Will you be joining/rejoining SOS this season?

[Brownie]

Well join,and put your theories to the floor.

 

 

What's the worst that could happen?

 

It doesn't get support,so what!

What have you lost?

 

That's the point I made earlier, I wouldn't be around enough to get involved as much as I would like.

 

Trust me, i'd love to get involved.

[Brownie]

Ian, send your kid or your dad, I imagine they think the same. The "brown bandits" will be there if there is an "sos golf day", correct?

 

Haha touché!

 

I'll think about it (just to shut you up!)

 

Actually, i'll give you a bell tomorrow Al, for a chat.

[Dougie Do'ins]

There's three SOS threads going, could on of you mods kindly merge a couple of them? please.

 

As it is now, I still haven't renewed because of a lack of action, and there are certain committee members who I don't think should hold the positions they do. However if I want to address my second point then I suppose I'd best renew and vote.

[Guest LFD]

I think what we need to do is forget about SOS and start doing something ourselves.

 

We should set up a simple website aimed at getting rid of owners. The aim is to educate the Liverpool fans who don't realise why they need to go and explain everything and what we are going to do to get rid of them - with a big protest at the next game, chanting and making it extremely hostile for the pair... making them not welcomed at the club to watch games and try and promote the issue into the press as much as possible.

 

Then don't stop, make the protests bigger at each game until they have gone.

 

We put links and information on all the other Liverpool forums around / plus any other websites and work together (for this important issue) in linking fans to this site that is set up and have a real big push at getting rid of them.

 

Why wait before the club is in a worse mess? Let's not wait for these guys to make the situation get worse. Why wait for SOS?

 

Let's just do this ourselves and I think this would be the best way to do it.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Do that Ian, I bet you a tenner you join.

Buying votes Al, Oh the shame.

[Joe Le Taxi]

I think what we need to do is forget about SOS and start doing something ourselves.

 

We should set up a simple website aimed at getting rid of owners. The aim is to educate the Liverpool fans who don't realise why they need to go and explain everything and what we are going to do to get rid of them - with a big protest at the next game, chanting and making it extremely hostile for the pair... making them not welcomed at the club to watch games and try and promote the issue into the press as much as possible.

 

Then don't stop, make the protests bigger at each game until they have gone.

 

We put links and information on all the other Liverpool forums around / plus any other websites and work together (for this important issue) in linking fans to this site that is set up and have a real big push at getting rid of them.

 

Why wait before the club is in a worse mess? Let's not wait for these guys to make the situation get worse. Why wait for SOS?

 

Let's just do this ourselves and I think this would be the best way to do it.

 

You mean like

 

YANKS OUT ?

[Guest LFD]

It's the last thing we need.

 

Why?

 

You mean like

 

YANKS OUT ?

 

Yes like that.

 

But done better, educating the fans why they need to go and not having the SOS on it because I don't think people are taking them seriously or help matters.

[Durango]

Had a pint with Michael Portillo last night in the lakes, he got me thinking, true story mick.

Watch yourself there Al,bit of a Woofter is Michael.

[Joe Le Taxi]

Why?

 

 

 

Yes like that.

 

But done better, educating the fans why they need to go and not having the SOS on it because I don't think people are taking them seriously or help matters.

 

I think it was goodand informed the people well.

 

THE MONEY FROM THE SALE OF XABI ALONSO HAS ALL BUT GONE ON INTEREST PAYMENTS

 

LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB PAY £1,000,000 IN INTEREST PAYMENTS EVERY NINE DAYS

 

That would educate the people who are furious at Rafa for not signing Villa or Silva or a player like that and help them understand what Rafa has to deal with.

 

Co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks secured £350 million in refinancing on their original £200 million-plus takeover loan from Feb. 2007.

 

A spokesman for Hicks said, that despite the original statement that only £105 million would be charged to the club, Liverpool will be hit with the remaining £245 million, which is now on the books of Kop Football Ltd., the vehicle Hicks and Gillett used to take over the club.

 

That new loan will cost Liverpool about £30 million in annual interest payments.

 

Once again stuff like this will educate the minorities who do not understand the finances. The way it is laid out looks like a scare tactic but it does contain a lot of valid points.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Watch yourself there Al,bit of a Woofter is Michael.

He'll be in good company with our Al then ;)

[Guest LFD]

It's harder than you think, You cant just set up a new crew and say that's it, SOS are regulated by the FSA, that took months to get, SOS are a body the press speak too.

 

Also we don't need divided groups of supporters, we will look a laughing stock.

 

Just back SOS with your membership and try and change what your not happy with yourself, via meetings or try to get on the committee.

 

I agree we need one group of supporters.

