Two years after Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End merged to form United, an amateur club was formed in the front room of Leazes Terrace. As our beloved United were in the process of lifting the FA Cup three times in five years, the club they beat to formation by two years, Bohemians, were moving to a new home in Gosforth that was named in honour of their secretary.

On Saturday 3 September, that home will host a celebration of 60 years of Gosforth Bohemians playing at Benson Park, while also officially opening the refurbished clubhouse. With no Premier League fixtures, there's a wealth of non-league action on display in the region, including the Northern Alliance First Division clash between Gosforth Bohemians and Newcastle East End at Benson Park.

The action starts at 10.30am when the Bohs 'B' team kick-off followed by the 2.30pm kick-off between Bohs and East End. In this age when football is becoming more and more expensive to follow, you can catch both games for £2.

As well as looking to bring the voice of all Newcastle United fans together, NUFC Fans United recognise the importance of improving links and engagement with all aspects of the local community. If you want to watch some football on Non League Day and spend time chatting to fellow NUFC fans, then Benson Park is an ideal location. 

Benson Park is a 15 minute walk along the Great North Road from Regent Centre Metro Station, near Gosforth's Three Mile Inn pub. Turn left onto Polwarth Drive, then left onto Layfield Road and the after turning right you'll see the entrance to the ground on your left.

       

 
One of the great things about sitting down and talking with fellow supporters is the reinforcement of the passion that there is out there for our club. Everyone has a story to tell; an occasion to recall; a memory to share.  Be it Cup traumas (good and bad); away trips, coach journeys or visits to stadiums all over the world proudly wearing your colours. They all resonate and are often the stuff of legend. Perhaps one day we should find a pub in town with a stage and just have story telling evenings, where we can entertain each other with tales of supporting this great Geordie institution. 

For my part, I remember an old friend John, sadly now departed spending hours telling me about away trips all over the country through the late forties,  fifties and sixties. Portsmouth in midweek after working a Tuesday evening shift travelling by bus (he refused to call it a coach) must have been some journey. 

Yet surprisingly (or not) John also spoke with equal joy and accompanying tear in his eye about being at Alan Shearers testimonial and the emotion and pride he felt when the display of passion was accompanied by the waving of black and white scarves that evening. John died last season aged 84; still a season ticket holder and still as passionate about NUFC as he was when his father took him on his first pilgrimage to St James Park all those years ago. Yet the sight of the ground full of scarf waving Geordies was up there with some of the best club occasions that had been part of; and this was a man who could remember Gallagher, Shackleton’s demolition of Newport County; been part of the post war Milburn years; the three Wembley appearances of the 50’s; the Fairs cup nights; the keegan years; our late 90’s cup finals and of course the Robson years.

And I know that John was not alone in being completely taken by that sight; a sight that for many reinforces the pride, passion and sense of belonging Sir Bobby Robson talked of so forcefully and passionately in his autobiography.

So could the sight of scarf waving at St James’ Park become a permanent feature? 

Well, those who attended the last meeting of NUFCFansUtd think so and they’re convinced that many others would agree with them.  There is no better sight or force in football than the ranks of Newcastle supporters getting behind their team and with a return of the scarf the visual impact will show that force of fans as one.

So, let’s start bringing our scarves to the match. Let’s rejoice in our black and white colours for NUFC and wear and wave our scarf with pride. Back the call to bring back the scarves to St James’ Park.

#bringbackthescarves

#onescarfonelove

#bringbackthenoise

 
This could quite easily have been penned as being just another night in Newcastle with a bunch of blokes sitting in a pub and talking about their beloved football club, Newcastle United. In fact, that’s exactly what this was, but with a slightly more serious twist to what your everyday conversation would be.  

The following piece therefore is the transcript from the minutes that were compiled during the initial meeting at The Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, on the evening of Monday 8th June 2011, and done under the banner of the NUFC Fans United. 

It was to be a meeting where fans, fanzines, blog writers and podcasts et al would all come together in a collision of minds (and voices) to discuss the state of affairs presently engulfing our beloved club. 

