Thetownend.com

Hi all,

you're probably getting a bit sick of me and this stuff by now but I just got off the phone with someone from the Club and they're very interested in doing something for Franchise at home. It's a very important game and we're on the TV so it could be good to get a bit of coverage of what we're doing.

The first draft of a plan is this:

Firstly, we'll need a group of people that can help orchestrate it so we don't have rely on people on the day being forced into getting involved if they don't want to. This will include a group of fans in Arkell's and a group in DRS both towards the Town End of these stands.

The thought behind this is that Arkell's will be directly opposite the cameras so they'll pick it up and also it's in the family(ish) end so we can get some of the kids involved (this could match up with an initiative from the STFCTrust to do with giving kids a great day out to make them want to come back). And DRS just because there are plenty of passionate fans here that will want to be a part of it and we can orchestrate it together so we have two groups directly opposite one another doing similar stuff.

What will the groups be doing? I've spoken to the club and they're happy having flags on poles as long as it's not in the Town End. I'll be getting 20 flags with plastic sticks (from B&Q or something) and have 10 in each stand. For this I've taken inspiration from the Dortmund Kop where there's an impressive group of fans all waving flags above their heads. It's early days, but the more we do it, the more people will bring flags along of their own.

We can combine this with a large group of balloons in each stand to help spread the colour. And possibly rolling lengths of material over the crowd like the banquet paper from Vale.

I will be liaising directly with the club about organising this so we'll have the help of staff and stewards if we need it. Basically, I need volunteers to get involved. Waving flags, handing out balloons etc

Let's get behind the team and make it hostile for Franchise to play at the CG. If you don't want to get involved or don't like the idea, fair enough. Have a few bevvies and sing your heart out.

Any thoughts or ideas of how we can improve it are welcome.

I'll be in a pub in London, but can't wait to see it, as you've certainly got a flair for this, as I wouldn't know where to start.

Please don't call it the 'Dortmund Kop'

(http://magath.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/imago13347345m_c.jpg)

Get the Arkells to do the Potsdam

Poznan surely

At the risk of sounding like a moaning bastard, how are these flags going to work? I've had some idiot waving a flag infront of me once and all it did was stop me from seeing about 80% of the pitch and pissed me off, balloons etc is fine because they don't generally interefere. If it's just when the players come out and when we score a goal, then it sounds great, and I'm all for what you're doing Jay and I don't want to be negative about it, because I'm sure it will help the atmosphere.

Just give everyone a paper to rip up.

It will only be at the end, before kick off and when we score ;)

Oops!

No...think Audrey means a bunch of old blokes sitting around putting the world to rights by carving up the immediate post war Europe...

Quick and cheap and if most of the stands get involved it looks great. Im in.

Perhaps the Adver will donate a few ?

Now you're talking. I will email The Adver and ask for any unsold copies. We could make the CG look like Beunos Aires  78.  

Good thinking Brownie.

This is a great idea. But I'll need to check with the club first. They don't want to give the clean-up crew more to do on top of what is already a big job. Away days, hell yeah. But out of every club surely our own is one we don't want to piss off :).

I'll ask my contact at the club though.

Is anyone up for helping out distribute flags to fans in the DRS?

Kempes 1-0. :)

With the one and only Ossie Ardiles sporting the number 1 shirt.

May help smooth the way if you can get some volunteers to help clean up afterward? If you could guarantee there would be x number of people per stand helping tidy it all up, then that might lessen the burden on the club?

Better that Mr Box keeps his "flairs" at home....although I suppose they could come out for the Orient game, along with an attack on the keeper...who says the young uns, don't have old skool tendencies.

I'm usually in favour of these schemes, but personally, given the opponents, I'd rather a visual acknowledgement that their continued existence is a blight on the game

A big banner facing the cameras proclaiming 'FRANCHISE FOOTBALL IS THEFT' would be ideal.

However, realistically I too will be in the pub in London so I don't suppose I get a vote.

This would be awesome. But I'm under strict instructions not to have any banners that carry a message aimed at any specific body. We have to stick to supporting our team unfortunately.

Love the idea of a mass ticker-tape reception mixed in with flag waving as the team  takes to the pitch!

Oh I did tell Nathan last night that there is a flag coming he'll like, he was really keen on finding out more, but luckily I was too drunk to spill the beans.

I refuse to recognise the franchise or acknowledge that such a 'team' exists.

Ergo, if they don't exist they aren't a genuine body.

