Time for protest, meeting Saturday

[CarlMcBlade]

Just don't fucking go!. . . . . If they're gonna give us another season of league one football, let's give em a league one crowd on Saturday in return. Think McCabe would choke on his G&T if only 5,000 turned up.
I don't really care anymore if we go bust. This policy of austerity is killing us anyway.

 

[chipsncake]

Finally Blades supporters have decided to start taking some action.

I know you said the protest will be against the club as a whole and I agree with this but leave Adkins out of it, I know he's not impressed us this season but it can't always be the manager's fault, ultimately it's those people that run the club so they are the ones you should be targeting.

The board have sold NA a dud and he's fallen for it so I imagine he's just as disheartened as the supporters with the way this season has panned out so far, there's no way he would have agreed to become our manager if he knew he wasn't going to be backed!!!

I know his last job at Reading was unsuccessful, but he could've easily gone to another Championship club rather than the utter shambles that is Sheffield United.

Let's leave Adkins out of this then. After all, amongst all our tribulations this season, he's been truly inspirational hasn't he.

Yes the club is a shambles from top to bottom but to ignore Adkins' contribution to our current demise is ridiculous.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

No, not any terms. But I'm guessing this what the meeting is about? Everybody has their individual set of grievances and ideas for a way forward which is why nobody can claim to be thefans' representative. We need broad agreement on what we want.

But scanning through this thread the plan is to protest.

Not to decide on a manifesto.

I think there are occasional posts with ideas and suggestions but mostly it reads like just literally aimless protesting.

Appoint a manager with a proven track record of success
Build a smaller squad of potential first team players
Recruit players with pace
Develop young players from within the club
Develop a philosophy throughout the club (for me that would be passing through the thirds which) which means all ages play the same way
It also means we have a clear idea of what a Sheffield United player looks like

We have that manager.

These are all very good aims and have all been mentioned in interviews in the last two or three weeks.

As it stands I support that manifesto.

Maybe we could add to it.

 

[Blade56]

I haven't posted for the past 3-4 days. Why, can't think of anything new to say other than wallowing in a cesspit of dispare from fellow Blades. Things are bad, very very very bad. As bad as I have seen them in my near 60 years going to matches. Worse than when we went down to the 4th, at least then it was an even playing field where teams could work their way back up the leagues without having a billionaire sugar daddy.

By the time next season comes around and the bottom team in the PL get a £99 million demotion bonus which carries down to the Championship we will not be in a position to challenge let alone compete above league 1. This club is finished as a top 2 division club IMO. McCabe is just using using after a front for his Chinese billionaire new BF's after (IMO) picking the Princes pocket. Think they've just realised the penny has dropped.

I've taken time to read all the suggestions re protest and what we are protesting about. Lots of new posters joining the forum to add their penny worth but FWIW here's my take.

The only thing we can bring people together to protest about is the performance on the pitch by a shed load off wage thieves with a couple of exceptions (Billy and long). Trying to protest against decisions by the board, the manager etc is to non specific.

We go to matches to watch football and be entertained, neither of those things are being delivered so that's what we protest about. We could boo but that will happen in any case. The protest will filter to the manager (cause IMO he's as much to blame as anyone) and the owners.

Keep it simple with tactics that can catch on over a few games. My personal favourites are.....

GCB- Silence at the start of each half (2protests / game).
In combination with GCB slow hand clap for 1 minute
Or in combination with GCB everyone hold up a red card (easy to make)
Or in combination with GCB hold up phone torch

People in stands with families or the missus won't want to sing revised words with f'ing and geffing so it will not get wide support plus how do you get people to learn words.
Fliers, expensive and labour intensive handing out plus you may need a licence to do it or get them confiscated.
Planning meeting, as someone said how to get 15,000 in the pub?
Refusing to buy ST is a non starter for me, I want to go to,my football games. If I refuse to renew I'm cutting nose of to spite my face, I lose good seats and miss the discount next time I do buy.

Keep it simple, the press will spread the message, forums don't have the following to get a coordinated plan together based around the hallowed GCB, that will catch on, we barely sing it more than a half hearted durge as it is.

Someone who can be arsed do a poll of Silent GCB with red card, torches etc to see what people preference is and do it.

For me if we go behind on satdi I'm going to stand up and get me cock out in the hope someone will come and pull it rather than the players, the manager and the owners metaphorically pulling it like they have all season

Rant over back to a flouncing retirement.

