The Board, consultancy fees, Mercs and how to identify a duck

[sonicyouth]

Indeed although having clandestine conversations with Wray doesn't help transparency does it, although possibly not their fault.

Has anyone established why Wray had started cosying up to the Trust.

Indeed.

[Flashheart]

Are you referring to the stuff Wray said at the AGM (which I didn't attend) which he asked not to be minuted? Though not ideal, it's hardly clandestine if it was said at an open advertised public meeting that anyone could attend is it?

It's clandestine enough.

Why can't the rest of us know?

[PetsWinPrizes]

It's clandestine enough.

Why can't the rest of us know?

I wasn't there so I've no idea what was said.

But I'd imagine that, like any of us, Wray is more happy to say things about what went on with his former employers (if that's the correct term) in an informal meeting in a pub that he wouldn't want printed officially in public record.

If I was in the pub with you lot now, I'd be happy to tell you stuff about my work that I'm not prepared to put on here, and unlike Wray, it wouldn't even by my real name linked to it.

[horlock07]

Are you referring to the stuff Wray said at the AGM (which I didn't attend) which he asked not to be minuted? Though not ideal, it's hardly clandestine if it was said at an open advertised public meeting that anyone could attend is it?

I would not disagree, just seems a little odd to agree to it. I think the bigger problem is the fact that they have absolutely no financial backing, therefore I don't really see the difference between one pennyless group and another leading the club. I would be surprised if any Trust Officer would want to take the risk of a statutory role at the club anyway?

From experience of dealing with voluntary organisations there is a big danger of factionisation and cliches anyway which would worry me unless a firm structure was achieved.

I support the Trust (or any other fans group) but just don't see how a group of <1000 people paying a fiver a year can ever consider taking a club with a payroll of £4.5m+ on. The best I would hope for is some form of supporter representation?

[horlock07]

But I'd imagine that, like any of us, Wray is more happy to say things about what went on with his former employers (if that's the correct term) in an informal meeting in a pub that he wouldn't want printed officially in public record.

Like how he sanctioned a salary of between £4 and 8k a week for a player who the manager had little intention of playing!

[PetsWinPrizes]

I would not disagree, just seems a little odd to agree to it. I think the bigger problem is the fact that they have absolutely no financial backing, therefore I don't really see the difference between one pennyless group and another leading the club. I would be surprised if any Trust Officer would want to take the risk of a statutory role at the club anyway?

From experience of dealing with voluntary organisations there is a big danger of factionisation and cliches anyway which would worry me unless a firm structure was achieved.

I support the Trust (or any other fans group) but just don't see how a group of <1000 people paying a fiver a year can ever consider taking a club with a payroll of £4.5m+ on. The best I would hope for is some form of supporter representation?

The best scenario (a Dave Whelan style mega rich mega committed fan turning up aside) for me is the Trust (IE the fans)  owning a 51% stake in the club, and some other individual or company with a bit of cash, owning the other 49%.

Not likely I know.

[Arriba]

Someone mentioned already, they can't even afford to produce membership cards. I don't see what they could bring to the table. I have no issue with them but they only ever seem to want answers but never seem to produce anything that is of benefit to the club. May be wrong but just the way it comes across

They'd bring their undoubted support of STFC to the table,the guarantee that they want the best for the club. No money,granted but i aint seen anything from this ever changing lot with regards to funds either.
I'd rather have a skint club ran within its means than a group of chancers with no ties to the club but with no real plan it would appear either. They are making it up as they go along. They cannot guarantee that the well being of STFC is their main agenda(its almost certain that it isn't)

People slating the Trust regarding Wrays comments could have been there themselves. And if that's a problem then what about the continual contradictory bullshit Jed spouts? The clear as mud 1 word answers that took weeks to prepare? The rubbish about money available? etc,etc,etc.. If anyone is keeping stuff from fans it's the board of STFC.

