Newcastle Knights CEO’s insensitive Alex McKinnon ‘oversight’ exposes deep issues at club

After paying for his own general admission ticket, Alex McKinnon was alerted by a crestfallen Knights fan to what was unfolding on the field prior to kick-off. This is the disgraceful “oversight” that proves the club CEO must move on.

Nothing demonstrates the wide-spread concern from fed-up Newcastle Knights fans over the direction of their struggling club than this.

In a sport where success is piloted from the very top, the Knights are being run by a chief executive in Phil Gardner who has lost complete control of the wheel.

It’s any wonder the Knights don’t know who their next coach will be, or that fullback Kalyn Ponga is looking at switching codes, or that they paid $13 million for a half in Dylan Brown, who the Eels are happy to bench for the rest of the season and that fans are watching no less than 20 previously contracted Knights players play for rival NRL clubs.

Last Saturday afternoon, former Knights forward Alex McKinnon sat on the hill at the northern end of McDonald Jones Stadium.

He paid for his own general admission tickets to watch the Knights lose 32-14 to the Storm.

Make your own judgement on whether McKinnon should need to pay for his own tickets to the footy to support the team he loves and after being left a quadraplegic from a tackle gone wrong while giving his all for the Knights against the Melbourne Storm in round three, 2014.

You could understand if McKinnon never wanted to watch another footy game again.

You could understand if McKinnon never wanted to watch the Storm again.

This Sunday will mark 11-years since former Knights captain Kurt Gidley wheeled his crestfallen teammate out onto McDonald Jones Stadium for Rise For Alex Round 19 before an emotional crowd of 26,401.

The images of McKinnon staring back at a sea of tearful supporters in red and blue, while pushing back tears from his cheek, are of such gut-wrenching heartache, the game has proven they will never forget the impact of suffering by cracking down on dangerous tackles ever since.

Alex McKinnon's emotional return to McDonald Jones Stadium in 2014.

Yet incredibly the Knights have.

While smiling and saying g’day to supporters up on the northern hill, McKinnon was suddenly alerted by a disappointed fan to what was unfolding down on the field prior to kick-off.

The disappointment from the supporter wasn’t in the messaging, but in the incredibly insensitive and thoughtless scheduling.

As part of the Knights focus on promoting local charities during their home games, out on the field were ambassadors of Stronger Together, a spinal support organisation that provides amazing support for those who have been affected by spinal cord injuries.

It is a charity that absolutely deserves to be liked and shared across social media and broadcast across the jumbo screens of McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Stronger Together for Spinal Support promotion on Facebook.

Stronger Together, look it up.

It is a charity of such importance that McKinnon would have happily supported, had anyone from the Knights, including the CEO, bothered to ask.

Or has Gardener already forgotten how the entire Hunter wept for the red-head from Aberdeen not so long ago?

Clearly he has, because last Saturday wasn’t the day.

It illustrates how out of touch Gardener is with what makes Newcastle great. It’s history. It’s passion. It’s people.

Of all the home games this season that the Knights could have chosen, they selected a home game against the Melbourne Storm to promote a spinal cord charity.

Knights CEO Phil Gardner.

The Knights have had eight previous home games and still have three more to go.

Like it or not, there are Knights fans who still hold a grudge towards the Storm. That will never change.

Gardner has left embarrassed Knights staff to personally apologise to McKinnon for the “oversight.’’

The red-head from Aberdeen will move on.

So should Gardner.

Originally published as Newcastle Knights CEO’s insensitive Alex McKinnon ‘oversight’ exposes deep issues at club