There’s trouble brewing in Newcastle after comments from Rafa Benitez that lay the blame squarely for the problems at the club at owner Mike Ashley’s door.
Talking in the Chronicle, Benitez said that with other clubs spending money and bringing in new players, Newcastle’s aim would be to stay in the Premier League.
He has also reportedly rejected two recent offers for contract extensions, as the club hasn’t answered his questions about the way the club is being run, or given him assurances over investment for the future.
With his current contract set to expire next summer, fans are worried that he will leave and their club will be in peril.
It’s led to a trend on Twitter under the #If RafaGoesWeGo, with fans threatening to boycott the club while Ashley is still the owner.
Celebrity pair Ant & Dec gave their support to the movement in a tweet on Friday afternoon that was sent out to their close to seven million followers.
— antanddec (@antanddec) July 20, 2018
talkSPORT journalist Georgie Bingham replied asking whether the fans would actually follow through on the boycott if Benitez left.
Genuine question. Would the geordies vote with their feet if he went? I always think their loyalty and fanaticism means they almost couldn’t bear to no matter how big the problem.
— Georgie Bingham (@georgiebingham) July 20, 2018
Former midfielder and childhood Newcastle fan Don Hutchison responded to her saying it would never happen.
https://twitter.com/donhutch4/status/1020312592789790720
OPINION
You won’t find more committed and passionate fans anywhere in the world than at St James’ Park. A boycott would kill them, but it’s testament to how far Mike Ashley has pushed them that they’re threatening this now. Something has to happen or Ashley could drag the club back into the Championship and beyond. He doesn’t care about football, only about the bottom line, and a boycott would hit him where it hurts. The trouble is, Ashley is the sort of person who won’t break easily and a boycott could make things much worse before they get better. However, you’ve got to ask yourself, what else can fans do to make their voices heard? The protests against the West Ham board last season were unsavoury but they got results and their fans are looking forward to the next season on the back of record investment. That will never happen under Ashley but the big question is, would a boycott hasten his departure from the club? If the answer is yes, it’s s step worth taking. It will be interesting to see what happens at the start of next season.
