It’s been a very big week for everyone who shares our Blue
persuasion, and it’s not even Friday yet!
First we had Sunday. Plenty has already been written about the
events during and after the game at Loftus Road and I’m adding my little bit
below. But first, don’t we need a catchy phrase ending in ‘gate’ to describe
the day? Isn’t that the way these days? How about ‘Hoopgate’ or ‘Racial abuse
gate’?
No, I don’t like them either. Okay, let’s try ‘Antongate’ or ‘QPRfullofshitgate’? Still not doing it?
Well, I’m going to settle on ‘Foygate’ but I’ll come back to that
in a mo because Sunday’s events turned out only to be Act One. The second act
came at Goodison Park last night. I couldn’t make it up to the former City of
Culture (?) and couldn’t find a live feed either so had to settle for Iain
Dowie on Sky Sports News. Another red card, extra time and another failure to
keep a clean sheet but at least we’re through.
Act Three came this afternoon with the CPO vote and the club
failing to achieve (by 14%) the margin they required to win the vote. I say
win, but this has been a process with no winner. Let’s hope the club will now
listen to genuine concerns instead of ignoring fans and spinning irrelevancies.
But back to Foygate.
Was it me or did the media really just let it go, ignoring the
worst refereeing performance I have seen in over forty years of watching
football at all levels?
As the news rolled in that AVB was to be charged for his comments,
the club was to be charged for failing to control our players, John Terry is
being charged for abusing someone who took two days to figure out whether it
was abuse or not……and so on. The theme has been clear and consistent; whatever happened
it was all Chelsea’s fault.
Christ, I’ve been waiting for a knock on the door because I once
wore a Chelsea shirt visiting a mate at MacKay House on White City, I mean,
inciting a riot or what!
Seriously, what I’ve really been waiting (and waiting and waiting)
for is the news that the FA is to investigate Chris Foy’s performance. But no;
nothing.
The FA can fine the club and fine AVB (and no one doubts they
will, there is no innocent until proven guilty here), but who is policing the
FA’s performance? Who fines the FA when they fail to deal with refereeing of
such a poor standard most park teams would have walked off the pitch in
disgust?
Wait a minute though. There is a group of people who have a louder
voice than they realise and who can ‘fine’ the FA. This group of people have
the ability to hit the FA in the pocket until they start to take their
responsibilities seriously. I’m one of them and, if you’re reading this, you
probably are too.
I’m talking about the fans, that huge army of down trodden folk
without whom the game could not even exist.
What can we do? Well, here is what I suggest. We boycott ALL
officially licenced FA products. That simply means not buying England shirts
and other merchandise until they agree to investigate Foygate, i.e. to act as if
they actually are responsible for the game in England.
It might not cost them millions but it will make the point.
If they then don’t investigate we can make the point further by
producing our own range of T-shirts, branded something like; ‘Supporting
England - Not The FA!’
Foygate was not just a bad day at the office for the ref it was
(and I make no apology for repeating this) the single worst performance by a referee
I have witnessed in over forty years of watching football at all levels.
Given the way the FA and (by their silence) the media have abdicated
their responsibility, if we don’t act; who will?
I’m starting today with a stand of one, will you join me?
I SUPPORT ENGLAND – NOT THE FA!
KTBFFH
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