Sales stand forbidden: LASK fans criticize the club management

Whether ticket prices or pink jerseys – in the past few weeks, the club management of the LASK and the active fan scene of the athletes have already had several disputes. While the black and white kickers are currently more successful than they have been for a long time and the euphoria should be huge with the move to the new stadium, some LASK fans feel like they are reminded of days gone by.

After the home game against Sturm Graz (2-1), the next allegations came to light: The fan club ‘Landstrassler’ published a letter on Monday that the supporters – unlike in Pasching – were forbidden to operate a sales stand in the new stadium. The fans had to dismantle a “protest information stand” regarding this cause during the home game against Graz. The club is said to have made threats – which is why the fans wrote to the public (see below):

The broadcast to read:

Hello black and white!

At the home game against SK Sturm Graz, we made a serious grievance public: LASK prohibited us from running our own sales stand in the new stadium. So far, this has not been a problem in Paschinger exile. With a flyer explaining the current situation, the club was asked to take immediate action on this issue.

A reaction from the club was not long in coming and was unfortunately quite clear. During the second half of the game we were asked to remove the information surrounding the ‘fictitious stall’, otherwise two of the club’s employees (who were not aware of our action in advance) would suffer the consequences.

Two aspects of the club’s reaction left us stunned.

Firstly, that employees in our club are threatened and an attempt is made to use employees as a means of exerting pressure on the fan scene. Secondly, in what way, escalatingly, a creative kind of protest is responded to.

Furthermore, it is unacceptable that members of the active fan scene are prevented from supporting their own team during the game and instead are forced to dismantle a “protest information stand”. An approach that makes absolutely no sense and, on top of that, also limits the support of your own team.

In the end, it was decided without further ado to dismantle the fictitious sales stand. However, this was done out of sheer consideration for the two employees concerned.

Unfortunately, this way of dealing with fans and sometimes also with our own employees has been common practice in our club for several years.

In the past, we have not publicly communicated such events for fear of negative reporting and an escalation of the situation, but we have now reached a point where we have no other way out.

Due to further repression on the part of the club, we now see ourselves restricted in our organization for supporting the team.

In the future we will keep you informed of further incidents and developments.