Leeds fans project 'Cellino out' image on Elland Road

By PA Sport

Image: An anti-Cellino image is projected onto Elland Road ahead of Leeds' home game against Middlesbrough

A Leeds United fans' group stepped up its campaign against club owner Massimo Cellino by projecting a series of protest images against Elland Road before Monday night's home game against Middlesbrough.

Anti-Cellino protest group 'Time To Go Massimo' launched its campaign on Thursday by funding a poster installed on advertising hoardings outside the East Stand calling for Cellino to go.

Leeds took legal action to have the posters removed later on Thursday but the group claims it has informed police and taken legal advice about Monday night's images, projected by specialists EMF Technology from a council-owned car park on Lowfields Road.

"We have informed the police and have taken legal advice," 'Time to Go Massimo' spokesman Tom Banks told Press Association Sport. "These images are going to be on the stadium itself and they will not be a permanent fixture.

"The club's legal people have written to us about the poster, claiming it was harassment and caused distress.

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"They might do the same again, we can't speak for the club, but we're extremely confident we won't be doing anything illegal."

The poster campaign features a cartoon image of Cellino under the heading 'Time to Go Massimo' with various quotes from the former Cagliari owner underneath.

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"Between 6:30pm and 10pm this evening (Monday the 15th of February), against the Southern side-end of the East Stand there has been planned a projection of slides putting forward our messages of why his ownership is not good enough, that a sizeable portion of fans have no confidence in the Cellino regime, and why we are urging him to sell the club," the group said.

The 'Time To Go Massimo' campaign is funded by fans who have grown disillusioned at the way Cellino has run the club following his takeover from previous owner Gulf Finance House in early 2014.

His tenure at Leeds has been overshadowed by an endless chain of controversies and sacked managers.

Cellino served a Football League ban last year for tax evasion in Italy and is currently appealing against a second disqualification having been found guilty of a similar offence.

Image: Massimo Cellino says he was joking when claiming in a televised interview with an Italian newspaper that he had increased ticket prices to punish Leeds fan

He agreed to sell the club to fans' group Leeds Fans United in October after agreeing a deal in principle, only to renege on the promise and while he has confirmed his intention to sell the club he continues to alienate fans.

Cellino angered supporters in December by imposing "pie tax" at Elland Road, increasing ticket prices in the South Stand by £5 in exchange for food and drink vouchers in a bid to stop fans buying beer outside the ground.

He backed down after mass protest but has caused further outrage by claiming in a televised interview with Italian newspaper L'Unione Sarda that he increased ticket prices as a punishment to fans who had chanted for him to sell the club at recent home matches.

Cellino has since told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "It was just a joke. I never could do anything like that."

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