I sent an email a couple of days ago to some Newcastle site where they have contact with staff from Newcastle FC.

I wanted to find out how to contact Chris Mort and also find out whether they have discussed the issue of safe standing with him.
I got this response today...

"Afternoon Joe,


To contact him, try ringing the switchboard, get somebody high up in your movement. If you get nowhere then drop me an e-mail and I will get your points across, I would need plenty of information to give to him.

He really is an easy going bloke, you wouldn't think he was the chairman of a football club.

Good Luck."

So I've got to send an email back to this chap and get our points across.
Like he says, we need plenty of info. I could write back now with everything I know but thought it would be best to see if Amanda could get someone from the FSF to paste me our basic arguments summed up then I can try and get Chris to help the campaign...

Thats looking good with chris mort.

I still think we do need a set letter from SUSD which details our arguement etc so when clubs or people ask for information everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet.

Chalky, would it be worth bringing up the united front agaisnt standing rubbish they did/ are doing?

Chris, have you sent a letter off to Mort?

Think it would be a good idea. Get him on our side, I'd write one, but mine are tenche compared to yours! ;)

What do you mean by the United front?
I'm going to email that chap back now, I'll paste what I put after on here.

It has not happened yet, next saturday.

Click Me For SUSD Thread

Just sent this email to him.....

Afternoon, thankyou for the reply.

Firstly, Chris is correct that the problem is down to the government rather than him as the chairman as NUFC have to abide by the regulations in order to maintain their safety certificate.

A lot of people share his thoughts that the politicians won't change things but we at SUSD have to believe otherwise.

I would urge you to visit the SUSD site at (www.standupsitdown.co.uk), it outlines what exactly we are campaigning for. We have a petition that you may have already signed which can be found through the above link.

I haven't tried contacting him yet on the switchboard etc. but someone from SUSD did two days ago. I thought I would give you a lot of info in this email that you could pass onto him.



Ultimately, we are interested in getting club chairmen to support the campaign. There are a number of things they can help us out with. It needs to be made clear that he does not have to go against ground regs and encourage standing.



The football supporters federation (who work along side us) released a large report outling the case for safe standing (www.fsf.org.uk). It can be downloaded or ordered from their website (see link). If you could show him that, that would be ideal. It gives you more info than I ever could in one email.



I'm glad to hear you support safe standing areas and I agree they would vastly impore the often sterile atmospheres we see in all seaters.


Tell me if you get the report ok and how it goes with Chris.

If you need more info let me know, however, you should have everything you need in the report which I believe was sent to every club in England when first released.


King regards,

Joe White (SUSD)

Oh god, however, this presents us with a good opportunity.
We need to show people like Chris that there is an alternative to the current system that would satisfy everyone and get him to help out.

Say he was willing to help, I think we should suggest ways in which he could do so.
Things I have thought of so far....
Advertising hoarding with the SUSD banner (if we have one), I suggest the one of the home page with the sharp sentence of what we are about. It should contain our website. Also, short clips on the big screen could be shown...is this unrealistic to eventually ask him of this?

I would be suprised if newcastle would give up a space for a banner, bristol city wont let the supporters trust have one without paying the full whack.

You should ask all these things if he says he is in support of us, if you dont ask you dont get.

Being a member of other NUFC sites chris mort's interaction with fans is top notch, A number of emails have been sent to him regarding on and off field matters and either he or his secretary have responded to all emails. Anyway this is my first post on the site and good luck with the campaign

Clubs hiding behind the government again

Unless they stick their neck out and ask the question of course the government are not going to change anything.

Great work here, and Yorkie is right, if the clubs speak direct to the Government in their numbers then they will listen..

I'm aware that the current thinking is indeed that clubs will be held responsible if anything happens; new Corporate Manslaughter legislation comes out in April, it is worth asking the clubs if, rather than rely on scare stories, that they actually check the legal position to see what they would and wouldn't be held responsible for.

We'll get a letter off to Newcastle ourselves soon, but please, keep on going!

Indeed it does I've been doing a little work on policy at work regarding this blo*dy thing.


Anybody on here in the leagl profession or know somebody how is who could give us their expert view on the potenial for this act to bugger us up?

I woudn;t trust clubs to tell you the truth they'd just say it would to try and keep you quiet.

Ok, I can't say too much at this point but in the next few days we should get a positive response from Chris which could do wonders for the publicity of the campaign.
Amanda, it would be worth sending an email to Chris aswell, will make the campaign look more credible the more emails he gets his way on this.