Cod Almighty | Diary

The power is ours

20 December 2018

Basque Diary writes: This week the FA announced that its plan to scrap FA Cup fifth round replays will be brought forward a year to this season. This was not what the majority of English football supporters wanted.

This week the Football League Cup played out its four quarter-final ties without extra time, instead going straight to penalties. This was not what the majority of English football supporters wanted.

And finally, the Football League Trophy: last week the Football League announced that an "agreement in principle" is in place "that will see the competition continue in its current format for further three seasons, subject to an acceptable level of funding being in place". This was not what the majority of English football supporters wanted.

What has happened to fan power? We have organisations such as the Football Supporters Federation, Football Supporters Europe and the supporters' trust movement fighting our corner – yet we are still not heard.

Why do we collectively continue to accept the terrible hand we are dealt? Why are we not unified in our protests? Why are we not hitting clubs where it hurts and staying away from home league games as a whole unit?

Supporters in Germany have worked together and successfully campaigned for the end of Monday night football for television. Alavés supporters in the Basque derby against Athletic Club last weekend protested against television's influence on football. Their message was "switch off the television and save football" and "football belongs to the supporters, not television".

The battle could be won. The battle should be won. But we need to start to consider what short- to medium-term loss would do for our long-term gain if we are going to have an effect. We need to do that together across all clubs, not just in patches.

Football is for the people. The people deserve to be heard. We also deserve to be listened to.