And NY Times, Guardian, but the FA link above is very good and well spoken.
Reform at Ipswich
- Thread starter Southcoastoldgaffer
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I don’t think this is going to go away anytime soon Gaffer. The club has majorly screwed up here.
The conflicting statements they issued yesterday has only made matters worse. They started the day by lying to EADT and TWTD by saying “no official involvement” to then admitting they host people “across the political spectrum” all the time. That’s a cover up, and a poor one at that. What next? Are we going to give Zack Polanski a photo tour of Portman Road for his campaign? How about Tommy Robinson? Can we go as far as sending an invite out to Benjamin Netanyahu and Putin?
A report in the Athletic, and a statement by Farage himself, has said that somebody senior at the club specifically invited Farage to Portman Road and allowed him to use us and our club as party propaganda. It looks like approval. It looks like endorsement. So much for being “apolitical”. The fact Farage then goes on to joke about a manager job potentially being available in the summer is completely unnecessary. I don’t know if it is AI, but there’s also an image of Farage signing a Town top “to Mark”. I wonder who that could be?
Doing this for any political figure would be wrong. Doing it for Farage in particular, given what he represents and how it completely opposes what the club says it stands for, has made it worse. My reading of it - and I could be wrong - is that Mark Ashton is a Reform supporter and wanted to do Farage a favour for the local elections. Potentially with one eye on a Reform-led council, and eventual MP, who can then support us on bypassing regulations to expand facilities. If that is the case, why not give the sitting Labour MP the same treatment?
Senior people at the club have put unnecessary pressure and exposure on us, at a time when we should be fully focused on the final stretch of the season with promotion on the line. We are still one of the top trends on Twitter and we’ve become an easy target for fans. Not to mention how we’ve sidelined supporters and understandably upset sponsors and supporter groups, such as Ipswich Rainbow Laces, who would hate to see our association with Farage.
It’s a monumental mistake, made worse by the statement, and they don’t deserve for this story to be ignored or brushed under the carpet. We now look like we’re the “Reform football team” for someone that doesn’t even support Ipswich and has previously said “politics should be kept out of football”.
The conflicting statements they issued yesterday has only made matters worse. They started the day by lying to EADT and TWTD by saying “no official involvement” to then admitting they host people “across the political spectrum” all the time. That’s a cover up, and a poor one at that. What next? Are we going to give Zack Polanski a photo tour of Portman Road for his campaign? How about Tommy Robinson? Can we go as far as sending an invite out to Benjamin Netanyahu and Putin?
A report in the Athletic, and a statement by Farage himself, has said that somebody senior at the club specifically invited Farage to Portman Road and allowed him to use us and our club as party propaganda. It looks like approval. It looks like endorsement. So much for being “apolitical”. The fact Farage then goes on to joke about a manager job potentially being available in the summer is completely unnecessary. I don’t know if it is AI, but there’s also an image of Farage signing a Town top “to Mark”. I wonder who that could be?
Doing this for any political figure would be wrong. Doing it for Farage in particular, given what he represents and how it completely opposes what the club says it stands for, has made it worse. My reading of it - and I could be wrong - is that Mark Ashton is a Reform supporter and wanted to do Farage a favour for the local elections. Potentially with one eye on a Reform-led council, and eventual MP, who can then support us on bypassing regulations to expand facilities. If that is the case, why not give the sitting Labour MP the same treatment?
Senior people at the club have put unnecessary pressure and exposure on us, at a time when we should be fully focused on the final stretch of the season with promotion on the line. We are still one of the top trends on Twitter and we’ve become an easy target for fans. Not to mention how we’ve sidelined supporters and understandably upset sponsors and supporter groups, such as Ipswich Rainbow Laces, who would hate to see our association with Farage.
It’s a monumental mistake, made worse by the statement, and they don’t deserve for this story to be ignored or brushed under the carpet. We now look like we’re the “Reform football team” for someone that doesn’t even support Ipswich and has previously said “politics should be kept out of football”.
