Petition to allow Aston Villa's supporter funded banned flag into the FA Cup Final

Fair play from the Arsenal Supporters groups:

The Arsenal Supporters' Trust, Black Scarf Movement, REDaction and The Gooner Fanzine, would all like to show support with Aston Villa fans over an issue they are having with their club and the FA. Villa fans have raised money to design and produce a crowd surfer banner for the FA Cup Final next Saturday. The banner design details have been provided to our groups - it is a humourous design, which name checks The Arsenal - and it appears it is the fact that our name is included on it which is causing the FA some concern.

We are flattered that the Villa fans consider us worthy of being included on their banner and see absolutely no reason why Arsenal fans should consider it anything other than what it is, a well designed idea with no intention to cause any offence or incite bad feeling between the fans.

In fact, we find it quite concerning that the FA should have such a poor opinion of Arsenal fans, feeling that a banner of this type would cause any kind of unrest or ill feeling from us towards our opponents. It would appear to be another example of the sanitisation of our game by the authorities; trying to remove any aspect of friendly rivalry between the clubs competing in their flagship game.

It seems a shame that the FA are spending so much time trying to stop Villa fans from bringing a banner - surely time and resource that could be better used looking at why the competing clubs are only allocated 51k tickets in a stadium holding 90k 'fans'. Or maybe investigating why so many tickets are being sold on the black market for upwards of £800, most of which have come from their purported 'Football Family'. Perhaps this is a matter of greater concern.

In the true spirit of football, we urge the FA to see sense and look forward to the Villa fans unveiling their banner at the final.

The FA is shunning the fans that made the sport for the last 100 years in favour of the international market, and then complain that the magic of the cup is lost.

/r/soccer Thread Link - change.org