Mariners Trust supporter survey

Re Trust Questionnaire

The Trust should be praised for trying to engage with not just their members but all fans.

I think I am right in saying that the survey has come about, at least in part, by the supporters feeling of dissatisfaction with the football clubs handling of several events of late. This may include Checkatrade Trophy, Stevenage and bragate, The fans forum and general PR disasters along with the question of ownership and the Trusts payment to the club for its seat on the board. This list isn't meant to be exhaustive but it's a start.

Personally it isn't the cost of the seat on the board more the question of whether the fans get 'value' for that payment. Currently I don't believe we do.

I don't believe the rank and file get value from the seat on the board. We do not receive much by way of updates ( I appreciate there are some things that cannot, or should not, be made public) when my opinion is the boardroom seat should have brought about fan engagement and empowerment. Both the club and the Trust have missed a huge opportunity here.
I don't mean the fans been told or lectured, more the opportunity to make the fans feel involved and being consulted.
This is vital if the relationship between the fans and club has any chance of reconciliation. It is currently at an all time low from which it may never recover.

I'd like to see the Trust, on behalf of everyone at the club, genuinely involve the fans.

For example; if the club where not in the Checkatrade Trophy how can the fans help the club make up the financial shortfall? Ask them! Donations? Extra purchases from the club shop? Ask the question and I am sure there would be some decent ideas.

This is just an example but the overall point I am trying to make is about fan engagement. I don't think GTFC has ever valued the views of fans. If the supporter base believes they have a say, believes their views count, then they will feel a hell of a lot better about their club than they currently do that's for sure.

This engagement and feeling of being part of the club will have huge financial benefits to the club, much larger than any bribe to enter the Checkatrade Trophy!

If the Trust can help facilitate a new era of openness and engagement then this survey will be extremely worthwhile

Done.

Quoted from BIGChris

Re Trust Questionnaire

The Trust should be praised for trying to engage with not just their members but all fans.

I think I am right in saying that the survey has come about, at least in part, by the supporters feeling of dissatisfaction with the football clubs handling of several events of late. This may include Checkatrade Trophy, Stevenage and bragate, The fans forum and general PR disasters along with the question of ownership and the Trusts payment to the club for its seat on the board. This list isn't meant to be exhaustive but it's a start.

Personally it isn't the cost of the seat on the board more the question of whether the fans get 'value' for that payment. Currently I don't believe we do.

I don't believe the rank and file get value from the seat on the board. We do not receive much by way of updates ( I appreciate there are some things that cannot, or should not, be made public) when my opinion is the boardroom seat should have brought about fan engagement and empowerment. Both the club and the Trust have missed a huge opportunity here.
I don't mean the fans been told or lectured, more the opportunity to make the fans feel involved and being consulted.
This is vital if the relationship between the fans and club has any chance of reconciliation. It is currently at an all time low from which it may never recover.

I'd like to see the Trust, on behalf of everyone at the club, genuinely involve the fans.

For example; if the club where not in the Checkatrade Trophy how can the fans help the club make up the financial shortfall? Ask them! Donations? Extra purchases from the club shop? Ask the question and I am sure there would be some decent ideas.

This is just an example but the overall point I am trying to make is about fan engagement. I don't think GTFC has ever valued the views of fans. If the supporter base believes they have a say, believes their views count, then they will feel a hell of a lot better about their club than they currently do that's for sure.

This engagement and feeling of being part of the club will have huge financial benefits to the club, much larger than any bribe to enter the Checkatrade Trophy!

If the Trust can help facilitate a new era of openness and engagement then this survey will be extremely worthwhile

Good to see you posting again BIGChris and some good points in there, without a shadow of doubt the checkatrade has caused fans to be upset but it is the boards reaction to the fans response which has driven the wedge and further faux pas from the board driving that wedge even further.

Quoted from BIGChris

Re Trust Questionnaire

The Trust should be praised for trying to engage with not just their members but all fans.

