More details are now available of the proposed “fly past” apparently arranged by a small group of around 30,000 anti-Cellino Leeds United fans for the home fixture against Nottingham Forest this coming weekend.
It would appear, from the illustrative picture that we have been sent, that the protest will use an aircraft the livery of which is calculated to get under il Duce‘s skin. Massimo Cellino is notoriously superstitious, with a particular aversion for the colour purple, the number 17 and adequate investment into the football clubs unfortunate enough to come under his ownership. These are details that have not escaped protest organisers, who have settled on the design pictured. The basic purple colour and the number 17 will be clearly visible from Elland Road, although Cellino himself is unlikely to be present.
A separate group of up to a dozen Leeds fans have voiced their objections to the planned protest, saying that it is “silly” and the work of “silly people who are too silly to see how Cellino has saved Leeds United nearly as often as Ken Bates did”. To show their opposition to the protest flypast, these pro-Cellino fans will wear specially made blinkers featuring the Italian flag. Pointy hats with a capital D will also figure. “The D stands for Duce”, said a pro-Cellino spokesman, proudly. “Or at least it was something like that…”
A pro-Cellino supporter, yesterday
One-time ‘world’s best’ and latterday laughing-stock Leeds United (aged 97) has had enough – and wishes to become a football club again.
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Sweet!
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Superb Rob
This wretched despicable man is probably in many ways worse than Bates.
Cellino is a criminal, a fraudster, a liar and above all totally unsuitable to be The Custodian of a once great club.
He needs to sell to a Billionaire, as due to his negligence,by not doing Due Dillegence, GFH have a huge hold over the club and value their share at a figure of 30M PLUS.
His pathetic Non Effort to strengthen an already weak and mediocre squad have come to nothing and when Cook and Taylor are sold in the summer, he will find that there are no top class kids coming through at the moment and will rue the day Redfearn was taken away from the Accadamy.
To those who still think that he is a Billionaire, think on. Why is he so desperate to sell 10 or 20% of his stake to Steve Parkin or anybody else crazy to be associated with him?
Cellino is the devil. Always was and always will be,but Bates was right about one thing.
As fans we are ‘Morons’ because we stand for all the shit every owner since Leslie Silver has thrown at him.
Lets protest LONG AND LOUD so Cellino realises we despise him to the core and want him out immediately!!!!!!!
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“He needs to sell to a Billionaire” oh really? You have any in mind? I didn’t think so.
But that doesn’t matter. When MC sells to some wide-boy asset-stripper you can organise a silly fly-by again, simply change the name to the new owner…
I’m so stupid, I always thought you needed an alternative in place to complement these out campaigns – you know, like what happens in general elections. Looks like I’m wrong, we just need to get this man out and everything will be perfect. I love a good fairy tale, me. Let the fly-by commence.
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Madman is correct. This club will go nowhere whilst the lunatic stays in Leeds, and those who still support him are doing themselves and the club no favours. Why oh why are we not protesting in great numbers.
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I thought the article is funny although those with a thin skin won’t be guffawing away like me. Think this game could be the pinch point in the pros v antis which could be fun.
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Plenty of antis, even in places like WACCOE, which isn’t exactly the Grand Central of intelligent thought and debate.
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Here’s a story with a caution. The caution is that when I use the word crook it is as an adjective meaning (in the Australian sense): bad, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory… Anyway, when one crook owner sells Leeds who could he sell it to but a crook buyer? One who can be relied on to keep everything ‘crook’ quiet – on the pain of gagging order penalties and, of course, self interest. That crook buyer then surrounds itself with dodgy advisers who invite in another crook buyer. This last crook buyer/owner is a bit like Pinnicchio fallen in with a band of grifters. He craves to be seen as human but the more he tries to imitate the company he keeps the more lies he tells. His wooden nose grows longer and longer. Now, instead of becoming human, he is ridiculous and even more a marionette – or martinet!
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Good story. When I use the word crook, it means as criminally bent as a nine bob note!
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Yet another amusing blog Rob. It almost helps to soften the ongoing frustration of having Cellino the clown in the box seat. Let’s hope that soon his appeal fails so that his ‘running’ of the club has to again be clandestine. Yet another two years of abject failure. He should sack himself. I wonder is there counselling available for anyone who still thinks he’s good for the club?
Happy Birthday to my stepson for tomorrow. He is SEVENTEEN. Will wear a purple shirt for his party.
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Happy birthday to a lad with his head evidently screwed on – as opposed to certain others’ whose are totally screwed up.
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Well said Rob. I love the 1980’s Dymo labels on the purple plane.
The lack of ambition at Leeds is absolutely breathtaking and those philosophical fans, who have that the season is over and Cellino is probably waiting to invest in new players in the summer instead, are very, very wrong and deluded.
Wilko and Leslie Silver didn’t stick their ambitious necks out on deadline day in 1989, by signing Strachan, Fairclough and Shutt for short-termism. No, they were signed mainly to bed-in, in the remainder of that season and then they were ready for the next season of that great promotion season and all three would play for Leeds for the next four years.
Cellino is absolutely clueless and persisting with an extremely small Leeds squad, with lack of competition for places, is a bit like having a car with only two wheels and that explains just why this misfiring Leeds team, have only been firing on one cylinder, since day one of this hopeless season.
