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After winning three consecutive games in the league, Newcastle United suffered an embarrassing 0-3 home defeat at the hands of West Ham. The result exposed the problems faced by Rafa Benitez, which had earlier been covered up by a string of impressive results.
A deeper look at the recent loss brings to light the biggest threat to the club and the reason for the club's downfall - Mike Ashley. In an era of expensive transfers and extravagant deals, the Newcastle United owner has refrained from spending, which has sent the team into relegation twice in 11 years.
The lack of investment has led to several fan protests in the last decade. But Ashley has been unmoved by any of that, and continues to run the club much to the anger of the Newcastle faithful.
With the past protests turning out to be quite ineffective, a string of new protest plans have been initiated by a bunch of Geordies a few weeks ago.
The Magpie Group, started by a few passionate Newcastle United supporters, have been organizing these movements against Ashley, asking him to leave their beloved club. Several planned protests have taken place in front of Sports Direct shops across the country, a chain that is run by Ashley.
The number of people supporting these protests has increased significantly, which was quite evident during the recent movement organized on Saturday. The Magpie Group called for a 11th minute walk-in in order to draw attention from the media and pressurize Ashley to sell the club.
While there were split opinions regarding this protest, several season ticket holders came forward to support the cause, and nearly 1,000 fans joined hands on match-day to take their seats only at the 11th minute. The empty seats for the first 10 minutes didn't go unnoticed as several magazines and channels reported the incident, which was the ultimate aim of the move.
As a part of the coordinated protests, The Magpie Group have planned for a complete boycott when Newcastle United host the Wolves this weekend. This proposal has been a cause of debate in the past few weeks, since a boycott might have a major impact on the team's performances during this crucial period of the league.
However, the boycott, if executed successfully, could prove to be extremely effective when you consider the long-term ramifications for the club.
With several top magazines in the country monitoring the situation at the club currently, this boycott could draw much wider attention than ever before, forcing Ashley to sell the club quickly or invest considerably in the club (the latter being unlikely to happen).
The kickoff time for this weekend's fixture provides an additional advantage since no other Premier League game is scheduled to take place at that time. The telecast of the game will be much larger, resulting in enhanced reach for the protest.
One of the major concerns for those who are against the boycott is the negative impact it may have on the players during the game. However, that can be easily nullified by the brilliance of Rafa Benitez.
The Spaniard spoke from a neutral stance when he was asked about the planned protests last week, and he could prove to be an important factor in negating the boycott's impact on the players this Sunday. The players know all about their owner's history, and with even a little encouragement from Benitez, they could handle the atmosphere this weekend very effectively.
While the decision of a supporter is ultimately in his own hands, the important thing to be considered is the long term well-being of the club instead of focusing on short term results. Concentrating on just the short-term could make Newcastle a permanent relegation-battle club in the future.
"Don't ever give up on your club. Keep supporting it, it's your club, trust me one day you will get your club back. It will be everything you wanted it to be. Newcastle United is bigger than anyone. It hurts, I know, just keep going. He is only one man, We are a City, A whole population. Trust me" - Kevin Keegan had once said. That spirit is being channeled by the organizers of the boycott.
The club and the fans deserve to enjoy European nights. And this boycott is a major step to bring back the old, sublime Newcastle United.
Rafa Benitez deserves much more, St. James' Park deserves much more, Newcastle United deserves much more. And #BoycottWolves could make it happen.
