How Pathetic

I might make a banner myself:

"TAURANGA EXPORTS - LOCHHEAD GOOD, WINSTON BAD"

In Bay of Plenty colors. Mainly Yellow of course though, I am a Wellingtonian now after all

Won't make it too fancy though, I probably won't be keeping it for too long...

Sent an email to my lawyer contact about the banners and Tigers' idea about talking to a lawyer.
Here's his reply:

Prolly just Winston whispering in the ears of the stadium staff. Hmm. You think if I make a banner swearing at him in Italian, would the stewards notice?

Hey Mate, are you a football fan? How can you say that it doesnt matter where the blame lies for the "fiji thing" Pull your head out, these muppets running this country have cost NZF and general NZ football supporters a great deal in this campaign to get to the world cup not to mention the womens under 17 tournament due to play here that now may not and also any other major qualifiers that may have been played here in the future. Its ridiculous and a comment on tv suggesting its ridiculous is exactly what was needed! If you dont agree then im not sure your on the right site.

Easty172007-11-22 15:24:09

Actually yes I am a football fan and that's precisely why I care that we shouldn't be antagonising the very people we need most at the moment. We can argue about the rights and wrongs of what the govt did until the cows come home but so what? The way to get the compensation is to butter them up and lobby because that is how things work with the govt. How do you think yachting and rugby get so much from them? Because they suck up and try to work with them. Would you ever think that a sail on the America's cup boat that had a message that poked fun at Winston on it would be allowed for one second? Or a banner like that at a rugby world cup game in 2011? I'd also add that Winston has one massive ego, knows next to nothing about football, but has clout because his party keeps the govt in power. 

I don't speak Portuguese...babelfish here I come...

"Winston is a piece of sh*t" becomes "Winston � uma parte de merda", which translates to "Winston is an excrement part"

You gotta love how bad Babelfish is at translation

Might be a bit too obvious though, most people can tell that "merda" means sh*t, thanks to the French equivalent being rather well known. Plus with Winston in the sentance...

""Nova Zel�ndia primeiramente" pode ir ao inferno" : NZ First can go to hell - but I'll tell the steward it means "New Zealand's footballers are on fire!"

I've got a Brazilian mate, at the least game he taught us how to yell "Juninho is gay". I'm totally against homophobia, but maybe he can teach us some to us at the Clogs match.

/still trying to think up non-racist chants against that diving Korean parte de merda...

I can't believe it. You actually found a way to make me watch yachting! The only way I'd ever watch that sport was if there was a boat with an anti-Winston Peters slogan on the sail

Both sides in this debate have a point. My opinion is of the middle road - we shouldn't antagonize, but we also shouldn't bend over and take it like Paul Henry takes his paycheck. Positive protest does exist. We should stand up and protest against this issue, but not make it a personal battle that wins us more enemies than sympathy.

...says the guy with the ""Nova Zel�ndia primeiramente" pode ir ao inferno" banner 

Two points.

1, The Americas cup boat would never have that as they are the team receiving the funding.  A different siutation.

2, The same thing would never happen in Union, because the sycophants would never place one rule on Rugby and a different level on Netball.  In fact it would seem that they may have already imposed different levels on Fijian Rugby than Fijian football.

They were just examples. All I'm trying to do is explain from why from an NZF point of view the banners would be inappropriate (and before anyone asks, no I don't work for them).There is a 500K hole in their accounts that if not filled threatens the survival of our game in this country. Having seen the plight of Vanuatu close up there is no way we want to go further down that low cost path.

Just give us the money back Winston.

HN makes a good point, netball and rugby are games that the NZ government can influence.  Footie is an international game run by an international body who isn't afraid to dock us 3 points for our Foreign Minister acting like Libya and North Korea. 

We're not the Auckland City forums.  We do understand people can have opposing views without being paid for them.

Are you a member of NZ First though ?

Even NZS are not delusional enough to believe the government will bridge that gap just by being nice to them.  Lobbying and politicing has got them nothing in 20+ years.  Perhaps a blaze of publicity from a group that is independent but represents a large body of New Zealanders will embarass them in to supporting the game more New Zealanders play.

Of course with only 2.5k last night the position is a bit undermined.

Perhaps next time call the media before hand, have a wee protest outside the venue.  Its fairly easy to make the news in that sense.

There were plenty of Visa related chants...

Member of NZ First? Not that old. And NZF should have a board member based in Wgtn whose job is to toady up to the right government people face to face as often as possible. Take Winston or Cosgrove to dinner up Courtney Place once a month, that kind of thing. That, plus publicity in the right way, would work.

Marius Lacatus2007-11-22 16:29:39

You are right there are huge inconsistencies. It just annoys me that the visa problem should have been sorted without anyone ever knowing there was even an issue if the right relationships with govt people had been in place. That's the challenge for NZF and lets hope they can make things work by convincing the govt to cough up.

