Newcastle fans react angrily after Mike Ashley debate on Jim White radio show

In a letter written to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright , Ashley claimed he was being treated like a "pantomime villain" after a parliamentary petition set up against him by a Tyneside MP Chi Onwurah.

The news comes after Newcastle's players refused to do “walk up” shots for TV companies at the training ground yesterday, unhappy with the bonuses offered for the coming season.

Ashley was a major talking point on White's daily show, with Newcastle fans keen to express their views about the club's owner.

Here is how they reacted.

@ryanryandav: @JimWhite the newcastle players are getting less this season than they got last season with the bonus system, its wrong regardless of what they earn. Mike Ashley running the club like a car boot sale. The players taking action and rightly so. #nufc

@farka87: Any chance of @talkSPORT and @JimWhite actually taking the view of the Newcastle fans and not just the PR spread by Ashley and his minions, as sports journalists surley they should report on the full story.....

@thetruestorey: @JimWhite once again the media narrative on Newcastle is completely wrong. Time and time again, the players, Rafa and most of all the fans, are made out to be the bad guys. Why is Mike Ashley seemingly untouchable by media outlets?

@leerobson23: @JimWhite This bonus structure is a repetitive issue that lost Chris Hughton his job. No other club have this problem. Mike Ashley is treating the players like his zero hour contracted employees at Sports Direct. Why shouldn’t the players stand up.

@gaztone90: @JimWhite hierarchy at #nufc have lied for years and they've left bonus' late for last few years. Fans, players and manager against Ashley

@PL1974UK: @talkSPORT @JimWhite Most NUFC fans are fully behind the players actions. This dispute has happened on several occasions under Ashley’s reign. No other club in the top flight has this problem. 2+2= Ashley. Stop pushing a Keith Bishop orchestrated agenda by trying to divide and conquer.

@NUFCWaiter: @JimWhite @mickygray33 absolute rubbish, everyone us behind the players and 100% against the cancer of the club Mike Ashley. I expected nothing less than @talkSPORT to brown nose Ashley. Well said @bobmillstt give them pair of muppets a slap.

@chris_toon78: @JimWhite @talkSPORT if you are going to cover the situation at @NUFC please do it correctly. Call Mike Ashley out for what he is. Call him out for what he is doing to the club. Call him out about the money that is disappearing from our club. #NUFC #ASHLEYOUT

@liamgray542: @JimWhite instead of just focusing on this player downing tools issue, look into how Ashley is running this club into the ground! Fan protest planned for this Saturday outside a #Mikeashley #sportsdirect store, why don’t you mention this #nufc #ashleyout