RAWA - the voice of the people

They don't represent me, because as an SAFC supporter I don't feel like I need 'representation', I'm not interested in any of that shit tbh, I just want the team to do well.

Having said that, I think they made a serious and naive tactical error in not consulting their members because it gave Stewart Donald a very easy opportunity to do what he has done in the last 24 hours - ie try to turn SAFC fans and groups against each other, to take the heat off his mismanagement.

But I happen to agree with them, and I am glad they challenged him. If it gets rid of him (though I don't think for one minute he will go without the profit he came here for), then great - they deserve heaps of praise.

People getting all high and mighty claiming they are claiming to represent the views of all Sunderland fans without exception don't seem to have read the statement, because nowhere does it say that. It is an opinion that Donald should go, supported by a podcast, a fanzine, a website, and RAWA. It doesn't claim to be anything more or less than that.

Still, once again Donald has done a number on a sizeable proportion of SAFC fans judging by this place tonight.

Good post, that
 


I was on board with this when it started last year and thought it could only be a good thing. Listening to the supporters and putting all valid concerns and points of view towards the club management in structured dialogue. This seemed to be going well from both sides until the last meeting with CM when SD had to step in and re-take the meeting (only what im reading from here)

Anyways my problem now is that RAWA seem to NOT be taking all questions and concerns on board and having structured dialogue with the club and deciding (along with all the other fanzines and supporter groups) that without consultation they have decided that ALL Sunderland supporters want SD to leave the club. I am a member of the RAWA and was not consulted about this hence this is not right and proper in my eyes of 'a voice of the supporters'. On the flipside I think its quite pathetic that SD has decided to sell up because of a faceless twitter campaign but RAWA and the others have not acted in the correct manner to start this off.....on behalf of whom??

I would like some feedback from RAWA from this @Ghandi Floss because I believe you are the spokesman on here so why was a poll or the like not put out for supporter feedback?
Why did you post this then?

 
I was on board with this when it started last year and thought it could only be a good thing. Listening to the supporters and putting all valid concerns and points of view towards the club management in structured dialogue. This seemed to be going well from both sides until the last meeting with CM when SD had to step in and re-take the meeting (only what im reading from here)

Anyways my problem now is that RAWA seem to NOT be taking all questions and concerns on board and having structured dialogue with the club and deciding (along with all the other fanzines and supporter groups) that without consultation they have decided that ALL Sunderland supporters want SD to leave the club. I am a member of the RAWA and was not consulted about this hence this is not right and proper in my eyes of 'a voice of the supporters'. On the flipside I think its quite pathetic that SD has decided to sell up because of a faceless twitter campaign but RAWA and the others have not acted in the correct manner to start this off.....on behalf of whom??

I would like some feedback from RAWA from this @Ghandi Floss because I believe you are the spokesman on here so why was a poll or the like not put out for supporter feedback?

I posted this on another thread.


I think the podcast(s) were gonna put out a statement regardless, and ALS/RAWA backed it. I know they didn’t lead on it.
Whether it should’ve been Donald Out, or more of a ‘stand up or sell up’ message is obviously up for debate, and maybe only time will tell.
I think the main thinking behind was to try and show some unity, and that our fans were fed up with the way things are going.

On the consultation subject, I think this post on the SMB sums it up better than I could:-

I understand the point completely but there is a committee that is elected democratically that is elected democratically to run the organisation for a year and sometimes that involves making some judgement calls. The committee were consulted and the co -opted reps were also consulted. The latter is important as the point of having co-opted reps like @Ghandi Floss is so we can hopefully take the temperature of the majority of fans that way. And of course the tide has generally turned these past couple of weeks - in and out the stadium.
When it came to deciding when and how to become active on this it was done quite quickly, without time for a full consultation.
It's not perfect but I think the co-opt process and the central committee election means we've acted with what the majority of fans and members want. The overall reaction is testiment to that I think.


I’m new to all this kinda thing, so not sure how it’s all meant to work.
I mainly got involved cos I was pissed off with how our fans were treat like shit, and the way the club was falling apart, under the Short/Bain regime.
As I said previously, I just want a team that competes on the pitch, and for my little lad to enjoy going to home/away matches with me, as much as I do with him.
And the lads who started the RAWA, and the other reps I’ve met, are just regular lads who want the same. I know they’d rather be involved in positive things like last season, rather than all the negative shit under Short/Bain.

EDIT. The reason I didn’t know about it was because I was out on the drink said night. I was invited, and certainly wasn’t in any state for consultation anyway!
 
If that's the case then don't you think that they should share it and let people make up their own minds.

far too much cloak and dagger shit going on at the moment.
He said it was stuff said in a private conversation so thought he should respect that. No idea if it’s true or what it is, but might explain the timing and haste.
 
Rawa army reps are elected by their members. They have every right to speak on behalf of those members. Do you think your MP should phone you up before saying anything in Parliament? People in this country have a pretty fuck witted view of democracy.
Sorry that is not comparable and way too simplistic.
 
Why did you post this then?


Wish I’d seen this post before replying to him.
Yet another online shitehawk.
 
