Just when you thought the season was safe and SkyTVisf**kings**t could not possibly ruin the last few games anymore, there it is, the sickener.
For those of you who have no idea why this is such an issue, seeing as SkyTVisf**kings**t do this all the time anyway, and it’s surely just another game, I say to you – What planet are you on? There are other comments which allude to whether you were watching us when we were crap, but I won’t lower myself. I’ll just explain.
Every season there is a Player of The Year dinner. It is basically THE flagship event and most of the overseas contingent make a VERY special effort to (try) get a ticket for that game and then go onto the Awards Dinner. It is a big thing and most people save up for it and look forward to that one shining event. Let’s face it, in the last few seasons there hasn’t been much to celebrate, but the (dare I say it?) LOYAL supporters still go.
These loyal fans book their travel and accommodation well in advance, visitors from Ireland and Scandinavia, for example, just so they can catch a glimpse of the players and manager etc. and to celebrate surviving yet another season against all odds and the might of the football league / the FA / HMRC / UEFA / FIFA (delete as appropriate). It doesn’t come cheap either, but it’s generally a good night for all. We get to meet up with mates and have a good chin wag over a few drinks and just talk football.
So there have been discussions at Leeds United about when to stage the event. Eventually, they plumped for the Villa game, taking the gamble that if SkyTVisf**kings**t decided they want to televise it, it would probably be moved to the Friday, so the dinner could still go ahead on the Saturday. I am sure that Leeds United have made SkyTVisf**kings**t aware of this. If Leeds didn’t, it’s down to the Club not considering their loyal fans. If Leeds United did and SkyTVisf**kings**t just ignored them, then this is another reminder of the contempt that is shown to the biggest ratings draw in the Championship by the people who are effectively in charge of football in this country.
So what do we do? What CAN we do?
Basically not a lot. I would say boycott SkyTVisf**kings**t, but then what are you left with? I wouldn’t give my TV subscription money to the guy who sued the NHS for £2 million and managed to do the impossible and make GNER/LNER look super efficient by making a complete hash of trying to run a train service. Not to mention living as a tax exile, whilst spouting anti British drivel. The only thing we as fans can do is stop using things like Sky Bet, stop giving them interviews / vox pop pieces. Stop doing anything at all that we can, no facebook shares, retweets, nothing more than the basic package.
And now down to what happens next. The next few days where people will be frantically trying to rebook flights, hotels, re-jig work etc. And yes, work the next day.
It hasn’t helped that this has coincided with Leeds United changing the rules about ticket ordering because they are “listening to the fans”. Are these the same fans that couldn’t be bothered to turn up at the end of last season? Last season, where if you remember you couldn’t give away a Preston ticket and I’m not even going to mention Villa away. I doubt it. I wonder who these “fans” are that the Club are taking so much notice of. It makes you wonder if these are the same fans who were consulted about the badge last season – because that worked out really well didn’t it?
Yeah – you’ve heard all this before and I’ll get the same old comments about being old and irrelevant again, but if I have said this once, I’ll say it again and again. We were here before you, we’re still here now and we will still be here once you have gone onto your next vanity project. The players used to respect us and value us. We cheered them on, win, lose or draw. One day I hope the Club and the players will treat us with that same respect again.
Until then, we are Always Leeds Always Loyal
