attila
1997 Club
Afternoon all.
Mansfield fans are going through the same kind of nightmares as we did - and they are asking for our support in a protest against owner Haslam on Saturday. Sadly they're not as united as we were, and many seem a bit disillusioned - a bit of good old fashioned Brighton fans' solidarity may well be just the boost they need. I'm sure the message below will stir many horrible memories.....Haslam paid £55.25 less for their club than Archer did for ours! And when their own stewards try and stop their protests you know things are seriously pear shaped....
They are bringing some 'Haslam Out' posters and banners down and it'd be good if friendly souls could take a few in to our parts of the ground. There will be some in the Evening Star around 1pm and I'll take some into the North Stand. If a couple of South Standers could pick some up and take them in that'd be good. As we know, solidarity works. Let's show 'em some (and then stuff 'em 6-0 again!)
Here's a bit from Will from Stags Fans For Change
January 2008 sees Mansfield Town Football Club at a low ebb both in league position and also in the events off the field.
The club has lurched from controversy to crisis throughout the year with owner and Chief Executive, Keith Haslam, making the decision during the autumn to stop attending home matches due to the abuse he was receiving and then stepping down as Chief Executive in December. He has been replaced by a management consultant who says his remit is to prepare the club for sale despite the rejection of a bid for the club reportedly for up to £3 million from a consortium led by the club chairman. This offer was not for the land that the club stands on, simply for the club, and included a reported £200,000 a year rent. This was simply not enough for the man who bought the club for £1 more than fourteen years ago and who has taken significant amounts of money out of the club for many years.
The takeover was initially agreed early in the season and dragged on for many weeks with the promise of completion almost on a weekly basis until it was finally rejected in the last week of November. This led to a joint statement released by the supporters’ association and ISAs which declared that ‘enough was enough’ and called upon Haslam to ‘hand over the club to people that care’. Round Two of the FA cup presented the club’s fans with the opportunity to show their feelings during the live game on the BBC against Harrogate Railway; unfortunately the Mansfield Town stewards manning the turnstiles refused any fans permission to bring in banners, placards or flags for health and safety reasons. We thank Brighton and Hove Albion for their understanding in allowing fans the opportunity to bring their flags into the Withdean.
So where do we stand at the start of 2008? It is fair to say that fans are divided with some boycotting all home games, other fans attending games but refusing to buy anything from the club whilst others believe that the club can only survive the next year with their full support. We look back on your experiences at both the Goldstone and your present ground and realise that success can only come from a new consortium or new found unity from the supporters. At present neither appears to be on the horizon.
Mansfield fans are going through the same kind of nightmares as we did - and they are asking for our support in a protest against owner Haslam on Saturday. Sadly they're not as united as we were, and many seem a bit disillusioned - a bit of good old fashioned Brighton fans' solidarity may well be just the boost they need. I'm sure the message below will stir many horrible memories.....Haslam paid £55.25 less for their club than Archer did for ours! And when their own stewards try and stop their protests you know things are seriously pear shaped....
They are bringing some 'Haslam Out' posters and banners down and it'd be good if friendly souls could take a few in to our parts of the ground. There will be some in the Evening Star around 1pm and I'll take some into the North Stand. If a couple of South Standers could pick some up and take them in that'd be good. As we know, solidarity works. Let's show 'em some (and then stuff 'em 6-0 again!)
Here's a bit from Will from Stags Fans For Change
January 2008 sees Mansfield Town Football Club at a low ebb both in league position and also in the events off the field.
The club has lurched from controversy to crisis throughout the year with owner and Chief Executive, Keith Haslam, making the decision during the autumn to stop attending home matches due to the abuse he was receiving and then stepping down as Chief Executive in December. He has been replaced by a management consultant who says his remit is to prepare the club for sale despite the rejection of a bid for the club reportedly for up to £3 million from a consortium led by the club chairman. This offer was not for the land that the club stands on, simply for the club, and included a reported £200,000 a year rent. This was simply not enough for the man who bought the club for £1 more than fourteen years ago and who has taken significant amounts of money out of the club for many years.
The takeover was initially agreed early in the season and dragged on for many weeks with the promise of completion almost on a weekly basis until it was finally rejected in the last week of November. This led to a joint statement released by the supporters’ association and ISAs which declared that ‘enough was enough’ and called upon Haslam to ‘hand over the club to people that care’. Round Two of the FA cup presented the club’s fans with the opportunity to show their feelings during the live game on the BBC against Harrogate Railway; unfortunately the Mansfield Town stewards manning the turnstiles refused any fans permission to bring in banners, placards or flags for health and safety reasons. We thank Brighton and Hove Albion for their understanding in allowing fans the opportunity to bring their flags into the Withdean.
So where do we stand at the start of 2008? It is fair to say that fans are divided with some boycotting all home games, other fans attending games but refusing to buy anything from the club whilst others believe that the club can only survive the next year with their full support. We look back on your experiences at both the Goldstone and your present ground and realise that success can only come from a new consortium or new found unity from the supporters. At present neither appears to be on the horizon.
