March Demo Saturday

http://lufctrust.squarespace.com/blog/
L.U.S.T. END OF SEASON PARTY
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012 AT 9:53PM
With just one game left, the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust would like to invite all Leeds fans to join us in saying goodbye to season 2011/12 in the most appropriate way we can think of: by having a bloody good party at the game on Saturday.

This has not been a season that Leeds fans will remember fondly. Of course, the lowest points of all have been the sad losses of championship winner Gary Speed, who was remembered movingly at Elland Road in December; and more recently of former groundsman John Reynolds, who worked for the club for sixty years, and who we are disappointed to hear will not be receiving any pre-match remembrance at the ground he tended for so long. We hope that both the Speed and Reynolds families know that the contributions of their loved ones are respected and appreciated by Leeds United’s fans.

On the pitch, a season that promised much delivered only disappointments. Max Gradel and Jonny Howson, two of our best players, were sold, and not adequately replaced. The team struggled to maintain any consistency and, after failing to strengthen the squad in January, the board instead “dispensed with the services” of manager Simon Grayson. Neil Redfearn could not improve results, and Neil Warnock was brought in, to “get more out of the existing squad of players,” in Shaun Harvey’s words, and try to reach the play-off positions. Despite an improvement in performances and increased positivity, Warnock has been unable to improve results, and our manager’s thoughts turned to next season some time ago.

Off the pitch, the fans have felt increasingly disillusioned with our lack of progress as a football team, while money - secured against two years of season ticket sales - has been lavished on new corporate facilities in the East Stand. The Leeds United Supporters’ Trust have tried to make Ken Bates and his board see the changes that need to be made to bring success back to Leeds United as a football club. The Trust published its Vision Statement in January, and held a march for change that saw more than 1,000 Leeds fans brave the cold weather and make their voices heard. The Trust has issued statements that ask what our members feel are important questions of the club; and also to show support for our new management team. Throughout, membership of L.U.S.T. has increased, and now stands at more than 5,000 Leeds supporters, making us one of the largest supporters’ trusts in the country according to Supporters Direct. The response from those in charge of the club has been to dismiss those on the protest march as “kids”; to claim that the Trust represents nobody; to claim that the Trust are having no effect on anybody, while at the same time claiming that the Trust are putting off potential investors; and finally to prevent the Trust board from buying any more tickets to Leeds games. The fans have directed their disillusionment this season not at the players or at the coaching staff, but at the board, leading to director Peter Lorimer’s claim that he and his fellow board members have, “done bugger all wrong.”

With this as the background, it is clear that this summer will be an important one for Leeds United. It is vital that the team is in a position to fight for promotion next season, and the Trust has already issued a statement urging the club to back Neil Warnock’s rebuilding project. The Leeds United Supporters’ Trust will continue to send the message that we want to see serious change at our club to the board of Leeds United any way we can.

The last home game of the season is a great opportunity to send the board into the summer with the wishes of the fans ringing in its ears. It is also, of course, a traditional occasion for a party. These two aims are not incompatible: what better reminder to our board that Leeds United is a football club with passionate fans who are hungry for success than for Elland Road to be ringing with our songs for ninety minutes on Saturday? So for the final game of our season, against Leicester at Elland Road, we call on Leeds fans to make their voices heard and really raise the rafters, and make what has ended up being a fairly meaningless match into a match with a real party atmosphere.

To try and bring the fans together and create a real party feel, the Trust have selected an area of the ground where fans can buy tickets in the knowledge that they will be able sing and enjoy themselves with fellow supporters in the party mood. And what better venue for a party can you think of than the upper tier of the East Stand? After all, one of the few ‘successes’ for Leeds United this season has been the completion of phase one of the East Stand works - pending the museum, that is - works that were paid for using funds secured against our season ticket money. As Ken Bates has said of the new development:

“We’ll have a much better stand and much better facilities for the fans whether they be corporates or ordinary fans … It’s going to be a magnificent stand when it’s finished. We won’t have the biggest ground in the country but I think we might have the best. One of the best, if not the best as far as facilities for fans are concerned whatever size of the pocket.”

With these facilities now available for all fans to enjoy, we’re looking forward to making the East Upper the place to be on Saturday. The party will be centred on block L37 in the upper tier, and all Leeds fans are welcome and encouraged to join us in that section on Saturday. Even if you are a season ticket holder, or have bought a ticket for another section of the ground, you can move your seat to L37 by ringing the ticket office - they’ll charge you an admin fee, but we reckon it’ll be worth it once you’re up there belting out ‘Leeds United Calypso’ from the best seats in the house.

Of course, if you can’t or don’t want to join us in L37, we hope you’ll get into the party spirit on Saturday anyway. There has been precious little football to enjoy this season, so we might as well use this match to show our players how to turn on a performance. Let’s have songs, let’s have inflatables, lets have banners, let’s have flags, let’s have fancy dress (how does a ‘sickpot’ dress, anyway?), let’s always observe the ground regulations, and let’s have a proper good time on Saturday - before the summer of hard work and change begins at Leeds United.

Fans and members of the Trust will be meeting pre-match at the Magic Sponge bar on Lowfields Road, and at 11.30am will march from there to the stadium to remind the club that the disillusionment of this season has not gone away, and that the aims of the Campaign for Change remain as important as ever. After that, it’ll be up the East Stand stairs for a party in L37, that we hope will get the whole stadium involved.

Supporters can join more than 5,000 other Leeds fans and have their voice heard as members of the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust by filling in this form. Membership is free. Keep checking for updates on www.lufctrust.org, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

MOT

 

Spot on cozer

M.O.T FOREVER

 

Depending on how much work I get done, I may join you for this, if I can justify spending £37 on a ticket. Absolutely horrendous price.

 

Marko: I totally agree about the price. Family have bought my ticket as it's my birthday on Saturday.
I honestly think this will be my last game until someone buys Bates out or he changes his ways(which isn't going to happen). My dad took me to my first match in 1962 and iv'e being going ever since. Yes the horrible, lying, arrogant, crooked old tw@ has driven me out. I don't care if I get banned on Saturday I'm going to let everyone know how I feel. (that's if I can still breath after climbing the stairs to the ESU). Do your best to get there mate it would be really good to meet you,(I'll be selling T-shirt outside the Magic Sponge come and introduce yourself) your writing has really given me hope for the supporters of our club and I wish I could even come close to your statements, sadly I tend to stick to answering rather than creating. keep up the good work mate.

 

I don't care if I'm banned either, particularly. I'm not going to do anything crazy like run over to Bates and start twatting him, but I'm not happy getting trampled on by the jobsworth purple-jacketed agents of this crooked regime. I'm sure most others in L37 will feel the same way.

Leeds United calypso, BATES OUT!

 

As far as I was aware bates still goes in the West Stand, but I may be wrong. If I do end up there I will be going over and having words with him. He needs telling he's a **** businessman.

 

Seeing Bates' face on the big screen before the West Ham game was bad enough, seeing him in person would be enough to push most Leeds fans over the edge.

 

Give the **** a slap from me, there's a good chap

 

Nope, he's now in the executive middle tier of the East Stand, fairly easily accessible from the upper tier.

 

As far as I'm concerned I've nothing to lose. Worst case scenario I get banged up for 3 month in some pedestrian prison for assault, or sued for all I own, which is a ****ty out of date PC and £30 000 debt.

But no, I won't hit him. I spent a long time learning to control my anger

 

I'm gunna spit at him. Definitely. Also, your inbox is full, you clown.

 

I look at scum in the press who beat up old people and wonder how can they do it.
I THINK I NOW HAVE THE ANSWER
But I still couldn't do it.