The Trust

The Trust have published the minutes from the latest meetings. Have they forgotten about the survey that they put out?

Some concerning noises about support for the Checkatrade Trophy.

Also I’m not sure why they’ve never publically addressed the comments Bax made or why they weren’t discussed and minuted.


http://www.marinerstrust.co.uk/minutes-and-agendas/

"DR raised the question that has come from the club whether we can support the Checkatrade trophy next season. The board discuss the pros and cons but remain very split in our personal opinions. It is thought that the new manager may be able to add a more positive spin. No real decision made,could be discussed again next meeting"

So is the Trust there to represent the views of supporters or the views of the board members? Clearly supporters aren't 'split' on this.

A step in the right direction to publish minutes though I suspect it's far too transparent for JF's liking. The only other thing that caught my attention was in relation to the open day.

"Charity stalls discussed as club have restricted these. The majority of the board agree that as a community trust, we should be supporting local
causes."

Whilst Mr Rutter is in the chair the Trust will not be getting my support I am afraid.
I expect to see more and more the Trust toeing the party line. Checkatwat trophy for now. Let’s see if the boycott of Stevenage still gets led by the Trust.

hm with meetings you know how time just flies past at the end of the day they are all volunteers who give up a lot of there free time and reading through the minutes they had a lot of stuff to cover.
Regarding the checkatrade I think the Club have done right to ask for some support,personally I don't agree with the format and unless something changes I will continue to stay away but I have no problem with fans choosing to attend.I think the fans of GTFC like many others have made their point past 2 Season`s to Shaun Harvey.Now attend don`t attend but lets not use it as a stick to beat the Club with they have to enter this Competition and it`s one of 4 they can win before a ball is kicked and the most likely.

Yep, no doubt the likes of Rudrum, Rutter are in the pro-Checkatrade camp. Fenty cronies on the Trust board to ensure they toe the line. As mentioned if 90%+ of supporters are against it then why is the stance of the Trust even up for discussion?

Quoted from pizzzza

Yep, no doubt the likes of Rudrum, Rutter are in the pro-Checkatrade camp. Fenty cronies on the Trust board to ensure they toe the line. As mentioned if 90%+ of supporters are against it then why is the stance of the Trust even up for discussion?

Errr The Club directly asked the Trust for support on the checkatrade?

Crikey I'd forgotten all about them Are they still going then?

I think that when the wimps won it they ended up with a lot of money from it. Well over 100 grand. It was over 30 grand to go through the group stages.

Can we afford to turn that amount down to spite our noses?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Errr The Club directly asked the Trust for support on the checkatrade?

May be a coincidence and a popular 'Grimsby' surname - but the Rutter you refer to, its not your ex Football Liaison officer is it?

Hi Guys - This needs putting into context before it gets out of hand. I was the only one of the board who attended a game in this competition last season which is not to say I agree with the format but did so because of my interest in the YDA and the younger pros. That was really the point of the discussion in that we don't yet know what MJ's approach will be and if it is to use it for the younger pro's/fringe players then I for one may well go to a game. At the end of the day it is about personal choice.
  
  Re the rest of the minutes we have had a good meeting with SD about the survey and will be having a follow up meeting with them and the club early July (earliest date due to hols)

We have also had a good meeting with some supporters who have put forward some good ideas and we are taking some of those to the club this week.

Lots going and people are doing their best.

Quoted from mimma

I think that when the wimps won it they ended up with a lot of money from it. Well over 100 grand. It was over 30 grand to go through the group stages.

Can we afford to turn that amount down to spite our noses?

First off it’s ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’. Secondly, taking the cash now as you suggest could lead to a far worse future down the line. I’m not making a stand just because I don’t like Shaun Harvey. I’m making it because I fear it could lead to the demise of clubs like ours. Short term gain may look attractive now. But there is no such thing as a ‘free’ Lunch.

Quoted from mimma

I think that when the wimps won it they ended up with a lot of money from it. Well over 100 grand. It was over 30 grand to go through the group stages.

Can we afford to turn that amount down to spite our noses?

We made 3/4 of a million pound from the competition.

Quoted from Dave Roberts

Hi Guys - This needs putting into context before it gets out of hand. I was the only one of the board who attended a game in this competition last season which is not to say I agree with the format but did so because of my interest in the YDA and the younger pros. That was really the point of the discussion in that we don't yet know what MJ's approach will be and if it is to use it for the younger pro's/fringe players then I for one may well go to a game. At the end of the day it is about personal choice.
  
  Re the rest of the minutes we have had a good meeting with SD about the survey and will be having a follow up meeting with them and the club early July (earliest date due to hols)

We have also had a good meeting with some supporters who have put forward some good ideas and we are taking some of those to the club this week.

Lots going and people are doing their best.

All well and good Dave - and thanks for the feedback by the way - but the general apathy towards the board (GTFC) is driven by the continued aggressive attitude they show to the fans (Checkatrade, forum, Operation Promotion).

It would make things a lot more palatable if the GTFC board came out and said something along the lines of 'We understand the fans' thoughts on Checkatrade, we don't really like it either but can we just bury the hatchet and live with it'. Ultimately, fans' boycotts are not going to help the club and it will still be the choice of the individual, but there must be some middle ground with this.

Can we all stop going on about the bloody checkatrade cup or whatever its called,

If you do not want to go don't,

Just stop harping on about it,

BUT

Just think what MJ could do with the money Lincoln made from it last season.

Quoted from Dave Roberts

Hi Guys - This needs putting into context before it gets out of hand. I was the only one of the board who attended a game in this competition last season which is not to say I agree with the format but did so because of my interest in the YDA and the younger pros. That was really the point of the discussion in that we don't yet know what MJ's approach will be and if it is to use it for the younger pro's/fringe players then I for one may well go to a game. At the end of the day it is about personal choice.
  
  Re the rest of the minutes we have had a good meeting with SD about the survey and will be having a follow up meeting with them and the club early July (earliest date due to hols)

We have also had a good meeting with some supporters who have put forward some good ideas and we are taking some of those to the club this week.

Lots going and people are doing their best.

Thanks for your reply

Should the Trust not be openly against the Trophy as the majority of fans completing the survey were against it? Surely the Trust should take the position of the majority on this.

Have the Trust board discussed making a statement on the allegations made about the influence of club directors on communications from the Trust? It seems that these issues raised by Bax were never addressed and the Trust is poorer for it.

Wasn't Bax going to tell us something at the end of the season,

Have I missed it or has Bax not told us yet.?

Quoted from grimsby pete

Wasn't Bax going to tell us something at the end of the season,

Have I missed it or has Bax not told us yet.?

I certainly was of that opinion over to you Bax.

Yes I also remember Bax saying he would say things after the season has ended, he said it wouldn't be wise to disclose them whilst the season was ongoing.

Could it be the topless barmaids idea?

Yeah, I reckon it’s topless barmaids.

Psgmariner, we must have equality nowadays so how about topless bar men.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Psgmariner, we must have equality nowadays so how about topless bar men.

Each to their own.

Quoted from mimma

I think that when the wimps won it they ended up with a lot of money from it. Well over 100 grand. It was over 30 grand to go through the group stages.

