My son would rather watch rugby than go to see Newcastle... they're losing an entire generation of fans, warns Alan Shearer

  • Newcastle were embarrassed in a 5-1 defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday
  • Club legend Alan Shearer says young fans no longer want to watch them
  • Newcastle were embarrassed in a 5-1 defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday
  • Club legend Alan Shearer says young fans no longer want to watch them
  • Shearer delivered damning message about the state of his former club
  • Former England striker says his own son would rather watch rugby

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has delivered a damning indictment of the club's current state, claiming they are alienating a generation of young supporters - including his own son.

Second-from-bottom Newcastle were thrashed 5-1 at Crystal Palace in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday, a new low in a campaign that has brought just three wins in all competitions.

And things are so bad on Tyneside that even Newcastle's all-time top scorer has trouble convincing his 15-year-old boy Will to watch Steve McClaren's side play.

Newcastle United icons Paul Gascoigne (left) and Alan Shearer pose together and the former Newcastle manager and captain praised Perez for his performances this season

Newcastle United icons Paul Gascoigne (left) and Alan Shearer pose together as the former striker stated his dismay at the way things are going on Tyneside and the reaction to their slump among the young generation

Shearer's son Will would rather go to rugby than watch Newcastle play, a feeling shared by a number of fans

Shearer's son Will would rather go to rugby than watch Newcastle play, a feeling shared by a number of fans

Newcastle were beaten 5-1 by Crystal Palace on Saturday to send them second-bottom of the Premier League

Newcastle were beaten 5-1 by Crystal Palace on Saturday to send them second-bottom of the Premier League

Shearer says young supporters are disenchanted and that his son does not want to watch Newcastle play

Shearer says young supporters are disenchanted and that his son does not want to watch Newcastle play

Events at St James' Park in Newcastle's city centre, are often said to be what life revolves around in the North East but Shearer believes that is no longer the case for the younger generation.


Writing in his column in The Sun about inviting his son to matches, Shearer says: 'I ask him if he wants to go to the match and he says "no, no thanks dad".

'On the odd occasion he does go with me he comes away saying "well that was rubbish".

'He does play football but it is rugby he really likes. There are plenty of other kids like him in Newcastle who would rather do something else than go to St James' Park.

'I genuinely believe the club is losing a whole generation of fans.'

Attendances at St James' have dwindled to an average of below 50,000 this season for the first time since 2011-12 with results difficult to come by for McClaren's side.

Fans turned on Steve McClaren's side on Saturday and attendances have fallen at St James' Park

Fans turned on Steve McClaren's side on Saturday and attendances have fallen at St James' Park

James McArthur celebrates with his Crystal Palace team-mates after scoring in Saturday's big win

James McArthur celebrates with his Crystal Palace team-mates after scoring in Saturday's big win

Fans at Selhurst Park sung: 'You're not fit to wear the shirt' at their dejected players on Saturday as they dropped into the Premier League relegation zone, leapfrogged by local rivals Sunderland.

McClaren faces a fight to hang on to his job just three months into the new campaign but he says there is no urgent worrying within the squad despite the discontent in the stands.

'There's no panic,' he said. 'If there were six or seven games to go, then people would be.'

McClaren looked dejected as he headed for the tunnel at full-time but said his squad were not panicking

McClaren looked dejected as he headed for the tunnel at full-time but said his squad were not panicking

He also admitted his players were guilty in recent games of losing heart and capitulating after going a goal behind.

'It's one of the things you can see, it's not rocket science,' he said. 'That's what's happening. We're getting setbacks and not reacting well enough from that setback, and that's what we need to turn around.  

'We stop our doing our jobs when some disappointment hits us. That was especially after three goals and especially after four. You can't have that. You've got to keep, keep, keep, keep, keep doing your job.'

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