TrustSTFC - direction & AGM

[theakston2k]

Why can’t a schedule just be released saying when the club was invoiced and when money was received?

This isn’t commercially sensitive info, and open & transparent keeps getting preached so there should be no issue letting people see this if everything is ok?!

That would put this to bed once and for all, but all the skirting round the issue is making it look like there is something to hide!

[Nemo]

I think a club not being able/willing to pay its bills on time is pretty much the definition of commercially sensitive information, no?

[Batch]

In any case, does it matter now beyond adding to the cash flow issues/incompetent worry.

We now know the trust has committed to taking us anything > 30 days past invoice will be communicated.

[TailBetweenLegs]

I think a club not being able/willing to pay its bills on time is pretty much the definition of commercially sensitive information, no?

Possibly but they have recently added the statement about if not paid on time going forward they will release so i am not sure it is

[Berniman]

In any case, does it matter now beyond adding to the cash flow issues/incompetent worry.

We now know the trust has committed to taking us anything > 30 days past invoice will be communicated.

The 30 days is fair enough, fans shouldn't know when the club are 3, 7, 10 days late paying a bill unless the lateness of paying something delivers a penalty, then we should know.  If it's 30 days, which is effectively missing a payment, then we should be made aware for sure.

Lets' not get obsessed with one small piece of a bigger picture, the new trust board have set out the criteria so let's monitor it moving forward.  It matters little now whether they were late in the past as long as they are currently up to date with payments.  It's clear that the organisation has been all over the place and the financials are also all over the place, the new board are trying to draw a line and say, from this point on we will hold you accountable and call you out - let's let that happen.

Edit: Not aimed at you Batch, just quoted your post for context

[Frigby Daser]

I listened to the pod and I appreciate the Trust board are in a difficult position, owing to the fact that there is no visible alternative to Morfuni and co.

However, the stated aim to “persuade and collaborate” will not work with this regime. We all know that so it is pointless debating it. We know how they operate now. They have zero interest in collaborating with the Trust, other than to the extent that it serves a purpose of legitimising the people that own the club - whether in name or otherwise.

I personally think it would be far more effective to take a more direct approach and vocally call out their failure to pay supplier, the JV, failure to submit proper development plans, failure to have any credible plan on the pitch. By doing so, the upshot may well be that they are cut adrift as Power did. That’s telling in itself. Be the truth tellers, publicly. In doing that, it may actually galvanise the fan base out of its slumber to be vocal against the regime, which may in turn twist their arm into pursuing a sale or being receptive to those that show an interest, if more of a light can be shone on the way they are running the club and make it thoroughly unpleasant for them to be at the club. 

The alternative is the status quo. Turn up to AB meetings. Get fobbed off. Don’t speak out. Legitimise crooks. And be right where we are this time next year, or worse.

We need a return to the spirit of when the Trust was formed, with the directness of Paul D and Andy Ratcliffe.

[Nemo]

They have zero interest in collaborating with the Trust, other than to the extent that it serves a purpose of legitimising them.

I'm not sure about this. There are elements within the club that this is true of, absolutely, but there are also parts of the club that clearly are trying to do good stuff on a near zero budget. I think that's what's so tricky here, "the club" is an erratic mess which obviously it *shouldn't* be with one decision maker.

They clearly are doing things that aren't directly money making - the women's team for example is clearly them trying to do the "right" thing even when it isn't commercially viable in the short term. The fan zone similarly, whilst half arsed, doesn't seem like something that Lee Power era management would ever have considered.

There are nefarious elements, there are incompetent elements and there are a few people (entirely employees at the club rather than senior management) who are doing good things in tough circumstances. Torpedoing the whole thing is a big step for the Trust.

Should they be further along the path to that point? Probably. But that's the fault of the previous two years of head in the sand ignoring red flags, rather than what this board have done in their two months. Or at least, that's my position - your mileage may well vary! I do think that what you're describing is certainly one way in which it could play out with the current board - they're just not there yet.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

owing to the fact that there is no visible alternative to Morfuni and co.

Interested parties are probably doing themselves a disservice not going public at the moment.

[Peter Venkman]

Interested parties are probably doing themselves a disservice not going public at the moment.

Its a rock and a hard place though.

If they break cover then it could be used by the club as a leverage tool to put the price of the club up, or start a bidding war between a couple of prospective buyers.

[Frigby Daser]

I'm not sure about this. There are elements within the club that this is true of, absolutely, but there are also parts of the club that clearly are trying to do good stuff on a near zero budget. I think that's what's so tricky here, "the club" is an erratic mess which obviously it *shouldn't* be with one decision maker.

They clearly are doing things that aren't directly money making - the women's team for example is clearly them trying to do the "right" thing even when it isn't commercially viable in the short term. The fan zone similarly, whilst half arsed, doesn't seem like something that Lee Power era management would ever have considered.

There are nefarious elements, there are incompetent elements and there are a few people (entirely employees at the club rather than senior management) who are doing good things in tough circumstances. Torpedoing the whole thing is a big step for the Trust.

Should they be further along the path to that point? Probably. But that's the fault of the previous two years of head in the sand ignoring red flags, rather than what this board have done in their two months. Or at least, that's my position - your mileage may well vary! I do think that what you're describing is certainly one way in which it could play out with the current board - they're just not there yet.

By “them” I mean Morfuni, Austin, and the lurkers. Not the good people who turn up, work, and want the club to be a success.

[DiV]

Don’t think interested parties need to go full on public but would be well served to make themselves known to the Trust at this point…

[Nemo]

By “them” I mean Morfuni, Austin, and the lurkers. Not the good people who turn up, work, and want the club to be a success.

Totally appreciate you mean that, but if the Trust went on a war footing against the top brass, they'd be blackballed from being able to work with the club in any way, as in the latter stages of Power.

[Peter Venkman]

Don’t think interested parties need to go full on public but would be well served to make themselves known to the Trust at this point…

Yes I think thats a decent option if they wish to stay private.

Totally appreciate you mean that, but if the Trust went on a war footing against the top brass, they'd be blackballed from being able to work with the club in any way, as in the latter stages of Power.

Very much agree.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

Don’t think interested parties need to go full on public but would be well served to make themselves known to the Trust at this point…

Probably a better option, yeah. Even if it comes with NDAs. At least The Trust can confirm there have been offers publicly at that point.

[Frigby Daser]

So in order to speak with FITC, the Commercial guy, and others involved in the community work, we sacrifice the objective of creating lasting change at the club?

It sounds like a great approach, if your name is Zavier or Clemente.