Can we afford to turn that amount down to spite our noses?

in case you didnt notice it was the fans boycotting the competition........not the players....... who incidentally have failed to win a single (?) game in the competition to date ?
The various managers have not put a full team out in the competition yet and have failed to select or motivate a side to get a win.

and i suspect by "trust support" the club actually mean financial support ?? There was a game towards the end of last season which was discounted and that was "in conjunction" with the Trust IIRC...did the trust's funds subsidise that discount offer ??

Quoted from Dave Roberts

Hi Guys - This needs putting into context before it gets out of hand. I was the only one of the board who attended a game in this competition last season which is not to say I agree with the format but did so because of my interest in the YDA and the younger pros. That was really the point of the discussion in that we don't yet know what MJ's approach will be and if it is to use it for the younger pro's/fringe players then I for one may well go to a game. At the end of the day it is about personal choice.
  
  Re the rest of the minutes we have had a good meeting with SD about the survey and will be having a follow up meeting with them and the club early July (earliest date due to hols)

We have also had a good meeting with some supporters who have put forward some good ideas and we are taking some of those to the club this week.

Lots going and people are doing their best.

WTF. Surely you should have a meeting with Supporters Direct yourselves and report back to your members, not have cozy talks with the club. Are you not taking anything on board from the survey. Who or what do you represent anymore?

Fans now talking up the Checkatrade to boost MJ's transfer kitty a la Lincoln. FFS.

No principles, no backbone in the Trust and half of our fanbase. They look a bunch of idiots letting the GTFC board walk all over them.

Short memories and not an ounce dignity in all of this.. and all for what?

A year or two with Jolley?.

He leaves and then what?

Back to square one, nothing of any significance will have changed.

GTFC,, a football club permanently stuck in the 70s..

A backwater club with backwater attitude..

With a Trust and fan base blindly backing eventual oblivion..

Quoted from Dave Roberts

Hi Guys - This needs putting into context before it gets out of hand. I was the only one of the board who attended a game in this competition last season which is not to say I agree with the format but did so because of my interest in the YDA and the younger pros. That was really the point of the discussion in that we don't yet know what MJ's approach will be and if it is to use it for the younger pro's/fringe players then I for one may well go to a game. At the end of the day it is about personal choice.
  

Appreciate you commenting on here Dave. But the question is shouldn't the Trust Board be representing the views of the majority of members on the Checkatrade competition?

And it may be a matter of wording not reflecting the intent, but the statement that 'the new manager may be able to add a more positive spin' reads like the Trust Board is hoping MJ might make the Checkatrade seem more attractive.

It's a shame after the stance of the Trust last season, especially given its support for the fans' game on the night of the Donny game. Seems like a massive own goal.

"A backwater club with backwater attitude"..


Could describe the Council too

Half Man Half Biscuit have a very fine Checkatrade song on their new album.

One about bat walks too, which is pure brilliance.

Slightly critical of the minutes, they read like an agenda tbh. No real information nor do they reflect what was said, simply subjects discussed.
In addition to the representing the fans bit, which I wholeheartedly agree with, it would be great to see a willingness to be more open and straightforward with the fans. This is something many accuse the club of doing and the 'secret squirrel' club is increasingly perceived as being part of the problem as opposed to part of the solution.

An unequivocal & public NO to the Checkertrade trophy is an 'easy win'.

Accepting the Trust being all volunteers, but it is 3 months since the fans answered the survey on shareholding, seat on the club board, running of bars etc yet we know absolutely no more now than we did then

Quoted from grimsby pete

Can we all stop going on about the bloody checkatrade cup or whatever its called,

If you do not want to go don't,

Just stop harping on about it,

BUT

Just think what MJ could do with the money Lincoln made from it last season.

Absolutely not.  If people want to go that's their choice and it should always be respected.  

However the ethos of the competition still sits very uncomfortably with me and I guess a lot of people too.  It's quite simply a way of forcing through B Teams into the Football League, despite what message Shaun Harvey cascades down and John Fenty paraphrases as no thin end of the wedge.

Would that money be welcome?  Of course it would.  But it'll mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things when we're playing Reading Under 23's as a competitive fixture.  

The introduction of B Teams into the league system will kill English football, so you'll have to forgive me for harping on about it.

The trust are a shambles, they have no influence at all, the chair is a big supporter of Fenty and is very pro checkatrade trophy, he's always at fans forums sucking up to Fenty and the Checkatrade trophy, other board members are too cosy to Fenty also such as Terry Rudrum and it's been mentioned previously the trust representative who's on the board (his name escapes me at the minute) is too cosy with Fenty probably a few others also. This makes the support of the checkatrade no surprise, they will back B team involvement also with Rutter in charge.

The minutes are terrible, in my opinion minutes should detail what was said by who and just briefly touch on what was discussed. And as usual they skirted around and avoided certain topics.

I notice that Rutter would like a vice chair and Ian Townsend (Barralad) thought they should recruit externally which I think they should, but everybody else disagreed and said no, probably so they can find somebody else to suck up to Fenty

That you volunteering to take the minutes then, Aaron?

Quoted from Gaffer58

Psgmariner, we must have equality nowadays so how about topless bar men.

Does it pay well? 🤔

Quoted from Davec

The trust are a shambles, they have no influence at all, the chair is a big supporter of Fenty and is very pro checkatrade trophy, he's always at fans forums sucking up to Fenty and the Checkatrade trophy, other board members are too cosy to Fenty also such as Terry Rudrum and it's been mentioned previously the trust representative who's on the board (his name escapes me at the minute) is too cosy with Fenty probably a few others also. This makes the support of the checkatrade no surprise, they will back B team involvement also with Rutter in charge.

The minutes are terrible, in my opinion minutes should detail what was said by who and just briefly touch on what was discussed. And as usual they skirted around and avoided certain topics.

I notice that Rutter would like a vice chair and Ian Townsend (Barralad) thought they should recruit externally which I think they should, but everybody else disagreed and said no, probably so they can find somebody else to suck up to Fenty

Too much "getting cosy" and "sucking up" in this post for my liking.

Just demonstrates that the Trust is a self interest group that does nothing to ascertain the wishes and feelings of those they purport to represent. Just where do they get their mandate from?

Quoted from friskneymariner

Just demonstrates that the Trust is a self interest group that does nothing to ascertain the wishes and feelings of those they purport to represent. Just where do they get their mandate from?

At this moment in time I wouldn't like to voice my thoughts on that one  

You know what the answer is, join and offer to join the Trust board.  You stand a better chance of changing things from within than from the outside.

Or let nature take its course and let the Trust die a natural death. Too much water under the bridge and bad decisions after bad decisions. As nice and sentimental that it is that people give up their time etc it not longer serves a purpose and has just become another arm of JF.

Quoted from The_Laughing_Mariner

You know what the answer is, join and offer to join the Trust board.  You stand a better chance of changing things from within than from the outside.

That's what Bax thought too....

