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Fan response to Whalley statement
Friday 9th April 2010, 9:05AM BST.
Walsall blogger Mark Jones was there for the protests and has his own answer to chief executive Roy Whalley’s threat as the bad blood boils between fans and club.
Witty, funny and clever. Three words I would use to describe the flag unfurled at Monday’s Wycombe game.
Just to avoid any confusion I’m not referring to the anti-Chris Hutchings one aimed at the manager, which is an inevitable response to the recent poor performances and part of a movement which will take its own course over the coming weeks and months.
No, the banner in question is a Cyprus flag – which to my knowledge is not illegal in any way, shape or form – with the slogan ‘Pension Fund FC.’
Born out of anger, frustration and disillusionment for sure but most definitely witty, funny and clever. It was also interesting to hear some of the new chants aired by fans on Monday. I’ve a feeling they will catch on.
Apparently though a flag with non-offensive wording is in breach of the fabled ‘Ground Regulations’ and is ‘inciteful’ – although I’m not actually sure that’s a proper word.
I can only suggest we all need to go and inspect these Ground Regulations, available at the Ticket Office according to my 2009/10 Season Ticket booklet as I couldn’t find them anywhere on the official website, because I’m sure I’ve seen flags at the ground before – pretty much every game that’s ever been played there in fact.
Come to think of it aren’t they sold in the club shop? Danger, annoyance or a nuisance, come on!
According to one report, a high ranking official at the club complained that the atmosphere had actually been spoiled on Monday by one flag briefly being waved and a bit of singing, and that it had been ‘really good’ in the two previous home games.
To which I can only respond with disbeilef.
At almost every game I’ve been to for the past two years – and many before that – the atmosphere has been shocking, so I was actually glad to hear some singing and some new songs of any description.
The whole premise of this latest rant from chief executive Roy Whalley, the protagonist if you hadn’t guessed, is that the flag-bearers are a few bad apples, part of some tiny minority intent on bringing rampant destruction to the harmonious good ship that is the Walsall Football Club of today.
According to him. if they don’t stop being naughty boys and girls then other fans won’t come and watch Chris’s team any more, so Roy will have to take his ball home and there won’t be a club at all.
Then it will all those nasty little people’s fault. – see we can all be childish when we want.
As is usually the case, Roy has got it so horribly wrong it’s unbelievable. After all these years, you’d think he’d learn.
First and foremost he doesn’t get the idea that you can support the team and still be critical or, as he puts it, negative. That’s precisely the point of the ‘Love the Saddlers, hate Bonser’ chant.
These guys are still dedicated fans, they’ve paid to get in the ground for starters. Furthermore the idea of protesting against a regime is exactly the same principle that Whalley had himself when he was part of the anti-Wheldon campaigns of 1982 and 1986.
Another criticism that is classic ‘Whalleyspeak’ is that people ‘need to start looking at the wider picture.’
Spot on, people looked at the wider picture when Scott Dann was sold, when the club announced £2.7million of debt and when they work out that around a grand a day goes out of the club in rent.
They see fans staying away in their thousands and wonder how long the downward spiral can be allowed to continue unabated, they decide that they’re sick and tired of it and they try and do whatever they can to make their voices heard. It’s called democracy.
Big picture? If you could see a medium-sized one it would be a start Roy.
Then you get the ‘big employer in the town and people rely on the football club for their income’ mantra. So surely this has to be an argument that it’s in their best interests for their employers start to listen to their customers for a change, isn’t it?
It is not illegal for people to express an opinion or state their preferences, and no-one’s job is going to be put at risk just because of a few peaceful protests.
Especially when those people are parting with around £500 per season, multiply that by 3,000 fans and spread it across two decades to see who’s actually been providing the bulk of the income all these years.
Similarly I very much doubt that anyone who has managed to stick around supporting the club by still attending is about to be put off by a few humorous chants. But it would be interesting to hear how many fans Mr Whalley thinks might actually return to the ground as a direct result of his latest comments. I suspect it is a big fat zero.
Some people do indeed believe that there are those who are putting the future of the football club on the line and risking people’s livelihoods, but it’s certainly not the paying customers. So the next Focus Group Meeting, promised before the end of the season, should be a lively affair.
Just accept it Roy, people don’t like Jeff Bonser or the situation with the rent, they have become increasingly disillusioned, and fans are staying away in droves. This is nothing new, it’s been festering for years. I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think many people care for you too much right now either.
Acting like a big bully, threatening to ban people without any justification for doing so and making almost laughable accusations simply makes you look even more out of touch. You’ve probably just lit the blue touch paper for even more protests.
I can’t see this one going away anytime soon.
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Two things to point out:
1) RW – a)will not even read the article b)If by some act of god he reads this you have no chance of a reply.
2) Focus group… ya! like they if they hold any power.
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Yet again nail hit right on head.
I think Whalley’s position is untenable. He seems to have lost all respect and trust from many fans.
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Mark, I agree with every word.
Great piece. Well done.
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2 things to point out:
1. Not sure where Mark said that a) RW will read the article or b) he was expecting a reply
2. an excellent blog
Love Walsall Hate Bonser
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Top Blog…
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Amazing piece Mark Jones.
