Money where your mouth is: VAR action at Bournemouth match?

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

I know there are dozens of VAR threads on here, but who would actually be willing to volunteer time and/or money to organise a VAR protest of some description? It'd have to be outside the ground otherwise the club would be able to veto it, so what about something like a funeral march for the death of football, with everyone wearing black? I'd be happy to help organise something, but doing it alone might be a bit of an ordeal! Is it something that any NCFC fan groups could/would support (Canaries Trust/NCFSC/ACN/BEN)? If any of these organisations want to take the idea and run with it then obviously they'll get a lot more traction than little old me.

Time to stop moaning and make a statement.

[The Real Buh 3,423]

I will definitely join any VAR protest. We need these fan groups to come together and organise action. This is bigger than big club/small club bias or anything like that. If this carries on top level football is dead. Lower league football is already using “there’s no VAR here” as a ticket selling point. 

[Well b back 3,182]

Spot on.

We need as well to liaise with Wolves, Palace and Sheffield Utd fan groups. Let’s see where sky stand on the issue then.

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

Also, if we are actually going to do an official protest then we will need to ensure it is managed from a PR perspective. If anyone associated with the protest makes a media statement that could be construed as libellous/slanderous, the mandarins might start getting proactive.

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

3 minutes ago, Well b back said:

Spot on.

We need as well to liaise with Wolves, Palace and Sheffield Utd fan groups. Let’s see where sky stand on the issue then.

If this is going to gain traction, let's try to post on fan groups of all EPL clubs. I'm sure there are 'big six' fans who are disenfranchised with it too, and if the big clubs start complaining the powers that be are bound to start noticing.

It's also Liverpool v Man United that day... can you imagine if their fans united to join in a protest against VAR? Doubt it would happen, but I can dream...

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

@Pete Raven - is this something that Archant would support, or even advise on/oversee? I'm sure it'd generate a lot of clicks for Archant sites...

[Well b back 3,182]

My son was at the Bolton game last year when the Bolton fans threw on the pitch hundreds of tennis balls.

cant advocate this but wouldn’t it be funny if at every premier league game ( and even championship game ) threw onto the pitch thousands of purple tennis balls with the words Fck VAR on them. It would be especially funny if the only game that didn’t protest was Liverpool v Man Utd 

[CDMullins 436]

The best way to protest, is to boycott.

 

Imagine one weekend not a fan in a Premier League stadium.

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

Here are the first search results for "[name of club] fans forum" on Google. If anyone knows a better/different forum for each club, please post it here.

Arsenal: https://arsenal-mania.com/forum/
Aston Villa: https://www.villatalk.com/
Bournemouth: https://bournemouth-forum.vitalfootball.co.uk/forums/upthecherries-forum.7/
Brighton: https://www.northstandchat.com/forumdisplay.php?20-The-Big-Board
Burnley: http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/forums/
Chelsea: http://forum.talkchelsea.net/
Crystal Palace: https://www.holmesdale.net/page.php?id=3
Everton: https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/forums/everton-forum.2/
Leicester: https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forum/1-leicester-city-forum/
Liverpool: https://forums.thisisanfield.com/
Manchester City: https://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/forums/bluemoon-forum.1/
Manchester United: https://www.redcafe.net/
Newcastle: https://www.toontastic.net/board/
Sheffield United: https://www.s24su.com/forum/index.php
Southampton: https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?3-Southampton-Football-Club
Tottenham: https://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/forum/forums/tottenham-hotspur.4/
Watford: http://wfcforums.com/index.php
West Ham: http://www.westhamonline.net/forum.php
Wolves: https://www.wolvesforum.co.uk/forum.php

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

2 minutes ago, CDMullins said:

The best way to protest, is to boycott.

 

Imagine one weekend not a fan in a Premier League stadium.

You'd do well to persuade 1% of fans to miss a match, to be honest. And that would just disadvantage the clubs themselves, as the EPL only really cares about their TV audiences anyway.

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

Looks like people don't care enough to do more than just moan on the internet about it, then...

[TIL 1010 4,718]

1 hour ago, Feedthewolf said:

Looks like people don't care enough to do more than just moan on the internet about it, then...

Organise a meeting point prior to the Bournemouth game wolfie and walk to the ground and maybe congregate outside the main entrance. Just see who turns up and by the way count me in. You have to start somewhere mate and make the press aware.

[FenwayFrank 2,450]

It’s not that people don’t care, it’s just that at the moment there doesn’t seem to be anything specific planned. A few people have suggested different things without much of a response. Personally I would suggest getting in touch with along come nodge and  the canaries  trust to plan something  so then everyone will know what is happening and when. 

[Mr Angry 1,544]

How about any fans with their own YouTube channels-or whatever social media these people use these days-could they publicise something?

BTW I'll be at Preston, will VAR be in use for that game?

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

The only way you do get noticed is civil disobedience. Whether it be tennis balls, invading pitches etc. If you treat authorities with respect they ignore you. The FA, UEFA and FIFA is an old boys club. Until people died, grounds were siht hole, death traps and amenities were well overpriced tripe.

At our local rugby match, the refereeing decisions were unfairly and diabolically going against us. One chap rushed to the edge of the terrace when a line out was near us and called the referee cheat and many expletives. The ref spoke to him but from then on every decision was fair not just toward us but fair. And now we give the ref stick, and he is much closer to us than a professional football match, if we think he is being unfair. Not cheating or making mistakes, that is different, but just being unfair.

And that is all protest is about. Altering the unfair things in life.

VAR is unfair to arguably the most important people, the fans, let alone our club and players. Acceptance is non protest.

[Canary Jedi 573]

Some good ideas. 

