[Football] Stop Exploiting Loyalty - FSA Campaign

[The Tactician]

I would recommend people review the thread to be clear, but for the avoidance of doubt:

BHAFCSC made this decision after consultation with other supporters groups, and the FAB. As per the original post.

Upon seeing a mixed response on this thread, but with a not insignificant number of voices who expressed their belief that our fans should be involved with the campaign - we want to support fans to do so. We want to help and empower fans in this situation, and ensure a reflection of fan view to the club - that's the 'advisory' part I suppose, so the club can understand more and strive to improve.

We do not need club permission. This is fundamentally inaccurate. We think it would be beneficial and courteous to communicate to them the position taken, hence the suggestion of support in this communication.

On the chosen messaging, that is only for us to express our view, but we will be led entirely by consensus. FWIW, I can see fans of the likes of Bury, Reading, wondering what such a well run club like Brighton have to protest about - so it is important how we communicate this. Exploitation of fans, especially financially is a serious issue and it's absolutely worth making a point about it in the right way.

For all the comments easily made about how important it is we are involved in this, to date I am yet to receive communication from anyone on their wish to drive it forward.

We all really want to help, want to reflect the views of fans en masse. Perhaps it would have been more sensible for us to have kept quiet and shift blame - but it remains my view that we are here to facilitate and back our fans to make their views known.

 

[veuve]

It's not a protest by us we are v happy with the way our club is run but it's a show of support to the fans who helped us in the dark days.Any thing else is diss respectfull at a time when we should be standing shoulder to shoulder.Its our duty to back them if not we are batraying our roots.

 

[jackalbion]

I would recommend people review the thread to be clear, but for the avoidance of doubt:

BHAFCSC made this decision after consultation with other supporters groups, and the FAB. As per the original post.

Upon seeing a mixed response on this thread, but with a not insignificant number of voices who expressed their belief that our fans should be involved with the campaign - we want to support fans to do so. We want to help and empower fans in this situation, and ensure a reflection of fan view to the club - that's the 'advisory' part I suppose, so the club can understand more and strive to improve.

We do not need club permission. This is fundamentally inaccurate. We think it would be beneficial and courteous to communicate to them the position taken, hence the suggestion of support in this communication.

On the chosen messaging, that is only for us to express our view, but we will be led entirely by consensus. FWIW, I can see fans of the likes of Bury, Reading, wondering what such a well run club like Brighton have to protest about - so it is important how we communicate this. Exploitation of fans, especially financially is a serious issue and it's absolutely worth making a point about it in the right way.

For all the comments easily made about how important it is we are involved in this, to date I am yet to receive communication from anyone on their wish to drive it forward.

We all really want to help, want to reflect the views of fans en masse. Perhaps it would have been more sensible for us to have kept quiet and shift blame - but it remains my view that we are here to facilitate and back our fans to make their views known.

While I get that position, I thought the idea of the FAB was to take the fans ideas forward, not for other people to take it out of the FAB's hands. There aren't a lot of ways to communicate with the club on these view points, and that is what I understood would be the role of the FAB would be. What fan groups would these be, because I haven't heard of any consultation, and neither has anyone I particularly know.

 

[The Tactician]

While I get that position, I thought the idea of the FAB was to take the fans ideas forward, not for other people to take it out of the FAB's hands. There aren't a lot of ways to communicate with the club on these view points, and that is what I understood would be the role of the FAB would be. What fan groups would these be, because I haven't heard of any consultation, and neither has anyone I particularly know.

We are agreeing to taking the idea forward. What we need is for fans to come forward now to say "Yes I want to be involved in this and I have a group of us who will hold up the banner etc" otherwise it won't be able to happen. We will then help organise for this to occur however needed.

@Barry Izbak likely best for you to advise the full process of decision making from your side so people are aware. I can't speak for BHAFCSC but they may well want to collaborate to help this happen based on the response of this thread.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

I notice the Dogma crowd are leading on this. Fair play.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I notice the Dogma crowd are leading on this. Fair play.

What are they saying?

