Newcastle United silence is golden? Well it’s certainly puzzling | OneFootball

It is all very quiet at Newcastle United.

Indeed, I have known it to be so quiet.

For whatever reason(s), Newcastle United yet to announce the vast majority of what is happening pre-season.

I just checked and actually by 14 June 2023, Newcastle United fans had details of all five pre-season friendlies on the road.

Eddie Howe’s side playing Gateshead, Rangers, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Brighton.

As things stand, with now less than eight weeks until the new 2024/25 season kicks off, the only information released is that Newcastle will play the two friendlies in Japan (listed below) on Wednesday 31 July and Wednesday 3 August.

Other than that though, nothing.

Actually, nothing really about anything, apart from the bare minimum.

Media reports through the week claimed there could be a friendly at Hull City sometime before the new season kicks off, however, nothing from the club.

We are now up to 23 June 2024 and usually the management and players head back to the training ground early July but nothing mentioned as yet about that, nor the closer to home friendlies that you would expect to have been announced by now for the weeks before NUFC fly out to Japan.

Nothing said/announced yet either about the usual pre-season St James’ Park friendlies, although there is a general assumption from fans that it will once happen under the banner of the ‘Sela Cup’ and again a double header against overseas opposition on consecutive days to be played on the weekend of Saturday 10 August, the weekend before the season kicks off.

There is also speculation that a new away kit will be released early July and a new third kit early August, although those rumours could from the Mike Ashley court case when certain info was put in the public domain. That was actually when we first found out when the home strip launch was going to happen, rather than the club announcing it themselves first.

Maybe you will see this as picking fault on minor details, the Newcastle United owners are doing a great job, better than Mike Ashley, why are you complaining etc etc.

Well, you couldn’t have a lower benchmark than Mike Ashley and of course things are light years away from when he owned the club, however, communication has been one area that has been lagging behind most of what has happened these past 32 months since the takeover.

The open seven days a week Stack / NUFC fanzone initiative was scheduled to be up and running by the end of 2023, then definitely early 2024. However, nothing heard for months and the season ended without any opening or update, then not even opening in time for the Euros, which is all a bit bizarre as surely that was a key time they were aiming for. Whatever the case, I just don’t understand why the club can’t communicate what is happening.

The club were obliged by the Premier League to belatedly put in place something such as the NUFC Fan Advisory Board, as all PL clubs have to show they have proper organised interaction with their fans. I have just checked and discovered there have been two meetings between the NUFC FAB and club officials but the minutes of the meetings are very disappointing. If they are a true and complete record, then next to nothing of interest asked and certainly not answered by the club. Also, I still don’t see the club keen very keen to push how exactly ordinary fans can get questions put to club officials via the NUFC FAB, which only meets four times a year anyway with Newcastle United.

A lot of unhappiness from fans as to how exactly both home and away tickets are distributed, so little transparency, supporters not believing they are getting the full story, whilst seemingly zero interest from the club in tackling the countless home tickets that end up on resale sites for amounts far above face value. CEO Darren Eales has even claimed these tickets don’t exist, even though many Newcastle fans have bought tickets from these sites, whilst other PL clubs, such as Manchester United and Brentford actively go after those touting tickets and have staff employed to do so.

I understand that Newcastle United do finally have a Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) these days but I don’t have a clue as to who he is, never mind how to go about getting in touch with him. I have never seen the club mentioning him, never mind pushing how to contact him.

One of my concerns is that at times the club announce things, say certain things are going to happen, then they don’t happen, but not even an explanation as to why, indeed it isn’t even mentioned.

As a Newcastle United member, a prime thing was a year ago, when season ticket details/prices were announced, the club also had ticket deals that ST holders could sign up to by a certain date. The club stated that ST holders had until a certain date to commit to a package guaranteeing tickets for all three Champions League home group matches, then they (the club) stated that once ST holder deadline had passed, they would put the Champions League three game package available to members. This never happened and nor did the club even feel they had to mention this, never mind justify it.

Sorry if this has ended up as a bit of a rambling semi-rant BUT whilst I am more than happy to say overall the new/current club owners are doing a great job in taking Newcastle United forward again, we should always be able to, indeed encouraged, to challenge them on the things they aren’t getting right.

Early July 2024 – Rumoured this will be the release of 2024/25 Newcastle United away shirt / kit

Friday 5 July 2024 – Premier League pledging this will be very latest date by which time we find out all selected live TV games for August and September.

Sunday 14 July 2024 – European Championships final.

Sunday 14 July 2024 – Copa America final.

Wednesday 31 July 2024 – Urawa Red Diamonds v Newcastle United friendly in Japan, playing at the 62,000 capacity Saitama Stadium, the largest football-specific stadium in Japan.

Early August 2024 – Rumoured this will be the release of 2024/25 Newcastle United third shirt / kit

Saturday 3 August 2024 – Yokohama F Marinos v Newcastle United friendly at the National Stadium in Toyko.

Saturday 17 August 2024 – First match of NUFC season, Newcastle v Southampton with a 3pm kick-off.

Friday 30 August 2024 – Summer transfer window closes at 11pm.

Wednesday 1 January 2025 – Winter transfer window opens.

Monday 3 February 2025 – Winter transfer window closes at 11pm.

Sunday 25 May 2025 – The final round of 2024/25 Premier League fixtures will be played.