Time to stop the bullies!

[youngy]

Hi folks

First and foremost, let me explain myself. I am a Hearts fan and I would like to ask you all to do me a favour. Well actually I hope that your actions will do Scottish Football a favour.

I was saddened and angered today, when i read that Dundee United were forced to accept Celtic?s demand for a 5% away ticket surcharge after Celtic threatened them that there would be NO Celtic fans at Tannadice if they did not accept the demands.

As a result. I have set up an online petition which you can view and sign HERE> http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-t...ly-tactics.html

I will send copies of the completed petition to all 10 clubs so that they can see how strongly their fans feel about this ridiculous situation.

As far as I can see all 10 non old firm clubs need to stand up and be counted against these two leeches. How many of our clubs can afford to incur yet more losses? Why should OUR clubs be asked to swell the coffers of Rangers and Celtic? Why should our clubs be asked to pay a TAX just so we can play against Rangers and Celtic at our OWN grounds? These two ?fierce rivals? are quick enough to always unite when it suits their agenda or can earn them more money. It?s time yet again that the other members of the league put a stop to their attempts to steam roller smaller and less well-off clubs.

It worked once before over TV money. It can work again!

Please feel free to post this link wherever you like.

Thanks

youngy

[caleyrule]

I have just signed it and i hope the rest of the people with sign it to

[alimci]

Good idea youngy, hope it has some impact.

[RiG]

Have Rangers and Celtic run this idea by the SPL to gain approval?

Additionally, will they be charging each other to handle Away tickets for the Old Filth games?

[Guest birdog]

Signed

I still think that getting Ticketmaster or the like to sell the away tickets would be the best idea. The OF fans would cry their eyes out at having to pay the booking fees that are charged by online agents. As for the threat that Celtic would not take any fans then you just have to look around the home ends of grounds when the old firm play away, plenty of idiots willing to go to these matches in the wrong end so I can't see a problem with the tickets selling.

[The Mantis]

Sure I'll sign it, but what did I miss while I was away? I had heard Falkirk were just going to sell the tickets at their place so what happened to that idea? Why don't DUFC just do the same?

I wonder if ICT could do a Falkirk based on the idea that more (misguided) locals buy tickets for the OF anyway, and proportionately, probably fewer of the soapdodgers come up the A9 than to other clubs, so maybe we won't miss them that much. Well, let's be honest, we wouldn't miss them at all, just their dosh  :015: :015: :015:

[absent friend]

Can I ask a simple question?

ICT go to press and state that 'no ICT supporters will be at the Aberdeen game next week'  How can they stop supporters from going to a match?

I do realise that the OF have a strong supporters club and, no doubt, they could ask them to follow, follow their, the OF, wishes.

How many will travel outwith the Supporters club and come on their own?  Very many I would suggest.

I would suspect that the DUFC situation has come about by Board to Board politics to fragment the unity of the other clubs.

Watch out for a few 'on loan' players going from the OF to DUFC.  Their higher salary's ??- that's OK the OF will fund that, pal!

[Kingsmills]

Poor show if Dundee United have broken ranks. Only complete unity of the other ten will stop the Old Firm in their tracks.

[CaleyD]

I don't think they have completely broken ranks as they will be selling some of the tickets themselves and giving Celtic a reduced allocation based on what they don't shift (as I understand it)....It's probably more of an erse covering exercise than anything else, and whilst I don't agree, you do have to cut them some slack for trying to do what they feel was best by their club if they honestly don't believe they can't shift the entire allocation themselves.

[BornCaley]

Signed it...I feel its time for ICT supporters to stand united behind this and boycott all OF away games this season. Both OF teams only talk in 1 language and that is money...so lets hit them where it hurts

[Council Juice]

I'm a touch unsure on the issue to be honest. Most Spl teams attendances without Old Firm fans and their teams big name status are usually alot lower. The rest of the Spl have been relying on the 4 old firm games a season (barring maybe Hibs Hearts Aberdeen and possibly DUFC) to fill their stadium and their coffers. Albeit this keeps them afloat at times! Maybe the old firm dont see why they or their fans should incurr an extra cost any more for selling tickets for another venue.

But the easy solution does seem for the teams to sell the tickets to the OF fans themselves if they dont want to give up 5% (which is a steep charge anyway)

[tokelyisvictorious]

What would happen if ICT accepted the 5% handling fee, and then hiked the prices up for the supporters clubs tickets by 5%???

The OF fans wouldn't stand for it, and ict can pass the blame onto Rangers and Celtic..

[stomach]

I have signed as well

[youngy]

Hi Folks

Just a little update on the petition for you.

First of all. To those of you who have already signed it. THANK YOU! If we shout loud enough, this CAN be stopped!

As some of you might know already, the petition has been signed by Tam Cowan and received a mention in his column in Saturdays Daily record. How much this promoted it I'm not sure yet as unfortunately the address of the petition was not mentioned. But it was a nice gesture by Tam all the same.

Yesterday I wrote an open letter to the chairmen/owners of the 10 non Old Firm clubs telling them that the petition existed, urging them to have a look at it, and, informing them that I will deliver hard copies of the petition to them soon.

