Martin, I may not always agree with you but this is shameful reminder of Footballs' attitude. How can Football progress if it doesn't include the fans? Football is about money, but it's also about social interaction ( which is where you and your colleagues come in). The only people able to kick it out are the fans. You cannot legislate ignorance/prejudice out: you have to get people to listen and be educated about how demeaning footballers, really brings us all down. At this time we need organizations to be inclusive, since everybody is suffering from the consequences of the Pandemic
An interesting piece. What concerns me, is the concept of fans as ‘stakeholders’. Wickapedia’s definition of a stakeholder is: a member of ‘groups without whose support, the organisation would cease to exist’. Now, we are all familiar with the famous ‘without fans, football is nothing’ quote, but is that really true anymore? Prior to the pandemic I would have said that it was inconceivable to routinely play top flight football in empty stadia. Nowadays, we have almost become conditioned to it. Even the appalling double standard that allows elite sport to continue, whilst grass roots sport is forbidden, is not really challenged. The injustice that allows top flight footballers to ply their trade, whilst the vast majority of us cannot, is somehow mitigated by the idea that they bring a unique and indispensable entertainment into our lockdown homes. Perhaps they do? The truth is, (as I’m sure you know), that it’s all about money. Which brings me back to my original point. It has now been proven, that top flight football IS sustainable without fans, at least financially. In fact, with huge increases in broadcasting subscriptions, there might even be more money coming into the game than ever! The reason fans were ignored in your piece might be because we are not really stakeholders at all?
Disappointed to read that supporters have been excluded again. The fans I know find the abuse of players, pundits etc abhorrent and the fact that supporters have been excluded because we are ‘all’ the problem is depressing. If it is simple that supporters were just ‘forgotten’ ... well is that even worse? I find it incredible that the CEOs of these organisations , who to have got to the positions they are at because they are, are in the main intelligent and respected individuals, can just forget about us. I realise I am just echoing what your article has already said but hopefully the work of the FSA and other fan groups will eventually change the way supporters are viewed by the game. Maybe I won’t hold my breath though...😔
Martin, I may not always agree with you but this is shameful reminder of Footballs' attitude. How can Football progress if it doesn't include the fans? Football is about money, but it's also about social interaction ( which is where you and your colleagues come in). The only people able to kick it out are the fans. You cannot legislate ignorance/prejudice out: you have to get people to listen and be educated about how demeaning footballers, really brings us all down. At this time we need organizations to be inclusive, since everybody is suffering from the consequences of the Pandemic
Keep up the good work.
An interesting piece. What concerns me, is the concept of fans as ‘stakeholders’. Wickapedia’s definition of a stakeholder is: a member of ‘groups without whose support, the organisation would cease to exist’. Now, we are all familiar with the famous ‘without fans, football is nothing’ quote, but is that really true anymore? Prior to the pandemic I would have said that it was inconceivable to routinely play top flight football in empty stadia. Nowadays, we have almost become conditioned to it. Even the appalling double standard that allows elite sport to continue, whilst grass roots sport is forbidden, is not really challenged. The injustice that allows top flight footballers to ply their trade, whilst the vast majority of us cannot, is somehow mitigated by the idea that they bring a unique and indispensable entertainment into our lockdown homes. Perhaps they do? The truth is, (as I’m sure you know), that it’s all about money. Which brings me back to my original point. It has now been proven, that top flight football IS sustainable without fans, at least financially. In fact, with huge increases in broadcasting subscriptions, there might even be more money coming into the game than ever! The reason fans were ignored in your piece might be because we are not really stakeholders at all?
Love your work. X
Disappointed to read that supporters have been excluded again. The fans I know find the abuse of players, pundits etc abhorrent and the fact that supporters have been excluded because we are ‘all’ the problem is depressing. If it is simple that supporters were just ‘forgotten’ ... well is that even worse? I find it incredible that the CEOs of these organisations , who to have got to the positions they are at because they are, are in the main intelligent and respected individuals, can just forget about us. I realise I am just echoing what your article has already said but hopefully the work of the FSA and other fan groups will eventually change the way supporters are viewed by the game. Maybe I won’t hold my breath though...😔