Could it happen here?

Obviously our board are not too concerned about fans undermining the manager on Twitter using parody accounts, but might this story give them ideas about those who ask too many questions?

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Quote :

A FANS' organisation has called on Crawley Town to explain why three supporters have been banned from attending home matches, and why they have not been given the right to appeal the decision.

The trio were sent exclusion letters by club CEO Michael Dunford on August 14, preventing them from attending home matches or even setting foot inside the ground.

The club have refused to say what the fans are alleged to have done, apart from accusing them of carrying out an "extremely disruptive campaign" to "undermine the board and damage the club".

The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF), which represents fans of all clubs, has called on the League Two club to explain exactly what they are accused of doing. A FSF spokesman said: "Fans shouldn't be banned without being given clear reasons and the opportunity to defend themselves.

"It seems only right that the club are open both with the fans in question and other supporters.

"There are processes in place for supporters who feel they've been unfairly treated and we can advise them on the next steps."

Among the banned trio is Peter Bellamy, a fan of the Reds for more than 25 years.

He believes he has banned after raising concerns with Mr Dunford over how the club is funded.

There has long been speculation that the club has benefited from investment from a businessman in the Far East.

If it has Mr Bellamy believes the investor should take the Football League's Owners' and Directors' Test to decide whether they are deemed "fit and proper" to provide investment for a football club.

Mr Bellamy, 43, said: "My concerns were raised with the club back in June.

"What I am worried about is the apparent non-disclosure to the FA and Football League about the club's backing from the Far East.

"While choosing not to come forward publicly, I believe the person in question is still taking up a shadow director role by being a major benefactor to the club.

"The FA's guide to clubs says shadow directors should be declared, and they should also take the owners' and directors' test. The rules state clubs can be sanctioned for any non-disclosure of a relevant person.

"I want to make sure the club is abiding by the rules the FA and Football League have in place."

According to Crawley Town's published ownership statement, the shareholders holding 10 per cent or more of shares are David Pottinger and Matt Turner.

Mr Bellamy added that many fans are "uneasy" about how secretive the club is being over how it is funded.

"I grew up in the town and started going to games with mates in the mid to late 80s when I was at Thomas Bennett," Mr Bellamy said.

"Going to the football became a routine and I would go to endless games, even reserve matches in the back end of nowhere.

"I don't feel any different about the team and my support for them has not changed after what has happened. The club will still be there once the current incumbents have moved on.

"In the past I have stopped going to games during the Majeeds' (former owners) era and I had a falling out with (former manager) Steve Evans once that meant I didn't go for six months.

"There is a different atmosphere within the club now, though. Fans are uneasy."

THE Crawley News approached Crawley Town to ask if it could explain the exact reason why the fans have been banned. We also asked whether the club was getting any funding from an investor in the Far East. The club declined to comment but has previously issued a statement confirming that the fans have been banned. It said: “The board of Crawley Town has unanimously decided to exclude three individuals from entering the Checkatrade.com Stadium. The directors will not tolerate the extremely disruptive campaign of the individuals concerned, to undermine the board and damage the club.“In light of these actions all three individuals will be refused entry to the stadium and where applicable will have their season tickets cancelled and monies refunded. “The exclusion notices have been issued with immediate effect and will remain in force until further notice.”

I wonder where Mr Dunford learnt those tactics? He used to be one of ours you know.

I always disliked Durnford and his attitude to fans. I'll always remember his radio comments, when he insisted cheaper price deals wouldn't increase attendances, in spite of every known economic theory. Someone that Newell would aspire to be if he had half a sniff. Such people just store up problems further down the line.
Yet more evidence of corporate internet snooping and bullying. Maybe Hooper was on the case. Good to see their real colours are being shown more and more. A football club dodging the rules ? The industry known for it's brown envelopes. Heaven forfend such a thing would happen.

Mr Durnford learned his trade well here it seems.

Nah, no one on ATD ever goes to games anyway so any ban would be irrelevant.

Blimey, that is quite incredible.

A worthy story deserving of bigger attention....but it's lil ole' Crawley, so the nationals won't be interested, of course.

I was waiting for someone to pipe up with "it's their club they can do what they like with it" glad no one has said it. The trouble with business men and women buying football clubs is that theyve been successful in business, usually involving a my way or highway type approach to the proles that work for them. This doesn't work in a football club, for the chairman and board to have the respect of the fans they have to realise that the club is viewed as the property of the fans by the fans, at least on a kind of fifty fifty basis. The fans should show unity to one of their own and all stay outside the ground at the next match, I wouldn't hold your breath though.

