We Are United Event - Wednesday 20 November 2024
This week the club held a We Are United fan engagement event at the St James' Stack and invited NUST along. There were around 2000 fans in attendance with more joining online. If you couldn't make it, don't worry, we've got you covered with all the important talking points below.
Fan Advisory Board
Representatives from the FAB joined host Matthew Raisbeck on stage, featuring FAB Chair Michael McCarthy, United With Pride's Claire Wintrip and NUST's Paul Karter and Adam Stoker.
Michael talked the audience through what the FAB is and noted it was the FAB's idea for the club to donate £5 from every home shirt sale to the Newcastle United Foundation earlier this season. He nodded to the FAB's Under-25 fan focus group, which is the only one for young supporters in the Premier League.
There is currently a vacancy on the FAB for a disability fan representative. You can find more about what that entails and how to apply here.
A reminder that if you wish to contact the FAB, all the details you need are here.
Club Executive Board
Five members of the Club Executive Board joined Matthew Raisbeck to talk about the club's achievements and plans since the takeover. Pictured left to right above are Darren Eales (Chief Executive Officer), Peter Silverstone (Chief Commercial Officer), Brad Miller (Chief Operating Officer), Simon Capper (Chief Financial Officer) and Paul Mitchell (Sporting Director).
Darren Eales gave an update on his health, saying he was doing well at the moment and thanking everyone for their support following his announcement in September that he would be stepping down after his notice period for treatment for blood cancer. He said that it was 'business as usual' in the meantime.
Eales then indeed got straight down to business, sharing that NUFC's Compound Annual Growth Rate is >30%, compared to the other Premier League clubs' average of 7%.
Growth was then also covered by Peter Silverstone who discussed the twelve new partnerships entered into since the takeover, resulting in an increase in commercial business of 110%. On the event's venue, St James' Stack, Silverstone described it as 'so Geordie' and initiated both a rush to the bar and the hashtag #PintsForPSR to be born when he suggested that every time someone buys a drink, the revenue goes into the transfer kitty.
Brad Miller and Simon Capper discussed their roles (supporting the Exec Board and 'bean counting' respectively) before attention turned to Paul Mitchell who was keen to address his much-reported-on relationship with Eddie Howe, or as Mitchell put it, the media's 'Eddie and Paul Watch'. In Mitchell's words: "We work closely and there is a natural collaboration. Eddie is an elite professional and it would be remiss of me to be looking over his shoulder." Paul described Eddie Howe as a 'very talented Head Coach' and Eales agreed his achievement in taking the club from a relegation spot to the Champions' League and a cup final 'speaks for itself'.
Later Mitchell would clarify that he does not have the final say in player purchases 'and no Sporting Director [in football] does', with it being a 'collaborative approach' involving the Head Coach.
Discussion turned to St James' Park with one year having passed since the feasibility study was first announced.
Eales described the first stage of the project as being focused on 'possibility' and 'demand' and now there is more work to be done. Brad Miller described his feelings around the project in that he 'feels the weight of responsibility, but not hindered by it.' Regardless of outcome, he stated, he wants to ensure a logical decision is made based on a robust process.
Miller shared a statistic from the feasibility study that 71% of supporters wanted to stay at St James' Park (with renovations) and 29% wanted to leave for a new stadium. The club feel that anecdotally this has changed, suggesting more fans are open to a move. This was illustrated in a show of hands in which around three quarters of the 2000 people in attendance voted to move when the question was posed informally at the event. It should be noted that Miller did state that the hypothetical new stadium in this impromptu survey would be in 'close proximity' to the current location which may have swung a few votes.
It wouldn't be a fan engagement event without Peter Silverstone being lightly grilled on the topic of ticketing and the subject was duly raised. Silverstone stated that demand continues to outstrip supply and that 'not everyone can be happy'. Referring to changes in the ballot process and away ticket allocation, he noted that the club have taken on feedback to 'maximise opportunities' but admitted that some disappointment is always going to be inevitable.
Newcastle United Women and Club Legends
Two Newcastle United Women's team players joined Matthew Raisbeck on stage next. Elysia Boddy discussed her recent England call up and Lia Cataldo talked about her injury progress and ambitions for the future.
Club legends Shola Ameobi, Rob Lee and Papiss Cisse were then invited to the stage to talk about their experiences on the pitch and what life is like for them now. Cisse was keen to share that ever since he left the club 'I'm still a fan!"
You can watch a short video that NUFC has produced here.
