Pre match protest on Tuesday

[Detritus]

I am guilty of swearing quite a lot, OSK's examples being apposite. However, even I got fed up with hearing a bloke spout "c###" dozens of times in the RE during the Cheltenham cup match. So my venture into the RE will be a one off and I'm back to my own kith and kin in the GRS this Saturday.
:-)

Stewards used to have a quiet word with people dropping the C-Bomb and even those continually dropping the F-Bomb. Usually along the lines of "remember who's around you and tone it down please". Doubt that instruction has changed, just the number of stewards around to hear the language being used. Have a quiet word with one and ask them to ask the offender to tone it down.

 

[SE1_Gills]

Stewards used to have a quiet word with people dropping the C-Bomb and even those continually dropping the F-Bomb. Usually along the lines of "remember who's around you and tone it down please". Doubt that instruction has changed, just the number of stewards around to hear the language being used. Have a quiet word with one and ask them to ask the offender to tone it down.

I wouldn't be very happy about my children having to listen to that sort of language; and if I was there without them I wouldn't behave like that in front of other people's families.

 

[LancsGordoRoad]

Playoffs bring out the big crowds and lots of hangers on.

I remember being in the tube after the man City play-off. Big stand off between Chelsea and West Ham "gills fans" in our carriage.

The angst has been growing though I agree. Now is a good time to come to games though nobby. The crowd feels like it given up. No tension at all on Tuesday. I'm really interested to gauge the tension in the air on Saturday. Whilst the players haven't given up it felt like the crowd had.

The large Pompey contingent might, perhaps, encourage Gills fans to stand as one - hope so.

 

[chris who]

Perhaps this sums up the current situation at Gillingham perfectly.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/posts.you.share/permalink/6741753365842262/

 

[markinkent]

The large Pompey contingent might, perhaps, encourage Gills fans to stand as one - hope so.

It should spark some life that's for sure.

The story on KOL about fans being banned paints the club in poor light. Very poor PR and not likely to encourage Joe Public over there tomorrow.

The future is very bleak.

 

[LancsGordoRoad]

It should spark some life that's for sure.

The story on KOL about fans being banned paints the club in poor light. Very poor PR and not likely to encourage Joe Public over there tomorrow.

The future is very bleak.

I`ll be there, provided Storm Arwen permits - I`m on a day return train ticket with little leeway between train connection times......

 

[markinkent]

I`ll be there, provided Storm Arwen permits - I`m on a day return train ticket with little leeway between train connection times......

Fair play to you lancs. Hope they make it worth your while

 

[sunnyinkent]

I have supported GFC for longer than I can remember and cannot say I have completely agreed with how the club has been run past and present.

I have donated funds over the last three years because I thought bringing Evans/Rayner was the way forward, but not sure how long that will last.

Mr Scally has to take a punt with the funds, everything seems on the way down, Scally said on last week’s video our average wage was not bad, well if you have 20 players on say ££2000 and other teams have 26 players on the same £2000 then simple maths. Tells you that’s
£624k yearly, I actually do not like saying anything bad about the club.

 

[Trashbat]

I have supported GFC for longer than I can remember and cannot say I have completely agreed with how the club has been run past and present.

I have donated funds over the last three years because I thought bringing Evans/Rayner was the way forward, but not sure how long that will last.

Mr Scally has to take a punt with the funds, everything seems on the way down, Scally said on last week’s video our average wage was not bad, well if you have 20 players on say ££2000 and other teams have 26 players on the same £2000 then simple maths. Tells you that’s
£624k yearly, I actually do not like saying anything bad about the club.

Good post.

I used this link that shows Shrewsbury actually have the smallest squad (21) and Burton have the biggest (33).

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/league-one/startseite/wettbewerb/GB3

It surprised me at how many teams have very small squads this season. We’re not as much of an outlier as I thought. I guess it’s just in injuries that have decimated our season.

£600k is a lot of money to bring in a few extra players. If it can be done sustainably then great - but I don’t see it happening.

Now, as MiK will attest, attendances are already down on pre-COVID levels. And the pre-COVID accounts showed a loss. In order to recover the loss making position and to be able to sustainably afford to splash out £600k on players, we’d have to bring in around 3000 additional fans in to the stadium every home game. Never going to happen no matter how much marketing the club does.

 

[markinkent]

In order to recover the loss making position and to be able to sustainably afford to splash out £600k on players, we’d have to bring in around 3000 additional fans in to the stadium every home game. Never going to happen no matter how much marketing the club does.

Brace yourself Trashbat I'm going to agree with you.

Almost. You need to add the words "under Paul Scally".


Would we get an extra 3000 under new leadership with a fresh direction, positivity and success?

Maybe plenty of clubs have increased their gates significantly the secret ? Fans have belief.

I'd hope we'd all agree belief in scally to turn the ship around is in short supply.