Could organise a petition, or a show of red cards at a certain minute during the matches (though not environmentally friendly).

I like the tennis balls idea however could disrupt flow of game and also i suspect club will be on the lookout for people smuggling in balls (joke there somewhere!)

Alternatively we could kidknapp the ref and hold him hostage until VAR is sorted out and we are given our lost points back 🤪

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I'm going to call it, then:

Meet outside Queen of Iceni at 2.15pm on Saturday January 19th. Everyone to wear all black. I do like the 'red cards for VAR' idea, but as someone said, it's not very environmentally friendly.

Anyone with arts-and-crafts skills, or who has access to a coffin(!), send me a DM. More to come, watch this space.

I suggest we all walk to the ground, and then congregate outside the City Stand. I think it'd be good to have some placards/banners, but obviously we won't be able to take them into the ground with us. Would we need to alert the club and/or the police? @TIL 1010, don't happen to know anyone in the Constabulary, do ya? 🙂

Does anyone have any sway with any of the main NCFC groups on Facebook, or a lot of followers on Twitter/Insta? I have accounts on both, but hardly any followers.

[JF 694]

I don’t attend matches so not my call but the tennis balls on the pitch idea when a var check is in place sounds perfect 

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

3 minutes ago, JF said:

I don’t attend matches so not my call but the tennis balls on the pitch idea when a var check is in place sounds perfect 

I wouldn't want to be responsible for orchestrating that... it might well p*ss the club off. At least with the idea above, we leave it outside the ground and then concentrate on supporting the team once we get inside.

If it gathers enough traction, I'm sure we could get on SSN (or Look East at the very least).

[JF 694]

If what the rules governing body have said and var is indeed being used wrongly For offsides then this whole var farce could be about to sort itself out. Here’s hoping 

[FenwayFrank 2,450]

9 minutes ago, JF said:

I don’t attend matches so not my call but the tennis balls on the pitch idea when a var check is in place sounds perfect 

If we were to do this for a televised match ( Leicester on a Friday night) it would be brilliant as sky couldn’t ignore it 

[Well b back 3,182]

4 hours ago, Mr Angry said:

How about any fans with their own YouTube channels-or whatever social media these people use these days-could they publicise something?

BTW I'll be at Preston, will VAR be in use for that game?

No

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

10 minutes ago, FenwayFrank said:

If we were to do this for a televised match ( Leicester on a Friday night) it would be brilliant as sky couldn’t ignore it 

Yep... but that's two months away. If there is still the need for it after the Bournemouth game (assuming the authorities haven't backtracked to assuage people before then), I'm sure there's the potential for a repeat performance.

[Puntino 75]

Hi FTW, it's definitely something that we're looking into over at ACN and BEN. Canaries Trust are keen too. We'd also want to try and ensure other fan groups nationally participate. Bournemouth is a good call, my personal fear would be that it's a mammoth game for the team, and is that the best time to do something and possibly overshadow actually backing the boys? All efforts will probably be focused from our end on creating the best visual display in the ground to let the team know we're right behind them. 

However, we want to do something impactful, and we want to do it soon. 

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

18 minutes ago, Puntino said:

Hi FTW, it's definitely something that we're looking into over at ACN and BEN. Canaries Trust are keen too. We'd also want to try and ensure other fan groups nationally participate. Bournemouth is a good call, my personal fear would be that it's a mammoth game for the team, and is that the best time to do something and possibly overshadow actually backing the boys? All efforts will probably be focused from our end on creating the best visual display in the ground to let the team know we're right behind them. 

However, we want to do something impactful, and we want to do it soon. 

Thanks Puntino, I've sent you a DM.

[Mr Angry 1,544]

Are there any legal experts in our midst? I’m wondering whether any legislation about freedom of speech trumps any rules or guidelines about banners at football matches?

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

44 minutes ago, Mr Angry said:

Are there any legal experts in our midst? I’m wondering whether any legislation about freedom of speech trumps any rules or guidelines about banners at football matches?

I would imagine that the club has the casting vote over what banners and messaging can be displayed on their own property/premises. That's why I suggested doing it outside the ground in a public space, where it would be covered by freedom of speech.

[Chumino 57]

Correct. You are free to protest, demonstrate in public areas..As far as freedom of speech don't start me, it's massively under pressure, let's just hope no snowflakes (eg a match day official) claim alarm or distress poor things . Un - educated 50 then misuse breach of the peace. Be interesting how the club would react to a peaceful mass well orchestrated protest in the ground, banners and all. Just my 2p.

[Feedthewolf 4,844]

After another painful VAR intervention yesterday (with questionable implementation too), how do people feel about this protest now? 

[Creative Midfielder 1,985]

On 31/12/2019 at 19:52, Feedthewolf said:

I would imagine that the club has the casting vote over what banners and messaging can be displayed on their own property/premises. That's why I suggested doing it outside the ground in a public space, where it would be covered by freedom of speech.

I would have thought so too but do we have any reason to believe that the club would want to block protests over VAR?

Farke has made it very clear what he thinks about it - on several occasions, all of which would normally have resulted in him being charged by the footballing authorities. But its very clear he isn't going to be, because the EPL daren't risk VAR being put under any further scrutiny which would be inevitable if he, or any other manager, were charged with misconduct.

So the EPL has clearly decided to sit tight and hope people just get tired of it - hopefully the fans will not fall for it or better still perhaps there will be a real split in football and the little Premier League cartel will go off and join some European super league or just become a closed UK mini league with no relegation/promotion with the real football leagues.

Then the Football Manager 2020 fans can move seamlessly between their own games and Sky's televised equivalent version, and the rest of us can get back to watching some real football  😀