So we, and by we I mean you, can put what you like about them.

Good good. Keep it quiet for now ;)

At first, I thought JayBox was a bit annoying, but as time has gone by the more I've taken to the kid. I've a lot of respect for you mate. Great work on trying to inspire fans, and the flags idea is brilliant. I think I've found my new favourite forum poster (Sorry Flasheart and Tails, you've been demoted to 2nd and 3rd respectively)

I know this is bit of a silly suggestion, but how about investigating these. If the H&S bods at the club can be persuaded that these are safe then why not? Subject to cost obviously. If they can be "detonated" under close control and supervision (even by designated stewards) then it would be quite a spectacle.

http://www.enolagaye.com/shop/

The game is on Sky...

The club have had long enough to increase the atmosphere for this game....lower the silly ticket price and do kids for a quid and that thing where we fill the bank with youngins.....

Whatever Jay sorts should be icing....

Surely the club could reduce ticket prices considering it's on the box? Surely any loss on markdown would be more than met by sky money?

Can I nominate ironside to be one of the flag wavers?

Considering the way the Club is being run at the moment, I would be very surprised if they don't do all they can to ensure that it's a full house.

Drop the prices? For a league game, against a promotion place rival? With 8 weeks left in the season?

I think some of you are in a parallel universe.

In some respects I think the prices matter less for televised games anyway. If you want to watch in the comfort of your own living room or in the pub with your mates then saving a fiver won't change your mind.

Its far too late to consider lowering the prices for this game for adults but I do think we should do a kid a quid for the bank with each paying adult as the Bletchley Stealers won't bring more than a couple of hundred and can be easily accomodated in the Arkells.

Every extra fan helps through the gate to help our (mostly) poor atmosphere at home games.

Yes, Definitely.Those are precisely the reasons why you want to get a full house.

It's on telly. Unless it's a cup game against a top 6 PL team, it's never going to sell out. We haven't even sold out our last couple of home leg playoff games.

Which brings us nicely back to the point i.e. drop the prices to get as many people actually into the Ground to get behind the team for the biggest game of the season. :nod:

And an official vuvuzela blower...

Thank fuck they never caught on ::)

Indeed. Perhaps we should go for something more traditional, and have a hurdy-gurdy band in the corner of the Arkells.

I forgot about these!

*buys 10 vuvuzelas*

Or those fucking twats at Sheffield Wednesday with that stupid band.
How anyone can listen through that shit for 90 minutes I will never know.

Jay you are doing a fantastic job mate keep it up however the day you bring in a drum is the day I will not approve.......

Or a vuvuzela  :contract:

Don't even think about it ;)

Seriously :toughguy:

Don't worry lads. I fucking hate drums at football. Singing is more than enough!

Just denounce vuvuzelas and we'll all be good... ;)

I hate Vuvuzelas too. The only assistant for being loud should be the old school rattles.

Ermmm.....Hang on a minute youth. How do you know about rattles? They went out of fashion at least 20 years before you were just a mere sperm. Now let's talk about Rosettes (of which I have several).  Perhaps a good marketing ploy, a splash of colour, a badge of honour, a keepsake, and (if priced correctly), some income for the club. Get onto it.

Hahaha. Yeah... I may have one. My Mum got me one as a 'joke present' at Christmas. My missus wasn't happy with her for getting it. It's fucking loud.

I'll have to get onto Steve from the Trust about the Rosettes...

Never a dull moment in Swindon is there. Never a dull moment. And we wonder why Reg walks around the countryside. Pffft.

What shall it say on the Rosette? "You can't win anything with kids."

It can say anything. People will know.

It's probably the only way the Adver will be allowed in the ground   :D

I've got a couple of rosettes somewhere....in blue, as traditional away colour. These days they seem to be restricted to the aspirant horsey nouveau types....I'm glad I had boys.

 Would you be allowed to take a rattle into a footie ground nowadays ?
Dangerous weapon and all that malarky . . . even a rosette could be a bit dodgy,you could stab somebody with the pin .

I'm taking the view that having paid up to the end of the season, if it's pissing down I'll go, if it's nice and sunny then I'll be in the garden until about mid day. Crack a bottle of something and settle down in the recliner and watch from the comfort of my lounge. Besides by the time I get back from football training with my lad it will be a tight squeeze to get to SN1 in decent time, park up and settle down.

Can't recall which team it was but an away fan in the Merlin had a rattle last season , loud bastard thing. Don't know if he managed to get in the ground with it.

