OK firstly I should point out that, due to financial restraints I wasn't at the Reading match so before anyone else says it, no I wasn't at the match. However I was, as always, listening from first to last minute on the radio.
I have had some concerns and nasty niggles about things happening off the pitch in recent weeks. I haven't posted them in the past because with everyone on a high due to the signings and early form, I didn't want to start attacking the club when things were going well. However I do think two things have to be addressed with regards the stadium refurbishment and the pre-match malarky.
Firstly, the stadium. When I went to the Real Madrid match I was pretty angry that they had chosen to take down the huge Gary Lineker + legends poster on the edge of the Family Stand and replace it with a bland, KP Stadium advertisement. For me, one of the things about that poster was that it gave us a clear reference point that showed despite the move from Filbo to the then Walkers Stadium, our heritage stayed with us, even if it was just in the form of a poster. I also use to have a tingle go down my spine every time I went past it on my way to the ticket office or megastore, and even have a picture of it on my phone. Then we have the heroes banner that went around the roof of the stadium, also taken down and also replaced with a boring, blue advertisement. I haven't been around the Kop and West Stand side of the ground so don't know if anything else has gone but I am going to the ground later for some tickets. But now, from being a stadium where you could clearly indicate it was LCFC's ground, it now has a blank canvas look and it could literally be any clubs ground. Now, I understand that following the renaming of the stadium (which I support) there would of course be the editing of parts of the stadium where Walkers was heavily branded, but was there any need to take down these key reminders of our past? When Walkers changed it's logo, we had to edit those parts as well, but no posters or banners were taken away. So why have the new owners done this now? I must admit that in my ultra skeptical mind, part of me thinks they are delibrately trying to erase our history, for whatever reason this may be. Because ultimately, when every concourse and outside advert has 'King Power Stadium', do you really need to promote it any more, and at the expense of heritage? For me this has been the new owners worst mistake and I personally feel we, as fans, have every right to demand the reinstallation of our posters and banners so that our stadium still feels like our stadium, and not some blank, overgrown advertising board that the owners seem to want it to become.
Secondly, and not quite as serious, the pre-match and half-time entertainment. Now against Real it was a carnival atmosphere and I don't think we minded some dodgy opera singers and a bizarre Thailand exibition, because at the end of the day, it was against Real and it was the owners who arranged it and fair play to them. But was there any need to carry this on against Reading? Again the Thai dancers were there, again we had a pretty poor cabire singing trio and not to mention another X Factor contestant, Jamie Archer. Now, as something of an XF expert (yes, I know, sad), I know from history that Archer was pretty dire on XF and didn't get too far (even finishing below Jedward) and, unlike the superb Ruth Lorenzo, cannot control a crowd. The reception he got makes me think that fans have also had enough of this; XF singers cannot control football crowds for ten minutes or so unless they have a powerful voice. The whole pre and half time experience, I believe, is starting to become trivial, embarassing and OTT. We don't go to football matches for the singing and dancing, we go to watch football. As far as I'm concerned, watching little kids run around the side of the pitch while Birch commentates is fine! We don't need all this malarky and I think the owners ought to put a stop to it, otherwise we'll have magicians and dog acts next!
Just to clarify, I firmly support the investment and intent that the owners have for this club, and I thank them for putting their money where their mouth is. But IMO, they risk losing some support if they continue to demolish our heritage and subject us to dismal 'entertainment' that none of us has asked for. Get on with the football, guys, and leave everything else alone.
Rant over.
I have had some concerns and nasty niggles about things happening off the pitch in recent weeks. I haven't posted them in the past because with everyone on a high due to the signings and early form, I didn't want to start attacking the club when things were going well. However I do think two things have to be addressed with regards the stadium refurbishment and the pre-match malarky.
Firstly, the stadium. When I went to the Real Madrid match I was pretty angry that they had chosen to take down the huge Gary Lineker + legends poster on the edge of the Family Stand and replace it with a bland, KP Stadium advertisement. For me, one of the things about that poster was that it gave us a clear reference point that showed despite the move from Filbo to the then Walkers Stadium, our heritage stayed with us, even if it was just in the form of a poster. I also use to have a tingle go down my spine every time I went past it on my way to the ticket office or megastore, and even have a picture of it on my phone. Then we have the heroes banner that went around the roof of the stadium, also taken down and also replaced with a boring, blue advertisement. I haven't been around the Kop and West Stand side of the ground so don't know if anything else has gone but I am going to the ground later for some tickets. But now, from being a stadium where you could clearly indicate it was LCFC's ground, it now has a blank canvas look and it could literally be any clubs ground. Now, I understand that following the renaming of the stadium (which I support) there would of course be the editing of parts of the stadium where Walkers was heavily branded, but was there any need to take down these key reminders of our past? When Walkers changed it's logo, we had to edit those parts as well, but no posters or banners were taken away. So why have the new owners done this now? I must admit that in my ultra skeptical mind, part of me thinks they are delibrately trying to erase our history, for whatever reason this may be. Because ultimately, when every concourse and outside advert has 'King Power Stadium', do you really need to promote it any more, and at the expense of heritage? For me this has been the new owners worst mistake and I personally feel we, as fans, have every right to demand the reinstallation of our posters and banners so that our stadium still feels like our stadium, and not some blank, overgrown advertising board that the owners seem to want it to become.
Secondly, and not quite as serious, the pre-match and half-time entertainment. Now against Real it was a carnival atmosphere and I don't think we minded some dodgy opera singers and a bizarre Thailand exibition, because at the end of the day, it was against Real and it was the owners who arranged it and fair play to them. But was there any need to carry this on against Reading? Again the Thai dancers were there, again we had a pretty poor cabire singing trio and not to mention another X Factor contestant, Jamie Archer. Now, as something of an XF expert (yes, I know, sad), I know from history that Archer was pretty dire on XF and didn't get too far (even finishing below Jedward) and, unlike the superb Ruth Lorenzo, cannot control a crowd. The reception he got makes me think that fans have also had enough of this; XF singers cannot control football crowds for ten minutes or so unless they have a powerful voice. The whole pre and half time experience, I believe, is starting to become trivial, embarassing and OTT. We don't go to football matches for the singing and dancing, we go to watch football. As far as I'm concerned, watching little kids run around the side of the pitch while Birch commentates is fine! We don't need all this malarky and I think the owners ought to put a stop to it, otherwise we'll have magicians and dog acts next!
Just to clarify, I firmly support the investment and intent that the owners have for this club, and I thank them for putting their money where their mouth is. But IMO, they risk losing some support if they continue to demolish our heritage and subject us to dismal 'entertainment' that none of us has asked for. Get on with the football, guys, and leave everything else alone.
Rant over.
