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Opinion

Respected journalist expresses sympathy for Newcastle fans on social media with predictable results

4 years ago
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Newcastle fans watched on as yet another poor home performance saw them outplayed by Wolves this time.

Like Watford and Brighton earlier this season, very lucky to escape with a point.

Officially there were over 6,000 empty seats but there looked a fair few more, a number of season ticket holders once again deciding to give it a miss.

The atmosphere was a big talking point after the game, or rather the lack of it…

Apart from a few minutes around the time Lascelles scored, those Newcastle fans still going, sitting in stony silence.

Tim Spiers has followed Wolves since 1991 and in recent years has become a respected journalist covering his team, recently signed up by The Athletic.

After covering the game at St James Park, the Wolves journalist put this out on Twitter: ‘So disheartening to hear the lack of atmosphere today – St James’ Park was as quiet as Bratislava should have been in midweek. The life has been sucked out of that club by one man. Tragic for fans who deserve so much better.’

Nobody can be surprised at the reaction it got.

Some Wolves (and other) fans making intelligent comments about the problems Newcastle fans face with Mike Ashley, a couple of them joking a pretending the ‘one man’ is Steve Bruce, whilst around half or so of the comments were simply abusive, aggressive, name calling and so on.

Just what you expect on social media sadly, whatever the subject, losers with nothing better to do trying to act up, plenty of supposed Newcastle fans do the same, ridiculously over the top abuse and/or denial of what the truth is.

Of course Newcastle fans don’t think they automatically deserve to be winning stuff, not any normal ones do anyway, why would you when your club hasn’t won anything for 50 years…64 years in terms of domestic trophies.

Anybody who pretends they’s be happy with Mike Ashley as the owner of their club is a big fat liar, which kind of ties in…

Would any Wolves fan want to see Molineux become one great big free Sports Direct advert with an owner who only uses his football club to try and make his retail empire more profitable, with no interest in the actual club being ambitious on or off the pitch?

Newcastle fans ‘deserve’ to see their club trying to be the best it can be, if anything was ever actually won that would be a huge and unexpected bonus.

What some of the comments do remind you of, is that not many fans of other clubs have much idea of what is really happening at Newcastle United.

Most Newcastle fans are sick of what Ashley is doing and many of them are boycotting, even those that put on the impressive flag displays, helping to lead to such a dismal atmosphere.

A bit laughable anyway that any proper Wolves fan would have such a problem with Newcastle United, a club hundreds of miles away and who they have no connection with, plus before Sunday there had only been five league matches at SJP between the two clubs since 1993. Simply people out for mischief and/or who rely on the newspapers and Sky Sports to decide their opinions on fans of other clubs.

Quite ironic amongst the comments, Wolves fans commenting on the rubbish atmosphere and empty seats at SJP, unlike at Molineux.

Only three seasons ago Newcastle averaged home crowds of over 51,000 in the Championship, whilst Wolves crowds dropped as low as 17,000.

Since then, ambitious owners have come in and in such a short space of time have got Wolves promoted, seventh place in Europe, an FA Cup semi-final and filled the 31k capacity Molineux.

Wolves are having a go, that is all Newcastle fans want their club to do.

Tim Spiers who covers Wolves for The Athletic puts message on Twitter with predictable replies…:

“So disheartening to hear the lack of atmosphere today – St James’ Park was as quiet as Bratislava should have been in midweek.

“The life has been sucked out of that club by one man.

“Tragic for fans who deserve so much better.”

‘Fu.. them deserve everything they get.’

‘Brilliant fans Tim. Deserve better owner.’

‘Bit harsh on Bruce that.’

‘Heard Wolves fans on telly loud n proud.’

‘It makes you wonder what he gets out of it? An ego boost? A tax thing?

Amazed he’s still there being (rightly) hated by everyone.

He should do the decent thing and sell.’

‘There are worse owners around, look at Sunderland just down the road from them

Newcastle fans have a victim complex just like Liverpool, they spent one season in the championship and bounced straight back up so what’s the big deal.’

‘And they say the Etihad is quiet!

First trip to St James’ and great people but sh.. atmosphere and loads of empty seats. Molineux it certainly is not…’

‘It was like a training session.’

‘They spend too much time moaning and bi.ching on twitter.’

‘I was thinking the same thing today Tim, and the sad thing about it all, is that Mike Ashley couldn’t give two shiny sh..s about it.’

‘I was at Molineux when we played you in the championship on a saturday night and the home atmosphere was dismal.

When your club is going nowhere, it simply gets reflected in the stands.’

‘Fu.. um!!!!!’

‘Talking to geordies in the pub after the game and they were embarrassed with the atmosphere, and embarrassed about what’s going on at their club.

But at the same time full of praise for the Wolves fans, and very sympathetic with the miles we will have clocked up lately.’

‘All you could hear were the Wolves fans singing.’

‘To be honest Timothy, I’ve been up there a few times and it’s never been anything special.

It’s as much as a myth as the “famous” Anfield atmosphere.’

‘Their players probably prefer it now, as back in the day all their fans ever did was boo and moan.’

‘First time at St James’ and really impressed with the stadium.

With the exception of a small group next to us, the rest of the stadium was very quiet. Give me Molineux any day!’

‘Oh Tim dont get sucked in by an urban myth. Why do they deserve better? What makes them special?’

‘Cant blame it all on Steve Bruce I think Mike Ashley should share some of the blame..’

‘The game without fans is nothing – empty that stadium then see how long Ashley messes around buyers for.’

‘Also Ashley isn’t the worst chairman they could have.

Debt free, still mid table prem. got the back to prem twice.

Count themselves lucky they arnt treading water in league 1 like Sunderland or spend 15 years trying to get back like Leeds.’

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