 

[judge]

The fans need to know the extent of the fans feeling.

"I'm pissed off because we were crap at Bury" does not mean 20000 fans want wholesale change.

And if some if the players are not impressed with the manager - almost certainly true - then I suggest changing those players and keeping the manager.

No one cares what you think smithers

 

[Superblades]

Car park protest after the game. A change is needed and I don't see any other sort of protest working.

 

[Barney]

Hold on a fucking minute. Let's not forget how many humiliated and ridiculed a guy trying to carry out this very action the other week. We lose another game and suddenly everyone's on board, I exclude the OP in that by the way. Pisses me right off. Anyway, I'm in but I think there needs to be a few changes to the protest itself to maximise it's effect and efficiency.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

If you want a simple, but effective way of showing decent, then fans NEED to go to the game.

Next, you pick a certain minute of the game - early on, and in the first half.

The protest is to STAND UP, AND TURN YOUR BACK ON THE PITCH FOR 1 MINUTE.

Fans then turn back round and immediately sing Greasy Chip Butty - loud and proud to show that we also care.

If the "turn backs to the pitch" has been mentioned already then sorry, can't be bothered to wade through 10 pages.

UTB - as always

 

[judge]

The only way to do it is to throw shit in the directors box
If all twenty thousand do it in an orchestrated effort then surely mccabe will sit up and take notice
Never works when i do it in my own

 

[lawlessdan]

Dan just tell me who are you protesting at and why or what for.

I'm not personally protesting, but I'm saying if that's what people want to do then surely that will get their message across more clearly

 

[Deleted member 875]

No one cares what you think smithers

He can't hear you.........

 

[ric1889]

Who allowed Clough to blow that fortune? Who put them in place?

UTB

They employed managers who on paper were good appointments and backed then financially. Who would you have had instead of Adkins? Or Clough? In fact, Clough had a blinder for a fairly long time in his tenure, and Adkins took Southampton from league 1 to the Premier. That's good stewarding in my mind.

I just can't see how protest can be directed at the board this time (not like when we headhunted Robson or had an entire squad of loanees that got us relegated).

 

[judge]

They employed managers who on paper were good appointments and backed then financially. Who would you have had instead of Adkins? Or Clough? In fact, Clough had a blinder for a fairly long time in his tenure, and Adkins took Southampton from league 1 to the Premier. That's good stewarding in my mind.

I just can't see how protest can be directed at the board this time (not like when we headhunted Robson or had an entire squad of loanees that got us relegated).

Yeah lets wait till we are in lg 2

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Apologies if this has been mentioned already (haven't read all 10 pages of this thread) but what about a walk out on 1 minute - 1 representing the number of decent performances this season (v Bradford at the Lane).

Do what Blades fans did at Cambridge in '79 chuck a few slabs of concrete at the f***ers

 

[Jonboy60]

I'm all for getting the message out there, but how much attention will a walkout in the ground of for example 100/200 people that are scattered all around the ground generate? Wouldn't getting everyone together in one place and having a form of protest then get the point across more? Somewhere like the car park/players entrance before or after kick off?

Would be better, if, instead of walking out on 80 odd minutes, stay in the ground well after the final whistle.
Would they try and kick us out, or turn out the lights and fuck off.

 

[Foxy]

I don't see a widescale protest as the answer yet, what i suggest that will be a better alternative minute, is a concise but salient letter covering a few key bullet points, countersigned by a few infuential supporters with the gravitas to be taken seriously, and for the letter to be published in the local media giving Abdullah and Kevin McCabe the opportunity to answer the questions thrown up by the letter openly and publically.

More than happy to use the channels and mutual relationships we have to request dialogue/answers to questions, but only if well though out and not simply shit-slinging/daft accusations.

 

[nopigfansintown]

But scanning through this thread the plan is to protest.

Not to decide on a manifesto.

I think there are occasional posts with ideas and suggestions but mostly it reads like just literally aimless protesting.

Appoint a manager with a proven track record of success
Build a smaller squad of potential first team players
Recruit players with pace
Develop young players from within the club
Develop a philosophy throughout the club (for me that would be passing through the thirds which) which means all ages play the same way
It also means we have a clear idea of what a Sheffield United player looks like

We have that manager.

These are all very good aims and have all been mentioned in interviews in the last two or three weeks.

