Freefall

Quoted from bax

I wondered how long it would be before people came out to discredit me!

Time to getourfactsright

The Trust has financial issues. Income is down, expenditure is up. For various reasons. The Trust pays £30k a year for a place on the board and last year paid another £16k for things such as bar rent to contribute towards the costs on the club. This was renegotiated last year and at the minute is actually exacerbating the expenditure problem. I wasn’t involved in the negotiations (they started before I was Chair) but at the last meeting I attended in January it was stated the bar contributions would be in excess of the payment last year and income from them would be lower.

If money is tight you look at income and expenditure. The biggest expenditure is the £30k. I also felt it was absolutely right to get the fans and members’ views via the survey. You can’t make big decisions without a clear steer from the members. I had a meeting with the club board which discussed a number of issues, one of which was the £30k. I think it’s fair to say that at that time the club had no interest in discussing a reduction. So we issued the survey. The results would then give a fair mandate to say ‘look, the £30k is crippling us, we need a sensible discussion’. I was accused of being militant which I wasn’t. I waned a sensible discussion to solve a problem.

During the writing of the survey delays were put on including that £30k question. It was intimated the club didn’t want us to include it (I cannot day for certain if this is true or not) Nevertheless it went in. It’s vital that this is looked at. The agreement is 6 or 7 years old and was made when the Trust was in its infancy. Only 2 or 3 people remain from that agreement. It needed to be looked at. Crucially the viability of the Trust is at stake.

There are people on the Trust board who are of the opinion the Trust comes off the club board over their dead body. That’s their opinion. I’m ambivalent personally. It has huge value, but are fans listened to? And is the cost of it affordable? Personally I hoped that discussions would lead to the £30k being dropped and the board place remaining. The best of both worlds. That was my own personal hope of what we could achieve. If that makes me naive so be it.

During all of this there was a second board meeting to discuss Russell slades future. The board had unanimously backed him at the first meeting (as was well publicised) and it was clear  that the fans didn’t agree with that.  if iat that second meting it came to a vote I suggested  the fan rep should vote in a different way. The conclusion of that board meeting was that Russell would remain (again as was publicised)

I’ve alwsys felt it important to be transparent to the members we represent. The Trust hasn’t always been as transparent as it could be (I’ll hold my hands up to that) and I pushed for a statement to say what the Trust wanted to do. This went out and upset the club board. Again I’ll hold my hands up - I wanted the fans to know the Trust was listening and the statement I wrote wasn’t 100% in line with what was originally put to me (but had been agreed by all). The club wanted a clarification statement which went out, the content of which was agreed by the club board and not the Trust board. I don’t believe any Trust statements should go through the club board.

The statement I wrote for the Trust caused a rift on the club board over collective responsibility. During this process I was informed that the clubs board had been told by the Trust board rep he ‘idealogically opposed’ the direction of the Trust (ie the survey and transparency) in a bid to save his seat on the board. I say told, I have the emails where that and other things were discussed. After seeing the emails I resigned with immediate effect.

The Trust needs strong leadership. If that’s not me I’m big enough to take it on the chin and someone else can have a go. But the Trust needs to be run to represent its members and not throw people under the bus to save their seat on the board. That’s self interest. It’s not ‘collective responsibility ‘

I understand the Trust board members haven’t been told any of this and it’s been kept from them. Why?

Am I excrement stirring? People can judge however they like. I know that I tried to represent the fans whilst on the Trust and I know I’m not prepared to be part of something that doesn’t represent them.

There needs to be change. I don’t know what (I know I don’t want to be part of it) Or by who. But change is required.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

The weird statement that came out of the Trust was actually written by the club?

If that has happened it is absolutely unnacceptable and I think it is clear that some of the things you have said are not widely known. Thank you for sharing - i am not sure there is any way back for some people in the trust after this. I expect it to be rubbished, but it sounds like you have hard evidence and are completely confident in that.

Quoted from Caesar

Thanks for giving us information Bax. I must confess this is making me angrier than ever at the Trust board. And I always caveat it with the fact that they are volunteers and dedicating free time.

But being so wedded to what you think is best to the extent you don't listen to members and pass statemens through the club board suggest it is becoming closer to another arm of the club rather than a body to represent fans.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

I think we need to hear from Jon Wood and get both points of view before we can make a proper judgement.Clearly bax spoke from the heart and I have no reason to doubt him at all but want to hear the other viewpoint?

Quoted from Caesar

True. And I would want to hear more, but part of the problem is it seems like trying to get blood out of stone just trying to get information. And I know this is me making a judgment without much evidence but it does feel like the Trust is very close to the board.  I understand these things take time but there is nothing that suggests the Trust are starting to renegotiate the seat on the board.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

I think we need to hear from Jon Wood and get both points of view before we can make a proper judgement.