| Funge's email to club 20:25 - Mar 21 with 12716 views | AdmiralFunge |
Read it if you want. Rip it to bits, too. I'm pretty easy.
Dear Mr Milne
I regret to advise that after almost 20 years as an ITFC season-ticket holder, I shall not be renewing next year.
I have some sympathy with the state of current football, and, indeed, the ever-increasing sums that Mr Evans would have to spend to render our club competitive within this league - however, this sympathy, and any inherent goodwill that might be garnered as a result of said, is significantly outweighed by the utter pigs-ear you've made of this year's Season Ticket renewal.
Putting prices up 500% for kids, removing any mature student concessions (in a town with one of the highest mature student populations in England), removing the 60-year old OAP concessions - you appear to be on a mission to remove the old fanbase, destroy the new fanbase, and take away any interest from a sizeable passive population in a small provincial town, where, to be frank, there is very little else to do on a Saturday afternoon (I love my town, but it's pretty crap).
And this is before we even factor in the remarkable 5% discount offer, which appears to been calculated on the basis that all existing Season Ticket holders will 'double up' next year (how on earth did this particular idea make it off the 'brain-storming' whiteboard?)
You've got this so, so wrong - and, to my great sadness, you will shortly realise just how wrong you've got it.
I sit in a part of the North Stand, surrounded by the same people I've been with for the last 20 years. These are people who have become friends of mine, simply through ITFC. We talk about our dysfunctional families, drizzle, the ever-awful trains into London - but, always, and most regularly, ITFC.
Even within the last 15 years, these are people who have put up with administration under Sheepshanks, no money under Magilton, the contempt shown to everyone associated with ITFC by the Royston Keane's Official Travelling Circus, the ineptitude of Paul Jewell, the brown paper envelopes grasped by Michael Chopra, and who, by and large, have been supportive of Mick McCarthy, who, in spite of the various clowns who preceded him, appears to be a genuinely good man (despite some truly medieval football at times over the last 2 years).
These are people who watch ITFC because, like me, we've been watching too long to really know any better, or different.
These people, like me, have had enough. We see this club, drifting without direction or purpose. I can take mediocrity. I can take poor team selection. I can even take having to leave my seat 10 minutes before half-time, to guarantee getting a pint of warm cider in a cracked plastic cup before the 2nd half starts (as an aside, think how much more beer you'd sell if you employed even 4 extra people at half-time in the North Stand) - anyway, all of this is really just background noise, as long as I know that the fans, the team and the board are all looking roughly in the same direction.
Alas, we've reached the point, in my opinion, where you're not looking in the same direction as us. You're taking my loyalty for granted, and, to my pain, I'm not having it any more; neither are a lot of my friends in the North Stand. Incredibly, despite all of the guff we've put up, we've finally reached a tipping point.
You're a busy man, and so, because I think you'll skim-read this at best, allow me to summarise.
You're getting this all wrong. All of it.
I await your reply with interest. If you're going to send me the same generic reply as my peers on TWTD, please take the bit about the shirts out.
Thanks for your time.
Best Regards
Admiral [Post edited 21 Mar 2017 20:25]
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| Funge's email to club on 20:28 - Mar 21 with 5636 views | BackToRussia |
Last para is a burn. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:30 - Mar 21 with 5605 views | hype313 |
What was his response? TLDR? |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:30 - Mar 21 with 5603 views | jas0999 |
Decent letter, but you managed to give Evans a little credit. He deserves none. No sympathy. |  | | |
| Funge's email to club on 20:31 - Mar 21 with 5585 views | AdmiralFunge |
| Funge's email to club on 20:30 - Mar 21 by hype313 |
What was his response? TLDR? |
Haha!
Only went a couple minutes ago. | |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:31 - Mar 21 with 5570 views | TractorWood |
Decent, Admiral. It's the musings of a loyal fan, so gets my approval. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:31 - Mar 21 with 5568 views | thebooks |
"please take the bit about the shirts out" is good :-) |  | | |
| Funge's email to club on 20:35 - Mar 21 with 5532 views | Lord_Lucan |
Well I couldn't have put it any better so you have saved me a job.
In fact I couldn't have put it better anyway so well done to you.