Great effort Jay. People talk about the poor atmosphere in the Town End. I think its as simple as a few of the faces that used to start the singing have migrated to a more comfortable vantage point in the South Stand. People will sing. I give it a go (after I've had a few)... Very rarely do people not follow.

Perhaps if they played some more "traditional" music pre-match and half time the atmosphere might just get lifted.  Get there 15 mins before the game and be totally bored by the crap they play!

I'm not saying you are wrong, but it shouldn't need music to create an atmosphere.

Don't disagree Batch, but the music they play kills any atmosphere!!

Either the TE should migrate to the DRS or a good chunk of the DRS should help fill the TE.

A half full/empty TE is the problem

It's the choice of music. We should play Russ Abbott's classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGpoFB2TrvY

Not sure how that will help.

I went to Blackpool for 3 days in 1980, I saw Russ, Little and Large and Cannon and Ball on consecutive nights on the pier. My wife wonders why I'm weird.

I'll mention to the STFCTrust that we should try and get the MK game to have no music on the PA when we score. As a trial run, but I can't promise anything. I know we have been talking about it for ages, but it'll be up to the Town End to start a song.

But in other news I'm still after volunteers to wave some flags about for this game. I need people that sit in the Arkell's & DRS towards the Town End, any takers?

Brain cells coming back, we did have a bit of a tirade with Coops on Thursday, saying that the music was shit and we should play xtc and the horn etc, It was late in the evening though so it probably came across a bit mongy, and didn't have a conclusion, or indeed a real start.

I'll talk to the Trust or someone. I understand why they want music, but as long as we can convince them the TE will definitely get a song going I'm sure Arkells & DRS will join in.

I've just realised that once I sort a group of flags to be waved in each stand for MK, why couldn't we have the stewards hand out the flags every game then collect them at the end.

It could become an every game thing. We have the flags and once people in the stands know it happens it can become a part of the match-day experience. Would anyone be against that?

Dear Mr Collett,

Do you realise that it's busybodies like you which have allowed women to have almost equal rights. Most weekday afternoons at about 15-00 hrs they cause innumerable traffic jams, snarl up supermarket check-outs whilst rumbling through  handbags searching for credit cards (when I'm trying to buy a crate of beer), congregate en masse in ladies toilets debating whether or not to purchase black ribbed condoms.

Please take a good look at yourself.

Disgusted (from Epsom).

Think a lot of people have wanted the horn back for a while! Might be something worth looking into?

Some lovely comments on here about this game and this thread :)

http://www.concreteroundabout.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=13830&sid=173b43a4fc841259ffd05f1dbb9d65e7

What a scummy pile of filth from a despicable club and fanbase.

We can't make it hostile....we will see about that!

136 years of history vs 11 years.

Honestly, I'm surprised they have a forum.

Got to agree about the cringe factor, though.

Franchise giving grief?  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

This is a great idea in my opinion.

I remember going to a friend's birthday party when I was 7 years old and it was really boring - I couldn't wait until my mum and dad came to pick me up. Conversely, I had much fun at all the other parties I attended. The common denominator in the better events was balloons - something the boring party didn't have. Everyone knows balloons add to an atmosphere!!!!

At least if the game is really crap we can distract ourselves by playing keepie-uppies with the balloons in the stand, or try to gather them all up and tie them to someone as an experiment to see if they can get airborn. It'll be brilliantly funny if one of the balloons drifts on to the pitch whilst the game is going on because one of the players may step on it and scare himself when it goes bang haha.

I don't really care for flags though. They remind me of the time when I was 12 years old and our class was made to do orienteering:
I completely lost my bearings and ended up round the back of the school mound. Some of the older kids were smoking and asked me what I was doing there. I carefully explained I was doing an orienteering exercise but I'd lost my team. They pushed me over and laughed and said maybe it should be called disorienteering. I never wanted to go anywhere near that mound ever again.

I think it's no coincidence that there were a lot of flags about for the orienteering exercise and I encountered hostility like I'd never seen before, so definitely a good idea for the intimidation factor. Combine this with the balloons to get the party atmosphere and you have all the elements there for a good crowd.

Perhaps there could be someone at the front of the stand to conduct the singing? I remember in assembly at school the teachers did this and they pulled the singers putting in the most effort to the front of the assembly hall. Eventually there would be a small group at the front leading the rest. It's a really good idea because if one of your mates gets chosen you put in even more effort because you don't want to be second best.

