As we mentioned in a report we put out before the game yesterday, Newcastle could now face a big fine from the FA and Premier League, after the club were forced to delay the start of their Premier League game with Leicester City for an hour, because the new large video screen was unstable and was seemed a safety hazard.
The video screen that was unstable
Referee Martin Atkinson refused to allow the turnstiles to open while the large video screen was unstable, and the gates didn’t open until 3:15 pm – 15 minutes after the game should have kicked off.
The video screen will show Sports Direct advertisements during breaks in filming of the game, so it’s even more free advertising for owner Mike Ashley and his company Sports Direct – and to think we thought it was for the benefit of the fans at the game.
This was a complete and utter screw up by Newcastle, and embarrassing that the game couldn’t go ahead as planned – and it was a real inconvenience to the over 50,000 fans who attended the game.
Did the club not check the video screen earlier in the week, to make sure it was safe and attached correctly?
Here’s the statement Newcastle put out as an apology:
Newcastle United Football Club would like to offer sincere apologies to everyone affected by the delay to kick-off of today’s Barclays Premier League fixture with Leicester City at St. James’ Park.
Turnstiles were closed until 3.15pm whilst loose dressing panels surrounding the newly installed LED screen in the Leazes Stand were assessed and made secure by engineers. Kick-off was subsequently rescheduled to 4pm.
Before turnstiles were opened, an issue was identified with the dressing panels and in order to give the Club the opportunity to rectify the situation, the decision was taken to keep the turnstiles closed. Supporter safety was of paramount importance and the Club felt that this action was necessary as a precaution.
The Club wishes to make very clear that the issues we experienced were not to do with the screen itself. Although the screen carries the ‘adi.tv’ branding the dressing panels were not installed by ADI nor a company sub-contracted by ADI.
We wish to apologise once again to everyone who suffered inconvenience as a result of this issue today and wish to place on record our particular thanks to all supporters at St. James’ Park for their patience.
We fully expect Newcastle to be reprimanded and fined for this incompetence, before the game even kicked off yesterday.
Newcastle need to get their act together in a number of areas.
And other news before the game was that in their wisdom, Newcastle have also decided not to give the journalists any food in the press room before the game – what are they thinking?
What is it that they don’t like about journalists?
Newcastle need to hire a good PR company with a view to improving their relationships with both fans and journalists.
That would be a good start.
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26 comments so far
santonthenewmaldini
Oct 19, 2014 at 12:16 AM
Comment #1Great a big fine no doubt another excuse not to spend any transfer fees!!!
croftus5678
Oct 19, 2014 at 12:16 AM
Comment #2lescalles will add steel to our defence for sure even though he’s untested and yes saylor played well today but how many times have we said that about him for 2 games in a row ?
mbiwa just isnt suited to the prem even by his own admition so he will be sold for close to what we bought him for.
and i’d take ings in a shot def worth the 3mil we would have to pay for him as he’s a proper striker and not a bloody off the striker that we seem to have a full team of.
Toonacious T
Oct 19, 2014 at 12:27 AM
Comment #3Absolutely amateur approach to the TV installation. Maybe Mike tried to save a few bob and got Carver, Goodman, and Charnley alongside the chuckle brothers to install the big screen surrounds. Embarrassing our club once again. What could be a bigger clue to Ashley’s true intentions for us than investing in a giant TV screen to advertise Tat Direct whilst simultaneously under-investing in the team that thousands of fans pay their hard- earned cash to be entertained by, supposedly. If he loves the club as Pardew said he would have invested our Sky money in a top class centre back and a striker, I think we would all rather see them in the dressing room than Cashley’s fat ass!
Sliema
Oct 19, 2014 at 12:27 AM
Comment #4santon
Like they bother giving us excuses.
santonthenewmaldini
Oct 19, 2014 at 12:28 AM
Comment #5At least Palace , Villa , Sunderland, Leicester , Burnley , QPR are defo worse than us would be fairly confident they will all finish below us this season even with Pardew in charge
santonthenewmaldini
Oct 19, 2014 at 12:29 AM
Comment #6@Sliema
Very true but dont be surprised if Pardew comes out using the TV screen as a reason we cant compete with the big guns of Hull City and Stoke in the January window !!
scout
Oct 19, 2014 at 12:33 AM
Comment #7whats the point of a fine?
MacToon
Oct 19, 2014 at 1:00 AM
Comment #8So your 5 year old might be more grown up than us but not necessarily right 😉
thepict // Oct 18, 2014 at 4:18 PM
So how come Newcastle will be fined? Did Pardew attach the large screen? You lot Are so pathetic. You really needs to grow up. Bunch of adolescents. My 5 year old’s more grown up than some of you lot
Mint
Oct 19, 2014 at 1:20 AM
Comment #9As much as I dislike the lack of ambition for our club, Sports Direct do have some bloody good deals if you avoid the cheaper stuff!
Its at least one positive from all this self destruction!
swemag
Oct 19, 2014 at 1:40 AM
Comment #10Had we won the games against Villa and Palace, which we should have, we would have been top 6.
Instead we are talking about a crisis. Small margins.