I think the trust needs to think about what it wants to achieve.  
Social media tells the Club what the supporters views are, and they are wide and varied.  This is the trouble, everybody has their own opinion and wishes as to how the trust proceed.
If it ( the trust) tries to compromise and encompass everyone's opinions it is seen as weak and wishy washy by all.  If it goes one way or the other, half the membership feels disenfranchised.  It needs to keep open channels of communication with the Club, and as we all know, if we rock the clubs boat, these channels are very quickly severed.
The Trust is in an insidious situation, They are damned if they do and damned if they don't.  The days of the old supporters club are long gone.
I don't know what the answer is, but I do feel we are better off with it than without it.

Quoted from pizzzza

That's what Bax thought too....

is that the guy that used to be a supporter of the club whilst involved with the Trust but doesnt go anymore?

Quoted from davmariner

Or let nature take its course and let the Trust die a natural death. Too much water under the bridge and bad decisions after bad decisions. As nice and sentimental that it is that people give up their time etc it not longer serves a purpose and has just become another arm of JF.

What happens to the almost 15% of club shares they the Trust owns then, once it “dies a natural death”? Bought by Fenty? Given away? How is that in the interest of the fans?

Quoted from Cloudy

is that the guy that used to be a supporter of the club whilst involved with the Trust but doesnt go anymore?

I wasn’t going to get involved in this again as I’ve said my piece previously, but just to correct this. Always a supporter, through thick and thin. All Town aren’t we? But I don’t have to agree with the way the club is run and I’m certainly not a sheep. Which is why I’m on the outside now. Undecided if I will get a season ticket, will certainly go to games and support the manager and the players but not the regime.

I gave up on the council decades ago..

I gave up on the board years ago..

I gave up on the Trust months ago..

And I gave up on the will and principles of our fanbase a few weeks ago..

Project "Grimsby Town - The Bigger And Brighter Future" is over..

Every thread on the subject is just a running commentary on its eventual demise..

When you've got a council whose big idea for regeneration you just know is not going to make a blind bit of difference to the town in twenty years time, and will just end being a rough no-go area and an extension to the Marshes. When you've got a football club that in the year of 2017 proudly announces that the players have now got Sky TV at Cheapside. When you've got a Trust board that seems to represents their own personal views and seems closer to the club than the fans it's supposed to represent. And when you have half the fanbase choosing to forgive the board for all their pretty damning sins over the past couple of years and delivery of nil progression in nearly two decades in return for a couple of years of Jolley..

You just know it's the beginning of the end.. it's just a case of how long..

In the grand scheme of things, it's just a load of well meaning people being busy at achieving nothing that's progressive and sustainable..

Quoted from ska face

What happens to the almost 15% of club shares they the Trust owns then, once it “dies a natural death”? Bought by Fenty? Given away? How is that in the interest of the fans?

Because we’re really feeling the benefit of the Trust owning those shares aren’t we? Whilst the Trust continue to be the stooges of JF then those shares are irrelevant. The Trust undermined any chance of having any real say when they gifted JF Mike Parker’s shares.

As far as I’m concerned when the Trust eventually falls apart then they should put those shares up for sale for a nominal price to other potential investors.

So rather than work towards a stronger voice for fans, give up and sell the shares to any fornicator, potentially someone who doesn’t care at all about the fans or the club.

Sounds a good idea to me.

Quoted from ska face

So rather than work towards a stronger voice for fans, give up and sell the shares to any fornicator, potentially someone who doesn’t care at all about the fans or the club.

Sounds a good idea to me.

As I outline above, there’s a clear reason why the Trust isn’t working and is dying a slow death.

We currently have an owner who claims to care about the club yet has systematically mismanaged it during his tenure as owner/chairman so I’m afraid that in itself goes against your logic.

No one is saying sell shares to anyone, but I think most people know that Fenty’s time is up, so why shouldn’t the Trust get the ball rolling and try and attract outside investment? They spend a lot of time saying how they don’t have the knowhow or expertise to steer the club so why not get the ball rolling and facilitate someone who does and can?

Clearly the status quo isn’t working, and the Trust is merely an extra arm of John Fenty. What good is that to the fans or the future of the club?

Quoted from bax

I wasn’t going to get involved in this again as I’ve said my piece previously, but just to correct this. Always a supporter, through thick and thin. All Town aren’t we? But I don’t have to agree with the way the club is run and I’m certainly not a sheep. Which is why I’m on the outside now. Undecided if I will get a season ticket, will certainly go to games and support the manager and the players but not the regime.

What about that thing you were going to tell us at the end of the season Bax ?

Quoted from davmariner

As I outline above, there’s a clear reason why the Trust isn’t working and is dying a slow death.

I must have missed that. You’ve intimated that it isn’t working but haven’t really explained why.

Quoted Text

We currently have an owner who claims to care about the club yet has systematically mismanaged it during his tenure as owner/chairman so I’m afraid that in itself goes against your logic.

What logic? Not sure what point you’re trying to make there.

Quoted Text

No one is saying sell shares to anyone

Well who would you sell to then? Perhaps a local businessman, self-made multimillionaire, massive employer in the area and who also happens to be a massive GTFC fan? Sounds perfect doesn’t it?

The only people who truly have the interest of the fans at heart is the fans. Here you already have a body set up to do that, with a significant shareholding, and you’re happy to sit back and “let it die”? What an oddly defeatist attitude.

Quoted Text

but I think most people know that Fenty’s time is up, so why shouldn’t the Trust get the ball rolling and try and attract outside investment?

Perhaps because...

Quoted Text

they don’t have the knowhow or expertise to steer the club

?

Ultimately the club and specifically John Fenty need to take some responsibility here. It is not the job of the Trust to sell the club - they couldn’t if they wanted to while JF holds the controlling stake. If Fenty is really keen on selling the club he has to make it a more attractive investment by improving standards, increasing turnover and removing barriers to potential investment - namely his loans, which he insists on being repaid in full, and his personality.

Quoted Text

Clearly the status quo isn’t working, and the Trust is merely an extra arm of John Fenty. What good is that to the fans or the future of the club?

You’re right, the status quo isn’t working, so you want to jack it in? Pathetic really. The point of a member led organisation is that its actions are led by its members. There are a million problems that I have with the Trust personally, but the biggest problem they face is apathy, and this attidue of wanting to roll over by some fans is shameful. The Trust needs to be stronger and move faster, but members need to play their part as well.

Quoted from The_Laughing_Mariner

You know what the answer is, join and offer to join the Trust board.  You stand a better chance of changing things from within than from the outside.

As I keep saying better to be outside the tent p**ssing in,  than inside being p**ssed on.

Quoted from The_Laughing_Mariner

I think the trust needs to think about what it wants to achieve.  
Social media tells the Club what the supporters views are, and they are wide and varied.  This is the trouble, everybody has their own opinion and wishes as to how the trust proceed.
If it ( the trust) tries to compromise and encompass everyone's opinions it is seen as weak and wishy washy by all.  If it goes one way or the other, half the membership feels disenfranchised.  It needs to keep open channels of communication with the Club, and as we all know, if we rock the clubs boat, these channels are very quickly severed.
The Trust is in an insidious situation, They are damned if they do and damned if they don't.  The days of the old supporters club are long gone.
I don't know what the answer is, but I do feel we are better off with it than without it.

