He’s a Wittoner. I don’t know him but I know those that do!
Maybe I’m an FC United fan too!
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I am a Witton fan. Wembley '92, with my dad and granddad.
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I removed my name and e-mail from my profile before I posted. They mysteriously reverted back again…
Note from moderator - Why the ‘…’ ? I read an implication into that that I do not like. Rest assured no-one amended your profile other than yourself.
- I explained why I didn’t want to be named, and Yorkshire Red had the indecency to do so. Thanks for that, Yorkshire Red (whose surname isn’t posted on here), on your head be it. I’ve asked the moderators to remove it, but no dice yet…
Note from moderator - Again why the ‘…’ ? Sometimes I go days without looking at the forum. Other people also voluntarily moderate, but this is not a full-time, paid position giving 24 hour coverage! Please see message later in thread.
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Just because I’m in a management role doesn’t mean that I don’t have the technical skills to be on call.
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Maybe I care because I want what’s best for the club, long-term. Which is not being associated at all with people who think that all Muslim children should be killed, and can’t even bring themselves to apologise. Goal-scorers come and go. I want a club that can hold their own at a decent level, and hold their heads up high, that I can bring my grand-kids to in 20 years time. That’s a club that’s inclusive - that doesn’t scare off any people of any creed, colour, or religion because the club has been associated with poisonous individuals.
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I don’t want Tuck sacked just before the FC game. I wanted him out of our club the day he was found guilty.
Im sorry if ive got this wrong its just that at these times theres a lot of mistrust.
I have tried to delete my comments but it wont let me, maybe its due to me using the forum from my phone?
Could admin please remove my comments and once again sorry to lurker
Any reference to names now deleted. Sorry for the delay.
I’ve not posted on the forum for some time and this is a temporary return.
Firstly it’s important that everyone can voice their views and opinions without then receiving abuse for doing so. We all have our opinions on this issue and clearly people are divided in their views. Whatever the opinion of the fans we have an elected board who are put in place to make difficult decisions and we have to respect their role in making them.
Now in regards to this issue. I have to agree with an earlier statement that the club will be “damned if they do and damned if they don’t” in respect of any action taken. I happen to think, my opinion, that the club have behaved appropriately in their actions so far. They have respected the legal process fully throughout and made no public statements that could have been considered to prejudice the decisions of other parties.
The things that Tuck posted on social media sites where completely innappropriate. Sufficiently so that the CPS decided to take this to court, which resulted in the jail sentance he recieved. Now unless I am wrong I don’t believe there to be a higher authority in the land than our legal system and therefore the punishement handed out to Tuck was done so with the full force of the law. No additional punishment from the club, FA or anyone else could be as severe as a custodial sentence and therefore he has served his punishment for the crime.
I don’t condone his actions at all, however I would argue that there are many worse crimes that don’t lead to custodial sentences. To put this into context he was locked up for use of his computer keyboard! Now what he said clearly expressed views that were unnacceptable whatever the justification. I think the country as a whole was shocked and angered by the killing of a soldier in the middle of the street during the day. Whilst that does not give Tuck or anyone else the right to post what he did it was clearly an emmotive subject for many.
So, having committed the crime and served his punishment where does that leave the individual and then the club. I would agree that the club could have taken the decision to cancel his contract and dismiss him immediately. It had the right to do that. Would that have helped the player or the club? Following a custodial sentence how much longer does the punishment have to continue for?
We should also bear in mind here that this had nothing to do with football. It was outside the season, not on a football pitch, nothing to do with the football club and in no way football related. Had Tuck have been working as a gas fitter would he never be allowed to fit a boiler again!
Luis Suarez will return to the Liverpool side in a week or two from now, with kids around the country wearing his name on their shirts. His current ban is for biting an opponent, not the first time and of course last season he was banned for racism. Liverpool have not sacked him, and nor have the supporters stopped watching him and cheering when he scores!
There are a long line of footballers that have been to prison, Lee Hughes killed someone in a road accident and fled the scence, he now plays for Port Vale. There is a statue of Tony Adams outside the Emirates Stadium, Joey Barton is back playing for QPR and Mickey Thomas is a radio pundit. All served longer time than Tuck and whilst it’s difficult to compare the severity of crimes some of these were arguably worse.
If we sack Tuck then he goes and signs for another club, probably in our league. So where is the punishment or the gain in that for player or club. Who knows someone may pay him more than the low budgets we operate with, maybe he could financially benefit from his crime! I write that very much tongue in cheek and whilst not trivialising the matter the point is there. If we choose to keep him on as a player then we must do so with conditions in respect of repeated poor bahavior and I would hope some agreed rehabiliation. There is a strong arguement that sanctions, restrcitions or conditions on behavior that we set are likely to be more than a new club would put in place.
