I am a Season Ticket Holder and Saints fan of 35 years. I joined in with the mid nineties Branfoot Protests and I stood tall at the Ipswich Game in 2006 when we ousted Lowe the first time, I will also do whatever it takes this time. I generally believe that it's stability and consistency that breed success, the only consistency these two have brought us however is a losing mentality when we play at St Marys!
We are not asking for a Man City like Sheikh, all we want is a unifying Chairman and a competent Manager who knows the Championship?
As I see it though we have a problem, as concerned supporters we are simply too disjointed. I have visited four different Saints Forums plus BBC 606 & the Echo sports pages, I must have counted 25 different "Dads Army Schemes" aimed at protesting against the board. Some want to use Facebook, some invading the pitch, emails to Wilde, letters to Askham, writing to the Echo, emailing the national newspapers, surrounding Lowes farm, etc, etc. These scattergun ideas are fine but we need a single, well supported, focused idea? I dont see a load of fragmented and miniscule campaigns achieving anything! What we need is less of a Dads Army approach and one thats more like the "Allied Expeditionary Force" (removed Hitler from Europe), we must rally around a single idea (like they did with D-Day) and put all of our energies into it without arguments!
I would like to propose the following plan for selecting this suitable strategy:
Selection
This is clearly the biggest saints forum there is, its for that reason alone that I reckon we use it solely to "decide on" and then "carry out" a single, organised and effective protest to rid the club of these two ASAP! The other forums will of course discuss the plans but it should be here that the idea be decided on (democratically of course).
How
Via a single poll that details say ten to 12 ideas (list them in the same format used below) and a single sticky discussion thread to dissect them, we can then discuss and choose a single goal, organise it well & then carry it off. If technically possible could these be made subscription free?
Its been made clear to me this weekend that Southampton supporters are united in what they don't like (Lowe & the Dutch Experiment) but there is nothing we can all focus and contribute to, well here's one to get us started with:
Idea Number One - The SFC Funeral, the club died on saturday, let us have some closure.
We meet around 2.15 at the Southampton side of the Itchen Bridge (as in the song) or say at the Railway Station. Everyone is dressed in black or dark colours. Very slowly singing OWTS and steadily marching we follow a 6 foot long, symbolic black coffin to be left for M Wilde at Reception. Lowe wont resign, he's far too pig headed for that, we need to target Mr Wilde to remove him again. The people following the coffin carry white A4/A3 paper banners with black writing (easy to do at home, work, school, etc), mine simply reads "Lowe & Jan staying = unrest & relegation, Lowe & Jan going = we have a chance!).
Actually placed inside the coffin are pictures and articles representing the life of Southampton FC that we will have put in en route. I am putting in a picture of the Saints Fans at Cardiff, somebody else could bring a picture of Le Tissier scoring against Arsenal, Bobby in 76, etc. On the top of the coffin it simply reads SFC R.I.P 1885 - January 2009.
All local & national newspapers will be informed together with the two local TV Stations. Hopefully concerned ex players can be invited to join us on the march, I'm thinking Benali, Channon, Peach, Armstrong, etc). The police may even decide to hold up the traffic to escort us?
All the time the organising is going on we can email our concerns to Mr Wilde, I'm simply telling him that Lowe & Jan have to go in the next month or I am not renewing my ST next year. Here is his email address by the way if you ever want to contact him about Merlin Equities?:
wilde@merlionequities.co.uk
I reckon we should do this at the next home game.
Idea Pluses
A huge embarrassment for Lowe and Wilde. Lots of colourful and striking images of the coffin shown in newspapers and on websites. Striking footage of the long and sombre cortege snaking its way to the stadium.
This idea would actually generate a lot of sympathetic publicity for our cause - compare this to pitch invasions, blockading Lowes farm, etc?
The protest is outside and out of sight of the players. When the game kicks off we will be in our seats again & ready to support the team as we always do.
Doesnt hurt our already fragile finances.
Slow, dignified and non violent.
Even the stayaways can come & join in.
Idea Minuses
Fans would need to get to Southampton a bit earlier & wear black.
We need a coffin - anybody good at woodwork?
I think Jan, unlike Lowe, is an honourable man. When he hears about the funeral and see's the pictures he may just resign? Lowe has become plc chairman two times, lets hope Wilde decides to get rid of him twice as well!
