After the Barnet protest being shelved do we now have any plans for the summer?

There are good things going on with Amanda, Chris and Peter working behind the scenes, SKY seemingly getting on board to some extent and an increase in standing from last season. But the people who post on here dont really seem to have any kind of role. Peter made a good point by saying the battle will be won behind closed doors, but we need to keep the debate in public, but it doesn't seem like people on this site are active in this.

I'm considering doing something similar to what Manny did last season, its just a matter of how much confidence I have to do it. Big up Manny if you read this. But there doesn't seem to be anything for the rest of us to do than just chat on here, which is good, but its not effective. So what can we do now?

This isn't a criticism of people running this site, its just how I feel this site is going for the people who just post on here.

Talking of Sky, there was a post on here a while back about Sky including a safe standing question within a questionnaire (in Sky magazine?). Does anyone know the outcome of this?

I reckon organise the SUSD trip to Germany for about a week or so after the transfer window shuts and try and get a sky camera to follow us. That'll get us some coverage!

Not ignoring this... will come back to it soon!

dont go to germany stay in england as we want to stand in english grounds not trouting german grounds

The whole point of going to Germany is to see how its done over there with the safe standing, and hopefully get some coverage into how it can work safely which will help the campaign.

The problem I'd see would be that how would anyone convince Sky to show that someone might possibly have it better than the Premier League?

The plan is to discuss the German trip with A&P once the fixtures come out. Trip is scheduled for August time as this seemed the most popular. Yes, we want to see safe standing in England but the purpose is:

a) to have an enjoyable time and
B) to bring some positive coverage to the campaign

On the latter point it is hard to know exactly what coverage we would get, but there is already some interest from national media, Sky included.

I don't mean to knock those behind this campaign, although its going to sound like it, but there doesn't seem to be much going on. Read the forum now and again and there's lots of hush hush stuff, news to be relased shortly but we can't say yet etc.. etc... I'm passionate about the issue but not a lot seems to be going on other than a talking shop. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh as i'm sure lots of effort has gone into the campaign, but that's how it looks, rightly or wrongly. I'd love to get involved with the campaign and help move it forward but i'm not sure how, what needs to be done etc... and i'm sure i'm not alone.

It isn't a talking shop!!

We've actually been doing a lot behind the scenes, for example Unibees work with the injury figures, working on getting a media campaign going (with the much appreciated help of a poster on this forum) and speaking with the FSF about renewing lines of attack and investigating new ones.

Our (mine, Chris's and Peters) resources are limited. We all work full time, Peter runs his own company and Chris is also doing accountancy exams. Those we work with at the FSF also do their own work for them, most of them also work for their own club supporter groups and of course they all have full time jobs as well. Not only that, but we're spread all over the country making it difficult to meet up. We are however meeting at the FSF Conference in the summer to finalise plans and our direction for next season.

I can understand the frustrations and how it must seem to the forum users but we really are all dedicated to the cause and are working hard to make change.

Unfortunatley though, we've a hell of a lot of people to persaude not least the Government.

We will have a new forum by the start of the new season - if not before and we're as determined as ever to persue our campaign.

This isn't intended as a dig, but nobody ever said we'd succeed overnight!

Amanda

You say you dont have time to do everything due to having jobs, which it goes without saying is fully understandable, so why not let more get involved?! What can people like me, who are eager to get involved and help push this thing forward, actually do? I want to do my bit, but it appears to be a closed shop as far as this is concerned, unless it's letter writing time.

Brilliant point made there. Not much else I can add except from the fact he's spot on and would like to know what I can do aswell?

What people can do at local level is put pressure on their own clubs, in a similar way to what Manny has done at Bradford.

We need to persuade clubs that we're not just a bunch of saddos giving up our time for something people don't want; with the odd exception there is very little pressure at club level, from supporters, on their management.

The clubs will say "as soon as the Government change their minds, we'll consider it".

The authorities say "clubs and supporters don't want it; there is no demand".

A very nice catch 22 situation. That of course neatly ignores the numbers of standers week in, week out and up and down the country.

There are people within the FSF (and of course Peter, Chris and I in London/Essex) who are more than willing to meet with you to help and advise. In some cases, money may be made available for fliers, banners etc.

We can't just reel of a list of what could be done as every club differs and what works for one set of fans may not work for another.

Let us know what you think...

In regard to banners, is there a particular motto/phrase which Standupsitdown has? I really think we should try and get as many people as we can taking banners to matches, would be more affective if they were all saying the same thing.

Kev, that would be good, particularly if some of you could get together and walk to the ground with the banner. That is something that the FSF would more than likely give some money for; we could get a couple and send them round the country and get the back of them signed by people who support the campaign. And then send them off to the Government - be a bit different to a petition and more eye catching - something that would probably get press attention as well.

We don't have a motto or phrase at the moment but I think any motto would need the key word "choice" in it.

On the subject of banners is it legal for the police to still have our United we stand banner confiscated as evidence?

Also Stetford End flags have there own United we stand banner aswell. Possibly something each of us could do at local level is get a banner at as many clubs as possible shown week-in, week-out (or there abouts) would be a more visual way of showing those in charge what we want. It cost us a tenner to make ours roughly, 20-30 foot long.

Could it not be worth a sticky at the top of this forum, listing what people could do to get involved, a bit like what the NO2ID pressure group have on their website

http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/index.php

The problem is the York fans cannot work at local level because York are a club which have standing and sitting sections in their ground. In fact their ground is a perfect example of safe standing and sitting sections giving people the choice. If only they put a roof on the away end. It's way too cold!

I thought our motto was "Standing or Sitting, the choice ISN'T yours".

In many ways the idea of establishing regional groups was so that it wouldn't simply be myself, A&P 'running' SUSD, but people able to get together themselves and take ideas on themselves. Examples this season have been Manny's efforts at Bradford and the Newcastle/Manchester demo.

There is a lot of talk of protests. One area I think we need to develop is the idea of ground roadshows, simply getting a few people in an area together and distributing literature outside stadia, showing pictures of Safe Standing areas, highlighting the idiocies of the arguments, explaining the legal position on standing etc.

In many ways, once the new website is up and running and we have a lot of new information on site there should be something to take away with.

That would be good. A set list of what people can do to assisst the campaign. Also I'd be interested in a banner if I could get one reasonabley.

If we carry on from the Newcastle/United demo, if we can get as many people to start taking a banner with the slogan "United We Stand".

A few Man Utd were there aswell mate :P

Better I say it then some of the Leeds lot