leedsutd365.co.uk

“Our father who art in heaven,
deliver us from Leeds fans..”
SYP Asst Chief Constable

Image by incurable_hippie via Flickr

The South Yorkshire Klavern of the Gefusspo have caused the Rotherham v Leeds United pre-season friendly to be cancelled.

In an extraordinary display of ineptitude South Yorkshire Police have admitted they cannot police a friendly football match between Rotherham United and Leeds United.

Given that they were able to police the fixture in the Championship three seasons ago we are awaiting a public statement from the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire as to what terrible fate has befallen his officers/and or his budget that he is no longer able to police simple domestic sporting events between two Yorkshire teams.

This clearly raises questions as to the fitness of the South Yorkshire constabulary to contribute in any meaningful way to the fight against terrorism or indeed school crossing patrols.

It is rumoured that the South Yorkshire police have asked Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday if one of them wouldn’t mind disbanding as they can’t really be expected to police two football grounds during the season.

The immediate resignation of the Chief Constable is expected any day. Did you know that from September 2006 the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire earns over £133,000 per year! Hands up everyone whose first thought was “value-for-money”? Feel free to add your comments below.

(Police apologists – please note the content of this article is protected under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights).

Regular readers of LeedsUtd365.co.uk will know that we have been outspoken in opposition to the moving of Leeds United games by police simply to make them more difficult for Leeds fans to attend. It calls into question the whole ethos of a ‘level playing field for clubs’ in the Football League and the routine use of powers by the police that were designed for use in special circumstances.

Judging by the unprintable comments we have received from police officers or their supporters we must have touched a nerve out there – see our story on Yeovil last season and the two stories earlier this week.

Finally, it seems like someone else is taking up the cudgels, if somewhat belatedly, on behalf Leeds United fans. With the number of Leeds United fixtures altered in the 2007-08 season in double figures Leeds United supporters club chairman Ray Fell has finally come out and said in the YEP,

“I understand the need for rearranging fixtures when there are good reasons for doing so, but what worries me is the fact that our games seem to get moved as a matter of course.

“The first reaction to an away game involving Leeds seems to be to think about moving the date or the kick-off time, and the feeling is that we’re getting a raw deal.

“There were very few signs of trouble last season and the fans get a bit fed up when they’re being asked to visit places like Yeovil on a Friday night for no good reason.

“I think we have to accept certain games will be affected but I’d ask the police and other clubs to show common sense and a bit of restraint when considering whether a traditional 3pm kick-off time is so difficult to stick to.”

It is time the police had the courtesy to publicly give reasons why they have advised a club to move a football fixture.

The legislation may not require them to do so, but the last time I looked I didn’t live in a police state, and as the police do police us by consent, they should explain to those affected by the use of their special powers why they have chosen to do so – unless they feel that we just have to do what they say because they wear a uniform -in which case, it is time for the independent judiciary to earn their, eye-watering, public salaries and examine the use of these powers to ensure they are not being used ultra vires by the police.

Image via Wikipedia

The Gefusspo have moved quickly to spoil the start of the season for Leeds United fans.

Their first game of the season – away at Scunthorpe United’s Glanford Park, will now kick-off at noon. So while everyone else gets to enjoy a beer and relish the anticipation of the long-awaited start to the new season Leeds fans get to suffer an equivalent case of premature ejaculation.

So the Gefusspo have spoilt the Scunthorpe United and Peterborough United matches – which will be the next little police force to raise its trembling hand and say, “please sir, may we be excused too; we can’t cope with Leeds fans either..”