The last time I saw the flag it seemed to be fading away. All the colours disappearing, poor old Preedy looking like Father Ted and Cryne like Albert Steptoe. In some sort of perverse way it typifies the club in general, a has been from the past, faded glory, disappearing up it's own arse. And that is not meant as a negative against the good folk that maintain the flag. It's a comment about the way the club is being run into the ground by people who dont give a toss.
That's true, the flag now stays in position all the time, rather than being put out and packed away for each home match. The club stopped us parking free behind the east stand, and they didn't like us wondering around the perimeter track before and after games. As a result it is exposed to the weather all the time and is gradually fading. This season we've been allowed in pre-match to "tweak" it, but since the west stand was closed I'm not sure what the position is. Each summer I've had the flag washed and repaired, at my own expense, and been happy to spend time putting it out. However, since I've stopped going to matches, and it's in a closed stand, I suspect it will no longer get any attention. For me, it symbolises the state the club is in, as you say.
This coming Thursday it will be 5 years to the day since the flag made its debut against Forest. I'd happily let someone else take over looking after it - someone who actually still goes to matches!!! Lucy is also still involved and never misses a match, so I'd like to publicly thank her for all her hard work too. It's a problem if parking isn't provided as it's too heavy to lug if parking away from the ground, particularly when it's wet. Alternatively the club could make a storage place available. It needs to be protected from the weather otherwise it will eventually turn into the proverbial white flag that another poster mentioned.