In attendance were representatives of the following independent factions: - The Seats, United for Newcastle, Toon Talk, Mike Ashley Out, Toontastic, Skunkers, Taylor & Besty, NUFCforum.com, alongside the likes of Ian Cusack, Michael Hudson, Malcolm Dix and the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Geoff O’Brien, amongst numerous others. 

First and foremost a copy of the meeting’s agenda was handed out to the thirty or so attendees, and from this the key personnel of Steve Wraith, Steve Hastie, Neil Mitchell, were ascertained. Of those persons Messer’s Hastie and Wraith were to introduce themselves and their aims for the both the evening and the future of NUFC Fans United, especially within the current predicament, was presented to all. Malcolm Dix was introduced as he whom would be entrusted with being the conduit between that of the supporters and the hierarchy at NUFC itself. The topics on the agenda would be marginalised into that of: - 

  1. Level 7 and Fans Displacement, 
  2. Allocation of Away Tickets and the non-purchasing of match tickets for those supporters without a season ticket, 
  3. Direct Debits and the Financial Issues connected to the fans in the close season, 
  4. Communication with the fans over issues that directly affect the supporters. 
The evening would conclude with a ‘brief’ discussion concerning other business and the confirmation of the next meeting. 

INTRODUCTION

This would be started by Mr Steve Hastie, former member of the NUST (Newcastle United Supporters Trust) whom discussed the issues of communications, or lack of, in the club and welcomed the presence of Mr Dix, himself the Honorary Vice President of NUFC to the meeting and whom had offered his services as the afore mentioned conduit between the two factions. Hastie went on to discuss that this would be an amalgamation of groups to put across the voice of the fans to that of NUFC as a whole, not just Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias and would be quoted as saying ‘if you don’t keep plugging away then you don’t get anywhere’. Sentiments indeed. 

Mr Steve Wraith, editor of Toon Talk fanzine and himself a former Fans Liaison Officer for Newcastle United was the next to speak and he began by stating that he had built up a working relationship with both Hastie and Mitchell over the past 18 months but stated that ‘everyone’s opinions are important, not just my own’. He would go on to then discuss that the strengths would lie in the opinions of the groups of fans which were present as well as those beyond this. There was a need for direction and communication not just with the club but with each other as well as reiterating point previously made by Hastie concerning the club and adding about continuance with any future regimes possibly at the club as well. 

The introduction portion was concluded by a brief section with Mr Malcolm Dix and to who said that both parties (NUFC Fans United and Newcastle United) were to work as one and that it would be to make the club both successful and financially viable. However there was the need for a relationship between the two and for both to work together as one, solitary unit, not against each other. 

It was also reiterated that all voices of the club, irrespective of format, were invited and would continue to be so invited to future meetings. 

LEVEL 7 / FANS DISPLACEMENT 

There would be points presented here by representatives of The Seats, Mike Ashley Out and United for Newcastle. Some of which would be interlinked with other topics of the meeting as well. 

It was suggested that, although the supporters of the club had a reputation for being raucous, they also brought atmosphere to the stadium and that the said supporters were, understandably upset due to the main lack of communication and that they wanted something from the club’s hierarchy in relation to numerous points, some of which are presented within these minutes. In relation to the issue of Level 7 though it was said that, although it was initially taken as a pinch of salt, the break-up of friends built up over time was emotional and that it was more to do with a lack of engagement at all points of the proceedings. It was to be seen as a personal attack on the fans. 

There have already been a number of meetings conducted in relation to the Level 7 issue, and with club representatives and that although the attention was gained, the response wasn’t really justified to the needs of the supporters. It was also mentioned by Neil Mitchell about the supporters’ panel which occurred at the start of Alan Shearer’s reign as NUFC manager and, with Llambias in attendance/calling to discuss points of view, progress was seen to be made. However, it was then pointed out that the willingness previously shown all but ended on the Monday after the football club was relegated to the Championship. 

