SOS

Thursday 08 December 2011 at 13:08


This season, in a departure from previous practice, Liverpool Football Club has opened up its Auto Cup Scheme (ACS) to non-season ticket holders who have joined the club’s Official Membership scheme.

SOS has no objection to non-season ticket holders gaining priority over season ticket holders, or anybody else, if this priority is obtained on the basis of games attended. In principle, so long as access to tickets is still based upon attendance at prior matches, the expansion of the ACS appears to be a logical extension of the “loyalty” system operated in previous seasons.

Regrettably, the announcement of ticket selling details for the League Cup Semi-Final home tie against Manchester City proves that this is far from being the case.

Members of the ACS who have attended a mere THREE home Premier League games have been given priority access to tickets over non ACS members (including Season Ticket Holders, Official Members and Fan Card Holders) who have attended ALL home Premier League matches and ALL of this season and last season’s League Cup ties.

This is a clear contradiction of the term "loyalty". Long-standing and loyal match-going supporters are being pushed to one side in favour of people who may be attending their fourth Liverpool game ever!

Liverpool FC is determining "loyalty" upon attending a few home Premier League games and being willing, and able, to pay for tickets direct from a bank account or credit card. Effectively dismissing supporters’ efforts, and the great expense incurred, in attending the less attractive League Cup ties and paying up front for, or otherwise attending, a whole season’s worth of home Premier League matches.

Whilst supporters may query the introduction of "cross-competition loyalty", if home Premier League games are being used as a pre-requisite for the League Cup Semi-Final, then why has the club not applied the same condition to the new Official Member ACS as to the Season Ticket ACS, i.e. attendance at all home Premier League matches?

SOS regrets that Liverpool Football Club has seen fit to prioritise ease of collecting payment above the loyalty of those supporters who have attended earlier League Cup ties and purchased tickets for more than the pitiful pre-requisite of three Premier League home games. We are also deeply disappointed that this development threatens the tremendous amount of goodwill that has been built up between supporters and the club’s owners and executives since the FSG takeover our club.

However, we feel we are vindicated in stating our opposition to this policy and our firm belief that supporter “loyalty” should be based upon matches attended not upon the way we pay for tickets.

We ask supporters to let us know their views on this communication via our social media:

Liverpool Football Club are saddened to learn of the death today of Official LFC Supporters' Committee representative, Paul Rice.

A regular match-goer both home and away, Paul's was a familiar face among Liverpool supporters.

Paul chaired the inaugural meeting of the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) Supporters' Union before being elected as Chair and then Vice Chair and Lifetime Vice President in recognition of his work for the organisation.

More recently he was elected to the newly formed Liverpool FC Supporters Committee, where he was chosen to represent fans in the Merseyside area.

Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre said today: "I was fortunate to have known Paul personally and he was a true fan, and also an excellent businessman. Paul was a leading figure in the representations between the club and the fans in our ownership issues some time back and I had huge respect for the way he conducted himself in my dealings with him. He will be sadly missed."

Everybody at Liverpool Football Club extends their deepest sympathies to Paul's family and friends at this difficult time.

R.I.P Paul

RIP

SOS lettter to FSG about recent events
Dear Member

Following the continued and ongoing speculation about Liverpool FC and recent events, we have today released te following statement about correspondence we have sent to FSG.

Letter to FSG: Recent Events

In light of recent events surrounding Liverpool Football Club, Spirit of Shankly has been in contact with the club to gain an understanding of what the owner’s strategy may be moving forward. Spirit of Shankly has always held the position that it is not our place to be picking and choosing individual managers, our duty is to represent our members in demanding that the Club has an executive structure in place that can effectively support the manager, whoever that may be.

In seeking to ensure that the club has the best people possible in place to make the best decisions possible, SOS contacted the club yesterday.
In his response Ian Ayre categorically denied that the club was receiving advice or guidance from individual supporters. An accusation which came to light in an email that was sent to a number of Liverpool supporter groups.

Ian Ayre:

"I can tell you categorically that Alan Kayll and Paul Tompkins have had no input on the manager or anything else for that matter. I've seen a lot of that stuff being suggested and it's nonsense."

