1893/94 Season - The Club

Finance

Money - or the lack of it - was the overriding issue for the directorate during the season. The gate receipts coming in simply were not great enough to cover their expenses.

On many occasions during that first season the directors had to dip into their own pockets to ensure that the club could fullfill it's fixtures. Fund raising events were also organised at various locations in the Town

The players too were asked to help out by taking a cut in their wages. Most agreed, but United still lost a number of key men.

A number of friendlies were arranged against "prestige" opposition with some clubs offering their services at cut-down rates so that United could pocket more of the money. First Division clubs Sunderland (four times) and Sheffield United were two of the teams that helped out.

Two FA Cup games against First Division opposition was also a welcome boost, the directors taking the opportunity to double admission prices for the Sheffield United game resulting in record receipts.

Despite their best efforts the club finished the season in dire financial trouble owing the vast sum of £600 to other clubs; it looked as though the club was finished. But the directors dug deep again and, with a little bit of assistance from the FA who "persuaded" the other sides to accept reduced payments, they survived.

The Novacastrians were not the only club struggling to survive and as a result a motion was put forward that wages should be capped as follows: maximum £140 per year, maximum of £1 per week in the summer and a maximum £10 bonus. However the motion was not supported by the top clubs and was not passed. Middlesbrough Ironopolis would be one of the victims that year.

The Press Gang

There was a constant battle to raise the profile of the club and the sport in general. They had to battle for space on the sports pages with such past times as rabbit coursing and quoiting and the "Football" heading usually referred to the oval balled game unless given an "Association" sub-heading.

The Newcastle Daily Chronicle was attacked by the directorate for negative criticism and lack of "paragraphs" and at one stage the club refused to send them the team sheet. Unrepentant the rag responded by stating "we don't run this paper for the purpose of giving free advertisments to the Newcastle United Football Club or anybody else". How things change.

Discipline

Clubs often found themselves fined or censured in those days. United were fined 2 guineas in October for fielding an unregistered layer [Davies]; more originally Darwen were forced to apologise to referee Jeffries after they suggested he was under the influence of drink whilst umpiring one of their matches.