FINAL GAME BOYCOTT

[exiled on the wirral!]

Serious question.

When a Liverpool fan suggests a protest on an online forum, what reaction do you think they get?

What about a protest against £77 tickets?
Waste of time, mate.
No one will walk out.
If you support the club, you'll stay and support the team.
You'll walk alone on this one.
Etc.


What about a protest against Hicks and Gillette?
Waste of time, mate.
We're stuck with them.
I'll support the team whoever owns them.
Protesting won't shift 'em.
Etc.


I know it's a quarter of century on, but do you reckon if we keep on campaigning we'll finally get a new inquest into Hillsborough..?

This. 1000 times this.

*Like*... A lot.

[McGraths Dry Cleaning]

A protest will have an impact. No protest then there's nothing to talk about. Protest and its all the management team will be talking about. Protest in such as way to get picked up by the media then its all the management team will talk about and journos will ask Lerner for his view.

Not going to the game is too negative but it needs to be simple, easy to do and not involve anything too complex. Everyone holding up an L Plate with a cross through it for example. No to Lerner but also implying he has failed to pass his football ownership test. Dead easy to do, symbolic and something everyone can fold up in their back pocket and take to the match. Then they can be turned into paper planes and thrown onto the pitch at half time by those close enough.

Counter intuitively we should turn up to the Newcastle game mob handed and out sing them all match otherwise we'll be going down to their banners, jeers and "we'll meet again" and much chuckling and derision from Shearer and all his mates on TV.

[Jimbo]

Yeah, what fools those Liverpool fans are. What they should have done is nothing, except a shrug of the shoulders and a bit of arguing and sneering at other Liverpool fans. Their lack of apathy and refusal to accept shit is embarrassing.

[Skerra]

ChrisW,

Just to turn the question around, what's your suggestion please?

[ciggiesnbeer]

A protest or boycott to force spending would have been better in December but tbf none of us really thought Lerner would starve the club of all transfers.

We just have to assume Lerner, Fox & Hollis do the same again over the summer unless something changes.

So yeah, the last game as a strong indicator of what is going to happen if there is no massive investment over the summer (empty stands) is a good idea.

Hate to say it but its time.

[chrisw1]

ChrisW,

Just to turn the question around, what's your suggestion please?

Support the team and help them have a positive end to the season.  A sign of unity would put us in a better position in the summer to attract / retain (I know, i know) players and possibly hold on to Garde.

Don't get me wrong, if we were in a situation where Randy did not want to sell, or the club were persisting with a poor manager I'd be right with you.  But I honestly can't see what you expect to achieve save for making the place more toxic than it already is and possibly derailing any recovery before it has even started.

Fantastic support between now and the end of the season would give us the best possible change of a as dignified an end as possible and retaining any people we hope to keep - including Garde.

[Skerra]

Chris,

I really do respect your point of view even if it differs with mine 100% - that's exactly what forums are for, varying opinions.

I've been a supporter for well over 40 years and, with this current bunch of players, I just cannot get excited and get behind them as they give absolutely sod all in return. The only time they have shown some fight and passion was following them getting a tongue lashing after the Wycombe away match, when they were getting back on the coach.

I repeat, I'll never boo my team but, at least if I'm silent when they come out of the tunnel it gives me some satisfaction.

[Chris Harte]

Maybe we need a thread for protest suggestions and another for those to discuss why protesting is a bad idea.

[mattjpa]

Ultimately, what do we hope to achieve? The players aren't going to get any better, it's outside of the window so squad improvements are a no go as well.The only thing that is left is to get Randy out of the club. I agree that we should make it personal. Ridicule and embarrass him, let the world know what a failure he is. Maybe he will be a little bit more active in trying to sell us for a competitive price

[Locko]

The fans that have successfully got rid of owners, targeted the owner personally and intentionally. Not turning up or protests rarely work as if doesn't affect them personally. Being thousands of miles away kind of rules out turning up on his doorstep and anyway, these people tend to thrive on conflict. Ridicule though, is something they rarely can deal with.

Dressed as clowns wearing Lerner masks?

[luke95]

Needs to be made personal directly at Lerner. 30,000 people wearing lerner masks and dressed as buffoons would be more embarrassing. Need him to start hating us

This is why throwing the bright future scalves onto the pitch as a game kicks off is a good idea. It's aimed directly at Lerner & the board .

[liam]

I'm in agreement with some form of protest, but not a boycott...my reason is simple, we are rubbish on the pitch, we are useless in the boardroom, but the last  5 minutes yesterday of constant singing was a defiant show, that we can be humiliated by the team and board, but on the terraces we are as solid as ever. Its all we can do publically to show our commitment even if the team show none. My 15 year old said that 5 minutes made it worth turning up yesterday, and my 7 year old enjoyed banging his seat as well.

I do think we should do something and the idea of scarves, hats, anything with claret and blue on it being thrown onto the pitch on the 82nd minute would be a symbol. I think most of us that attend have a spare scarf, old top or some merchandise that we could do away with. It would be shown on the coverage and probably involve the game being stopped for a few minutes without anybody entering the pitch area. I saw a steward run on yesterday to retrieve a couple of scarves thrown from the witton road.

But I want us to make as much noise and fill the ground out...Show them our commitment can not be questioned, especially by other supporters. We have laughed at the rags struggling to get 18K I don't want other clubs saying that about our wonderful support

[ciggiesnbeer]

I dunno liam. I appreciate the sentiment but fans have shown support through thick and thin for years. Filling the ground may well send the message to the cost cutting board that in fact they will be fine to continue to starve the club of spending and fans will show up anyway.

An empty ground very obviously deliberate would shock them and send them into a full panic I think.

A very clear message.

"If Lerner refuses to spend money on Aston Villa, then so shall we."

See who blinks first. My guess is the guy who is already in for a few hundred million is going to be a lot more motivated to try and fill that ground again next season by spending on good players.

The alternative is seeing more cost cutting and buying far worse players and manager than we currently have to save a buck. I dont want to beleive that but the evidence is pretty overwheleming that is his current plan. It needs to be changed before the window starts.

[aj2k77]

Ciggies, call me a cynic and I hope I'm wrong but no matter what we do I don't think you'll see Lerner spending any significant amounts of money on Aston Villa ever again.

[Billy Walker]

ChrisW,

Just to turn the question around, what's your suggestion please?

Support the team and help them have a positive end to the season.  A sign of unity would put us in a better position in the summer to attract / retain (I know, i know) players and possibly hold on to Garde.

Don't get me wrong, if we were in a situation where Randy did not want to sell, or the club were persisting with a poor manager I'd be right with you.  But I honestly can't see what you expect to achieve save for making the place more toxic than it already is and possibly derailing any recovery before it has even started.

Fantastic support between now and the end of the season would give us the best possible change of a as dignified an end as possible and retaining any people we hope to keep - including Garde.

Fantastic support between now and the end of the season just confirms to Lerner, Fox et al  that football supporters really are a bunch of suckers.   Indeed, let's hold back on the protests until this time next year when we are three points above the Championship drop zone.  The time has come to give these people both barrels - everything about the current running of the Club is unacceptable.  Hound them out, boycott merchandising, unsubscribe to AVTV do anything you can until they get the message that they have to go.  Every gesture no matter how small will hopefully hasten Lerner's departure.