Supporters Trust objectives?

[Christies Child]

I'm all in favour of Supporters Trust's having a greater involvement in the running of the club.

But to old farts like myself and possibly others of a similar ilk, just what involvement and to what degree does a Supporters Trust wish to involve itself in OUR club.

If it's to be consulted on a regular basis about the internal workings of the club then fine BUT is it there to be a body that has to agree with every decision that the Board (and hence the financial backers) take before the Board can implement its plans?

As I've already stated I'm 100% in favour of the Trust but a breakdown of its objectives would I'm sure be helpful to those who have questions about its long term objectives.

Surely better to state its aims at this stage rather than at a meeting where opinions could get heated. However a meeting to discuss and gauge the response is most welcome and I congratulate those who have take the time and effort to git it organised.

Just a pity that it's at the Cricket club rather than at The Globe. The extra monies from the bar would have been more than welcome.

[KenH]

At such an early stage, the main thing is that it's set up at all. At the very least, it will hopefully be a medium through which the Board and fans can have better communication between them. We've had years of the only official communication being short, curt announcements on the website made up with all manner of unofficial rumours, some from people in the know, some clearly just made up nonsense. That will be a long term benefit if it just improves communication.

Whether it needs to go further will become apparent in the next couple of months. If, as we all hope, the new owners do actually show signs of improving the club, then the trust can just plod along, hopefully with better communication, hopefully helping the new owners and in turn feeding back real information to the fans. However, if things don't improve, i.e. no new players, no signs of stadium improvements, possible relegation, or the nuclear option of bankruptcy or receivership, then the trust will have to move very fast towards some kind of takeover or some kind of deal with the receivers or liquidators to buy/lease what assets are up for grabs, such as taking over the leasehold on the property to ensure it stays a football club at all.

Every walk starts with the first step. The sooner the trust is formed, the better. With hindsight, rather than believing the promises made year after year at fans' forums etc just to keep the fans quiet, we should have had such a trust set up back in 2013 when things really started to go pear-shaped. If that had happened then, we may have all been better informed, may have been in a better position to do a deal with PMG and some of the directors to buy all or part of the club off him rather than what seems to have been a firesale to whoever came along.

At the end of the day, PMG, MD and the board in general have treated the fans with absolute contempt over the past few years. If a trust can be set up to make them takes the core fans seriously and engage properly, then that must be a good thing, even if it doesn't lead to anything else.

[Seasider9601]

Here's the Blackpool Supporters Trust website:

http://www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com ... fault.aspx

[SupermarketShrimp]

I'm all in favour of Supporters Trust's having a greater involvement in the running of the club.

Good

But to old farts like myself and possibly others of a similar ilk, just what involvement and to what degree does a Supporters Trust wish to involve itself in OUR club.

As much or as little as it can or wants to. Nearly every club in the football league has one, and can vary from owning the club outright (Exeter, Wycombe, AFC Wimbledon), to working hand in glove with the club (Carlisle) to protesting and operating in a way to safeguard the club (Blackpool). The ideal situation is that the new owners have the funding and the trust helps to engage between club and trust. In the extreme situation of an administration, the law dictates that the Supporters Trust is consulted within 21 days. FCOM currently cannot demand any of this. More info will be given at the meeting

If it's to be consulted on a regular basis about the internal workings of the club then fine BUT is it there to be a body that has to agree with every decision that the Board (and hence the financial backers) take before the Board can implement its plans?

I'd have to refer to supporters direct for this one, and we will have a representative there for questions.

As I've already stated I'm 100% in favour of the Trust but a breakdown of its objectives would I'm sure be helpful to those who have questions about its long term objectives.

Objective currently is to establish one. Once you have one then we can create objectives as a trust. Lets walk before we can run

Surely better to state its aims at this stage rather than at a meeting where opinions could get heated. However a meeting to discuss and gauge the response is most welcome and I congratulate those who have take the time and effort to git it organised.

The aim is to establish a trust in principle then hold meetings regarding where it goes. No one knows it actually needs to be currently, but without it, legally and in the eyes of the EFL we don't have a voice. You can't have aims for the trust to have before you've engaged with the people who are going to be part of it

Just a pity that it's at the Cricket club rather than at The Globe. The extra monies from the bar would have been more than welcome.

