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AFFILIATE MEMBER OF THE FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS' ASSOCIATION www.thefsa.org.uk
We now have Year Bars available for season 2020-2021, these can be obtained for £3-50 each plus postage at £1-00. To place an order, please email badges@cusa.co.uk or text 07901 612063.
20 November 2020
This weeks' Banter has bene uploaded for you to read....
13 November 2020
An interesting read from the FSA...
Influential MP and football fan Ian Mearns has written to the prime minister following the appearance of senior football figures before the House earlier this week, saying it strengthens the case for an immediate fan-led review.
Heads of the Premier League, EFL, and FA appeared before the DCMS Select Committee to answer questions about the defunct and discredited “Project Big Picture”, a fundamental restructure of English football to be led by the country’s “big six” clubs.
During the hearing, FA chairman Greg Clarke made a series of outdated references to black footballers and the LGBT community, forcing him to resign his position this week.
Chair of the APPG for Football Supporters Ian Mearns MP said this was another episode that demonstrated the urgent need for a fan-led review of football governance.
Mearns said: “Sadly, I am no more confident following this week’s Parliamentary scrutiny that football in England is capable of self-governance. Indeed, the evidence given to committee this week goes further, in that it brings to the fore the absolute urgency for a full review of football governance at the earliest opportunity.”
10 November 2020
Another interesting read from the FSA...
MPs once again grilled the Government on its stance that, prior to the latest national lockdown, barred football fans from returning to stadiums.
Following a petition that reached nearly 200,000 signatures, MPs were debating the issue of getting fans back into football grounds – something that was put on hold in October as the COVID-19 infection rose despite other areas of the economy continuing to open up.
Stoke North MP Jonathan Gullis said that the “English game teeters on the brink of catastrophe” and the Government must put plans in place for supporters to return to grounds after the current lockdown is eased.
“The survival of many EFL clubs depends on the oxygen of match day revenue,” Gullis told the Commons. “The very least we could do is give them a fighting chance by allowing spectators, albeit a reduced number of them, back inside football stadiums.
“I believe that the Government’s current position on the return of fans to professional football is muddled, inconsistent and inherently unfair.
“Despite the fact that football is one of the most heavily regulated areas of crowd management, with rigorous COVID safety measures and a successful pilot programme under its belt, the sport is still, unfathomably, being treated differently from other industries.”
Prior to the latest lockdown, pictures of a packed London Palladium, hosting a Q&A with former-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, were shared across social media and drew substantial criticism from football fans who remain locked out of their grounds.
Other sectors hosting large crowds with poorly-enforced social distancing, such as Legoland Windsor, also drew criticism from football supporters desperate to see live football and put money into their club’s coffers.
Damian Collins MP, vice chair for the APPG for Football Supporters, said that “community football clubs are bleeding to death” as a result of the continued lock-out and lack of support from Government and the Premier League.
Collins said: “Here we are in November with the Football League back and the Premier League back, but there are no fans in the grounds and there is no financial support package.
“There will be up to 10 clubs that will not make their payroll in November, and we need to think about what kind of support will be there. Those football clubs have survived the first world war, the great depression, the second world war, and deindustrialisation. Are we going to let them die because of COVID, with the impact that would have on local communities?”
Richard Holden MP argued that the non-league clubs in his North West Durham constituency were hardest hit by the lack of matchday revenue coming in.
“When this lockdown ends, I implore the Government to let fans back into grounds,” Holden told MPs.
“The clubs in my patch are really small, but they are really reliant on income from their loyal fans. It can be done safely. We have not seen any COVID transmission at football clubs in my patch.
“We need to bring fans back, because it is the only way that those clubs, who are at the heart of their communities, can survive. They need some grant support, but that will not make up for the funding that they get from their fans.”
Despite pressure from MPs from around the country, the Government once again reiterated that it had no immediate plans to allow football fans back in.
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston repeated his previous position that the COVID-19 infection rates were still too high and defended the Government’s decision to cancel ongoing pilot events at the start of October.
“I am fully aware of the importance of getting spectators back into stadiums for many sports, not just football, but rising infection rates across the country meant that, unfortunately, it was not the right time to proceed with a wider reopening on 1st October, as was widely recognised,” Huddleston told MPs.
“A key issue is that this is not just about fans sitting in stands within the stadiums – admittedly outdoors, as many Honourable Members have said – where infection rates are generally lower than indoors.
“We must consider the whole fan journey from home to venue, how fans travel to and from stadiums, the risk of gathering inside and outside such venues, and the high number of contact points that that risks.”
Huddleston said that the EFL and Premier League must continue talks to reach a deal on a bail out for the lower leagues and a full rescue package from the Treasury was unlikely.
“Money is on the table for the EFL, although I suspect it will not be enough for what has been proposed. I therefore encourage the EFL and the Premier League to continue their conversations professionally, and to recognise that they will both have to compromise.
“For the good of sport and football, they must come to a reasonable arrangement, because it would not be acceptable for the British public to bail out elite football. There is lots of money in elite football in this country.”
25 July 2020
CUSA Membership for season 2020-2021
At this time of year, we would normally have sent out renewals for membership and would meet many of you at the Open Day. This of course has not been possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic
With this in mind, CUSA would like to offer our own version of “Bounce Back” to all of our members.
For season 2020/2021 all of our 1,000 + members registered for 2019/2020, will automatically have membership renewed at no cost.
Current membership cards remain valid for another twelve months expiring 31/07/2021.
If you have changed any of your contact details such as address, phone or email, would you please forward details to membership@cusa.co.uk
Any brand new members will be charged the current rates which can be found on the membership page of the website or by contacting us via the above email address
25 July 2020
An appeal of sorts for help please
With grateful thanks for all of the so generous and gracious donations of football programmes over the years, both U’s and otherwise, including our most recent batch from CUSA FC goalkeeper Dan Roberts, the CUSA now has a collection that probably exceeds five figures
Whilst we are always open for business and keen to bridge the gap in any U’s supporters own collection, and don’t forget that our catalogue can be found on our website, we do have somewhat of a storage dilemma
At present they are safe, all boxed up in a kind committee members garage, which needless to say means that he has little room for anything else, especially his automobile, so our appeal is to ask that if any member has or knows of a reasonably local empty place of storage which is safe and waterproof that we could use, for maybe even a minimal cost, please could you contact Malcolm Cole, CUSA Vice Chairman and Membership Secretary
Please note (when normality returns) - we will be situated in the U's Supporters Bar next to Hot Shots before every U's game to take coach bookings, membership, programme enquiries and anything else we can help our members with
Please note (when away coach travel is possible again) - in conjunction with Colchester United, the CUSA operates a Safeguarding Policy for under 18's when they are travelling with us on our organised coaches. We kindly ask our under 18 members, together with their parent/guardian to also complete and return the Registration Form which can be found on our Membership page, and to read and understand the Safeguarding Policy, also on the Membership page
Please be aware that for your protection and ours, the CUSA will not be able to accept under 16's on the coach without a parent/guardian accompanying them
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