 

[The Tactician]

What are they saying?

Stop Exploiting Loyalty — Dogma, a Brighton and Hove Albion fanzine

Dogma supports The FSA’s Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign.

www.dogmabrighton.com

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Stop Exploiting Loyalty — Dogma, a Brighton and Hove Albion fanzine

Dogma supports The FSA’s Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign.

www.dogmabrighton.com

Nowhere near the stadium then. Seems like the most decent compromise we could 'of' hoped for

 

[Hotchilidog]

Nowhere near the stadium then. Seems like the most decent compromise we could 'of' hoped for

I'll happily join this protest. I understand the position taken by the BHASC in the OP as regards to not wanting to appear to be protesting against our club, but the point of the campaign itself still stands. Wolves fans themselves had to put with a lot crap re-pricing from their board and standing in solidarity with them and fans of other clubs is something we should all be happy to get involved with. See you at the Albert!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Need to completely block access all the way down Trafalgar Street with the banner itself stage front in front of the Albert Dead Pop Stars wall. That would be so Brighton. Make sure somebody brings a well decent camera to capture the moment x

 

[drew]

'IF CARLSBERG DID FOOTBALL, ALL CHAIRMAN WOULD BE TONY BLOOM'

Would be supporting the wider football community and showing appreciation for TB.

 

[Barry Izbak]

I'm only just back this morning from Newcastle, so now able to respond to a few of the points raised on here over the weekend. I want to clear one or two things up, and clarify our position.

• BHASC response to this campaign has nothing to do with my former role on the FAB
• Before deciding our response to the FSA we wrote to all the other official Albion supporters groups and the FAB and received no dissenting reactions.
• The fans of the club at the centre of this campaign, and unhappy with our stance were not Newcastle. They were West Ham.
• The guy who runs the FSA Premier League network is a Newcastle fan and I met him in the pub on Saturday. He said he fully understands the position we've taken.
• BHASC do support the campaign and will encourage members and any other fans to support those fans at other clubs protesting.
• We were offered a paid for banner as shown, but felt that this message was wrong to display at The Amex. The FSA have ordered 20 of these. There was no option to have one with a different message.
• DOGMA have organised a demo in Brighton on Saturday at 1pm at the Albert. Wolves fans will be present, as will some BHASC members.
• I would strongly urge everyone who is unhappy with our position to join the DOGMA protest in Brighton on Saturday and show solidarity with Wolves.
• The whole point of this thread was to explain why there would be no FSA banner at The Amex this weekend, but to raise awareness of the campaign which many people were not even aware of.
  
  My last line asked if we'd got this right?
  The mixed response would suggest some agreed, some didn't.
  But at least you now know about it

 

[Molango's visa]

I would recommend people review the thread to be clear, but for the avoidance of doubt:

BHAFCSC made this decision after consultation with other supporters groups, and the FAB. As per the original post.

Upon seeing a mixed response on this thread, but with a not insignificant number of voices who expressed their belief that our fans should be involved with the campaign - we want to support fans to do so. We want to help and empower fans in this situation, and ensure a reflection of fan view to the club - that's the 'advisory' part I suppose, so the club can understand more and strive to improve.

We do not need club permission. This is fundamentally inaccurate. We think it would be beneficial and courteous to communicate to them the position taken, hence the suggestion of support in this communication.

On the chosen messaging, that is only for us to express our view, but we will be led entirely by consensus. FWIW, I can see fans of the likes of Bury, Reading, wondering what such a well run club like Brighton have to protest about - so it is important how we communicate this. Exploitation of fans, especially financially is a serious issue and it's absolutely worth making a point about it in the right way.

For all the comments easily made about how important it is we are involved in this, to date I am yet to receive communication from anyone on their wish to drive it forward.

We all really want to help, want to reflect the views of fans en masse. Perhaps it would have been more sensible for us to have kept quiet and shift blame - but it remains my view that we are here to facilitate and back our fans to make their views known.

There have been numerous good suggestions for appropriate wording on the banner. Not sure why we are going round in circles.