The trust is independent of the club and in its establishment IMO needs to be viewed as such so the cricket club would be helpful. It's also regarding the establishment of a Trust and not a slanging match for who's said what. A neutral venue should help this.

I've PM'ed you my mobile number Neil and will be at the game on Saturday, feel free to seek me out and I'll buy you a beer - I'll be slumming it downstairs mind, I stand in the home terrace!

Hope this helps.

Rich.

[Phil Anderer]

I'm all in favour of Supporters Trust's having a greater involvement in the running of the club.

But to old farts like myself and possibly others of a similar ilk, just what involvement and to what degree does a Supporters Trust wish to involve itself in OUR club.

If it's to be consulted on a regular basis about the internal workings of the club then fine BUT is it there to be a body that has to agree with every decision that the Board (and hence the financial backers) take before the Board can implement its plans?

As I've already stated I'm 100% in favour of the Trust but a breakdown of its objectives would I'm sure be helpful to those who have questions about its long term objectives.

Surely better to state its aims at this stage rather than at a meeting where opinions could get heated. However a meeting to discuss and gauge the response is most welcome and I congratulate those who have take the time and effort to git it organised.

Just a pity that it's at the Cricket club rather than at The Globe. The extra monies from the bar would have been more than welcome.

Can't comment on the majority of your post Neil, as I'm not involved at the moment in what is being set up and have never been involved in a Trust like this, but in respect of agreeing with Board decisions, where there is a majority owner, in this case substantial majority at c.80% if I'm right, the other members of the Board can sit and moan and object all they want, but if the owner decides to do something, I would imagine he can just go ahead and do it as he has the majority vote. The only options Board members would then have is to resign, or perhaps there are other options available but, again, I've never been involved in Boards either.

[Freez]

I don't know anything about this initiative, but I do know I don't like what is happening to the Shrimps at the moment.
This is always a lively message board with debate and sometimes heated argument regarding all things Shrimps like, we obviously all agree that we are in the shit and we need to take action currently, so I urge all of us who can to get to the cricket club next Thursday.

And surely the reason its at the Cricket club is another reason we are in this mess, we have no meeting place like JB'S bar to use.
I'm there, as I want to know more about how it works and how we can mobilise us all to make a positive difference, to help the club and hopefully increase communication both ways.

Guinness please landlord.

[Seasider9601]

And surely the reason its at the Cricket club is another reason we are in this mess, we have no meeting place like JB'S bar to use.

When we had JB's though, we used The York Hotel as a meeting place to debate our planned boycott of the Colwyn Bay home game back in the 93/4 season after Griff was sacked - because we were planning on withdrawing all our financial input. Bar, pies, programmes etc etc !!!

On a serious note though, it's sad that all the money which will be put behind the bar on Thursday night is not going in OUR coffers, but, that's symptomatic of the way the club is unfortunately.

The Brill Lager and Bog is not supporter friendly. At a FOOTBALL club.

See you all at MCC !!

[RedRedWine]

CC - very early stages with the proposal to create a trust. Obviously the reason to have this meeting is to discuss the reasons why the committee of the Fans Club think this will be beneficial in improving the relationship between the fans and the people in charge of the club. Your questions are valid, please bring them with you to ask on the night and you will get answers from the chair of Supporters Direct.

From my point of view, this is not fans against the club, or the formation of AFC Morecambe Town, or an attack on any current board member/official... just incase some people have the wrong idea!

[KenH]

Can't comment on the majority of your post Neil, as I'm not involved at the moment in what is being set up and have never been involved in a Trust like this, but in respect of agreeing with Board decisions, where there is a majority owner, in this case substantial majority at c.80% if I'm right, the other members of the Board can sit and moan and object all they want, but if the owner decides to do something, I would imagine he can just go ahead and do it as he has the majority vote. The only options Board members would then have is to resign, or perhaps there are other options available but, again, I've never been involved in Boards either.

