Thetownend.com

I was not at tonights meeting so im only going on what i have read tonight. From what i gather though there isnt anything planned as such.

What i think we need

A non trust member (or a couple of people) to take control and  organise this properly

One protest that everyone gets behind. Im not 100% sure what the best idea is. I dont think a pitch invasion will work though. Maybe something simple like a mass protest outside the ground could still work, especially if we had far bigger numbers, like in excess of 1000. We need to decide an idea fast. But its important we choose one idea and we all go with it. Having several small ideas is not as good as one powerful idea that everyone backs.

A clear objective to be made clear to everyone. It is still a minority of people that are aware of the current situation and how bad it really is. We need to:
a) Make people aware how bad the situation is and how much we need there support
b) Make clear exactly why we are protesting
c) Make clear what we aim to achieve

This then needs to be put in the adver, back page, along with the protest plans. We can also use other sources like all the different fan message boards, face book, word of mouth etc to get as many people on board as possible.

We also need to make sure we get local and national coverage of the protests and get our point across to the nation.

For all this to work, we need a leader, organisation and unity. And fast!

no we dont. we shouldnt have anyone who can be shot down, thats not fair. what we need is everyone to turn up and protest wether it be on a march-magic roundabout-behind the arkells. just get there and bring friends.

Unless its organised properly you wont get the numbers you are looking for!

What Mex said. The board would absolutely love it if an individual took charge of this just so they can say "That Give_us_an_S is a right troublemaker, blame him for everything".

This needs a collective effort from everybody. Having one person as a media mouthpiece may be an idea, but that's all they should be - spokesman, not leader.

Bit late for that though sam . The adver the wdp and all the radio stations have already said that this was a trust meeting and the trust have passed all 4 motions so it does not matter surely.

Pitch invasion is a stupid idea in my  opinion and will ruin all the good work of the march in the day

What about you Sam? You know you're stuff....

I agree with Deano 100% here, why do this? Also if we manage to help save the club, what is the point in getting caught for this and banned from games for life?  If the club get wind of this they will be out to catch people who do this I assure you. Stupid.  Think about it a bit guys.

Pitch Invasion is not a good idea IMO.I think it shows us as yobs like Leeds fans V Ipswich last year. Fans would just be banned anyway and the club would try to arrest people and release their pictures to have them arrested. I dont think a pitch invasion will endere us to the rest of the fan base it will make us look like hooligans unless a banner is taken into the centre circle or whatever...

Well I think they all need putting straight that this was not a Trust meeting, it was an open fans forum and merely facilitated by the Trust.

Had you been there you would have realised that this was an open meeting. The idea was proposed from the floor, the idea was voted on by everyone. The Trusts role was to investigate whether there was a legal way to do this on behalf of those wishing to do so.

FWIW I think it is a terrible idea, it is illegal and will not be allowed by the club/OB.

The point is us "guys" did think about it and voted accordingly, people have different opinions and that is up to them - but count me out.

the meeting was held, arguements were raised, everyone was heard, votes were taken, decisions were made. thats that in my book. if you want to argue about it why didnt you come last night and state your opinion? there were people there who had the same viewpoint as you who put there case but at the end of the meeting a vote was taken, now for fucks sake lets get behind that vote instead of petty squabbling.

let me stress again get as many people as possible to attend the events on saturday. this is our chance to really prove how much this club means to us.

As I was not there last night I guess I can’t comment and have no right to comment and retract saying a pitch invasion is a stupid idea that will make us look like yobs. I wont squabble and suggest others don’t as well. Either get behind the idea then or don’t join in the pitch invasion simple I guess.

I'm sorry I couldn't get there batch, I have a few personal issues going on at the moment, so don't fucking have a dig at me because I wasn't there!!  I would of been if I could been. Doesn't mean I don't care or do not want to get involved.

We are all going to different opinions on this I agree with you.

I have to admit I don't know how we can legally invade the pitch when the act of going on a pitch is illegal ... if you see what I mean.

Wasn't meant to be a dig, more an explanation of what happened in light of the "stupid, think" comment.

