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Four Four Two website comparing Brighton and Man United's protest









beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,026
nice. much better than i could have put, and i did try in the green and gold thread.
 




Jesus Gul

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2004
5,514
People in glass houses shouldn't...fall out with Glazers

One of the comments on 442:-

KSTAND said:
You seem to have missed the fact that thousands did boycott back in 2005, and not only that they set-up their own club, FC United, that started at the very bottom of the football pyramid and continues to be run in a truly right and proper manner. Not only that there have been myriad events organised by FCUM with a view to discussing and safeguarding the future of the game. Still, you carry on with that big tarry brush:lolol:
 




Brighton Breezy

New member
Jul 5, 2003
19,439
Sussex
Spot on, Richard. Absolutely spot on. Could maybe have done with a bit about the fans' alternative, FC United (who, incidentally, are playing St.Pauli at the Millerntor to celebrate St.Pauli's centenary on 15 May)
And thanks - at last I've got a decent sized JPEG of the (sadly now utterly decomposed) banner....:)

Bit added just for you...

"Of course some did. A hardcore of traditional supporters ditched the plush surroundings of Old Trafford and formed their own club, FC United of Manchester - preferring to start again with a club they could be morally proud of, rather than sit back and watch the moneymen pervert the team they once loved.

All power to those that did. Incidentally, FC United are playing punk football outfit St Pauli at the Millerntor in Germany to celebrate St Pauli's centenary on May 15. An afternoon for proper football, as far removed from the plastic goings on at Old Trafford as it possible."
 


Yoda

English & European
Superb read Rich.
Make's me think back to the fans united day and the chant of
"Football, United, Will never be defeated" and how much I cringe whenever I hear ITV's advert "We are football united"
Make's my blood boil, they haven't a clue what it means. :angry::mad:
 


poidy

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2009
1,849
Like the way the York protest were described as peaceful. Does ripping seats out and snapping the goal posts constitute peaceful :lolol:
 




Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,680
In a pile of football shirts
Such a shame that ALL United fans get tarred with the Prawn Sandwich/Lives in Surrey brush.

Good read though
 
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Dave the OAP

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,762
at home
Superb read Rich.
Make's me think back to the fans united day and the chant of
"Football, United, Will never be defeated" and how much I cringe whenever I hear ITV's advert "We are football united"
Make's my blood boil, they haven't a clue what it means. :angry::mad:


so to paraphrase

" only fans of lower league clubs really know the meaning of suffering?"
 






Superphil

Dismember
Jul 7, 2003
25,680
In a pile of football shirts
Depends how you define 'suffering'.

Perhaps those loyal supporters, who over many years have contributed to their club becoming the biggest and most famous in the World, only to find the current "owner" putting them hundreds of millions in debt. Remember, they aren't responsible for that, they are just supporters, like you an me, but amongst other things they are getting screwed on ticket prices, forced to buy tickets for midweek cup games they can't get to or don't want to see, on pain of having their STs being taken from them.
 


beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,026
so to paraphrase

" only fans of lower league clubs really know the meaning of suffering?"

maybe not and thats not Yoda's point anyway. but who, other than Portsmouth, is "suffering" in the top flight?
 




The Wizard

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2009
18,401
maybe not and thats not Yoda's point anyway. but who, other than Portsmouth, is "suffering" in the top flight?

Manchester united obviously, their fans must be going through such turmoil with being top of the league, in the champions league, winning the carling cup ect..:cry::cry:
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,955
Surrey
Personally I think there is too much navel gazing in that article and that it conveniently ignores the differences between their situation and ours in order to prove a point.

In my opinion, comparisons between BHA protests and Man Utd protests are ridiculous.

Ours was the case of a lower league club for local people (but with sizeable support) being asset stripped by stealth. In the end what made the difference was the fact that the shananigans of Archer et al was exposed by the like of Samrah, shouted from the rooftops by Hart and attilla, and the threat of public disorder culminating in the very real threat to safety of the people in the directors box.


The only similarity with the United situation is that the directors are clearly only in it for the money. There is no asset stripping going on at United and there is no running down on the playing side. In that context, it must have been much harder to get a formal protest off the ground. Oh, and there will be no storming of the directors box or boycotting of the stadium. Of course not, there is a 2 year season ticket waiting list. I'd love to have seen whether you'd have stayed away from the Goldstone or invoked direct action if we were winning every week at the top level of football, especially if the consequence was to have your season ticket revoked and you pushed to the back of a 2 year waiting list...

If you want to compare Man Utd fans with anyone, why not compare them to ever-whinging tosspots in bin-dipper land? I don't see them doing anything, except hearing some dreary supporter's association mouthpiece have a moan on the BBC every now and then.
 
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portlock seagull

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
17,780
Good article Richie, you're a lot better journo than a couple of years ago when I used to give you a bit of stick. Good article, something that captures a topical debate that's being had up and down the land; and obviously when a brighton fan is involved it develops into what you've written in a far more concise and thoughtful manner. Nice one! Keep it up.

:thumbsup:
 




Gritt23

New member
Jul 7, 2003
14,902
Meopham, Kent.

Excellent article, absolutely excellent.

However, I do think there is a section of their support that does take this protest more seriously than you give them credit for.

Let's face it, all things in life are relative, and yes of course they will not face the dangers Chester or indeed our beloved Albion, they will not go under, get wound up. But just like the barren years as a Man Utd supporter was 20 years without a title or even a single relegation courtesy of a former favourites backheel, the definition of "catastrophy" is very different within the bubble of Man Utd fans. But that is not to dismiss how they feel. Just because my stress at work pales into insignificance when compared to the stress of a Somlian refugee trying to scrape together enough for his starving kids to eat, doesn't mean I don't get stressed.

I think it's a very good point you make about how the tellybox blow up the protest into something groundbreaking, but what of it. TV in a "getting carried away with all thing Premiership - SHOCK!" That's what they do, and have been doing for years.

Yes, the media are over-hyping it.
Yes, the fans worries are a World away from Chester fans.

But that is to ignore the fact that within their successful little bubble, the fear of debt causing them to be a "selling club" and perhaps even fall to 5th in the Premiership one day, is actually a very big deal.

Personally, I'd love to see a changing of the guard at the top, because the same 4 year in year out has killed my interest in the game at that level, but this is not a pleasant way to see it come about.
 




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