Newcastle season ticket holders have been offered an additional free half-season ticket.
Season ticket holders can nominate a fellow supporter for a free ticket covering 10 home Premier League games, starting against Everton on December 28 and also featuring appointments with Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.
“After discussions between head coach Steve Bruce and managing director Lee Charnley, subject to eligibility criteria, the Magpies will gift a half-season ticket to qualifying nominees by existing season ticket holders on a first come, first served basis,” the club said.
And Bruce added: “The supporters have been nothing short of magnificent since I arrived in the summer.
“To have the crowds we have is wonderful, and we can’t ever take that for granted, but the question to all of us at the club is can we pack the stadium to the rafters?
“It starts with results on the pitch, but I hope a gesture like this will help us to fill the place because St James’ Park in full voice is a force to be reckoned with.”
Toon For Change, a Newcastle United supporters’ group, described the move as “desperate” after just 42,303 fans attended St James’ Park on Saturday against Southampton – the Magpies’ lowest crowd for nine years.
A statement read: “Following the lowest attendance at St James’ Park for a league match since November 2010 at the weekend, the club has announced today that it will give away free half-season tickets, in a desperate move from a hierarchy that is clearly on the ropes.
“The thousands of empty seats week-in-week-out at St James’ Park are a result supporters vowing to not return to the stadium until (owner Mike) Ashley sells our football club.
“These same empty seats are an ongoing PR disaster for Mike Ashley, whose sports brand is now associated with an unhappy fanbase, that has been left with no option but to boycott their own stadium for emotional, not financial reasons.
“Today’s move from the club is nothing more than a way to try and win over supporters. We will continue to call on fans to stand their ground and remember that every empty seat not only sends a message regarding Ashley, but also makes St James’ a less attractive proposition for broadcasters like Sky and BT.
“This is typical Ashley, who is hoping that yet again we will just forgive and forget, while applying his bargain bin business model to Newcastle United.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here