Agree with everything.
“As is usually the case, Roy has got it so horribly wrong it’s unbelievable”
Love Walsall, Hate Bonser.
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I agree excellent blog and thanks to E&S for helping get our point across
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Compare Walsall FC to Wolves Speedway. The latter is great entertainment, the young riders are doing really well and even the old timer brought in is pulling is weight (Parkin?). I would rather go shopping with the wife than contribute to Whalleys wage and Bonser Pension
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Dear Roy,
When you read this, as you surely will, please make a note of my name.
In the unlikely event that your shambolic CRM system can find me on it, use the address you hold to send me a refund on the Early Bird Season Ticket I foolishly bought a few days ago.
Why do I want a refund? Well your T&Cs never mentioned that I couldn’t express any disatisfactions that I might have. Nor did they say that I have to listen to YOUR opinions without challenging them. You’ve tried changing the rules, made our contract nul and void so I want my money back. Sorry if that puts a few jobs at risk; if only one of them was your’s then it would be a joyful day for Saddlers fans instead of yet another sad one.
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totally agree with the bloke who mention the speedway compared to the football. i am a season ticket holder and go to most away games. i also attend monmore green on a monday night to follow Parrys international (refuse to call them wolves) and the difference in entertainment is unbelievable, I come out the speedway having genuinely enjoyed myself watching people put there body’s on the line just to entertain people. Cant remember the last time i saw that down bescot. love Walsall hate Bonser
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Great Blog, Roy you have made yourself look like a total idiot again. If you think you can ban peaceful protests you are wrong!
Love Walsall Hate Bonser
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This was without doubt one of the easiest blogs I’ve written, Roy just gives me so much material!
I know for a fact that Nigel Bond reads them and even if Roy doesn’t there’ll be someone reporting back to him.
As for the Focus Group, I do put the occasional tongue in cheek comment in!
A big thanks to everyone for your support.
LOVE THE SADDLERS
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Nice work Jonah.
Love Walsall Hate Bonser
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Top stuff as always Jonah.
It is however critical that whatever transpires is that the fans take the moral high ground, and do so throguh their actions.
History proves the club will have no hesitation in trying to portray the actions of those who protest as those of rabble rousers or of a mob mentaility, have no fear that everything that might be said proves the contrary that is just a by-line.
Also the first step outside will lead to the club bemoaning the fact that the higher police presence will come from the playing budget, and that the protests will have harmed the club.
The actions now must be of the highest integrity and order. And widely publicised. Anyone wanting to support Whalley and Bonser on this could do so best by getting themselves arrested, the lazy hacks in and around London will find it easier to slate any campign than to engage and educate about it. Heck if we can’t get a inch about a match on a Saturday normally why do we hope for more on explaining the situation…when the alternative would be “match marred by violent fans protest”
It would, of course, be a load of old tosh. But it is critical that the excuse isn’t given. Like raising your hands in the penalty area, don’t give the referee an easy way out.
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Jonah,
Top blog as per usual.
I have found a feeling that i haven’t had for quite some while: i can’t wait for tomorrow!!! Nothing to do with the 90 minutes on the pitch, everything to do with the positive and constructive action taken by the fans that has so got up FRW and JWB’s nose. Monday left me with a little bit of a sore throat-i expect the same tomorrow.
UTS
Love Walsall, hate Bonser
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Top blog again Mark.
There were fans that were divided, there were fans that didnt really care anymore, there were fans that didnt say much.
Now all of a sudden we are ALL together and ready for this. Whalley has done more in the past 24 hours than any of us protesters could have dreamed of. The rise against these morons is finally stepping up a pace.
Bonser and Whalley wont have slept last night. The end is nigh for these two clowns.
Exciting times.
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Superb blog again, always absolutely spot on!- Well done! The school teacher looks a bit silly at the front of class doesn’t he!
May I just raise something mentioned by the Wallet previous article who on earth is Gary ‘bloody’ Ablett?! Fergie, Mourinho or great Sir Bobby yes… Gary ‘bloody’ Ablett come on!!!…
Walsall FC forever!
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Great blog. I hope this protest keeps on rolling. Whalley needs to leave the club.
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Whalley should resign immediately.
His response has been disgraceful for a senior member of staff at a professional football club.
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Spot on Mark. But for this you will probably get banned. You have expressed your opinion and thats not aloud, accordin to Whalley.
Banning fans, grow up Whalley. You 60 odd now, not 6.
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Nobody has mentioned but this has even made the national papers well at least the Guardian) today! ‘Digger’s’ short snippets of sporting gossip in the sport supplement today has a section headed ‘ Walsall silence dissenters’–article suggests Man Utd fans should think themselves lucky that they can wear the green and yellow scarves with impugnity, because at Walsall they wouldn’t even get in the ground. Quote from RAY Whalley ‘They will be banned from the ground’.He is reported to have said that he had 15 e-mails/letters saying the ugly behaviour spolied fans’ day.