Think is more than half the members that feel disenfranchised,perhaps the Trust might like to a survey,but then again probably would not like the outcome.

Quoted from ska face

You’re right, the status quo isn’t working, so you want to jack it in? Pathetic really. The point of a member led organisation is that its actions are led by its members. There are a million problems that I have with the Trust personally, but the biggest problem they face is apathy, and this attidue of wanting to roll over by some fans is shameful. The Trust needs to be stronger and move faster, but members need to play their part as well.

And why is there apathy? The Trust board is now dominated by people known to support the stewardship of JF, the Trust lost the only opportunity it had by voting shares back in JF's favour and the Trust continues to pay 30k per annum to sit on a board in which it has no say. Add that to the fact that JF calls the most important achievement of the Trust (Operation Promotion) the worst thing that happened to the club, and you wonder why there's apathy?

Much as I'm a fan of Michael Jolley and will continue to be a fan of the club, we got him as 2nd/3rd choice of the board (depends who you listen to) and we may just have got lucky rather than clever. Nothing that goes on above his level inspires me with any confidence that the board suddenly know what they are doing and the latest minutes from the Trust meeting are their equal.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

And why is there apathy? The Trust board is now dominated by people known to support the stewardship of JF,

Stopped reading there mate - known to who? How? Who dominates this board and where’s this supposed evidence that they’re “well known pro-Fenty acolytes”, as it was put recently.

Fenty didn’t seem too keen on them when he was secretly filmed slagging the whole Trust off...

Quoted from ska face

Stopped reading there mate - known to who? How? Who dominates this board and where’s this supposed evidence that they’re “well known pro-Fenty acolytes”, as it was put recently.

Fenty didn’t seem too keen on them when he was secretly filmed slagging the whole Trust off...

He was filmed slagging the Trust off on the day Paul Savage (bax) resigned.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Absolutely not.  If people want to go that's their choice and it should always be respected.  

However the ethos of the competition still sits very uncomfortably with me and I guess a lot of people too.  It's quite simply a way of forcing through B Teams into the Football League, despite what message Shaun Harvey cascades down and John Fenty paraphrases as no thin end of the wedge.

Would that money be welcome?  Of course it would.  But it'll mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things when we're playing Reading Under 23's as a competitive fixture.  

The introduction of B Teams into the league system will kill English football, so you'll have to forgive me for harping on about it.

Couldn't agree with this more strongly.

We cannot stop going on about it, that is what people in power count on. Ride out the initial storm until people give up. Well I am not going to give up on objecting to b-teams at each and every turn.

I have completely lost faith in the people who run the Trust at the moment and being an exile who can't make it back very often (so feel unable to be actively involved) am done with it for now. The Trust resembles a Premier League membership club where you get special offers giving you a better chance of tickets or early discounts on items in the club shop, but nothing else. It is increasingly the marketing arm of the club as shown by the fact the GTFC board asked the Trust to back the b-team trophy and they are waiting for 'the positive spin'.

I know there are a lot of decent people who have put a lot more time and effort than I have ever come close to into the Trust, and who continue to work to make it a body which will represent fans. To those people thank you for everything you have done.

What depresses me most about this is a few months ago, as we stared once more into the abyss, we all said things must change. We could not allow ourselves to get into this position again and whether we stay up or not change must come. Now we seem to have a manager who 'gets it' and we are all forgetting what drove us so close to despair a few weeks ago. A club board who think being a community club is something you say you are as you go out and do nice things around the area. But what that truly means, at least I think, is that the community you refer to has a voice that is respected and listened to within the club as well, not ignored and told 'you would make the same decisions in our position, so stop moaning and buy some season tickets!'.

A few years from now I can already picture Jolley off somewhere else, and ourselves  once more staring into the abyss saying we should never let this happen again. Hopefully I am incredibly wrong but with the gtfc board that has messed up time and again being enabled by the supporters trust I don't see the evidence suggesting I will be.

With Diehard, Ska and Caesar on this. We CAN"T give up because of a few good results, a manager who knows how to treat people and a seemingly docile Trust board.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

He was filmed slagging the Trust off on the day Paul Savage (bax) resigned.

Right...

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Errr The Club directly asked the Trust for support on the checkatrade?

Absolutely ridiculous of the club to ask the Trust for that. When did club board conveniently forget the Trust's role is to represent the FANS?

With that in mind, as has been suggested above, there should be absolutely no discussion about the Trust's position on the rent-a-trophy while the majority of the fans dont want it. This seasons record low attendance should be all the indication they need to know feeling in the stands.

Every few weeks we have a thread questioning the trust and it’s relationship with fenty ...I’d say it’s very obvious to all and sundry who pulls the strings

Quoted from Davec

The trust are a shambles, they have no influence at all, the chair is a big supporter of Fenty and is very pro checkatrade trophy, he's always at fans forums sucking up to Fenty and the Checkatrade trophy, other board members are too cosy to Fenty also such as Terry Rudrum and it's been mentioned previously the trust representative who's on the board (his name escapes me at the minute) is too cosy with Fenty probably a few others also. This makes the support of the checkatrade no surprise, they will back B team involvement also with Rutter in charge.

The minutes are terrible, in my opinion minutes should detail what was said by who and just briefly touch on what was discussed. And as usual they skirted around and avoided certain topics.

I notice that Rutter would like a vice chair and Ian Townsend (Barralad) thought they should recruit externally which I think they should, but everybody else disagreed and said no, probably so they can find somebody else to suck up to Fenty

I suppose it is pointless asking you to back up your claims about the Trust chairman with anything resembling facts Aaron. The Trust Board were unanimous in their opposition to the Checkatrade Trophy. Just in case that doesn't register unanimous means everyone. Thank you for your comments about the minutes. I'm assuming that you will be contacting us directly offering your considerable expertise for the production of any subsequent sets of minutes. It would be really useful for us to have the services of a dedicated minute taker so the rest of us can get on with negotiating with the club for the introduction of a variety of incentives to improve the match day experience for the people we represent such as an exile loyalty scheme, incentives for people who cannot attend enough matches to make it viable for them to purchase a season ticket, improvements for disabled supporters-not just of GTFC but of those of clubs who visit us, and others. There are people who regularly post on here who know first hand of some of the huge amount of work being undertaken in these areas.

Quoted from Vance Warner

"DR raised the question that has come from the club whether we can support the Checkatrade trophy next season. The board discuss the pros and cons but remain very split in our personal opinions. It is thought that the new manager may be able to add a more positive spin. No real decision made,could be discussed again next meeting"

So is the Trust there to represent the views of supporters or the views of the board members? Clearly supporters aren't 'split' on this.

A step in the right direction to publish minutes though I suspect it's far too transparent for JF's liking. The only other thing that caught my attention was in relation to the open day.

"Charity stalls discussed as club have restricted these. The majority of the board agree that as a community trust, we should be supporting local
causes."

It's not my job to "defend" the club but the charity issue is around the fact that the club have, each year a dedicated charity and overloading with requests for support of individual charities would dilute the money for that chosen charity. It is a stance that a lot of organisations take. This doesn't necessarily mean that the club won't offer support or that The Trust won't get involved in individual requests to help us meet our requirements to the community.