 

I am not backing SOS until I am satisfied they know what they are doing.

 

I'm not sure they do.

[Carradona]

found that out as well.

 

You try to get him drunk?

[Dan Vito Corleone]

I have just had the following obnoxious response to my email suggesting I won't renew membership of SoS as they are spending all our cash on coaching sessions, trips abroad and other activities that have nothing whatsoever to do with the reason we all joined - to rid LFC of the current owners.

 

"Thanks for your email which is most disappointing. Despite the primary aims of the SOS being to rid the club of the current owners, the Liverpool Supporters' Union was set up to ensure that the 'Liverpool Way' continued to be understood by future generations of fans and to fight for better conditions for fans whose support for the club has been abused for many years, especially financially. This is why we have Bill Shankly's grandaughter as our patron.

 

Developing community links, especially in the Anfield area and support from the local community is paramount and something Bill Shankly felt very strongly about. If you don't understand this then perhaps it is best that you don't renew.

 

Regards

 

Sammy

SOS"

 

I'm simply astounded at the lack of professionalism in response to a member's legitimate concerns about how funds are being spent. I'm all for support for the community around Anfield and communities everyhwere, I just don't think it's SoS's job to provide it and there other orther organisations who are funded to do that - in fact, get rid of our owners and the redevelopment of that whole area will begin to take shape as part of the stadium project.

 

This is an organisation that has totally lost touch with its membership and its purpose - 'cheaper tickets, 'community' initiatives, trips to the US, Christmas parties ...all funded without any consultation by people who just wanted the Yanks out. Imagine what we might achieve if all the money was spent on campaigning for that.

 

But don't complain, you'll get a lecture on Bill Shankly's values from an organisation which lacked the basic gumption to prevent some halfwit leading a singalong about Muncih at its Christmas party...perhaps if they don't understand that Shanks would be spinning in his grave at that, they shouldn't misappropriate his name. The whole thing is a farce and a crying shame.

 

That's another one for the list of shame. I don't give a fuck about regenerating Anfield or giving coaching sessions out - yet. I want the union to do one thing and one thing alone - force the Yanks out. When that's done, great, fantastic, throw on coaching sessions (I would possibly renew my coaching badges to help with this), coaches, end of season parties etc etc, great. But for now, no. One thing alone - get the Yanks out. Now.

 

So in summary, fuck off Sammy. And fuck off SOS.

[ElSeano]

I agree we need one group of supporters.

 

I am not backing SOS until I am satisfied they know what they are doing.

 

I'm not sure they do.

 

What do you think this?

 

I'll just add my bit to this thread...

 

The main reason that people seem reluctant to join SOS on here seems to be because of Munich chants, lack of action against the Yanks and 'getting into bed with sharelfc'.

 

Munich chants - well if you dont want to get involved with the union because of one bloke who isn't even part of the union chanting Munich along with a few drunken dickheads who might not even be part of SOS (end of season bash was open to non members too) then personally I think thats a silly reason but each to their own...

 

As for the lack of action against the Yanks, i've repeated it many times on here. There is one reason for this and that is the apathy of many of the fans. At one point most of the fans wanted us to stop protesting and 'support the team'. (Havant game anyone?) Any ideas that SOS came up were is deemed failure in my book simply because not enough fans were interested. Im hoping things have changed now.

 

Then Sharelfc. Im a bit confused as to why people have a problem with this. Im assuming people's main problem is Rogan Taylor. Let's get something straight, if Sharelfc ever came about that doesn't mean Rogan would run our club. It doesn't mean any fan would run our club actually, it would be run like a corporate owned bank where a committee of fans would be elected and then would hire professionals to run the club. So these fans could hire someone like Rick Parry (ok bad example) to run the club if they wanted to.

 

To be honest if we all want the Yanks out, which is obviously the case, the best way to do it is to join the union. Strength in numbers...we'll have a much bigger voice. The reasons so far in this thread have been a bit lazy imo, just more apathy. Our biggest enemy at this club - apathy. If it all goes tits up, dont bother blaming the Yanks. It will be our fault as fans for allowing it to happen, unless we stand together and take some bloomin action.

[J B]

Really gutted to see so many people so negative about this.

 

Of course SoS have made mistakes. Everyone does. And they're not experienced pros - they're normal fans, as new to all this as the rest of us. And yeah they'll make decisions that not everyone agrees with. In a big organisation you're always going to get different opinions about how you achieve your aims. And there'll always be a few people in a big group you think are nobheads.

 

But this is more important than any of that. Our club is on its fucking knees.

