Ciderspace hits back at Hoodies Taunts

There is an article in today's League paper entitled 'Internet hoodies force out Webb' which claims that Yeovil Town have vowed to crack down on fans who wage wars of words on Internet forums.

Internet yobs were yesterday blamed for hounding former Chelsea hero Dave Webb out of his role as chief executive after just six weeks.

And Webb's replacement John Fry - who starts his third stint in the hotseat during 13 years at the club - left no doubt about who Yeovil blame for it.

"They are Internet hoodies who hide away under anonymous names. If they can't put their names up they can't expect us to be transparent with them," he said.

The article, incorrectly it appears, says that Yeovil have already shut down an official forum "because it created negativity throughout the club" and refused to allow maverick sites to use the club's logo. Now they are hoping the authorities will help them outlaw the cowardly critics.

In response Ciderspace, who closed their forum down just before the appointment of Webb, absolutely refute that it was done because of any pressure or action from the club. They say that the decision to close was taken "entirely of their own accord because we wished to focus more time on other dimensions of the site."

In support of forums Ciderspace says:

With over 50% of the U.K. population on-line forums reflect a broad cross section of the population, and of Yeovil Town fans. They are a vehicle for young and old, the dedicated and the part-time, locals and exiles, the optimists and the pessimists, for Mr and Mrs Angry and Mr and Mrs Hello-Clouds-Hello-Skies, and everybody in between, to set out and discuss the same sort of opinions, views and suggestions they would on the terrace, in the stands, in the bars, pubs and bars, at work, or in cars, coaches and trains travelling to games. Leaving aside any journalistic licence from Mr Mafham with the use of words like "cowardly" and "yobs", for the club chairman to be quoted referencing such people as "Internet hoodies" does a grave disservice to the relationship between a significant number of committed fans and the club, in the opinion of Ciderspace. Some views and opinions may indeed be unfair or founded on a lack of knowledge, but as regular Internet users, unlike the main critics from the club, we feel the overwhelming proportion of postings are genuinely held, not malicious stirring. And of course for almost every critical view there will be posters arguing a counter case. That's what discussion is about, not tarring the Internet forums as the home of "hoodies".

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