Bannergate: In the cold light of day

[Lush]

Somewhere in there is a point. How would we feel if the Goldstone was renamed the Amex Goldstone? However these days it is hopelessly naive (I'd be interested to hear Attila's point of view). No club these days can afford to turn away a major source of income. (Aside from the fact that apparently most of that income is directed into Albion In The Community projects).

How many clubs these days haven't taken the corporate or benefactors shilling re naming their stands?

But it came across as a criticism of the stadium we fought so long and hard for, and that we are proud of as well as a chairman and board who are also fans and without whom we wouldn't be where we are now (in contrast to Ipswich's 'missing' chairman.)

It also comes across as a bit weird when you consider the amount of money that Ipswich have spunked on the wages of players making their way down from the Premier League. It also appears a bit churlish when we as a club try and go out of our way to make opposition fans welcome. Jibes about tractors and six fingers aside.

However I think we have to remember that it only reflects the views of a small minority of Ipswich fans and most are embarrassed by the whole event. No need to villify the whole club or fanbase.

It was a protest that was both misguided and misunderstood. Although I guess it's got people talking.

Anyway thanks for the 3 points it helped us get.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Somewhere in there is a point. How would we feel if the Goldstone was renamed the Amex Goldstone? However these days it is hopelessly naive (I'd be interested to hear Attila's point of view). No club these days can afford to turn away a major source of income. (Aside from the fact that apparently most of that income is directed into Albion In The Community projects).

How many clubs these days haven't taken the corporate or benefactors shilling re naming their stands?

But it came across as a criticism of the stadium we fought so long and hard for, and that we are proud of as well as a chairman and board who are also fans and without whom we wouldn't be where we are now (in contrast to Ipswich's 'missing' chairman.)

It also comes across as a bit weird when you consider the amount of money that Ipswich have spunked on the wages of players making their way down from the Premier League. It also appears a bit churlish when we as a club try and go out of our way to make opposition fans welcome. Jibes about tractors and six fingers aside.

However I think we have to remember that it only reflects the views of a small minority of Ipswich fans and most are embarrassed by the whole event. No need to villify the whole club or fanbase.

It was a protest that was both misguided and misunderstood. Although I guess it's got people talking.

Anyway thanks for the 3 points it helped us get.

Far too sensible.

Go and make us a cuppa darling and don't worry your pretty little head about such things......

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

However I think we have to remember that it only reflects the views of a small minority of Ipswich fans and most are embarrassed by the whole event. No need to villify the whole club or fanbase.

Quite. It will not change my view of their club.

 

[Stat Brother]

It was a protest that was both misguided and misunderstood. Although I guess it's got people talking.

You're not wrong there, I thought it was just because I was in a post pie after glow.
As protests go, if it needs re reading several times just to work out if it was pro or anti, it's got to be a fail.

 

[Ernest]

Still don't understand what it's meant to mean or what is the point of it

 

[spooky]

I was on the Ipswich forum last night and a vast majority of them were Embarrassed by the said banner, and did not know what the point was...not even worth the cyber ink now... but as you say thankyou for the 3 points.. brilliant game.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

If it was all about corporate greed and premiership corruption, then it's bang on....and the other banner about the web site which is anti premiership teams buying youngsters and sticking them in their youth teams never to be seen again then also they have a point.

But it didn't read like that and it looked like a pop at us and our success. Wonder if they would show the banner at the groupon stadium in Croydon?

 

[Originunknown]

Pathetic support, pathetic team. The only thing surprising was the lack of homosexual chants, or any chants really after they went 2 down. Can we play the tractor boys every week please

 

[clippedgull]

I guess it's the modern game, we all crave success, and success generally craves money.

Of all the sponsors, American Express is both a coup (first time in English football) and contributes greatly to the local economy and has done for over 40 years and will do so long into the future with the building of a massive new office complex next to the 'Wedding Cake' in Edward Street. To top it all off, as Lush pointed out all the cash goes to 'In the Community' projects and not to feed the ego's of well paid players!

