Thistle Cup Game - Protest

[Mr Elwood P]

12 minutes ago, graygo said:

 

To be fair it's a bit easier to get from Inverness to Dingwall at that time than it is for the vast majority of Hearts supporters to get to Maryhill.

 

I'm still undecided whether I can be arsed.

 

Train from Edinburgh to Glasgow every 15 mins all day. Dingwall to Inverness can be a nightmare at rush hour, especially if they are doing road works. I think folk are hugely blowing this out of proportion. Man United fans will be travelling from Manchester to London on Monday night to play Chelsea in the FA Cup as it’s one BBC One. We’ve got it easy. 

[blairdin]

4 minutes ago, Mr Elwood P said:

 

Train from Edinburgh to Glasgow every 15 mins all day. Dingwall to Inverness can be a nightmare at rush hour, especially if they are doing road works. I think folk are hugely blowing this out of proportion. Man United fans will be travelling from Manchester to London on Monday night to play Chelsea in the FA Cup as it’s one BBC One. We’ve got it easy. 

 

I think the English clubs get a TV revenue that makes it worth it. Was it the Huddersfield Chairman who admitted yesterday his club can make a profit on telly money alone and don't need punters? 

 

Up here, its different - the TV revenue isn't worth it. Its the fans that stump up the cash that keep pretty much all clubs afloat. 

Edited February 15, 2019 by blairdin

[Harry Potter]

1 hour ago, redm said:

Is there a really obvious reason that I've missed for them not scheduling this game for the Saturday lunchtime or even the Friday night?

Common sense , but wait its the SPFL we are talking about, again they have no respect for the fans, tbh a friday night is just as bad.

But your thinking on the saturday is a good idea redm.

 

[Boab]

1 minute ago, blairdin said:

 

I think the English clubs get a TV revenue that makes it worth it. Was it the Huddersfield Chairman who admitted yesterday his club can make a profit on telly money alone and don't need punters? 

 

Up here, its different - the TV revenue isn't worth it. Its the fans that stump up the cash that keep pretty much all clubs afloat. 

 

There was an article recently that said that around 10 EPL clubs could play in front of no supporters and still make millions in profit each season. 

Any comparisons with English Football in this debate should be disregarded as it bares no comparison whatsoever with the Scottish game.

 

[Gambo]

I agree with any protest that delays kick off, may make start of game if that's what happens.

[weegie jambo]

I like the idea of the tennis balls 5mins after kick off. It's going to be seen on TV and disrupts their timings. A banner or boycott will just be ignored or will hurt the clubs in their pockets so that's a no from me. What's wrong with playing all the games at 3pm on a Saturday? just like the good old days?  I'm OK as I live in the west and are retired so no problem for me but anyone trying to get through from the east for 7.05 is on a sticky wicket.

[J80MBO]

Imagine moaning hearts fans would do if didn't live in very small country.

 

Cant believe this thread.

 

This over Edinburgh to Glasgow journey.

 

 

[cheetah]

How much is a tennis ball these days?

[Jocam2325]

1 hour ago, sjh1874 said:

Thousands of tennis balls and a loud chorus on repeat of  "f  k the SFA" would suffice to show Dungcasters live broadcast exactly what we think. Stagger the ball chucking for maximum effect/clearance effort.

It would need to be to the tune of "**** the USA" by our very own resident punk. In fact he should lead the singing. It would make no difference but would be a good laugh.  

[August Landmesser]

Just now, cheetah said:

How much is a tennis ball these days?

My dog picks them up for free in Pilrig Park!

[August Landmesser]

4 minutes ago, J80MBO said:

Imagine moaning hearts fans would do if didn't live in very small country.

 

Cant believe this thread.

 

This over Edinburgh to Glasgow journey.

 

 

It's not over the journey - it's over the kick-off time (and the date/day).

[Mister Dee]

This kind of scheduling nonsense has been going on for years. 

Its a bit rich us complaining, now that it's affecting us in an important match. 

 

All Clubs should be negotiating away the idea of Monday football, or odd days/times at the next contract talks. 

We take the money -& will fulfil the fixture as required. 

