Adver News: Watkins defends FA Cup shirt sponsor

[nochee]

Anyone that prints t-shirts or holds up banners or does anything to damage relationships with current or potential sponsors needs to have a serious word with themselves. We have a board that are pulling out all the stops to get OUR club promoted and to raise the profile of the team. This season the board have shown true commitment to the cause by bringing in PDC and the 100 or so players that we have in our squad to make this happen.  This costs money and it needs to come from somewhere. I was also there at Wembley against Sunderland, I went on the march around the town and even bought the "up where we belong" song. I was devastated when our heroic efforts by Ozzie and his boys were taken away. But, it was 20 years ago. Surely we can all move on after such a length of time. The only mistake that Wray and the board have not learned from is the issue with White shirt. After the Wembley fiasco, he should know better

[ahounsell]

Agreed - do you think Liverpool would be sponsored by The Sun ??  Never going to happen.

Theres a world of difference between making up vile lies (which the Sun did about Hillsborough) and reporting the truth (which is what the People did even if they did sensationalise it).

I remember the events of 1990 like it was yesterday but the people I blame primarily are the people who imposed the ridiculously over the top punishment. Plus the idiots who went to a tabloid paper with dirt on the club thinking it wouldnt spiral out of control.

If the clubs punishment had been proportional to the offence nobody would have anything to say about the People now. Blaming the paper is letting the real villains of the hook IMO.

As for the shirt, its tacky and makes the club look desperate for cash. Not playing in red at home is taking the whole "Wembley kit" thing another step forward and is wrong. They should have learned from the reaction of fans in 2010.

[reeves4england]

Would be good if someone could get a banner on display in the Town End... Never Forget: Never Buy The People, or something like that...

I'm all for a few chants of "We should be playing in red" or "We're supposed to be at home" but wouldn't take it so far as to protest against the sponsors. I understand people's feelings about The People and I'm not overly happy about them sponsoring us myself, but I don't think it warrants protests during the game.

[Matchworn Shirts]

It brings more money to club that may help us invest to get promoted from this god awful division.
Thats the only positive thing about it

[Posh Red]

If we want a protest, then try to get everyone who attends to wear Red.

The other obvious thing would be to not buy the shirt, which shouldn't be too hard to sell as it does look a bit shit

[nevillew]

For that reason, it really is very unfortunate that the club has found itself in a position where it is forced into wearing that rag's name on our shirts. The need to keep Samsung on side may well mean they had no choice, but it is still horrible.

As opposed to having it in your username for example ?

[thepeoplesgame]

As opposed to having it in your username for example ?

Touché. My username does, obviously, refer to my belief that the game of football belongs to one particular sunday newspaper

[THE FLASH]

If we want a protest, then try to get everyone who attends to wear Red.

The other obvious thing would be to not buy the shirt, which shouldn't be too hard to sell as it does look a bit shit

I havent even printed them yet!!

[dogs]

For perfectly understandable reasons, that's a far more emotive subject and I don't think too many parallels should be drawn.

That said, The People was not an unbiased conduit presenting the facts without comment. It took the information it was presented, either maliciously or as part of a misguided agenda depending on what you believe, and attacked the club with it, all the while ignoring the journalistic imperative to seek out the bigger story. For that reason, it really is very unfortunate that the club has found itself in a position where it is forced into wearing that rag's name on our shirts. The need to keep Samsung on side may well mean they had no choice, but it is still horrible.

Even being 20 years on, I think if everyone actually saw or remembered the extent to which The People were determined to fuck us over with their stories they'd maybe have a different opinion. Does anyone have anything they could publish online?? They were coming out with exclusives every week and it seemed there was a definite agenda at the time to see us ruined, and they pretty much succeeded.

[Bob's Orange]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-15554583

On the BBC now.

[Samdy Gray]

I don't care (much) that it's The People. That's history. Yes, the injustice still hurts, but the club broke the rules.

It's the fact that after the Wembley kit debacle, again the club have split the fanbase by whoring us out to the highest bidder. It's something that you'd expect a Premier League team to do, not a fucking fourth division side. How many other non PL teams have an FA Cup kit? It's ridiculous and I don't like it.

Way to go Mr Watkins.

[sonicyouth]

...and the kit looks mega shit.

[url width=304 height=171]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/56426000/jpg/_56426162_arfa18_pdc.jpg[/url]

[Reg Smeeton]

 Shit kit, but it's the world we live in, life's too short to be getting upset about something so trivial....I suppose we could have loads of conspiracy theories about The People and Maxwell wishing to divert attention from his own dodgy practices involving raiding pension schemes, in order to fund the Scum's couple of years of relative success....or his simultaneous interest in Derby County which ran counter to League rules.

Bottom line is with the demise of the NOTW, there's been a rise in People sales and they obviously want to raise awareness of the paper.....what better way than to be associated with the mighty reds. 

[chalkies_shorts]

I don't care (much) that it's The People. That's history. Yes, the injustice still hurts, but the club broke the rules.

It's the fact that after the Wembley kit debacle, again the club have split the fanbase by whoring us out to the highest bidder. It's something that you'd expect a Premier League team to do, not a fucking fourth division side. How many other non PL teams have an FA Cup kit? It's ridiculous and I don't like it.

Way to go Mr Watkins.

Totally agree Samdy - the concept of an FA Cup kit is total wank. What next a kit for the JPT and another for the League Cup or whatever the fucker is called now. Maybe another for friendly matches. Club have fucked up big time here. I'll still go to the game.
We play in red and if there's a clash we wear our away kit.

[TheMajorSTFC]

What next a kit for the JPT

Watch this space Chalkies...we have a really good chance in this competition this year should we get past AFC Dons next week!