Would you BOYCOTT? Ways to get rid of Lowe and the board

[Wes Tender]

Well, I think that the time has come. We've had him forced back on us by the Quisling Wilde's alliance with Lowe and his cronies and there is nothing that can be done by way of an EGM to rid us of him through the shareholdings unless Wilde changes horses yet again.

 

For me, the manner in which Lowe thrust aside any dissent at the AGM to the way that he has been doing things since his return was the last straw. He was his usual arrogant self and had not one ounce of humility in his body. His mad experiment with Poortvliet has not worked, it is plain that JP is totally out of his depth and on the face of it Lowe will not dismiss him, as it will mean having to admit that he was wrong in appointing him.

 

So we can sit tight as we head inexorably towards the third division, or we can do something about it.

 

If we each take our own action in isolation, we will not achieve much, or at least not very quickly. If we act together, we are the most potent of weapons, as the dire financial position we are in means that the income generated by us paying for tickets is now the single most important source of revenue the club has. They need a certain number of bums on seats at each home match, or the overdraught increases.

 

A mass boycott is IMO the surest way to bring the quickest results. Even if Lowe obstinately refuses to budge, the threat of continued action would force him to resign sooner or later. But the possibility exists that Wilde or Lowe's cronies would tell him to go and it wouldn't be long before the bank threatened to pull the plug either.

 

The purpose of this thread is to examine all the ideas for protests on one thread and to attempt to gauge the support for such actions and to fix a date when they would take place. If agreed, then it will require volunteers to help organise and the press would have to be notified for maximum publicity and to notify all of the fan base that don't come on here.

 

If you posted an idea or suggestion on another thread, could you please repost it here?

 

Your thoughts....

[trousers]

 

A mass boycott is IMO the surest way to bring the quickest results. Even if Lowe obstinately refuses to budge, the threat of continued action would force him to resign sooner or later.

 

A mass boycott is indeed the answer....but alas there are too many people on here (and further afield) who fail to grasp the "no pain, no gain" concept - it is a sad fact that we (the fans) need to do something that goes against what the heart tells us we shouldn't be doing.

 

We need to take one step backwards to go several steps forward. Why are there people who can't see that? To say that they couldn't hurt the club they love is a complete false economy.

 

They are ironically hurting the club by this sycophantic head-in-sand stance. (just watch the responses to prove this point)

[Wade Garrett]

Empty ground.

 

It would take a lot of sacrifice from the season ticket holders, but would be better in the long run.

 

Just tell the missus you're going to the game, but stay in the pub instead.

 

As soon as possible in my opinion.

[Legod Third Coming]

Cyanide, Semtex, Hydrogen Peroxide and Household Fertiliser, brake-failure, heart-trouble, skiing accident...

 

 

oops, have a I given my job with the security services away.

[Oz]

on boxing day, i am holding a duck shoot here in paulsgrove. should i invite the deadly duo? i am a bit worried though cos the local skates are not very good shots, lol.

[Oz]

i am boycotting already, so lets get the others on board

[Johnny Bognor]

If you posted an idea or suggestion on another thread, could you please repost it here?

 

Your thoughts....

 

See http://www.sthu.co.uk/fly_by.html

 

 

£700 pays for a banner to be flown over the stadium. If 35 people are prepared to stump up £20 each, it can be arranged.

[Badger]

Have been thinking of this for some time now,but what became of SISA ?

 

Is it not time this was reformed to confront the problems of Rupert,Wilde etc ?I always thought this was instrumental in helping to orchestrate the anti-Branfoot campaign and would be a good umbrella organisation now.Assuming of course it is not/does not become the exclusive mouthpiece for the usual egotists to self-promote (ie McMillan,Chorley et al),then SISA should be at the forefront.

 

In the Branfoot era I recall grey haired pensioners prepared to join in the post-match car park demonstrations. This should now be reassembled outside SMS ,rallying around Ted's statue as a focal point.Or as others have suggested elsewhere perhaps those still attending have changed from supporters at The Dell,to mere spectators - customers even - at SMS ?

[Mole]

I won´t go to any home games while Lowe AND Wilde remain. The more people who make a stand the better.

[stuey]

For me the banner alone wouldn't work. Imagine the smug look on Lowe's face as he saw it flying over, thinking 'look at what they've spent their money on!'