 

[Buddha]

Would you believe, there was an “underground” tourist advertising campaign for the Northern Territory over here, with the slogan -

“C U in the NT”.

I kid you not.

Apparently tho, their display gear (T shirts, signs, mugs etc) are banned from being sold in Darwin

I don’t think the authorities were best pleased…..

I have an Australian friend who tells me that the 'c' word is far more of an offensive word in England than it is in Australia. She tells me the word, 'bitch', is far more offensive a term to use in Oz; more offensive than it is here in England, and more offensive than the other word.

 

[OneSirKeefy]

I have an Australian friend who tells me that the 'c' word is far more of an offensive word in England than it is in Australia. She tells me the word, 'bitch', is far more offensive a term to use in Oz; more offensive than it is here in England, and more offensive than the other word.

Hmmm, dunno mate. Not among the folk I know. Very much a taboo word. I’d definitely never use it myself.

And I’ve never heard it uttered at any footy game I’ve been to (football, AFL or League) or in any pub.

I think “bitch” would be a bit more common, although not directly aimed at a person. Unless it’s some of the rougher types ladies having a fight

Heard it used on occasions in “bloke talk” if someone’s getting irate and talking about some other 3rd party person that had wronged them.

 

[Trashbat]

Brace yourself Trashbat I'm going to agree with you.

Almost. You need to add the words "under Paul Scally".


Would we get an extra 3000 under new leadership with a fresh direction, positivity and success?

Maybe plenty of clubs have increased their gates significantly the secret ? Fans have belief.

I'd hope we'd all agree belief in scally to turn the ship around is in short supply.

Scally, Smith, Grossmark... ...none of them have been able to increase the gate. A different owner/chairman won’t make a difference.

Scally practically gave away tickets for the FA Cup game and still the people of Kent weren’t interested. Lower prices won’t make a difference.

Under PT and Hess we were holding our own in the second tier playing West Ham and Leeds and, whilst attendances did increase, I don’t recall us selling out at all. Winning and playing top class opposition each week will make some difference.

 

[ThreeSixes]

Scally practically gave away tickets for the FA Cup game and still the people of Kent weren’t interested.
.

And then the time was changed to 2pm (without him apparently being aware!) for no obvious reason

 

[Trev_GFC]

And then the time was changed to 2pm (without him apparently being aware!) for no obvious reason

Excuses excuses

 

[Bromley_GFC]

Scally, Smith, Grossmark... ...none of them have been able to increase the gate. A different owner/chairman won’t make a difference.

Well it would be good to at least not have the gates decreasing so quickly, we've lost a few thousand regulars in the space of a few years, that's shocking, attendances practically halved & getting lower and lower it seems. Bans of season ticket holders (the more loyal supporters) won't help the situation.

Maybe this Dom chap has been targeted because of personal abuse towards Scally on Twitter - I've read some of his tweets and can't condone "Millwall ####" etc which is just silly as PS has been Gills chairman for 26 years so obviously has an attachment to the club by now and it's unrealistic to expect every chairman to originally support the club they now own. I've said many times I don't agree with the personal abuse Scally gets but...

The KentOnline article suggests anyone involved in the protests OUTSIDE the ground is getting banned which I thought was freedom of speech. Maybe Scally should clarify why this Dom Ballard is banned? Because his mate got banned too and apparently anyone who was on the pavement involved in the protest also, madness.

It's all well and good saying we're better off without these fans but its gonna get to a point where its unsustainable, we're certainly not attracting new supporters but currently just banning/putting more and more people off.

Scally has done some great things for the club in the past but after 26 years things have gone stale and comments like "just go and support Charlton" referring to some Gills fans as "cancer" and not even offering the opportunity of season ticket refunds during covid to loyal fans who may well need that money to support their family though hard times catches up with you, that's just the way it is.

I will be there today vs Pompey and will probably get a whole row to myself

 

[OneSirKeefy]

The KentOnline article suggests anyone involved in the protests OUTSIDE the ground is getting banned which I thought was freedom of speech. Maybe Scally should clarify why this Dom Ballard is banned? Because his mate got banned too and apparently anyone who was on the pavement involved in the protest also, madness.

It’s been mentioned a lot that not all of the 30 were banned, only some.

If that’s true (it does seem to be) you have to wonder what was the deciding point between those banned and those not banned. Were they just not recognised when they tried to enter? Or were there some that were already on a “watch list” to be banned? And others just seen as quiet protestors with no other issue so were deemed ok.

 

[Trev_GFC]

Reading all of those self-important statements from supporters weeks ago when they all took screenshots of what they’ve written in their notepad apps I got the impression people wanted Scally out as he had taken the club as far as he can, and we needed more investment to take us to the next level. That’s just my interpretation. You know by now that I disagree with the reliance of owner’s money to artificially inflate our playing budget above our total revenue.

