The waiting for the ‘Time To Go Massimo’ protest march is almost over. The fun starts at 1.15pm in City Square tomorrow.
The march follows previous protests by the group that have included videos and images projected onto the East stand, and a mock funeral. It has generated significant media coverage and will be promoted by an advertisement in the sports section of tomorrow’s Yorkshire Evening Post.
The group’s latest statement reads "Time To Go Massimo will be marching with fellow fans in protest against the toxic regime that is currently occupying the Leeds United that we hold so dearly to our hearts.”
"Our march route will take us from City Square and will cover 2.2 miles of ground through Leeds city centre and Holbeck, before we reach the East Stand of Elland Road to tell Mr Cellino to end the farce of his ownership.”
"We’d also like to issue this statement to fellow fans tired of the state of Leeds United, asking them to join us in our peaceful protest on Saturday and to tell Massimo Cellino to sell the club to one of the infinitely more credible parties we know are waiting in the wings. This Saturday, (Reading manager) Brian McDermott will return to our club to discover that Leeds United very much remains the circus that he left behind. This cannot go on.”
It’s highly appropriate that McDermott will be back at Elland Road tomorrow, as the Cellino era began with a farcical attempt to sack McDermott. Cellino had to back down on that occasion, as he hadn’t yet secured his majority shareholding, and things haven’t got any better for Leeds United since.
The "infinitely more credible parties” referred to in the statement include a Russian buyer and that a group of Saudi investors, though the Yorkshire Post are reporting that Cellino is asking for a deposit of £5m before any prospective buyer can even talk to him. He has apparently justified this by saying he wants to ensure that the interested parties aren’t wasting his time.
So we may yet see the back of Cellino before too long, and there is always the chance that he might fail in his appeal against a second Football League disqualification for tax evasion. If you’re one of the many Leeds fans who are fed up with the chaos of the Cellino regime and want to do all you can to hasten his departure, then why not join the march tomorrow afternoon.