I have always had high hopes for you Funge
Spot on man |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:35 - Mar 21 with 5515 views | brogansnose |
A complete cruise missile of a letter Fungers and my thoughts entirely, just better put than I could. [Post edited 21 Mar 2017 20:39]
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| Funge's email to club on 20:38 - Mar 21 with 5457 views | factual_blue |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:41 - Mar 21 with 5457 views | Pinewoodblue |
Perfect in as much ad you have made it difficult for the stock response to be used as it would lead to ridicule. Sadly suspect, if they have a planB , they will just not respond at all but press the 'too difficult to answet' or delete button. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:45 - Mar 21 with 5420 views | AdmiralFunge |
| Funge's email to club on 20:35 - Mar 21 by brogansnose |
A complete cruise missile of a letter Fungers and my thoughts entirely, just better put than I could. [Post edited 21 Mar 2017 20:39]
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Ha! Cheers Broggs.
I'm a little upset I feel like this.
After the budgie playoffs, a couple of my mates went off to do other things, and I posted on here that I was gonna give the ST up (cos, for me, the social has been the biggest part of it over the last few years; others on here are happy going to football on their tod; more power to their arm, but it's not for me).
I got a remarkable response on here; people messaging me, offering me company beforehand, spare tickets, all that kind of stuff - it took me aback; it was heartwarming in the truest sense of the word.
(Anyway, another couple of mates decided to take on the relinquished STs, and all was well - but that's not the point)
These are sound people; the hardcore of the club, in the truest sense of the word - and these are the people the club are shafting. Honestly, it kills me, a little.
Stupid football, inspiring emotions. | |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:47 - Mar 21 with 5391 views | Illinoisblue |
simply beautiful Judging by the wide range of "not renewing" posts on here and twitter and facebook, ITFC may be about to face a very significant tipping point. The club lackeys are no doubt standing by with their "well, it's the fans fault" responses. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:48 - Mar 21 with 5389 views | Steve_M |
I think that is perfectly put for many of us on here. Football at this level is crap now, ruined by money, but even within that how is this club getting so much so wrong.
I was going to renew before last week's mess and I think I still will but I've certainly thought about it again. At the moment, I'm not sure what the point is and, however much a change of manager is due, it really isn't because of MM. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:49 - Mar 21 with 5356 views | fabian_illness |
Very well written letter, I'm proud of you as a fellow North Stand resident. Couldn't have summed it up any better. |  | | |
| Funge's email to club on 20:49 - Mar 21 with 5355 views | Herbivore |
Any others who aren't renewing should copy and paste this into an email to Milne, (a) because it is so spot on and well written and (b) it's a nice subversive way of poking fun at the club's generic email response to loyal fans. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 20:50 - Mar 21 with 5339 views | Pinewoodblue |
| Funge's email to club on 20:48 - Mar 21 by Steve_M |
I think that is perfectly put for many of us on here. Football at this level is crap now, ruined by money, but even within that how is this club getting so much so wrong.
I was going to renew before last week's mess and I think I still will but I've certainly thought about it again. At the moment, I'm not sure what the point is and, however much a change of manager is due, it really isn't because of MM. |
Suspect the letter going out with renewals is being rewritten to include comments on the shirts. | |
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| Funge's email to club on 21:00 - Mar 21 with 5215 views | factual_blue |
| Funge's email to club on 20:48 - Mar 21 by Steve_M |
I think that is perfectly put for many of us on here. Football at this level is crap now, ruined by money, but even within that how is this club getting so much so wrong.
I was going to renew before last week's mess and I think I still will but I've certainly thought about it again. At the moment, I'm not sure what the point is and, however much a change of manager is due, it really isn't because of MM. |
I've reached a point where a regime change is the only way forward I can see, and I'm not even sure that will help. But that's the only thing we can hope to achieve as the other things are well outside our Iinfluence (eg structural and strategic changes in football).
So I'd say don't renew, | |
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| Funge's email to club on 21:01 - Mar 21 with 5217 views | brogansnose |
| Funge's email to club on 20:45 - Mar 21 by AdmiralFunge |
Ha! Cheers Broggs.
I'm a little upset I feel like this.
After the budgie playoffs, a couple of my mates went off to do other things, and I posted on here that I was gonna give the ST up (cos, for me, the social has been the biggest part of it over the last few years; others on here are happy going to football on their tod; more power to their arm, but it's not for me).
I got a remarkable response on here; people messaging me, offering me company beforehand, spare tickets, all that kind of stuff - it took me aback; it was heartwarming in the truest sense of the word.
