NO TO TO GAM£ 39 - WHAT YOU CAN DO!

[STAR Voice]

There are a few things that everyone can do to support this campaign.

- Go to http://www.fsf.org.uk and sign the FSF's petition. Once you have confirmed you've received an e-mail to verify your identity, as well as your comments being added to the petition an e-mail with these will be sent to the Premier League and to each PL club.

- If you run a website, fanzine or similar, go to http://www.fsf.org.uk/game39/no-to-game-39-resources.html for various resources to help you support this campaign.

- Support the FSF's various protest activities over the next few weeks/months. For instance, there will be an open meeting to discuss this, to canvass supporters' views and to discuss our response in London on Monday 18th Feb (venue to be announced). If you're an exile, similar meetings will be held in Birmingham, Liverpool/Manchester and Tyne & Wear that same week.

- Support local protests at Reading. As well as a range of National protests, supporters of every PL club are being asked to organise a local protest, with national assistance from FSF officers. Let's make ours the best of all 20. Ideas are wanted for something that will humorous/good natured, positive and peaceful, and which will not lessen our support for the Team itself - this is just as bad as idea for them as it is for us!

So please pledge your support to this or give ideas for a protest we can do which will show the strength of feeling of supporters on this one. PM me or, better still, e-mail me at STAR.Campaigns@btinternet.com with protest ideas or if you're willing to help in any way, even if it's just handing out a few leaflets or joining a march. NB - Please don't post ideas here - the most effective way to make a isn't to share your tactics in advance on an open internet message board. That's why this has been made an "announcement thread."

[shadesrwrf]

Signed. Come on nobbers, get this done.

[Row Z Royal]

Signed. Come on nobbers, get this done.

Ditto.

Only 3510 signatures as of now (including mine). This is a mere drop in the ocean that will get completely ignored. Everyone who is against the 39th game should sign. The "mine's only one name; it won't matter if I don't sign" argument doesn't cut the mustard so sign up.

[The 17 Bus]

signed as well.

I hope that STAR intend to use the game against Villa to register some sort of protest.

[Royalshow]

signed

[STAR Voice]

signed as well.

I hope that STAR intend to use the game against Villa to register some sort of protest.

Probably the match on the 8th March vs Man City- this will be within the FSF's designated two weeks of protests. We are co-ordinating all 20 clubs to protest in this 2 weeks, and some clubs fans' aren't as co-ordinated or switched on as we are so need longer to get organised. Chants are welcome at all matches, though - particularly liked the "You can stick your foreign matches up your a**e"" sung yesterday.

Some very, very, good protest ideas are coming in - but please do let me know (PM or STAR.Campaigns@btinternet.com) if you're willing to help or if you have any innovative protest ideas.

Some people have suggested boycotts - personally, I think that's a non-starter. I'm not going to organise anything that will stop people showing their support for the team, or which will take away from the team's support just when they need the crowd most.

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Probably the match on the 8th March vs Villa

Citeh. HTH.

P.S. Signed.

Thanks! - JK

[The Cube]

Having signed it, I've started getting e-mails from clubs, all of which are (not unreasonably) generic replies.

Winners of the e-mail race were Birmingham. Everyone else getting the same?

[STAR Voice]

Having signed it, I've started getting e-mails from clubs, all of which are (not unreasonably) generic replies.

Winners of the e-mail race were Birmingham. Everyone else getting the same?

Yes, a copy of what you say goes to every club and to the PL. Here's an amusing thread from WSC on this subject :

I signed the FSF's petition, and got this lovely reply back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your email regarding the Premier League's plans for an international round of fixtures.

Premier League Clubs have agreed in principle to support plans to create a new round of 10 competitive fixtures to be played overseas beginning season 2010/11. This 'international round' will be in addition to the traditional 38 home and away matches each of the 20 Premier League Clubs currently play.

The 'international round' is an exciting and innovative proposal that needs careful consideration before being introduced. We believe that an 'international round' of matches will enhance the strength of the Premier League as a competition; create extra interest in all 20 Premier League Clubs at home and abroad; and allow increased investment in talent development and acquisition, facilities as well as our football development and community programmes.

The globalisation of sport is both an opportunity and a challenge; one that needs addressing in a responsible way. We are a better competition for being a cosmopolitan league and have benefited from our increased international reach. Nonetheless, it is critical we retain our English character by improving our efforts to produce home grown talent, deepening our commitment to community engagement and continuing our investment in the grass roots.

Please be assured that we do take all feedback seriously. We appreciate the concerns of supporters and will be taking all comments on board and consulting widely before the plans are finalised.


Kind regards
Communications Team

The Football Association Premier League Limited.
Registered Office: 30 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8PL. No. 2719699 England
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was so pleased that they were listening to my concerns, I emailed them back to tell them. And i got a lovely reply:


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your email regarding the Premier League's plans for an international round of fixtures.

Premier League Clubs have agreed in principle to support plans to create a new round of 10 competitive fixtures to be played overseas beginning season 2010/11. This 'international round' will be in addition to the traditional 38 home and away matches each of the 20 Premier League Clubs currently play.

The 'international round' is an exciting and innovative proposal that needs careful consideration before being introduced. We believe that an 'international round' of matches will enhance the strength of the Premier League as a competition; create extra interest in all 20 Premier League Clubs at home and abroad; and allow increased investment in talent development and acquisition, facilities as well as our football development and community programmes.

The globalisation of sport is both an opportunity and a challenge; one that needs addressing in a responsible way. We are a better competition for being a cosmopolitan league and have benefited from our increased international reach. Nonetheless, it is critical we retain our English character by improving our efforts to produce home grown talent, deepening our commitment to community engagement and continuing our investment in the grass roots.