Following this, last night Spirit of Shankly sent the following correspondence to Tom Werner, John Henry and Ian Ayre in the hope that communication with supporters can be improved and the football club can present clear leadership and direction.

We will update members upon receipt of a response and we will also be communicating our own plans should no response be forthcoming in a timely manner.

Correspondence sent to Tom Werner, John Henry & Ian Ayre:

Dear Mr Werner, Mr Henry and Mr Ayre

We are writing to you as we are concerned about the current situation that our football club finds itself in. It is a time of worry for supporters, not just because of the huge changes and the transformation that is happening in such a short time frame but the manner in which it is happening.

It may be that yourselves and the board of Liverpool Football Club have a vision you are working towards. It may be that you have implemented a strategy to deliver that vision and decisions are being made to work towards this. However, from the outside where supporters find themselves once again, it looks like a football club in disarray. Confusion and chaos seems to reign and no one is coming out of this with much credit, particularly the football club’s image and brand.

We need clear and pro-active communication, a confident message about the club’s plans that breeds confidence amongst supporters that we are moving in the right direction. Instead, we have silence and a lack of information or understanding on decisions being made.

Today we find ourselves with key positions at the football club vacant. Most notably, the position of Manager and the lack of a footballing man on the board. There has been much speculation, along with emails sent to supporters groups, on who is providing advice to yourselves. It may well be the case that this is speculation; however, it is understandable that there is speculation given the lack of clarity and information on who is deciding on matters, why and the timing of them.

We have seen both Damien Comolli and Kenny Dalglish removed from their positions, and the search for replacements is still ongoing. We do know that conversations have been held with individuals mentioned in today's rumours about the football staff and those who have held these positions.

Mr Ayre has said today:

"I can tell you categorically that Alan Kayll and Paul Tomkins have had no input on the manager or anything else for that matter. I've seen a lot of that stuff being suggested and it's nonsense."

This is encouraging as it is the firm belief of Spirit Of Shankly that footballing decisions should be made by footballing men who are appropriately qualified. We know all too well of the mistakes that follow if this simple mantra is not adhered to.
Are suitably qualified individuals making these decisions?

Today, Ian Ayre gave an interview, talking about the removal of Kenny Dalglish as manager, in which he stated that “Winning the FA Cup wouldn’t have made any difference – it was never about an individual result. It was always about taking a review of the season in full."

As supporters, we have always believed in the quote from Bill Shankly that “Liverpool Football club exists not to make money, it exists to win trophies and be a source of pride for its supporters. It serves no other purpose.”.

To supporters, this is of massive importance. We know that success in football requires money. However, the quote from Ian Ayre would lead us to believe that our focus is no longer on winning trophies but making money. In a season that has seen us end with one trophy out of the three available and narrowly miss out on a second, it is somewhat disrespectful to suggest to supporters that winning another trophy would not be good enough. It is also contradictory to what Ian Ayre himself said earlier in the month: “Anyone who was at the Carling Cup final or the semi-final against Everton will tell you that’s what being a Liverpool fan is all about. It might not have the biggest prize money or the biggest status, but it’s fantastic. You go to watch a football team every week because you want them to be successful and win things. John and Tom will be there on Saturday. That’s why you buy sports teams – to watch them compete for trophies”. Ian Ayre, May 2012.

Is it now the strategy of Liverpool FC to place greater importance upon generating revenues above winning trophies?

Today, communication and leadership is vital. As supporters we have seen all too clearly what a lack of communication from absentee owners leads to. There has been very limited dialogue through the Supporters Committee which is still in its infancy, but this has been mainly used by the club to get messages out, rather than the dialogue promised with supporters at the time of your takeover. At a time when a clear message is needed, it is somewhat embarrassing for supporters and the football club to see Twitter messages on who supporters think should be the next manager. We are Liverpool FC. We are better than that.

Ultimately, supporters remain in the dark once again about the plans for this football club moving forward. We find ourselves experiencing déjà vu, where boardroom decisions lead to more questions than they answer. If we all want to pull in the same direction, transparency is needed. As supporters we often offer blind devotion to our football team. Due to our history, we do not afford the same luxury to the football club. It is equally as important for you to trust in supporters, so that we can work together for the betterment of the football club, as it is for us to trust in you.

