Mariners Trust Open Evening

The trouble with most volunteer/ charity organisations is the 95% of the work is done by 5% of the people.
People in general are very good at say this that or the other should be done, but disappear when it's time to do it.

Posted by Supporters’ Direct immediately after the event, the text of the Memorandum Of Understanding can be viewed here - https://supporters-direct.org/assets/media/articleFiles/file-lWtUWZ81IJnf.pdf


There’ll no doubt be those who go through this with a fine-toothed comb and analyse the lengths and limits of individual words or particular phrases, I’d usually do the same, but I still think it’s good to finally have something in black & white about the working relationship between the Trust and the Club. This has been a grey area for too long which has caused problems when trying to hold the club to account - how do we do that effectively when we’ve never known what has been officially expected? A good starting point to build from.

I still think removing the £30k charge for a seat on the board is a massive atep forward and has been overlooked a bit in the last week. That was always the biggest problem I had with the relationship as a matter of basic principal. I think removing a £30k millstone from around the neck of a small,volunteer-led organisation should give a bit more breathing space and allow a bit of a shift in focus.

Quoted from ska face

Posted by Supporters’ Direct immediately after the event, the text of the Memorandum Of Understanding can be viewed here - https://supporters-direct.org/assets/media/articleFiles/file-lWtUWZ81IJnf.pdf


There’ll no doubt be those who go through this with a fine-toothed comb and analyse the lengths and limits of individual words or particular phrases, I’d usually do the same, but I still think it’s good to finally have something in black & white about the working relationship between the Trust and the Club. This has been a grey area for too long which has caused problems when trying to hold the club to account - how do we do that effectively when we’ve never known what has been officially expected? A good starting point to build from.

I still think removing the £30k charge for a seat on the board is a massive atep forward and has been overlooked a bit in the last week. That was always the biggest problem I had with the relationship as a matter of basic principal. I think removing a £30k millstone from around the neck of a small,volunteer-led organisation should give a bit more breathing space and allow a bit of a shift in focus.

Thanks Ska.

4 significant things the Club is undertaking IMO:

• 'Use the structured dialogue format to consult about significant decisions such as any permanent ground move, change of club badge, change from black and white stripes as the home colours, change of use of the ground
  


• 'the club commit that they will never vote for the introduction of premier league representation into the EFL league structure'
  


• 'Take the opportunity to discuss any potential ownership changes including future opportunity for supporters to invest in their club'
  

[list]

• 'The club will always be open to consideration of a bid from The Mariners Trust for a controlling interest in the football club.'
  

OK the whole thing isn't legally binding but it's a step in the right direction, so well done to JF, other Club directors, the Trust and Supporters Direct for getting this negotiated.

From my experience of Mr F, he has nothing but disdain or contempt for the trust. During our lengthy conversation he didn't ever express any appreciation or any degree of sense of achievement of the trust whatsoever. This continued throughout our conversation and hasn't abated in the press since. He's never given any kind of acknowledgement of how much the trust have achieved. Which is both a massive disappointment and a huge miss on his part. Embracing the supporters is something he finds difficult, that much is patently obvious. He had the chance to when the trust had the shares dilemma. He failed. I'm grateful that he's propped up the club in the way of a guarantor would a loan to a high risk borrower, but he's never given any credit to the supporters which is tragic.

Yeah I think it’s important to be frank on Fenty’s relationship with the Trust and, by extension, the fans. He’s an appalling gobshite and I’ll never, ever, give him any credit for anything. He’s consistently slagged the Trust off, treated them with contempt and ignored even the most basic requests like a request for him to stop coming on The Fishy to antagonise fans. I think we all know the stories about his involvement with the B-Team Boycott match organised by fans and supported by the Trust (I think MT paid for some first aiders to be present or some floodlights?), and he spoke quite openly about the Trust when he didn’t realise he was being recorded in that taxi.

The removal of the £30k and M.O.U means that the Trust can start to realise it’s own strength. Although the aim is obviously to work cooperatively and positively, there is little to stop the Trust being a bit stronger and more demanding of Fenty and the board.

Quoted from ska face

The removal of the £30k and M.O.U means that the Trust can start to realise it’s own strength.  

If only the Trust had held on to all those shares eh? Then it really would be in a position of strength.

That’s democracy for you...

Quoted from ska face

That’s democracy for you...

Oh good.  Does that mean that those that didn't want the shares to go to JF can whinge and moan and stamp their feet and ask for another vote.  I believe that's the modern democracy isn't it ?  

Quoted from Civvy at last

Oh good.  Does that mean that those that didn't want the shares to go to JF can whinge and moan and stamp their feet and ask for another vote.  I believe that's the modern democracy isn't it ?  

If only eh? If John reads this what a magnificent goodwill gesture it would be from him to give them back now in keeping with the current positivity between Club and fans.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

If only eh? If John reads this what a magnificent goodwill gesture it would be from him to give them back now in keeping with the current positivity between Club and fans.

I know it's not football related but I have just seen a huge flock of pigs flying past my office window.