Double FA Cup finalist Rob Lee has accused Newcastle owner Mike Ashley of riding roughshod over long-suffering Geordie fans and leaving them with ‘nothing to look forward to’ next season. The former Newcastle midfielder, an integral figure under Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish in the 1990s, was aghast when Ashley ruled cup competitions are of secondary importance — branding the stance ‘shocking.’ He claimed Ashley was abusing the ‘incredible’ loyalty of Tyneside fans and warned that this latest clash could rebound on him. ‘Let’s see what happens when the draw is made for the third round of the FA Cup,’ he said. ‘If Newcastle land a home tie, they could be playing in front of an empty stadium. Midfield grafter: Lee was a mainstay of the Newcastle team in the 1990s and is shocked by Ashley's attitude . Shocked: Former Newcastle midfielder has claimed that Mike Ashley is abusing the loyalty of fans . ‘Newcastle fans are incredibly loyal — far and away the best in the country for continually backing their team — but they’re not stupid. ‘The club have effectively said the cups don’t matter, so what’s the point in turning up? They’ll surely stay away and I wouldn’t blame them one bit. What I’d like to know is, if they’re not going for the cups, what are they going for? Are they going for the title? Of course not. ‘There are very few teams with a realistic chance of winning the League and Newcastle aren’t one of them. So what’s left? Staying up, it seems. Judging by what they are saying, that is the extent of their ambition and I find it truly shocking. I just don’t understand it. ‘They’ve killed the season before it’s even started. These fans have got nothing to look forward to and that can’t  possibly be right. You’ve got to give fans like Newcastle’s some hope and excitement and the fact is they can win one of the cups. Wigan and Birmingham have both shown it is perfectly  possible and the argument from Newcastle’s board that they both went down just fills me with despair. Decision: Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has ruled cup competitions are of secondary importance . ‘If we are comparing ourselves with Wigan Athletic and  Birmingham City, then we have got problems. That’s not meant as a cheap shot against those two clubs, but we are talking about Newcastle United and 50,000 Geordies filling the ground every home game.’ Lee has first-hand experience of how Cup final fever grips Tyneside after playing in 2-0 defeats by Arsenal and  Manchester United in 1998 and 1999. ‘We almost made it three in a row after reaching the semi-final in 2000, only to lose 2-1 to Chelsea,’ he said. ‘We didn’t play particularly well in either final and couldn’t quite deliver the trophy the fans were desperate for, but those Cup runs were something else. Cup agony: Lee was part of the Newcastle team that lost consecutive FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999 . Early exit: Alan Pardew's Newcastle were knocked out of the FA Cup third round by Cardiff in January . ‘The place came alive all the more with each round we played. It was fantastic for the Newcastle public and you can never question what the Cup means to them or doubt the excitement it generates.‘It was all they talked about at the end of the Nineties, but what have they got to talk about now? There’s no point to next season for them now and you wonder whether Mike  Ashley realises what the  cups mean to the people of Newcastle. I think he probably does, but it doesn’t seem to bother him if he upsets people. ‘We’re talking about the FA Cup, for crying out loud. Ashley knows they’ll keep renewing their season tickets and filling the ground, no matter what. They are the most loyal bunch around, but it is to their own detriment sometimes and that is such a shame.’ Loud and clear: Newcastle fans hold up a banner in protest against Pardew and Ashley earlier this month .
The former Newcastle midfielder was aghast when Ashley ruled cup competitions are of secondary importance .
Lee says the Newcastle owner is abusing the loyalty of Tyneside fans .
Double FA Cup finalist Rob Lee has accused Newcastle owner Mike Ashley of riding roughshod over long-suffering Geordie fans and leaving them with ‘nothing to look forward to’ next season. The former Newcastle midfielder, an integral figure under Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish in the 1990s, was aghast when Ashley ruled cup competitions are of secondary importance — branding the stance ‘shocking.’ He claimed Ashley was abusing the ‘incredible’ loyalty of Tyneside fans and warned that this latest clash could rebound on him. ‘Let’s see what happens when the draw is made for the third round of the FA Cup,’ he said. ‘If Newcastle land a home tie, they could be playing in front of an empty stadium. Midfield grafter: Lee was a mainstay of the Newcastle team in the 1990s and is shocked by Ashley's attitude . Shocked: Former Newcastle midfielder has claimed that Mike Ashley is abusing the loyalty of fans . ‘Newcastle fans are incredibly loyal — far and away the best in the country for continually backing their team — but they’re not stupid. ‘The club have effectively said the cups don’t matter, so what’s the point in turning up? They’ll surely stay away and I wouldn’t blame them one bit. What I’d like to know is, if they’re not going for the cups, what are they going for? Are they going for the title? Of course not. ‘There are very few teams with a realistic chance of winning the League and Newcastle aren’t one of them. So what’s left? Staying up, it seems. Judging by what they are saying, that is the extent of their ambition and I find it truly shocking. I just don’t understand it. ‘They’ve killed the season before it’s even started. These fans have got nothing to look forward to and that can’t  possibly be right. You’ve got to give fans like Newcastle’s some hope and excitement and the fact is they can win one of the cups. Wigan and Birmingham have both shown it is perfectly  possible and the argument from Newcastle’s board that they both went down just fills me with despair. Decision: Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has ruled cup competitions are of secondary importance . ‘If we are comparing ourselves with Wigan Athletic and  Birmingham City, then we have got problems. That’s not meant as a cheap shot against those two clubs, but we are talking about Newcastle United and 50,000 Geordies filling the ground every home game.’ Lee has first-hand experience of how Cup final fever grips Tyneside after playing in 2-0 defeats by Arsenal and  Manchester United in 1998 and 1999. ‘We almost made it three in a row after reaching the semi-final in 2000, only to lose 2-1 to Chelsea,’ he said. ‘We didn’t play particularly well in either final and couldn’t quite deliver the trophy the fans were desperate for, but those Cup runs were something else. Cup agony: Lee was part of the Newcastle team that lost consecutive FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999 . Early exit: Alan Pardew's Newcastle were knocked out of the FA Cup third round by Cardiff in January . ‘The place came alive all the more with each round we played. It was fantastic for the Newcastle public and you can never question what the Cup means to them or doubt the excitement it generates.‘It was all they talked about at the end of the Nineties, but what have they got to talk about now? There’s no point to next season for them now and you wonder whether Mike  Ashley realises what the cups mean to the people of Newcastle. I think he probably does, but it doesn’t seem to bother him if he upsets people. ‘We’re talking about the FA Cup, for crying out loud. Ashley knows they’ll keep renewing their season tickets and filling the ground, no matter what. They are the most loyal bunch around, but it is to their own detriment sometimes and that is such a shame.’ Loud and clear: Newcastle fans hold up a banner in protest against Pardew and Ashley earlier this month .
The former Newcastle midfielder, an integral the 1990s, was aghast when Ashley ruled cup competitions are of secondary importance — abusing the loyalty of fans . ‘Newcastle fans are