Maybe AK47s would achieve the required 'atmosphere'.

None of this is aimed at franchise anyway, because they'll bring about twelve. I expect Audreys farts are louder  ;)

I'm really concerned they'll review their pricing policy for future fixtures and we'll have to pay 30 quid to watch a game  from the top tier. I hope Bill Powers considers this.

Yeah, maybe hostile was a bad choice of words. But Port Vale showed that when there was something different going on i.e. flags etc it made people louder.


I get it. Balloons and flags are for kids. Har har chortle chortle. You put some fucking effort into raising the atmosphere then.

Chomp chomp

I'd be more worried about their vast travelling army of 250 to be honest

I hate this whole 'fishing' or 'trolling' crap. It's just a lame excuse to be a cunt. "Yeah, I'm going to talk shit about something and generally act like a fool with the sole purpose of pissing someone off."

 :crucified:

Oh dear.

careful now, they are armed with brownie songs and quite possibly a drum.

I was worried Jay was working too hard, he has finally exploded!

However saw this and can we please arrange similar at the County Ground.... but with a bloody great steam engine!

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dambusters

Quality idea. I'll arrange a bring and buy sale - perhaps at Gary Stanley's annual end of season barbecue.

Don't worry about the trolls Jay, they either don't attend or prefer the moaners.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/jamiethon/bitch_zpsmywrosdw.gif) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jamiethon/media/bitch_zpsmywrosdw.gif.html)

I can confirm that Si Pie never attends or tries to get an atmosphere going. Useless speccy prick.

 :D

Honestly Jay, don’t worry about it. The Trust was getting grief on here a year ago, mainly from the same suspects. It’s your turn now, and whoever sticks their head above the parapet and tries to do something next will no doubt be on the receiving end too.

Change your tampon mate, you're bunged up again.

All in favour of atmosphere, but there is a line to be avoided where it tips over into something horrific like the Hull "Mauled by the Tigers" chant.

Ah, pointless misogyny

Well played.

The trust were rightly criticised in my opinion because, at the time, they were shite. Nowadays they are not shite and are receiving the plaudits that they (now) deserve. Get over it.

I am 'over it', I'm just pointing out to Jay that people always get grief at the beginning of things and if you gave up because of that nothing would ever change.

Clearly over it, it's not like you keep bringing it up.

Not giving up over what one or two people think. More people including the players seemed to enjoy it ;)

bought it up once in support of Jay, that you and FH jumped on it suggests you are not 'over it'.

Yep, that's some cast iron logic right there.

You were the one that brought it up you tool.

Get over it you lot

Franchise v Donny is off this Saturday

Hopefully it's only Preston we have to worry about now any way..

It means that MK get a rest before we play them though.

Hopefully it'll make them rusty as it did with us earlier in the season while, of course, our break will make us refreshed rather than rusty unlike before.

I'd hate to give someone encouragement and they fail through complacency. Telling someone they will fail is more likely to breed success. The Trust should be thanking me for turning things around.

There is also talk that Deli Alli could be on for a return just in time for our little spat

(http://i.imgur.com/UJe9rLc.gif)

Pretty sure you'd be up for inflatable people though?

Franchise and atmosphere never go probably the worst set of home fans in the league for atmosphere. Take fuck all away as well. Moaning about the costs then charge £7 for parking at their ground.
At least we get a chance on the TV to tell the Country how much we hate them.
Apart from Pox and the Bristol clubs most people will want us to win that one.
Football unites,  fuck off plastic franchise. No away fans, history, atmosphere or class.

How about a few thousand white handkerchiefs  :smugfu:

Thought you'd be the tissue type.
Can I ask, what did you do on a Saturday before you became a football fan customer?

Hmm most Saturday's were spent plotting which little football club we could bring to MK.
Swindon didn't pass the quality threshold so were rejected very early in the process.

Thank fuck for that then

Come back on after you have been royally butt-fucked on national TV

#topbantz #lad

Ban this aids

Shame you didn't spend your spare time studying town planning and architecture.
 MK really isn't a footballing town. In fact it's the most bland place I can think of. Does it have any history, anything??

Oh, and don't confuse big stadium with big club. Actually, don't confuse club with franchise.

You can't. His bezzie made him a mod.

This cunt sums up the dog shit stain of Franchise quite nicely.

91 clubs in the league.....and the these...

May the shame of the FA ....NEVER be forgotten.