[MR INCREDIBLE]

2 hours ago, August Landmesser said:

A piece about the Bundesliga protests against Monday night football, 2018;

 

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/bundesliga-fan-protests-monday-night-football-montagsspiele/

 

"How German fans made the Bundesliga cancel Monday night games – and what it tells us about protest in football

 

After a season of co-ordinated protests against ‘Montagsspiele’, German supporters have proved that fans have the power to change the game

 

There are many things German football fans have protested in recent years: rising ticket prices, excessive commercialisation of the game, corporate avarice, the constant threat to the ‘50+1’ rule. Wherever the parasitic greed which feeds off football rears its ugly head, you can be sure that German fans will be there to shout it down. As fans in England have been reminded in recent weeks, what with Der Spiegel on Manchester City, Richard Scudamore’s golden handshake, the PFA rebellion against Gordon Taylor’s grotesque salary (among other things) and mooted changes to every competition under the sun driven by blatant self-interest, there is much about the business of football – if not the game itself – not to like, let alone tolerate obligingly. In Germany, there is at least one thing which has been ticked off the long list of football’s iniquities this week: Monday night football, much-hated by matchday supporters and the Bundesliga’s most dedicated fan groups. While MNF has long been a feature of the English game – something which has faded into the background of the collective psyche, even if Monday night games have become noticeably more frequent as broadcasters have ratcheted up the battle for television rights and fixture saturation has increased – it was introduced to Germany relatively recently. Five Monday evening matches were introduced to the Bundesliga last season, ostensibly to ease fixture congestion for clubs participating in Europe but, as far as many supporters were concerned, really to further the interests of television companies at the expense of the average matchgoing fan.

Complaints among supporters included the disruption caused to their working week, the need to travel at unsociable hours and the general inconvenience of Monday night fixtures. In response to the introduction of ‘Montagsspiele’, last season was marked by a series of colourful and coordinated protests whenever Monday night games were scheduled. Eintracht Frankfurt fans lobbed tennis balls onto the pitch during a Monday night clash with RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund fans comprehensively boycotted their match against Augsburg, while others expressed their anger through tifos, banners, prolonged spells of eerie silence and, conversely, shrill whistling intended to spoil the television viewing experience. Now, it seems the German Football Association (DFB) have relented in the face of determined opposition. It was announced earlier this week that Monday night football will be discontinued in the Bundesliga when the next media rights deal is negotiated, in other words from the 2021-22 season onwards. It’s not everything fans wanted, with some pledging to continue their protests as long as Monday night games remain a part of the domestic calendar. It is definitive proof, however, that fan power can change things for the better.

When it comes to the Premier League, fan-led protests have met with mixed success. The sporadic demonstrations against Stan Kroenke at Arsenal (unhelpfully conflated with the ‘Wenger Out’ movement up until this season); Newcastle fans’ long-running ‘Ashley Out’ campaign; the pitch invasions and marches targeting Davids Gold and Sullivan last season which sputtered out after grand promises – a devalued currency at West Ham – were made to the organisers. Certainly club-specific protests without broad cooperation among supporters have generally failed and dissipated away.

The home-laminated A4 protest sign has become a staple of Premier League grounds during these flare-ups, a visual metaphor for the vague naffness of it all. Compared to the protests against ‘Montagsspiele’, the majority of Premier League demos have lacked imagination, duration and the requisite stubbornness. In fairness, it doesn’t require a trip to Germany to see how much commitment is required to make the message behind a protest stick. Fans at Blackpool and Charlton have been demonstrating against their inept owners for several years, using colourful tactics similar to those favoured in the Bundesliga. While neither the Oystons nor Roland Duchatelet have yet been forced out of their respective clubs – Charlton are at least in the midst of a protracted takeover process – both have been shaken by organised and focused fan dissent in a way which Kroenke, Mike Ashley and the men once dubbed “the Dildo Brothers” have not.  Where Blackpool and Charlton supporters have made alliances with other fanbases – with fans from other distressed clubs joining them for demos and vice versa – club-specific protest movements in the top flight have tended to remain self-contained. Indeed, there often seems to be less sympathy for disgruntled Premier League fan groups, with the examples of Blackpool, Charlton and so on often used to make the point (fairly or otherwise) that things could be a lot worse.

