Thetownend.com

could someone please copy and paste this message on as many forums as possible thank you.


My name is Iain Huddy. I have been coming to Swindon Town Fc long before any of you were involved in or even heard of this club. My Father like many families in Swindon first proudly took me to a game in the seventies, i was hooked.

Yesterday i was prevented from entering the ground and received the following letter.

SUSPENSION NOTICE

You have been issued with a suspension notice following your ejection from the Swindon Town Football Club, ground and facilities.

Your ejection was due to your non compliance with STFC ground regulations and/or inappropriate behaviour.

This suspension notice means you are not allowed to enter the ground or facilities of STFC until the reason for your ejection has been fully investigated by the STFC Management team.

You are advised to write to the safety officer at STFC to arrange a meeting to discuss your case.

The outcome of the investigation and subsequent meeting, if proven, could result in you being banned from STFC ground and facilities for a defined period, and in the case of a more serious offence, this could lead to a full season or life time ban.

I would like to state that I have never in my 30 years of attending football matches home and away, been ejected from a football ground. Not yesterday, not ever. I have never in anyway been involved in violence at a football ground. On receiving this notice as i tried to enter the Arkells stand, where i have watched football with a season ticket for 30 years, I asked to speak to the safety officer on numerous occasions, as i presumed there must be a case of mistaken identity. I was refused. I was accused of being violent in the past? At one point  a steward threatened to punch me in the face. At no point was i violent, yes i was angry, but never violent.

Last season I was voted supporter of the year. This was due to many reasons, namely that I live in Sussex and am currently receiving life saving dialysis treatment 3 times a week for 20 hours a week yet did not miss a home game and only a very few away. I like many others travel huge distances to see a "home" game. For me that involves a 250 mile round trip. I know of plenty of others who do more. To be turned away yesterday and to not be seen by anybody in the ground was despicable customer service.

The only fathomable reason i can understand for my treatment yesterday was due to the fact that i was asked by friends last week to represent their views on an ITV news item. I presume you did not like what I had to say and this is your form of petty retaliation.

The reason I was asked is mainly due to the fact I have daily dealings with the uk and world media. As Managing Director of a major worldwide press agency I already have the ear of not only the likes of local press such as the Advertiser and BBC and ITV West. I also have the ear of every national newspaper editor and national magazine editor, plus most news agencies world wide and many many magazines internationally.
The way this world works is that people owe each other favours and believe me I am owed numerous favours.

You have 72 hours to contact me before I pull in these favours, you have my details, I really do not want to have a picture of me in hospital attached to my dialysis machine printed worldwide.

 I know that you read these forums.I just want to be able to come and watch the team I love. Yesterday was the final straw. I look forward to hearing from you.

Iain Huddy

Class letter, i hope you receive an appropriate response!

That is spot on fella, and I congratulate you in the manner you have wrote that letter. Hope you've posted it off to the club directly.

Iain

Completely understand your stance.  I'm also angry.  I speak as a fellow fan who has also decided to boycott the County Ground for the forseeable future.

But PLEASE - edit your post and remove the threat to use your dialysis treatment as a tool to get the club's decision reversed.  Trust me...it's not the right way to go about this and they will use this against you.

Agreed. Spot on. Could Batch, Glos, Spencer or Ardiles cross-post onto MoS please? Ta.

was it not steward number 2?

im not using my dialysis treatment as a tool. It is part of my life and one of the reasons i was awarded supporter of the year. It is also more importantly the reason I could never ever be violent. As i said to the chief steward yesterday when accused of this " if somone grabs my arm i will be in a hospital bed for 2 weeks" does that sound like someone who would want to be violent.

not sure if it was 2 or 28 i will edit my post

Looks like 2

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v365/robus1971/fatty.jpg

100% spot on Mex, keep the dialysis in the letter.  I feel you should keep it as it shows that you have a bad hand dealt already (dont intend to offend you with that)

I've copied it to the L&P forum.

No, he had to pull the number eight out to join number 2 from behind his left tit.

(deffo twenty eight)

Fooking emoticons.

