Only Newcastle could ban a string of journalists, face a blizzard of negative media and then decide that now is the right time to take away the free food in the press box.
All Premier League grounds are obliged to provide hot meals to the men and women of the international media. In Arsenal's case, this is usually some kind of lightly grilled, university-educated fish doused in a sauce so fragrant that you'd happily bathe in it.
Newcastle, by contrast, do a cup of soup. And a roll, if you get there early. On this day, the press corps took matters into their own hands, a delegation was dispatched to the nearest bakers and an impromptu free buffet of sausage rolls was laid on.
Of course, when compared to all of Newcastle's real problems, this is a very trivial thing. You might even ask why journalists are fed for free anyway. Most people have to buy their own food at work, and when "work" involves watching top-level football for free, it can seem like a rather unnecessary bonus.
But why seek to alienate the people who report on your every move? It's not great PR, especially if the very next thing those people have to look at after pouting at your soup is your giant scoreboard, flapping perilously in the wind.
______________