 

The fact is we now have a reasonably well-organised group representing the fans, which has grown up pretty quickly from the grassroots (rather than being set up by the club) and which has rapidly achieved national recognition. Any way you look at it, SoS is organising protests in and outside the ground, it is handing out leaflets, it is regularly getting quoted in the national press putting forward broadly our point of view. It is fighting for fans on a range of issues, and the club is taking notice.

 

Crucially, its heart is 100 per fucking cent in the right place.

 

In fact I'd say SoS has the potential to be the only real positive to come out of this whole debacle, if it develops in the right way, and I think we should all back it to the hilt. Really, what choice do we have?

 

People saying they won't join because they don't like the way SoS did this or handled that are rather missing the point in my opinion. What are you going to do instead? Basically, you're going to sit at home on your own and do fuck all. I honestly can't see how that's a better choice than joining up, considering the state our club is in right now.

 

And people saying we should start another protest group, done in a different way - you're playing totally into the hands of your opponents. The history of failed revolutions is littered with the corpses of random splinter groups and people who couldn't agree on how to fight for a common cause. Judean People's Front and all that. The Yanks'd love to see splinter groups setting up, fans turning on fans. It discredits the whole argument.

 

In fact I think the one and only thing that we could do that would actually scare the shit out of these Yanks is the whole fanbase banding together into one massive unifed group and saying fucking no. We're not playing any more.

So let's try and do it.

 

For better or for worse, SoS is what we have. If you don't like it, as ATK says, join up and change it for the better.

 

I only joined last month by the way. And I've never met anyone involved. I just think this is important.

 

I'm also half cut.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Stop using the "munich" thing as something to stop you joining, They got it wrong they have held there hands up.

 

AP,Brownie,SM,Philly, why?

 

You all believe the yanks must go correct?

 

Join in, have your say, get to the meeting, front them they don't bite.

 

Fight for your club, its your club, the Yanks are killing it, I know your not happy with some of the things SOS has done, neither am I, but you can only change it by telling them or going for election. Forget agenda's it's the future of the club that matters.

 

If we don't stand together on the one thing that unites 95% of Liverpool fans and that's "Yanks Out", then the club goes. We need it to survive, its our life.

 

Al, SOS did hold their hands up about the Munich incident - on a very non-apologetic and I thought extremely arrogant way. Like Scouse Missionary said, like a child being forced to apologise. That annoyed me almost as much as the actual incident.

 

You stand for election and I will join the union just to vote for you. Me and you, we aren't too dissimilar. I would happily see the cunts in question leave Anfield in small wooden boxes if it meant the club was free of them. However, SOS now aren't going to change the way they deal with the issues - tactfully. We need ACTION! NOW! And I don't believe anything they can do at the moment will be enough. Especially not meeting Purslow. The only meeting they should be having with him is to tell him he's a lying cunt and add him to the hitlist along with the Yanks and that snidey CUNT Ian fucking gobshite Ayres.

 

 

To be honest if we all want the Yanks out, which is obviously the case, the best way to do it is to join the union. Strength in numbers...we'll have a much bigger voice. The reasons so far in this thread have been a bit lazy imo, just more apathy. Our biggest enemy at this club - apathy. If it all goes tits up, dont bother blaming the Yanks. It will be our fault as fans for allowing it to happen, unless we stand together and take some bloomin action.

 

In theory you're absolutely correct. But in practice it's not working is it? I've stood behind the union for a year and taken part in their action, but what worries me is that there has hardly been any action. And I don't see it changing until the next set of elections. That's what worries me - greatly.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Agt Provocateur

[Guest TK-421]

Really gutted to see so many people so negative about this.

 

Of course SoS have made mistakes. Everyone does. And they're not experienced pros - they're normal fans, as new to all this as the rest of us. And yeah they'll make decisions that not everyone agrees with. In a big organisation you're always going to get different opinions about how you achieve your aims. And there'll always be a few people in a big group you think are nobheads.

 

But this is more important than any of that. Our club is on its fucking knees.

 

The fact is we now have a reasonably well-organised group representing the fans, which has grown up pretty quickly from the grassroots (rather than being set up by the club) and which has rapidly achieved national recognition. Any way you look at it, SoS is organising protests in and outside the ground, it is handing out leaflets, it is regularly getting quoted in the national press putting forward broadly our point of view. It is fighting for fans on a range of issues, and the club is taking notice.

 

Crucially, its heart is 100 per fucking cent in the right place.

 

In fact I'd say SoS has the potential to be the only real positive to come out of this whole debacle, if it develops in the right way, and I think we should all back it to the hilt. Really, what choice do we have?