Quoted from barralad

I suppose it is pointless asking you to back up your claims about the Trust chairman with anything resembling facts Aaron. The Trust Board were unanimous in their opposition to the Checkatrade Trophy. Just in case that doesn't register unanimous means everyone. Thank you for your comments about the minutes. I'm assuming that you will be contacting us directly offering your considerable expertise for the production of any subsequent sets of minutes. It would be really useful for us to have the services of a dedicated minute taker so the rest of us can get on with negotiating with the club for the introduction of a variety of incentives to improve the match day experience for the people we represent such as an exile loyalty scheme, incentives for people who cannot attend enough matches to make it viable for them to purchase a season ticket, improvements for disabled supporters-not just of GTFC but of those of clubs who visit us, and others. There are people who regularly post on here who know first hand of some of the huge amount of work being undertaken in these areas.

Would you be able to explain then why it is suggested that when the Club board ask the Trust board to support b-teams there was a debate and a wait for 'positive spin'? I get that the Trust board were unanimous in opposing it, were they supporting a boycott?  Are they now? Is the Trust going to be part of the 'spin' operation to encourage fans to attend? I don't doubt you work hard as I said before and always say. But I do doubt that you have the desire to challenge the club board on many issues.

Quoted from barralad

I suppose it is pointless asking you to back up your claims about the Trust chairman with anything resembling facts Aaron. The Trust Board were unanimous in their opposition to the Checkatrade Trophy. Just in case that doesn't register unanimous means everyone. Thank you for your comments about the minutes. I'm assuming that you will be contacting us directly offering your considerable expertise for the production of any subsequent sets of minutes. It would be really useful for us to have the services of a dedicated minute taker so the rest of us can get on with negotiating with the club for the introduction of a variety of incentives to improve the match day experience for the people we represent such as an exile loyalty scheme, incentives for people who cannot attend enough matches to make it viable for them to purchase a season ticket, improvements for disabled supporters-not just of GTFC but of those of clubs who visit us, and others. There are people who regularly post on here who know first hand of some of the huge amount of work being undertaken in these areas.

I'm sure many people appreciate the hard work, and the difficulty of producing informative, succinct minutes which represent what was discussed/agreed. And that it would be unproductive to have to keep looking over your shoulder to make sure you're not stirring up a hornet's nest.

However, wouldn't a simple statement reiterating the Trust Board's unanimous opposition to the Checkatrade Trophy have done the job, now if not in the minutes? And that the Trust Board isn't hoping that MJ will somehow spin things to prepare the ground for a 180 degree turn? Could have cleared this up very quickly.

Quoted from barralad

I suppose it is pointless asking you to back up your claims about the Trust chairman with anything resembling facts Aaron. The Trust Board were unanimous in their opposition to the Checkatrade Trophy. Just in case that doesn't register unanimous means everyone. Thank you for your comments about the minutes. I'm assuming that you will be contacting us directly offering your considerable expertise for the production of any subsequent sets of minutes. It would be really useful for us to have the services of a dedicated minute taker so the rest of us can get on with negotiating with the club for the introduction of a variety of incentives to improve the match day experience for the people we represent such as an exile loyalty scheme, incentives for people who cannot attend enough matches to make it viable for them to purchase a season ticket, improvements for disabled supporters-not just of GTFC but of those of clubs who visit us, and others. There are people who regularly post on here who know first hand of some of the huge amount of work being undertaken in these areas.

I can back up the Alan Rutter comments with facts

Remember the fans forum where there was a big debate about the checkatrade and fenty told us how 2 club representatives went to Portugal to meet with the EFL? Alan Rutter perked up in that fans forum and he said that anybody who disagrees with the checkatrade trophy is missing the point and he was off the opinion that it's a good idea for senior players at premiership clubs to use it to recover from injury...

There you go, they are facts, I can't remember if the forum was broadcast on YouTube or not.

Quoted from Davec

I can back up the Alan Rutter comments with facts

Remember the fans forum where there was a big debate about the checkatrade and fenty told us how 2 club representatives went to Portugal to meet with the EFL? Alan Rutter perked up in that fans forum and he said that anybody who disagrees with the checkatrade trophy is missing the point and he was off the opinion that it's a good idea for senior players at premiership clubs to use it to recover from injury...

There you go, they are facts, I can't remember if the forum was broadcast on YouTube or not.

I don't go, and have no plans to go to any Checkertrade trophy games BUT Mr Rutter and anyone else has the right of an opinion.  Just because he is part of the Trust doesn't mean he has to change his opinion.

The issue is that The Trust had said they are against the Checkertrade Trophy. End of discussion for me but some want to find anything to beat the Trust with.

People post about The Trust being in the pocket of JF and being puppets. How do they KNOW? They don't!

What if the meeting with SD was about removing themselves from the Club board, handing back the bars or launching a takeover bid? Wouldn't it be best to seek advice from a professional group with access to people skilled and experienced in such areas? If legal issues are involved they won't be able to go public until advised to do so.

I don't know what is going on, but it seems other than Barralad, nor does anyone else except for those making things up.

I am very frustrated about the time that has elapsed since the survey but it could be that there are perfectly acceptable reasons for that just as it may be that they just don't want to rock the boat and don't intend acting on the results.

Is everybody on the board is in agreement the meetings could be voice recorded and then whoever writes the minutes can actively take part in meetings without fear of missing anything , that way when they get round to writing up the minutes they could provide a useful insight into who said what.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I'm sure many people appreciate the hard work, and the difficulty of producing informative, succinct minutes which represent what was discussed/agreed. And that it would be unproductive to have to keep looking over your shoulder to make sure you're not stirring up a hornet's nest.

However, wouldn't a simple statement reiterating the Trust Board's unanimous opposition to the Checkatrade Trophy have done the job, now if not in the minutes? And that the Trust Board isn't hoping that MJ will somehow spin things to prepare the ground for a 180 degree turn? Could have cleared this up very quickly.

Reading many of the replies on here I am not sure people really do appreciate the Trust or the effort and time volunteers put in to try and make things better? Yes of course they get things wrong BUT they are at the very least trying to make a lot of off field wrongs to right on our behalf.Last week a Monday Night after a full day at work 3 Trust Reps met some supporters who expressed many of the same concerns voiced here basically these supporters challenged (not sure if that`s the right word but) them to come and speak face to face.This meeting lasted 3 hours and wrapped up at 9pm and the only thing the Trust guys got was another load of work to follow up.They didn`t seem to mind ,they seemed to accept this was their role in trying to help the Club move forward off the field? The supporters got some answers but not all of them,they got assurances questions would be asked and answers would follow.I was one of those supporters I am not known for my patience but it was an eye opener just how difficult these people have it when it comes to trying to effect change on our behalf. I didn`t want to BUT I ended up offering to help in any way I can.The Trust might not be perfect but for those that want change this is the best available option to seek it.Regarding the Trust Board if it`s p1ss weak or you don`t like one of them etc vote them off but be prepared to stand up and be counted.We all can criticise but can we do any better?  The fans of this football club are the very best and they have proved it time and again Pontoon Stand,Joe Waters,Ivano Bonetti and OP off the field and sold out away ends virtually everywhere we go.The fans are the only ones that can drive this Club forward and the way to do that is fill the ground back the team and manager.The MT have a membership on or around 25% of the average gate so the other 75% need to get on board then you will have some sway.The problems from last season can`t be brushed under the carpet they run too deep however to get the best from what we do have we must bypass these and move on .UTM

Interesting, thanks for posting 1ML

Great post 1ml.

