FA Watch

[Montgomery Burns]

Does Lee Dixon have a blogg or website or similar? Ex player, BBC pundit and huge Man City fan. Could be worth a try too? Also any celeb City fans or bands like the Doves etc etc. The list is endless if someone has the time to get some address together.

Good idea but Dixon also played most of his career at Arsenal so i dont think he would get involved but there are plenty of other high profile names, Ricky Hatton, Oasis, John Stapleton (ITV) etc etc, also doesn't URG have a journo contact?

Yes it's David Conn off The Guardian - I've already contacted him thanks.

 

[kippaxblue76]

Can I suggest you all try going onto <a class="postlink" href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theyworkforyou.com/</a> and contacting your MP's.

I think it's *especially* relevant to question how senior FA executives can be allowed to be on the payroll of the very clubs they are supposed to be adjudicating over. It's clearly a conflict of interest that should not be allowed. Thanks to Petetheblue for pointing that out. I had written to my MP already before I had chance to include that. Here's what I wrote:

Dear Steve (Webb - MP for Northavon),

I am writing to you regards something about which I feel extremely
strongly.

It is quite clear that something is not right with the Football
Association and how they are policing football in this country. There




is endless evidence of blatant favouritism towards the top 4
premiership clubs and for years this has been noticed, but largely
tolerated by the public. I cannot understand why this inequity should
exist, but the fact is it does. The evidence for it is compelling.
There are countless examples of infringements by players from the top 4
clubs that go unpunished. Countless examples of similar or lesser
infringements by other clubs for which no such blind eye is turned.

Even worse, there are many examples of the FA *breaking its own rules*
in order achieve these biased outcomes. Quite honestly the whole
situation is appalling. These levels of improbity seem more
appropriate to an oppressive dictatorship than a modern democracy. It
has to stop.

The recent Manchester City vs Arsenal game is a prime example.
Emmanuel Adebayor (City) runs to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans =
ban.

Robin Van Persie (Arsenal) runs to celebrate in front of City fans,
leaves the field, shouting "f*** off, f*** off you bastards" = No
action taken. No automatic yellow for leaving the field, no
retrospective action, nothing.

I am a Man City fan and this incident for me is the last straw. But
there are many examples of this sort of inequality and it would be
distracting to cite more of them here. But I assure you, my voice is
not just one of a disgruntled fan. Something is *institutionally*
wrong at the top of the FA.

A group of us have started collecting evidence of biased adjudications
and will be periodically sending it to the FA for comment, with copies
to the media.

I am not expecting instant results, but hopefully, over time and if the
newspapers get on board, those responsible for this at the FA will
start to realise it can't continue.

I will write to you with a further update in due course so you can see
the pattern. I sincerely hope that at some point you may able to raise
this with Gerry Sutcliffe in his capacity as Minister for Sport, or
alternatively make comment in the house yourself.

Football is something many people in this country feel passionately
about. Something has to be done fix this institutional bias and to
clean it up.

Yours sincerely,

What a well put together letter, keep the pressure on Chippy,we need to hit them from every angle, maybe we could get someone from the club involved?

 

[Montgomery Burns]

Does anyone have an e-mail address for Adrian Durham - when you go on the Talk Sport website it asks you to complete one of those annoying forms which doesn't do attachments.

 

[kippaxblue76]

Good idea but Dixon also played most of his career at Arsenal so i dont think he would get involved but there are plenty of other high profile names, Ricky Hatton, Oasis, John Stapleton (ITV) etc etc, also doesn't URG have a journo contact?

Yes it's David Conn off The Guardian - I've already contacted him thanks.

Excellent, how about getting someone from the club involved? it could be worth a try.

 

[Montgomery Burns]

Can I suggest you all try going onto <a class="postlink" href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theyworkforyou.com/</a> and contacting your MP's.

