New Shirt Boycott

[Guest Prongsy]

What's your thoughts on this?

 

It's on the site today about pre ordering... It'd send a signal...

[Kahnee]

A free f***in' voucher with every shirt? f*** that - count me in

[Guest Prongsy]

Appologies, I didn't see the voucher. Please delete the thread and put my down for 5.

[liveabiglife]

It would send a signal, Prongsy, for sure, but it would need a lot of people to do it. I wonder if it might get lost in the wider (ie people who are not really tracking or don't really care and just like the shirt) purchasing volume? I also wonder if they may be anticipating some kind of backlash, hence the voucher to try and encourage people to effectively take 25% off?

Edited April 19, 2008 by liveabiglife

[Guest Prongsy]

It would need full SOS organisation for it to get off the ground at all. If we could get 50% or more people to do it, that would send massive shockwaves into the Hicks camp.

[liveabiglife]

It would need full SOS organisation for it to get off the ground at all. If we could get 50% or more people to do it, that would send massive shockwaves into the Hicks camp.

 

Agree on both points. My only reservation is that I doubt Hicks would take a blind bit of notice. He is like the whole boiled frog idea, i.m.o., and to him the pan seems to be pleasantly warm despite all the steam and bubbles.

Edited April 19, 2008 by liveabiglife

[Spike]

a boycott and organised protests of the shops when it's launched

[Guest Prongsy]

It looks like others are having the same idea.

 

Please sign this lads.

 

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?NoNewKit

 

 

To: The Liverpool Football Club Board, and Potential Financial Backers of Tom Hicks

 

We, the loyal supporters of Liverpool Football Club, have had enough of the boardroom saga for control of our club. We have staged protests and we have made banners, but the time has now come to take our efforts to the next level.

 

As we were made aware by the club this week, Adidas and Liverpool plan to unveil the new 2008/2010 kit next Friday, April 25, 2008. The undersigned of this petition have agreed to boycott this item, and refuse to purchase it until Tom Hicks and George Gillett are out of our club. We understand that the loss of potential millions of pounds will hurt the club in the short-run, but it is also true that this will hurt the current owners in the only place that matters to them – their wallets. We will always support our team, but until Tom Hicks and George Gillett are out of club, we will not purchase this item.

 

We refuse to accept the role of being a money-maker for Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s entertainment businesses. We refuse to accept the debt placed on our club despite promises to the contrary. We refuse to accept the owners’ ineptitude and incompetence regarding our new stadium. We refuse to accept the spin coming from Tom Hicks' PR department. We refuse to accept the disgraceful public image these two have given our club in the global press. And lastly, we refuse to accept Tom Hicks and George Gillett as custodians of our storied, and beloved club.

 

Sincerely,

 

The Undersigned

[New York Red]

Boycotts like this are exactly what needs to be done.

 

The discipline to do so is another matter.

[Guest Prongsy]

Boycotts like this are exactly what needs to be done.

 

The discipline to do so is another matter.

 

I think this one is a mix of:

 

1) Hitting a major revenue stream for the club

2) Putting pressure on from Major sponsors (Carlsberg and Adidas)

3) Easiest to do, it saves money on something that's far from vital.

 

It's nowhere near as hard to do as boycotting the match and it's far more effective than not buying Caarlsberg in the pub or canceling setanta.

[stressederic]

The acid test will be if we end up getting number 6 and as a result release celebratory merchandise.

[Barnesy_10]

will never work... millions of shirts get sold... the majority to kids. I can't see parents depriving their kids of a shirt in the off chance it may make a small and insignificant (in the grand scheme of things) help toward pissing Hicks off.

If we weren't such a global market then it would be potentially a simpler thing to organise and could make a difference...

[paisley1977]

will never work... millions of shirts get sold... the majority to kids. I can't see parents depriving their kids of a shirt in the off chance it may make a small and insignificant (in the grand scheme of things) help toward pissing Hicks off.

If we weren't such a global market then it would be potentially a simpler thing to organise and could make a difference...

 

My boys birthday on Tuesday and the shirt with Torres on the back is off his wish list.

[Guest Beano's Dad]

Isn't there a new EC Law that stops alcohol advertising on new junior kids as from Jan 1st this year?

 

If so that will make it easier anyway not to buy them. My kids would want what the players wear and not some blank replica. Just need to discipline myself not to buy it. I'll save the cash.

[Guest Prongsy]

My boys birthday on Tuesday and the shirt with Torres on the back is off his wish list.

 

I always buy my lad a top as soon as it comes out. Not this time, of course.

Edited April 20, 2008 by Prongsy

[Guest Beano's Dad]

Just checked that the ban does not affect us as it only affects new contracts with alcohol brands.

 

Gonna have to either lie to the kids or tell them they can't have new shirts as there are fat lying c***s who own the club ATM.

[Barnesy_10]

My boys birthday on Tuesday and the shirt with Torres on the back is off his wish list.

thats all well and good... but for the parents that aren't as passionate about Liverpool, or for the ones that don't go on internet forums or to the games where flyers may be handed out to promote the boycott then they will still buy the shirts..

