Newcastle United Supporters' Trust would like to offer their deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Newcastle player Gary Speed. Gary will be long remembered for his professionalism and dedication to the game and will be remembered by Newcastle fans as someone who graced our Club's shirt. RIP Gary.

With the removal of the Level 7 'singing section' at St James' Park now confirmed, some fans have raised an online petition in an attempt to urge the Club to consider relocating the singing section en masse to another part of the Stadium. The campaigners from United for Newcastle met on Thursday with Head of Customer Relations Simon Esland who stated that the Club would, "look into relocating the singing section to another part of the Stadium.”.

The ‘singing section’ was set up by the Club in 2008 with the then Chairman Chris Mort saying, "Over the course of the year I’ve spoken to lots of fans about how we can improve things at St James’ Park. One idea was somehow 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".

Though not initiated by NUST, the Trust are right behind this petition as we think that this section has definitely improved the atmosphere at home games, which has undoubtedly benefitted the players, supporters and the football club.

Sign the petition here

The NUST Board wish to register their anger and disappointment at the decision to dispense with Chris Hughton's services. In the most difficult of circumstances he has carried out his duties with the utmost dignity and with a large degree of relative success.

To their cost, Newcastle United have repeatedly over the years seen the negative impact of changing managers during the football season. The Trust Board believes today's decision simply confirms that the best way forward is for supporters to own a substantial stake and have real influence within their club rather than NUFC being the plaything of any one individual. Our belief is that this is the best way forward in helping to bring stability and long-term success to St.James' Park.

Chris Hughton has left with our thanks and his dignity intact, while the football club is left in a precarious position. We hope Newcastle United can recruit the right candidate without delay, as supporters we all want the club to be successful no matter who plays in the team, or indeed whoever owns the bricks and mortar.

The 2010 ‘One Game, One Community’ week of action organised by football’s equality and inclusion campaign ‘Kick It Out’ has come to an end and was once again supported by the players and staff at Newcastle United displaying ‘Kick it Out’ t-shirts and badges. Part of its campaign was the slogan ‘Create a great atmosphere to be proud of’ and Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) echoes this sentiment for the eagerly awaited forthcoming fixture with derby rivals Sunderland at St James’ Park this weekend, the first Tyne and Wear derby since our return to the Premier League.

In an era of a cosmopolitan and multi-racial team in Black and White - many of whom are patrons of local anti racist charity ‘Show Racism the Red Card’, who hold an event at St James’ Park next week - overt racism has long since disappeared from St James’ Park and racist behaviour will not be tolerated by fellow fans. Nonetheless, the week of action’s slogan is particularly appropriate for this fixture. A local derby, featured live on TV, the game gives Newcastle United fans an opportunity to demonstrate once again that they are the best supporters in the country by getting firmly behind the team and creating a white hot atmosphere to drive the players to victory.

After three successive home league games where results have not gone as anticipated, this match presents Newcastle United supporters with an opportunity to show that they are an integral part to any future success on the pitch by creating a ‘great atmosphere to be proud of’. There’s no better time in which to help recreate ‘Fortress St James’. We just hope ‘Kick it Out’ don’t mind us ‘borrowing’ their slogan. Howay Newcastle!

In response to NUST's above comment piece Shola Ameobi said "I couldn't agree more that all the fans coming to Sunday's game create an atmosphere that is unique in English football. When St. James' Park is rocking there's no better place to be. Loud and proud."

Fans lose out yet again as kick-off time changes

It might be a case of same old same old but this still doesn’t make this latest fiasco right. Changing the kick-off time of the ‘derby’ match from 4pm to 1.30pm on Sunday 31st October only four weeks beforehand is totally unacceptable. Yet again thousands of fans will potentially be inconvenienced and left out of pocket due to this late change to the kick-off, including members of the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) who contacted the Trust and asked NUST to highlight the problems this move has caused. Once a match has been moved, whether at the behest of TV or the police etc., surely it is only reasonable for supporters to take for granted that all relevant parties have been consulted and that they can rely on that kick-off time as then being set in stone. Until supporters are brought into the decision making progress, or at least taken into consideration, fans will continue to be taken for granted and unnecessarily left out of pocket.

The renewal process is now in motion for members of NUST enabling them to renew (CLICK HERE) and continue their support of the Trust’s aims, if you’d like to join as a new member then please visit www.nust.org.uk/join and help to make the future a whole lot brighter for both the fans and Newcastle United.

Newcastle fans may be disappointed that attendances have dipped under fifty thousand so far this season but in the great scheme of things the only thing that makes NUFC a great club in the current era is the fans. Premier League attendance levels could hit an all time record this season and the push towards that is massively down to the return of Newcastle United to the top flight. Indeed Newcastle’s most recent league crowd at St.James’ Park of 41,915 (v Stoke) may have been the club’s lowest in the premier League since the capacity was expanded to over fifty thousand but to put it in perspective, it is still more than the best team (Chelsea) in the country get. When it comes to crowds Geordies might see the glass as half empty at the moment but for the Premier League in general, the return of Newcastle United helps fill everybody’s glasses.

See original press cutting here

Newcastle United sacrifice over a hundred years of history for what?

The final act of a sad and sorry tale came to pass on Friday 17th September.

