Dave Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 For those of you that are wondering what's responsible for Crystal Palace's underwhelming start to the season. It's apparently not because Liverpool have been fantastic under Jurgen Klopp or that Christian Benteke's footballing ability has left his body. It's because there's nobody beating a drum in the corner of the ground. Crystal Palace's 'die-hard' Ultra group, known for signing songs such as: "I'm Palace 'til I die!", are not coming to games any more. Now you can imagine it must have taken something really serious for this to happen, for them not to follow the club they love, and it really has. Wait for it. They asked to sit behind the goal, and the club said no. Yep, so because the club have told them they will not move other fans (some of which would have had their seats before some of the fanatics were born) they've decided to stop going to games entirely. As a result this has led to seats within Block E being ripped out during a friendly game, and a divisive attitude amongst supporters. Some of which want an improved atmosphere, others are saying the club shouldn't bend over backwards to support the group. Both parties have made statements in the last week. More of this ground shattering story as it develops... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 CPFC Statement: Quote Statement: Holmesdale Fanatics 2 September 2018 Last season, a supporters’ group, The Holmesdale Fanatics, requested that we re-position them in Block E of the Lower Holmesdale Stand for the 2018/19 season. Their idea was to try to create a central “singing section”, instead of in the corner, in the hope it would further improve the atmosphere inside Selhurst Park. They also said they felt the group would find it hard to continue if we could not facilitate this move. The club, and particularly the chairman, saw merit in this idea and when season tickets went on sale we held back the entire Lower Holmesdale with the intention of looking at it further and hopefully implementing. Given that nearly 100% of Lower Holmesdale season ticket holders renew (and 92% for the stadium as a whole this year), the only practical location to move those supporters in Block E to facilitate such a move would have been either at the front of block B - in effect swapping seats with the Holmesdale Fanatics - or offering them seats that are considerably less desirable towards the back of the Arthur Wait stand. News of the proposal leaked out and we received a large number of written and verbal objections from supporters in the area that would have been affected. Many of those supporters writing to us pointed out that they had been in their seats since the stand opened and were strongly opposed to what they saw as them being forced out of their seats. We explained to the Fanatics that we felt it would be hugely unfair and disruptive - as well as potentially cause a great deal of ill feeling towards their group - if we pressed ahead. Instead, we promised that we would revisit this once the Main Stand was rebuilt and we had better alternatives to offer those who would be displaced. For their part, the Holmesdale Fanatics felt that the plan should be to move supporters in the middle along to make space for them and re-shuffle the entire stand around in order to create the central area for the group and other supporters who wanted to participate. This felt considerably more complex as it would involve moving an even greater number of supporters. We kept the usual allocation of 100 seats in Block B available on exclusive option to the group as we have in previous seasons, but these were not taken up during the season ticket renewal period. We chased the group up on this during the summer and asked them their intentions. We were told that they would not be using the tickets: they felt they had been promised the move and would not be returning, which was obviously very disappointing. We kept the seats open in the hope they would reconsider until the last possible moment, before putting them on sale two weeks prior to the start of the season. To date, around 35 of those seats have been sold as season tickets and the rest are being sold on a casual match by match basis, some we believe to members of the original group. There is nothing to stop the Fanatics returning to support the team as a group; we are sure that everyone would greatly welcome their presence back at Selhurst Park, but unless 100 supporters at the centre of block E would like to give up their seats voluntarily on the basis that the club will do its very best to find them alternatives, there is no real prospect of facilitating their wish of a move to the centre of Block E at this time. We have also looked at a safe standing area, and should this be allowed in the near future we will see if this can help facilitate a solution. We are not aware of any club embracing and working with a supporter group in the way Crystal Palace has done with the Holmesdale Fanatics, the safety group and the authorities. It is a great shame that they feel that they do not want to attend and support the team as a group this season, but in the absence of any other suggestion - apart from that of moving long-term season ticket holders out of Block E - it is difficult to see how we can do any more to make that happen. We remain open to any ideas and sensible solutions that do not disadvantage our other valued supporters. Should the group choose not to return, we know the 23 plus thousand of us that remain will do our level best to make the atmosphere at Selhurst Park as vibrant and positive as it has always been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 HF Response: A group of Crystal Palace supporters have accused the club's board of trying "to paint their own fans in a bad light" with a "misleading" statement about a dispute over Selhurst Park. Last season, the Holmesdale Fanatics asked the Premier League club about moving from their traditional block in the corner of the Lower Holmesdale Stand to behind the goal in order to create what they have described as "an inclusive singing section". The club, particularly chairman Steve Parish, was originally interested in the idea but, in a statement issued on Sunday, it said the Fanatics' plan to carve out this space by moving every other season-ticket holder along was unworkable. It said this could only be done if fans in Block E, behind the goal, agreed to swap with the Fanatics in Block B. Rumours of this proposal emerged over the summer when the club put all of its season tickets up for sale apart from the 100 it reserves in Black B for its loudest fans group. The club's statement revealed that these rumours prompted many fans to write to the club to say they did not want to be moved from seats they and their families had sat in for years. "We explained to the Fanatics that we felt it would be hugely unfair and disruptive - as well as potentially cause a great deal of ill feeling towards their group - if we pressed ahead," the club statement explained. "Instead, we promised that we would revisit this once the Main Stand was rebuilt and we had better alternatives to offer those who would be displaced." The Fanatics, however, saw this as a broken promise, refused to take up their usual season-ticket allocation and have stayed away from Palace's two Premier League games this season against Liverpool and Southampton - a boycott that many Palace fans believe has had a negative impact on Selhurst Park's atmosphere. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Fanatics denied the group ever wanted to force Palace fans out of their seats and said it wanted the new singing section to be "inclusive, with long-term supporters being looked after first". This, it said, had "twice been agreed by the club" and was intended to create a "consistent, world-class, supportive, positive atmosphere" at Selhurst Park, which has not always been the case in recent seasons. "The group was intending to stay quiet about the issues for the good of the football club and are therefore disappointed that the board have decided to conduct what should have been a private internal issue with public statements essentially painting their own fans in a bad light," it said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blue Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Jesus Christ they surely have bigger issues than the place they sit at, why would the other fans that pay tickets be less important just because they don't have a drum and a "group". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted September 5, 2018 Administrator Share Posted September 5, 2018 why did they wanna sit behind the goal instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blue Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Stan said: why did they wanna sit behind the goal instead? Think it might have something with the Ultras in Europe. They are mostly located behind the goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFCMike Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 It's exactly this sort of situation that safe standing would resolve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Culture Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 3 hours ago, LFCMike said: It's exactly this sort of situation that safe standing would resolve. But it wouldn’t though. It would simply create this issue. Those who have bought their tickets directly behind the goal may not necessarily want to stand for 90 minutes and may want to sit down and may not want to give up their seats so that the Holmesdale Fanatics can take them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honey Honey Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Imagine not going to a game anymore because you couldn't move 15 yards further to your left Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFCMike Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Smiley Culture said: But it wouldn’t though. It would simply create this issue. Those who have bought their tickets directly behind the goal may not necessarily want to stand for 90 minutes and may want to sit down and may not want to give up their seats so that the Holmesdale Fanatics can take them. Long term it does. This issue with standing/singing sections isn't going away. Obviously clubs would have to make decisions on where the section would be, which would be one of the stands behind the goal for most you would assume. That might upset some but there'd be three other stands available. The issue was created with the introduction of all seater stadiums and will continue to get worse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber RandoEFC+ Posted September 5, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted September 5, 2018 Buy them some tickets for West Ham home games and send them there for a few weeks, they'll soon be back at Selhurst Park with a better attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted September 6, 2018 Subscriber Share Posted September 6, 2018 Can see the points HF are getting at although they have a proper chip on their shoulder about us and have done for as long as I can remember. Makes me laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 Post seems fairly clickbaitish as their response paints them in a better light than what's been said on here, i.e. trying to force season ticket holders out. From what I've read they have to turn people away from their current spot as there's no space for more people, whereas in the middle they can help orchestrate the whole stand, referencing them being away at Wembley to Spurs as a time where this worked out well for them. And then a load of rubbish about south London culture as if they didn't steal the ultras idea off of the continent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 The ‘Holmesdake fanatics’ (awful name) are completely in the wrong. The club couldn’t have done any more and have made the correct decision. I’ve never liked this weird bunch at Palace. How on earth would safe standing fix this issue?