Spot on ptc, and thats how Farage thrives. At end of the day, someone senior is lying. If he or she is rooted out and dismissed, with a further proper Club apology, we can all move on. It occured to my simple mind, Gamechanger, US, Trump links? And as Nuggets infers, if MA is the culprit then he should be grilled at weekly questions and
own up to it and given his cards.
Deeply worrying times for the club we love.
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Lots of differing opinions on this, but for me the real shame is that a club that has been so very good at communicating with the fans has then put out a bit of a nothing statement hoping to kill it and move on. Maybe this will now be ‘‘tomorrow’s chip paper” but for 24 hrs we were made to look very stupid. It does look more organised than Farage just booked a tour, so maybe more behind this. Glad we have a break now and can just focus on the football when it’s back.
I think we’re lucky that we have the international break this week and then don’t play until Easter Monday. I fear it would have been a media circus and quite a toxic atmosphere had we been playing this weekend. Hopefully, given the extra time before the next match, things will calm down a bit. Could really do with Ashton giving an interview about his version of what led us here. If the club want a better statement, I would advise them to read what Blue Monday put out - don’t always agree with them but this time I think they’ve got it pretty spot on
I think political people use football grounds as a safe space, because they know they cannot truly be challenged in such surroudings, because such events have controlled admission to the media showcase.
Example I would give is my own football club, Gillingham FC, in the run up to the last General Election Labour used my clubs stadium for a such an event - I was furious despite being a Labour voter and Gills supporter.
My thought on this is if you want to promote yourself that should be done in our Town centres and Cities, not in enclosed environments where admission is controlled. Get your arse down the town and speak to the people.
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Recent report from the Athletic. The plot thickens!
This is beyond a club using its facilities for a political event. This is our club chairman hosting, endorsing, and allowing a controversial political figure full access to shoot a political advert. The fact we gifted him ten free Farage shirts is beyond staggering. That the club then lied about it and tried to cover it up is arguably the bigger crime.
For me, Ashton’s position is untenable. There were always concerns around his ego, but this is going way too far. He has damaged our club’s reputation, made us a laughing stock, lied to everyone in a cover up, and brought unnecessary exposure and pressure during a crucial time of the season. FFS, sack him.
If this is an accurate account of what really happened, Ashton's position is untenable. The sooner he goes the better, and a full, honest account published by the Club to allow everyone to re- group, and focus on the football.
I fear this whole grim saga has derailed our season and will affect performances on the pitch, as well as the nature of our fans support. Goodness knows how all our talented international players are viewing this from afar.
I fear this whole grim saga has derailed our season and will affect performances on the pitch, as well as the nature of our fans support. Goodness knows how all our talented international players are viewing this from afar.
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Ashton can no longer remain silent. He has to do an interview (a proper one not one where he is spoon fed agreed questions) or he needs resign now. If the latest story is true, the publicity this is going to generate can only be a distraction to the players and KMC. My guess is that we will have a players union rep (not necessarily the captain) who can meet with senior club officials and air any and all grieveances from the players. The fact that this all comes just days after the clubs foundation fixture which is a wonderful thing is unbelievable. Longer term, it must be a worry whether we will lose sponsors or have players refusing to join us
From what we've heard from his previous clubs Ashton goes into hiding when the going gets tough. I'd be very surprised if he does an interview on this and suspect it he will sit tight and wait for it to blow over also making less and less public appearances.
Waiting to see what happens next to decide what will become of my season ticket and replica kits. I can’t be funding fascist propaganda.
Not to mention the security implications. Ashton has put a target on our backs.
Not to mention the security implications. Ashton has put a target on our backs.
Sums up the society in which we live in at the moment. Someone does something that we don't approve of, so we'll get them cancelled/sacked.
The club, has probably over the years done many things that left a bad taste (signing a convicted racist in Bowyer for starters) but did we want the manager and management board to resign?
Would there be such an uproar if this was Starmer?
I'm probably in the large minority, and will get shot down, but seriously, get over it.