Mr Wraith stated that, overall ‘it’s not just a singularity but a group opinion. There is no banner, and that you are only tied to the group when present at meetings. Other times you would stay with your own representative faction’. 

It was also mentioned that there seemed to be a mismatch into what’s there and what’s happening, a discussion about how and where the supporters can and will sit in family enclosures and the problems there could lead to campaigns being presented from other directions – that some sort of clarity was needed from those entrusted to provide it. But that the club or those connected to it, only seem to be surfacing when they are criticising someone from the club – Andy Carroll, Michael Owen etc. 

TICKET ALLOCATION & AWAY GAMES 

It was forwarded that there were already problems in the ticket allocation for the derby (second match of the season) against Sunderland, and that they were allocating on an unfounded, not working, points system. 

This all stemmed from the Darlington game and the events surrounding it and that it was noted, obviously, that the club was looking for another excuse in which to have a go at the fans and that on top of this, the cost of season tickets and club membership costs would continue to rise on an annual basis. The stopping of the purchasing of away tickets was to be seen as suicidal and that this would not lead to supporters attempting to purchase their tickets by others means and for other areas. Although the reaction seemed to be kneejerk, as is usually the case with the club, it was actually more an untimely response and could have been done so differently. Also, the supporters of Newcastle United seem to have been given some label or tag by the media, however, they are just quick to react – good or bad is the question though?  

DIRECT DEBITS & FINANCIAL ISSUES 

As with all points raised, the main issue here is that of communication, or lack of, but from both sides of the coin. That the finances in today’s environment could lead to possible legal issues in regards of the payments that have been made/received between both parties. However, there need to be some admittance from the club for their mistakes and that the fans deserve some sort of feedback.  

COMMUNICATION & DIRECT EFFECTS ON SUPPORTERS 

Communication, under the present regime at least, is a major issue. This raised questions such as – How do we bring the fans groups together? How does it present a united front to the football club? Who and how communication is made at? From this it was suggested that one of the best communicators in recent years was Freddie Fletcher. Also that we need to find ways of being resistant and reliable and reasonable in presenting a medium to the football club, perhaps even some kind of advocating TUC model in order to present things. And that we need to think collectively and begin a dialogue through creating something meaningful. 

Mr Hastie interjected by stating that we need to gain a rapport and confidence for each other over the coming months. That there was a need for questions, probing and probing by each faction that represents the NUFC Fans United, the models and unions themselves. 

In the meanwhile we are empowering ourselves to have a point, not to feel disenfranchised and through the point of economic power and that money does indeed talk.  

Other interjections were the mentions of the Save our Seats campaign, the Newcastle United Supporters Trust, and the Supporters 4 Change from 1989 where around eight thousand fans boycotted the opening match of the season against Leeds United, as well as that, although there was no support, what was present was apathetic in its own nature. However, is this achieved with the presence of some casualties or collateral damage attached?  

There was also mentioned that there was a need to form obvious lines of communication between the group and the club and which creates both more and reliable credibility. As well as that there will be a point where all or most of us would agree upon and that when that specific day arrives then the strengths presented would become apparent. 

United for Newcastle  gladly pointed out that one of the biggest strengths from within the room was that we are supporting each other , irrespective of whether we agree with each other or not. That people need to think of ourselves and each other as human beings, that certain things do work, and that others have struck nerves in the past, irrespective of the in-house regime. It shows that with some willingness, one little thing will speak volumes, be that from the football club, where the main source of communication needs to come, or from ourselves, the supporters. But this needs to be done properly and in an orderly fashion. 

OTHER BUSINESS

Those present felt that the club should answer several questions to begin with, and to open those said channels of communications. These questions are – 

What are the long-term intentions of the football club? 

Is history seen to be repeating itself?

Upon conclusion, Malcolm Dix summed up everything upon his departure when he said, and I quote – ‘all I want to see is a successful club, and one that is winning trophies before I pop my clogs’. 

The date of the next meeting will be announced at a later date.