Anyhow, the point is that the meeting covered all viewpoints and there should be enough going on to be inclusive for anyone wishing to protest.

I agree with mex. The pitch invasion is supposed to be a high profile stunt. I didnt agree with it so voted no but will let people get on with it if they want and will focus my energy on other stuff

well I wonder what the 5,800 other regulars at the county ground were doing last night, they all have opinions too.  Well done to the 200 that turned up and voted for this to be a good idea, but stop waving dicks around, coz I haven't got one and I can't wave back.

If people want to do this, they can get on with it, would just hate to see anyone off here banned from the ground after all the hard work put in to all of this!  That is all I am trying to say, as good ideas can go wrong.

I think the point is, there was a large number who turned up that were in favour of this idea, personally I wasn't and I think 99% of those that post here voted against it so while I see the point, no point having a pop on here.

In fact, I would guess that 30% of the turnout probably don't use internet forums at all.  The one thing that would worry me if I was at the club was the sort of people who now seem to be very angry, not the ones you'd want.

no dick waving involved, the idea is to up the profile of the protests and get national coverage. to embarrass the current board.

fuck getting banned, some people have had enough.

I am not having a pop, I am the one being popped at because I couldn't get there last night.  As I said I have important issues to deal with at home and I didn't have a car, brum fucking brum. God I'm such a loser. Sorry.

I'd just like to confirm that I will be waving my dick in protest

 8) Can I borrow it afterwards  :mrgreen:

I voted against the pitch invasion last night and I will not be participating in that area of the protests

No, I have no bad words to say.  I was just mentioning that in fact, I don't think more than 1 or 2 that post on here voted in favour.  The ones that did, in good numbers, were not likely to be Trust members or internet forum dwellers.  So while I fully appreciate your view, it was passed by people who won't read it.

That in itself was the one thing that struck me last night, the turnout was largely different to all previous meetings, a different crowd are now interested and for the club it's not the crowd you want turning against you.

None at all?!?!

Did your little TV appearance put the willies up you?

i assume that was meant to be that

I voted for it. :D

But i'll most likely bottle it if im honest :mrgreen:

I want to get a Dougal Costume and protest on the Magic Roundabout,now where does one find a Dougal/Zebedee/Florence costume?

I think Ben's post about the banners is the approach we need to take. Let's get some simple ideas out there and everyone can participate. It looks like we even have a plan coming together for it.

What do you mean Rob? what sort of people are they?

correct

i'll participate in the march if it happens and after match demo.the other two ideas are ridiculous as the pro board-neutrals-drivers will see those involved in those two activities as trouble makers and yobs!
banners on the roundabout-yes ,blocking traffic and stuff-no.
invading the pitch is illegal as is causing an obstruction by the way.

i'm not having a go at people but it all seems a bit of a shambles to me.four ideas carried with no organisation and not all in favour or prepared to participate in all of the ideas.
it could all get rather silly on saturday.hope not

You don't need masses of people on the magic roundabout as, if the banners are large enough, they'll get the message across (Assuming the OB allow it)

I think the biggest event by far will be the protest after the game. 200+ were there after Cheltenham basically by word of mouth. With the Adver and other local media letting people now, I wouldn't be surprised to see a helluva lot more on Saturday.

Disagree the magic roundabout idea is an excellent idea if done right.  It's Swindon's most famous landmark so for example if we were to get banners up all over it and fill the centre roundabout with fans the publicitiy could be huge, I would expect that to get national media coverage.  Organisation will come either later today or tomorrow with places / times to meet for the march released, what the trust will / can back etc.  

Personally I think the march, magic roundabout invasion and traditional behind the Arkells stands protests should get enough coverage to keep things firmly in the spot light.  The pitch invasion I will consider if enough people go on, stuff like banning etc only comes in if numbers are too small.  When we wanted McMahon and Hunt out we got threatened with life bans then but we got them out and didn't get banned.

