NUFC Fans Forum Demand Meeting With Mike Ashley

Newcastle United's Fans Forum have taken the unprecedented step of demanding that club owner Mike Ashley attend a face-to-face meeting with Magpies supporters. Magpies managing director Lee Charnley sent an email to the group accepting that "mistakes" had been made by the club's hierarchy and that a date should be brought forward for the next Fans Forum meeting, which was originally supposed to take place once the season finished. The club have not yet arranged a date though, insisting that keeping Newcastle in the Premier League is their current focus, but the Fans Forum - set up 24 months ago in order to "enhance dialogue" between the club and its fans - have responded by accepting the invitation for an "interim meeting" but also insisting Sports Direct owner Ashley must be present.

In the passionate open letter sent to the club, the Fans Forum explain:

"It is the overall view of the Fans Forum that we wish to take you up on your offer to meet. However, we do not want this meeting to be our remaining meeting simply brought forward. €œWe feel that there is more than plenty to discuss at our final meeting of the season. We agree, as a group, that the club have been open and transparent during our meetings. However, we feel quite strongly that we would like Mike Ashley, the owner of NUFC to be present at this €˜interim€™ meeting. "We feel that it isn€™t too much to ask. We also feel that it may help NUFC in the long run. It is something that we are sure that you recognise that many of our fans want. Whilst it is quite obvious that yourself and Mike have been consistently against this, we must ask you to please reconsider this policy for the good of NUFC. "We must ask the club to act now and put its house €˜in order€™ as a matter of urgency."

Newcastle have lost eight games in succession for the first time in their Premier League history following the 3-0 humbling at Leicester City and they have just three matches remaining to save their top-flight status. The Magpies find themselves in 15th place in the Premier League, just two points above 18th-placed Sunderland, and NUFC's remaining fixtures are against West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United.

Below is the open letter from the Fans Forum in full:

"It is the overall view of the Fans Forum that we wish to take you up on your offer to meet. However, we do not want this meeting to be our remaining meeting simply brought forward. €œWe feel that there is more than plenty to discuss at our final meeting of the season. We agree, as a group, that the club have been open and transparent during our meetings. However, we feel quite strongly that we would like Mike Ashley, the owner of NUFC to be present at this €˜interim€™ meeting. We feel that it isn€™t too much to ask. We also feel that it may help NUFC in the long run. It is something that we are sure that you recognise that many of our fans want. Whilst it is quite obvious that yourself and Mike have been consistently against this, we must ask you to please reconsider this policy for the good of NUFC. "We must ask the club to act now and put its house €˜in order€™ as a matter of urgency. We have three remaining games. Three games give us three opportunities to protect our Premier League status.

€œWe must have someone at the head of our team that will ensure that the eleven players in black and white shirts are indeed fighting for our survival. The owners of NUFC must take responsibility in a gamble that has obviously not paid off. €œWhilst John Carver is clearly NUFC through and through, the lack of key management qualities needed for the Premier League have put our club in this horrendous position. Whilst the club have indicated that there will be no managerial change, we would urge you to provide the current coaching team with expert guidance towards man-management, whether that be from an existent member or from an external source on an interim basis. €œOur fantastic away support was demonstrated yet again at Leicester - yet another sell-out. Some of those fans displayed a banner which read: €˜We don€™t demand a team that wins, we demand a club that tries!€™ "While our fan base may have many differing views, we are quite convinced that we all share the sentiment of that banner. Fans of NUFC are no longer prepared to accept this nonsense. Enough is enough. We want Actions NOT Words.€

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