Board/Fan Relationship

ianbishoplegend

I also read people saying they should die slow deaths and horrible stuff like that. It’s just a football team, not life or death stuff. The board has managed to get themselves in the position, that if they signed Ronaldo tomorrow, there would be a march because they are not handling finances properly. They can no longer win on any level. I won’t argue a case for them, that’s their problem. I won’t however join in, as I have seen a lot worse in my time and do t have enough hard facts to justify being that angry.

MrsGrey

TwistandShout said:

You'll soon have a forum where everyone agrees with each other.

I can confidently say this will never happen.

Moojor

MrsGrey said:

TwistandShout said:

You'll soon have a forum where everyone agrees with each other.

I can confidently say this will never happen.

Yes it will..
wait...
;yercoat

MrsGrey

I tried to join that Real West Ham Fans group on facebook but they wouldn't let me in.

Vorselaarhammer

I think you have to be dead MrsGrey...

Expat_Hammer

At least above the neck Vorse ;lol

billybondsbeard

Real West Ham Fans Facebook Group

Mrs Grey
Re your recent application to join our group.
I am afraid that we will have to reject your application at this time, as our agreed catchment area only goes as far as Albania.
Please try the Real Man Utd fans group, as I think they have a broader reach at this time.......

;whistle

grey_til_I_dye

Take them lightly at your peril.

For real?

What can they possibly do?

Create bad publicity for the club and... oh, that's it.

They are free not to renew their STs, which may or may not have an impact on the club finances.

Anyone that thinks that by creating a bit of a fuss they will drive the owners out is probably overestimating their powers.

Not everyone sees things the way you do, Twist.

Not sure why that gets you so aerated.

MrsGrey

I can't see what substantial change the march in March expects to achieve.

They'll be more likely to effect a change of ownership if they start saving up their pocket money to buy the club.

Still, it will probably make them feel better. So that's nice.

IronHerb

So don't protest just because it won't have the desired effect? ;hmm

MrsGrey

No, not what I'm saying.

But if your aim is to get the owners out, a march won't do it. So perhaps plan a different strategy. Or have some aims that a march will achieve.

Expat_Hammer

If march won't work, what about April ;hmm

thornburyiron

Judging by the intelligence used in the wording on the banner they were showing my guess is they'll organise the march on a non home match day

IronHerb

Well you'll be wrong.

billybondsbeard

A good outcome from the march may be that the negative publicity will make the broader media dig a little deeper into our affairs. the march itself will have no direct immediate effect.
One thing this board will hate will the scrutiny of many of the things they have done, and to realise that an alternative point of view may get a broader airing. They have had a relatively free ride so far.

Barney

13K people not renewing their season ticket would probably have more effect than a march - there will just be a debate about how many attended, rent a crowd will probably turn up and there could be trouble be trouble. how does that help?
Expat - i dont think April has the money to buy the club.

IronHerb

Forget the 13k figure. Thats the number of people following the FB page not all of whom will march or demonstrate or fail to renew their ST. If a couple of thousand show up for the march then that will be enough, imo, to maintain momentum and be a thorn in the boards side. You can argue about the any effect that this may or may not achieve but their are a lot of angry supporters out there and they want to be heard.

chicagohammer

June may have ;wink

claretandbluesky

A large part of protest is pressure and it is impossible to equate how small or large a part it plays in the decision making of those protested against post protest but politically protest can often shape policy. It could have a small effect in that the board consider the protests when making decisions, it could at the other end of the scale also hound the board out on account of I would imagine we all have a 'this is not worth it' level of stress.

Mike Ashley is someone who has been protested against on a reasonably regular basis since shortly after his arrival at Newcastle. Is his decision to leave due to the distinct lack of acceptance at the club or is it purely for business reasons? I don't know the answer to that, but he is selling up by all accounts.

From what I can see there are lots of smaller issues that people of the group organising it are unhappy about but essentially it looks to me that they feel they were provided with a vision to get behind the move from the Boleyn to Stratford and many did so in good faith but feel that the vision has not materialised and they now feel the move has not benefitted fans, and may have been in the interest of the owners rather than the fans. There are clearly some fans who feel let down, just how many will be able to be measured by the protest.

I do think it may take people by surprise with regard how organised, vocal and supported it is, I don't think the board will like this one bit.

Pearces_Left_Foot

It depends on how much it is representative of the fans in general , yes I get disappointed at not signing players but I never believed the whole champions league in 7 year stuff and I don't think the board are half as bad as some people make out. Yes they should keep quiet in the media but we are one of the few clubs owned by English owners and probably the only one in the league owned by people with a strong affiliation for the club . Of course they could be better but does that mean they should go . Also who is going to buy us there isn't a queue of rich Arabs lining up or Russian billionaires . I see clubs like villa hull Blackburn who got new owners who did nt really get football and ended up going out of the league.

billybondsbeard

Villa Hull and Blackburn have not had their grounds sold from under their feet.

grey_til_I_dye

If people want to march and protest about how the club is run, that is their affair and I'm not mithered either way.

However, I am storing up some mither for when it is reported as 'West Ham fans' as opposed to 'some West Ham fans' (not their fault, though, just the way the meejah is - assuming they don't claim to represent all of us.)

I would also be mithered if fans who support the protest dismiss those who don't as somehow less proper, informed or caring, either directly, or by implication by suggesting those who do want to protest are the 'real' fans.

MrsGrey

grey_til_I_dye said:

assuming they don't claim to represent all of us

no all of us, only the 'real' ones.

horshamhammer

grey_til_I_dye said:

I would also be mithered if fans who support the protest dismiss those who don't as somehow less proper, informed or caring, either directly, or by implication by suggesting those who do want to protest are the 'real' fans.

And on the other side of the coin, for those who don't agree with the protesters not to call them troublemakers or traitors.

whupathman

I think its a great protest not to renew the season ticket, one which I am 100% behind, this may or may not be linked to the fact I was unable to get a season ticket due to RL when the stadium opened, so please fail to renew in your thousands, btw does anyone know the waiting list size?

Fortuneseeker

Whilst I appreciate protesting may not be conducive in maintaining peace and harmony around the club but if you are not happy with something you either suffer in silence or make your feelings known. It appears some of the fans have reached the point where silence is no longer an option. ;ok

IronHerb

Last report was 50k whupathman.

ianbishoplegend

I think the stadium move has allowed us to compete on a higher livel for players. I don’t think it was the leap people expected, but it’s enough to make a small improvement.

billybondsbeard

IBL
I'm genuinely fascinated - on what do you base that assertion ?

MrsGrey

bbb, it's not an assertion, it's an opinion.