As has been said a few times numbers will grow through word of mouth so tell as many people as you can and get as many people to go as you can.  I can understand objections to the magic roundabout idea and pitch invasion due to personal repercussions but cant understand those who will not attend the march as they think it wont work, we need the numbers and by marching it will put everything in the faces of ordinary Swindon people who weren't aware how serious the clubs plight was.  

Saturdays a big day another chance for us to say we will not let our club go under, I took no negativity from last night to get 200 out on a Monday night was encouraging.  Momentum is switching in our favour, lets keep things going.

I think banners and all that on the roundabout are fine as people will slow down to look and see the message but blocking traffic would make people think we are out to cause trouble IMO. People who may sympathise with us may be put off if traffic etc is stopped.

Agree, any protests must be peaceful, otherwise it will detract from the message we are trying to get across and also may discourage some fans from joining the protest. Any pitch invasion, in my view, should be discouraged - we'll just look like a bunch of yobs.

I think the general concensus really looking through the threads is, people want to do different things. The people who want to do a pitch invasion will do a pitch invasion, people who want to play in the traffic will play in the traffic etc, no on HAS to do everythiong, they are just different forms of protest.

Different board members and different football liason officer. If people enter the pitch they will get banned this board will make sure of that.



Also the blocking of the traffic after the game is a good idea but surely its pissing the wrong people off.We need fans like tranmeres to support us and sympaphise not be pissed off for delaying a already horrendous journey

Good luck to those who do it i know the intentions are right. I just hope we dont end up offending the wrong people

We have spoken to the police this morning and as expected they have ruled out the idea of a pitch invasion - we will accordingly advise people against such action. They will get back to us later re Magic Roundabout ideas but are understandably not keen on disruption to traffic. However I'd hope we would be able to arrive at some compromise that would allow a protest at the MR within acceptable parameters.

At the moment there are a million ideas being thrown about. We need one protest that EVERYONE understands and can get behind. Remember the 1st not 3rd Protest? That was a protest! And now we face something far more serious - We could lose the club we all love completely.

I hate to be pesimistic but having a few people on the magic round about with banners, a few people run on the pitch at the end of the game, a few people protesting by the directors box, a few people behind the arkells stand just will not get the point accross. Thats why i said we need someone (or a group of people) to take leadership. I agree with what people said though and these people can be made a scapegoat.

But if you want something thats anywhere near the scale of the 1st not 3rd protests then we need to choose one idea that everyone can legally get behind and make sure every single swindon fan knows about it, why we are doing it and what it will achieve.

EDIT - Just read about the protest march. Sounds a good idea, hopefully we can get everyone behind this!

Well the march has to be the idea that really gets it going, maybe start it at 12 so people who want to go to the pub still can or for a added twist march straight from wherever to the back of the arkells and protest before the game?

Just a thought

Can we march with a beer in our hand? I like the idea of marching to the back of the Arkells stand as well.

If people disappear after the march then thats against the point of the protest? We don't want to turn up say 500 of us then half then go to the pub...

if it starts a little later, say 1.30ish then there is more chance of picking up people who will be in the pubs at the bottom of town or wherever. and that would give people time to go to the pub beforehand. we could then go straight to the back of the arkells at 2.15 or whenever we arrive there.

All you need to do is start off threads like Alan and Ben have and proper ideas come out of it.

Better than whinging about too many things happening.

Tried to get on the ThisIs Forum, and post on The Protests, the following message came up - can anyone else get on the site all has the plug been pulled, again....

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Can't connect to MySQL server on '172.25.0.35' (4) in /home/web/phpbb/htdocs/db/mysql4.php on line 48

Fatal error: Call to undefined function message_die() in /home/web/phpbb/htdocs/includes/db.php on line 63

Try this link ?
http://forum.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=e67cff0f8279c34dff6735a648290664

Im not whinging, I was making a point that we needed to follow just one of these plans and we need to make sure that its made clear to everyone what the reasons are. There are still plenty of people who dont read forums etc who dont really know that much about it.

Spot on. 95% of our fans haven't got a clue what thetownend.com is.

The lucky fuckers :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: