My plea to Newcastle's owners as bizarre survey raises concerns - Where do you stand?
NUFC Twitter is once again divided. The culprit this time? The already-infamous supporter survey.
In one corner, you have supporters calling out the survey as out-of-touch, as it focuses on corporate experiences, a potential new ground and the much-discussed issue of whether we should be able to feast on champagne and sushi at the match. I find myself firmly on this side of the argument.
In the other corner, you have those arguing that we do need to increase corporate matchday revenue and that we have to be open to options that aren’t comfortable. That we need to cater to the corporates, we must expect huge price increases and that it’s not viable to stay at St James. Both sides have valid points, but what’s frustrating is how angry people are getting at one another for their take on it.
For many, including myself, the survey doesn’t focus on real or pressing issues. Why are we being asked about padded seats with TVs or heated areas when they can’t even turn the hot water on in the toilet taps?
How do we deal with a ticketing system that seems to have new issues every day? How do we address the fact that corporate tickets are wiping out small away allocations? If Ghodoussi is telling us we need to be louder, be the 12th man, how do we do that?
Instead, I found myself answering questions about fancy food options and £12,000 boxes. It feels extraordinarily out of touch. Add to that a sliding scale of how much more I’d be willing to pay for my season ticket and it doesn’t feel like my concerns really matter; it’s all about the money.
But we need to generate more money, a lot of people are crying. Don’t you think we should expect to pay more for better football? The club needs to generate as much income as possible, especially now FFP is a huge barrier we're battling, but to put this on its everyday season ticket holders and members is bonkers. Some say there’s a waiting list for corporate boxes; why not focus the question on the £12,000 boxes at them? Why are you instead sending a survey heavily weighted towards these questions to a majority working-class supporter base who aren’t your target audience?
There’s a potentially more sinister side to the questions around expensive and corporate options too. On the face of it, I shouldn’t worry that my bog-standard seat in the Leazes won’t be affected by corporate seating. The Rooftops has come under a lot of criticism since the club pumped money into it, but it’s simply a rebrand – it’s always been there. We can’t blame the people paying £650 in The Rooftop for the poor atmosphere, because they’re not new.
But if you look at the new sports bar and padded seating to accommodate Wings in Leazes level 4 – which has seen season ticket holders turfed elsewhere in the ground – you’ll see our concern. At one point, I wasn’t even allowed to walk past this section because I’m a peasant, though thankfully that rule has been relaxed.
Yes, making The Rooftops even fancier and more expensive won’t affect me or you. That £12,000 box probably won’t either. But there’s every chance that these cushier seats – maybe even the ones with, bizarrely, TVs showing the game you’re seeing right in front of your eyes – could creep into the ground. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility; in fact, it’s happening in the section directly behind me.
So yes, the majority of us aren’t the target audience of those questions. But then it raises the issue of why we’re being asked them. Send them to your corporate waiting list. But there’s a very real chance that these cushier and more expensive options could turf more of us out of the seats we’ve sat in for years.
The idea that supporters are spitting out their dummies at the idea of fancy food and seating options is unfair. It’s what those options represent; a shift to wealthier people who can afford those things at the match. And we’re seeing it unfold already with Wings.
Then we have the debate of a new ground, which strikes fear into my heart. The club is stressing that all options are on the table, but it definitely feels like directors are leaning towards a new stadium. The complexities around the stadium could fill an essay, and while some are saying we need a huge stadium to meet increased demand and generate more money, it’s an idea I’ll simply never get behind. St James’ Park is special, and it won’t feel like Newcastle United without it.
To finish this piece, I’ll paraphrase my final comment in the survey that I put as a plea to the owners. Please understand that we’re a majority working-class city whose lives revolve around this club. We could be addressing much more pressing issues, like ticketing, the basic facilities not working or a myriad of other issues. Instead, we’re being asked about fine dining and £12,000 boxes.
It’s enough of a struggle to afford going to the matches, so this is understandably unsettling a lot of diehards who fear they’ll be priced out of the club. Remember that we’re the heartbeat of the club; don’t leave us behind.
Oh, and St James’ Park forever 💖
