Kagami-san - Don't abandon Argyle!

I will be translating the petition into Japanese and I will hand it over in a respectful manner in the hope of receiving a constructive response.

Please sign the petition below, tell your friends to sign it too and hit the Like button below to spread the word on Facebook.

If any other Argyle fans based in Tokyo would like to help me deliver the petition, please get in touch.

*******UPDATE 31/01/11*******

First thanks to all those who have signed and publicised the petition. I never expected to get so many signatures in such a short space of time! It really shows how fantastic the support of the Green Army is and the amount of solidarity shown by fans of all football clubs - thank you.

Today I visited the Maruka Corporation's offices and on my way out bumped into Mr Kagami by chance. We only spoke briefly but I requested an official meeting with him to hand over the petition and he indicated that it might be possible next week. Rest assured that I will do my best to represent all of the opinions expressed by you all so far when/if the meeting goes ahead.

*******UPDATE 05/02/11*******

I've now closed the petition so that I can assemble a stable version for printing. Thank you so much to everyone who has signed. 6000 signatures in a week and a half is just incredible.

Although it doesn't look like Mr Kagami or Mr Synan will agree to a handover meeting after all (shame on them) I will deliver the petition to their offices early next week.

It's looking less and less likely that the promised money will be forthcoming from them, but nobody knows how long their involvement with Argyle will continue. We can only hope the petition will motivate them to act more sincerely in future and make them appreciate that they are stewards of a vital part of the community of Plymouth, not simply a business to be toyed with for profit and gain.

*******UPDATE 08/02/11*******

First of all I just want to say thank you again to all of the people who signed the petition and helped promote it. The final facts and figures were:

* Two weeks online...
* ...6,023 signatures collected...
* ...from people living in 84 countries...
* ...from supporters of 69 football clubs...

In any case, I attempted to deliver the petition today at Kagami-san's offices. As I've mentioned before, after 2 weeks of emails, phone calls and personal visits they weren't decent enough to arrange a time/place for a handover so I decided just to doorstep them this afternoon.

I met up with a BBC camera crew and a freelance journalist outside the building and did an interview and some photos, holding the petition and the banner I'd made up.

If you want to see a close-up of the banner and some of the comments I'd translated check out the album here

When I went up to the 7th floor with the camera crew I rang the intercom and there was a long pause. My heart sank thinking that they were just going to completely ignore us, but to their (ever so slight) credit a man who I'd not seen before did come out to speak to us. He asked the camera crew to stop filming, which they initially did, although I think the camera man got some sneaky shots as our conversation went on.

I explained who I was and why I was there (yet again) and asked if Mr Kagami was in, and of course he wasn't. I then asked if there was someone else who could receive the petition on his behalf and he said there wasn't. I asked why on Earth not and his response was along the lines of "I'm not the person the petition is addressed to so I can't take it from you." I pointed out that it was addressed to Mr Kagami, Mr Synan and all those connected with K&K and the Maruka Corporation, and confirmed that he did indeed work for Maruka, but he still refused to take it.

I asked how I might get the petition to Mr Kagami and he said I should post it. I asked where I should send it to, and he said "Here." (!!) Basically he was dodging responsibility completely. The conversation carried on for a bit longer but we were obviously getting nowhere, so we made to leave. While we were waiting for the lift he relaxed a bit and spoke a bit more freely. I asked him why on Earth Kagami had ever got involved with Argyle in the first place and he said something along the lines of "I have no idea either. Maruka/K&K's business is completely divorced from football." He also said that he sympathised with what we were trying to do, but that in his position there was nothing he could do.

Anyway, I tried my best, but with the other side not wanting to play ball I don't think there's much more I could have done... Let's just hope that events this week take Argyle out of these joker's hands! The sooner the better!

If you want to see me stumbling my way through the interview with the camera crew before and after check out the videos here: (apologies for the sound quality - it was a busy street and my mate Dan was on the camera!)

(before)
(after)