Despite NUST presenting a petition of objection of 30,000 names, despite 230 individual objections, despite many of the planning committee wondering how the words ‘Sports Direct’ were so big compared to St. James' Park - planning permission has been granted for the erection of giant signs reading ‘SportsDirect.com@St.James' Park.’.

NUST were allowed a 5 minute opportunity to object and represent the members of the Trust and the fan base as a whole who raised the thirty thousand strong petition. NUST Board member Bill Corcoran attended the Council Planning Committee meeting and reflected, “I was given the opportunity to object which I did on positions of ‘amenity and safety’ – the only two allowed. Taste, morality and judgement being outside the committee’s terms. I made points that the development infringed the conservation area of Leazes Park and that it affected the amenity of the new science based Central Business District by allowing billboarded advertising on the fabric of the ground. The council officers, who it must be said were very fair throughout, were obliged though to point out that there were very few objections allowed under planning law."

A Mr. Burn spoke on behalf of the club and used the examples of the Emirates Stadium, The Reebok, The Cellnet Riverside Stadium and The Brit Oval. He said that no other organisation had offered to sponsor the stadium naming rights and that, “If Newcastle City Council offered to sponsor it then that would be fine”.

So another huge own goal which divides club and fans, this at the very time when Chris Hughton and his players need everybody pulling together to help support the encouraging start to the season. The club are quite right that other stadiums in the Premier League have taken sponsorship but they are all new grounds, not steeped in over a hundred years of collective memories and emotion. As fans we are all quite aware that football is a ‘business’ these days and there may have to be a trade off at times between what supporters would ideally like and what the harsh financial reality is. However, at this moment in time there appears as yet to have been no financial benefit to the club and its supporters by this renaming move.

Only at Newcastle United.

The Council's decision and other documents can be accessed here

The death has been announced of former Newcastle player Jackie Sinclair aged 67. NUST send their condolences to his family and friends.

Jackie was an old-fashioned Scottish winger who was a mainstay of the Newcastle United side that won the Fairs Cup in 1969 and leaves behind a mass of fond memories for those that saw him play.

With regard to the St. James' Park planning application that is currently  "pending consideration" by Newcastle City Council,  NUST have been seeking advice from a planning expert who counsels "it's important to point out that in any objection you must concentrate on the matter at hand and not get too wrapped up in the moral or sentimental aspect of the application. It's a matter of rules, impact, risk, valuation/devaluation and precedent."

Anyone wishing to lodge an objection is advised on general principle to include :

1. Proximity of the signage to conservation area

2. The fact that the adverts will be for a retail organisation that has no sales ties to the club concerned, other than the club being owned by their major shareholder

3. The aesthetic look of the signage - size/colour/general appearance

4. The fact that no mention is made as to the material used may also be a point of question

5. Does it fit in with the general look of the building?

6. The position of the signage in relation to the road traffic that passes - will it be a distraction?

7. Does it clash with other signage (or the lack of) in the area, turning the site into a "billboard" or setting a precedent for others to follow?

8. Do retail signs fit in with the general look of the area - new Science City / hotels / offices of the north east / - unappealling and unsympathetic to the surroundings?

9. There is also the statement from the Club that the detail shown on the planning application showing sportsdirect.com is simply a means of example. If this is not the signage they are applying for then what are they applying for ?;  Why are they being so vague and why is the Club contradicting the application or casting doubt on the planning application as it stands? (The Evening Chronicle quotes "But the club has insisted designs filed as part of the application have only included the suggested name change of Sportsdirect.com@St.James’Park on the ads as an example of how they might be used")

10. The number of signs. If this is not a ground naming issue it must simply be an advertising issue - hence the company name all over the ground only in areas prominent to traffic and not on the other two sites out of sight from traffic flow.

The Trust will be contacting the Council directly and pointing out that we hold a 30,000 petition objecting to the name change that these signs are linked to.

Objections can be made here

It is with surprise and not a small degree of sadness that the Trust Board notes the recent planning application placed by the club for new signage to be erected on the side of St. James' Park. The planning application can be found here

Examination of the plans clearly shows that the signage will read “SportsDirect.com@St. James' Park”. This stadium rebranding first raised its ugly head in November 2009 and was called by The Independent “a move that is likely to mean yet more ridicule for the club”. It is hard to disagree. At the same time Derek Llambias said “We will showcase Sports Direct until the end of the season. I'm sure we're going to get a sponsor in for next season.” This statement would therefore raise more questions about the current planning application in place. If this rebranding does go ahead and the new sponsor is indeed SportsDirect.com then how much money has been generated by this new revenue stream and what assurances are there that this will be used to strengthen the first team squad? If this is not he case then what grounds does the club feel it is appropriate to go ahead with any rebranding exercise following the reaction of the clubs supporters last November? Even manager Chris Hughton said "I sympathise with the supporters. I am quite sure though that, in everybody's eyes, St. James' Park will always be St. James' Park.”

NUST raised a petition that collected 30,000 names, one for every season ticket holder at St James’ Park this year, and numerous other websites, blogs, groups and individual supporters lodged complaints and let their feelings be known. We expect that this will happen again as we revisit an issue that should have remained closed without proper consultation with the lifeblood of NUFC, the fans.

You can lodge your objections directly online here, (although you will have to register with the site first here) or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by post to Newcastle City Council, Strategic Housing, Planning and Transportation, Room 900, Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8PH.