Time for a supporters trust ?

[Lord Bracknell]

Supporters Trusts do superb work. They have a great track record. Some of them have rescued clubs from near-death experiences.

Some of them start up with the full support of their football clubs. Some of them are very independent, arising from a degree of mistrust and suspicion.

But a Supporters Trust is more than just a campaign group. It has a legal entity and obligations to its members.

I'm not sure whether - at the moment - an Albion Supporters Trust would be a distraction or whether it would add anything to the superb work that Albion supporters are doing from the current informal structures that we have in place.

I suspect that a Supporters Trust could even be divisive - the last thing we want to do is move towards a two-tier grouping of fans, those that are members of the Trust and those who aren't.

As someone who has been involved (at the edges) with Falmer For All, I'm very conscious of the pressures that arise from time to time to keep information "confidential". And I'm never comfortable with that. My fear would be that a formally organised (and officially recognised) Supporters Trust could easily find itself isolated from the mainstream of Albion supporters.

If that happened, our campaigning would be less effective.

But I might be wrong.

 

[Miami Seagull]

Lord B - all due respect - but I think you are wrong. This could be a vehicle that many mainstream fans would be interested in and would certainly push a lot of people who are currently undecided to donate some funds. There are lots of good fans who don't share your blind support for this board and who have concerns about what is going on. I think this would be a great vehicle to get to the bottom of things and to engage lots more fans even though it doesn't go to the lengths I suggested in another thread - donations to the club.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

You may well be right, Miami Seagull.

When the Forty Notes Fund started, my view was that it might be best organised as a Supporters Trust - I attended the first informal gathering of the brains behind the Fund, but the original trustees of the fund didn't seem interested. And I'm disappointed to read in today's Argus that the one dissenting voice among fans expressing a view about the new Appeal is one of those trustees.

A Supporters Trust needs some core activity to propel it along. Raising money for the Club is an obvious one.

However ... this Appeal is being run by the Football Club itself - who have done a lot of the complicated preliminary work (like ensuring that donations aren't liable for VAT, like setting up the on-line payment mechanisms, like finding the incentives, such as free life-long season tickets).

Whilst we no doubt have the necessary skills among Albion supporters to do these things, do we really have people available with the time or commitment to launch and maintain a six-figure (or even seven-figure) fundraising initiative?

 

[Biscuit]

Brackers.

Although I understand what you're saying I'm not entirly with you.

We can easily get a commitee together, where we sit down, plan things, take down the minutes, and get moving along.

Even if we don't want to go through the legal techicalities of a 'trust' we could be a group set up to oraganise events, help with events, collect the revenue, and generally cheer the pretty depressed albion support up.

It may be small fish, I mean I can't see us with six figure funds, but at least it would be doing somthing at a time where the club really needs it.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

But isn't that what the Forty Notes Fund is already doing, Biscuit?

 

[attila]

I think given the appeal a supporters' trust is essential in order to pre-empt the obvious comments. I, like thousands of others, will be donating - but it will be to a supporters' trust. Let's get it on. Need the right people to run it - NONE of the usual suspects, including this one.

 

[Titanic]

Seems like a good idea, but is this as well as; instead of; or, 'building on the good work' of the Forty Note Fund ??

And how do we make sure every one is represented and happy ?

The last thing we now now is division!

 

[Biscuit]

But isn't that what the Forty Notes Fund is already doing, Biscuit?

I wouldn't know.

I don't hear anything about them anymore. Could be dead for all we hear of them, and what goods that? You said yourself you heard a 'dissenting voice' from one of them. What good are they if they can't stay positive?

Also, the suggested 'group' would 'get out there' and get things going, let people know they excist etc.

It would be financed by as much money as the individual fund rasier would be able to make. By offering help, and a place of support we could get more people activaly envolved in getting the money, and getting it to the club asap.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I have heard that the Club is meeting a number of business organisations in the City tomorrow night - with the objective of encouraging them to stump up thousands of pounds for the Appeal.

Would a Fans' Committee be capable of achieving the same? What incentives could it offer potential donors?

Now is the time to stay united and back the only Appeal that there is. I'm not saying that a Supporters' Trust (or a Fans' Fundraising Committee) are bad ideas - just that they would need to work closely with the Club and add value to the work that is already being done.

Who are the "right people", Attila?

 

[ac gull]

Surely it can't be a bad thing if we have all of:

Club meeting sponsors / businesses to get donations

Falmer For All Campaign team re stadium enquiry etc

Supporters Club

Sponsored away seats ( see my post re Ask The Club forum )

Supporters Trust who invest in club

I agree with Atilla on this; by having a supporters trust this cuts out all the negative comments re members of the Falmer For All team and Supporters Club being too close to the board etc.