As it stands I support that manifesto.

Maybe we could add to it.

Any protest against any ruling entity is usually against the aims of their manifesto, or its application.
That's the difficulty with protesting though, isn't it. You need to know what you're protesting at, how you want to go about the protest, what alternatives you want, and then how to put them in place. There has to be broad consensus or some kind of vote because unanimity is a pipe dream. Come to think of it, maybe its a "vote of no confidence", rather than a protest, which people are driving at. I welcome some of the things the manager has said that you've highlighted above, but do you think we've the board is in place to allow him to carry out this plan? Are the board on the same page; if so, why aren't they communicating anything? All I've seen so far is them contradict everything they've said anyway - how do they inspire any confidence going forward?

 

[The Fox]

Just a thought. Refrain from spending any money in the ground. Forego the usual programme, pie, pint, soft drink etc. Hits the club where it hurts

I'm not sure about the lane but most programmes and catering are concessions. In effect they pay a licence fee to operate and I'm not sure the club see a bean other than that .

 

[alcoblade]

Only Adkins was a decent manager on paper. Clough's track record is wank.

And every other appointment has ticked only 2 boxes;

Cheap
Available

And that's before you get back to the right Royal fuck up of having a meagre budget in the premiership, followed by exorbitant backing of the arch failure, Bryan Fuckng Robson in the championship. Talk about arse about tit.

Throw in umpteen failed business ventures around the globe and locally and several board restructures, all that have failed miserably, and you're looking for a noose.

And then on to what money has found its way to the field - could our decade long recruitment policy possibly be more fucked up? Is it possibly to have had the wage bill we have had, yet be completely devoid of any real quality for so long? Well yes it is, but it takes a special kind of incompetence.

Who's the common factor?

UTB

 

[Silent Blade]

How do you know all this for a fact?

Let's name the players

Sunjihi will probably know those who have been leaking secrets from the camp

 

[Danny_Blade]

Let's leave Adkins out of this then. After all, amongst all our tribulations this season, he's been truly inspirational hasn't he.

Yes the club is a shambles from top to bottom but to ignore Adkins' contribution to our current demise is ridiculous.

What a ridiculous reply fellow Blade.

Listen, I stated that NA hasn't impressed by any means and yes he shouldn't be immune from criticism. But what I am saying is, any protest should be aimed at the board - simple as.

Name me one Blade that was actually unhappy with his appointment??

We can't keep sacking managers - simple as. Why? Because the main problems lie far deeply rooted.

No other manager in world football would be able to get this shower of sh!te promoted, possibly a tad better than NA yes. But still the bottom line is that promotion is just too far out of reach whoever is at the helm with this season's team, even if we could go all the way back to the opening day of the season - he was doomed right from the start!

In my honest opinion I think many of our supporters are angry with NA because of the overwhelming anger/feelings of utter let down by the board, therefore it seems to me that they're finding it easy to take it out on the manager as well while they're at it and I think that's wrong. I think the anger towards NA should only be to a degree, because not one tiny bit of blame/anger/attention whatever you want to call it should be deflected away from this board.

 

[chipsncake]

What a ridiculous reply fellow Blade.

Listen, I stated that NA hasn't impressed by any means and yes he shouldn't be immune from criticism. But what I am saying is, any protest should be aimed at the board - simple as.

Name me one Blade that was actually unhappy with his appointment??

We can't keep sacking managers - simple as. Why? Because the main problems lie far deeply rooted.

No other manager in world football would be able to get this shower of sh!te promoted, possibly a tad better than NA yes. But still the bottom line is that promotion is just too far out of reach whoever is at the helm with this season's team, even if we could go all the way back to the opening day of the season - he was doomed.

In my honest opinion I think many of our supporters are angry with NA because of the overwhelming anger/feelings of utter let down by the board, therefore it seems to me that they're taking it out on the manager as well while they're at it and I think that's wrong. I think the anger towards NA should only be to a degree, because not one tiny bit of blame/anger/attention whatever you want to call it should be deflected away from the board.

Direct as much anger as you want at the board (and it would be totally justified) but it will make little difference as they under the total influence of McCabe and he will do what he wants when he wants. In the meantime recognise that Adkins has taken a poor team and made them much poorer, not a single aspect of his management generates positivity, he has totally failed us and the longer he stays the worse it will get.

