[Palace] The Always Ultras:: a tale of WOE

[The Large One]

Open letters to the Poundland ultras now

Actually, that is quite sad. We can (and should) all laugh at the unfolding binfest, and the catastrophic mess a small handful are making, but the reality is true football fans (yes, really) are being shafted here.

This is deliberate, and is a disgusting way for a football club to treat its fans. I can't think of a precedent of a club doing this to their supporters - perhaps someone can remind me.

 

[dazzer6666]

Open letters to the Poundland ultras now

Amid all the pisstaking and usual vitriol, their club are ****ing over a substantial number of true, long term fans to appease a small number of spotty wankers. This will backfire on them, big time. I feel for those like the guy who posted this, Palace or not.

 

[Billy the Fish]

After all the original fanfare and delusion, I think some of their more normal fans have started to realise what a shit idea this actually is.
Part of me feels sorry for the people getting moved, but ultimately it's their own fault for supporting such a pathetic football club and also for encouraging the morons in black and inflating their egos for the last decade. You reap what you sow.

 

[SUIYHP]

You are the chairman of a football club. Over the past few years, you have had a section of very vocal but also belligerent fans who currently reside in the corner of the stadium, but they now wish to move as a collective to behind the goal. This would mean moving a selection of long term season ticket holders who have dedicated their lives to the club from their highly sought after seats. When you reject the vocal fans’ demands, they boycott your club and demand a petition to move them where they want. Other fans in the stadium are also complaining that the atmosphere has taken a severe hit since the supporters left.

What do you do?

A) Stand your ground; ignore the petition and insist that the singing section can either stay where they are or not have the seats at all
B) Open up a forum where all fans, including the occupants of the potentially affected seats can speak their mind on the matter, after all, every fan is equally important.
C) Refuse to change, but promise that the singing section will be given an improved dedicated singing section when you upgrade the stand.
D) Give the vocal fans the seats they want, the stadium needs to get its atmosphere back.

 

[Stato]

Actually, that is quite sad. We can (and should) all laugh at the unfolding binfest, and the catastrophic mess a small handful are making, but the reality is true football fans (yes, really) are being shafted here.

This is deliberate, and is a disgusting way for a football club to treat its fans. I can't think of a precedent of a club doing this to their supporters - perhaps someone can remind me.

The stuff about bullying fellow fans out of their seats at away matches rings very true. We saw it happen at the Amex last season. For me Parish's preferential treatment of these attention seekers keeps bringing to mind Sam Hamman's weird courting of Cardiff's hooligan element. That ended well...

The strange thing is that half of their fans are so in thrall to the idea that the dumb and the drum is the only way of making an atmosphere in a football ground, that they are happy for the club's soul to be sold.

The Amex is less than a decade old, it's atmosphere has developed organically through shared responses to triumph and disaster. The defiance in the face of adversity that created the Sheffield Wednesday cauldron, the sheer joy that spilled out of the ground and around the town after promotion was confirmed were shared experiences: shared by everyone who loves the club, in whatever way they love it. The message that runs through 'Build A Bonfire' is that each person brought what they had to the battle to save our club and that no one element was of more importance than any other. Everybody fought in the way that they could fight.

By alienating a section of supporters that don't make enough noise, Palace could be alienating the chartered accountants who may be willing to trawl through any future amendments to the articles of association, they could be alienating middle aged women willing to stand in protest outside of their own political party's national conference, they could be alienating those who may be willing to stand as political candidates on behalf of their club, those who would be willing to volunteer for litter picks, those who would march, sponsored walk or send postcards, or write to their MPs or councillors, trumpeters, poets, internet techies, community organisers, even those that just have the wherewithal to put their hand in their pocket when it's needed. It's a terrible mistake. It defines support in a very narrow way and diminishes those who don't fit the definition. I'm very pleased to say that our shared experience would immediately point to the folly of our club taking such action and that we are owned by someone who has quite deliberately written that ethos through our club like Brighton through rock.

 

[dazzer6666]

What do you do?

A) Stand your ground; ignore the petition and insist that the singing section can either stay where they are or not have the seats at all
B) Open up a forum where all fans, including the occupants of the potentially affected seats can speak their mind on the matter, after all, every fan is equally important.
C) Refuse to change, but promise that the singing section will be given an improved dedicated singing section when you upgrade the stand.
D) Give the vocal fans the seats they want, the stadium needs to get its atmosphere back.

