For those who are interested... UFS update

Some important questions have been raised by Leicester City fans since our statement yesterday evening. Here's our take on some of the FAQs:

WHAT WILL A 5-MINUTE PROTEST (OR 'BOYCOTT') ACHIEVE?

Within 12 hours of Union FS announcing its intention to boycott the first 5 minutes, the statement had been replicated in articles by The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The London Evening Standard. We had discussed the issue on Radio Leicester and had contact with the Leicester Mercury.

Within 24 hours, the Premier League were forced into making a statement. East Midlands Trains advised that pre-booked tickets for the Saturday would be valid for the Sunday. Arsenal and Leicester City both confirmed that individuals no longer able to attend were entitled to full refunds.

We cannot claim to have been the sole reason for these actions. But the general outpouring of dissatisfaction from both Arsenal and Leicester fans in reaction to the news IS the reason. Fans have shown unity and achieved results. You can therefore make a case that the boycott has already been a partial-success.

That is not to say we will not continue to push for this protest by attending fans. We still believe that these 5 minutes can, and will, make a big difference. Taking a stand at every opportunity is absolutely vital if we are to reclaim our game.

An ideal result would be for all 3,000 City fans to remain in the concourse (or as far back in the stand as possible - this would also be an option for those not willing to miss any of the game) to ensure that the away end appears empty on TV. Union FS will display banners in the empty seats to further make our dissatisfaction known.

An empty stand means silence. TV companies hate this. It makes their 'product' less valuable. Games starting in silent or empty stadiums mean people switch channel. A vibrant crowd is vital for keeping neutral viewers interested. If we remove the away element for JUST FIVE minutes then we can have a real impact.

Furthermore, the introduction of our fans five minutes in will add real comparative value as to what difference away fans make to atmospheres. It is time that the Premier League and Sky Sports recognised this to its full extent. We can make history in starting that journey.

Besides, what have we lost if it's not a visual success on the day? Better to have tried to make a difference than simply sitting back and accepting a raw deal.

WHAT IF SKY DON'T SHOW THE AWAY END EMPTY (OR HALF-EMPTY)?

If we were honest, if Arsenal are attacking towards the Leicester fans in the first half, they will struggle to not show it. If not, then social media has a big enough reach to make an impact.

WHY NOT BOYCOTT THE WHOLE GAME?

Whilst we would agree that this would be a more effective form of visual protest, the timing (i.e. tickets already sold) means that this is not possible. In more general terms, the current climate of the English fan scene means it remains an unrealistic ambition to convince all fans to completely boycott a fixture.

WILL ARSENAL FANS JOIN IN?

Union FS are working with counterparts at Arsenal and the general message is... some will, some won't. As with any club, organising a protest en masse is incredibly difficult. We cannot force supporters (of either club) who have paid good money to watch a game and who may not see the actions of Sky and the Premier League's as a big enough issue to miss part of the game for to do just that.

In any case, we expect that the early nature of the kick off time will ensure plenty of empty seats for the first five minutes.

HOW WILL 3,000 FANS FIT IN THE CONCOURSE?

This is a very valid concern. That said, we would anticipate that many City fans will exercise their right to not partake in this protest and watch the first five minutes from their seat.

Union FS will shortly be reaching out to Arsenal in this regard to liaise with their matchday staff in order to ensure the safety of all Leicester City fans.

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Have a cracking weekend, here's to 3 points against Stoke!

Union FS