Even if this view is wrong it is a perception that a lot of people obviously have and is very real to them; thus if doing something to change their perceptions i.e. setting up a supporters trust is what's needed to get more cash to the club THEN WHAT IS THE PROBLEM

Ultimately we all want a club to watch in 10 years time that is playing in it's current division as a minimum and in a decent stadium

Compard to being bottom of the old Div 3 with no home ground in the forseeable future we have done rather well of late

Our main problem is the team are outgrowing our finances quicker than we expected.

The good news is that McGhee's youthful team may well see the likes of Watson, Oatway, Hart, Jones and Butters all moving on next summer which will surely ease the wage bill for next season.

The problem is trying to do all of:

- fight for Falmer
- expand Withdean
- establish team in Championship
- renew contracts re McGhee, Knight & Cullip

at the same time

Basically we cant afford to do all of the above; thus club announcement re fundraising etc

We can either all get off our arses and help or sit around blaming everybody else if in the extreme worst case we end up getting relegated; lose McGhee, Knight and Cullip; lose Falmer and lose the fight to expand Withdean

All are equally important to me; THUS LETS AIM FOR ALL OF THEM!

 

[3gulls]

Yes, if the Club want even more of our money, we should get a say in return! Why should we suffer emotional blackmail?

 

[Beach Hut]

I'd like this to happen but am somewhat concerned the club just expect fans to resolve the issue therefore I hardly expect they would want the fans to have this.

Get commercially real and start organising things for us to join in to raise money BHAFC - don't just pass the buck

 

[rool]

I still think this is the best way forward and with all due respect LB you are one of the fellows I consider to be too close to the club to be independant.

I think it also should be run as a will is with executors and the club would have to justify the paments before a panel before the money is handed over. I'm not saying this would happen but I don't think the money should just be handed over to enable directors remuneration to be paid for example.

The more I think about it the more I am convinced that this is the only situation I will 'donate'.

 

[3gulls]

I think given the appeal a supporters' trust is essential in order to pre-empt the obvious comments. I, like thousands of others, will be donating - but it will be to a supporters' trust. Let's get it on. Need the right people to run it - NONE of the usual suspects, including this one.

You have my support, so long as it is independant from the Board.

 

[Morgans Mullet]

I support the idea of the of a Supporters' Trust . In fact I think it should receive it return for raising money to fund the club what any other investor in the club would get, a shareholding in proportion to the money invested and a seat on the board. The Supporters' Trust Director could be elected each year and would be the supporters voice on the borad.
If the supporters were to raise the £2 miilion needed, this would result in just over 20% shareholding in the club, based on the £7 million raised by existing directors and shareholders figure quoted.
With a 20% shareholding and director on the board, the Supporters Trust would be in good position to prevent an Archer type situation ever occuring again.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I support the idea of the of a Supporters' Trust . In fact I think it should receive it return for raising money to fund the club what any other investor in the club would get, a shareholding in proportion to the money invested and a seat on the board. The Supporters' Trust Director could be elected each year and would be the supporters voice on the borad.
If the supporters were to raise the £2 miilion needed, this would result in just over 20% shareholding in the club, based on the £7 million raised by existing directors and shareholders figure quoted.
With a 20% shareholding and director on the board, the Supporters Trust would be in good position to prevent an Archer type situation ever occuring again.

All good and reasonable stuff in that post

 

[Morgans Mullet]

Not sure about you Tom but I would feel much more comfortable about donating my money to the club now (and in the future) if I knew we had a voice on the board and some real say over how/when it should be spent.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Not sure about you Tom but I would feel much more comfortable about donating my money to the club now (and in the future) if I knew we had a voice on the board and some real say over how/when it should be spent.

The 2 million is for losses already incurred isn't it? IMHO an independent Supporters Trust could have a valuable role to play in reassuring fans that monies donated were being used for specific items. Which I'm sure is the case anyway, but the more checks and safeguards the better really.

 

[Marc]

think it would have to be someone who is not very closely associated with the board already. Biscuit would be excellent, IMHO.

No offence to Biscuit but he is young, not sure the board would want a 'student' tagging along in important board meetings! You need someone mature and knowledgable in all things football on/off field related preferably with previous experience.

 

[rool]

No disrespect but I don't think I could think of a worse person to take issue on anything with the club than Yorkie

Sorry