 

However, if he were to see an appreciably reduced attendance, along with a banner saying something like 'wheres the money coming from now Rupert' or When Lowe goes we will return', now THAT would be a powerful message!

 

Remember we don't have to empty the stadium to get the point accross. Reducing the attendance to four figures would be quite some feat and the media exposure would be enormous.

 

NOTHING else will get through his thick skin in my opinion.

[Noodles34]

Personally I think that action at the ground should be the first step, it was definately instrumental in the Derby (or was it Ipswich?) game where the 'majority' of the stadium participated. If we can organise some vocal protests before, at HT and after the game (and by organise I really mean make sure everyone is aware of what to do) then it would save us (especially the ST Holders) missing out on the reason we go. However i would support a boycott eventually if the above was not effective.

But we need a group, an umbrella to co ordinate actions etc, as someone mentioned, the SISA Branfoot Out campaign was eventually effective and we all knew what to do when we played Newcastle for instance, and most importantly even though we had just seen two of the best goals ever! and won the game, we still stayed behind and did it.

So though i do want to support the team I still want to vent my anger even if we are 5 nil up at half time because the time and has to get rid of these demons for once and for all.

[saintjay77]

the boycot will only work if it is more organised.

 

Ideal game to boycot would have been against man u. its the one game the club expect to sell out and with it being on TV a stadium with only Man U supporters would have sent out a pretty good message. Lowe has said that this one game although helps finacially doesnt do enough to solve our problems so if an organised boycot of that game was organised then it wouldnt have hurt that much financially but still sent a powerful message.

 

other than that the club needs to see what its missing for a boycott to be effective. protests outside involving more people than the ones that actually go inside. or fill the stadium most games but choose a regular home game to boycott on mass. something simple that everyone can get involved in. boycot the last home game of every month. get 25000 people in for the other games and if the above was to happen it could easily get down to under 10k for the last home game in a month within just 2 months. the bank would see hoy meany people are not happy with the status quo and would have to act IMO.

 

The current boycot can not be messured and therefor is ignored

[Huffton]

I have two season tickets, but would be more than happy to start boycotting games. But as has been pointed out it needs to be organised, it wont work unless its fully supported.

[harwellsaint]

Personally I think that action at the ground should be the first step, it was definately instrumental in the Derby (or was it Ipswich?) game where the 'majority' of the stadium participated. If we can organise some vocal protests before, at HT and after the game (and by organise I really mean make sure everyone is aware of what to do) then it would save us (especially the ST Holders) missing out on the reason we go. However i would support a boycott eventually if the above was not effective.

But we need a group, an umbrella to co ordinate actions etc, as someone mentioned, the SISA Branfoot Out campaign was eventually effective and we all knew what to do when we played Newcastle for instance, and most importantly even though we had just seen two of the best goals ever! and won the game, we still stayed behind and did it.

So though i do want to support the team I still want to vent my anger even if we are 5 nil up at half time because the time and has to get rid of these demons for once and for all.

 

busy day then!

[hackedoff]

If the product is rotten, dont buy it ! A simple option, work it out for yourselves.

[Noodles34]

Coming from the bloke who has 85 paid days off a year!!

See you at Reading, my round!!

[Thedelldays]

hold on a minute

 

many many fans have been staying away all season and last..

 

they have had nothing but ****e on here for being crap fans/plastic..?

[Noodles34]

If the product is rotten, dont buy it ! A simple option, work it out for yourselves.

 

If you're not a Saints fan or even a football fan, why come on here?

Work it out for yourself!

[hackedoff]

If you're not a Saints fan or even a football fan, why come on here?

Work it out for yourself!

 

I am a Saints fan and I am on here.I just happen to be the type of person who does things about things I dont like rather than just moaning.

[Andy_Porter]

We should just boycott the first ten minutes, I think Newcastle done a similar thing earlier in the season.

[saintjay77]

hold on a minute

 

many many fans have been staying away all season and last..

 

they have had nothing but ****e on here for being crap fans/plastic..?

 

people staying away completly are hurting the club financially IMO although I wouldnt label them as anything.

 

An organised boycot that i suggested (if it was ever possible) would see the stadium as full as possible no matter who the oposition is for the most part and 1 game per month nearly empty.

 

Finacially the club would not be hurt and would have more chance of being able to compete or keep 1 or 2 of the higher earners and therefore give us a better chance of seeing us pick up 1 or 2 points along the way. But the message would be there to everyone that we are not happy with things as they are and if changes do not happen the financial backing the club would lose would be too great to ignore.

