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Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:23 - Mar 24 by Zx1988
As I've said in response to another thread, there's been plenty of suggestion that Farage was met by the club's Head of Media.
If anyone is skilled and capable enough to deal with this sort of thing as it happens, you'd think it would be the Head of Media.
And the fact he was there and ready to meet him, and shirts had been printed up with 'Farage' on the back, and he's seemingly got access that isn't included in a typical 'off the peg' ground tour tells you the club wasn't blindsided here.
Remarkable lack of foresight. It beggars belief anyone green lighted this, irrespective of your political views.
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Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:31 - Mar 24 with 1163 views
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:15 - Mar 24 by J2BLUE
Where did I say that?
I just meant that if this was 20 years ago and it was Nick Griffin then I would completely agree.
Reform have significant report including most likely from thousands of Town fans which meant the club would get stick either way. Reform would be terrible if they got in power but they are a mainstream party.
As I have already said, I don't think they had much choice. Many others disagree which is fair enough.
I have work to do so won't keep going around in circles.
In your post of 10.58 - “ That is currently leading in the polls. Statistically thousands of fans at any Town game are Reform supporters. However unpalatable that is.”
Maybe it should be our head of media/PR bods getting the scrutiny? Ashton might not have known anything about it until we did. Yeah the buck stops and all that - but can easily see some middle manager taking the flack for this.
Also, the one or two nutters here that already wanted Ashton out anyway, probably shouldn't get a say!
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:34 - Mar 24 by baxterbasics
Maybe it should be our head of media/PR bods getting the scrutiny? Ashton might not have known anything about it until we did. Yeah the buck stops and all that - but can easily see some middle manager taking the flack for this.
Also, the one or two nutters here that already wanted Ashton out anyway, probably shouldn't get a say!
That’s why my headline started “if his decision …” …
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:13 - Mar 24 by Zx1988
This.
Ashton either has to own this and make amends, or lose his job.
As much as I dislike Reform, Ashton being sacked over a private tour which he probably had nothing to do with is, I'm afraid, an hysterical overreaction.
If he had stood in the centre circle shaking Farage's hand and presenting him with a special Town shirt, then that's different. But he didn't.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:46 - Mar 24 by Bobbychase
As much as I dislike Reform, Ashton being sacked over a private tour which he probably had nothing to do with is, I'm afraid, an hysterical overreaction.
If he had stood in the centre circle shaking Farage's hand and presenting him with a special Town shirt, then that's different. But he didn't.
It's not the tour that is necessarily the big issue here. It is Farage and Reform plastering pictures of our club, stadium and sponsors across its political channels, in a way that makes it look like they are being endorsed by our club.
If the reform lot had a private tour and all we heard about it was a few people spotting Farage & his cronies entering into the club, the backlash would have been much more muted.
His brand of hateful, divisive politics should not be welcome at our club
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Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:54 - Mar 24 with 1009 views
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:49 - Mar 24 by surreyblue
It's not the tour that is necessarily the big issue here. It is Farage and Reform plastering pictures of our club, stadium and sponsors across its political channels, in a way that makes it look like they are being endorsed by our club.
If the reform lot had a private tour and all we heard about it was a few people spotting Farage & his cronies entering into the club, the backlash would have been much more muted.
His brand of hateful, divisive politics should not be welcome at our club
Yes but this is what Farage does - and so did Boris to a certain extent - stunts. Reform's twitter actually made it sound like they were holding a rally at Portman Road, when in fact it was just a tour. Far more of the annoyance should be directed at him and his party and their fibs rather than Ashton or our media department.
And as others have pointed out, now ITFC are in a tricky position. I am sure Ashton would like to come out and condemn this but not only would thousands of Town fans vote for Reform if there was an election today, but they may well get loads of seats on the county council in the future.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:46 - Mar 24 by Bobbychase
As much as I dislike Reform, Ashton being sacked over a private tour which he probably had nothing to do with is, I'm afraid, an hysterical overreaction.
If he had stood in the centre circle shaking Farage's hand and presenting him with a special Town shirt, then that's different. But he didn't.
It all rather depends on the reaction now. He needs to very clearly and specifically confirm that there is no endorsement, that the club takes issue with the way in which its intellectual property has been used in a way intended to seem like endorsement, and to restate the clubs values.
If he does that, damage mitigated. If he does not, then there are only a few pretty narrow conclusions for us to reach.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 11:46 - Mar 24 by Bobbychase
As much as I dislike Reform, Ashton being sacked over a private tour which he probably had nothing to do with is, I'm afraid, an hysterical overreaction.
If he had stood in the centre circle shaking Farage's hand and presenting him with a special Town shirt, then that's different. But he didn't.
I hope Soupytwist doesn’t mind me quoting his post of 12.06 today on RKD’s thread -
“It was posted on here yesterday that the club's Director of Media and Communications greeted Farage upon the latter's arrival at Portman Road. That looks quite a bit like "welcomed in in an official capacity by those in charge of Town".
Is that usual practice for the public or private stadium tours?”.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 10:46 - Mar 24 by surreyblue
It depends on what the reaction is after this. As much as I hate it, I'm not sure there is loads that could have been done to stop the original booking.