Not quite. At a Board meeting, normally each director has equal voting powers. The Chairman of the Board usually has a casting vote in case of stalemate and sometimes may have extra voting powers as determined in the Articles of Association (it's constitution). So, in theory at least, the other directors could vote against the Chairman/owner. In reality, if that happened, the owners could hold a general meeting to sack the dissenting directors and then hold a new board meeting to consider the matter again. So, basically, the directors do have a say as long as they remain directors. But, it takes time to give notice of a shareholders general meeting so it's not something that can be done overnight - you're looking at several weeks at least, and of course, whether the majority shareholder wants to alienate the other directors!

Shareholders, as a body, can do very little on a day to day basis. They can only really hire/fire directors at a general meeting. Between general meetings, the directors run the show (or should do) and the shareholders have restricted powers on a day to day basis.

Just because the majority shareholder is the chairman, doesn't mean he can run roughshod over the over directors - they can over-rule him by sheer numbers at least until the next general meeting!

[Seasider9601]

Next Annual General Meeting being when exactly I wonder.

It is long overdue.....

[Freez]

I actually have been lead to believe that the situation, as you describe Phil, WAS the case. May not be true mind!

[P/T Indie]

We need one voice and for everyone to get behind one organisation.

Ever since I can remember there has always been individual groups mainly formed by the travel groups and not everyone got behind the main supporters club.

We now need to all come together under one banner.

[Freez]

Agreed, we do have a common goal!!

[Gone_Shrimping]

We need one voice and for everyone to get behind one organisation.

Ever since I can remember there has always been individual groups mainly formed by the travel groups and not everyone got behind the main supporters club.

We now need to all come together under one banner.

I've always thought that about the travel groups.

One organisation and everyone would know how to book and who to book with and instead of 2 mini buses , a proper coach or hopefully 2.

[SupermarketShrimp]

We need one voice and for everyone to get behind one organisation.

Ever since I can remember there has always been individual groups mainly formed by the travel groups and not everyone got behind the main supporters club.

We now need to all come together under one banner.

I've always thought that about the travel groups.

One organisation and everyone would know how to book and who to book with and instead of 2 mini buses , a proper coach or hopefully 2.

One thing at a time eh folks? Walking, before running.................

[George Dawes]

irrespective of what's going on, this is well worth setting up anyway.

the times people complain about being left in the dark and getting no correspondence when trying to get in touch with the club .

also on a positive working with the club, just feel for Fcom, hope they can unite or join up so to speak.

[marky No.1]

Agreed, we do have a common goal!!

We are just not too good at putting the ball in it at the moment.

[outsider]

irrespective of what's going on, this is well worth setting up anyway.

the times people complain about being left in the dark and getting no correspondence when trying to get in touch with the club .

also on a positive working with the club, just feel for Fcom, hope they can unite or join up so to speak.

It is FCoM (Now FANS CLUB) who are driving this forward?

[mrpotatohead]

The most important thing at the moment, would seem to be making the new owner aware that the fans, his customers, deserve to know whats going on at the club, I think the speculation and rumours going around are damaging and dispiriting for all concerned with MFC.

Unfortunately, it's his business, and he may feel this is antagonistic if it isn't handled with diplomacy.

[steve mfc]

Definitely worth setting up and a very positive step forward, ultimately though everything comes down to money.

[George Dawes]

irrespective of what's going on, this is well worth setting up anyway.

the times people complain about being left in the dark and getting no correspondence when trying to get in touch with the club .

also on a positive working with the club, just feel for Fcom, hope they can unite or join up so to speak.

It is FCoM (Now FANS CLUB) who are driving this forward?

yeah, just read so on another thread where somebody else mentions this, good stuff.

[Keith]

It is FCoM (Now FANS CLUB) who are driving this forward

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Good that some people are acting positively!

[marky No.1]

Good to see and talk to some regular and involved Morecambe fans at Trimpell tonight, could be busy on Thursday

[Gnasher]

And surely the reason its at the Cricket club is another reason we are in this mess, we have no meeting place like JB'S bar to use.

The Globe is the last place to have the first meeting. It needs to be very open where everyone can express their feelings so it can attract as many as possible. You don't want it near the eyes & ears of the very people you'll be whinging about.

[mrpotatohead]

This isn't all about having a whinge Gnasher, its about building bridges and working WITH the club , for the colkective good future of MFC, theres no future in moaning about who did what in the past, ultimately the owners, own our football club and they also want success on and off the pitch.