Tuesday 21 April 2015 07:32, UK
Former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd has called on fans to get behind the club, not boycott it.
John Carver’s side lost 3-1 to Tottenham at St James' Park on Super Sunday, but the build-up was dominated by supporters’ protests over Mike Ashley’s ownership of the club.
A fan campaign against the Sports Direct tycoon resulted in the Toon’s lowest home gate of the season.
However, Ashley's predecessor, Shepherd, told Sky Sports News HQ: "I'm really worried, but I think a boycott's not going to be the answer. I don't think it helps anybody.
"We need to get behind John Carver and the team. Doing a boycott isn't going to help that team. They're lacking confidence and they need every supporter behind them."
‘Big change’
Following Sunday’s defeat, the club’s sixth in-a-row, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed Ashley should be looking for excitement rather than profit going into the close-season, and Shepherd has backed his successor to deliver.
"Mike Ashley's a very clever guy," the former Magpies chief added. "There's no doubt about it - he's a great businessman, so he knows what he's doing.
"I think in the summer you'll see a big change in Newcastle because he'll not want his assets to depreciate, so I'm confident he's going to come out in the summer and spend some money and get some players in."
