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Wasps latest: Football fans to protest, charity shut down

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Coventry City fans are planning to protest at the Coventry Building Society Arena when Wasps play their first match of the new 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season next month against Bristol. Relations between the tenant football club and the landlord rugby club have become quite tense in recent weeks after damage to the playing surface from the hosting of the Commonwealth Games Rugby 7s events at the ground resulted in two Coventry City home matches being postponed and another being moved 40 miles away to Burton.

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Both clubs have released media statements that have left the pitch situation unresolved and amid a climate where there is now much speculation about the financial situation at Wasps heading into the new rugby season, an action group formed by supporters of the football club is aiming to get noticed when it protests at the September 17 rugby match.

That Wasps versus Bristol fixture clashes with Coventry’s away date at Birmingham in the Championship, but the football fans believe they can still get upwards of 1,000 fans into the stadium in Coventry to protest peacefully at the rugby match.

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The newly-created Action Against Wasps Twitter account tweeted: “Wasps’ first fixture of the season is on September 17. A peaceful and lawful demonstration is to take place in protest at their treatment of Coventry City Football Club. More details to follow… Hoping to get at least 1,000 at the CBS (that will probably outnumber Wasps fans anyway).”

The emphasis will be on peaceful protest, insisted the Coventry action group. One football fan tweeted: “Block all the car parks and coach entrances for the Wasps and whoever they play. Get the game abandoned.” However, Action Against Wasps replied: “I had similar thoughts, but need to ensure any protest is peaceful and lawful.”

https://twitter.com/aaWasps/status/1559181620447412224

Wasps’ delicate financial outlook recently resulted in them being unable to honour the £35million bond that was due to be paid out in May. That scheme was launched in April 2015 shortly after the club acquired a 250-year lease on the CBS Arena, then known as the Ricoh Arena.

The latest update on their financial troubles emerged on Tuesday when the BBC reported that Wasps Community Foundation had been “removed from the record” after failing to file its annual accounts. A club statement claimed that the charity would hopefully be reinstated shortly and that Wasps were currently restructuring its community and foundation activities.

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C
CO 34 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

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