I know.  I have enormous respect for your ability to handle something that I could not even begin to understand the consequences of.

The only passage I was concerned about in your piece was the section where you alluded to the picture of you in hospital attached to a dialysis machine.  Maybe I'm being over sensitive, but I'm not sure that bit needs to be said...and I'm sure they could work that one out for themselves in any case.

PS  Only my view.  It seems I'm the only person who's raised it so maybe I am being over sensitive.  I'll copy to MOS.

Unfortunately Ardiles, thats the money shot and the one the press will want.

I think what Mex is saying is that if the story did hit the media the stuff about his dialysis we'll indefinitely be part of that story. Which would involve the photo because that's going to make the story all the better.

Sad but true. It doesn't matter anyway. The club shouldn't be treating anybody like that.

You can click "Disable Smilies in this post" somewhere. I discovered it when I was doing a quiz once.

Posted on thisis and MoS

Good luck with this Mex.

I think they will ignore you Mex, they really do not give a fuck about fans

Sorry to be a pedant, but you might want to run a spell check as there are a few mistakes ('recieved' etc).

NMH

received, receiving and receive. i have a problem with e's.

what was it at school

I before E except after C

I wouldn't take their word for it :)

the fact you have been banned is unfair and ridiculous.its obviously because you were outspoken and very cutting in your comments about the board on various public outlets.
but your health,length of support,career and personal life is of no relevance to this issue whatsoever.

Nice one Mex. Bet the club don't get back to you. But why should you just accept the ban? It's ridiculous!

the reason i have bought my health into this debate is down to the fact i was accused of being violent, the health issuse is there to show how ridiculous that accusation is. the whole carear thing is to show that if they continue to fuck with me. i will embarrass then nationally and internationally.

Mex and Oevil getting banned for doing fuck all wrong is completely out of order. Treating fans like that is crossing a line. These two today, who else tomorrow? Are they going to slowly pick off the dissenters one by one? They may be able to do it legally, but their morality seriously fucking stinks.

I cant think of anything off the top of my head right now, but surely there is something we all could or should collectively do as a show of our solidarity for these two. I'll back anything legal if anyone comes up with a plan. No one should be afraid of getting similarly banned if a plan to protest on their behalf takes off. Stand shoulder to shoulder and stare the fuckers down. It's our football club. Allow this shit to get a foot hold and we'll all be fucked in the end anyway, so whats the odds?

Regarding Mex's response to the club, I can see where you are comming from and I wish you all the success in the world with it. Only thing that worries me is that Diamandis and Holt allegedly worked for Captain Bob Maxwell earlier in their respective media careers and probably did an in-house crash course in how to deal with scum like us.

Lets face it, the orchestrated campaign in the Advertiser worked a treat for them last week, especially with Luggys classic 'this is the last time I'll do this' last minute article before the match on saturday effectively sticking the boot in to the planned post match protests. (Like everyone else, I love the bloke to bits at the moment, but I hope he remembers those slimy words if ever times are not going quite so good for him at STFC and he suddenly needs the backing of the fans. A week is indeed a long time in football, Luggy..)

Anyway, I hope that sense is seen at the club and that both the bans are quickly reversed.

Mex that is disgusting treatment ... and you have all my sympathies ... makes my blood boil actually

I say dont give them the 72 hours ... just make it public ... and when they have to back down ask for a MASSIVE public apology

"society"

 8)

"ancient"

 8)

reign

 8)

;)

There's a load of exceptions to that "rule". They told us that at my school as well!

Hope you get a response Mex. Our club is looking bad enough as it is at the moment and although I would fully understand you going to the media I hope it deosn't come to it. Sure it would show up our board, but it would be yet another embarassment of the club in a long line of the things!

After speaking to Mex the more people that email Ben lambert about how mex has been treated the better.

I fear that this has own goal written all over it.

The club will wait for the sob story hospital pictures, then stitch Mex up with his own words.  They won't need to look far, including his account of the Cheltenham game, to justify their actions.

The world beyond the TEF won't be sympathetic.