Iggy, the business community will probably make it illegal in future for any fan to boycott games without 99.9% of fans voting for such a boycott in writing. It's democratic don't you know.
Anyone not attending their football club without just cause will be arrested and face deportation. God bless the global CEOs

Luckily all British football fans are on police databases, even my kids have been photographed, catalogued and stored in secret files, I even had my collar felt for objecting to a Thames Valley thug photo snapping my ten year old son at Reading, you know the same game when they made loads of London exiles get on a train to Plymouth. What a larf.
Anyway I'm sure it could happen here, it hasn't happened yet because our Stasi are too thick to think of it first.

Imagine that's the movie business, and a few cinema goers don't like a couple of the actors and vent about how shit a film is online. Does the movie industry a) ban them from watching films b) continue taking their money if they can, possibly trying to get the actors to star in better films, or using other actors, in order to sell more tickets, DVDs, popcorn and memorabilia?

Mock Cuncher wrote:

Imagine that's the movie business, and a few cinema goers don't like a couple of the actors and vent about how shit a film is online. Does the movie industry a) ban them from watching films b) continue taking their money if they can, possibly trying to get the actors to star in better films, or using other actors, in order to sell more tickets, DVDs, popcorn and memorabilia?

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B&Q "worse than Crawley" says this stunned shopper.

Czarcasm wrote:

Nah, no one on ATD ever goes to games anyway so any ban would be irrelevant.  

I don't even get let in the ground !! Wobbly leg syndrome I think its called

alannotivvy wrote:

Czarcasm wrote:

Nah, no one on ATD ever goes to games anyway so any ban would be irrelevant.  

I don't even get let in the ground !!  Wobbly leg syndrome I think its called

onetoomanypastyitis

soppysackitis more like it!

Iggy wrote:

Luckily all British football fans are on police databases, even my kids have been photographed, catalogued and stored in secret files, I even had my collar felt for objecting to a Thames Valley thug photo snapping my ten year old son at Reading, you know the same game when they made loads of London exiles get on a train to Plymouth. What a larf.
Anyway I'm sure it could happen here, it hasn't happened yet because our Stasi are too thick to think of it first.

I got properly arrested that day for refusing to get on a train to Plymouth.

I even had a printed timetable in my pocket explaining why I didn't need to be on a train to Plymouth, because I lived elsewhere. Of course it was of no consequence at the time.

Absolute shambles, I can't drive through or travel via Reading without getting annoyed about it.

About 11 years ago wasn't it?

ejh wrote:

Iggy wrote:

Luckily all British football fans are on police databases, even my kids have been photographed, catalogued and stored in secret files, I even had my collar felt for objecting to a Thames Valley thug photo snapping my ten year old son at Reading, you know the same game when they made loads of London exiles get on a train to Plymouth. What a larf.
Anyway I'm sure it could happen here, it hasn't happened yet because our Stasi are too thick to think of it first.

I got properly arrested that day for refusing to get on a train to Plymouth.

I even had a printed timetable in my pocket explaining why I didn't need to be on a train to Plymouth, because I lived elsewhere. Of course it was of no consequence at the time.

Absolute shambles, I can't drive through or travel via Reading without getting annoyed about it.

About 11 years ago wasn't it?

They were just herding people on to the trains no matter where they wanted to go as you say-my late father was with me that day, we quietly sidled off back down the road when we saw what was happening and had a couple of beers before getting a later train, disgraceful exhibition of bullying and harassment by TVP. It was in the first season back in the CCC- funnily enough there were no problems at all the year after in the game when Chadders scored the late winner, there may well have been an even bigger Argyle contingent in town that day. Remember listening to the radio commentary on the Ashes test match on the way home in the train when England were knocking the Aussies over and looked as if they were going to win easily, then watching it the next morning as Australia got nearer and nearer to the target-one of the great sporting moments when Harmison took the last wicket for a 2 run victory. Happy days in more ways than one.

That might have been the same game where Argyle Ive got arrested for assaulting a police officer. He got pushed, as Thames Valley herded argyle fans, and he fell into a police horse- this was classed as assault . I think 20 - 30 were arrested (might be wrong) that day and all charges were later dropped and Thames Valley had to apologise for over-zealous policing.

Funny thing was we were drinking with the Reading fans before and after the match with no trouble in sight, everybody ws chilled and having a good day. I was saved the train experience luckily as we had a driver and I was sat in a police van awaiting my caution. I refused the caution and told them to arrest me or feck off, they just let me go after a couple of hours where I joined everybody else to moan about the ob in the pub, wierd day.

Could it ? We want our land back

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He's been anonymous lately, no 'erald column, no radio Devon, praps he's been drafted in to team Corbyn.