Peter Mann 08/08/2011 
 
Newcastle United fans united under one banner at the Tyneside Irish Centre last night to discuss the best way forward in opening communications with owner Mike Ashley and the Club. Twelve groups were in attendance which included various fanzine editors, website administrators, and social media operators who all put there views forward on various topics that had affected fans and that the fans felt they would like answers to. The coalition of supporters calling themselves 'NUFC Fans United'  invited honorary president at Newcastle United Malcolm Dix to the meeting and asked him if he would act as a link between the group and the club over the coming months. Also in attendance at the meeting was Lord Mayor of Newcastle Councillor Geoff O'Brien who was an elected member of the Fans Liaison Committee that met regularly with the club under the previous ownership. Topics covered at the meeting included fans being displaced from Level 7, the clubs change in stance with regards to fans applying for tickets for games away from St James Park, and how the club has dealt with fans direct debit payments in the pre-season. The group will be releasing there minutes from the meeting via the various websites and publications today and you can find them here www.nufcfansutd.com The group will be meeting on a monthly basis. Those wishing to attend are asked to email 'NUFC Fans United' to reserve there place. All groups and views are welcome. 
 
As Newcastle United jump from one headline to another, the sad constant fact that is glaring to all is how poor the communication between club and supporters is and has been since the dark days of September 2008, when a failure to communicate with and develop a strong trusting relationship with one of the clubs most iconic of modern heroes saw Kevin Keegan end his short and turbulent time as manager. 

Protests and threats of boycotts followed; mud slung in both directions; both verbally and metaphorically; emotions stretched in some cases to breaking point and for many the love they held in their hearts for the football club was put under severe strain.

However, looking back, there has rarely been a period when good communication between club and supporter could be viewed in any form of good light; be it under Seymour, Westwood, Mc Keag or the Shepherd / Hall combo. However, just because our history is littered with a litany of poor or non- existent communication; with mistrust that festers at times into total breakdown, doesn’t mean that it should be viewed as sensible or acceptable. Indeed, the last few months have shown how corrosive it can be.

In an area where football is the oxygen of the masses, it is incomprehensible to think that an organisation as important as Newcastle United Football Club cannot see how important constant and open communication with its supporters is. How vital the relationship is to the clubs very being.  And by communication we don’t mean briefings with the local press or sit down Q & A sessions. We mean sensible coherent and dare we say it, where necessary, forthright discussion. No blood-letting or finger pointing; no childish or boorish mud-slinging and no preaching; No egos in the room: Just plain simple and open discussion that, over time may result in the stepping stones of Trust being put in place.  

Perhaps the club can see its importance and perhaps we the fans have not helped by actions in the past; but blame lies in the past and if we are all to see the benefit of how open and honest communication can only benefit the club, the fans, the players and the region then putting a process in place that might help facilitate such actions then so much the better. 

If you have something constructive that you think should be discussed and would like to join with fellow supporters in gathering and relaying those thoughts; working for a constructive communication process to be put in place with the club then please get in touch - newcastlefansunited AT gmail DOT com

Let’s see if we supporters can make the first move and work together to help the club open the door to what will hopefully be a better tomorrow.

 
Your chance to feature in an exciting new book about your experiences of supporting Newcastle United Football Club. 

If you’re looking for something to occupy your mind during the close season then how about writing about being part of the most loyal supporters on the planet.

Way of life

Following The Toon becomes a way of life for many of us. Whether at St James Park or on our travels we experience moments of elation and exhilaration, which become landmarks in our lives. But there are also the low points of despair and disappointment when we feel that all our hopes and dreams have been dashed.

Memories of supporters

The new book, which is part of the ‘Til I Die series, will reflect the memories and experiences of supporters both young and old. Players and managers may come and go, but it is the fans that give the permanent character to a club like Newcastle. And so as a celebration of our fans, this book will reveal the fun, the absurd, the emotional, the peculiar or unbelievable that is part and parcel of following The Toon.