 

I doubt that the fans would ever need to stretch the boycott to anything more than 1 game per month before serious changes are made.

[benjii]

As we all know Rupert couldn't care less and possibly has mental health problems in any event, any protest must be targeted at Wilde IMO.

 

Fortunately, Wilde appears to be spineless and terrified so I think there is some potential to achieve results on that front.

 

The impetus behind this whole sorry saga must surely be that Wilde was terrified that Crouch would do what is best for SFC even if that meant taking an option which was not for the biggest direct financial benefit to the shareholders. The publically available information suggests that Wilde's finances are very much in a slump at the moment and, it is my conclusion, that the buddying up with Lowe was simply a last ditch attempt at self-preservation. If the club is insolvent then it takes Wilde's £1,500,000 share investment with it (surely one of THE most ridiculous speculative punts ever witnessed?).

 

Now, a one-off boycott can be easily dismissed as a spot of fan belt-tightening or as a response to a bad result. We all know the official attendance will be 12,000 + away fans in any event so any boycott only has the potential to decrease the official gate figure by a couple of thousand anyway (although admittedly tv pictures of an empty ground would be hard to airbrush). In my experience, what you need is a boycott plus something for the media to hang it on.... the problem is that this hanger will usually involve some sort of sacrifice. For example, on 17 Jan we play Donny at home. Leicester play Yeovil away. Not too far. If a load of fans went to Yeovil in support of Nigel Pearson instead of St Mary's that would underline the strength of feeling against Lowe.... but how many would actually bother? Couple of hundred?

 

Unfortunately, I think by the time the anger levels are high enough for a mass protest it will be too late

Edited 24 December, 2008 by benjii

[benjii]

ps. if fans want to boycott without hurting the club then we could just have a mass walk-out at half-time in a match.

[Johnny Bognor]

For me the banner alone wouldn't work. Imagine the smug look on Lowe's face as he saw it flying over, thinking 'look at what they've spent their money on!'

 

No, but it gets valuable publicity. The last flyby was covered many times and in detail by the Echo. There was also coverage in The Times, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Merridian TV to name a few - and that game was not televised with the world watching. We were playing Cardiff in the CCC.

 

The flyby in itself does not achieve anything, except for publicity. The impact of a flyby at the Man U game would be immense in terms of drawing media attention to a boycott, with the Sky cameras present and the FA Cup as the centre stage.

 

Considering the publicity achieved last time round, the cost of £700 isn't that much.

 

Lowe uses the media, so why shouldn't the fans?

[Ponty]

ps. if fans want to boycott without hurting the club then we could just have a mass walk-out at half-time in a match.

 

That would be quite brilliant.

[Andy_Porter]

That would be quite brilliant.

 

Best time to do it would be a TV game. Obviously wouldn't happen for United but if we get another home game soon and everyone left at half time it would provoke a reaction from Lowe.

[SoccerMom]

ps. if fans want to boycott without hurting the club then we could just have a mass walk-out at half-time in a match.

 

That happens anyway, doesn't it?

[Big Bad Bob]

The flyby in itself does not achieve anything, except for publicity. The impact of a flyby at the Man U game would be immense in terms of drawing media attention to a boycott, with the Sky cameras present and the FA Cup as the centre stage.

 

You might get the expousre if it was on Sky but it's on Sultana, which doesn't exactly have a big subscriber base at the moment!!

[Neilza]

Just another suggestion, how about planning a mass boycott for a game, but still turn up. So take the reading game for example. We use this game to protest, but we all turn up to the stadium at say 2:30, walk to your seats, leave a message on your chair and then walk out again.

[70's Mike]

ps. if fans want to boycott without hurting the club then we could just have a mass walk-out at half-time in a match.

 

Well the way the last few home games have gone that is starting to happen anyway.

[saintjay77]

ps. if fans want to boycott without hurting the club then we could just have a mass walk-out at half-time in a match.

 

would be perfect. but even better on a tv match and even better still if we were winning at the time.

[Big Bad Bob]

The big problem for me is that making Lowe et al resign is NOT GOING TO ACHEIVE ANYTHING.

 

They will still have shareholdings and they will still be able to influence decisions albeit from afar.

