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

[The Large One]

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!

Ludicrous comparison.

No-one has made any demands. No-one has the ear of Paul Barber to that extent - not that he is minded to grant that request. No-one is going to shit on their fellow supporters in this way.

And if nothing else, this sorry episode acts as a massive cautionary tale to the rest of us.

 

[The Large One]

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.

This... on a billboard.

 

[highflyer]

Having half followed this thread in the manner of a rubbernecking driver passing a terrible road accident...can someone explain one thing please?

How is it decided, by the club, who is 'in' and who is not in terms of getting to move into the seats that others are being turfed out of?
They talk about it as an 'enhanced singing section', but if those there at the moment just say 'fine, we'll just stay and sing along' what's the basis for making them move?

Is there a formal membership for these 'ultra's' that is recognized by the club, thus allowing them to discrimate in this way? If so what's the membership requirements?

It's obviously appalling, but also genuinely puzzling.

 

[Easy 10]

This... on a billboard.

You'd need to be driving past extremely slowly.

 

[Stuart Munday]

Having half followed this thread in the manner of a rubbernecking driver passing a terrible road accident...can someone explain one thing please?

How is it decided, by the club, who is 'in' and who is not in terms of getting to move into the seats that others are being turfed out of?
They talk about it as an 'enhanced singing section', but if those there at the moment just say 'fine, we'll just stay and sing along' what's the basis for making them move?

Is there a formal membership for these 'ultra's' that is recognized by the club, thus allowing them to discrimate in this way? If so what's the membership requirements?

It's obviously appalling, but also genuinely puzzling.

They say the new singing section is open to all, so if the current occupants get together and want to stay and sing how can they be asked to move, the ultras will want seats next to each other so its going to be a complete shambles, this will run and run.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

You'd need to be driving past extremely slowly.

Stick it on the side of a bus then?

 

[Klaas]

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.

That's one hell of a post.

 

[The Large One]

You'd need to be driving past extremely slowly.

Or stop walking in the street.

 

[The Large One]

As a side issue - but related - I was at an FSF meeting yesterday, and the Palace rep flatly denied their fans had anything to do with vandalising the Bruno mural. No, really.

 

[rool]

As a side issue - but related - I was at an FSF meeting yesterday, and the Palace rep flatly denied their fans had anything to do with vandalising the Bruno mural. No, really.

Was it this guy?

 

[BBassic]

As a side issue - but related - I was at an FSF meeting yesterday, and the Palace rep flatly denied their fans had anything to do with vandalising the Bruno mural. No, really.

I am shocked! No, wait, what's the opposite of shocked? I'm whatever that is.

 

[highflyer]

They say the new singing section is open to all, so if the current occupants get together and want to stay and sing how can they be asked to move, the ultras will want seats next to each other so its going to be a complete shambles, this will run and run.

Exactly
And if the current occupants SAY they will sing etc, and keep their seats. But then later decide to carry on as they were before (sitting, standing, singing, not singing, whatever). Will they be forced to sing? Forced to wear black? Forced to create crudely crayoned semi-literate banners?

 

[Guinness Boy]

As a side issue - but related - I was at an FSF meeting yesterday, and the Palace rep flatly denied their fans had anything to do with vandalising the Bruno mural. No, really.

Did you get to ask if they also turfed paying customers out of legally held seats or had his nose grown so long by that point that he had to leave before it became impossible for him to navigate corners?

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Wonder what the reaction will be when the homedale pathetics send round the begging bowl again to fund their 'displays'.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Blimey, still no Nigels here to defend their club and explain how we've all got it terribly wrong? The Staffy must have eaten through the cables on the shared hub in Deluded HQ.

 

[Perry Milkins]

As a side issue - but related - I was at an FSF meeting yesterday, and the Palace rep flatly denied their fans had anything to do with vandalising the Bruno mural. No, really.

What is an FSF meeting?

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

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.

Post of the day IMO

 

[BBassic]

What is an FSF meeting?

Football Supporters Federation I believe.

 

[carlzeiss]

What is an FSF meeting?

Fart , Shit & Flush ?

 

[LlcoolJ]

Football Supporters Federation I believe.

I always find the Palace acronym "FYP" amusing as in my head it's "**** YOU PALACE".