Articles 
Anybody experiencing the feel good factor following promotion was dramatically brought back down to earth with the club’s recent statement.
For many years Newcastle United and its supporters have been crying out for long-term planning but the statement released raises more question than answers. All rational supporters would be in favour of a long-term plan to bring about both financial stability and gradual progress on the field of play. However, the immediate reaction of a broad cross-section of supporters and commentators is that NUFC’s statement is most unlikely to deliver either.
NUST totally supports the development of an ever improving academy but that needs to happen alongside an ongoing strengthening of the first team squad. The ability of players to progress from academy to first team is a fragile one and very few make it, when it happens this should be seen as a bonus rather than essential.
There is general acceptance by everybody from the supporters to the manager, that just like any other promoted club Newcastle United need to strengthen the squad to deal with the challenges presented by the Premier League. After the magnificent job he has done over the past year, Chris Hughton must be given the full backing of both supporters and the board.
The NUFC statement also left supporters disappointed and confused by the declared aims of keeping communications with the media (and by association the fans) to a minimum and within very narrow parameters. Many parts of the statement left supporters unclear as to their true meaning and requests to clarify, including from local media, were rebuffed. The phrase, ‘..no plan for new capital outlay on players’, being especially worrying for supporters.
Newcastle United’s long-term health both on and off the pitch depends on a team remaining and prospering in the Premier League, we urge the football club to make their actions this summer speak louder and clearer than their released statement and help the club to once again move forward.