 

And personally I'd rather not have LC back at the reigns, too hot headed and reactionary for my liking, and he'll have LM whispering in his ear, more ego to contend with.

 

No, we need to get rid of the lot of them, 'tis the only way

[benjii]

That happens anyway, doesn't it?

 

Normally happens after about 65 / 70 mins when the second goal sails in

[benjii]

The big problem for me is that making Lowe et al resign is NOT GOING TO ACHEIVE ANYTHING.

 

They will still have shareholdings and they will still be able to influence decisions albeit from afar.

 

And personally I'd rather not have LC back at the reigns, too hot headed and reactionary for my liking, and he'll have LM whispering in his ear, more ego to contend with.

 

No, we need to get rid of the lot of them, 'tis the only way

 

It's a good point. You would like to think that if Lowe was hounded out for a second time some of the old dribblers that prop-up his position might have a change of heart. This would inevitably involve some sort of courtship from Lowe's successors though, which is why it would be best if an impartial board was in control IMO.

[saintjay77]

Normally happens after about 65 / 70 mins when the second goal sails in

 

I thought that happens in the 11th min?

[70's Mike]

Start with a white hankie waving as the "few" take their seats in the Directors area.

Problem is it would mean a few minutes of drinking time lost either before game or at half time

[1965onwards]

Suggest Leon Crouch buys the debts of all creditors apart from Barclays,and then immediately issues a winding-up order against SLH.

 

This will force Lowe and Wilde to pay these debts out of their own pockets or face administration.

 

If they pay up ,all well and good,and it helps the local economy.

 

If not we will see who has money and who has not,and who has just been talking the talk and not walking the walk.

[benjii]

Suggest Leon Crouch buys the debts of all creditors apart from Barclays,and then immediately issues a winding-up order against SLH.

 

This will force Lowe and Wilde to pay these debts out of their own pockets or face administration.

 

If they pay up ,all well and good,and it helps the local economy.

 

If not we will see who has money and who has not,and who has just been talking the talk and not walking the walk.

 

1) I don't think Crouch has £20m spare - if he did we wouldn't be in this position!

 

2) They only need to pay debts as they fall due, you can't just demand immediate payment of all liabilities.

 

Think the half-time walk-out would be more effective

[redkeith]

How about copying the Catalan protest of waving a white hankie to show your displeasure.

 

If this could be planned for the United game, when the cameras are there, 30 minutes into the game, it should have the maximum visual impact without people having to miss any of the on field torture.

 

This is easier than handing out red cards, as everyone gets a new hanky for Xmas.

[solentstars]

The big problem for me is that making Lowe et al resign is NOT GOING TO ACHEIVE ANYTHING.

 

They will still have shareholdings and they will still be able to influence decisions albeit from afar.

 

And personally I'd rather not have LC back at the reigns, too hot headed and reactionary for my liking, and he'll have LM whispering in his ear, more ego to contend with.

 

No, we need to get rid of the lot of them, 'tis the only way

i think you are right and how our so called empty ground will help the team ,which would make reading the home team with their fans amazes me,its not gonna happen-i for one will be their supporting the side i love.

to get rid of lowe someone needs to come in to invest or wilde does a deal with crouch.

[1965onwards]

I am not including the stadium debt Benjii,that is secured.

 

Just the day to day operational debt of ordinary suppliers,which is probably in the

100,00s,which the club have probably breached contracts on.

 

Any purchaser of debt can set their own conditions of payment.

[70's Mike]

i think you are right and how our so called empty ground will help the team ,which would make reading the home team with their fans amazes me,its not gonna happen-i for one will be their supporting the side i love.

to get rid of lowe someone needs to come in to invest or wilde does a deal with crouch.

 

whilst that may be factually correct if we do nothing nothing changes.

Wilde will fold if pressure is applied.

My biggest regret as a saints fan was that I did nothing in 97 when the reverse takeover was mooted , maintaining the status quo ,imo, is not an option

[benjii]

I am not including the stadium debt Benjii,that is secured.

 

Just the day to day operational debt of ordinary suppliers,which is probably in the

100,00s,which the club have probably breached contracts on.

 

Any purchaser of debt can set their own conditions of payment.

 

Ok - thought you may have meant that....

 

It would be interesting to know what our position is with respect to suppliers actually. Seeing as this money comes via the overdraft though, I'd imagine we're keeping our heads resonably well above water on that front - if we weren't I expect Barclays would have withdrawn support some time ago.

