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Today the Sons of Ben issued a statement on their Facebook page, detailing a protest they were undertaking before the match.
After the tailgate today the Sons of Ben will march from the Sons of Ben Lot towards the Plaza with banner reading "...
Posted by Sons of Ben on Sunday, May 17, 2015
This marks a dramatic shift from the stance the supporter's group had been taking, which was to support the club regardless of the record. And while the SoB's made a point to reaffirm that they still supported the club, the message was loud and clear. Loud and clear enough to get the attention of Philadelphia Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz, who offered a statement of his own:
"We agree wholeheartedly with the Son's of Ben and we share the frustrations of all fans to the start of the season. We are committed to assisting Jim and his Staff in every way so we can get the team back on the right track." - Nick Sakiewicz on Sunday, May 17, 2015
When I showed this statement to one of the other editors, he simply said "Does Sakiewicz realize we don't want him to assist them anymore? That his assistance is the problem?"
For their part, the Sons of Ben have asked that all protests remain outside of the stadium. We will keep you posted as this story develops.