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 6, 2018 Author Share Posted September 6, 2018 22 hours ago, Stan said: why did they wanna sit behind the goal instead? There case is based on expansion. Initially they sat in the side so they could have 'banter' with the away fans next to them. This led to ridiculously high policing costs so the away fans were moved to the other end of the stand. They believe that by being placed in the centre of the stand it will encourage more people to get involved. Which whilst it's true doesn't help for the fact that those in Block E will have to be moved somewhere were there's no like for like replacement or put up with somebody banging a drum next to them for 90 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 6, 2018 Author Share Posted September 6, 2018 38 minutes ago, Danny said: Post seems fairly clickbaitish as their response paints them in a better light than what's been said on here, i.e. trying to force season ticket holders out. From what I've read they have to turn people away from their current spot as there's no space for more people, whereas in the middle they can help orchestrate the whole stand, referencing them being away at Wembley to Spurs as a time where this worked out well for them. It hardly posts them in a better light when all they've done is effectively throw their toys out of the pram and decide they're not coming to games any more. If they had been moved I could understand, but from what I've seen the club have tried to appease everybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted September 6, 2018 Administrator Share Posted September 6, 2018 Yeah I don't see what the club have done wrong here and why HF feel so violated or wronged. When is your main stand due for expansion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 27, 2018 Author Share Posted September 27, 2018 Well the club have made a statement stating from next season the lower holmesdale will be encouraged to become an all singing section to help the growth of the club. It's been a great reminder on why I prefer places like this in contrast to a fans forum. The Palace forums are riddled with hypocrisy and hilarity at the moment from both sections. You've got long term fans claiming to be 'in there seat for 30 years' but the seats were built in 1994. You've got teenagers telling these long term fans to stop 'throwing their toys out the pram' when that is exactly what the HF did by not going to games. You've got fans claiming the atmosphere is a reason why we haven't scored yet. You've got fans claiming were the fastest growing forward thinking fan base in the country and indicative of the culture of Croydon when all we done is copy some third tier teams in Europe. You've got fans saying no group is bigger than the club, and yet point out how many years they have supported the club. I'm personally remaining open minded. An all inclusive singing section wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if implemented correctly. If we are expected though to wear black t-shirts and pledge allegiance to The HF then I don't see how that's indicative of the club in the slightest. The club are getting hounded for the way they've handled this but I haven't actually seen anybody suggest a viable alternative. The reality is that the actions of The HF have forced the club in to making a decision earlier than they would have intended too and have caused a lot of division between fans that want change and fans that are happy with the way things are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honey Honey Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Forced karaoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Culture Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 I quite like the Holmesdale Fanatics tbh, that might be an unpopular opinion here, mind. I say I like them, that might be the wrong description really as I don’t really know too much about them in all honesty but having never been to Selhurst, I’ve only ever seen/heard them on the television and they actually create an atmosphere and generate some noise, something that appears s to be amiss at many other Premier League grounds. I hope the “Fanatics” return soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 2 hours ago, The Palace Fan said: Well the club have made a statement stating from next season the lower holmesdale will be encouraged to become an all singing section to help the growth of the club. It's been a great reminder on why I prefer places like this in contrast to a fans forum. The Palace forums are riddled with hypocrisy and hilarity at the moment from both sections. You've got long term fans claiming to be 'in there seat for 30 years' but the seats were built in 1994. You've got teenagers telling these long term fans to stop 'throwing their toys out the pram' when that is exactly what the HF did by not going to games. You've got fans claiming the atmosphere is a reason why we haven't scored yet. You've got fans claiming were the fastest growing forward thinking fan base in the country and indicative of the culture of Croydon when all we done is copy some third tier teams in Europe. You've got fans saying no group is bigger than the club, and yet point out how many years they have supported the club. I'm personally remaining open minded. An all inclusive singing section wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if implemented correctly. If we are expected though to wear black t-shirts and pledge allegiance to The HF then I don't see how that's indicative of the club in the slightest. The club are getting hounded for the way they've handled this but I haven't actually seen anybody suggest a viable alternative. The reality is that the actions of The HF have forced the club in to making a decision earlier than they would have intended too and have caused a lot of division between fans that want change and fans that are happy with the way things are. The south London culture bit is my favourite, exactly my first thought when I heard it, just copying what's been on the continent for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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