in the manner they professed back in December.

There won’t be many people holding their breath for help, though; on Sunday night, after the UK Government announced the latest measures which included all non-essential shops closing, Ashley’s retail chain Sports Direct, controversial for measures it has taken towards employees in the past, planned on opening. They were later told to close, but the initial sour taste lingered, and they have since hiked prices up by as much as 50%. Many Newcastle fans feel they have been belittled in their pursuit of a life after the billionaire capitalist who has used very similar tactics in the running of their club. Wider public opinion has perhaps turned, which may or may not make a difference in the future.

The Newcastle United Supporters Trust has already made clear their demands; it is crucial to remember this is not a request. Soccer is not generally hospitable to the masses, but supporter movements have helped. In a world where sport is at a standstill with no resumption yet in sight, and much more pressing issues to deal with, now would be the perfect time for those at the top to look after everyone else. Broadcasters have agreed to freeze subscriptions, and because there is no guarantee of when this season will finish, let alone the next one starting, nobody should yet have to pay anything yet.

If, after all of the devastation and tragedy the current situation is causing, there can be any positive, it can be the redistribution of wealth. That doesn’t need to just be a societal development, but within sport, too. Soccer has a huge problem with this, and Newcastle United have contributed to it before. But they can begin to turn things around, starting by easing the pressure on the supporters hit hardest, rather than exploiting them. Now, more than ever, the club needs to stand up for its community.