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Where to begin.
The two big player sales by Cellino, McCash and Byram, both wanted to go.
Where did the cash go, well we signed half a dozen Italian players and reportedly the clubs accounts are pretty much debt free, (to be confirmed), for the first time since the fish tank era. Don’t think SE would keep saying it if it wasn’t close to the truth. Byram’s money is apparently set aside for new players but because it wasn’t spent immediately, many fans decided it’s been pocketed by MC. Only time will tell who’s right on this one.
Things are improving on the pitch as the team have reportedly just played the best 80mins of football for quite some time. SE is still looking to bring in loanees which isn’t great but is better than nothing.
Yes, the transfer window was frustrating but at least we got Bridcutt extended and we brought in Toumani. Which was more than Liverpool/ManU but less than Middsbro/Wendies. And that’s the rub really, we are envious of our neighbours without wanting to show it. It hurts that they are going for broke when we appear to be moving forward at a snails pace. But they are in the minority of clubs with owners willing to splash cash. Our owner isn’t willing to do that but is that grounds for him to be condemned, ridiculed, abused? Be grateful we are not Bolton….. again. And if that last point suggests a lack of ambition on my part then think again. I’ve experienced the glory years of both Revie and Wilkinson and I want to experience it again so badly it hurts. But gambling glory against administration isn’t for me.
Final point from a tweet I made yesterday. You push Cellino and he pushes back, ask Cagliari fans, ask the fans from the South Stand. You will not get him out with anti-Cellino chants or fly pasts but you will ‘P’ him off and evidence suggests he will retaliate. Be very careful what you wish for.
p.s. Rob – 30,000 disaffected fans is a wind up, no?
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I’ll leave you to decide what was a wind-up. It was clearly a satirical/parody piece. What I find hard to credit is that you’re defending a man you yourself characterise as petty, petulant and vindictive (push Cellino and he pushes back etc). Surely an enlightened owner would act in the best interests of the club rather than punishing all to get back at perceived dissidents. Then again, we possibly agree that Cellino is anything but enlightened.
Maybe we should just celebrate Evans’ longevity record, a massive 20 games. But how long does he realistically have? How many more sackings to heap ridicule on this club?
You’re making a reasonable stab at defending the indefensible, my friend.
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I know there was a basis of truth in the flying banner so wondered if there was a basis of truth in the numbers. Just send me the D hat, I’m heading for the corner.
I agree MC’s far from perfect but he’s not the worst we’ve had by a million miles and the undeniable truth is he could be replaced by worse. There’s no guarantees so I’ll stick with him and settle for slow progress even though I am a coffin dodger……..
For my sins, couldn’t care less about his character so long as the team improves. I’d take Vladimir Putin as Pres if the team improved…… sad I know.
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I’ve just formed a forum of pro Cellino supporters and we’ve clubbed together to hire a Spitfire for Saturday. Watch that fokker go down in flames……..
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Rob, can i throw a question out there, supposing Cellino does throw a strop and bails out, that still leaves the skint Arabs with their share in the club keeping a nice low profile and at the moment they are happy for Cellino to be taking all the flak, Cellino cannot force them to sell their share and it seems they are in no hurry to depart or divest themselves of their shares, whoever comes in will still have to deal with them still leeching off the club, something to ponder on.
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Rob – Please watch and listen to the following vid from the 6min mark. If SE is telling the truth then what’s your beef with MC. He cheats on taxes? Do you recommend flybys for Google and Starbucks too?
Of course if you think SE is lying then you should support a flyby for him as well. I just don’t think he’s the sort of character who would sell his soul / sing the party line for a job.
I just feel that the positives aren’t as obvious to the fans as maybe the negatives, e.g. the club not signing a striker before the window closed.
I’d just love the strife to end and you are one of a number who have the power to unite or divide. For the good of the team, please let’s gamble on united.
Bottom line is I don’t think I am defending the indefensible, I think there’s something there that’s flawed but making a change for the better. Until you can guarantee flybys and demos will give me something better, I’ll stick.
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I with you on an overall assessment and the conclusion you draw. Furthermore there’s a new young generation of Leeds fans taking shape in the Family Stand. Many of them have friends who support the big Premiership clubs. They need an atmosphere of fun and optimism around the club not the negativity that protests and general carping produce. That goes for their grandparents too !
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A pop-gun should be sufficient to burst the inflated egos of these self-styled dissidents whose previous disruption brought no credit to themselves or the club. They remind me of the pro-Boycott faction that did so much harm to Yorkshire cricket in the 1970’s and ’80’s. Cellino may not have worked a miracle at the club, but it is not clear to this Georgie Meek fan what actual harm he has done.
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Perhaps as a Georgie Meek fan, you should update yourself slightly and take on board the views of one Johnny Giles.
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Would that be the Giles – great footballer that he was – who played such a constructive role during Brian Clough’s short tenure ? I will read what he has to say nonetheless.
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I think Giles saw through Clough (aided by Old Big ‘Ead’s “previous” where LUFC was concerned) as quickly as he’s seen through Cellino. There are no regrets on this blog about the brevity of Brian’s Elland Road tenure. On his own, he was ordinary and no match for a world class squad. If we’d have got Taylor as well – different story.
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