We ask that you speak with supporters – engage with a true representative cross section of supporters and work with supporters to provide solutions to our current problems. This will enable communication with supporters to take place in an open and accountable manner.

Hopefully hear from you soon.

Spirit Of Shankly

SOS Statement on Regeneration Proposals

Wednesday 17 October 2012 at 12:24

Given our work to progress the Football Quarter initiative and our ongoing constitutional commitment to the improvement of the Anfield neighbourhood, Spirit of Shankly welcomes Monday's announcement of plans for the long awaited, and much needed, regeneration of the Anfield area. In particular, the Union notes the key role played by Mayor Joe Anderson and Liverpool City Council in bringing key agencies together to produce the regeneration masterplan.

This masterplan, which builds upon Liverpool City Council's proposals presented earlier in the Summer, is intended to deliver Mayor Anderson's vision of:

"A future of high quality housing, first-class retail and leisure facilities, and at the heart of it all, a world-class football stadium, playing host to one of the world’s most famous clubs."

For Liverpool supporters the key element of Monday's announcement was Liverpool's Football Club's re-affirmation of previous statements of preference for redeveloping the existing Anfield stadium over building a new stadium in Stanley Park. The "Stadium Issue" has been a subject of much frustration among supporters and Anfield residents for many years and, while recognising that Ian Ayre's statement was far from conclusive, Spirit of Shankly welcomes Monday's communication.

Nevertheless, the experience of Anfield residents and Liverpool supporters alike ensures we appreciate that there is still a tremendous amount of work to be undertaken before the stadium expansion is confirmed and the local area's regeneration begins to take shape. However, we hope that dialogue can be maintained between all stakeholders, ensuring that the needs of the residents, supporters, club, council and city are met and the twin challenges of re-invigorating the Anfield neighbourhood and providing Liverpool FC with a stadium worthy of the club's position in world football can finally be overcome.

For our part, Spirit of Shankly will continue to work with partners in the Football Quarter and strive to ensure that local residents and supporters, as well as millionaire footballers and billionaire investment funds, benefit from Anfield's renewal.

Only hearing about this now?


Following the problems experienced by supporters at the turnstiles at the home games against Stoke City and Notts County, Spirit of Shankly is concerned that a number of important issues remain unresolved.

Supporters with "active" season ticket/membership cards have been unable to pass through the turnstiles, in spite of the card reader accepting their cards and showing a green light. This has resulted in a build up of queues at a number of turnstile blocks.

The club's response to this issue has been confusing and ad hoc. At some turnstiles a "Fan Support" steward has re-validated cards with a hand held scanner and a representative of the "access control system" company has over ridden the turnstile computer to allow supporters through. At other turnstiles, supporters were required to go to the ticket office to have their cards re-validated and have a paper ticket issued, some at a cost of £10.

These problems at the turnstiles have meant that hundreds of supporters missed up to 20 minutes of each of these games. It has also led to safety issues, with the queuing system failing altogether at turnstile block B before the Stoke game.

Spirit of Shankly is concerned that these issues have revealed the fragmented nature of crowd management at Anfield. Stewards at unstaffed turnstiles have no manual over ride facility, meaning that in the event of a build up of crowds they would not be able to allow supporters at the front to pass through the turnstiles more quickly.

The issues arising at the Stoke City match were raised by Spirit of Shankly members at last Sunday's meeting of the Liverpool FC Supporters' Committee. Spirit of Shankly is shocked at the response given by Ged Poynton, Stadium Manager. Flying in the face of the problems faced by supporters and communicated to the Supporters' Committee, Mr Poynton trotted out the staple "late arrivals" excuse and a line about inactive cards being presented - the latter day "ticketless fans". Mr Poynton further claimed that all supporters affected had gained entry to the stadium by 12 minutes into the game. Something we know to be untrue.

