Newcastle have moved to appease disgruntled supporters after changing their plans to celebrate the team’s Carabao Cup triumph.
The club initially announced there would be a party on the city’s Town Moor rather than a traditional open-top bus parade but on Monday night they said that Eddie Howe and his players would take a short bus tour en route to the Town Moor on Saturday evening after all.
An outcry from fans provoked the compromise and club officials spent Monday in talks with Newcastle city council and Northumbria police regarding the addition of a scaled-down parade.
Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle Central, said a lot of supporters had contacted her about the issue with “many very upset”, while Karen Kilgour, the leader of Newcastle city council, released a statement saying the council had not “blocked a parade”.
Nonetheless, given that Saturday is a busy shopping day in central Newcastle, the parade presented logistical problems, particularly as all police leave has been cancelled as officers divide themselves between the Town Moor and the Championship game between Sunderland and Millwall at the Stadium of Light. Although Sunderland is 15 miles away many Millwall fans are expected to change trains at Newcastle central station en route to Wearside.
Newcastle fans reacted positively to the news that there will now be an open-top bus parade but remain concerned that anyone wanting to attend the Town Moor event had to register by Sunday night, with no guarantees of admission on the day. Moreover it is a “standing only” party with no facilities for car parking. Admission will be free and the event will run from 4pm until 8pm. Eddie Howe and his players are expected to take to the stage at about 6pm but many older fans feel the need to stand for so long means it is unsuited to their needs, let alone those of children. Then there is the problem of what happens if it rains on a site prone to turning muddy.
Although Newcastle say no alcohol will be permitted, soft drinks, food and merchandise will be sold. Anyone registering an interest has had to provide an email address and some locals believe a celebration expected to attract about 100,000 people is being turned into a corporate money-making exercise. Newcastle have said the club sponsor Sela, a Saudi Arabian events company, will close the celebrations with “a spectacular show”.
Howe and those Newcastle players not on international duty have been in Dubai for the past week but are set to return from the UAE on Tuesday lunchtime. They left the Carabao Cup on Tyneside and it was shown off in front of a crowd of more than 38,500 at St James’ Park on Sunday when Newcastle beat Sunderland 1-0 in the Women’s Championship.