 Your stories

Who has the funniest or most unusual Toon tale? Who travels the farthest to get to home matches or has the strangest journey? Who are our record breakers? Get in touch so these and many other stories get in to the new book. Real football stories from real football fans... Make sure your memories are included! Story sessions will also be held as part of the memory-gathering process. 

Please get in touch 

If you have a story or set of experiences about yourself, a family member, a neighbour or friend that you feel deserves to go into the book, please get in touch. Either e-mail your stories to [email protected] via www.tilidie.co.uk or post them to Legends Publishing, Unit 10 Strand Business Centre, Locomotion Way, Camperdown Ind Estate, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 5US.

VISIT WWW.TILIDIE.CO.UK FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

EMAIL : [email protected] WITH YOUR SUBMISSIONS

 
I was in Odessa on the night of April 19th 2010 and so, like the video, most of what I can remember of the game itself comes from YouTube links. The euphoric, guttural roar from the away end at the final whistle, bodies streaming on to the pitch, players mobbed, ‘I get knocked down but I get up again’ blasting out over the Home Park tannoy.  Before the game a group of Plymouth fans had unveiled a banner congratulating Newcastle on their promotion.  Now, the club’s PA system belted out ‘Local Hero’ and ‘Blaydon Races’.  What made the gestures even more remarkable was the fact that Newcastle’s 2-0 win simultaneously confirmed Plymouth’s relegation.   “Fantastic hosts,” goalkeeper Steve Harper said. “They played their parts and it was just a fantastic place to be at the end of the game.” Newcastle fans agreed – “We’ll never forget” was just one of many posts on the Argyle message board the next day.
We haven’t.  There are a surprising number of bonds between Newcastle and Plymouth, geographically remote one-club cities with fanatical local support and a history of underachievement. Scottish striker Jack Peddie, whose goals helped Newcastle United to their first ever promotion, later played for Plymouth in their first season as a professional club. Bobby Moncur, the last Newcastle captain to lift a major trophy, managed Argyle in the early 1980s.  John Carver, assistant to Sir Bobby Robson and now Alan Pardew, was on the Home Park staff last year.  Dan Gosling made his first Plymouth appearance against Hull City at the age of 16.

Despite the sacking of Chris Hughton and the lack of an adequate replacement for Andy Carroll – whose season in the Championship propelled him from reserve forward to England international – Newcastle have since consolidated their place in the Premier League.  For Plymouth, who survived two winding-up orders before they entered administration in the first week of March, the season culminated in a home defeat to Southampton and a second successive relegation.  Around 50 members of staff have been working without salary since January. Despite the Argyle Supporters’ Trust helping to raise money towards a hardship fund, many are now in debt and struggling to afford even the petrol to get them into work.  There are real fears that Plymouth Argyle Football Club may not survive at all.

The video made by Newcastle Fans United nearly didn’t happen at all.  Together with FNA Films I first approached Sky TV about footage “for a short 30 second video to try and raise funds for Plymouth Argyle”.  They passed us on to another company who, like Sky, said they would be happy to help but didn’t own the rights to the pictures from the game.  We were passed on again, explained the situation – and were told we would have to pay £800.  “It’s a short, non-commercial video to help a football club that might go out of business,” we explained. “Our rates are £800 per minute,” was all we received in reply.  We tried YouTube, but most of the footage was shaky and blurred.  One – from a Newcastle fan who was at the game - was better than the rest. “Can we use your video?” we asked. Ten minutes later we got a reply. “No problem.  Anything I can do to help.”  Compare and contrast with the (unnamed) TV company.

The video went live last night and will be plugged on Newcastle United blogs and websites.  It’s a small gesture but one we hope will remind Plymouth fans that they do not stand alone. I urge all football fans to contribute whatever they can towards helping the Argyle Supporters’ Trust keep their club alive.

Special thanks go to www.phil.im for the footage we used in the video.
 
Why should Newcastle fans care about the Northern League?  Well, if it hadn’t been for the world’s second oldest football league, there might not have been a club worth forming in December 1892.  Newcastle East End had turned professional in 1889, the year both Newcastle clubs took part in the inaugural Northern League season.  Four years later, the newly-christened Newcastle United joined Sheffield United and three-time champions Middlesbrough Ironopolis in Division Two of the Football League.  

If you think that was the end of Newcastle United’s involvement in Northern League football, then you’d be wrong. Stan Seymour, ‘Mr Newcastle United’, was packed off to Shildon – then of the now-defunct North Eastern League but now very much a part of its Northern rival – as a young player and told to “come back when you grow up”. He did – winning an FA Cup and title medal as a player before managing the team to further Wembley triumphs in 1951 and 1952. Frank Clark made over 450 appearances and won a Second Division Championship and a Fairs Cup winners’ medal after joining from Crook Town in 1962. Sixteen years later, Alan Shoulder went from night shift worker at Hetton Colliery to Newcastle centre forward.  In 1980, a gangly midfielder by the name of Chris Waddle left Tow Law Town and a sausage factory job in Pelaw in exchange for £1,000. More recently, Steve Harper was spotted while playing for Seaham Red Star.
Picture
Steve Harper
Doesn’t happen nowadays? Tell that to Michael Richardson, an eighteen year old who was working as an electrician and turning out for Walker Central – a Northern Alliance club with aspirations of stepping up to the Northern League – this time last year. “A really good prospect,” Alan Pardew calls him.  “It’s all right having the attitude, but you have to have the ability, and Michael has it,” agrees Peter Beardsley.

The idea of Northern League Day had been gestating  since September 4th 2010 when, along with fifty-odd others and George Caulkin of The Times, I took advantage of a free Premier League weekend to see Birtley Town beat Northallerton 2-0 on the afternoon of the first ever Non-League Day.  “It’s the first time Birtley’s ever had any fans,” one of the Gateshead team’s players said as he walked off at half-time.

It wasn’t my first Northern League game.  As a young kid, one of the highlights of every summer was watching a Newcastle XI play at Hebburn Town, just down the road from where I used to live. A few seasons ago I saw South Shields, with ex-mackem Craig Russell a portly figure at left back.  This year, I started at Horden in July and took in my twenty-first ground of the season on a foggy night at Seaham. In between I’ve seen some dreadful games and some wonderful ones, watched Johnny Godsmark at Ashington, Lee Kerr – who once partnered Albert Luque up front in a reserve team managed by Lee Clark - and Dean Critchlow, an FA Youth Cup semi-finalist along with Andy Carroll and Fraser Forster.  I’ve had pints of beer for under £2 at West Auckland Town, winners of the first World Cup when they beat Juventus 6-1 and listened to Graham Fenton swear his way through almost the whole of the second half at North Shields, and rediscovered the simple joys of Bovril laced with pepper. Most of all, I’ve had a laugh.

Some people claim that non-league football is the ultimate antidote to the Premier League, a return to how things used to be.  I know all the players names, they say, and we all meet in the pub right after the game.  And maybe that happens.  Other people – those who’ve never been to a game outside the top two divisions – think it’s all kick and rush, and one man and his dog, and freezing your bollocks off by the side of a muddy, divot-strewn pitch straight out of Hereford ’71.  Maybe that happens too.  But Northern League Day isn’t about either of those things.  As football writer Iain Macintosh put it in his piece for the site, “It’s about paying a decent price to see a decent game. It’s about being able to have a decent pint at half-time. It’s about being able to stand up. More than anything, it’s about supporting a team who represent your local community, even if it’s only for one day”.

This Saturday sees the Coach Lane Clasico between West Allotment Celtic – fighting desperately to stay in the First Division – and Newcastle Benfield, who still retain hope of pipping Spennymoor to the title.  Whickham play Washington at 11.30 am, giving you enough time to see two games in a day, and the perfect excuse to get out of doing the shopping.  Ahead of their third Wembley final in three years, Whitley Bay host Ashington in a Tyne & Wear – South Northumberland derby.  Ryton, who won their fourth point of the season at the weekend, are at home to Billingham Synthonia.  Other than Whickham, kick off in the games is 3pm.