When Premier League fans have had more success with protests, it is usually because they have focused on issues which cut through club allegiances. In 2013, supporters of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham marched to the headquarters of the Premier League to demand lower ticket prices, a move which saw Richard Scudamore meet with fan representatives.  That was backed up by numerous protests at away ticket prices including the ‘Twenty’s Plenty’ campaign run by the Football Supporters’ Federation and then, in 2016, a walkout by Liverpool supporters at Anfield led by the Spirit of Shankly fan group in protest at proposed price hikes. Not only were the Liverpool price rises cancelled, the club apologised. Many clubs have now frozen ticket prices (though not all) and away tickets have been capped at a compromise of £30.  While Monday night football is seen as a fairly benign aspect of English football, there are still numerous issues which have the potential to unite supporters. Anger at Premier League schedule changes which suit television companies but leave away fans out of pocket for their travel and accommodation The widespread desire for safe standing The need for fan representatives at board level The general cost of matchday which, despite some positive developments on ticket pricing, remains extremely high What Germany tells us about fan power This brings us back to the protests against ‘Montagsspiele’ and what they tell us about fan power. For supporters to get their voices heard they must be prepared to protest not once or twice a season, but over and over again until the situation is resolved in their favour. On top of that fans have to be strategic, creative and prepared to make genuine sacrifices, whether that means walkouts, well observed boycotts or (lawful) demonstrations which disrupt match atmosphere: all tactics which worked against ‘Montagsspiele’ just as they worked against spiralling ticket prices. Most importantly, fans must be able to make common ground and find aims and objectives which transcend rivalries and club colours. Managerial performance, transfer spending and recruitment at any one club are ultimately trivial concerns when looking at the bigger picture, all easily dismissed as first-world problems especially when it comes to Premier League sides. In the face of a game which suffers from a widening disconnect with its fans – which needs more democracy and transparency where it really matters – supporters need to fight the right battles. Notably, no battle was ever won with a few laminated A4 protest signs."

If I try to read that again I will miss the kick off anyway. 

[August Landmesser]

1 minute ago, Mister Dee said:

This kind of scheduling nonsense has been going on for years. 

Its a bit rich us complaining, now that it's affecting us in an important match. 

 

All Clubs should be negotiating away the idea of Monday football, or odd days/times at the next contract talks. 

We take the money -& will fulfil the fixture as required. 

I think people are slightly more accepting of league games being on at odd times - we've had midweek football since Hibs invented floodlights - but a Scottish Cup QF should be on a weekend, and ideally during the day. Even a 7.45 Monday night KO would be better than the current scheduling. 

 

There is no earthly football reason for the game to KO at 7.05pm - it's purely to suit the new 9pm news. For organisations that claim to have the best interests of the game at heart, the SFA and the BBC don't half have a shitty attitude to the country's biggest cup competition.

[Morph]

1 hour ago, Thommo414 said:

How many people on this thread would be up in arms if we were at home?

 

It's not ideal and yes, dare we even call it "a bit shit" but protesting? People protest against racial inequality, people protest against wars. 

 

Protesting against a game of football on a Monday night though? 

   

 

 

 

[Dallas Green]

18 minutes ago, J80MBO said:

Imagine moaning hearts fans would do if didn't live in very small country.

 

Cant believe this thread.

 

This over Edinburgh to Glasgow journey.

 

 

 

You have clearly not sat in the rush hour traffic into Glasgow on a Monday then.

[...a bit disco]

Just now, Dallas Green said:

 

You have clearly not sat in the rush hour traffic into Glasgow on a Monday then.

 

Exactly.

 

Took me 3 hours to get to Shotts on the M8 once on a Monday at rush hour.

[August Landmesser]

22 minutes ago, cheetah said:

How much is a tennis ball these days?

Just saw 20 used balls (:oohmatron:) on amazon for £9

 

[Mister Dee]

15 minutes ago, August Landmesser said:

I think people are slightly more accepting of league games being on at odd times - we've had midweek football since Hibs invented floodlights - but a Scottish Cup QF should be on a weekend, and ideally during the day. Even a 7.45 Monday night KO would be better than the current scheduling. 

 

There is no earthly football reason for the game to KO at 7.05pm - it's purely to suit the new 9pm news. For organisations that claim to have the best interests of the game at heart, the SFA and the BBC don't half have a shitty attitude to the country's biggest cup competition.

 

I agree with you on all points -but our opinions as fans are irrelevant as the Clubs take tv money over supporters interest. 

[John Findlay]

1 hour ago, Mr Elwood P said:

 

Train from Edinburgh to Glasgow every 15 mins all day. Dingwall to Inverness can be a nightmare at rush hour, especially if they are doing road works. I think folk are hugely blowing this out of proportion. Man United fans will be travelling from Manchester to London on Monday night to play Chelsea in the FA Cup as it’s one BBC One. We’ve got it easy. 