Well in the case of A, I’d at least recommend actually looking at the petition. It’s just possible that not quite as many true fans signed it as is being claimed.......which, given this appears to be one of the key justifications for the plan, makes the whole thing a colossal shitshow.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Perhaps Garth Crooks can now stop bigging up the HF and perhaps publicise what is happening to the 'ordinary supporter'

 

[Dick Head]

So when the HF just stand like they did when they attended games, they will be forced to sit down. If this is enforced will they walk out in another huff and refuse to attend games, or are CPFC not telling the whole truth to their fans who are being moved.

And where will these non renewal seats be, they are unlikely to be in decent seats and if a group of fans being moved want to stay together how will they be accommodated.

Perhaps Mr Parrish would like to give up his seat as a goodwill gesture

I would laugh like a drain if this happened.

 

[Seasider78]

Actually, that is quite sad. We can (and should) all laugh at the unfolding binfest, and the catastrophic mess a small handful are making, but the reality is true football fans (yes, really) are being shafted here.

This is deliberate, and is a disgusting way for a football club to treat its fans. I can't think of a precedent of a club doing this to their supporters - perhaps someone can remind me.

I do have sympathy for those being moved as I would have similar feelings if I was forced from my own seat at the Amex but the main grumbles are from those being moved.

Sadly (away from the HF) there are far too many palace fans who like the club seem to have no issue with their longest serving fans being shafted like this to protect their ‘famous atmosphere’

Disney panders to this tiny group of spotty teenagers but there are also plenty of palace fans begging for them to have whatever they want so they come back with their flags and drum.

One thing is for sure the whole situation is a car crash and as usual amateur levels of management from our friends up the road

 

[Billy the Fish]

[MENTION=22849]Stato[/MENTION] - nailed it

 

[darkwolf666]

I wonder how many on here are tut tutting at the ultras and their demands to move people, but were keen to do the same to Brighton STH in the North Stand during the safe standing/singing debate on NSC a while ago.

Be careful what you wish for as ridicule is just around the corner!

 

[Perry Milkins]

I wonder how many on here are tut tutting at the ultras and their demands to move people, but were keen to do the same to Brighton STH in the North Stand during the safe standing/singing debate on NSC a while ago.

Be careful what you wish for as ridicule is just around the corner!

Prince Charming!, Prince Charming!

 

[cjd]

What happens when the great and unwashed spotty oiks, (there are thousands of them in sarf london ) who at present have no interest in football, see what's going on and wish to swell the HF ranks..?

Do the club remove another 400 loyal supporters.....and then another 400 loyal supporters.....and so on and so on...?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

My mate, Nigel Itsmaseat, hopes there is going to be another petition !

 

[Postman Pat]

I wonder how many on here are tut tutting at the ultras and their demands to move people, but were keen to do the same to Brighton STH in the North Stand during the safe standing/singing debate on NSC a while ago.

Be careful what you wish for as ridicule is just around the corner!

With the standing section the club at least asked those that would be impacted what they thought via a questionnaire, rather than trusting a very dodgy petition.

If the safe standing area did come in it would likely cover people who are already standing in the North Stand and they would be given the option to stay where they are. The fans at Palace are being told they are being turfed no matter what. I would also hope that if people didn't want to stay in the standing section at the Amex, they would at least be given first dibs on any empty spaces in the ground, and not last choice like the Palace lot are.

Ultimately the people in those seats at Palace are the longest serving and most loyal, likely being in attendance at some of Palace's lowest gates. If it does go sideways for Palace in future they wont be coming back I would guess, and I'm sure the AU won't be sticking around.

 

[darkwolf666]

Prince Charming!, Prince Charming!

I wanted to add that at the time I posted, but thought it might take away the gravitas of my statement

 

[Bozza]

A fine post from a Palace fan:

I'm not writing this to make any friends because I'm sure I won't, but so be it. Its how I feel. I don't post often, but I like to think I had some input in the removal of the last Manager!

