Letter From John Gibson!!

[Colin Zeal EFM]

Trev - he has not spoken to me in person about this at all, Trev, and nor has he given any reasons in his email as to why I've been banned.

 

YA - thanks for your support, mate. And yes, any talk of our Candy fundraiser was allegedly banned by Mr Gibson in both Eamsie's, and the Supporters Club's programme notes.

 

 

[EFM Trev]

I'm not in the slightest bit surprised by that.

[CANV EFM]

banned from mentioning some sterling charity work in the program.. oh dear what a c...

[ESG]

r u banned from away agmes?

[Colin Zeal EFM]

I don't believe so. The email said banned from Clarence Park.

 

 

[GHA EFM]

Just on matchdays?

[Colin Zeal EFM]

At any time, is how I read it.

 

Then again, I wasn't intending to go to the quiz night on Friday anyhow!

 

 

[Colin Zeal EFM]

GHA, you know as much detail of this as I do. The only contact I've had with Gibson is the received email at the top of this thread.

 

 

[GHA EFM]

So no response as yet to your e-mail then?

 

Troubled times...

[Matt H]

This banning bug is catching on around the Non-League scene! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

 

Firstly, I have to say Gibson is a coward! Informing you of the ban via email is so yellow. At least when I was banned I was told face to face by our Chairman at a game.

 

No correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought EFM and it's associates were practically the backbone of St. Albans City FC's support?

 

Like YA has mentioned above, not many fans would travel the length and breadth of the country by train to follow their team and make the best of a day out to an away game at Canvey, Bognor etc. I remember some Canvey fans doing something similar last season but that was only to Grays!!!

 

I'm sure Zeal wasn't drunk when he informed Merv CIFC of his offer to raise the Charity Money for Candy last season and the total sum after the game was probably 75% made up from EFM's participation before the game.

 

I'm sure you'll be able to spend your Saturdays/Tuesdays somewhere where the money and support would be most welcome and not just at a Football Club. However Gibson can't really do anything for away games apart from pass on mug-shots and tell the police/stewards to be aware of your(?) behaviour.

 

Most Clubs would beg for the support you gave for St. Albans City and the publicity we gave Canvey Island, but unfortunately the Clubs in question that we love and have spent seasons following just don't seem to want to comply.

 

I was looking forward to coming to Clarence Park this season after the game at Park Lane in September, but now it seems to lose all appeal. Continue your level of support for Away games by all means.

 

Good Luck to Zeal, Thornsy & Costello <img src="/images/graemlins/icon14.gif" alt="" />

 

 

Matt CIFC <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Colin Zeal EFM]

Thanks Matt.

 

 

[CIFC - Y.A]

Quote:

not many fans would travel the length and breadth of the country by train to follow their team and make the best of a day out to an away game at Canvey, Bognor etc. I remember some Canvey fans doing something similar last season but that was only to Grays!!!

I travelled to Kettering on the train on Saturday! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ('cos the coach was sold out <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />) So I know how much of an effort it is...

So...

Good luck to everyone facing bans in non-league, it's stupid, and I fully support anyone banned for the wrong reasons. I dont actually know what is going on in this case as I have only just come back to Non-League Forums..
If anyone could let me know i'd appreciate it.

Cheers,
Bill

[Colin Zeal EFM]

Yes, if someone could let me know too, I'd also appreciate the info.

 

 

[GHA EFM]

I haven't got a scooby...

[GHA EFM]

Zeal. I presume you will still be going to as many away games as is feasibly possible?

[Big Al (KTFC)]

Were there <i>any</i> incidents at the Billericay game?

[pabird]

Could be a good time for a or some ricay support take take out the club support emotion and give us their version of what happened

 

All supporters get emotional but we at times have to allow that football support is essential for all clubs and the most committed support may at times say things that are out of order in your front room but acceptable in a non-league club house

 

I.E if we reserve the right for ourselves to be blind in one eye supporting our team then we should defend the right of opposition support to be on eyed at times

 

Mind you most of us do not know any of the alleged detail which may all be a nonsense anyway

[YELLOW]

The thing that really pisses me off is the lack of acknowledgement that EFM was given over the money raised for Candy Bloomfield by the club. It was almost as if they were embarrassed! You would think a club would be proud of what a group of supporters did for an opposition supporter and would have craved the positive publicity but it was 'oh no, nothing to do with us'

 

In fact EFM were given far more of a mention and a big thank you in the matchday programme by myself and our programme editor and also on the Canvey Website. There was also a bit in our local paper.

EFM got absolutely no thanks from St Albans City whatsoever and must feel absolutely gutted about this.

 

As I said above, keep fighting.

 

It would be rather interesting if Mr Gibson came on this site and read all these comments. Maybe his views might change although I very much doubt it.

<img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[wayno]

I actually wrote a letter addressed to your Secretary on behalf of CIFC to personally thank you for everything you did for Candy on that day. I have to say I'm disappointed that it was a waste of time and that you never received it.

[EFM Trev]

There was no chance of that letter ever reaching us - in fact, that's the first I'd ever heard of it. One can only presume that it was binned as soon as it reached the club. My withering interest has been all but extinguished by this, but I daresay that Mr Gibson doesn't care about that. Interesting, by the way, that none of the "multitude of witnesses" have come on here to lay into the EFM 3. I'd have thought that if this "incident" was so severe, people would have been queuing up to have a go at them. But I could be wrong, of course.

 

I've said before on here that if as much time and effort was putting into putting things right on the pitch as went into addressing so-called "issues" off of it, then the team might be considerably higher placed in the League than it is right now - and for those of you that haven't seen City this season, let me tell you right now that the League table isn't lying. They are as dire as their lowly position suggests.

 

Changing tack slightly, here's a question for you: the club hires out it's bar for social functions and so on. If, say, Trevinha and I decided to tie the knot and have our reception at the Clubhouse (unlikely, but bear with me on this) would I have to not invite the aforementioned three if I wanted to hold it there? Because (and this is entirely hypothetical) if that was the case, I'd obviously not hold it there. Presumably the club can do without the money from this sort of thing as well.

 

Of course, none of the above really matters. The team is dying on the pitch, and this ill-conceived move is alienating more people than it's satisfying. I'll leave Mr Gibson to make whatever decisions he feels fit to make, because I don't really care enough to have that much of an opinion either way any more.