Newcastle United fans protested Mike Ashley's running of the club on Sunday on what turned out to be a flat day at St James' Park for both sides.

Thousands of fans boycotted the opening home fixtures against Arsenal but the swathes of empty seats organisers had hoped to see didn't materialise.

Geordies are divided on how to vent their frustration about the owner and that divide was clear on Sunday.

While it was the lowest home attendance since 2016, tens of thousands of fans decided to ignore the calls for a large protest.

A Newcastle supporter make her way to the stadium with a banner ahead of the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC at St. James Park on August 11, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
A Newcastle supporter make her way to the stadium with a banner ahead of the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC at St. James Park on August 11, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

The stadium was visibly more empty than usual, but the official attendance was still above 47,000, although the real figure was likely lower once season ticket-holders who didn't attend are taken into account.

Despite flashes of excitement from the home side in the first half, there was little to get the crowd to their feet.

Newcastle slumped to a 1-0 defeat in Steve Bruce's first game as manager in a performance which failed to spark into life.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 11: Steve Bruce, Manager of Newcastle United reacts during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal FC at St. James Park on August 11, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The noisiest part of the day was when around 300 fans marched to the ground to hold an anti-Mike Ashley protest holding placards demanding the owner sells the club.

It started with a "booze cruise" on the River Tyne before the crowd made their way up to St James' via the Northumberland Street Sports Direct store.

Although a major boycott failed to materialise, several supporters noted that the atmosphere inside the stadium was flatter than usual, especially for a season opener.

The flag displays which elevated the mood inside the ground during the Rafa Benitez era were also conspicuous by their absence.

Anti-Mike Ashley groups were resolute on Twitter and said the day had been a success.

The Magpie Group Tweeted: "When was the last time we saw this many empty seats on the 1st game of the season? This is just the start & we won’t stop until he’s gone."