 

[Molango's visa]

There have been numerous good suggestions for appropriate wording on the banner. Not sure why we are going round in circles.

Edit: I see there was no option for alternative wording. How stupid. The decision to not have the banner was therefore 100% correct.

 

[rippleman]

Lest we forget..........

During our darkest days, every club in this country and abroad whose fans supported us were in a better position than BHAFC.

If they had adopted the position that "our club isn't in crisis" or "our club's owner isn't a scamming crook" or even "we're all right Jack", Fans United would never have existed.

Just because we are relatively well treated we can't go turning our backs on fans of clubs who aren't treating them so well.

I just can't get my head around why any BHA fan who lived through the "war years" would want to give the finger to the FSA's campaign.

 

[BadFish]

If the banner was displayed at the game I would have seen it as a comment on football in general rather than our owners.

Its a shame we are not part of it. Although I do understand why.

 

[Springal]

Lest we forget..........

During our darkest days, every club in this country and abroad whose fans supported us were in a better position than BHAFC.

If they had adopted the position that "our club isn't in crisis" or "our club's owner isn't a scamming crook" or even "we're all right Jack", Fans United would never have existed.

Just because we are relatively well treated we can't go turning our backs on fans of clubs who aren't treating them so well.

I just can't get my head around why any BHA fan who lived through the "war years" would want to give the finger to the FSA's campaign.

Very stark differences between the situations though. Plus our fans / club weren’t particularly active with Bury, or seem bothered about Reading situation either for example

 

[Gazwag]

Lest we forget..........

During our darkest days, every club in this country and abroad whose fans supported us were in a better position than BHAFC.

If they had adopted the position that "our club isn't in crisis" or "our club's owner isn't a scamming crook" or even "we're all right Jack", Fans United would never have existed.

Just because we are relatively well treated we can't go turning our backs on fans of clubs who aren't treating them so well.

I just can't get my head around why any BHA fan who lived through the "war years" would want to give the finger to the FSA's campaign.

The difference is though Fans United took place at our ground with fans coming to us, like our fans went to Wrexham or Charlton or Plymouth (for example) to give our support, I don't recall us protesting at our matches for other teams (although a banner supporting Wrexham was at the play off final)

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Lest we forget..........

During our darkest days, every club in this country and abroad whose fans supported us were in a better position than BHAFC.

If they had adopted the position that "our club isn't in crisis" or "our club's owner isn't a scamming crook" or even "we're all right Jack", Fans United would never have existed.

Just because we are relatively well treated we can't go turning our backs on fans of clubs who aren't treating them so well.

I just can't get my head around why any BHA fan who lived through the "war years" would want to give the finger to the FSA's campaign.

Absolutely this

 

[Guinness Boy]

Lest we forget..........

During our darkest days, every club in this country and abroad whose fans supported us were in a better position than BHAFC.

If they had adopted the position that "our club isn't in crisis" or "our club's owner isn't a scamming crook" or even "we're all right Jack", Fans United would never have existed.

Just because we are relatively well treated we can't go turning our backs on fans of clubs who aren't treating them so well.

I just can't get my head around why any BHA fan who lived through the "war years" would want to give the finger to the FSA's campaign.

I totally agree with the above, but people are losing sight of the very first paragraph of the very first post on this thread:

The Football Supporters Association are co-ordinating a campaign to stop Premier League Clubs increasing ticket prices and making changes to their concessionary ticket pricing.

To date, our club isn't doing that.

It's a salient point for me at my time of life where I have a son in the 18-21 age group and where I will be an OAP in the next few years. And I understand this is impacting fans of other clubs right now and potentially pricing out families and OAPs.

So, I am very much not giving the finger to the FSA campaign, I fully support it. But I do worry that people with an agenda will make it look like a protest against the Bloom regime and that would be utterly ridiculous. Therefore I understand the Supporters' Club point of view, even if I don't necessarily agree with it.

Albert is one of my pre match locals anyway, but if I'm there it's to show solidarity with those affected. We are incredibly well run and therefore incredibly lucky.