The Chronicle report that a group of disgruntled Newcastle United supporters yesterday handed in a list of 11 questions to St James’ Park regarding the state of their club.
The group claimed that Newcastle fans’ liaison officer Lee Marshall was informed they would be handing in questions yesterday at 1pm.
But they had to leave them at reception after being told that nobody was available to meet them.
The fact is - Ashley doesn't recogise the organisation, and they may as well throw the questions in the bin.
Ashley has told the Chronicle and Journal what they can do by backing the fans, and he sure as hell won't make a U-turn over a set of 11 questions.
Sorry guys ... but it ain't gonna work.
Lewis Courtney, 21, was one of the party.
He said: “We had a Time 4 Change meeting on Wednesday and it was decided that we would put together 11 questions for the club.
“I personally believe that Ashley has no ambition for Newcastle United.
“It was unfortunate that we couldn’t speak to Lee or anyone else at the club. I hope we can get some answers to the questions over the next week or so.
“The club were okay with us putting in the questions, but we were told at reception that they were too busy to meet us.”
Here are the eleven questions handed into Newcastle United yesterday
1. I am an online shopper and I note that nufcdirect.com is owned by Sports Direct. Does the merchandise money go to Sports Direct, or does Sports Direct take a percentage of the revenue? If so, how much?
2. By 2011-12, our commercial revenue was £13.8m. How has the club managed to lose over half of our commercial revenue in 6 years?
3. Can the club please explain why Newcastle United have paid Sports Direct £498,000, an issue that is made all the more galling given how Sports Direct do not pay a single penny for advertising?
4. Alan Pardew said in the summer that Newcastle United could not compete with Southampton because they were ‘financially much stronger than us’. Does the club think that the current commercial strategy will ensure that we can compete with clubs like Southampton in the future?
5. Can the club explain why club membership is being imposed upon season ticket holders, while ordinary members of the public can buy match-day tickets without this financial obligation? The perception is that the club does not value their most loyal supporters.
6. Can the club explain why club membership is increasing year-on-year, despite the supposed 10 year price freeze for season ticket holders. Is this not akin to a stealth tax for the club’s most loyal supporters?
7. Is outsourcing in-ground catering and hospitality the best way of maximising commercial revenue for Newcastle United?
8. Mike Ashley is lauded as being a great businessman. Why is it then that he is generally perceived as being bad for business at Newcastle United, as the club’s accounts would seem to indicate?
9. For all the marchers who took to the street to ‘march for ambition’ is there anything that the club can say to them that will possibly convince them that Newcastle United is being run with ambition?
10. Why is it that a company like Sports Direct, which has generated £2.2 billion in revenue according to latest figures, cannot pay for its advertising in St James’ Park?
11. I love the club and have supported Newcastle United my entire life. As I attempted to display a protest poster relating to NCJ media’s recent ban from St James’ Park, stewards prevented me from doing so. Why is the club trying to stifle the opinions of life long supporters such as myself?
Will they get answered? Will they hell!
Source: Newcastle United Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