Northern League Day is about the fun you can have with your mates, standing on a football touchline, watching two teams giving their all.  It costs £4, a fiver at the most.  Take a tenner and treat yourself to two drinks. 

To find out more visit: 
http://northernleagueday.wordpress.com

 
This is a press release from our colleagues at the fans' group United For Newcastle. Once again the lads there have done a sterling job in sharing the feedback from their meeting with the club.  Once again it is posted here verbatim.

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Yesterday evening, United For Newcastle spoke to Simon Esland, the Head of Customer Relations at Newcastle United regarding the possible relocation of the Leazes Corner singing section.

Firstly, we asked Simon if he was aware of the petition that we started on February 16, 2011 to which he responded “I know of it, but I haven’t actually taken a look at its content. It would be great to see what it is all about, and what fans are saying.” We explained to him that the purpose of the petition was not encouraging the club to shelve its new seating arrangements for the 2011/12 but to simply relocate the Level Seven singing section to another location in the stadium, with Level Four of Leazes Corner being the most obvious choice.

Simon genuinely seemed impressed that we had exceeded our target of 2,000 signatures (currently, the petition is only 100 names short of 3,000 signatures). In order for Simon to fully understand the petition we have sent it to him and suggested that he reads some of the comments made by fans. We hope this will show the club just how important the singing section is to so many supporters, how strongly people feel about its relocation and its importance to the atmosphere at St James’ Park.

We mentioned to Simon that the singing section was officially announced by the club in May 2008 and suggested that May would be a great time to announce any such plans again. Simon responded “We’re taking the views of fans into consideration, and will be until the end of April. May could be a time for this to happen.”

We felt that it was important to see how the club felt about Leazes Corner and Simon made no secret of his opinion of the fans in that area of the stadium. “The supporters in Leazes Corner create an incredible atmosphere and the section is an important part of the St James’ match day experience. However, until the season ticket situation becomes clearer, which it won’t do until the end of April, we can’t set anything in stone. It would be great to speak again in a month and see what progress we can make”

This gives all of us a whole month to prepare and back the relocation of the singing section as much as possible. This is not only a United For Newcastle initiative, but something that we believe is in the interest of every Newcastle supporter and the club itself.

Ideally, we would have all of St James’ rocking at all times, but not all fans enjoy singing at football matches. In the words of Chris Mort, “Creating a section in the ground where like-minded fans – who enjoy singing – can come together to generate a great atmosphere and get behind the team for 90 minutes."

4-0 up or 0-4 down, if there’s one thing you can predict at St James’ Park it will be the noise coming from the Leazes Corner. We saw the effectiveness of a singing section in the home draw against Arsenal. At 0-4 down, whilst some supporters had their heads in their hands, and others were leaving the stadium, it was the singing section relentlessly spurring the Toon on. When the Leazes and Gallowgate are in full-swing the atmosphere at St James’ is arguably the best in the country and it is us fans who help turn 0-4 down, into a 4-4 draw.

The petition and the relocation of the singing section now has the backing of the NUST, NUFC.com and various other Newcastle United related websites and fanzines. We have also been told that there will be an article in the Evening Chronicle this week about what we are trying to do.

We hope that the club will realise that the relocation of the singing section is the right thing to do, to ensure St James’ Park keeps the atmosphere that not only makes us famous around the world, but will always inspire those playing in the black and white.

The team at United For Newcastle would like to thank everybody for their continued support of the group and the petition, we hope to have a website soon.

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I would like to personally extend my gratitude to the team at United For Newcastle who have once again been proactive in their dealings with Newcastle United and have been generous in sharing the details of their meeting. Thanks lads - keep it up!
 
The text below is verbatim from United For Newcastle's release. (The meeting took place 17.01.2011) 
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Our meeting with Simon Esland, Head of Customer Relations at the club was very useful.

