The last major boycott was in 1989 for the start of the 1989/90 campaign, and although the fanzines of the time - Black & White And Read Allover (which I was part of); The Mag; and Boardbuster - seemed to have the support of the masses, only around 4,000-5,000 actually stayed away for the Leeds United game.
I expect the same today.
I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think the attendance will dip below 43,000.
There those who want to do something about the state of the club; but you will always get tens of thousands who simply want to "go to the game".
And who can argue, when those who are going to the match have PAID for their seat?
Why shouldn't they go? They can say they are "loyal", and of course they are, but those staying away are just as loyal.
The Chronicle reports:- Mike Ashley protests seem to be gaining momentum but it is the floating voters among the Newcastle support who hold the key
Never mind the General Election, the battle for the heart and soul of Newcastle United is going to be dominated by the floating voters.
A quick snap poll on ChronicleLive this week revealed that the boycott proposed on social media now has the overwhelming support of those who responded.
But all that really shows at this point is that the protestors and campaigners have the energy and determination to get out there and spread their message.
Anger is fuelling the campaign and that’s where the battle to force a change of some sort starts – but it can’t be where it ends.
I remember the Newcastle United Supporters Trust running the ‘Yes we can’ campaign a few years ago that generated a barrel-load of momentum. It ran out of steam – perhaps it overshot its own ambitions for such a new group – but I have subsequently met the people involved in that group and they are impressive individuals.
Not always the loudest, but a good voice and vehicle for Newcastle’s interests. It’s worth looking very closely at them in the coming months.
In the meantime, as bruising as today might be for fans who, when you drill down, only really want to celebrate the club they love, it has also been positive. Plenty of people who care about the club have blasted away the apathy around it.
That energy should be harnessed into something that fires the club forward eventually. If Newcastle United don’t manage to do that, the campaigners probably will – eventually.