It only seems as an afterthought that people would mention Scally’s business and PR acumen. Like I said before, it reminds me of a woman with her mates in the bar discussing her husband’s habits of leaving the toilet seat up and leaving the empty toilet rolls on the holder, only after divorcing him after he cheated on her with her sister.

But that’s not to ignore Scally’s poor decisions over recent years. Refusing to acknowledge supporters’ rights to a refund? Poor. Could he have expressed how he understands the law but that supporter refunds will further damage the club’s finances? Yes.

Should he have called fans cancer (years after the Scally Out leader began his boycott)? No. Should he tell supporters to fuck off to Charlton? Depends who. The normal support who he wouldn’t have aimed it at? No. Those who pay their money but then sing Scally Out early on in games after being dickheads in town prior to the game? Yeah, fuck off. Those who dedicate their sad lives to replying negatively to each Gills social media post? Sure.

Scally fucks everyone off at times but I don’t believe cumulatively that the outcome of these should be for us to hound him out in favour of some mystical new owner, who takes the form of our positive imaginations.

it gets me how Kent Messenger/Online don’t spend five minutes looking into a supporter before making them a martyr/putting them in the firing line.

I’m a hypocrite as 10-15 years ago I was saying exactly the things that Dom typed in his tweets. Angry vile stuff as I was unhappy with the direction of the club while also pissed off with Scally wanting to change the home kit to white, calling us twisted pretenders, fucking to the Priestfield redevelopment with woeful project management and thinking a golden spoon banqueting and conference facility is viable in the middle of a town housing estate with poor road links and parking. The banning of Alan Liptrott and alienation of a well-intentioned supporters club.

Nothing against the average fan who wants Scally Out, I disagree but then again we probably disagree on formations etc. I’m neither Scally in nor out personally, I believe we can do better without him and I believe we can do worse. I just disagree with the reasoning and methods.

I won’t support a Scally Out group which is led by the damaging Fred/Graham Perry, and cheerled by a football firm. It scuppers my enjoyment of football and awaydays, and it damages the club as the toxic atmosphere puts people off going and affects our revenue.

People don’t want to go to games for three reasons:
- they don’t enjoy the day anymore
- we’re currently shit
- they’re boycotting

I have doubts over how many people fall into the third category, and refuse to lump those not going for the other two reasons as boycotters or Scally Outers.

Sod it, I’m as bored typing this as you probably are reading it. I’m having a pint.

 

[Jerryattrick]

Reading all of those self-important statements from supporters weeks ago when they all took screenshots of what they’ve written in their notepad apps I got the impression people wanted Scally out as he had taken the club as far as he can, and we needed more investment to take us to the next level. That’s just my interpretation. You know by now that I disagree with the reliance of owner’s money to artificially inflate our playing budget above our total revenue.

It only seems as an afterthought that people would mention Scally’s business and PR acumen. Like I said before, it reminds me of a woman with her mates in the bar discussing her husband’s habits of leaving the toilet seat up and leaving the empty toilet rolls on the holder, only after divorcing him after he cheated on her with her sister.

But that’s not to ignore Scally’s poor decisions over recent years. Refusing to acknowledge supporters’ rights to a refund? Poor. Could he have expressed how he understands the law but that supporter refunds will further damage the club’s finances? Yes.

Should he have called fans cancer (years after the Scally Out leader began his boycott)? No. Should he tell supporters to fuck off to Charlton? Depends who. The normal support who he wouldn’t have aimed it at? No. Those who pay their money but then sing Scally Out early on in games after being dickheads in town prior to the game? Yeah, fuck off. Those who dedicate their sad lives to replying negatively to each Gills social media post? Sure.

Scally fucks everyone off at times but I don’t believe cumulatively that the outcome of these should be for us to hound him out in favour of some mystical new owner, who takes the form of our positive imaginations.

it gets me how Kent Messenger/Online don’t spend five minutes looking into a supporter before making them a martyr/putting them in the firing line.

Nothing against the average fan who wants Scally Out, I disagree but then again we probably disagree on formations etc. I’m neither Scally in nor out personally, I believe we can do better without him and I believe we can do worse. I just disagree with the reasoning and methods.

I won’t support a Scally Out group which is led by the damaging Fred/Graham Perry, and cheerled by a football firm. It scuppers my enjoyment of football and awaydays, and it damages the club as the toxic atmosphere puts people off going and affects our revenue.

People don’t want to go to games for three reasons:
- they don’t enjoy the day anymore
- we’re currently shit
- they’re boycotting

I have doubts over how many people fall into the third category, and refuse to lump those not going for the other two reasons as boycotters or Scally Outers.

Sod it, I’m as bored typing this as you probably are reading it. I’m having a pint.

Plus those who after covid have less to spend and those who are worried about catching covid.

 

[CarerKate]

I see on some of the other forums some fans are protesting that Mr Scally has a new BMW? Good luck to him, no problem with that but some fans have to make do with a Ford Anglia .