I totally agree that people should email Ben Lambert to show their disgust at Mex's treatment, but please don't forget about Oevil! The poor chap's hair is going grey, so he too needs our support at this difficult time.

what is lamberts email address?

Mate -I feel so sorry for you.I know you have,like me,swindon in your blood.How many people would drive from the South coast to Doncaster on a tuesday.It just goes to show what a despicable,cowardly shower of shit is in charge of our club they are fuck all without the likes of you and me and I for one will be boycotting home games until you receive an apology and are readmitted.This club should be on their knees begging for supporters like you as they,themselves,recognised when you won that award.This is the lowest ebb since 1990 in my opinion at a time when things on the pitch should suggest otherwise.

Damn right. Mex's case is always going to attract more media attention because of his personal circumstances but as fans we should be looking at this as pure and simple two guys who have supported the club for decades being banned for expressing their opinion. The likes of Mex and Yeovil are the lifeblood of this club - they've been here for decades longer than the "slowly become a fan" shower of shite ru(i)nning the club and will be here long after they've left. Assuming there's anything left of the club by the time this lot have finished, of course.

"We want our Yeovil back, We want our Yeovil back, We want our Yeovil back"

I'm not going to go boycotting anything, but i will be continue to protest. I ahve also sent a mail to Ben Lambert, expressing my displeasure.

Why email Ben Lambert he is only a the sales and marketing guy ? surely the emails should be going to Martyn Starnes as acting CEO surely it is down to him to review this (in consultation with Uncle Mike of course) but I don't think we should be sending emails to the club supporting them as they have done nothing wrong.

FWIW I think Mex & Yeovil have been treated appalingly, a few angry words is what they have been stitched up for I suspect, a couple of easy targets, the question is though who's next as they try picking off the dissenters ?

To state the bleedingly obvious, this would be a PR disaster for them. We're used to the rubbish coming out of the club, but to stifle somebody and treat them like this for speaking out is more Stalin than Diamandis. Other than the fact they're both short and fat, I think the comparison ends there.

If the club don't issue a full public apology, I expect my ban in the post as well please, for having the gall to speak on BBC RS a while back.

Maybe a gulag in Walcott is whats called for - they could lock us all up there during matches, and all days preceding and following, just to make sure.

To state the bleedingly obvious, this would be a PR disaster for them. We're used to the rubbish coming out of the club, but to stifle somebody and treat them like this for speaking out is more Stalin than Diamandis. Other than the fact they're both short and fat, I think the comparison ends there.

If the club don't issue a full public apology, I expect my ban in the post as well please, for having the gall to speak on BBC RS a while back.

Maybe a gulag in Walcott is whats called for - they could lock us all up there during matches, and all days preceding and following, just to make sure.

am i right in guessing everyones email at sftc is their first name followed by swindontownfc.co.uk?

yes

[email protected]
[email protected]

they're the only two worth emailing.


i look forward to seeing who gets banned next home game! it'll probably be me for my four letter tirade after the game :oops:

lets have a competition as to who can get banned next.

I agree entirely.

It's not the same without Yeovil picking on me in the Kingswood stand.  :D

emailed martyn, i'm taking bets now on if i get a reply or not, i know where im putting my money

not heard a thing, 50 hours to go...........

I emailed the club Saturday and Sunday, thinking I would receive a reply sometime Monday morning, as yet nothing.

I was gonna e mail my views but then thought whats the point because they won't take any notice.

You wont hear anything dell, dont count your chickens. Ignorant fuckers the lot of them.

Don't believe it ralph! I emailed them giving your name as a troublemaker, and they were very interested. Luckily I managed to link them to about 500 photographs of you, so I wouldn't bother going to the next game cos you won't get in.

:soapy tit wank:  :D

wow, he must like me

Response from Martyn, pretty much what i expected.

"Seb

 

Many thanks for your email. I have been made aware of a suspension order against Iain Huddy. This was imposed by the police and the safety officer who have the authority in these matters. My colleague Sandy Gray will be receiving reports and discussing the matter with the safety officer tomorrow.  Until then I’m not in a position to comment further.

 

I am away on holiday from tomorrow for a few days so if you would like to make further representations may I ask you to write to Sandy Gray.