 

People saying they won't join because they don't like the way SoS did this or handled that are rather missing the point in my opinion. What are you going to do instead? Basically, you're going to sit at home on your own and do fuck all. I honestly can't see how that's a better choice than joining up, considering the state our club is in right now.

 

And people saying we should start another protest group, done in a different way - you're playing totally into the hands of your opponents. The history of failed revolutions is littered with the corpses of random splinter groups and people who couldn't agree on how to fight for a common cause. Judean People's Front and all that. The Yanks'd love to see splinter groups setting up, fans turning on fans. It discredits the whole argument.

 

In fact I think the one and only thing that we could do that would actually scare the shit out of these Yanks is the whole fanbase banding together into one massive unifed group and saying fucking no. We're not playing any more.

So let's try and do it.

 

For better or for worse, SoS is what we have. If you don't like it, as ATK says, join up and change it for the better.

 

I only joined last month by the way. And I've never met anyone involved. I just think this is important.

 

I'm also half cut.

 

Half cut or not that's a great post.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Ayres out, for me, is only marginally less a desire than the Yanks. I hate him with a passion. That cunt "belongs" in one place - anywhere outside our football club.

[BPT]

Anyone who seriously has a problem with sos holding coaching sessions for kids is a fucking gobshite.

[Soup]

That's another one for the list of shame. I don't give a fuck about regenerating Anfield or giving coaching sessions out - yet. I want the union to do one thing and one thing alone - force the Yanks out. When that's done, great, fantastic, throw on coaching sessions (I would possibly renew my coaching badges to help with this), coaches, end of season parties etc etc, great. But for now, no. One thing alone - get the Yanks out. Now.

 

So in summary, fuck off Sammy. And fuck off SOS.

 

I joined 2 weeks ago and I agree with the post above. Fight one battle at a time get the yanks out then move on to the other things. The way its going there will be no club left. As for meeting with purslow meet him and tell him we are not a fuckin load of dicks then tell him to fuck off. He does meetings all day so he's not going to be scared to answer some questions he has already seen.

[Brownie]

Dan, I honestly thought talking to the club was a good thing(when on the committee), but its taking me to walk away to realise we should have fuck all to do with them.

 

One bad decision in my eyes, I think the union should not speak to them at all, only on the union's say so. The union met in my time Parry,Gillett & Parry, and Rafa, all asked to by them.

 

I would only want to meet the club on our terms now, fuck them all, when Ayre makes his little money making scheme's the union should be calling on 5,000 to stand outside that ticket office, causing mayhem.

 

Its got to stop, and talking to the club is crap, they walk away knowing they have "got you in the palm of there hand", telling you what they want you to hear.

 

Exactly. They only talk to us because they know it will inflate our feeling of self-importance and we'll go away happy whereas they can carry on doing what the fuck they want.

 

It's got to fucking stop. We have to totally sever all ties with the club, Rogan the rat and certain people in the press.

 

We need to start acting as a voice for the fans, not an extension of the club.

[Brownie]

When we get these two fucking horrible parasites out of the club and get someone in who IS deserving of us, then we can build a relationship with the club and develop as one.

 

Until then, they can fuck off.

 

Our aim is to get rid of the cunts. Now i'm not sure about you, but when I want to get rid of something, I don't cuddle up to it first. I just get fucking rid.

[Brownie]

[/b]

 

Is this why you moved Ian?

 

Nah I moved because my bird has boss tits.

[Brownie]

Your Paul said that, must be a good set.

 

He was talking about yours ;-)

[Tossed and blown]

Not currently a member, so opinions only from the outside.

 

The concept of a fans' union to steer the direction of a major club is very difficult to apply. The sad truth, imo, is not enough people give enough of a shit about things. This could be in part due to misinformation / ignorance, and also some genuine apathy. There may also be an inability to identify fully with the means of protest; marching is quite a socialist / 'working class' approach, compared to the changing profile of the modern fanbase.

 

The twin aims regarding the yanks should be action and education. A frightening number of regular matchgoing fans (probably myself included if I'm honest) do not know the full extent of the harm they're doing. The leaflets were really good, but why did it take so long? I approved of the direct action against RBS, but the sum total of it was an absolute insignificance compared to the size of the organisation. I can see why it stopped, simply because those responsible - presumably a smallish number - would get nicked eventually. On the other hand, some fans will have seen this reported and dismissed the union as 'crackpot' without looking into things further.

 

As others on here have said, I think the peripheral union activities, while important to boost membership are peripheral and potentially dilute the main aims. The focus should absolutely be on getting these cunts out. A match boycott / vocal protest will never work - a more obvious target on matchday is club shop / refreshments which both represent direct but vulnerable revenue streams for the owners. For this to work effectively you'd need compliance from club employees or even security services.