This was your club cunt.....and I bet you never saw them kick a ball:

'The name Milton Keynes City Football Club (commonly abbreviated to MK City) refers to two defunct English football clubs, both of which were non-League sides based in or around Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.[1] The first, Bletchley Town FC, changed its name to Milton Keynes City in 1974, and used the name until its dissolution in 1985. The second, originally called Mercedes-Benz, became MK City in 1998, and retained the name until its own demise in 2003, coinciding with the relocation of Wimbledon F.C. to Milton Keynes.'

We are not very eloquent down Swindon way are we. Worzel somehow screams out from every written word.

Come back when you can spell Wurzel

Actually, don't.

(http://www.doyouremember.co.uk/uploads/raw-1347281529.jpg)

 ;)

Blimey, is everything to come out of Milton Keynes so original?  Oh wait,  of course not.  ;)

Still didn't answer my question did he.....course not..

It would probably be a good way to pack out the Town End for the Sky cameras. The club could promote it as 'bring an inflatable friend day'.

I get the feeling you'd need to bring your puncture repair kit...

MK Dongs 'fans' don't even have friends of the inflatable variety

:D

Or get the stewards to hand them out ;)

And how is Diamond Mike these days Si? Sitting on your chest of drawers waiting to make a comeback?

That's one of the funniest things I have ever seen, Jon trying to re-inflate him in the pub in Cherry Willingham when it had a fucking great hole in it

They have bring your imaginary friend day at their ground on a regular basis!

No idea what happened to that inflatable doll, but I do still have the Greece football shirt...

I thuoght it was approx 35k for Millwall and 30k for Chesterfield. would struggle to get near those numbers this time around.   

See other thread chalks  :)

Just goes to prove I can't multitask and shouldn't attempt it

Agreed. It is just another excuse.

I got sacked from my presenting radio show on MKFM when i started slagging off Winklman, And yes MK city (its still a town tho) doesnt have history, but Bletchley (which is a part of MK now) does (Enigma, Paralympics etc)

But that is not in defence of Franchise, they are a pathetic excuse of a football club, I see grown men walking wearing there Franchise football tops it really is fucking fake. My baby is due to be born in September in MK, but it wont be supporting fucking Franchise thats for sure, I hate them more then I hate Oxford!! Fucking Scum!

In time, MK will be recognised in their own right and won't be viewed as a club there as a result of a relocated franchise.

Personally I already see them as a club with their own identity, impressive stadium and with over a decade of existence which is rich in history.

That's one o the worst fishing attempts I've ever seen.

All of my posts in this thread are too obvious for to be classed as a fishing attempt. Unless you're the type of person who starts a petition - objecting to Jeremy Clarkson's election campaign for Prime Minister - because The Daily Mash reported it.

It's entirely possible it is one of the worst attempts at ironic humour you've ever seen, I can give you that.

[/quoteI thought all your previous posts on this thread were sincere and heartfelt!

 :)

Not a fan then?

The Marketing Manager of Franchise was on Pointless yesterday.

She is a West Ham fan.

A lot of people around MK are actually quite shamed still by the club, However as horrible it is to say it, they have got some good intiatives in place to attract the kids, something on the vein of what the Trust at STFC are doing, but on a much larger scale. A constant presence also around the center too.

So although not a fan, but that's because of what they have done, it would be very bad practice to not follow some of their schemes, because it would be beneficial for STFC.

The older segment of their fanbase are clueless morons tho

 :no:

:( :(

Franchise will be an established Premiership club within 10 years, thus providing hope for the likes of Swindon to emulate them (all be it on a smaller scale)
 

Please enlighten me to how the likes of Franchise will be a prem club when A) your not well backed, and b) who will in the end support Franchise when 1) London is half an hour away on the train, and 2) Birmingham is also half an hour away but the other way, you wont take support away from any London based Prem clubs, and Aston Villa, WBA, Birmingham, and also Wolves.

You have some good initiatives granted, but you don't have that realness about the club. You wont get hat for at least another 40 odd years at best. Until then, Franchise will just be that annoying new kid at school with the shiny trainers, but was always a bit smelly

What sort of Franchise fan calls Franchise... Franchise.

No self - respect...

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Why is Franchise now seen as Franchise?

You're a week too early,  numbnuts.

Thats fucking disrespectful calling the Franchise a name like Franchise.

Named after Oxfords existence.

Poor bloke's been disenfranchised.