Hi Lads,

To quote stuff:
"New police general instructions were published yesterday alongside a Police Complaints Authority ruling critical of the way police handled pro-Tibetan demonstrations during the 1999 visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

Mr Ellis, of Wellington, said letting police move protesters out of sight "if their behaviour is disorderly or personally offensive and humiliating to the VIP", as stated in the police instructions, was an appalling breach of the right to freedom of speech and peaceful protest."

Here is the link:http://www.dominion.co.nz/4282231a6160.html

Basically this couldn't have happened to us at a better time! Basically guys yellow fever needs to approach the dominion post! I would love to but I work for the council I really enjoy my job! So come on organizers lets get behind it and get it out there!

Sorry if this has already been covered but freedom of speech is already in the media at the moment with the above link and police's new rules on protesters (thats what we were doing really) and the electoral finance bill!

Also to quote who ever wanted to make signs like me 98% one here is a cost breakdown:
Fluro green piece of cardboard from whitcoulls?                     $4.00
Expo white board marker?                                                         $2.00
Looking like a virgin on national sporting television?                  PRICELESS!!!
brumbys2007-11-22 18:08:07

Sorry guys and gals but this is a crock'o'sh*te, a New Zelander was beaten and almost killed by Fijian troops, we should be blocking more Fijians from the country!  Anything to get the attention of general bloody bananarama.  So all this talk of it being PC and absurd is a bit sad right about now, there's a bigger issue than a banner, and if you really want to see what it's like when democracy is threatened, maybe head over to Fiji and wave an anti-government banner there...

How would you have liked to be an Indian-Fijian with an anti-government banner before Banamarama took over?

He did what he did because as part of the oath he took to his country as a member of the military states that he must act when parliament acts in an unconstitutional manner and the previous regime were discriminating against Indian-Fijians from what I understand. Yes he has been a bit stupid in some of the stuff he's done but because government has been suspened it's martial law and there may be some overly agressive millitary men there.

An election does not make a democracy, it's the processes and actions by a government that makes a democracy. Something Helen Clark ignores with her anti-Fiji bullsh*t.

Yes democracy needs to be restored there but we have our own issues with democracy here. We're seeing more and more breaches of our free speech (removal of banners) and the democratic process (political minders within ministries, electoral finance bill, telecomunications bill which states the telco commisioner who should be impartial must act in the best interests of government policy).

The government needs to pay up asap ans the stadium are f**ken useless at times and im getting annoyed at it. The media needs to hear bout this as nz is a country which has freedom of speech not like fiji at the momment so why should we suffer

So who is going to approach the media then?

Another press release?

That, or someone makes a quiet phone call about this, no good pissing and moaning about it, it is definitley new worthy.

Because Aunty Helen is never wrong and cannot be seen to be.
Critical_Lemon2007-11-22 21:51:12

anyway, great debate team!

Would you seriously make that banner and bring it to the Adelaide game?

Also, with the coverage of the LA Galaxy game, could be an opportunity to get our message across even stronger.

That a request?

I'm considering it, not sure at the moment. Probably check with my Brazilian mate first to make sure I didn't accidentally write "the First New Zealanders are in hell"

It is indeed a request. Also, if we could get a banner saying "Is this banner OK or would you like to take this one too?" as discussed earlier, would be great.

I'm sure Ban Ki-moon is a Phoenix fan.

I was in Fiji in September, and everything was fine. Bainimarama took over in that military coup to stomp out corruption and make things better, and once things have been made better he is going to hold an election. That's nowhere near as bad as you make it out to be is it?

Also, Bainimarama's political rival is an man who doesn't like Fijian-Indians, so what's worse, having a racist in power, or having somebody who is trying to fix the nations problems in power?

And I can't see how NZ can have a problem with Fiji being non-democratic. The electoral finance bill, which limits freedom of speech, is not very democratic is it? Democratic countries should have freedom of speech. It seems to me like hypocrisy on the part of our Government.loyalgunner2007-11-22 23:03:15

And I know a Kiwi was beaten up over conspiring to assassinate Bainimarama (and he shouldn't have been beaten up), but why would you do that anyway?

The argument that we should not risk antagonising the NZ govt is feeble and, frankly, cowardly. I mean for goodness sake, we're not talking 1981 with crash helmets, flour bombs and massed charges at police lines. They're a couple of banners! What's more, they're funny and not at all abusive or insulting.

Human rights laws over-ride any rules like the no offensive, abusive banners rule at the stadium right.

I think there needs to be a meeting between Yellow Fever people and the high up people at Westpac Stadium to suss out a few things, although considering the ignorance they've shown so far I don't know how much it would achieve. Would help our case if lawyers were present though. Phoenix business I think would be pretty important to them too so they need to think about that as even though this is concerning the All Whites its the same people more or less turning up for the games.
WillyB2007-11-22 23:42:56

Well if there's any lawyers in YF............