 

[SeagullSongs]

Pathetic support, pathetic team. The only thing surprising was the lack of homosexual chants, or any chants really after they went 2 down. Can we play the tractor boys every week please

I thought we wanted to play Saints every week?
How about a rota?

 

[magoo]

Yes, it might only have been a minority but every fan needs to remember they are a representative of their club when they go to away matches.

If one good thing did come from it it's that it made for a cracking atmosphere!

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

This will have to be the last from me on the subject as it is far too time consuming..

Some things money cannot buy.....................football is not one...................(result after 14 years of hurt & the money men who took the Goldstone)the Amex? ? ?

That's me done

 

[rouseytastic]

I had to read it a couple of times as well to try and figure it out. Pathetic attempt and unnecessary.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

Football is not just a game but also an institution that needs several styles, tactics, atmospheres, inconsistencies, scandals, inaccuracies and injustices to be the life/death heroin we crave.

Yes we have to get rid of some of the vile attributes such as rascim and blatent cheating etc but I don't want to see the game reduced to a souless, boring, rigged, corporate lottery either.

Sometimes you need to go through many years of Archer, groundless, crap ground, planning row hell to get to this season and the Amex - In fact the hell has made the heaven!

Stop being so precious it was just a banner and a poorly planned demo against the corporate side of football. As much as the Amex is fantastic I don't want to completely move to a stadium where you can't say or do ANYTHING without being accused of upsetting someone somewhere in the world.

We need that banner, the Suarez incident, the sex scandals, the insolvencies and the Abrahmovichs and Blooms as well as unfortunately having the tragedies of hillsborough, Bradford and Munich or the game/institution would be reduced to a soulless every weekend Church Fate.

Even our basic game would be ruined if we all played the same style - we need to see and have it all and we need to have clubs going through good times/bad times and we shouldn't forget where we came from and that we can also go back there.

 

[beorhthelm]

so we've taken funds from large local employer and international company to sponsor our new stadium. a bit like having Marcus Evans "Producers of global summits, strategic business conferences, congresses and corporate marketing events." on their shirts. is that for free?

and didnt Ipswich go into adiministration a while back?

 

[Albion Rob]

It was certianly more effective than Fan Zone in getting the home crowd going before the game....

All a bit odd, especially when you consider that Albion fans are among the first to put their hands in their pockets (and produce half and half scarves) when other teams are up against it.

As has been said before, local boy done good pays for the stadium and massive local employer (which also happens to be a huge international brand) ploughs some money into the club. Up to a point is is really any different from the old days when, say, Southampton had Rupert Lowe as chairman and were sponsored by Draper Tools? We're hardly bankrolled by a Middle Eastern royal family.

Others are right though, to get anywehre in football these days you need a bit of cash, be it to pay decent wages or transfer fees or just to hold on to the good players you have. I'm glad that we've finally got a bit of cash and are able to enjoy a bit of time in the sun because God knows we had some bleak years at Withdean and there wasn't too much talk of stadium sponsorship in those days as we welcomed the likes of Ipswich and they thanks us by sauntering off with the three points.

How times have changed....

 

[Seasider78]

Whatever it meant it contributed to another fantastic atmosphere at the Amex which is now a far from comfortable place for away teams to visit

 

[W.C.]

But it came across as a criticism of the stadium we fought so long and hard for, and that we are proud of

This is what got me about seeing that. I can only assume that the people who made it don't have a clue what Brighton fans went through/fought for.

 

[tubaman]

1. As a banner it failed because it didn't get it's point across clearly.

2. It helped on the day to raise the level of vocal home support.

3. It left most of the Ipswich supporters bemused and guessing what had suddenly brought the home support to life.

Please can travelling away supports bring more stupid and misguided banners to the Amex.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

If it was all about corporate greed and premiership corruption, then it's bang on....and the other banner about the web site which is anti premiership teams buying youngsters and sticking them in their youth teams never to be seen again then also they have a point.

But it didn't read like that and it looked like a pop at us and our success. Wonder if they would show the banner at the groupon stadium in Croydon?

Gadzooks! The Gentleman doth speaketh with excessive sense too.