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The pressman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 8:34 pm Good to see that the club have reposted Starmer's tweet about his HR visit. Shame that by doing so the club have now seemingly endorsed the labour Party candidate for Thursday's election as the said tweet includes slogans and support for the Labour party.. Publicity is one thing, but so close to a byelection was this not naive and unbalanced?

No. Next question?

The pressman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 7:43 pm
We should never mix football with politics!

Naive at best that statement

The pressman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 8:34 pm Good to see that the club have reposted Starmer's tweet about his HR visit. Shame that by doing so the club have now seemingly endorsed the labour Party candidate for Thursday's election as the said tweet includes slogans and support for the Labour party.. Publicity is one thing, but so close to a byelection was this not naive and unbalanced?

Why do we have to be balanced? We're not the BBC for christ sake! The Labour candidate has clearly shown far more interest in the club than most of the others standing so what's the issue? I'm sure if Rishi Sunak, Richard Tice or Sir Ed Davey wanted to pop over to Hayden Rd, we would have hosted them. The fact they didn't shouldn't mean the club simply refuses to engage with politicians that were prepared to hear from the club.

The pressman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 7:43 pm As much as it could be construed in some quarters as good publicity interviewing the Leader of the Opposition, this doesn't sit right with me. With just 2 days to go to the Wellingborough byelection, it is at best naive that we've given the labour Party candidate and the leader of the opposition an electioneering opportunity. More worryingly is that the club might be seen as supporting the labour party.

We should never mix football with politics!

To quote Matt Taylor following Gen Kitchen's interview on AFCRDTV after the Gresley game:

I can confirm that candidates of all parties have been invited and the same processs will be followed on all.

There was an interview with the Lib Dem candidate recently too, but if the Tory candidate is too busy trying to stop the boats or attempting to clear her boyfriend's name following his suspension from parliament for bullying and sexual misconduct, then that's on them.

The pressman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 7:43 pm We should never mix football with politics!

I understand you are saying this against the background of a specific context, but I have to say I always find this statement funny. Do we really think the FA are doing a bang up job / the vast amount of money the Premier League makes is well distributed? With all of the unfit football club owners around destroying clubs, more state intervention is actually the thing that is arguably required (we should know!).

The pressman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 7:43 pm
We should never mix football with politics!

When the club is looking to move to a new ground. Who do you think has to give the go ahead for such thing?

If you "show off" the club to the potential new MP for the area, they might take the clubs plight for a new facility to the Houses of Parliament and get the ground signed off.

So tell me again why we *never* mixed football with politics?

The fact that people are annoyed that "Ooh but what about the Conservatives etc, it should be balanced"

They were invited and didn't show up/ couldn't give a toss. So perhaps think about stuff like that when you do go to the ballot!

Good to see the leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party at Hayden Road.

sussexdiamond wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 10:40 pm Good to see the leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party at Hayden Road.

https://www.loonyparty.com/0317/8463/we ... -policies/

Football not mentioned. Golf and Horse racing though?

And fishing...

"Fishing will be made a spectator sport by introducing piranha into the River Nene."

Note: This post is not an endorsement of the candidate.

The pressman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 8:34 pm Good to see that the club have reposted Starmer's tweet about his HR visit. Shame that by doing so the club have now seemingly endorsed the labour Party candidate for Thursday's election as the said tweet includes slogans and support for the Labour party.. Publicity is one thing, but so close to a byelection was this not naive and unbalanced?

Perhaps, but then again the Tories' candidate declined to be interviewed, so what can you do? As Dowlo says, politics and football do mix, it's part of what will be needed for a new ground.

I remember during RDFC's demise in 2011, a few on this forum tried to get in contact with the county's (Conservative) MPs to try and get some help and were given non-responses. Maybe a fresh approach is a good thing?