Well, seeing as you were big enough to do so in public, I'll be gracious enough to accept.

Time to move on lads 'n lasses ?

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

Answers

Nah, not unless he sorts out the bond holders with the dignity and respect they deserve. There's been a rumour that their ST renewals will be rejected next year too. Wouldn't surprise me.

Maybes they're turning a corner, but I'll reserve judgement

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

Standard practice for someone who is leaving to act as the sacrificial lamb. They hope to pin all the blame to him on the way out the door and hope that that's an end to it. Not likely, is it? Shepherd and Hall are still (rightly or wrongly) seen as the main reason for the change in attitude of the club and folk won't rest until they're gone. The big question is who the Hell you'd want in their place. Not many benevolent dictators with sufficient loot to buy the club outright, so it'll be someone else money-minded with share-holders to pay so the profit before people problems will continue regardless.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

Bobby, that rumour is nothing but a rumour, the bond-holders have paid for the right for a seat, simple as that.

Ive had a look from the new stand, it is not at all bad aswell as a decent view of the pitch you can spot snow coming from 5 mile away. What do you see as a way of making up to the bond-holders, apart from the extra seat option & free cup & european games for the next three years which they have already secured.

Whenever this subject is brought up I ask what is so terrible about moving (bondholders aside), perhaps I am too much of a push-over but I hate it when people complain just for the sake of it, like someone getting a new extension built and refusing to pay because the builder trampled on their treasured daffodils so obviously they want #3000 off the total cost before they're happy.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

That's harsh mate.

A large number of people are affected by the hike in ST prices. It's not just whinging for the sake of it either. There are as many reasons for not wanting to be moved as there are people being forced to, but mostly it's the sheer cheek to treble a ST renewal to fans who may well have watch NUFC from the same place since the rebuid of SJP. The sight from the gods may not be as bad as we might imagine, but it's certainly a lot worse than they have at the moment.

I also don't think your analogy is much kop either - I think a fairer one would be the council saying that you MUST pay for on-street parking in your neighbourhood at an extortionate rate where you had enjoyed relatively free access before.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

This point has probably been made before, but as I understand it, the offers were for seats of an equal standing to those being taken away, so nobody should have ended up in the gods.

I don't reckon the 4000 or whatever it is would have been any worse off in the space where those corporate boxes are in the East Stand, the replacement of which by seats is part of the development.

And what would have happened if the club had been given permission to build a completely new ground ?

As for Fletcher's apology, all I can say (again) is that the wrong Fred is leaving.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

Bobby, harsh perhaps, but it's no more reactionary than taking the club to court. It's true the fans have been offered seats of equivalent quality (unless they took the option for an extra seat) and they've been given free cup games for three years. I think that is fair. I know that the corporate issue has peoples backs up but it is an important part of the game now and the prices of boxes have rocketed. Your analogy of free parking only works if everybody is the same (every street has free parking regardless of location), as it stood those seats were disproportionally charged according to the view. Who wouldn't pay an extra #50 a year to move from behind the goal to a raised seat on the halfway line.
I think it is not as bad as it seems and the biggest gripe is the wrench from the people around them - small price to pay for progress.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

...small price to pay for progress

.....unless it happens to be YOU that get's evicted!!

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

Twas writ: >>>>>Bobby, that rumour is nothing but a rumour, the bond- holders have paid for the right for a seat, simple as that<<<<<

That may be the case, and yes they have 'paid for the right' but as I heard it, as soon as the bonds expire, in a couple of years now, they will be about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit.

As far as the free tickets for cup matches is concerned....great....HOME matches only, depending upon which side of the fence you are on, what advantage that if they are drawn away from home in the third round and lose.....where are the free tickets for that season.

Sorry, you can put 'free' in front of most things and at least some people will believe it, or to mix a metaphor or whatever its called, tell them its free and some people will buy.

This seat issue I'm afraid is a dead duck....the SOS campaign tried, and more power to them for it, but it didn't work out, and there comes a time, no matter how unpleasant a taste it leaves in the mouth, to bite the bullet, put it all behind us and move on for the good of the club....

Lest ALL pull together and move onward and upward

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

What happened with the SOS today? they were supposed to find out wether or not they could have their appeal? Did they raise the funds, or what?

-- Anonymous, April 06, 2000

Rik
The appeal has been allowed, but the injunction against developing the seat area until after the result of the appeal, applies to only the seats of the six people involved in the court case. Apparently the judge "expressed surprise at the size of the club's costs bill" so the sos-ers are reading into that that the appeal will succeed. Pull the other one.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2000

ITK, so the bondholders won't be able to renew their seat ? where did you hear that?, no official source I'll wager. SJH made a statement which could have been construed as a veiled threat but my thoughts are it was pure propanganda to cloud the issues. What price would you put on the "free" cup games given our record lately, do you seriously believe that we won't be drawn at home for the next three years.

Clarky who is getting Evicted as opposed to moved. I am sorry if my views are not popular but I think they are making mountains out of molehills. After checking out the view I will be getting a ticket in the gods next year.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2000