A few more questions for Walsall FC

Walsall blogger Mark Jones puts the questions to chief executive Roy Whalley as the fallout of growing unrest between club and fans is felt around the Banks's.

So what have you achieved this week then Roy?

Talking tough

It's easy to do, harder to follow through. After threatening to ban many protesters, you ended up banning one only.

As well as being discriminatory, this to me highlighted how weak your excuses for the bans actually are. If you couldn't bring yourself to ban everyone involved, then why pick one scapegoat?

To compound this you also imposed a ban on another supporter, who was nothing at all to do with the Cyprus flags. In both cases the excuses given were flimsy to say the least.

To try to criminalise waving a flag in a football ground borders on the ridiculous.

Interestingly both Neil and Darren are regular online contributors, who speak their mind and have been critical of the way the club has been run. Bizarre coincidence? I don't think so.

There is such a thing as freedom of speech, we are all paying customers and should be entitled to have our say without fear of reprisal.

Support for the club's stance

In the Tranmere match programme you claim that your actions were based on 15 e-mails and phone calls received after the Wycombe game, which showed 'how much resentment and frustration there is about the antics of a small group of people.'

Funnily enough, this strength of feeling has not spilled over into anyone actually backing the club publically. On the contrary, there can never have been a Walsall story on this website that has received so many responses.

And not one of them backed you Roy, not a single one.

The websites that you are clearly monitoring are full of the resentment and frustration of people who state they will not return to the club while the current regime is in place.

You might not like this, you might not agree with it, but it is a reality. Acting like a bully-boy will do nothing to change this.

What was also telling was the number of contributions from supporters who had previously backed chairman Jeff Bonser and Roy, but who were now disgusted by the club's actions.

The message boards and websites have shown supporters almost totally unified in their revulsion at the stance. This only goes to highlight what a massive error of judgement you appear to have made.

And if all it takes is 15 e-mails or phone calls to make you take a certain course of action, then we could get the answers to a few more questions yet.

More protests against the club

The draconian bans, threats and heavy-handed approach to people waving flags has just seemed to galvanise the protest movement.

One flag at the Wycombe game had turned into at least six by the Tranmere game, there were more pro-club, anti-board songs during the game - which I personally think improved the atmosphere as we came from behind for a second straight win - and a loud vocal protest afterwards.

This unrest had clearly been provoked from within the boardroom.

What happens next?

In a strange turnaround, a lot of fans are no longer impatiently waiting for the season to end. The movement has grown and strengthened and is becoming more organised.

The club have hinted at litigation, but in order to do this there needs to have been an offence committed and this then needs to be proved.

Making subjective and judgemental comments about the mentality of the club's fans - your own customers - is hardly the best way forward.

Meanwhile, by way of contrast, those organising the Cyprus flag protests have urged people taking part to remain peaceful and restrained.

So what exactly have you achieved this week then Roy?