Newcastle United takeover consortium show backing for fan-led 'Think Before You Tweet' campaign

South Shields-born prominent Newcastle United fan Steve Wraith, via his YouTube channel NUFC Matters, has this week started up a campaign to get fans to ‘Think before they tweet’. This is in light of recent Twitter abuse received by Wraith and his YouTube contributors.

And Ghodoussi, husband of Amanda Staveley, has appeared on the campaign promotion video along with a whole host of Newcastle United fans from across the globe.

Speaking to the Gazette about the campaign, Wraith said: “Throughout December we are running the 'Think before you tweet' campaign. The idea came about after some of our regular panelists were targeted by social media 'trolls,' and I myself was confronted in my street by one whilst I was on the school run.

“We just want people to be kinder to each other on social media and to stop hiding behind anonymous accounts. We want platforms such as Twitter to be held accountable for allowing these people to cyber bully others and take more direct action against these types of people.”

On the involvement of PCP’s Ghodoussi, Wraith said: “I have of course met Mehrdad and asked him if he would like to take part in the video campaign. He was only too happy to oblige and we are grateful for his support.”

Ghodoussi and Staveley continue to fight to get their proposed £300 million purchase of Newcastle United, along with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the Reuben Brothers, ratified by the Premier League.

The deal remains very much in the hands of Newcastle United’s legal representatives, who are locked in an arbitration process with the Premier League, in hope of freeing the deal from its regulatory red tape.

The campaign follows on from the recent NUFC Matters ‘Phone a friend’ appeal, which called upon fans to reach out to people who may be in need as the UK headed into the recently-ended second national lockdown.

Former United heroes Micky Quinn, Rob Lee, Lee Clark, Warren Barton, Steve Howey, Liam O’Brien, Keith Gillespie, Steve Caldwell, Stephen Glass and Matty Pattison all recorded video messages for ‘Phone a friend’, as well as North East boxing legend Glenn McCrory and active UK boxer Anthony Fowler.

Wraith continued: “In March I decided to use my NUFC contacts to provide a little bit of entertainment for fans during lockdown. I interviewed the likes of Ruel Fox, Lee Clark, Steve Howey and Keith Gillespie on Instagram. We were averaging 800 viewers so I decided to move the shows onto YouTube as it was more accessible for fans and the show NUFC Matters has grown from there.

"We do seven shows-per-week, with more than 33,000 subscribers to the channel – that’s growing daily.

“We have used the channel to raise over £1200 for the NUFC Food bank and £1000 for Children in Need.

“We have also run campaigns tackling important issues affecting fans. The first was 'Phone A Friend' during November where we encouraged people to pick up the phone and speak to someone during lockdown. Media Arts helped us with a video montage and former players such as Warren Barton, Rob Lee, and Mick Quinn took part in the video.”