Huge relief today. Obertan the saviour, who would have thought two months ago…
Mister Tuff
Oct 19, 2014 at 1:51 AM
Comment #11Yeh SD do have some good deals in their shops.
Not so much a good deal for those in the Far East – quote from the Mirror.
“A sweatshop in Laos has been filmed churning out sport clothing on the cheap for SportsDirect, paying workers just £1 a day for a 12 hour shift.”
Enjoy that cheap clothing mate.
ilovetoon8788
Oct 19, 2014 at 1:53 AM
Comment #12The screen looks awful and pathetic. It looks so isolated from the stadium it as well be placed behind the stadium.
So much hype about it and it looks so small. Rubbish by Ashley.
swemag
Oct 19, 2014 at 1:57 AM
Comment #13Mister Tuff, SD are hardly the only ones getting their stuff made over there. I challenge you to find any sporting goods that are not made in Asia.
Mister Tuff
Oct 19, 2014 at 2:13 AM
Comment #14swemag – interesting concept – it’s alright because others do it.
SD (and others) has failed to back a safety accord in Bangladesh to improve the safety of workers there.
Who cares whether Bangladeshi workers are burnt alive in substandard buildings or the buildings collapse on them. Perhaps killing the only breadwinner in a large family.- where there’s no Social Security.Don’t work -don’t eat.
Because others misuse workers does not excuse the principle.
ilovetoon8788
Oct 19, 2014 at 2:23 AM
Comment #15anyone saw the highlights of Guingamp yesterday?
Sylvan Marveaux had another outstanding game with an assist. He’s more of a loss than Arfa than evident yesterday.
HBA did F all yesterday at Arsenal.
gazzaforever
Oct 19, 2014 at 3:40 AM
Comment #16Ilovetoon your comparaison is , as always, totally silly. Ben Arfa had his first big game today, how can you judge him? Are you trolling again, or just plain stupid, you are so annoying, seriously I d give money just to punch you one time in the face, maybe it ll help to clear up your dumb mind who knows.
Go toon gooooo
Oct 19, 2014 at 4:19 AM
Comment #17Some fans were disrespectful about some players in this club.But that doesn’t matter.What matters is that Alan Pardew corrected his errors seriously.Maybe he watched Newcastle 10 games unbeaten run again and copied or simply took classes from his friend Jose Mourning.Whatever,I can say now that this team is on the good track now.This time with small letters:Pardew to stay temporarily.The next thing now is to bring back Ben Arfa and Marveaux on the left wing and play Cabella in the attacking midfield in the middle ASAP.We will be stronger than Chelsea.Doesn’t need new players.Team we need is already here.
la.jim
Oct 19, 2014 at 4:28 AM
Comment #18What you smoking son!
Reyantoon
Oct 19, 2014 at 5:02 AM
Comment #19Slank / Santon03…..Greetings!
Did u guys got the chance to see Leicester game ?
How do we looked? I like to hear ur assessments!
as I didn’t saw the game..
Go toon gooooo
Oct 19, 2014 at 5:35 AM
Comment #20Probably some blue eyed b.stard writing.
cyprus
Oct 19, 2014 at 5:54 AM
Comment #21Ed,
I don’t understand why you are trying to incite the masses. MA is putting up that screen in order to JUST put up SD ads?? Haven’t you ever wondered why a grand stadium like that doesn’t have a screen? Let’s not get carried away here… if you want material to criticize MA there’s plenty out there.
Unless, MA ARRANGED to install a wobbly screen so that people would give NUFC negative SD publicity which is really like advertising which translates to more sales and more money for him and that’s all that motivates him! (See how foolish this sounds)? 🙂 Come on man.
hibbit
Oct 19, 2014 at 7:02 AM
Comment #22if there is a fine the club the wont pay it the contracror will
nut meg
Oct 19, 2014 at 7:11 AM
Comment #23The TV was part of the deal to get the rugby world cup ( or some other rugby competition ) games played at SJP next year. It’s to show the judges & the crowd if a try has been scored or not. It ‘s a requirment,no screen, no deal. That’s how I remember reading about it a while back,maybe somebody knows more & can correct me if I’m wrong. However it will be used to benefit the pie eater & not NUFC of that I’m 100% sure.
Jeff from Benwell
Oct 19, 2014 at 7:41 AM
Comment #24At the outset I want to acknowledge that I am guilty of making stupid
and intemperate comments on this log
I see that the judiciary in the UK are looking long and hard at
social media sites and the lack of control of them
Daily concern at pubblic figures becoming the focus of uncontrolled baying cyber mobs
On this one page alone gazzaforever threatens someone with a punh and MrTuff uses a Daily Mirror quote
that they later had to issue a grovelling apology for
I guess if sites are not regulated better then it may be taken out of the site
admins hands and they will have to pay an outside agency to do it
thepict
Oct 19, 2014 at 7:47 AM
Comment #25So Newcastle are being fined , because the firm that installed the screen didn’t do the job correctly? Still, give the Moaning Minnie’s
something else to criticise .
ToonMatt
Oct 19, 2014 at 8:25 AM
Comment #26I don’t know whats more embarrassing the bodged up tacky TV screen or the 50,000 Mike Ashley supporters who turned up for the game!