 

Also, I expect the company that suppliers contract with is not the holding company or the football club so ultimately the threat of a statutory demand or winding-up petition would be fairly limited.

[benjii]

How about copying the Catalan protest of waving a white hankie to show your displeasure.

 

This is easier than handing out red cards, as everyone gets a new hanky for Xmas.

 

It's a nice idea but I'm only just getting over a cold and I really don't want another one.

[CB Fry]

An organised boycott is the only way, and really is doable if everyone gets behind it.

 

How do you do it - not that hard.

 

Pick a TV game.

 

Give the day a name "the big boycott", "stay away for change" something (without Lowe's name in it). Branding it makes it easier to get it noticed in the local media. In fact, make it positive not negative - "Save our Saints" is a million times better than "Lowe out".

 

Enrol Lawrie, Mark Dennis, Benali, Merrington, Channon and assorted other local Saints legends and post them to pubs, clubs, church hall all over the city and the region to make communal events of watching the game on TV.

 

Hire Central Hall as a key venue and get Lawrie to host it.

 

The point is you make the boycott an event you have to make watching the game on TV a big communal event all fans can feel part of.

 

You have to make the boycott something to actively do rather than just telling people to not do something.

 

Instead of just saying "don't go, don't go" you have to tell people "go to this instead".

 

Save our Saints. Twenty Locations in the city/region. Saints celeb at every location. Small charge to go to either local charity/or to the running costs of the event.

 

Posters and banners for every other pub in city to run their own event.

 

The local media would be all over it. Trust me the Echo might be up the clubs arse now but they love an event and they'd print a colour poster on the day before in their centre pages. 100 letters from readers would guarantee it. Papers love a campaign.

 

Empty stadium for one game.

 

Lowe would have to resign the next day. He would, not least because Wilde and co would bottle it.

 

It can be done.

[NickG]

someone buy shares and vote him out? Don't mean to sound glib but think thats the only way he will go and its that black and white

[benjii]

An organised boycott is the only way, and really is doable if everyone gets behind it.

 

How do you do it - not that hard.

 

Pick a TV game.

 

Give the day a name "the big boycott", "stay away for change" something (without Lowe's name in it). Branding it makes it easier to get it noticed in the local media. In fact, make it positive not negative - "Save our Saints" is a million times better than "Lowe out".

 

Enrol Lawrie, Mark Dennis, Benali, Merrington, Channon and assorted other local Saints legends and post them to pubs, clubs, church hall all over the city and the region to make communal events of watching the game on TV.

 

Hire Central Hall as a key venue and get Chorley to host it.

 

The point is you make the boycott an event you have to make watching the game on TV a big communal event all fans can feel part of.

 

You have to make the boycott something to actively do rather than just telling people to not do something.

 

Instead of just saying "don't go, don't go" you have to tell people "go to this instead".

 

Save our Saints. Twenty Locations in the city/region. Saints celeb at every location. Small charge to go to either local charity/or to the running costs of the event.

 

Posters and banners for every other pub in city to run their own event.

 

The local media would be all over it. Trust me the Echo might be up the clubs arse now but they love an event and they'd print a colour poster on the day before in their centre pages. 100 letters from readers would guarantee it. Papers love a campaign.

 

Empty stadium for one game.

 

Lowe would have to resign the next day. He would, not least because Wilde and co would bottle it.

 

It can be done.

 

You lost the audience at this point

[benjii]

someone buy shares and vote him out? Don't mean to sound glib but think thats the only way he will go and its that black and white

 

He owns 6% and is reliant on the support of others.

 

Therefore he can be "got at".

[Kaiser Soze]

Boycot the Doncaster game on the 17th January. Actions speak louder than words and an empty stadium will speak volumes.

 

A half empty stadium wouldn't prove anything, we need EVERYONE to boycott to make Lowe's position untenable.

 

Under Lowe's chairmanship we are a sinking ship and unless we are to settle with League One next season with a minus ten point penalty something needs to be soon before it's too little too late. Luton Town are an example of a football club playing Championship football only two years ago, through mismanagement they will be dropping out of the football league come May, realistically we could follow suit unless something is done quick.

[70's Mike]

someone buy shares and vote him out? Don't mean to sound glib but think thats the only way he will go and its that black and white

 

 

buy from who?