Its like the match boycott idea...... if 10 thousand members on here didn't go to a game one week then there are easily 10 thousand who will step in.

[Guest Prongsy]

thats all well and good... but for the parents that aren't as passionate about Liverpool, or for the ones that don't go on internet forums or to the games where flyers may be handed out to promote the boycott then they will still buy the shirts..

Its like the match boycott idea...... if 10 thousand members on here didn't go to a game one week then there are easily 10 thousand who will step in.

 

Mate, if they lose 50% of their shirt revenue or even 25%, it'd be f***ing massive.

[Cam]

We understand that the loss of potential millions of pounds will hurt the club in the short-run, but it is also true that this will hurt the current owners in the only place that matters to them – their wallets. We will always support our team, but until Tom Hicks and George Gillett are out of club, we will not purchase this item.

Nonsense.

 

Only the club would be affected. And it wouldn't be short-term.

 

G&H will still be holding out for the same money whether a single shirt is sold or not. Are these philanthropists likely to say "y'know y'all, ya lost millions with the shirt sales so we'll take £10m less"? Not really.

 

Who is the threat to boycott aimed at - the club? They're trying to get G&H out. What's the boycott gonna do - get them to say "pleeeeeease" even more nicely?

 

And if we're waiting for SOS to organise something properly it's doomed from the start. They'll be having talks about having talks to develop a plan for more talks on some talking about talks on strategic talks.

[Guest Prongsy]

I can't answer any of those questions as I didn't start the petition or write that passage...

[Barnesy_10]

Mate, if they lose 50% of their shirt revenue or even 25%, it'd be f***ing massive.

I understand that, but 25% of our fan base is a ridiculously large amount of people to get on your side, and to give a f*** enough to not buy the shirts... The majority don't give a f*** what happens behind the scenes, all they want is to follow a club... The ones that would give a f*** enough to take part are the ones who are totally aware of what is going on, ones that are passionate about the club 7 days a week, not just for 90 minutes at the weekend..

My point is that to make any kind of significant dent in Hicks' ownership would take a massive massive campaign... something that would need to be adhered to by hundreds of thousands at least...

 

I want to make the point that I would be part of the boycott, I just can't see anything like this taking off..... Its all well and good us doing it on here, but like I say it would be an insignificant amount to what would be required, though I guess every little bit helps...

Edited April 20, 2008 by Barnesy_10

[Guest Prongsy]

woah, 25% of our fanbase isn't the same as 25% of our shirt buying base.

 

I think 25-50%, if the media reported (in a factual way) that people were boycotting shirts... I dunno, but if we can't mobilise to stop 25% of people buying a shirt then I've massively overestimated our togetherness.

[Cam]

I know, it wasn't really aimed at you.

 

I just think it's all bo11ocks; same as the match-day refreshments kiosks boycott. I can see the aim is to make the club appear less profitable & therefore less attractive for G&H to keep hold off. But they don't want to keep hold of us and it's only affect attractiveness to other potential new owners.

 

Short-term? Okay, the club lose £10m this summer. G&H won't cover that, the fecking tight-arses. We miss out on a 'Torres-type' signing - perhaps Villa. He signs for Arsenal for 5 years. They march to 3 titles and a CL win in that time. We carry on limping to 4th and demanding the club "SiGn BiG NaMeS".

[Barnesy_10]

woah, 25% of our fanbase isn't the same as 25% of our shirt buying base.

 

I think 25-50%, if the media reported (in a factual way) that people were boycotting shirts... I dunno, but if we can't mobilise to stop 25% of people buying a shirt then I've massively overestimated our togetherness.

correct, I meant fans that buy shirts..

I still think its a massive amount mate... I think if any club could do it it would be us but I also think to make any significance we would have to spread globally in order to affect Hicks to the point where he will take note. I do think that as its mainly the parents that buy the merchandise then it will need to have an impact on them and for them to understand what is really going on before they take part in it.. Like I said before.. kids want shirts... they don't give a f*** whats happening anywhere other than on the pitch.. the parents, unless fans like us, only care about keeping their kids happy. Its the parents we need to target.. they are the main target audience.. We have seen how crazy it gets in the club shop on launch day of a new shirt.... also the online shop doing promotions, with free gifts and also selling out of almost all sizes with days..not to mention Sports Soccer and the like selling them at £25 in mass amounts. Its a massive undertaking... but I would be behind it all the way, but this club means more to me than a bit of cotton on my back.

Edited April 20, 2008 by Barnesy_10

[growler]

I really would like to do something to get rid of these guys. However:

 

1. NOT selling a few thousand shirts won't change anything

2. People will still buy the shirts

 

and the main thing:

 

we all know those guys are only in it for the money. What do you think would happen if they were 10million short at the business end? mmm. Lets have a look at the squad, we could sell a few of those players to cover that.