Newcastle - John Carver, Newcastle United's head coach, refused to use a supporters' boycott as an excuse for the 3-1 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur which increased his worries about relegation.
Several thousand fans did stay away from the game in response to a campaign against the way millionaire Mike Ashley is running the club, although the official attendance of 47,427 was the highest in the Premier League at the weekend.
Those who did turn up failed to provide the noisy support that used to be such a feature of this ground, watching unhappily as goals from Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane eased Tottenham to a victory that moved them above Southampton and into sixth place.