Sack the lot of them!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not with the cavemen who trying to physically asssault Sullivan and his two lads (as I've said on a number of occassions we have far too many arseholes on the terraces at St Andrews) but I would dearly love to see the back of the Porn Dwarf and Brady. They've made a fortune out of Blues and even gained a dubious amount of respectability, well as much as you can gain from a club such as ours.
Ironically David Gold is quite liked. He seems to "get" what the Blues is all about. Every club has their own peculiar characteristics, and he at least is prepared to put his hand up when things go wrong.
But overall, I object to all of them because
a) Their background in the porn business
b) I naturally don't like or trust millionaires, especially those who act like patricians and expect gratitude in return. This is our club, not theirs.
c) The fact that they were quite happy to sell out to a unknown Chinese businessman, who from day one was a Walter Mitty character and had no interest at all in anything other than asset stripping. Before the Liverpool game the same man (Carsen Yeung) was seen with the board,and a leading official from the council, so despite the board's pronouncements to the contrary, a takeover is back on. So expect them to sell us down the river over the summer.
d) They were happy to let Bruce walk - and pocket £1m at least each in the subsequent compensation
e) Despite claims they've invested in the club, the balance sheet is balanced over the last 15 years. This, despite them bleating that they had to put their hands in the pocket for every transfer (untrue).
f) They squeeze every penny out of the fans. We were the first club to charge parents for their kids to be mascots and first club I know to levy a payment on away tickets. Also they came up with the idea of a "football funeral" with gold, silver and bronze classifications, so even in death there is an element of segregation. Oh, and £45 for away fans is an absolute disgrace.
g) They have been happy to tolerate the more dubious elements of our support. To my knowledge they have never tried to filter out some of the scum (who are usually in their late 20s and 30s and of course have a good disposal income) and there have even been t-shirts for sale in the club shop exclaiming something on the lines of "Always Blue, Never Claret." Just the kind of thing when you have one of the most violent derbies in England (and besides, fuck the Villa. We're better than that)
h) They are quite happy for Blues to be seen as a tacky, non entity of club. Witness Gold's embrace of the overseas game the Prem wanted to introduce. Witness their attempts to sell St Andrews and move into a council built, council owned and council paid for 50,000 stadium with mega casino. We have a ceiling of 27,000 fans at the very most, what is ethical about a casino and they are prepared to sell our only asset and trouser the money.
I could go on, and usually do! You might want to avoid us in Mainz!!
Don't get me wrong, compared to clubs like Mansfield and Wrexham, we've got nothing to moan about, so please don't think I'm bleating. But they make stupid mistake after stupid mistake, but it's always the fans to blame when it goes pear shaped.
Of course, its easy to say this and if they do sell, it's likely to get a lot worse. Leeds, Forest and Wednesday spring to mind. But until we get our act together and challenge the board in a more coherent and constructive way than mindless abuse and violence, the status quo will always remain. Didn't Crass one write "The F*cking C*nts treat us like Pr8cks"?
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Martin Taylor is Innocent