The club, has probably over the years done many things that left a bad taste (signing a convicted racist in Bowyer for starters) but did we want the manager and management board to resign?
Would there be such an uproar if this was Starmer?
I'm probably in the large minority, and will get shot down, but seriously, get over it.
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How you feel about the situation and the fact you've felt strong enough about it to express quite a forthright opinion in my view is why this whole thing has been a huge mistake by the senior leadership of the club and why it will need to be addressed one way or another.
Allowing the club, the badge, the sponsors logos, with merchandise provided by the club for a party political broadcast right before a local election is beyond stupid, it shows the highest level of incompetence.
Maybe inviting Farage to a private meeting could be seen as a sensible business decision given the current national and local polls but allowing him and what it looks like being complicit in using the club as a party political broadcast seems like a stupid decision to me. Politicians generally aren't popular and whoever is in power generally the majority of the population didn't vote for them. The decision in my view will have caused us reputational damage amongst the fan base and also amongst the business community because politics is divisive.
I take an interest in politics and football but I try not to comment on such things here for example because I like them being kept separate, unfortunately this week has changed that and its really annoyed me because part of the reason I like football is whatever is going on in the world I can have the escapism of following my football club.
To add to it, it now looks like the club have lied in regards to how much that had to do with the visit. This erodes trust.
Yes there would be an uproar if it were Starmer or Badenoch. But it’s so much worse that it’s a literal fascist that’s paraded in front of our stadium, shirt and sponsors.
You are entitled to yr views Stretchy even tho I disagree with you! Signing a 'racist' player doesnt compare with the damage done this past week.
My earlier take was that this would become ‘tomorrow’s chip paper’ after a few days. Still a bit nationally, and it would be interesting to know how much of The Athletic report was correct. I do think our brand has been damaged, and maybe Mark Ashton should say more in public. Next week sports journalists will move onto the Birmingham game, but I fear KM will be asked about it if this isn’t put to bed by the club. It’s not been a good week for ITFC.
It won’t go away because at some point Ashton would have to face an AGM full of angry supporters.
You reckon he'll show up? If he does, I bet they'll vet the questions before hand. It will be very controlled
But it wasn’t Starmer and it wasn’t any other political figure - so it’s a moot point. If Farage had turned up and paid to use a meeting room, then decided to pay for a private stadium tour - that would be more acceptable in that he’s a paying citizen. There wouldn’t anywhere near the levels of anger and disappointment.
But it wasn’t like that. Senior people at our club specifically invited Farage, gave him lunch and a private meeting, printed some free shirts with his name on it, and let him flounce around the place filming an advert. All while staff at the club were voicing their concerns. As I said before, it looks like endorsement of his politics, at worst, and no football club should be endorsing or supporting a political party. Given that what Farage stands for specifically goes against the club’s “corporate values” makes it look even worse.
We then have the bigger issue that when the club was confronted with this story, they chose to lie to the media and supporters and attempt a cover up. Now they’re crying “fake news” at the Athletic story.
Mark Ashton has been shown up as an egotistical liar - something Bristol City fans warned us about years ago. You could forgive his ego when we had back-to-back promotions. You can forgive his ego if we’re being run properly. But after the last three days, he’s brought the club into disrepute and made us a laughing stock. We’re getting headlines in the media. And for what? So he could meet Farage and use the club to whore out our image for him? It’s pathetic. If he wanted to meet Farage so badly, he should’ve done it at his house. How are new managers, staff, players, and sponsors meant to trust him going forward? What’s he going to do next?
He should’ve been sacked yesterday. The head of media should have been sacked yesterday. The owners should be bringing in people completely focused on running our club. No way would this had happened under O’Leary beforehand. Giving Ashton so much power has shot us in both feet. The frustrating thing is this was all so avoidable.
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If it goes that way, we’re back to the way Marcus Evans ran the club. I don’t think Ashton has the discipline to pull it off. I think he will leave and have a career in lobbying and consulting.