We gleaned the following points:

- The club has guaranteed us they will, at very least, “look into relocating the singing section in another part of the stadium”, likely Leazes but they'll look at the entire situation.
- The increased away tickets are indeed due to having to comply with Premier League regulations, the minimum they can offer being 3,000. The reason the maximum away capacity is now 4,000 is simply for evening matches where it's on TV, and they feel they won't sell the stadium out, so they can offer more to away fans and hopefully make more money. In games like the Sunderland matches, they'll definitely not be given to the away team.
- The Carroll money will be reinvested, and the club are looking for more Tiote type players. Quality players that they can get for reasonable prices. Just because they have a lot of money, does not mean they'll splash out over the odds for someone. Everyone in the club is aware that they are light, and “strikers are a priority.” They've also pin-pointed several areas that need cover, and will attempt to acquire decent cover in the summer. They accept that they need better players in order to push for Europe.
- The club's ambition is to steadily improve. They want success on the pitch, but won't bankrupt to do it. The apparent stinginess is simply Ashley's way of doing things. The club now breaks even every month, and isn't taking loans out. They want to be in good shape for the UEFA rules on finances for when they do get back into Europe. Wherever they finish this year, next year they will aim to better it.
- Much of the club's investment goes on behind the scenes. For instance, apparently they are going to (or have) under-soil heated the training ground for the winter. 

- The club have offered Enrique a new deal, and will sit down with him to discuss. Whether he wants to sign or not is up to him. They have a wage structure, with a cap which they wouldn't confirm the amount of. Enrique's deal will be within that structure, but 'fair' for the structure that's in place. 
- The club confirm they are not a selling club, but as with any football club, every player has their price. The only other circumstance in which they'll sell is if the player says they want to go. They don't want anyone who doesn't want to play for the shirt.
- The club have confirmed they want to hold on to the likes of Barton, Coloccini, Enrique and Tiote, but admit it will be a “difficult summer”. The club suggested that it's a testament to their progress that people actually want to sign their players now, unlike during the relegation season when half the team wouldn't have been touched by another club.
- The club's ambition is steady, sustainable progress that aims for Europe.

- The club insist the 10-year season ticket is a good deal, with the option to opt out at any time. There is no catch. The club has updated their ticketing system so all customers can now pay with direct debit which wasn't possible before due to staff limitations and technical limitations. Even if the club reaches the Champions League in five years, those prices will be the same under the deal.

- The club accept their communication has been, at times, insufficient, and we suggested they look to put more information on the official club site. The club said they gave lots of information to newspapers and media, but accepted that they could not control if it was published. We suggested that in order to rebuild trust with the fan base, they should go above and beyond the call of duty for a while, in order to rebuild that support through transparency and integrity. The club said there would still be “situations they would not comment on”, ie. Carroll leaving, since they have their stance and won't get drawn into an argument on it.

- The club accepts that “mistakes have been made in the past, and says that mistakes are still likely to be made in the future”. But that is ‘human error’, and everyone in the club has one aim: success on the pitch, and that is the long-term goal.

- With regards to SportsDirect sponsorship, the club insist that money does go to the club from SportsDirect, and since Ashley does not own SD but is merely a majority shareholder, it is not simply a case of moving money from one pocket to another. The club does benefit.
- The advertising on the Gallowgate roof and the dug-out seats is to advertise the stadium's potential for advertisers. When pressed for an example of when any of those packages have actually been sold to another company, they did not have one.
- The money that comes in from this advertising is all used to keep the club breaking even financially.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Please make sure you include the below at the end of the dialogue 

“It was a productive meeting, with several points put across effectively from both sides. Unfortunately, the club would not confirm that they would take a strategy to communicate more effectively with any great enthusiasm however, they have promised to us that they will attempt to relocate the singing section rather than let it go. We hope that this meeting will help us form an effective relationship between us and Newcastle United, to ensure the voices of fans can be heard by the club on a regular basis.”

United For Newcastle