It seems that Newcastle fans are never too far away from a boycott.
It was a very real possibility last season, with calls for supporters to stay away from the Wolves game on December 9.
That boycott was ultimately canceled with talk of a Peter Kenyon takeover on the cards.
Newcastle fans have made their feelings towards Mike Ashley clear with chants and banners but the animosity has deepened after the departure of manager Rafa Benitez this summer.
There’s still no sign of a takeover happening, Newcastle have no manager and no signings have been made. The Premier League season starts in just over a month with the opening game against Arsenal on August 11 due to be shown live on Sky.
The Magpie Group – a network of Newcastle supporter groups – put out a statement last week that called for a boycott of not just the Arsenal game but all of Ashley’s enterprises.
And there is speculation that a large number of fans – up to 10,000 – haven’t renewed their season tickets.
But what does a boycott achieve?
Ashley obviously knows the fans don’t like him and want him gone.
While he had sympathy for fans, Rafa Benitez was against boycotts while he was manager, wanting fans to help the players in their quest to stay in the Premier League.
This could be a really tough season. Alan Shearer has said that Benitez was worth 10-15 points a season and many saw him as the glue that kept Newcastle together.
The club has lost Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez – the two top goal-scorers from last season – and not signed anyone yet this summer. They currently have no manager.
If ever the team needed the fans behind them it’s now.
But fans’ loyalty can’t just be expected. There has to be a limit and it seems a large portion of supporters have reached breaking point.
A boycott is always going to be a divisive subject and there will always be some fans who will never stay away from the club they love.
But, withholding money from an owner who they see as damaging to the club is the fans’ only weapon in this fight. And we think it’s time to use it.
The game against Arsenal is live on Sky and a boycott would be a very effective way of making a point to Ashley and the footballing world.
Whether it will make any material difference is debatable – Ashley can’t magic a takeover out of thin air. However, it does hit Ashley where it hurts him most, in his pocket.