This week is 30 years since my dad took me to my first Watford match. It was hard growing up a fan of the club when all my friends supported the likes of Man United and Arsenal. But I didn't care as I supported a good honest decent club I was a proud fan of the club even thou we were awful most of the time. Getting to the Fa cup final in 2019 was such a high for me. Me and my Dad that night after the semi final stayed up till late drinking and remembering all those cold Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons we spent watching us lose, how it was our reward. Now I am at the point where I can't even bothered to protest let alone have the enthusiasm to take my nephew who I regulary take but wouldn't blame him for giving up right now seeing as our captain has. Should be a happy season this year to mark 30 years of supporting what was a great club the last 3 and a bit years have really ruined my love for football. One last thing as fans let's stick together isn't that what our club has always been about. It's what my Dad told me we were always good at.
Sad but so many fans feel this way,me included. Looking back beating Wolves was the worst thing that could have happened. The hierarchy thought they'd cracked it.
...and if someone wanted to stand in your front garden saying you were a k*** you'd respect their right to free speech ? Outside the ground is fine but unfortunately they have every right to set whatever banner rules they want to inside the ground, within tv and FL roolz of course.
I doubt it ? Unless it's a great garden . But paying that £600 doesn't stop the owner from having rights as to what happens on their property. Seems rather pointless to stop the banners personally as they can't practically prevent fans from chanting "Pozzo out" so what's the point in stopping a few banners saying the same thing, assuming they aren't offensive to other fans eg swearing. Would be interesting to hear their justification...."blocking fans view" etc ??
David Kohler sold that lot up the M1 after they put matches and a petrol bomb through his door. For any of the younger generation here, that's the level of behaviour you can expect from Luton fans next week.
Legally speaking Gino does have the right, thats not my point though. In the same way the government had the legal right to remove the semi permanent demonstrations that were outside Westminster for years but were left there as a statement about freedom of expression. Ive seen plenty of grounds that have allowed "Owner Out' banners in the ground because its acknowledged that a club is not something that can be owned. It is intangible, a spirit that transcends through time and is passed on from generation of fans to the next. If Gino wanted to disband the club, sell all the players , ground etc, the club would just be reformed as Watford AFC and rebuilt from ground up ala AFC Wimbledon
As I said it seems a fairly pointless exercise given he can't stop customers shouting abuse about him so why ban a banner ? Fans are just loyal customers and if he wanted to be an ar5e he can, but it would be a pretty stupid business decision. No idea whether an owner can simply decide to shut a club down but as you said if he did the fans would simply create another club with a similar sounding name but of course would have no right to play at Vicarage Road.
I think if fans were to take banners into the ground, and these then be taken away by the club then it'd get some of those currently on the fence sitting up and taking notice and would certainly raise more questions than answers. Personally, it feels that outside of the ground is the place to start and where momentum is gained. Inside the ground will seem too reactionary and will be written off as "they're only saying x or y because their not winning". Ultimately I think its the message that is key, there seems to still be this weird view amongst some fans that by not supporting Gino you automatically don't support the club, and a constant battle I'm having on socials is trying to point out that the two things aren't mutually exclusive. The above view also allows you to then be put in the category of not being a "proper" fan. So the questions is what is the message? Personally I want Pozzo gone completely, as I don't think anything will change with him and I also think the negatives around not only Bayat, but various legal cases and the damage he has done to the reputation of Watford in the wider footballing world is irreparable. So I'm more than comfortable in saying Pozzoout
I can’t help thinking that someone went to the crossroads during that semi-final and sold the soul of the club to the devil in exchange for that wonderful Deulofeu goal and the Deeney penalty.
Following a single protest, who knows? Influenced or pressured to sell following sustained action by supporters? Think you could look at Charlton and Leyton Orient as examples of how that happened.
A few more apologists on this thread. https://twitter.com/Budfrog/status/1579726304630276096?t=lCdUoIbzfAcm0Wv2IbT8KQ&s=19
Ultimately I’d like him to sell the club - I’m now in no doubts about that. But I think ‘Pozzo Out’ is too broad a statement to be starting off with. ‘Sick of the lies - Gino, it’s time to sell’ ‘What’s the plan Gino? Time to talk to fans’ ‘Back Bilic, Sack Mogi’ ‘Time for change - Bye Mogi, Bye Giaretta’ All things that I think would be good ideas for banners rather than just a generic ‘Pozzo Out’ I think if it’s gonna be done, it needs to be done well and in stages. First off, we need to get him to talk to us. Once that’s done, many can judge the answers. We need him to realise that we don’t back his way of doing things anymore - and simple words won’t be enough, given the lies of the summer. We need talk AND action. As I said, I want him to sell up because I don’t think he will change - but that’s different from me saying he ‘can’t’ change. I don’t think he’s so far down the road that he can’t turn back and make things a success again. But a lot of changes need to happen and I don’t think he’s capable of recognising them - or that he even wants to. Which is why I think he, and those around him, need to go - but I only think it happens if fans break any campaign/protests down into a sensible plan. There’s no doubt in my mind the whole thing needs to someone to take the lead and co-ordinate it. At the minute it’s just lots of angry and disillusioned fans saying they’d take part if anything happened. And even though various podcasts, fan groups and Twitter Spaces have genuinely swung their opinions over the last month, there is always that question mark of what they stand to lose by taking the lead of something more concrete regarding protests. Uncle Ron etc is someone to listen to etc - but ultimately, even if he lived in the UK, you aren’t going to get very far protesting when you’re just screaming about Kabasele to anyone who will listen. Co-ordination is key to getting anything proper off the ground. My time is limited and I split my time between here and New York as most people know. But I’d be happy to get together (where possible) either online or elsewhere with people on here who genuinely want to start something and see where we can go with it.
Personally I’d go with 2, 3 and 4 all unfurled from the start for a few weeks. Then Banner 1 if nothing materialises. Protest with them outside and then try and get them in to games.
All I heard in my head when I read the thread title was ‘PWOTEST!’ I have clearly been influenced subconsciously by a certain Pwogwam seller
Sold to a Saudi-owned fund. What would being owned by Saudis - with their well known commitment to upholding the highest commitment to human rights - do for the 'soul' of the club! And where are they now?
First name seems too friendly. How about 'F**k off Pozzo jr' or maybe put an asterisk after Pozzo with a few lines explaining that you're referring to Gino, not his father - who the protest group still hold in the highest regard - in small type at the bottom of the banner?