 

Kind regards"

I did mention both mex and yeovil in my email, why he has only replied with mex i dont know,
whats makes me laugh is

"STFC are on the vergue of going under, i know, I'll go on holiday"

 

Martyn

Blame the Police... What rubbish

I was on telly saying they all sucked goats. I want to be banned! Well not really. I don't go anyway so it doesn't matter.

so he's having a meeting about it tomorrow, but is also on holiday tomorrow?

No, he's leaving it to Sandy G.

So even if Yeovil and Mex are fully : exonerated I wouldn't expect anything in the post confirming it until next July.

This is getting a bit silly now!

Full support to Yeovil and Mex; everything was geared up to stopping fans woe betied having fun at a football match yesterday, someone ought to perhaps point out that although they may not realise, we are the paying customers. For example if Tesco staff did this their chief exec would probably personally apolgise and give you a free Tesco shop.

So lets get this right. The ban was imposed by the Police & the Safety officer, nothing to do with Diamandis & cronies.
(Just like the TRUST were banned last year from giving out leaflets inside the County Ground boundaries,  last year. The excuse then was Health & Safety too. Presumably due to the risk of paper cuts)
So, how are these two supporters a danger to Health & Safety then. Mex has already stated that his dialysis, means he is not able to be violent even if he wanted to be.  The only violence or threat off violence came from the steward with the number 28 as far as I can tell.

UPDATE:

message from ben lambert.....

Iain

 

I was out of the office yesterday so have only just picked up this email. I will ask Clive Doyle, STFC’s Safety Officer to contact you asap. What are the best phone numbers to contact you on?

 

Clive’s email, should you wish to contact him directly, is [email protected]

 

You can also call me on either of the numbers below and I will endevour to assist you further.

 

Regards,

so my email to clive


sir,

i am writing to try and get to the bottom of why i have been banned from swindon town fc? the letter you so kindly foisted on me said i had been ejected which is a lie and a slur on my character. I have never in my 30 years of going to football gamnes home and away been ejected from a ground.



I travel a 250 mile round trip from sussex to watch swindon and i did not even get the common decency of an explanation as to why i was being prevented from entering the ground to see the team i love.



I demand that this ban be lifted and a public apology is issued.



regards



iain huddy

quick reply from clive.......

Sir,
 
I will prepare a fuller reply today as a response to your email.
 
You have not been banned from the club, all that has happened is that you are not permitted to enter the premises in the short term pending a full investigation into the matters that directly relate to the suspension.
I apologise for the wording of the generic letter as clearly you were not ejected form the premises. However as stated they are generic and intended to cover most circumstances but as in your case not all.
 
 

Clive Doyle
Safety Officer

considering it was obviously pre-conceived they really have no excuse for giving out a generic letter.

"You're not banned, you just can't come in"

Riiiiight.

Load of rubbish if you ask me.  Whats there to investigate?  

Violent Conduct - No

Agressive Behaviour - No

So what exactly is the problem you morons?  Banning 2 men who have done bugger all wrong and who are simply making their views heard?

What a joke.  Perhaps now is the time to review your Customer Charter as its obviously a load of rubbish. What a laughing stock they are going to become.

I think he may come back to you when they've finished designing the new "wanted dead or alive" posters (with pictures of you and Yeovil on them).  No reward though, which is a shame.

Bit of a weak response, I think they should have let everyone;s favourite ginger, Steward 28 reply, now that wood ave ben interessin, innit.

I guess that is the million dollar question. Why were you temporarily denied access at all.

If it has been imposed after recommendation by the Police, then it is under a 'public disorder' charge - has Mex been CAUTIONED, I don't believe for one minute he has.
This will also mean that both Yeovil and Mex now have a file open and held by the police regarding their behaviour. It is worthwhile challenging/asking the police if such file is opened and if it is seeking legal advice.
Or is this more spin from the board using the name of the police to hide there own guilt for making a pigs ear of the situation.

Guilty until proven innocent then. Nice.

I'm sure they will be eager to brush this one under the carpet and and let you know you can come back in time for Donny.

