Your Leeds United views: Side Before Self support group '˜not on a vendetta'

Time to Go Massimo, via email

It is time for Massimo Cellino to go. As ardent and loyal Leeds United Supporters we want progress, stability, respect, transparancy, truth. These are all basic fan rights, we have been denied them for way too long.

This is not a personal vendetta; it is not hate-inspired. We want the best for the club, the support and the team – Side Before Self. We want what is best for Leeds United. The best is not Massimo Cellino. He has tried and he has failed – he admits this himself. Buying the club from GFH without conducting due diligence was his undoing.

Any hopes of ‘fixing’ the club were mortally wounded by that ludicrous choice. The club is deteriorating. This knowledge does not make us ‘doom-mongers’ or wanting relegation or administration/points deductions.

Why are we so sure Mr Cellino has made matters worse?

The team, currently 17th, has never been above 10th under him.

He promised to buy Elland Road back within weeks of his arrival. He hasn’t.

He promised ‘beautiful football’ and promised promotion by 2016.

He has not cleared the debts. It is our understanding that the club’s current liabilities stand at approximately £20m to Eleonora Sport Ltd and £30m to GFH (a figure that would increase with interest payments upon promotion to the Premier League). How can a wage bill of £13m at the ‘biggest club’ in the Football League be considered competitive when the average wage bill in the same division is £20m?

The club doesn’t even possess a scouting network!

Too many untruths, too many false promises, too many insults to loyal personnel, and too many unwinnable disputes, money-sapping litigations and legal proceedings.

So, where are the alternative, better owners?

Most clubs have competent owners with ambitions for football success. It seems to be only at Leeds that any credence is given to the view of ‘what we have is as good as we can get’.

No it isn’t, this is Leeds United FC, world-famous with massive potential. The club needs honesty and good business acumen. We have been run – and run into the ground – by selfish, misguided owners all this century.

They have put this superb thoroughbred out to pasture like an old nag. Enough is enough.

We only want the best for the club and for you, us, the loyal supporters.

However, apathy is an enemy. Apathy is an unsuccessful owner’s friend, apathy is a get out of jail free card to run a club atrociously without resistance.

We granted such a mandate to Ken Bates, to GFH and now to Massimo Cellino.

Currently, Leeds United is not a club restructuring for a brave new era. It is scraping by on the cheap. It needs to change. It has to. It’s time to change, it is Time To Go, Massimo. The time is now. Leeds fans please join us before it is too late.

Minority amp up the disharmony

M Meeson, Leeds

As a Leeds United supporter since 1950 I have witnessed many high and lows, the highs being the Revie era when each and every player gave their all for Don, the supporters, and the club, to the present time when Ken Bates sold our best players’ transfer money on bricks and mortar on the stadium which may have given him a hefty profit when he eventually sold the club.

Mr Cellino (the Leeds owner) does not deserve this haranguing from a small section of the fans, who seem determined to risk unrest and disharmony when what we need now is for us all to pull together to get this great club to the Premiership where it belongs. Last Monday’s game against Middlesbrough was the best performance from Leeds this season, each player gave 100 percent, so should the fans.

Graham Smith, Whitby

Dear Mr Cellino and the many supporters affected by Sky and the shadow it is casting over the beautiful game.

I became a Leeds United supporter aged four back in 1968 and have been supporting them ever since.

I have never felt so upset and deflated over the glorious game – Sky has ruined football for supporters all over the country.

Saturday was the day we eagerly awaited kick-off at 3pm – the majority of fans being away from work, children off school and family being able to get time together to follow their team, with transport readily available and at a better cost.

Ridiculous kick-off times on weekdays now make it difficult for supporters to get time off work or it leaves us travelling back home in the early hours of a weekday morning.

It impacts on children – the young new fans the game should be encouraging – not to mention the difficulty of arranging transport.

I, along with nine other Leeds United season ticket holders from the Scarborough Supporters Branch, arranged to attend the Brighton match for the original fixture date of Saturday, February 27 at 3pm.

I purchased the train tickets to travel to Brighton on the Friday and return on the Sunday.

I also booked accommodation and funded the total cost of over £1,300 (before match tickets), only to find out the following Monday that ‘Super Sky’ had changed the game to Monday, February 29.

We are furious with Sky, who do not appear to notice or care about the impact their actions have on football supporters. I have now had to go back to each of our group to ask for additional money to fund the extra £650.

And everyone has had to take two days off work, as we cannot get back until Tuesday, March 1.

How many other supporters have been left in the same position, or are now not even able to attend?

Who foots the bill and the headache of re-arranging? The loyal supporters ...

Supporters want a Saturday game with a 3pm kick-off. Sky should be ashamed of themselves for casting such a dark cloud over the glorious game of football.

They are killing off the supporters.

Lining their own pockets and looking after the armchair fans is ruining the game.

We will be demonstrating our feelings to Sky at the Brighton match and are organising some banners.

Can you help us Mr Cellino and show your support to the true supporters of glory, glory Leeds United.