(Anyway, another couple of mates decided to take on the relinquished STs, and all was well - but that's not the point)
These are sound people; the hardcore of the club, in the truest sense of the word - and these are the people the club are shafting. Honestly, it kills me, a little.
Stupid football, inspiring emotions. |
I've wrestled with how I feel about things all season, actually quite a bit of last season too. I've been on and off about renewing and was back on after Villa but the Wolves and Barnsley games killed it. I sat at Barnsley and it gutted me with the realisation that it was all over in fact Mach came down and had a word so I must have looked bad.
I've found it easier splitting up after long term relationships than this but I can't do this anymore. | | | |
| Funge's email to club on 21:04 - Mar 21 with 5155 views | factual_blue |
| Funge's email to club on 21:01 - Mar 21 by brogansnose |
I've wrestled with how I feel about things all season, actually quite a bit of last season too. I've been on and off about renewing and was back on after Villa but the Wolves and Barnsley games killed it. I sat at Barnsley and it gutted me with the realisation that it was all over in fact Mach came down and had a word so I must have looked bad.
I've found it easier splitting up after long term relationships than this but I can't do this anymore. |
Plus you won't be able to play 'which one is Facters' on the 12.25 from Bury. | |
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| Funge's email to club on 21:07 - Mar 21 with 5144 views | powinswitch |
| Funge's email to club on 20:45 - Mar 21 by AdmiralFunge |
Ha! Cheers Broggs.
I'm a little upset I feel like this.
After the budgie playoffs, a couple of my mates went off to do other things, and I posted on here that I was gonna give the ST up (cos, for me, the social has been the biggest part of it over the last few years; others on here are happy going to football on their tod; more power to their arm, but it's not for me).
I got a remarkable response on here; people messaging me, offering me company beforehand, spare tickets, all that kind of stuff - it took me aback; it was heartwarming in the truest sense of the word.
(Anyway, another couple of mates decided to take on the relinquished STs, and all was well - but that's not the point)
These are sound people; the hardcore of the club, in the truest sense of the word - and these are the people the club are shafting. Honestly, it kills me, a little.
Stupid football, inspiring emotions. |
Your tale of how you were brought back into the fold without leaving encapsulates for me, why we are a club. The football club is the embodiment of our community. I have never lived in Ipswich, and have only lived in Suffolk for 20 of my 50+ plus years. But the first 16 of them culminated in the UEFA cup final of 81. The football club represents where I come from, where 'my people' come from. My son, an avid Town fan who only lived in Suffolk for the first time 4 years ago when he was 21, was nicknamed Finidi when we lived in Northants when he was a teenager, cos of the tractorboys links.
Fc united of Manchester or whatever they are called, were formed by people of the Manchester/Salford community, sickened by what the most successful club of the 0premiership era have become. I think we are fast approaching the time when we will need to do the same for our community. The disdain with which we are treated by the owners of ITFC who have burdened the thing we love with a debt which is beyond our means is beyond my ability to adequately condemn.
I am renewing. But I am also ready, to convene with others when the time is right, to pick up the pieces. Unfortunately I think it will be on the fc united of manc model. I suspect itfc is already a busted flush. | | | |
| Funge's email to club on 21:10 - Mar 21 with 5098 views | brogansnose |
| Funge's email to club on 21:04 - Mar 21 by factual_blue |
Plus you won't be able to play 'which one is Facters' on the 12.25 from Bury. |
This is what's hurting the most Facters.
I will now take up stalking the garden centres of West and Mid Suffolk in anticipation of spotting your good self!!! | | | |
| Funge's email to club on 21:12 - Mar 21 with 5075 views | NewcyBlue |
Well said Fungers.
Unfortunately you're getting a stock reply is my guess.
I despair at the way the club is going.
TWTD is awash with emails and responses, all of which leave a rather poor view of the club.
Whatever you do to fill the void on your Saturday afternoons, enjoy it. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 21:12 - Mar 21 with 5068 views | RoyKeanesDog |
Spot on.
It wouldn't surprise me if the replica shirts is still mentioned in your reply. |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 21:13 - Mar 21 with 5036 views | Coco |
Perfection. 🙌 |  |
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| Funge's email to club on 21:18 - Mar 21 with 4979 views | Dyland |
Excellent Fungers. I'm writing very similar. |  |
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