Aston Villa Supporters TrustAston Villa Supporters TrustAston Villa Supporters TrustAston Villa Supporters Trust
  • Home
  • About
    • About AVST
    • Our Objectives
    • Our Achievements
    • Your Executive Team
    • Our Patrons
    • Our Partners
    • Club Liaison
  • Join Us
    • Join AVST
    • Become A Partner
    • FAQ’s
    • Member Zone
  • News
  • Campaigns
  • Community
  • Media
    • AVST In The Media
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
  • Meetings & Events
  • Contact

AVST Statement – Removal of Banners

    Home AVST News AVST Statement – Removal of Banners
    NextPrevious

    AVST Statement – Removal of Banners

    By Stuart Griffin | AVST News | Comments are Closed | 14 March, 2016 | 0

    When AVST met with Aston Villa officials two weeks ago, we discussed a number of things in great length.  We can only apologise if the length of the write up we put out on the website was not substantive enough for some, however, the meeting lasted almost three hours and therefore we felt it was best to abbreviate what was discussed, rather than give a word for word account.

    One of the key objectives we were keen to discuss with the club though was the constant negative PR that has been swirling around Villa Park for some time now and, most importantly, ways that they could look to repair the fractured relationship between the club and its supporters.  Therefore, we were bitterly disappointed by events at the match yesterday, particularly given how well received the appointments of Messrs Little and Bernstein had been just a few days prior.

    Watching Aston Villa has not been an enjoyable pastime for a number of years and the board have acknowledged this.  Regardless of anyone’s views on the relative merits of any protest campaign, we understand the feeling of helplessness of our supporters who simply want confidence that their views are being heard and that the club are doing everything in their power to turn this sliding oil tanker around.  After just three victories in the league this season, and with relegation an inevitability, it is little wonder that our supporters have simply had enough.

    With this in mind, we felt we must contact the club after what transpired at Villa Park yesterday.  There has been plenty of press coverage of the removal of banners held by supporters with the message “Lerner Out” written on them.  In fact, similar complaints were made of the same during the previous home game with Everton. We asked the club to explain their reasoning for this and were informed that the individuals holding these up had been politely requested not to display the banners several times before eventual removal.  This is somewhat missing the point.

    The clubs terms of ticket use specifically reference banners.  They note that unacceptable are “Abusive, offensive, racist or obscene” banners.  Quite right too.  We are struggling to see how anything that the supporters held up Sunday fits into any of those categories though and it is hard not to take the view that this is a form of censorship from the club.  Whilst we will doubtless hear that there are two sides to the story, and that the press tend to cover everything in the worst possible light, it is unfortunately yet another self-inflicted notch on the poor PR bedpost that leaves the bed in serious danger of collapse.

    If such measures continue against peaceful protest then the club is at risk of inflaming the situation.  The last thing anyone needs at the moment is the supporters being further alienated.

    No tags.

    NextPrevious

    Legal Stuff

    Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust is the trading name of the Aston Villa Supporters’ Society Limited, a registered Industrial and Provident Society (29250R). We are also governed by the Financial Conduct Authority.

    Privacy Policy

    Donate to AVST

    Help us achieve our community objectives by donating below.



    Recent Posts

    • Tommy Docherty RIP

      Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust extends heartfelt condolences to friends and family of

      1 January, 2021
    • Lee Child and Simon Inglis on their 58 years of support for Aston Villa

      Million-selling author, Lee Child (Jim Grant), best-known for his Jack Reacher series

      22 December, 2020

    Membership

    Copyright 2019 Aston Villa Supporters' Trust | All Rights Reserved
    • Home
    • About
      • About AVST
      • Our Objectives
      • Our Achievements
      • Your Executive Team
      • Our Patrons
      • Our Partners
      • Club Liaison
    • Join Us
      • Join AVST
      • Become A Partner
      • FAQ’s
      • Member Zone
    • News
    • Campaigns
    • Community
    • Media
      • AVST In The Media
      • Podcasts
      • Videos
    • Meetings & Events
    • Contact
    Aston Villa Supporters Trust
    We use cookies on our website to improve your experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies, though you have the option to Opt-Out if you wish.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non-necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.