Petition in support of Martin Watson

A petition has been launched in support of Martin Watson, who received a life-time ban from Edgar Street yesterday.

To sign the appeal please: click here.

Below is a copy of a statement by Martin Watson, posted yesterday, which explains the situation from his point of view:

Today I, Martin Watson, received a phone call from Graham Turner, manager and chairman of Hereford United Football Club.

The phone call related to a post on the forum made by the user Loveibull on Saturday evening, regarding the announced gate for Saturday's match. Mr Turner holds myself responsible for the content of the post and, effective immediately, I have been banned from Edgar Street for life.

The post was not made by me, nor pointed out to me, prior to the phone call but I am expected by the football club to be wholly responsible for it despite the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, I have never met the person that actually made the post. Therefore I have no choice but to close this forum.

This forum will close at midnight on Wednesday night in order for supporters to arrange an alternative forum for themselves, should someone wish to take the responsibility. The post in question has been removed as per the accepted UK legal precedent known commonly as 'notice and takedown'.

I would like, at this stage, to confirm once again that neither Chris Powis (ExLandlord) nor Graham Goodwin (Organic Bull) or any of their family members have any involvement in the ownership or control of this forum. It is a seperate entity to the Bulls News site that we all contribute to. Chris, a 50 year veteran of Edgar Street, and Graham have done fundraising work over the last 12 months for the club and I would hate them to be dragged into a situation that they have had no involvement in whatsoever, as has been suggested by Mr Turner.

Prior to today's events I had been a season ticket holder at Edgar Street since 1984, a member of the Vice Presidents' Club since my father's death in 1993 and, for ten years, an unpaid committee member of the Hereford United Vice Presidents' Club - eight of them as Secretary. I had provided numerous IT services to the club, in my professional capacity, free of charge including equipment during the club's tougher times and also assisted in the supply of inflatables to the Open Day in order to raise money for the club where previously the inflatables had usually lost money. None of these thousands of hours of voluntary work appear to count for anything anymore.

I wish to request that any supporters who feels that the actions taken by Graham Turner are unfair to please make their feelings known to him or the local press.
You can email the club at hufc1939@hotmail.com, telephone the club on 01432 276666 (10am-4pm), or write to Mr Graham Turner, Hereford United Football Club, Edgar Street, Hereford, HR4 9JU.
The Hereford Times can be reached at htsport@midlands.newsquest.co.uk, and BBC Hereford and Worcester can be reached at hereford@bbc.co.uk. I repectfully request that you please keep all correspondence civil.
I can be contacted on hufcforum@hotmail.com.

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