At the subsequent Notts County match, Spirit of Shankly members again observed numerous supporters being denied access by the computerised turnstile system. At kick off time the queues for turnstile Block B at the Kop end stretched across to Lake St and down to the Albert pub (see images). Ten minutes after kick-off the queue of supporters at the ticket office had reached the entrance to the club shop & museum (see image)

Clearly the problems experienced at the Stoke City match have not been resolved. Rather, conversations with supporters and stewards suggest things may have been exacerbated by issues with Auto Cup Scheme membership cards not being activated.

Spirit of Shankly believes that it is purely the good nature and co-operation of supporters that has prevented more serious issues arising. However, it is possible that supporters will not be so accepting about such problems delaying their entry to the stadium at more high profile fixtures. The response of Mr Poyton to the Supporters' Committee, coupled with the fragmented nature of stadium access management, indicates that the club is neither prepared for such a scenario nor equipped to deal with it.

We believe that the club has to put egos and empires to one side where supporter safety is concerned. Many supporters have suggested what may be workable solutions to the problems that have now occurred at two successive matches. The Supporters' Committee minutes indicate that Mr Poynton is not willing to accept that there are continuing issues, he also appears to be totally dismissive of supporters' legitimate complaints and concerns.

Liverpool Football Club and Mr Poynton would do well to remember that Liverpool supporters have good reason to raise safety issues and that Liverpool supporters have a first hand knowledge of what can happen when problems at turnstiles trigger a chain of events. Spirit of Shankly therefore calls on the club to open dialogue with supporters and to listen, without prejudice or threat of job losses, to the views of club stewards who have been open in their criticism of the access control system.

We expect the club to make a full statement explaining the measures that will be put in place before the Manchester United match. We also request that the club fully explain, with evidence, Mr Poynton's claims regarding the problems at the Stoke City game being a result of late arrivals and invalid cards being presented.

In addition, we call on Merseyside Police and the licencing authority to carefully monitor proceedings at the turnstiles on Sunday in order that the competence of the new access control system can be independently verified.

Response from club

Over the summer, Liverpool has made some upgrades around Anfield stadium and ahead of Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester United is asking fans for their support as there are new turnstiles in operation.

The club acknowledges that a number of fans experienced some difficulties accessing the new turnstiles during the Stoke game and would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

We also acknowledge some comments made by a member of staff during the LFC Supporters' Committee meeting the following day were not helpful in this regard and would apologise for this.

Subsequently, we have carried out an investigation into the various issues that were experienced for this game and have put in place measures which will be in place for Sunday.

Additionally, we would also like to ask fans for their help to ensure access to the stadium on Sunday is as smooth as possible.

Supporters who are attending Sunday's game are asked to:

- Please ensure you bring with you the current membership card, season ticket card or match ticket on the day of the game. It is important that you don't bring old membership cards, season ticket cards or match tickets as the turnstile readers will not recognise these.

- To access the stadium, please ensure you insert your current membership card, season ticket card or match ticket into the opening of the reader at the turnstile. When the light goes green, remove the ticket or pass, push on the turnstile and immediately enter the stadium in the normal way. It is important to note that you will only have a set time to go through the turnstile, so we would ask that once the green light shows that you enter the stadium via the turnstile without delay.

- In the unlikely event that your membership card, season ticket card or match ticket is not accepted, the light will go red. If this happens, speak to the steward at the turnstile, who will advise you where the nearest Fan Support Team member is located, who will endeavour to resolve the issue.

- As always, please ensure you allow sufficient time to travel to the ground. Kick-off for Sunday's match is 1.30pm BST.

If you have any concerns about your membership card, season ticket card or match ticket before you arrive at the turnstile, please seek help from a member of the Fan Support Team, who are positioned near each turnstile block around the stadium.

Please note, if your purchase was made using your membership card, you should receive a text message reminding you of your seat details and the turnstile you should be using to enter the stadium. If you are unsure, please check your details by clicking here.

If you are still in doubt on arrival at the stadium please contact a member of the Fan Support Team.

Thank-you for your continued support.

At least they replied swiftly and acknowledged the comments made were out of order

Im in kop but I bought other s and dont know theie turnstile. Cant find mail