Quoted from Davec

I can back up the Alan Rutter comments with facts

Remember the fans forum where there was a big debate about the checkatrade and fenty told us how 2 club representatives went to Portugal to meet with the EFL? Alan Rutter perked up in that fans forum and he said that anybody who disagrees with the checkatrade trophy is missing the point and he was off the opinion that it's a good idea for senior players at premiership clubs to use it to recover from injury...

There you go, they are facts, I can't remember if the forum was broadcast on YouTube or not.

Someone's personal recollection of something that allegedly happened almost three years ago doesn't tend to constitute a hard fact but we are into semantics now. The fact remains that the Trust Board at the time registered their opposition to the Checkatrade Trophy in the GTFC boardroom via their two representatives. That opposition was renewed for the 17/18 season.
For anyone to construe from that that anyone on the Trust Board then or now is in the pocket of Mr Fenty is unsupportable by facts.

Come on now, it’s not like Aaron has made himself a reputation for being a compulsive liar is it?  

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Reading many of the replies on here I am not sure people really do appreciate the Trust or the effort and time volunteers put in to try and make things better? Yes of course they get things wrong BUT they are at the very least trying to make a lot of off field wrongs to right on our behalf.Last week a Monday Night after a full day at work 3 Trust Reps met some supporters who expressed many of the same concerns voiced here basically these supporters challenged (not sure if that`s the right word but) them to come and speak face to face.This meeting lasted 3 hours and wrapped up at 9pm and the only thing the Trust guys got was another load of work to follow up.They didn`t seem to mind ,they seemed to accept this was their role in trying to help the Club move forward off the field? The supporters got some answers but not all of them,they got assurances questions would be asked and answers would follow.I was one of those supporters I am not known for my patience but it was an eye opener just how difficult these people have it when it comes to trying to effect change on our behalf. I didn`t want to BUT I ended up offering to help in any way I can.The Trust might not be perfect but for those that want change this is the best available option to seek it.Regarding the Trust Board if it`s p1ss weak or you don`t like one of them etc vote them off but be prepared to stand up and be counted.We all can criticise but can we do any better?  The fans of this football club are the very best and they have proved it time and again Pontoon Stand,Joe Waters,Ivano Bonetti and OP off the field and sold out away ends virtually everywhere we go.The fans are the only ones that can drive this Club forward and the way to do that is fill the ground back the team and manager.The MT have a membership on or around 25% of the average gate so the other 75% need to get on board then you will have some sway.The problems from last season can`t be brushed under the carpet they run too deep however to get the best from what we do have we must bypass these and move on .UTM

Spot on!

Quoted from Cloudy

I don't go, and have no plans to go to any Checkertrade trophy games BUT Mr Rutter and anyone else has the right of an opinion.  Just because he is part of the Trust doesn't mean he has to change his opinion.

The issue is that The Trust had said they are against the Checkertrade Trophy. End of discussion for me but some want to find anything to beat the Trust with.

People post about The Trust being in the pocket of JF and being puppets. How do they KNOW? They don't!

What if the meeting with SD was about removing themselves from the Club board, handing back the bars or launching a takeover bid? Wouldn't it be best to seek advice from a professional group with access to people skilled and experienced in such areas? If legal issues are involved they won't be able to go public until advised to do so.

I don't know what is going on, but it seems other than Barralad, nor does anyone else except for those making things up.

I am very frustrated about the time that has elapsed since the survey but it could be that there are perfectly acceptable reasons for that just as it may be that they just don't want to rock the boat and don't intend acting on the results.

Thanks for this Cloudy. It has raised a point that being perfectly honest I didn't consider was in any doubt. If people do not accept that our meeting with S.D. was to map out the way forward given the survey results may I ask what they DO think it was for? The only clear steer given to us by the survey was that a majority of people who completed the survey were unhappy about us paying £30,000 for a place on the Board. Every other issue was far less clear cut. S.D. are helping us to work through the possible consequences of not paying money over-some of which conflict directly with some fans wishes. Personally I can quite happily oppose our participation in the Checkatrade but am far less certain about removing our presence from the internal workings of the club. The time I spent at the meeting with S.D. was probably the most valuable time I've spent in my six years on the Trust Board.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Reading many of the replies on here I am not sure people really do appreciate the Trust or the effort and time volunteers put in to try and make things better? Yes of course they get things wrong BUT they are at the very least trying to make a lot of off field wrongs to right on our behalf.Last week a Monday Night after a full day at work 3 Trust Reps met some supporters who expressed many of the same concerns voiced here basically these supporters challenged (not sure if that`s the right word but) them to come and speak face to face.This meeting lasted 3 hours and wrapped up at 9pm and the only thing the Trust guys got was another load of work to follow up.They didn`t seem to mind ,they seemed to accept this was their role in trying to help the Club move forward off the field? The supporters got some answers but not all of them,they got assurances questions would be asked and answers would follow.I was one of those supporters I am not known for my patience but it was an eye opener just how difficult these people have it when it comes to trying to effect change on our behalf. I didn`t want to BUT I ended up offering to help in any way I can.The Trust might not be perfect but for those that want change this is the best available option to seek it.Regarding the Trust Board if it`s p1ss weak or you don`t like one of them etc vote them off but be prepared to stand up and be counted.We all can criticise but can we do any better?  The fans of this football club are the very best and they have proved it time and again Pontoon Stand,Joe Waters,Ivano Bonetti and OP off the field and sold out away ends virtually everywhere we go.The fans are the only ones that can drive this Club forward and the way to do that is fill the ground back the team and manager.The MT have a membership on or around 25% of the average gate so the other 75% need to get on board then you will have some sway.The problems from last season can`t be brushed under the carpet they run too deep however to get the best from what we do have we must bypass these and move on .UTM

I do fully appreciate the effort and time volunteers dedicate to make things better. I preface every comment I make with that level of respect and genuine thanks for what they have done. However not every criticism of the way the Trust is working can be brushed away as 'they are volunteers' and 'why don't you take part then'. I personally want to take part but am limited by location and budget. I have offered to help in any way I can at a distance, twice suggested helping to form a London branch of the Trust to help arrange events and fund raise, although nothing ended up coming from this. However my inability to do more (and I will happily concede I doubt I could do a better job anyway) doesn't stop me from saying openly I disagree with how it is being run.