Please be assured that we do take all feedback seriously. We appreciate the concerns of supporters and will be taking all comments on board and consulting widely before the plans are finalised.


Kind regards
Communications Team

The Football Association Premier League Limited.
Registered Office: 30 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8PL. No. 2719699 England
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A friend of mine sent them the following:


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was wondering - what are the favourite sausages among Premier Leagueplayers? i imagine that with the number of foreigners currently in the league there must be as many bockwurst and chorizo fans as there are cumberland or microwave banger afficionados. maybe you could do a survey and publish the results?
cheers!

p.s. I like pork and apple
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and he got a lovely reply:


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your email regarding the Premier League's plans for an international round of fixtures.

Premier League Clubs have agreed in principle to support plans to create a new round of 10 competitive fixtures to be played overseas beginning season 2010/11. This 'international round' will be in addition to the traditional 38 home and away matches each of the 20 Premier League Clubs currently play.

The 'international round' is an exciting and innovative proposal that needs careful consideration before being introduced. We believe that an 'international round' of matches will enhance the strength of the Premier League as a competition; create extra interest in all 20 Premier League Clubs at home and abroad; and allow increased investment in talent development and acquisition, facilities as well as our football development and community programmes.

The globalisation of sport is both an opportunity and a challenge; one that needs addressing in a responsible way. We are a better competition for being a cosmopolitan league and have benefited from our increased international reach. Nonetheless, it is critical we retain our English character by improving our efforts to produce home grown talent, deepening our commitment to community engagement and continuing our investment in the grass roots.

Please be assured that we do take all feedback seriously. We appreciate the concerns of supporters and will be taking all comments on board and consulting widely before the plans are finalised.


Kind regards
Communications Team

The Football Association Premier League Limited.
Registered Office: 30 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8PL. No. 2719699 England
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Forbury Lion]

I'm against lottery draw league fixtures, we should stick to playing each team twice.

I'm against league matches being played overseas.

I'm not against competitive non league/FA Cup/League Cup games being played overseas. If the Premier League want to create mini Premier League cups or tournaments to replace pre-season friendlies then they can play it where they like, they can make it mandatory for teams to take part and force teams to play a specific number of players with premiership or international caps.

It concerns me that playing the FA Cup Final in Wales may have set a precedent with UEFA/FIFA.

[Royal Lady]

Since joining this on Friday night and adding my name to the petition I have only received replies from Birmingham and Manchester United.

[Mr. Mad's Mad Maid]

It goes without saying that I'm up for some placard waving tomfoolery.
Wind me up and watch me go.

[Platypuss]

Since joining this on Friday night and adding my name to the petition I have only received replies from Birmingham and Manchester United.

I also had West Ham and the Prem.

[The Cube]

Since joining this on Friday night and adding my name to the petition I have only received replies from Birmingham and Manchester United.

I also had West Ham and the Prem.

I received the same four as Platypuss. When I first posted about it I just assumed the others were on the way. But anyway, the really important point I was after was whether Birmingham were getting their reply in first to everybody (and therefore laying some vague claim to being the most efficient).

[B16]

I've had replies from the premier league, middlesborough and west ham in half an hour since singing the petition.

[STAR Voice]

The London & South Regional meeting is now confirmed for next Monday (18th Feb) at Friends' House, 172 Euston Road (opposite Euston Station).

For further details see : http://www.fsf.org.uk/game39/no-to-game-39-meetings.html

Let's get Reading well-represented there!

[RoyalBlue]

signed as well.

I hope that STAR intend to use the game against Villa to register some sort of protest.

Probably the match on the 8th March vs Man City- this will be within the FSF's designated two weeks of protests. We are co-ordinating all 20 clubs to protest in this 2 weeks, and some clubs fans' aren't as co-ordinated or switched on as we are so need longer to get organised. Chants are welcome at all matches, though - particularly liked the "You can stick your foreign matches up your a**e"" sung yesterday.

Some very, very, good protest ideas are coming in - but please do let me know (PM or STAR.Campaigns@btinternet.com) if you're willing to help or if you have any innovative protest ideas.

Some people have suggested boycotts - personally, I think that's a non-starter. I'm not going to organise anything that will stop people showing their support for the team, or which will take away from the team's support just when they need the crowd most.

I agree that boycotts of games are likely to be a non-starter for all sorts of reasons. However, I suspect it would be possible to organise other forms of boycott that would still send out a strong message. What's more I don't think it matters too much if such ideas are mooted in public. Indeed, it might even increase the effect, in the same way that the fear/threat of terrorism leads to people modifying their behaviour, even when the act itself doesn't actually happen. So a particular type of boycott could be planned and even widely publicised for some time but the announcement of the actual effective dateof action left until the 11th hour. Such a tactic would leave the clubs second guessing and, by the time they get to hear the actual date, it would be too late for them to react.

I've had replies from the premier league, middlesborough and west ham in half an hour since singing the petition.

That's a novel form of protest - what tune did you set it to?

[The 17 Bus]

The London & South Regional meeting is now confirmed for next Monday (18th Feb) at Friends' House, 172 Euston Road (opposite Euston Station).

For further details see : http://www.fsf.org.uk/game39/no-to-game-39-meetings.html

Let's get Reading well-represented there!

Coach by STAR possible??

[Royal Lady]

Never mind that, if this all goes ahead, will STAR be running coaches to Beijing?

[readingbedding]

It's not going to happen

Save your energy.

And stop getting SO EXCITED!