I think it's *especially* relevant to question how senior FA executives can be allowed to be on the payroll of the very clubs they are supposed to be adjudicating over. It's clearly a conflict of interest that should not be allowed. Thanks to Petetheblue for pointing that out. I had written to my MP already before I had chance to include that. Here's what I wrote:

Dear Steve (Webb - MP for Northavon),

I am writing to you regards something about which I feel extremely
strongly.

It is quite clear that something is not right with the Football
Association and how they are policing football in this country. There




is endless evidence of blatant favouritism towards the top 4
premiership clubs and for years this has been noticed, but largely
tolerated by the public. I cannot understand why this inequity should
exist, but the fact is it does. The evidence for it is compelling.
There are countless examples of infringements by players from the top 4
clubs that go unpunished. Countless examples of similar or lesser
infringements by other clubs for which no such blind eye is turned.

Even worse, there are many examples of the FA *breaking its own rules*
in order achieve these biased outcomes. Quite honestly the whole
situation is appalling. These levels of improbity seem more
appropriate to an oppressive dictatorship than a modern democracy. It
has to stop.

The recent Manchester City vs Arsenal game is a prime example.
Emmanuel Adebayor (City) runs to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans =
ban.

Robin Van Persie (Arsenal) runs to celebrate in front of City fans,
leaves the field, shouting "f*** off, f*** off you bastards" = No
action taken. No automatic yellow for leaving the field, no
retrospective action, nothing.

I am a Man City fan and this incident for me is the last straw. But
there are many examples of this sort of inequality and it would be
distracting to cite more of them here. But I assure you, my voice is
not just one of a disgruntled fan. Something is *institutionally*
wrong at the top of the FA.

A group of us have started collecting evidence of biased adjudications
and will be periodically sending it to the FA for comment, with copies
to the media.

I am not expecting instant results, but hopefully, over time and if the
newspapers get on board, those responsible for this at the FA will
start to realise it can't continue.

I will write to you with a further update in due course so you can see
the pattern. I sincerely hope that at some point you may able to raise
this with Gerry Sutcliffe in his capacity as Minister for Sport, or
alternatively make comment in the house yourself.

Football is something many people in this country feel passionately
about. Something has to be done fix this institutional bias and to
clean it up.

Yours sincerely,

What a well put together letter, keep the pressure on Chippy,we need to hit them from every angle, maybe we could get someone from the club involved?

If anyone has an e-mail address for Chris Bailey I'll contact him.

 

[sam the drummer]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.talksport.net/Contact_us.asp?pres_id=99984" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.talksport.net/Contact_us.asp?pres_id=99984</a>

Thats all there is, you should ask for a proper email address so you can fully express your point.

 

[levets]

Does anyone have an e-mail address for Adrian Durham - when you go on the Talk Sport website it asks you to complete one of those annoying forms which doesn't do attachments.

Make sure that they understand you are not trying to escuse ADE's stamp, otherwise it will be binned.

 

[Cheltblue]

This is a very pertinent post if you intend to take this all the way MB & FD

The OP is a justified attack on the FA, but has degenerated somewhat into an anti-rag agenda. The videos are excellent ammo, but it needs to include some of the many other FA corruption examples from other EPL teams. (Boswinga on Benyaoun as a start)

I know what you mean Chelt, but the FA are simply being asked to respond to a series of e-mails raising questions about specific incidents. They not being asked to look at anything else for the time being, albeit that will probably change as time moves on.

Yeh, you're absolutely right mate, my point is meant if this campaign does indeed get off the ground and you use other incidents to back your argument. There is at least one mail on here which is exclusively rag incidents and as NMF states, it would be bad for the cause if there is any hint that this is mere Manchester rivalry being the catalyst for the campaign.

 

[moomba]

While they may be able to help informally, I think it's important that this sort of campaign is done at arms length from the club.

 

[kippaxblue76]

While they may be able to help informally, I think it's important that this sort of campaign is done at arms length from the club.

Yeah you could be right but they will know all the right people to contact.