However, the club has to come out strongly against Farage using images from the tour for official political purposes. I'm not on X but someone else has shared a screenshot showing one of the pictures from the tour is being used as the profile picture for the official reform account
The club has to come out today with a statement which, at a minimum: 1) confirming that this was a standard private tour and the club did not invite Reform to tour 2) denouncing the use of pictures from the tour for political purposes, demanding that they are immediately taken down from twitter and an apology from reform, and threatening legal action if that doesn't happen 3) some sort of statement reiterating that the club is welcoming to all.
If this doesn't happen, I'm in the "sack him" camp.
edit - typos etc.
[Post edited 24 Mar 11:23]
I suspect the club might not even known it was a reform tour (could easily have been booked by by PR/"marketing" who handily avoided mentioning it) and they're marketing of the "visit" whilst a poor look isn't something that the club has any control of.
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Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 12:37 - Mar 24 with 867 views
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 12:23 - Mar 24 by vilanovablue
I suspect the club might not even known it was a reform tour (could easily have been booked by by PR/"marketing" who handily avoided mentioning it) and they're marketing of the "visit" whilst a poor look isn't something that the club has any control of.
Come off it!
They allow broadcasting to camera, on the pitch, unsupervised, without even knowing who’s speaking, who’s filming & who it’s being broadcast to? Don’t think so! And if they don’t know, they bloody well should do because it would be totally contrary to just about every regulation in the book.
I think whatever happens we need to hear from the ownership, and have a clear explanation regardless of our views.
Has any other club been treated to a visit like this and if so what was the fallout? If Ashton had signed off on this he needs to explain his position and process.
He never really apologised for Norwich away, so I doubt he has the nuts to this time but it’s surreal and disgusting seeing a fascist grinning in front of our club, our colours and acting like a guest of honour.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 12:43 - Mar 24 by Mullet
I think whatever happens we need to hear from the ownership, and have a clear explanation regardless of our views.
Has any other club been treated to a visit like this and if so what was the fallout? If Ashton had signed off on this he needs to explain his position and process.
He never really apologised for Norwich away, so I doubt he has the nuts to this time but it’s surreal and disgusting seeing a fascist grinning in front of our club, our colours and acting like a guest of honour.
So far it's following the same sort of pattern as Norwich away.
Release an exculpatory statement full of glaring holes; have the local client media publish it without question; wait for it all to blow over.
Not sure the latter is going to happen so easily in this instance.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 10:48 - Mar 24 by J2BLUE
You would expect them to do the same for the Greens or Lib Dems?
When did the Greens or Lib Dems promote racism and hatred? This not a one cap fits all scenario. Reform are different, however much you may want them not to be.
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Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 23:03 - Mar 24 with 633 views
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 10:48 - Mar 24 by J2BLUE
You would expect them to do the same for the Greens or Lib Dems?
Christ, not you as well J2.
Fascists should not be welcome in this club. Ever.
The visit should have been scrapped. If Reform wanted to howl about how mistreated they were by the club, sure you'd get some dickheads moaning but every decent person would be proud and supportive of the decision.
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Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 23:41 - Mar 24 with 590 views
The lack of direct comment from him is damning. I thought, when O'Leary retired, having Ashton mark his own homework was a huge mistake and this is seemingly just another example of it.
He was either directly responsible for this mess or he didn't realise what was going on at the club he supposedly manages from a business POV. Either way it's a very bad look.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 10:41 - Mar 24 by J2BLUE
Shouldn't even be a question.
Farage has the same right anyone else does to book a tour. On what grounds can the club say no? If we look at the polls then statistically there must be thousands of Reform supporters in the stands every home game.
This was a no win situation. No one wants Farage using the club for propaganda but all these posters saying the club should not allow any political party in wouldn't be at all bothered if it has been Polanski.
As of yesterday Farage is the leader of a major UK party which is leading polls. There are no grounds to refuse him entry. The club had no real choice.
Hopefully Farage will be soundly be defeated at the general election and finally sod off to America to join the grifters tour but for now I really don't see what the club could do. They are probably getting hundreds of complaints, just as they would have done if they had denied them entry.
Imagine Town said no and then Farage stands in our town saying look what your club did. There was no good solution to this.
[Post edited 24 Mar 10:44]
Yiu said to me the other week
"Amazing how many still don't know how football works..."
You might have to change the word football but that now applies to yourself......!
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Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 12:28 - Mar 25 with 420 views
To see if the standings are different today than since the day after first posting the poll (atm, rounded up, resign 43%; be sacked 14%, stay 39%; don’t know 4%.
I think people will only be able to vote if they are doing so for the first time, so will shortly post another one with the same questions to see if the collective opinions have now shifted.
Faragegate - if his decision, should Ashton resign, be sacked or stay? on 09:03 - Mar 27 by Ryorry
To see if the standings are different today than since the day after first posting the poll (atm, rounded up, resign 43%; be sacked 14%, stay 39%; don’t know 4%.
I think people will only be able to vote if they are doing so for the first time, so will shortly post another one with the same questions to see if the collective opinions have now shifted.
Pretty sure if you started the poll today the results would be very different.
For context when this was first posted the line was "they just booked a tour..." and only a couple of photos had come out.
Since then we've had the lies to Phil/EADT (sources say...), the reform video which certainly didn't look like it was filmed covertly, the statement still denying club involvement, immediately countered by the first Athletic article (almost like they had the receipts and knew Ashton was going to lie again), then we've had the second article which spelt everything out in detail, named Ashton and clearly showed the previous statements were dishonest.
Can't remember if/how I voted when it was first posted but I would certainly vote for "sacked" today
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