A LEADING councillor is throwing his weight behind the right of Shaw taxi drivers to support England's World Cup bid by putting up posters in their vehicles.
Taxi proprietor Farooq Yousaf came unstuck with Oldham Council when they banned him from sticking posters in the back of his cabs bearing the flag of St George and the words 'Come on England'.
The council told Mr Yousaf, who owns Motown Private Hire which has 40 taxis, the stickers were a form of advertising and therefore banned.
He said: "It's ridiculous. They told me we were advertising, but what are we advertising?
"All I am advertising is England. I think it's the 'Come on England bit' that's upset them. I can't understand it. It's just a show of support of England for the World Cup."
Mr Yousaf has now got the support of Councillor Howard Sykes, a Shaw councillor and leader of the Liberal Democrats on Oldham Council.
Councillor Sykes has written to Tom Flanagan, executive director of Oldham's environmental services department, saying the ban on Mr Yousaf's stickers could lead to people deriding and ridiculing the borough of Oldham.
In it he said: "I am normally a firm supporter of the stance that we take as an authority in relation to advertising on taxis within this borough, but in this particular circumstance I think we have taken the policy to its ultimate and excessive extreme.
"I cannot believe when the policy was developed in relation to advertising on taxis that it was ever intended to preclude expressions of support for our country in such a special and prestigious tournament as the World Cup.
"As you are well aware, the World Cup occurs only once every four years and is only of real relevance in terms of patriotic support if and when our country qualifies. As the past record shows, qualification by England is never a foregone conclusion.
"Can we not, in the run up to and throughout the competition, adopt an approach that is both sensible and realistic and which also display a modicum of common sense?
"The way in which we sometimes deal with these kinds of issues frustrates me. This once again is an issue that the national media will no doubt gleefully seize upon and use it as another way of deriding and ridiculing our borough. Can we have a break out of common sense, please"
A spokesman for Oldham Council said a bylaw prevents licensed vehicles displaying notices, advertisements or signs. It welcomed displaying flags of any nation during the World Cup, but only if permission was given, but flags with words on, such as Mr Yousaf's, would be banned.
Mr Yousaf says if the decision is not rescinded he will sell the posters to his customers and give proceeds to Dr Kershaw's Hospice in Royton.
Showing comments 1 to 11 and replies | View All
DIANE, AUSTRALIA (20/05/2006 at 11:30)
Fred Forsythe, Worcestershire (21/05/2006 at 12:16)
The english people are struggling to regain a historic and proud history and identity.
People like Mr. Yousaf are trying to support integration in the face of idiots who are pursuing policies that will inevitably lead to civil strife. I can only hope that officials in authorites like Oldham Council will be first in the firing line.
I call these people Judas officials and should be treated as such.
enough is enough party, rochdale (21/05/2006 at 16:19)
These people play the politically correct card just so they can keep there paid positions, without actually caring a hoot in reality.
bananas and there shape = council heads, leaders, etc
Mike Oliver, Whitby, ENGLAND (22/05/2006 at 09:27)
andrew cooper, yorkshire (22/05/2006 at 10:07)
On the plus side when so called British asians stand up to fight for the English flag it shows the country that many asians blacks etc do feel English first. People from differing cultures can integrate but only through becoming one culture not a multiculture.
siobhan, rochdale (22/05/2006 at 12:15)
Farooq Yousaf, Oldham (22/05/2006 at 18:26)
Henry Kelly, Ireland (Expat) (23/05/2006 at 16:08)
mark, rochdale/ex salford (24/05/2006 at 17:56)
my bro-in -law had to take his england flag of his trafford council works van ,blackpool cabbies were targeted last week about flying flags too.
Ill tell you what lets ban st patricks day and you watch the irish go mad about it.
KB, Rochdale (26/05/2006 at 20:17)
karl hooper, rochdale (31/05/2006 at 16:11)