Don't I remember at the JPT game they had a steward watching you guys with a head cam on, if so ask them to provide evedence that you was violent or agressive, the least you deserve is a public appology for the slur on your good name and reputation - you won't get it though.

They would not be allowed to watch the video under 'Data Protection' unless they remove all other faces from the recording first.

Is "fuller" an actual word?  Sounds very west country to me.

I would think that the "Town Two" deserve the following.

Full letter of apology.
Reimbursement of travel & ticket costs
Resignation or sacking of steward no 28.
Some sort of Freebie by way of recompense such as upgrade of season ticket to full executive ticket (or whatever that's called) for the rest of the season.

I agree, plus a silver tankard and a guest option for any freebies, drinks and savoury based snacks

Maybe Mex should be given a second trophy as well.  Have they banned Iris yet?

Tickets!!!!!

they hadnt better ban Iris, believe me

 :wink:

I cannot and will drag myself through the court of law over a tounge in cheek comment on an internet forum. time and health issues will not permit me such an act.

sorry kids thats the last this club will see of me.

So they banned you for comments made by you or someone else (not proven) on a website?
Not any evidence that you actually made those comments?

what the hell is going on fellas?

Interesting.


I would not be posting further comment on here regarding your thoughts/intentions, but that's me.

It's just very sad the club have sunk this low.

Was just about to ask the same question.

This has all taken a really sinister turn...

They might have read the link posted in the other thread and attempted to take the moral highground.  Attempted being the key word of course.

Well this is odd.

The dictators at stfc are trawling the forums looking for reasons to ban people. Looks like none of us will be allowed in come christmas then.

Disclamer: The board of stfc may not be actual dictators

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/22/news.blogging

Exposing the identity of those who post damaging lies in cyberspace is a growth area for libel lawyers.

That is what the wednesday fans got in trouble for posting damaging lies. Mex did not lie he revealed the address and asked questions

Someone care to explain what the hell is going on  :?

Roll on the end of November, cannot wait to put some sea between myself and the club for a while.

I'm, well I don't know...

So most of us on here then can expect banning orders pretty soon.

Wankers, the lot of 'em.

Let's just close this site to general public members make it a members only site then we can say what we like.

If you want to go public go on Thisis, which has had a lot more offensive content on at times, compared to this site.

I wonder if if it came to court we could hide behind the 25% football, 80% bollocks, reasoning.

This is all becoming a little bit silly.

can we not have the format of TUMDFC?

I was just thinking exactly the same.

And Phil S needs to prepare himself for a long stretch

(only joking)

This site is practically closed to the public already, you can only see news and the site forum without logging on. That wouldn't be hard to get around anyway, just sign up. I suspect *they* already have an account anyway. Lets guess who it is, that could be a bit of light comic relief.

Maybe it's Mex, that would be an interesting double bluff.

perhaps it might be an idea for the mods to go through and delete pictures that have been posted?  Least they can't go through and just pick people to ban willy nilly.

Suffice to say I think Fred's link to that article should be read. We should all be mindful when making posts of the implications they have regarding the threat of legal.

However I do not know of STFC activally taking anyone to court at this time.

Could they afford to take anyone to court anyhow?!  :mrgreen:

Thats what i was thinking. Instead of pissing around on internet forums looking for people to ban shouldn't they be runninga footbal club.

I think they were taking legal action against a former poster on ThisIs earlier in the year.

Yep, the Micky Hazard chap had to post a full public apology. I can't remember what he said, but I think it was straight abuse instead of any conspiracy stuff.

Oh dear, you're toast  :D

Surely they can't afford to take anyone to court?

Disclaimer - the board of stfc may not be pissing around, and may have proper reasons to ban all banned persons and the moon is made of cheese

FAO the Board - I look nothing like my avatar, so if you happen to see an animated warthog trying to gain access to the Arkells, feel free to ban 'it'...

Can you post anything as long as you put a disclaimer after it assuring that it's a joke? sounds like it's time to get legal disclaimers in our signatures then  :?