Let's face facts mate SD was always going to sell, so don't fool yourself to think otherwise.
He may well have done but for RAWA to state that the majority of supporters wanted him gone was premature. They should have done some sort of poll as should the other fanzines that made the same representations. I don't think he's a great owner/chairman, but his intentions seem honourable but maybe delusional at times. I wasn't a fan of the PP appointment, but the improvements in play over the last 3 matches has been massive(not brilliant but massive). The players seem fitter and want to play for each other which we haven't seen for years. This new fitness coach seems to have got the players onside. I'm now quite optimistic in what players PP may bring in. We are after all only 1 point behind the playoffs despite our poor form, which is now improving, and 9 points off top spot ( this time of year that's nothing to make up). Rant over and tin hat on, but I think both SD and PP should be given till mid Feb to prove themselves, and the fanzines should back off and do a proper SAFC poll if they're still not happy.
 
So what? It's a good indication of the current feeling. Fans were singing in favour of Phillips only a couple of games ago.
Yeah that’s for the manager not changing the owner, think majority of fans didn’t want PP including me, but hopefully he is going to prove me wrong because that’s means we will be promoted.
 
How did he throw them under the bus? he said what had happened. I suspect the poll comment was a bit of a dig but not unfair imo.
Just listened again the only one he mentioned by name is RAWA (he does say several supporters groups and Red and white army) he is in my opinion throwing them out as an excuse? "they represent a large group of the supporters"
 
I can understand why they did what they done.

A few wins and fans' memories are already going :lol: the upturn is fantastic and long may it continue, but our recent poor run and this seasom up until three games ago was a disaster.

Understanding why they did it is not the issue. It’s presenting themselves as the voice of the fans without taking into account what the fans think.
There is a hell of a difference between making representations to the club about the price of a pint and pretending that they have any knowledge or understanding of the organisation challenges the owners have had. He’s made a mess of the football side of the club imo, I don’t like the short term nature of his decisions and the motivation for that. Plenty of negative things.
But they were not talking on my behalf in their representations
 
He may well have done but for RAWA to state that the majority of supporters wanted him gone was premature. They should have done some sort of poll as should the other fanzines that made the same representations. I don't think he's a great owner/chairman, but his intentions seem honourable but maybe delusional at times. I wasn't a fan of the PP appointment, but the improvements in play over the last 3 matches has been massive(not brilliant but massive). The players seem fitter and want to play for each other which we haven't seen for years. This new fitness coach seems to have got the players onside. I'm now quite optimistic in what players PP may bring in. We are after all only 1 point behind the playoffs despite our poor form, which is now improving, and 9 points off top spot ( this time of year that's nothing to make up). Rant over and tin hat on, but I think both SD and PP should be given till mid Feb to prove themselves, and the fanzines should back off and do a proper SAFC poll if they're still not happy.

A poll ffs? It was clear fans weren't happy, are you suggesting (pretending) otherwise?
 
He may well have done but for RAWA to state that the majority of supporters wanted him gone was premature. They should have done some sort of poll as should the other fanzines that made the same representations. I don't think he's a great owner/chairman, but his intentions seem honourable but maybe delusional at times. I wasn't a fan of the PP appointment, but the improvements in play over the last 3 matches has been massive(not brilliant but massive). The players seem fitter and want to play for each other which we haven't seen for years. This new fitness coach seems to have got the players onside. I'm now quite optimistic in what players PP may bring in. We are after all only 1 point behind the playoffs despite our poor form, which is now improving, and 9 points off top spot ( this time of year that's nothing to make up). Rant over and tin hat on, but I think both SD and PP should be given till mid Feb to prove themselves, and the fanzines should back off and do a proper SAFC poll if they're still not happy.
Mate the posts on here are cringe, people going on like RAWa are their f***ing works union.
 
I posted this on another thread.


I think the podcast(s) were gonna put out a statement regardless, and ALS/RAWA backed it. I know they didn’t lead on it.
Whether it should’ve been Donald Out, or more of a ‘stand up or sell up’ message is obviously up for debate, and maybe only time will tell.
I think the main thinking behind was to try and show some unity, and that our fans were fed up with the way things are going.

On the consultation subject, I think this post on the SMB sums it up better than I could:-

I understand the point completely but there is a committee that is elected democratically that is elected democratically to run the organisation for a year and sometimes that involves making some judgement calls. The committee were consulted and the co -opted reps were also consulted. The latter is important as the point of having co-opted reps like @Ghandi Floss is so we can hopefully take the temperature of the majority of fans that way. And of course the tide has generally turned these past couple of weeks - in and out the stadium.
When it came to deciding when and how to become active on this it was done quite quickly, without time for a full consultation.
It's not perfect but I think the co-opt process and the central committee election means we've acted with what the majority of fans and members want. The overall reaction is testiment to that I think.


I’m new to all this kinda thing, so not sure how it’s all meant to work.
I mainly got involved cos I was pissed off with how our fans were treat like shit, and the way the club was falling apart, under the Short/Bain regime.
As I said previously, I just want a team that competes on the pitch, and for my little lad to enjoy going to home/away matches with me, as much as I do with him.
And the lads who started the RAWA, and the other reps I’ve met, are just regular lads who want the same. I know they’d rather be involved in positive things like last season, rather than all the negative shit under Short/Bain.

EDIT. The reason I didn’t know about it was because I was out on the drink said night. I was invited, and certainly wasn’t in any state for consultation anyway!
Thanks for posting, I don’t think we are going to agree on this. I get that there is a committee who will need to make some decisions but this is about as big as decisions get, attempting to remove the owner. I don’t think that’s the type of thing that should be in the hands of half a dozen people.
 

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