I started the petition and I'm sorry as I can see that onlinegooner has had flak over it. I have explained to everyone that has sent hate mail to me that it was my view and nothing to do with any website or Gooner magazine. I'm really really sorry.

I would just like you to know where I am coming from as to the wording of the petition. This has been very difficult for me. I really don't care what flags are displayed. A flag is a colourful cloth to me - but this is too naive a view. So I took the stand that if it's not recognised as a country/state by the UN then that's good enough for me as I also wouldn't want to see BNP, NF or Nazi flags - there has to be a standard and rule applied or the dregs of society will take us back 20 years.

The reason I said 'fan' is that I feel it is a provocative thing to do and I query that he/she is showing it with Arsenal in mind. I know that if I was doing something that upset a lot of fans then I would stop doing it to keep the club in harmony. The fan involved could fly a Turkish flag, or even the Cypriot flag which was designed by a Turk and has an olive branch on it and represents all Cypriots, or both, to get across that he/she is from the Turkish side of Cyprus (if indeed they are).

And the statement that it has quite rightly upset the Greek Cypriots stands - as it has and the flag is not the flag of Cyprus which would cover Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. I do wish that I had just put in the petition that the flag is for an unrecognized state/country and not mentioned Greek Cypriots but I didn't and it can't be amended once a signature has been put against it. C'est la vie!

The whole thing has been surprising to me - the Cypriot community of either political view have stood next each other for years. Sorry to involve onlinegooner - I just wanted you guys to know that the petition has been done out of love of Arsenal.

I am getting hate mail from Turkish and Turkish Cypriots (at least that's what they say) people who think that I am against them - which I'm not. I don't have a bigoted bone in my body (can't do - I am married to a Spurs fan!).

I have also had the petition hijacked by Spurs idiots and racists so am spending my Christmas break moderating the petition out of love of the club and all right-minded people. Great eh! The good news is that the messages on the petition are getting better now that I've got the message over that abuse, swearing and racism (It was AWFUL to start and at one stage I closed it down!!) will not be tolerated - and more fans are now signing (a lot of people were put off because it had been hijacked by morons!). Such intolerance by everyone!

(Ed’s note – As usual with this very contentious issue, just to raise the point that posts here are the views of individuals who email the website, but that we attempt to put across all sides of any story. Don’t shoot the messenger, but contribute yourself if there’s something you feel needs expressing which isn’t here. There is no policy on the Cyprus issue here at onlinegooner, but we do believe that the club’s blanket ban on national flags is not the best solution to the problem. There has also been some further discussion on this issue on the onlinegooner forum )