For the club to even ask the Trust board to back b-teams suggests to me that not enough opposition to b-teams is being expressed to be honest. And we can't bypass the problems of last season, to push the analogy to breaking point bypassing it will simply put us on a ring-road, we need to go forward and that means overcoming the problems from last season. I don't believe there is any desire or drive from the Trust to this. It is arguable if that desire and trust exists in the fanbase at all, However the Trust for me is too scared to lose the influence it feels there is with the GTFC board in the current situation. I accept I am not privy to the inner workings of the Trust and am simply interpreting from what I see and hear from other sources. And thanks Barra for responding on here and shedding some light. I hope my view on the Trust is wrong, but I simply don't believe the change I want to see can happen within the framework of the Trust at present.

It's all very well being a keyboard warrior but if you are not prepared to go into battle, don't criticise those who are.

Aaron you’re unintentionally causing a surge in new Trust members. When it comes to renewing people will ask themselves if they’d rather be on the Trust’s side or the side of Aaron Rattray and John Fenty.

Quoted from Cloudy

Interesting, thanks for posting 1ML

This had to be told you will have seen me be critical of the Club and Trust numerous times over many year`s.Like all other Town fans I want my Club to be the best they can be and clearly we have issues with the constant failure to fulfil our potential off the pitch let alone on it. I see things can be made better in many aspects of the day to day running of the Club which in turn will make it more customer friendly. In 2018 GTFC need to realise supporters can`t be taken for granted and they won`t simply rock up and part with hard earned money for nothing. I think we have taken the first few tentative steps on a new path and I for one urge ALL Town`s supporters past and present to give this one final push.Let`s despite our better judgement go to the Well one more time give the football club our unconditional support and if we have any repetition of last Season`s antics demand those responsible leave once and for all.If the fans call a truce and the Club respond positively instead of taking us for granted we could really do some damage in League 2 next season we`ve got the Manager let`s back him and he will get us where we want to be.GTFC and the Mariner`s Trust need OUR help both parties have lost there way and we the fans have a moral dilemma of letting them sink or swim.I can criticise both parties all day long it won`t help and it won`t change anything BUT by genuinely offering to help just maybe I can make a difference I hope 4k+ other fans feel the same ONE LAST TIME.

Quoted from GrimRob

It's all very well being a keyboard warrior but if you are not prepared to go into battle, don't criticise those who are.

What absolute tosh Rob. The board members of the Trust put themselves up for election to represent the members. Hardworking as they are, they are not immune from criticism as much as they are not immune from praise for the work they do..

It's like saying, you can't criticise the Government if you're not an MP.

Makes me laugh that your forum/business is built on people offering opinions by way of a keyboard and you're not averse to calling them an often misused derogatory term..

FWIW, plenty of posters have offered help once they can see a clear direction the Trust is going in and if it matches their hopes and expectations for the club. A clear direction is taking time, and we will sadly have to be patient and see if we ever get one..

I’d agree that the Trust needs to be more receptive of offers for help, and that there needs to be a clearer process internally, and visible to members (and potential members) externally, to demonstrate how offers for help can be taken forward.

In terms of opposing the checkatrade competition though, I’m not sure what else the Trust could do. They have publically opposed it, both at the time it was initially announced and then last season, a Trust rep effectively resigned from the board over the decision, they surveyed fans to back up their postion, and even supported a protest match which gained national publicity in opposition to the competition. I honestly don’t see what else the Trust could do, and the fact that Fenty wants support for it, despite all this, is surely a reflection on him and his ignorance rather than the Trust?

Quoted from Caesar

I do fully appreciate the effort and time volunteers dedicate to make things better. I preface every comment I make with that level of respect and genuine thanks for what they have done. However not every criticism of the way the Trust is working can be brushed away as 'they are volunteers' and 'why don't you take part then'. I personally want to take part but am limited by location and budget. I have offered to help in any way I can at a distance, twice suggested helping to form a London branch of the Trust to help arrange events and fund raise, although nothing ended up coming from this. However my inability to do more (and I will happily concede I doubt I could do a better job anyway) doesn't stop me from saying openly I disagree with how it is being run.

For the club to even ask the Trust board to back b-teams suggests to me that not enough opposition to b-teams is being expressed to be honest. And we can't bypass the problems of last season, to push the analogy to breaking point bypassing it will simply put us on a ring-road, we need to go forward and that means overcoming the problems from last season. I don't believe there is any desire or drive from the Trust to this. It is arguable if that desire and trust exists in the fanbase at all, However the Trust for me is too scared to lose the influence it feels there is with the GTFC board in the current situation. I accept I am not privy to the inner workings of the Trust and am simply interpreting from what I see and hear from other sources. And thanks Barra for responding on here and shedding some light. I hope my view on the Trust is wrong, but I simply don't believe the change I want to see can happen within the framework of the Trust at present.

A good balanced post and you are of course right to ask questions like we did.

I don`t speak for the Trust obviously but it was clear to me at least quite a few things have not been followed up I suspect your London Branch may have been victim to this and sadly it will all boil down to the lack of bodies they have to do endless tasks that to a degree will have been prioritised? I would urge you please don`t give up and if you want to PM me your details I will make sure they get to Dave Roberts personally and it sounds to me like a brilliant idea with some very obvious potential. I am hopeful the MT will see an influx of new members and helpers over coming Months and this will see fans like yourselves get some long overdue answers.UTM



  

The main problem  is Fenty,

Fans are not happy with him and the board so they take it out of the trust as well,

Lets hope MJ  brings the feel good factor back to the club with a bit of success,

Fenty remains in his silent mode and everybody is happy,

We could be playing Ipswich and Hurst in the championship in a couple of years,

Well we can dream can't we but some dreams do come true.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

A good balanced post and you are of course right to ask questions like we did.

I don`t speak for the Trust obviously but it was clear to me at least quite a few things have not been followed up I suspect your London Branch may have been victim to this and sadly it will all boil down to the lack of bodies they have to do endless tasks that to a degree will have been prioritised? I would urge you please don`t give up and if you want to PM me your details I will make sure they get to Dave Roberts personally and it sounds to me like a brilliant idea with some very obvious potential. I am hopeful the MT will see an influx of new members and helpers over coming Months and this will see fans like yourselves get some long overdue answers.UTM
  
They had better get some more membership cards ordered then Micky  


  

Quoted from grimsby pete

If it helps I never got mine either Pete

Quoted from ska face

I’d agree that the Trust needs to be more receptive of offers for help, and that there needs to be a clearer process internally, and visible to members (and potential members) externally, to demonstrate how offers for help can be taken forward.

In terms of opposing the checkatrade competition though, I’m not sure what else the Trust could do. They have publically opposed it, both at the time it was initially announced and then last season, a Trust rep effectively resigned from the board over the decision, they surveyed fans to back up their postion, and even supported a protest match which gained national publicity in opposition to the competition. I honestly don’t see what else the Trust could do, and the fact that Fenty wants support for it, despite all this, is surely a reflection on him and his ignorance rather than the Trust?