In society as a whole once a punishment has been served is not appropriate to give someone another chance?
I don’t that any fan condones his crime and nor do I believe that his crimes are being celebrated by celebrating a goal that he scores. He has embarrased himself and the football club and placed it’s officials and fans in an extremely difficult position. If the board choose to stand by him and offer him the opportunity to stay then he has been very lucky and I think he owes it to the club (and the fans) to behave impeccably in the coming months.
I don’t believe fans protesting and threatening absence serves much purpose either. Of course everyone has a choice to make on whether they go to games but I think that equally they need to show some respect for those making the decisions. Remember that as a club we have carried the Help for Heroes logo on our shirts and changed the name of our ground in support of the charity. We also let members of the forces in for free. This decision was also a board decision! Fans staying away serves very little purpose.
I would like to see Tuck score 20 goals plus for us this season and I hope/believe that club will manage the player and situation to the best of it’s abilities.
Now on other football related matters; I think it was stupid to let Foster go. But then I’m not the one making the decisions and it further goes to show that we will not all agree with everything!
To the Wincham Rabbit.
Whilst almost everything you say makes sense Rabbit I am still at a loss as to why Shaun has not made a written apology, it would have taken two minutes to post one on here, after all he found time to post his racist rant on the night the soldier died, why so slow to apologies? I have to say that no matter what condition one might find oneself in I doubt vey much that anyone would post such offensive remarks unless they were racist in the first place, but as I have said I am a gullible old man and if he EVER apologises I will accept it for as you say everyone deserves a second chance.
WHS…
I doubt if Shaun even knows this forum exists!
At times I wish it didn’t.
This is clearly an emotive subject. The utterly unacceptable actions of Shaun Tuck have left the club between a rock and a hard place. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and at the moment I am allowing those opinions to be expressed on here. In the end, as I set up, run and fund this site then I decide what I allow to be posted, but I (and others with moderator privileges) am not on here 24 hours a day. I urge all posters to consider their words carefully before posting. I can offer no guarantee that posts will remain up; if I consider it necessary I will delete posts or pull the thread.
What is indisputable is that whatever decision the club make, some will strongly disagree with it. I once again recommend those that have not done so to listen to the latest podcast, which contains an excellent summary of the club’s position by Mark Harris.
I have strong feelings on this matter, but I have not made them public, the main reason being that I do not feel it is helpful to the club for the support base to be so openly at loggerheads. I will accept whatever the club decides. I urge all other supporters to do so as well. Let us not forget that Shaun Tuck is serving the punishment meted out by the judiciary. Some will think the sentence too harsh, others not harsh enough. When the vile, subhuman scum (and I have considered my words carefully!) that carried out the original atrocity are sentenced, I know I will feel outrage because they will not receive the death sentence they so obviously deserve, but we must all remember that their crime had nothing to do with Islam, nothing to do with any religion, whatever the perpetrators may claim. This is a fundamental mistake that Shaun Tuck, and probably millions of others in this country have made.
To finish, please think carefully before you press the ‘submit’ button. The last thing I want to have to do is start moderating this site with anything other than the lightest of touches. And please support the club’s decision over Shaun Tuck, and be thankful that you are not in the invidious position the board have been placed in.
EDIT - Whilst I was composing my post, The Wincham Rabbit has also made what I consider to be an excellent contribution to this thread, I go along fully with what he has written.
let’s put this to bed, all you are doing is putting this club down. mark and pritch have done this club nothing but good and they should be congratulated for what they have done. instead they are being slagged off for what is a catcth 22 situation. just let them get on with what they have proved that they are more than capable of doing, that is RUNNING THIS FOOTBALL CLUB TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, after all they have not done too badly so far have they?.so let us all sing from the same songsheet and help the club to the next level. don’t forget the players access this site and if they see your anti witton posts surely that must demoralise them. so think before you post, which is what some are saying to shaun.
[quote=“WHS” post=51392]To the Wincham Rabbit.
Whilst almost everything you say makes sense Rabbit I am still at a loss as to why Shaun has not made a written apology, it would have taken two minutes to post one on here, after all he found time to post his racist rant on the night the soldier died, why so slow to apologies? I have to say that no matter what condition one might find oneself in I doubt vey much that anyone would post such offensive remarks unless they were racist in the first place, but as I have said I am a gullible old man and if he EVER apologises I will accept it for as you say everyone deserves a second chance.