The law's still a bit 'iffy' with this subject at the moment though. Because you have to register in order to see the posts, it's not necessarily classed as public.

This forum probably has around 200 active members, possibly slightly more. How can you consider that public enough for anything written on the forum to be slanderous?

Fact is, the Police don't even know. To quote the bobby who turned up on my doorstep last year "it's a very grey area".

What like this .....


To whom it may concern :fu:

The laws surrounding Guantanemo Bay are pretty grey. Doesn't help the buggers in there though.

Not that this compares, but you get the point, the laws, as they say, is an ass.

And I rather like that Dell.

Can I have a banning order?  It'll save me having to think of excuses for not turning up to games and I think it'll be fun to be classed as a Happy Clapper and be banned from entry.

I might need to let them know where to deliver it to though because in all honesty I've completely gone off attending games right now anyway.

Do they offer refunds on season tickets for banning orders? Money is tight, you see...

I doubt it, somehow.

But you can't stop going, the attendances have gone up since the current board have been in.  :roll:  Nothing to do with how the team have been performing just the current board being brilliant.

Actually, as is normal for Bob, the attendance claim is not really true.

In 97/98 it was around 9500
In 98/99 it was around 8600
In 99/90 it was around 7000
In 00/01 it was around 6200 for the full season
In 01/02 it was around 6300

then it fluctuates from 5400 to 7800 during their reign after that.

Technically they've just kept attendances where they were when they took over, and it was under their reign before that the attendances began the decline.

They can ban me if they want I don't give a shit

Looks like the board will be busy a week Saturday then, will be giving out banning orders all over the place. Tactics so typical of the men in charge.......if they ban me then I for one will take on legal advice because it will thrust the goings on at STFC into the national press!

Do they know what you look like Glos?

Sod ,em
 :beers:

No idea n frankly I don't really care......they'll probably start checking season tickets now anyway. Luckily I've kept all the emails I have received from Bowden, Lambert, Andronikou etc so I reckon I'd have enough to make it interesting in a courtroom............including a breach of the data protection act when Bowden originally got my name and email address from the clubs database.

Are they gonna have pubwatch style posters about then? Names and no pics.Gonna take a right jobsworth to check all season tickets, if theyre do it that way.

Well this makes them look really sad and pathetic. They can't even run the football club very well and now they are trying to ban the very people that keep their own club running. Great plan  :-))(

I think we should all go to the next home game wearing cut-out "Mex Masks"

Just a thought I do get the impression that the longer distance posters on here that regularly attend may be the 1st to get selected for the bans as the club will perceive it to have less chance of reaching the local press.

What like yeovil(he dont really live there glos)

I think I am looking at a long stretch in jail for drug dealing, not that ive ever dealt any power in my life!

Mex with be on a child protection list

Fred sacked for not really being ill  :D

Im sure there are plenty more

I know he doesn't but your assuming the club have some intelligence...........I would never put anything past them, ban a few supporters from further a field to try and shut people up in the hope it never reaches the local press.

 :--

You're not a fisherman?

ssshhhhh

Well well

Ive sent an e mail to see why Im banned.

I bet its much less noble.

Perhaps for being a mod on here? nothing would suprise me now as this is a fucking farce

Thought I'd rehighlight this:

Sam, why did OB turn up on your doorstep ?

Because of stuff posted on TUMDFC.

God, do people have nothing better to do than browse forums looking for people to take legal action against.

Some people have too much time on their hands.

Be careful Ralph.

I think we should point out that here at the TEF, we think that all the non-football management of STFC have lovely hands. They most definitely do not "have too much time on [them]" and as far as we know, are as soft and smooth as a baby wrapped in a layer of cling film.

Fairy soft I bet.

Would someone like to explain what's going on?

TUMDFC (certain parts) is a private board, so anyone that has access can say what they like.

To an extent. You still shouldn't say anything libellous or whichever is written even though I just said say which is confusing the fuckity fuck out of me.

Or something.

I doubt that anybody's said anything offensive on there.

Let's check because I thought we could say what we liked :D  :D   I'm just poised to go and post something really offensive :D

what a fucking farse.