So, I've stayed off this thread until now though i've read some of the patronising Bo**ocks thats been spouted and today I received a call from Crystal Palace Box Office to tell me I need to get out of my usual seat next year. I sit at the back of block E, have done for 15 years or so, I've had a season ticket for 20 years + but had to wait for a space to get a decent seat behind the goal. I did my time though and I go to 4 or 5 away games a year, nothing too impressive. I was there when Birmingham turned up in fancy dress, when Akinbayi scored for Wolves against us under lights, when I had a squatter in my seat every other week, I was at Stockport and Wembley many times and yes the mythical Tuesday night loss against Barnsley. I wouldn't pretend I have a right to sit where I sit, but I sit with a group of people who I've known for years, who I've drunk with, I've given them work, I've had work from them. We have one thing in common.

From my spot I can stand when I want, sing when I want, I can wear what I want, and I don't need to leave 10 minutes before the end of every game with the saddo's to avoid getting caught in traffic for an extra 5 minutes. Do I have a 'right' to sit there, no I don't, but I've filled my seat pretty well for 15 years or so.

So next year I have to move. After 18,000 season ticket holders have renewed, I and 399 other people have 'priority' to book the odd space left somewhere in the ground. I understand I'll get a discount on my ticket for a year, then, well, who knows.

I've enjoyed the growth of the 'Holmesdale Fanatics' (are they more fanatical than me? Well again who knows, I guess they must be eh?) and I like the atmosphere they've partly helped to create. It wasn't completely dead before they arrived lets not forget, and indeed I sat amongst them at a cup game last year when a good number walked out as some of their group had tried to get in on concession tickets and were ejected. Hey ho.

So, I have to move because they want to grab my seat for a organised orchestrated enlarged 'Singing Section'. Nothing of course to do with the great view of the football. I've watched and played sport all over the place, Football in Germany and Holland, Rugby in Australia and France, Hurling in Ireland etc etc. The best atmospheres I've experienced with no exception haven't been in organised, orchestrated, plastic 'singing section's' they've been spontaneous, they've been natural, they've been from the heart. The 'Holmesdale Fanatics' want to 'evolve', thats fine, why wouldn't they attract like minded supporters to where they were in block B, why do they need to 'seat grab' my seat if this is just about atmosphere? Maybe they want the TV cameras on them more often? Just a thought? Why couldn't this wait until the new stand is developed and then displaced mugs like me might actually have a choice in the matter? But, I'll likely still be there in 7 years when, God forbid we're in the Championship playing Barnsley on a cold Tuesday night as I was 7 years ago, I wont be at home playing Fifa, Fortnite or inhaling laughing gas canisters.

So, how do I feel, in case anyone cares? I haven't had Mr Parish's letter yet, I understand it will make me an interesting placating offer for next year and generally I've been a massive fan of what he's done for my club. But, this is a hugely divisive action and this makes it clear that my support is 2nd grade at best, and not good enough. I'll be Palace Till I Die, no argument, but today a little bit of my Palace support died, and whatever the offer is that wont change.

So in summary to the club I've loved and followed for years you can stick your organised singing section and your 'Fanatics' right up your arse for all I care. And I don't care who cares about that.

Thats all.

 

[darkwolf666]

With the standing section the club at least asked those that would be impacted what they thought via a questionnaire, rather than trusting a very dodgy petition.

If the safe standing area did come in it would likely cover people who are already standing in the North Stand and they would be given the option to stay where they are. The fans at Palace are being told they are being turfed no matter what. I would also hope that if people didn't want to stay in the standing section at the Amex, they would at least be given first dibs on any empty spaces in the ground, and not last choice like the Palace lot are.

Ultimately the people in those seats at Palace are the longest serving and most loyal, likely being in attendance at some of Palace's lowest gates. If it does go sideways for Palace in future they wont be coming back I would guess, and I'm sure the AU won't be sticking around.

You can dress it up how you like, but the truth is there were people on these boards who were quite happy to see people kicked out of their seats in their own desire to have a standing area and better atmosphere! (allegedly)

 

[Seagull's Return]

Like most right-minded people I can't stand that lot up the road, really don't like them. But that poor sod's supporting life sounds much like my own but in a different (and very much worse) universe.

I'm not sure what this uncomfortable new feeling is, doctor, but I think it might just be sympathy for some of those getting such a shafting up there from their "own" club and a little clique of juvenile, entitled, semi-feral egos.

 

[Taybha]

I lost the real reason behind exactly why they want to move due to the hilarity of the thread , can somebody do a very brief summary , because as far as i can work out , they're not on the telly much , and sound better in the middle of things ?