Sheffield Wednesday fans sued

[carragherisgod]

Link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/22/news.blogging). Geez. Fams can't even express themselves anymore :rolleyes:

[Yoko]

my heart bleeds for them

[carragherisgod]

LOL. I just think it's a bit unfair. We all should have a right to print our opinion on our clubs. Granted, some fans go to far with their comments but really, the web is supposed to be a "free" media.

[Gerry]

I suppose it all depends on what is written, if someone os blatantly telling lies which could damage peoples lives or work well them i think they should be accountable for thier actions,

I suppose there is a fine line but there are too many people out there that think they can put whatever they want on the internet or forums and get away with it !

[carragherisgod]

I suppose it all depends on what is written, if someone os blatantly telling lies which could damage peoples lives or work well them i think they should be accountable for thier actions,

I suppose there is a fine line but there are too many people out there that think they can put whatever they want on the internet or forums and get away with it !

Very valid points indeed.

[Cupcakes]

I think they were allegedly saying about him using hookers. What next though sued for singing something inflamatory at a game.

Gary Nev allegedly sues for lies about his relationship with his mum!!!

[finbarrk]

Thank god this forum is fair enough regarding abusive behaviour but some of the other forums are terrible.
Some people on the betfair forum have got solicitors letters for making derogitory comments about a few bookmakers, I dont know if its going to go further though.

[Dub13]

the web is supposed to be a "free" media.


No such thing as a 'free' media,even on the web not in Ireland anyway.Sure even in everyday life we don't have absolute free speech in Ireland, if you were to publically libel someone, then they could sue you.

Even in the U.S., where the whole free speech thing is huge, yes you are free to say what you want without censorship, but "Freedom of speech" doesn't protect you from the consequences of what you say. Declaring, "I like little boys" in public will lead to the police smashing down your door. Calling someone a raping murderer without any proof, will lead to you being dragged into court and sued.

But thats in general terms,Online this kind of thing gets to me.If there was one thing I would ask a politician to do, it would be to clarify the law in Ireland to ensure it is the AUTHOR of the words who is held responsible for them, not the owner of the automated distribution method.

Holding me responsible for what is written on IrishKop is like holding a builder responsible for what is graffitied on his wall.Bring it to our attention and we will do something about it, if not then fine, sue us too. But you can't just wake up the morning after something like a concert (for example which has happened on another format) or something, see fair criticism's of the event and then go after the entire platform. Thats ridiculous.

If we allow the site owners to be held responsible for what is written on their site then who in their right minds would run a forum? No-one.Thats a very convenient control mechanism to stiffle free speech and on line congregation.

Well thats my rant over for today.

[Dub13]

I did a bit of digging on this as it interests me and here is a small history.

September 15th

Owls in fan website action threat
Sheffield Wednesday's Richard Wood and Bristol City's Ivan Sproule during the Coca-Cola Championship match at Hillsborough
Wednesday have lost their opening four games this season
Sheffield Wednesday is considering legal action against a website which contains messages from fans it considers to be "damaging" to the club.

Comments on the owlstalk.co.uk website have been critical of Wednesday's chairman and board of directors.

The club said on Friday: "A fan site has consistently been used as a forum for the posting of untrue and damaging statements about the club."

The website says the comments are the typical, harmless opinions of fans.

Sheffield Wednesday currently lie bottom of the Championship table, having lost all four of their games so far this season.

Neil Hargreaves, who runs the website, said he was only alerted to the club's objections when he received a letter from the club saying it was going to take legal action.

"I was terrified," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Within 10 minutes I was on the site and removed every single one of the posts they were on about, whether I agreed they should be removed or not, just to appease the club.

"We completely disagree that they are defamatory and we are going to defend ourselves on that basis.

"Most of the comments that the club have made complaints about are typical fan-speak. It is the kind of comment you hear in pubs up and down the country and on phone-ins after a game."

In a statement, Sheffield Wednesday said: "The club's lawyers (K&L Gates) have written to the operator of that site regarding his involvement in the publication of those statements and asking for information about the individuals that have made those statements.

"We are considering the response from his lawyers and are taking advice on the appropriate action to be taken.

"The club expects and welcomes comment from its supporters, but when those comments include false and misleading allegations and accusations, the club will need to take action to protect its reputation and the reputation of its directors."

[Dub13]

A letter by one of the fans in question:(From the SheffieldForum).

Dear Sir,

I am one of the many Sheffield Wednesday supporters that the club is looking to sue. If Dave Allen and the other board members get their way, I face bankruptcy, losing my home and jeopardising my 7 year old son’s future.

What could I possibly have written on a internet messageboard that could trigger such a fierce retaliation? I expressed an opinion that the club’s activity in the transfer market was not as genuine as it appeared. I used no foul language, I merely expressed my genuinely held opinion.. I named no-one. Yet apparently, this constitutes defamation. I am also aware of another life long supporter of the club who is subject to possible legal action for suggesting that Chris Brunt would be sold and that we would have a poor start to the season. Both of which are now evidently correct.

Is this what Sheffield Wednesday have now stooped to ? Is there really such tyranny in the boardroom that any dissent amongst the paying customers is met with such excessive action ?

I am advised that if all of the defamation action against the supporters of this club comes to fruition, it will cost the club in the region of £8 million pounds. To what end ? Are the club really going to spend that much money to pursue targets that have little or no money in a bid just to stifle any questioning of their handling of matters in the boardroom ? The action cannot be taking place for financial gain. It is merely bullying and intimidation.