[sonicyouth]

People slating the Trust regarding Wrays comments could have been there themselves. And if that's a problem then what about the continual contradictory bullshit Jed spouts? The clear as mud 1 word answers that took weeks to prepare? The rubbish about money available? etc,etc,etc.. If anyone is keeping stuff from fans it's the board of STFC.

People aren't slating the Trust at all, just making the point that proclaiming themselves as a democratic organisation that represents the fans and then effectively excluding those who can't make weekday evening meetings is not a great start.

I hope the Trust goes from strength to strength and can move further than it did during the Diamandis era. I'd love to see the club owned, either partially or fully, by a fans organisation and that has to be the long term goal of the Trust.

I don't think it's so much that Jed contradicts himself, it's just that the club as a whole are communicating very little (although this has improved a bit now) and our chairman only makes it worse by being incredibly vague and allowing himself to get drawn into arguments on social media.

Basically, nobody comes out of it with any credit.

[Arriba]

People aren't slating the Trust at all, just making the point that proclaiming themselves as a democratic organisation that represents the fans and then effectively excluding those who can't make weekday evening meetings is not a great start.

I hope the Trust goes from strength to strength and can move further than it did during the Diamandis era. I'd love to see the club owned, either partially or fully, by a fans organisation and that has to be the long term goal of the Trust.

I don't think it's so much that Jed contradicts himself, it's just that the club as a whole are communicating very little (although this has improved a bit now) and our chairman only makes it worse by being incredibly vague and allowing himself to get drawn into arguments on social media.

Basically, nobody comes out of it with any credit.

People have been critical of the trust since that meeting due to them not knowing what Wray said. I agree that it isn't exactly a positive thing but it's not really important with things going forward. I pretty much agree with everything else you say except that i think Jed does contradict himself. No more so than his ridiculous statement about the amount of funds that would be available(how wrong was that?)

[sonicyouth]

People have been critical of the trust since that meeting due to them not knowing what Wray said. I agree that it isn't exactly a positive thing but it's not really important with things going forward. I pretty much agree with everything else you say except that i think Jed does contradict himself. No more so than his ridiculous statement about the amount of funds that would be available(how wrong was that?)

The issue that I have is that subsequent to that meeting I've seen nothing from the Trust that has been particularly encouraging - they sensibly chose not to pressure the board during the play-offs but since then we've had a few statements reacting to events and that's it.

I forgot about that comment from Jed but I didn't believe it the first time I heard it either.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

You talk about 'they' as if it's some shadowy group. It's really not, they is 'us', fans of the club.

Exactly and if the trust were taking over you would see their membership increase tenfold almost instantly.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

i think Jed does contradict himself. No more so than his ridiculous statement about the amount of funds that would be available(how wrong was that?)

Absolutely. Saying funds available would be "relatively similar" followed by cutting the budget in half....not sure how anyone can see that as anything other than a contradiction.

[Fred Elliot]

But I'd imagine that, like any of us, Wray is more happy to say things about what went on with his former employers (if that's the correct term) in an informal meeting in a pub that he wouldn't want printed officially in public record.

I hardly think that the Trust AGM constitutes "an informal meeting in a pub"

If it does, then they are clearly as Mickey Mouse as they currently appear

[Bob's Orange]

At least this fella didn't try to buy us.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22755197

Oldham fans should be very worried, this guy is pretty dodgy I believe.

[Fred Elliot]

Exactly and if the trust were taking over you would see their membership increase tenfold almost instantly.

Sorry but I think you are wrong

We struggled to get the membership base upto a 1000 during the dark days of Diamandis and only by offering membership for £1.00 did we manage to achieve anywhere near that.

For fans representation you need volume, not a majority maybe, but certainly more than 15%

Swindon fans, even when faced with the real threat of foreclosure of the club are, at the end of the day, an apathetic bunch.

Far to apathetic for a fans takeover.

The hard work should have been done when Fitton et al first came in, but I am sure there were many like me that just wanted to enjoy a debt free ride for a little while