Every 15 mins between 07.00-19.00. Then half hourly. Last train from Queen Street high level 23.30.that's via Falkirk High. You can now get trains to Queen St high level vigh Falkirk Grahamston and Cumbernauld. They take aprrox 15 mins more.

[August Landmesser]

1 minute ago, Mister Dee said:

 

I agree with you on all points -but our opinions as fans are irrelevant as the Clubs take tv money over supporters interest. 

Well, all we can do is make it as difficult as possible for the TV to ignore our opinions. If TV make it difficult for us to get there to watch the game and support our team, then we should damn sure make it difficult for TV to show the match starting on time

[Bull's-eye]

1 minute ago, August Landmesser said:

Well, all we can do is make it as difficult as possible for the TV to ignore our opinions. If TV make it difficult for us to get there to watch the game and support our team, then we should damn sure make it difficult for TV to show the match starting on time

 

And get the club fined.

 

Great finkin. 

[kirkierobroy]

There was a similar response to the similar scheduling of the County-ICT tie earlier this week. Hard for Inverness folk to get to the game after work, exactly one bus and one train back home after full-time.

 

The result was the crowd, about half what you'd usually expect for a Highland derby.

[jamboman9]

3 minutes ago, Artful Dodger said:

 

And get the club fined.

 

Great finkin. 

They can afford the fine with the tv money.?

[Bull's-eye]

Just now, jamboman9 said:

They can afford the fine with the tv money.?

 

Not now we've got the Ladies team to pay for.

[Psychedelicropcircle]

2 hours ago, August Landmesser said:

The point is that we want to see the game, we want to be there, but just not at 7pm on a Monday night. A pitch covered in tennis balls would result in a delayed kick-off, attention for the issue, and inconvenience to the TV company. Once the pitch was cleared, we'd get on with supporting the team.

 

It needn't be tennis balls; it could be a mass delayed entry to the ground, or blowing whistles throughout the match, but tennis balls I think would be minimum hassle for the fans, and maximum hassle for the TV

Grenades would make the papers. Checked eBay none for sale ?

[jamboman9]

2 minutes ago, Artful Dodger said:

 

Not now we've got the Ladies team to pay for.

Fair point

[jamboman9]

1 minute ago, Psychedelicropcircle said:

Grenades would make the papers. Checked eBay none for sale ?

Dark web buddy,job lots galore ?

[south morroccan]

Don't switch on your telly, or if you must do watch Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Only Connect and University Challenge instead.

[scott herbertson]

No car at moment and no way of getting back after the game - daft scheduling

[The Treasurer]

Instead of tennis balls why not a card display, then we could make them into paper aeroplanes and chuck those on the pitch instead

[August Landmesser]

15 minutes ago, Artful Dodger said:

 

And get the club fined.

 

Great finkin. 

Why would the club get fined?

[dc-jambo]

This is a fuss over nothing. 

 

In England, due to travel times, people almost always have to take a half-day in order to attend away games in midweek.

 

We will sell our allocation without a problem. The trip will be a much better laugh than if it was, say, on Sunday lunchtime.

 

So stop moaning, and support the team

[Ferryjambo99]

Doing something to disrupt the game when it has already started could be detrimental to our team, and ultimately the priority is to get to a semi final. 

[Mister Dee]

25 minutes ago, August Landmesser said:

Well, all we can do is make it as difficult as possible for the TV to ignore our opinions. If TV make it difficult for us to get there to watch the game and support our team, then we should damn sure make it difficult for TV to show the match starting on time

 

What we should be doing, is lobbying the Club to make sure that at the next contract talks for televised TV matches, bizarre scheduling is taken off the table. 

TV companies will not care a jot about any perceived protest -if anything, they might appreciate the extra publicity! 

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

Its easy to see why Scotland is a downtrodden country, punching below its weight and petrified to get off the coat tails of others when you view a thread like this.

 

Tolerance that no self respecting community would allow e.g Germans

[August Landmesser]

1 minute ago, Sir Gio said:

Its easy to see why Scotland is a downtrodden country, punching below its weight and petrified to get off the coat tails of others when you view a thread like this.

 

Tolerance that no self respecting community would allow e.g Germans

Indeed, as one poster has previously commented, the knuckle to the forehead approach. That gets us nothing.