For me the biggest barrier to the Trust progressing is not only a lack of people wanting to help but being able to identify exactly what we want people to be able to do. I am a big supporter of getting individuals involved on an issue by issue basis. I'm rather hoping that what is happening with Mickey and Ska's involvement forms a sort of blueprint for all such future interactions between the Trust and those keen to make a difference. The advantages are huge-we get people who are prepared to commit big time for the duration of an exercise but who can then withdraw. Currently myself and a couple of others who are retired are in a better position than those who work full time but even we are limited by our private lives. We have had quite a few people express an interest but after having either come on board or attended a meeting have become disillusioned by a lack of tasks that suit their particular strengths. Sadly the day to day stuff is actually pretty mundane and isn't attractive to prospective helpers but it is this sort of stuff that we get queries over and unless we get our act together makes us appear unprofessional. The stuff about the survey is absolutely critical but in the meantime we have to carry on as normal..hence the discount already negotiated for Trust member season ticket holders and the stuff that Mickey and co are involved in which if even half of it comes off should make a big difference to a whole lot of people.

Quoted from LH

Aaron you’re unintentionally causing a surge in new Trust members. When it comes to renewing people will ask themselves if they’d rather be on the Trust’s side or the side of Aaron Rattray and John Fenty.

Me and Fenty? I am not on Fenty's side at all, and I have never said I'm on Fenty's side, I have never posted anything on here which reads as I am on Fenty's side.

Quoted from Bigdog

What absolute tosh Rob. The board members of the Trust put themselves up for election to represent the members. Hardworking as they are, they are not immune from criticism as much as they are not immune from praise for the work they do..

It's like saying, you can't criticise the Government if you're not an MP.

Makes me laugh that your forum/business is built on people offering opinions by way of a keyboard and you're not averse to calling them an often misused derogatory term..

FWIW, plenty of posters have offered help once they can see a clear direction the Trust is going in and if it matches their hopes and expectations for the club. A clear direction is taking time, and we will sadly have to be patient and see if we ever get one..

The MP analogy only goes so far because I suspect anyone relatively local who wants to get involved with the Trust probably can do, even to the extent of getting elected to some position.

Personally, I think this forum is as good way as any of communicating with the decision makers at the club and expressing opinions about most matters, as it's fairly clear they look at it at least some of the time. I suppose that makes me a keyboard warrior. But maybe I am biased....

Quoted from Davec

Me and Fenty? I am not on Fenty's side at all, and I have never said I'm on Fenty's side, I have never posted anything on here which reads as I am on Fenty's side.

Are there really sides? Wings perhaps!

Quoted from GrimRob

The MP analogy only goes so far because I suspect anyone relatively local who wants to get involved with the Trust probably can do, even to the extent of getting elected to some position.

Personally, I think this forum is as good way as any of communicating with the decision makers at the club and expressing opinions about most matters, as it's fairly clear they look at it at least some of the time. I suppose that makes me a keyboard warrior. But maybe I am biased....

Fair play Rob..

Quoted from barralad

For me the biggest barrier to the Trust progressing is not only a lack of people wanting to help but being able to identify exactly what we want people to be able to do. I am a big supporter of getting individuals involved on an issue by issue basis. I'm rather hoping that what is happening with Mickey and Ska's involvement forms a sort of blueprint for all such future interactions between the Trust and those keen to make a difference. The advantages are huge-we get people who are prepared to commit big time for the duration of an exercise but who can then withdraw. Currently myself and a couple of others who are retired are in a better position than those who work full time but even we are limited by our private lives. We have had quite a few people express an interest but after having either come on board or attended a meeting have become disillusioned by a lack of tasks that suit their particular strengths. Sadly the day to day stuff is actually pretty mundane and isn't attractive to prospective helpers but it is this sort of stuff that we get queries over and unless we get our act together makes us appear unprofessional. The stuff about the survey is absolutely critical but in the meantime we have to carry on as normal..hence the discount already negotiated for Trust member season ticket holders and the stuff that Mickey and co are involved in which if even half of it comes off should make a big difference to a whole lot of people.

Whilst I get the majority of what you say Barra, isn't the biggest problem that the supporters who may have something to bring to the Trust may not be wholly sure of where the Trust currently stands in its' relationship with the board. I'm all for positivity and hope that the GTFC board will start to engage with the fanbase in a much more positive way but, at present, it just seems that the Trust doesn't have enough say and that the board will always get their own way.

I think what the Trust needs to decide is whether it has a greater influence on or off the board and whether it is really delivering on its' core principles.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Whilst I get the majority of what you say Barra, isn't the biggest problem that the supporters who may have something to bring to the Trust may not be wholly sure of where the Trust currently stands in its' relationship with the board. I'm all for positivity and hope that the GTFC board will start to engage with the fanbase in a much more positive way but, at present, it just seems that the Trust doesn't have enough say and that the board will always get their own way.

I think what the Trust needs to decide is whether it has a greater influence on or off the board and whether it is really delivering on its' core principles.

At the moment I'm struggling to think of a situation where it would be possible to have meaningful influence away from the Board. When I talk to fans of other trusts they generally think we are lucky to have a platform at the heart of the club where fans issues can at least be raised. I know people will point to the "big" decisions like the Checkatrade and say well a fat lot of good the Trust were but other matters (like the recent discount for S/T holders) came about because Jon Wood was on hand to fight our corner at a meeting which took place after the County game. Anyone who thinks that would just have happened anyway doesnt begin to understand the dynamic. Virtually all the stuff going on behind the scenes at the moment is underpinned by our ability to call on Jon in the boardroom to escalate matters should the need arise.

Quoted from barralad

At the moment I'm struggling to think of a situation where it would be possible to have meaningful influence away from the Board. When I talk to fans of other trusts they generally think we are lucky to have a platform at the heart of the club where fans issues can at least be raised. I know people will point to the "big" decisions like the Checkatrade and say well a fat lot of good the Trust were but other matters (like the recent discount for S/T holders) came about because Jon Wood was on hand to fight our corner at a meeting which took place after the County game. Anyone who thinks that would just have happened anyway doesnt begin to understand the dynamic. Virtually all the stuff going on behind the scenes at the moment is underpinned by our ability to call on Jon in the boardroom to escalate matters should the need arise.

Re the bit in bold, I take it by that you don't mean the clubs where the Trust is running the club. But then, according to some, The Fishy runs GTFC!  

Quoted from 1mickylyons

A good balanced post and you are of course right to ask questions like we did.

I don`t speak for the Trust obviously but it was clear to me at least quite a few things have not been followed up I suspect your London Branch may have been victim to this and sadly it will all boil down to the lack of bodies they have to do endless tasks that to a degree will have been prioritised? I would urge you please don`t give up and if you want to PM me your details I will make sure they get to Dave Roberts personally and it sounds to me like a brilliant idea with some very obvious potential. I am hopeful the MT will see an influx of new members and helpers over coming Months and this will see fans like yourselves get some long overdue answers.UTM

Thanks for the offer, in fairness Dave Roberts has already responded to an email I sent detailing some next steps. Have not read it properly yet as have had ppl hovering over my screen all afternoon but really appreciate people taking the time to respond.

I get some of what is said regarding a seat at the table in the GTFC board room, but I think if we are set on regime change, which I feel needs to happen, then why be there? Is the discounted season ticket a price worth paying? Certainly isn't worth £35,000. And that also is what I meant by likening the Trust to a membership of a Premier League club rather than investing to secure the future of our club.

Still hopefully I am just expecting too much too soon and certainly hope you are right with answers and new active members.