nzlatic

That’s what I’m getting at, taking it out on the fans by letting the club die. I’m not saying that’s the plan or even likely, just concerned about their pattern of behaviour leading to an extreme outcome such as that.

He doesn’t have unlimited resources though. I hope I’m wrong, but the way they do the same thing regularly - to players… and staff… is a bit of a worry if they decide to take it out on the fans.

I’m more worried about this vindictive trait the owners and senior club figures have, rather than whether Wheater should have left. There’s a pattern here where they seem absolutely fine with damaging themselves/the club to score petty points. My concern is that the next to bear the brunt will be the fans. Will they be fine with letting the club go to the wall at their own personal cost just to spite the fans who are complaining? I reckon so.

I went to Wembley for the Italy v Spain semi and the British gp on Saturday. Same Covid system for both. Bit of a joke really, very easy to get around if you wanted to. Wouldn’t surprise me if there was a big surge in cases linked to all those test events.

The footballers taking the knee could not have made their reasons for doing it any clearer. Anyone choosing to believe what a mail/express/talkradio rentagob says it's "really about" is part of the problem. And if you understand and believe what the players themselves are telling you its for and still object/boo then you're an even bigger part of the problem.

Who are you classing as “vulnerable” out of interest?

Comes across as… you’ve had a good innings but you’re on borrowed time now anyway so we’re all going to crack on come what may.

The problem is that masks have become to be seen as some sort of political oppression, rather than what they actually are - a courtesy to others. Pretty much everyone covers their nose and mouth if sneezing in public. Same courtesy should apply now with masks for the time being.

It feels like everyone is just a bit bored of it now so fuck it, let it rip. I've got 2 kids (3 and 5) and I really don't want to run the risk of them getting long covid. Not to mention the millions who aren't jabbed or are vulnerable. Staggered there's no creativity to the covid response, it seems it's what we have now or nothing at all. No inbetween. No plan for ventilating premises, or opening places like nightclubs but with 50% or 75% capacity and masks for now. Proper financial support for the businesses worst effected. Proper sick pay so people can still isolate. Keep covid check ins at all venues so we can effectively track and trace. Some sort of plan to open up as much as possible now but to try and control and keep the case numbers down as well. It's like they're goading the virus to mutate and beat the vaccine. A massive gamble. Can't see past a winter lockdown again.

Ok, same thing though. I don’t care about the club not wanting to top up (although I do think promising something then not delivering is another common practice of theirs) just as I don’t care that Wheater didn’t accept it. It’s what happened next.

You’re missing the point. The dispute starts when AL says wheater will be topped up then changes his mind and Wheater says he doesn’t accept it. My issue is with what the club does AFTER this.

That’s it. A compromise would almost certainly have been possible. Just like the situation with the Joe Royle stand. They’re incapable because they’re useless but also they’re petty and spiteful. Disastrous combination.

If I had to take that sort of %age pay cut now I’d have to sell my house. If the same happened when I was 20 I’d probably have to chose whether to go out on the piss on Friday or Saturday rather than both.

I’m not passing judgment on what Wheater did. I don’t care what he did or whether he was right or wrong. I’m looking at what the club did about it, and they acted like complete wankers. Again. It’s what they do and it’s why we are where we are.

For me it’s only relevant if you’re looking to justify the actions of the club. I think they’re unjustifiable. All I’m looking at is how the club handled the situation with David Wheater, and they handled it in a similar way to many previous senior players who it seems AL didn’t fancy paying wages to any more. Disputes in business are common but there appears to be no serious attempt here by the club to resolve this dispute, just their standard practice of treating someone like shit in the hope they walk away or take a pay off. In the process they took the fans for mugs too, again standard practice by them. Wheater will be one of many in the lower leagues on that sort of money, has this happened to any other player at any other club?