I think I am right in saying that the survey has come about, at least in part, by the supporters feeling of dissatisfaction with the football clubs handling of several events of late. This may include Checkatrade Trophy, Stevenage and bragate, The fans forum and general PR disasters along with the question of ownership and the Trusts payment to the club for its seat on the board. This list isn't meant to be exhaustive but it's a start.

Personally it isn't the cost of the seat on the board more the question of whether the fans get 'value' for that payment. Currently I don't believe we do.

I don't believe the rank and file get value from the seat on the board. We do not receive much by way of updates ( I appreciate there are some things that cannot, or should not, be made public) when my opinion is the boardroom seat should have brought about fan engagement and empowerment. Both the club and the Trust have missed a huge opportunity here.
I don't mean the fans been told or lectured, more the opportunity to make the fans feel involved and being consulted.
This is vital if the relationship between the fans and club has any chance of reconciliation. It is currently at an all time low from which it may never recover.

I'd like to see the Trust, on behalf of everyone at the club, genuinely involve the fans.

For example; if the club where not in the Checkatrade Trophy how can the fans help the club make up the financial shortfall? Ask them! Donations? Extra purchases from the club shop? Ask the question and I am sure there would be some decent ideas.

This is just an example but the overall point I am trying to make is about fan engagement. I don't think GTFC has ever valued the views of fans. If the supporter base believes they have a say, believes their views count, then they will feel a hell of a lot better about their club than they currently do that's for sure.

This engagement and feeling of being part of the club will have huge financial benefits to the club, much larger than any bribe to enter the Checkatrade Trophy!

If the Trust can help facilitate a new era of openness and engagement then this survey will be extremely worthwhile

Very good and sensible post BC but I fear that the board, and I don't mean just JF, have burned far too many bridges and a fundamental change is required to re-connect GTFC with the fans.

Very good post Chris. I am personally vehemently opposed to the Chuckaway Trophy and if the club had voted against it, i would have had no trouble donating the ticket money to them, whilst still staying away. The format change would still have come about whether we voted for or against, as enough other teams were for it to be passed. We could then have taken part, took the money on offer but had a clear conscience in doing so and had a lot more respect from the fans. Unfortunately, they completely misread the fans again and said it was a 'vocal minority' and they were wrong. So what do they do? Blame the 'vocal minority' for bullying fans into not attending. They really don't seem to understand the average fan do they?

The many other examples you give just go to re-iterate how completely out of touch they are with the fan base.

Done. Took lifetime membership a few weeks ago thinking there might be a basic welcome/ response/ contact point beyond social media. Don't expect masonic handshakes etc. but it would be nice to know who fellow members are.
Big Chris speaks for many I think. Good ideas expressed with the appropriate level of frustration.

Oh Chris don't come back on the fishy and post something as honest, true and to the point as that please it just reiterates my thoughts on needing someone like yourself to spearhead a fans take over or at least, like you say a way of fans being more involved.
Welcome back though, miss your input on here.

Quoted from Croxton

Done. Took lifetime membership a few weeks ago thinking there might be a basic welcome/ response/ contact point beyond social media. Don't expect masonic handshakes etc. but it would be nice to know who fellow members are.
Big Chris speaks for many I think. Good ideas expressed with the appropriate level of frustration.

Recurrring theme I’m afraid. After I joined I’ve contacted the trust by email and fb message and had no reply. The trust is a great idea and I will keep renewing my membership but when they take the supporters cash and then ignore them.... well! It sounds familiar doesn’t it?
I know the trust work hard on a voluntary basis and they should be commended for that. Operation Promotion showed how good we can be with the fans involvement.

Hi - when did you email (and where?) and same via Fb. As far as I can see there aren’t any outstanding messages on the latter in months.

Quoted from bax

Hi - when did you email (and where?) and same via Fb. As far as I can see there aren’t any outstanding messages on the latter in months.

Bax, please be aware, I’m not having a dig just highlighting a possible problem. I sent fb message on 1st. December. I got an automated reply straight away saying thanks for messaging we try to be responsive we’ll get back to you soon.