I also sent this open letter to a few journalists. It was sent to:

Stuart Bathgate at the Scotsman - who has kindly written a short peice about it in this mornings paper (you can read it here> http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Petitio...irm.4356484.jp)

Tam Cowan at The Daily Record - If he can get more about it printed that would be great.

Bill Leckie at The Sun

Mark Donaldson at Talk107

I have received replies form Falkirk (who say the letter is being passed between directors etc) and Aberdeen (who have stated that despite reports- they have NOT agreed to pay the 5% charge as yet)

The petition also been signed by a few Old Firm fans. One Rangers fans has posted this comment "Signed by a Rangers fan. Our club already charge us a handling fee for away tickets so this aint for the benefit of the fans." Telld you all you need to know about this charge as far as I am concerned! This is not about the big two "meeting costs". This is about the big two FLEECING THE REST!

Remember folks, the address of the petition is> http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/stop...ly-tactics.html

Email it to people, post it on other forums, send it to journalists of YOUR choice. Lets just be heard on this matter and try to force the Old Firm to back down for once!

Cheers

[youngy]

Hi folks

Another little update on the petition for you.

Currently we are standing at 1879 signatures.

Yesterday I sent the open letter to another couple of journalists. And today I have created a blog site ( http://viewfromgorgie.blogspot.com ) where people will be able to keep up to date with what I am up to with the blog.

You can also choose to subscribe to the blog so that any time a new piece of information is posted you will be the first to know.

Thanks again to all those who have already signed and let's try to keep the word of mouth advertising going so we can put a stop to this tax on our clubs!

cheers

youngy

[chris123]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...een/7547330.stm

Can anyone explain to me what any of the above is about?

Have the Dons caved or something?

[Guest birdog]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...een/7547330.stm

Can anyone explain to me what any of the above is about?

Have the Dons caved or something?

It's all about the sheep cowering in the corner and caving in! By charging an extra ?1 on the tickets Rangers are set for another 5p bonus for every dirty, smelly unwashed hun at Shittodrie. Mind you Rangers need it after losing out to at least ?5M to Kaunas.

[Guest birdog]

Funny how two of the clubs who probably have a better leverage, ie could probably recoup the cash reversing the charge on the OF by placing a 5% levy on the tickets for Ibrox and Parkhead, are the ones who have bottled out the quickest.

There is no way a club of our size or the size of Falkirk, who lead the way in the rebellion :thumb04: well done Falkirk, could take the same amount of fans to Glasgow as the bigot brothers take to away matches.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

EDIT- this is all down to the fact that the bigot bros. are having to take more of their own security to away matches to avoid being deducted points for sectarian behaviour, if they had gotten to grips with their @rsehole fans earlier then there would be no need to pay the extra security.

Raging, so I am.

Edited August 7, 2008 by birdog

[CaleyD]

Whilst I can see what Aberdeen are trying to do, I can't help but feel that they are creating a whole load of extra work for themselves. On top of that they are penalising their own fans by charging them the extra ?1. Whilst they have said that they will get a ?1 discount off the next home game, it's just extra hassle that I'm sure fans and the club could have done without.

Surely the administration involved in selling the tickets themselves would not be that much more than having to administer a discount voucher plan. How will it work? Will people have to go to the ticket office to redeem the voucher, will they be able to use it online or for telephone orders?...has the potential to get very messy IMO.

I see they are also going to charge the OF the 5% Levy for when they sell their tickets, which is fair enough, but the whole thing is turning into one huge administrative nightmare and I'm just waiting for the OF to come out with a "you can't charge us and not other teams, so we're not paying"....as hypocritical as that would seem, I wouldn't put it past the OF.

Just doesn't make sense to over complicate the issue, especially as I can see it costing them more than simply telling the OF to shove it and selling the tickets themselves.

[Alex MacLeod]

I think what Aberdeen are saying is this. OK Mr OF, you can have your 5% cut on all the tickets you sell on our behalf. In exchange we are going to hit your fans in the pocket with a hike on prices and we are charging you 5% for all the tickets we sell on your behalf.

Its another way of saying back of or we'll penalise your fans. Whether its the right way remains to be seen. I think it is, however, time all the clubs came out from behind the shutters and stood firm on this one. Tell the greedy berstewards to gtf

[Guest WynessLegend]

I think what Aberdeen are saying is this. OK Mr OF, you can have your 5% cut on all the tickets you sell on our behalf. In exchange we are going to hit your fans in the pocket with a hike on prices and we are charging you 5% for all the tickets we sell on your behalf.

Its another way of saying back of or we'll penalise your fans. Whether its the right way remains to be seen. I think it is, however, time all the clubs came out from behind the shutters and stood firm on this one. Tell the greedy berstewards to gtf

Well done Aberdeen, here's hoping the rest of the SPL take their lead on this.

[RiG]

Well done Aberdeen, here's hoping the rest of the SPL take their lead on this.

I prefer Falkirks stance on this myself but it is quite humorous that Rangers and Celtics demands have resulted in increasing ticket prices for their fans