WHS…[/quote]
WHS the last thing the lad needs to do at this moment in time is to go anywhere near a forum. He has been back at the club little over a week and in the time I have heard him personally apologise to a number of people. Not condoning anything he has done as he shouldn’t put himself into that position where he needs to apologise in the first place.
Everything else is been managed by the club. I think people should wait for the statement later today which I will post on here this evening and which will appear on the official website at around 5pm hopefully.
The lad did some porridge for his actions so imo that’s that end of story. I don’t think WAFC further punishing him will serve any purpose at all, he’s been punished enough so draw a line and let him move on.
If he keeps popping up with winners :goal that give WAFC 3 more valuable points on our quest for promotion then happy days as far as I’m concerned.
UTA
We must also consider the cost of a massive legal battle.
As Shaun’s offence was nothing to do with football, and was committed during the close season, and nowhere near a football ground, if Witton Albion took the action of sacking him, then there might by implications.
It is not unfeasible that Shaun could claim[color=#ff0000] 'UNFAIR DISMISSAL[/color]', and sue the club for many thousands of pounds if he was sacked.
This could cause a knock-on effect to the fortunes of the club, and start a downward spiral which could go all the way, and see the demise of the club.
I don’t condone Shauns’ actions, but I feel he has paid his dues, and we should all move on.
Some posts on here suggest that we will loose some fans over this issue. If they are true Wittonners, they may take a sabatical, but they will be back. (I am talking from experience as a person sacked by the Chairman in March of this year, but much to the annoyance of my family, I have come back to support the club I have supported since 1990).
I would just add the following to what has been said already. When I come to games, my support is for the team and the club not for any one individual as the club is the most important thing. Whatever decision the club makes, as a supporter of the club I will respect it and fully support it. That doesn’t mean that I agree with it but as I said earlier, my allegiance is to Witton Albion Football Club.
Well said TT. To me the publishing ot the “open letter” on this forum can only have served to further damage the club. I also don’t condone in any way the tweets which led to Shaun Tucks imprisonment, but he has served his time and deserves rehabilitation (which in my opinion includes his playing at the club).
The letter writer is saying really that “the club MUST DO AS I SAY, to fit in with my own opinion, and I do not respect the officials and management of the club to take decisions on this issue”. This is wrong and knowing the people taking these decisions I would respect what they decided even if it was not in line with MY opinion!
Wonderful, but again I ask why so long in apologising? He could have posted on here last week, he need not have said anything else, had he done so I for one would have accepted it and I think many others would have done too.
WHS.
[quote=“WHS” post=51404]Wonderful, but again I ask why so long in apologising? He could have posted on here last week, he need not have said anything else, had he done so I for one would have accepted it and I think many others would have done too.
WHS.[/quote]
I’ll say it again…Shaun (as with all the other players) do not read on here, never mind post on here. Its a good job too, with the way some of the players are slated on this forum.
Did you not read what I said before or are you simply choosing to ignore it.
This is an unofficial fans forum not the place for players to come on and explain anything to you
Excuse me! Our Manager Mr. Pritchard chose to come on here and explained HIS position and let us get one thing perfectly clear, this problem is not of any fan’s making it was caused by Shaun Tuck and no one else. We pay his wages through the turnstiles surely we are entitled to an explanation from Shaun as to why it has taken so long to get an apology in print from him, which I should point out is now on here for all to see so negating your comment that he does not have to explain himself to not just me but to ALL Witton supporters. As I have said, and I will stick to it, if Shaun apologises in print I will take it him at his word; he has, I do.
WHS.
Ok WHS. it’s in print now so that should appease you. However it appears on the clubs official website as Tuck like the majority of the players does not come on this forum.
But stop changing the goalposts. First you wanted an apology. Tick. Now you want an explanation from him as to why its taken so long to get the apology. Either accept it or don’t but make a decision. We need to move forward and get behind the football club. We can’t keep going back and demanding more from this situation
We are where we are with it. We can dwell on it, vote with our feet or try and move forward and bring some unity back to the club. If this whole situation doesn’t work out and the lad hasn’t learnt his lesson at least we can say we tried our best.
No I don’t want an explanation as to why it took so long but there maybe others who do and that is the problem. This issue has made me feel physically sick at times hearing Wittoners tear into other Wittoners over their position on this subject. Racism by its very nature divides people and it can be no surprise it has divided us. But like you I want an end to it, whether we can have that end with Shaun still at the club I have no idea but I truly hope so.
WHS.
PS You moaned at me for not reading your missive properly, read mine again, you will see I said “if Shaun apologises in print I will take him at his word;; he has and I do.”
WHS.