Shame it takes this to get into the nationals–but when you are as lacking anbition as this lot are then I guess we take what we can. Finally–how anyone could construe that as ‘ugly’ behaviour is either completely bananas or has lived in isolation all their life. Grow up Whalley– and the rest of your spineless board, you are turning into even more of a laughing stock and we don’t want you to take this club with you. I have supported the side for 25 years and never written anything like this–but I am incensed by this episode, which exhibits a complete lack of understanding or empathy for the fans–when the club needs them more than ever.
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exceptionally put
Bonser & Wally OUT
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what great penmanship as the saying goes the pen is mighter than the sword. The natives are restless and voting with their feet. After being a supporter and season ticket holder for 40 years man and boy I refused to renew my ticket after the sale of Fox and Dan and have only been to a couple of games since. The games we did go to the players looked as though they could not be bothered and played appaulingly. I never judge on the final score as long as they put in the effort I am happy. But how can you have harmony within a team when as soon as someone shows a bit of promise they are sold on and the team has to gel with yet more new players. As for the banning of the supporters who chose to express their freedom of speach on a banner then Whalley should perhaps take some time to look at what our forefathers fought for and be more accepting of peaceful critisism. Looking forward to returning as a supporter when Bonser and Whalley have long gone. Meanwhile I shall continue to add the coffers to my own pension pot.
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Frank Warren, boxing promoter supremo also has hissy fits if anyone should dare to critisise (have I spelt that correctly?)him so Mark do expect to be banned from the club for expressing an opinion. Well written article as always, btw.
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Jonah, the stuff on here from the bloggers is brilliant.
Is there any chance of you and the old team getting back together to do a fanzine? The time is right now, after all it was you guys that made the rent an issue in the first place.
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Great piece, it seems it is the club that have lost touch with reality not the fans.
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Mark me old mate, that’s your lot.
You will be banned forever from the hallowed steps of the heavenly ground called Bank’s Stadium.
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Don’t worry too much Guys & Girls,
Pete Waterman will buy us out, and we’ll be thrashing Barcelona in Europe in 5 years!
Walsall F.C. is bigger than Bonty Python and Where’s Wally, and we’ll survive without them!
If these two numpties continue to act like babies (sorry, that’s disrespecting babies – they make less noise and come out with less poop) then boycott home games and let’s have a march like the Cardiff fans did against their chairman Pete Ridsdale.
If any fans are off to Dubai soon, please mention us to any rich Sheikhs!
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Well said mate….. the passion of the true fan will never be silenced….. time for Bonser & Whalley to wake up and smell the Balti-pies….
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What is the difference between those Cyprus flags and the Portuguese ones that were all over the stands when Leitao was here??
Lets hope that a Cypriot supporters club doesnt form as they would be banned from all matches for displaying their flag. Banning the Cyprus flag could be looked on as discrimination by some.
At the end of the day, we are paying customers. If the chief executive of the company I work for insulted the customers in the press like Whalley has done, he would be sacked straight away.
Walsall is now a dictatorship, not a football club.
I wonder if they can ban people if they wear Cypriot football tops? ;)
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Great Response Mark!!!!
Not only penned in the right tone but also accurate, now then Walsall FC are you going to listen to your fans, and dont you think there is now an opportunity for you to reflect on the recent actions??? You can start by accepting that Bangor and Neil R do have the right to express an opinion and if channelled in a constructive way ie listen to us…….. you will concede that we are all are on the same team!!!
How about a re-think on this and start building bridges by allowing them back at games???? Its a start in the right direction???
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whalley and bonser are nearly, if not already a laughing stock.
hopefully soon we will have our walsall back.
F R E E T H E F A N S
bring on the last day, where once again we will peacefully show care and passion for our club , and against you two
love walsall , hate bonser
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If you all want to be taken seriously, you have to be a lot more organised. A few chants, a couple of flags and a small gathering outside the ground does resemble mob. So the club will promote this as nothing more that a small section of thugs trying to create a reaction because the team have nothing left to play for. We need to do better than this. Boycotting the games is defiantly not the right way to go. How can you have your say? How can you show you are the majority rather than the minority if your not there? However things need to be done to show we mean business. If we are going to boycott things why not start with the club shop. Stop buying official club merchandise. Don’t eat and drink inside the stadium. Do not buy a program, but do NOT stop attending games. This way the club will feel the pinch. If no extras are being sold, but we have decent attendances, with organised and fair protests. If this was the case the club can’t complain about a few thugs spoiling everyone else’s day, but an organised group trying to better there club, trying to do what’s right. So I say to all of you no shows come back and show how much you love Walsall FC. Let the club hear the chants, from a majority chant, be organised and united.
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walley is a complete idiot. His latest pathetic outburst just shows how out of touch he really is. I think hes just stirring up a huge amount of bad feeling.
The other day i counted up my friends who had deserted WALSALL BECAUSE OF BONSER – they are still fans but they can be added to the missing thousands. 1 remains out of fifteen. yes roy the 14 as u put it are morons. ok roy. im in manila the philippines at the moment and ive met more fans in walsall shirts here than i see in walsall !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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spot on! UTS
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