Petition gathers pace as Leeds United fans show support for disqualified owner Cellino
MORE than 16,000 Leeds United fans have already put their name to an online petition asking the Football League to “drop its pursuit” of Massimo Cellino.
The organisers of the petition were originally targeting 10,000 signatures in protest at the League’s decision to ban Cellino from owning a football club.
The Football League said earlier this week that the Italian businessman breached its Owners’ and Directors’ Test after he was found guilty under Italian tax legislation relating to the non-payment of import duties on a boat, which resulted in him being given a £500,000 (€600,000) fine.
The 58-year-old was asked to resign from the Championship club on Monday.
“Leeds United Supporters” established petition on change.org – a website that targets social change – asking the Football League to review its position.
On Wednesday, more than 8,000 supporters had signed the petition – but this figure has now risen to more than 16,000.
An update to the petition asks supporters to alert the media to the fact that the petition has passed 10,000 signatures.
It states: “The crux of this matter right now is twofold.
“First, with the Football League perfectly aware that (even if he is guilty) on March 18th the conviction is spent, how can it possibly be of benefit to Leeds United Football Club to ban Cellino from doing his job of running the club for the next 95 days?
“They are just putting their weight about to prove a point.
“One of the mains goal of the Football League to protect its member clubs – how is this temporary ban achieving that?
“Second, the main aim of the fit and proper test is to use guidelines to try and determine if a potential buyer is fit and proper to run the football club.
“The rules are set out to be used prior to that person taking over the club, to protect the club.
“But, if the aim is to see if that person is fit or proper to run Leeds United, why not disregard the non-Leeds United related past and try to determine if he is fit and proper to run Leeds United by seeing how he actually runs Leeds United.”