[Rudolf]

3 minutes ago, Sir Gio said:

Its easy to see why Scotland is a downtrodden country, punching below its weight and petrified to get off the coat tails of others when you view a thread like this.

 

Tolerance that no self respecting community would allow e.g Germans

Not sure if you're being serious here.

 

It's a game of football that'll kick off 40 minutes earlier than a normal mid-week game FFS

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

1 minute ago, August Landmesser said:

Indeed, as one poster has previously commented, the knuckle to the forehead approach. That gets us nothing.

I haven't checked. I wonder how many of these people complain about Old Firm bias. No idea, just wondered if there is any contradiction.

 

The only decent thing, BBC have not picked on Ross Co/ICT twice, it was them or us

[OmiyaHearts]

32 minutes ago, Artful Dodger said:

 

And get the club fined.

 

Great finkin. 

Well that's tough luck for the board. The club are getting a decent wedge for this being played at an inconsiderate time; along with split gate receipts, they should be able to afford any fine.

 

If the club didn't agree to it, they wouldn't have to worry about a potential fine for supporters disrupting the match. Maybe the board will  take notice and put the supporters before TV money?

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

2 minutes ago, Rudolf said:

Not sure if you're being serious here.

 

It's a game of football that'll kick off 40 minutes earlier than a normal mid-week game FFS

Small thing perhaps, but people do seem to be quite happy to be shafted, whereas, in Germany they weren't. Quite simple.

 

Its symptomatic of the Scottish mentality, downtrodden

Edited February 15, 2019 by Sir Gio

[Johnny Sandiego]

2 hours ago, sjh1874 said:

 

So Ian Maxwell signed the TV deal with BT then?

 

Not sure where BT come into this? The Scottish FA (Ian Maxwell) agreed the TV rights deal for the Scottish cup which was a combo of BBC and Premier Sports. 

 

Doncaster is in the charge of the SPFL who agree a seperate TV deal for League and League cup games.

 

[Lfhearts]

Nothing to complain about, people mainly looking for excuses, does not suit me but will be there maybe in Thistle end. Kickback at its worst.

[Bull's-eye]

7 minutes ago, OmiyaHearts said:

Well that's tough luck for the board. The club are getting a decent wedge for this being played at an inconsiderate time; along with split gate receipts, they should be able to afford any fine.

 

If the club didn't agree to it, they wouldn't have to worry about a potential fine for supporters disrupting the match. Maybe the board will  take notice and put the supporters before TV money?

 

You've forgotten what the "board" did to get the semi final moved so 30k could attend  ?

[OmiyaHearts]

1 minute ago, Artful Dodger said:

 

You've forgotten what the "board" did to get the semi final moved so 30k could attend  ?

Not at all. I think the fine would be minuscule compared to the income received from the match.

[August Landmesser]

2 minutes ago, Artful Dodger said:

 

You've forgotten what the "board" did to get the semi final moved so 30k could attend  ?

Aye, and why was the SF moved? 

Because it was scheduled for a daft KO time so people protested.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

Be interesting to see the thoughts day after the match. Should really bookmark this thread.

 

Plenty of people seem to struggle with a 745 at Tynecastle, deep into Glasgow through rush hour, over the busiest motorway in the country, what could go wrong?

 

One bump or breakdown on the M8 Westbound would make it interesting for sure.

[cheetah]

59 minutes ago, August Landmesser said:

Just saw 20 used balls (:oohmatron:) on amazon for £9

 

 

Bargain, if i bring my racket i can really go to town.

 

I'm in, lets balls up this fiasco  

[davemclaren]

16 minutes ago, OmiyaHearts said:

Well that's tough luck for the board. The club are getting a decent wedge for this being played at an inconsiderate time; along with split gate receipts, they should be able to afford any fine.

 

If the club didn't agree to it, they wouldn't have to worry about a potential fine for supporters disrupting the match. Maybe the board will  take notice and put the supporters before TV money?

The same board that agreed the contract up front? My main issue is the kickoff time but being retired now it’s not really a problem. 

[eyesandears]

Ok I appreciate people's right to 'protest' although this to me is an infinitessimely small matter to protest about but each to their own.

Please can you think of something better than tennis balls on the pitch. It's so meh,. At least do something original and preferably something that's not going to damage the reputation of our club or us as supporters in general.