Supporters of the club should be made aware of this. How would fans feel that £8 million pounds is available for these lawsuits, yet we cannot afford to strengthen a team that , given the progress made on the field last season, should easily be challenging for promotion this year ? If supporters knew that this is where their money was being channelled , would there be an outcry ? Would there be fewer attendees ? I guess it’s not possible to speculate as supporting a football club is generally a matter of the heart and it is difficult to switch off one’s passion but I am aware of many supporters who will no longer contribute to the club to fund such a repugnant course of action.

I am copying this letter to the Football League and the FA as I feel that the actions taken by the Sheffield Wednesday directors are harming football in general. Damaging the product. Football has long been a game of opinions and if Sheffield Wednesday get their way and proceed with legal action against 40 paying customers, it will rip the heart out of football in this country.

I implore you to investigate and report on these actions. As journalists, it is your duty to get to the truth and to report accurately on exactly what is transpiring in our football club. Recent articles show a disgraceful bias toward the club. DAve Allen will not be chairman of Sheffield Wednesday for ever, but the fans will always be here and you should bear that in mind when you publish letters and stories without getting a proper balance.

Unfortunately, I cannot provide my name or address as nobody in particular is unaware of my details, he needs these to proceed with legal action against me and, despite the clubs crippling debt, he continues to spend the clubs money to acquire them.

If you have any sense of fairness, you will print this letter, but given the current levels of sycophancy towards the club, you will appreciate that I harbour doubts as to whether you will.

[Dub13]

Aid pledge for Owls facing club action

FOOTBALL fans around the world have pledged their support to Sheffield Wednesday supporters facing legal action from their own club for remarks made on a website.
Message boards and forums have been flooded with promises of support and offers of financial assistance to fans who face legal action after posting criticisms of the club on the Owlstalk website.

Owlstalk administrator Neil Hargreaves has so far refused to divulge the details to the club of 13 fans who posted comments on the site.

Now the club has issued a summons for him to appear in the High Court in London on Tuesday October 2, when he could be forced to hand the details over.

The action has been brought by chairman Dave Allen, all club directors, chief executive Kaven Walker and team manager Brian Laws.

It comes as Mr Allen is charged by the FA with a rules breach which alleges he used "abusive and insulting words at the press conference" on July 20 when he referred to fans as "scum", "cretins" and one woman as a "venomous bitch". He has 14 days to admit or deny the charge and decide if he wants a personal hearing.

The club maintains the Owlstalk website has consistently been used as a forum for the postings of untrue and damaging statements about the club and its directors. Sheffield Wednesday has declined to comment.

But Mr Hargreaves insists the postings were harmless football banter.

"I expected support from fellow Wednesdayites but to receive it from fans all around the world has been a massive boost," he said.

Andrew Hobson, brother of boxing promoter Dennis Hobson, has offered financial help.

Mr Hobson, aged 48, a Jersey-based businessman, said: "I understand that these fans have already incurred around £13,000 in legal fees trying to defend themselves. I cannot believe they are doing this to our fans who are some of the most loyal in the country.

"You hear strong opinions all the time in the pubs, at matches, on the radio as well as online – that's football banter. I can't see how this is any different."

[Dub13]

Great-gran defies Owls legal move

ONE of the gang of four Owls fans facing legal action from Sheffield Wednesday can today be unmasked – she's a 70-year-old great-grandma who has lived in the USA since 1960.

Pam - who doesn't want to reveal her surname but whose internet user name is 'Halfpint' - is one of four Owls supporters accused of making defamatory comments on the internet.

Neil Hargreaves, the owner of website Owlstalk, has been ordered by a High Court judge to hand over either the postal or email address of 'Halfpint' and three other fans to Sheffield Wednesday for possible legal action.

Club chairman Dave Allen, along with his board and chief executive Kaven Walker, could take action over remarks made on the internet forum.

But The Star can today reveal they have little chance of tracking down 'Halfpint'.
Pam isn't an average Sheffield Wednesday diehard – she's 70, a great-
grandmother, has lived in the United States since 1960, and tours the US in a converted van.

She doesn't own a computer so there's no ISP code to track her down, and she only posts messages from internet cafes.

The Star caught up with her as she visited her eldest of three daughters in Springfield, Illinois.

Pam, born in Hillsborough and a lifelong Owl, moved to the States in 1960 to join her husband, an American serviceman who died in 1993. Four years after his death she paid her first extended visit to Sheffield and went to every home game. She said: "I was overjoyed to be back at Hillsborough watching Wednesday play again.

"And when I went home I took my three daughters, six granddaughters and my great-granddaughter Wednesday presents.

"My kids and their kids had no choice but to follow Wednesday."
Pam last visited Hillsborough in 2003 and vows she won't return until the current chairman and chief executive leave the club.

But she still follows the team's fortunes via the internet and was so incensed when Dave Allen referred to a section of fans as "cretins" and "scum", and one supporter as a "venomous bitch", that she felt moved to post her thoughts on Owlstalk. Her postings were among those deemed defamatory by the
club.

But Pam said she stands by what she said and added: "I live in the USA , I do not own a computer and I do not have an ISP. I travel a lot, I could be in any one of eight or more states, and probably post from at least 10 ISPs."

And she says the chances of the club getting any money from her are remote.
Pam said: "That is the part I find most amusing. I have three sources of income - all in the USA. Two are from the US government and by US law no-one can touch these for any reason other than the inland revenue for back taxes.

"My third source of income is my late husband's retirement fund. US law will only allow anyone to take 15 per cent of that per month for one year.

If the club want to continue then they have to find me, then take me to court. If they win they will be able to take less than £120 per year.
"Is that worth spending thousands of pounds of club money to pursue?"

[Dub13]

What a crazy sitauation,all this comes when they are also planning more legal action a lifelong fan for displaying the Owls badge outside his business.

[carragherisgod]

Man. I didn't realize it went so far!! This is just nuts!!!