 

[mosbolad]

 

[Rodley]

How will we get all 16,000 Blades into Fanny's for said discussion? It'll need to be a very capacious Fanny, beyond even such delights as the Wizard's Sleeve, Laughing Donkey, or even the Shocked Hippo.

No chance of getting served in there on Saturday

 

[Rodley]

Here is a manifesto that I would be willing to protest for:-

1) No manager to be sacked without the consent of the fans
2) No manager to be hired without the consent of the fans
3) No contracted player to be sold without the consent of the fans

Q. What are you hoping to achieve?
A. Involve fans in the key decisions. An end to knee-jerk decisions influenced by a minority of fans on media/social media. An end to disastrous, unpopular managerial appointments that are doomed to fail from the start (e.g. Robson).

Q. How do you get the consent of the fans?
A. Internet voting mechanism (it's the 21st Century. Not difficult to set up)

Q. Who will be eligible to vote?
A. All fans with a certain number of loyalty points can register to vote (prevents hijacking by rival fans).

Q. What if the Board have good reason for making the decision?
A. They can fully state their case when asking the registered fans to vote. Persuade fans it is the right decision for the club. (e.g. good offer for a player who wants to leave. Manager hasn't followed transfer policy. A certain manager has experience of both promotion and relegation!).

It's a prototype idea of the top of my head. Could it work? If not, why not? Thoughts?

Laughable stuff.

 

[northsomersetblade]

I agree that we need to register our displeasure....standing up and clapping after 6 minutes sounds like a splendid idea.

Maybe keep it up for 10 minutes, a minute for each season we'll be in this league for. McCabe has to piss or get off the pot and he has to have this made clear to him.

 

[Danny_Blade]

Direct as much anger as you want at the board (and it would be totally justified) but it will make little difference as they under the total influence of McCabe and he will do what he wants when he wants. In the meantime recognise that Adkins has taken a poor team and made them much poorer, not a single aspect of his management generates positivity, he has totally failed us and the longer he stays the worse it will get.

I'm sorry you've got that the wrong way round, the longer McCabe stays the worse it gets hence why we will be embarking on a sixth consecutive season in League 1!

And hence why we've been in rapid decline ever since 2007 and don't look like getting out of it any time soon. During the five years we've been down here we haven't been able to compete with clubs only a third of our size.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

I think the fans should all turn up in full home kit and periodically invade the pitch. I think having a 74 man midfield may free up Hammond to go forward with the fucking ball.

 

[UnitedBlade]

More than happy to use the channels and mutual relationships we have to request dialogue/answers to questions, but only if well though out and not simply shit-slinging/daft accusations.

Interesting. I was going to reply to another post but I'll put my twopennorth here.

The season is over in 11.5 weeks (thank God). I reckon they’ll still be trotting out the line “mathematically possible” with 5 games to go (although it will probably mean we have to win all the last 5).

So realistically, the Board and Adkins will not publicly say anything about plans until the end of the season. Part of the solution is kicking out a whole raft of non achieving players. They won’t admit this whilst they can still trot out the “mathematically possible” cliché. I think despite Adkins failing, they won’t sack him because of the Clough decision.

Protesting is one thing but unless we can get a dialogue with the main people (McCabe and I would assume Jim representing the Prince) we will get nothing.

One of the big missing pieces for me is overall finance: what state are we in now (last season’s accounts aren’t out yet never mind how we’re doing this season) does the joint ownership still work next season, will they go beyond SCMP levels to try to ensure promotion, what cost cutting will take place apart from downsizing the squad eg will they cut Academy spend. Do ticket prices stay the same (revenue will decline as I expect a proportion of season ticket holders will not renew. It’s not just about failure, it’s about abysmal entertainment). Player recruitment, how does the Transfer Committee work and what are they doing because the loans and transfers this season have in the main been woeful. Also rumours about Chinese investment – are they jointly looking to access a third partner for finance – what is the likelihood of success.

The main thing the fans can continue to provide is revenue through the turnstiles and continued support. They must realise we are major stakeholders. I want them to cut the bullshit and tell us what’s going on. The downside for the owners is revenue leaks away as fans become uninterested.

I’m sorry to say I’m moving to an uninterested position, I’m bored to tears with the football and the soap opera that surrounds it. Why can we never get things right ?

 

[sheffielder]

No chance of getting served in there on Saturday

Should start a protest and get everyone to walk out after 6 minutes