Walsall Trust Statement Encourages Peaceful Protest

This afternoon a statement has been released by the Walsall Supporters Trust Board “generally agreeing” with the sentiments of fans organising the forthcoming protest and to encourage all to join the peaceful protest.

The protest has been organised due to the current situation at the club with many disillusioned by the way the club is being ran.

Statement / Press Release from the Walsall Supporters Trust Board: –

Over the last few weeks, it has become obvious that more and more fans have become disillusioned with the way they perceive the club is being run.

This is not just a matter of results on the pitch and an anti- Jon Whitney movement, although he, himself, can be seen to be a symptom of the problem, but more about the perception that the club has abandoned its stated ambitions to become, eventually, an established Championship club, with the so-called DNA of the team abandoned.

We have ourselves, via the Trust Column in the local press, made suggestions to the club several times to take action to try to restore the faith of the supporters, to no avail.

An independent group of supporters has organised a protest at the next home game against Oxford on the 13th January, where supporters are encouraged to stand in front of the main entrance and not enter the ground. Season ticket holders, who have already paid in advance, are being asked to go into the game, but not spend a penny on food drink. Then, upon the 80th minute, whatever the score be in the game or however good or bad we are playing, they will get up and leave the game and join the fans outside the ground.

There will also be a bucket collection for those participating to donate their entry fees to charity.

The Walsall Supporters` Football Trust generally agree with the sentiments expressed by the fellow fans organising the protest. We encourage all fans to join this peaceful protest to show that now is time for the club to affirm the ambition that we all want.”

The protest is being held before our League 1 fixture with Oxford United on Saturday 13th January. Fans are being asked if they aren’t attending the fixture, to stand with others outside the main entrance and inform the board in a peaceful manner of how they feel regarding the current situation.

A charity bucket will be there for fans to donate their match day admission into it which will then be distributed to a charity.

For those that are going into the game, fans are asked to leave on eighty minutes and join the peaceful protest outside of the reception.