[Darran]

On paper I agree but the reality is the enthusiasm for supporters trusts tend to be inversely linked to how the club itself is doing. Ownership needs holding to account, clubs needs saving from extinction, you'll generally seen increased interest in a trust. When things are almost exclusively positive as they are right now then it's hard to maintain the interest in and the impetus of a trust. Yes we might lose independence, but if it encompasses the whole club and gives something back to the fans (discounts etc) them I think we need to trust the club on that. Ultimately if it doesn't work and there is enough feeling in the fan base then presumably you could always start another trust anyway?

Not sure we need the hassle of starting up another trust again. Just because things are mainly positive doesn't mean things at the club shouldn't be held to account from time to time. At the end of the day fans are long term everything else comes and goes (although admittedly clearly that is the case with plenty of fans as well).

[Alex Petheram]

Darran are you a member of the current trust?

AP

[OldDirtyGlasses]

For 1, the FSA have legal partners to help clubs, trusts, affiliates comply with GDPR regulations. I can’t find a GDPR privacy notice on the club website.

[Darran]

Darran are you a member of the current trust?

AP

I used to be probably been 2 or 3 years since I last was although mainly because I never really got round to it. Certainly given the trust money in that time though and I was at the meeting when it was originally set up.

[Alex Petheram]

You can’t get your charted standard and NL/ FA accreditation without a GDPR policy … so we have one … are they on the website … no idea.

I can’t stress enough … I can’t get enough volunteers to help steward match day games … let alone worry about finer details around the website, Twitter and other nice to have items … and the only way we can keep our match day ticketing prices and season ticket prices down is with the help of volunteers. For the York game and this Monday’s game we’ve had to employ a third party … this costs us money, increases our break even gate numbers and ultimately if we can’t balance the books … means we lose out on strikers for example.

So we all need a strong supporters network … like I keep saying … The physical vehicle to make that work for the whole club is a minor detail, but it’s a very very important one. And for me … giving that the other clubs in our league … ones that we’ve competing with Similar budgets and target for the season have a pool of volunteers over a 100 each … and we can’t get 10 … the current trust setup isn’t working as it’s currently modelled.

Please don’t take this as a dig at anyone or anything … it’s just the facts I’m faced with. Without Mim, Grey, Trev, Emma and everyone else within the die hard army, we’re really in trouble … but the army hasn’t grown since Evesham … in fact, it’s got smaller … as people now want to watch more of the game, which I completely understand!! Or can’t help anymore as their own xyz has changed. Again, that’s life. But with more to do and less people … it’s hard.

AP

[Darran]

Is the problem more the fact that we sometimes had barely 200 people turning up to Evesham and hopefully now we can see over 1000 per games? There is every chance that with the increased number of fans that you will see more people volunteering. Since 2007 our fanbase has been pretty small and the club has survived with the die hards. Hopefully that can change now we are back in Gloucester. At the end of the day we are competing with either ex League clubs with bigger fanbases or Fylde who were very nearly a league club and have a large fanbase. It's not really a surprise that they manage to find a large amount of volunteers. Like I say hopefully that will come as we progress through the season. I just don't see how having a club rather than a separate fans trust makes a difference to that.

[Tigermatty 2.0]

I think the problem is that the Trust model is geared towards supporter representation, but the active members are people who just want to help. I was never involved with the trust because I thought the club needed holding to account, I was involved because I wanted to help the club move forward. I would bet that most people who have ever been involved with the Trust and sat on the board would feel the same way. The club needs bodies, and manpower, and for people to be pulling in the same direction.

What happened the last time the Trust tried to hold the club to account? People began to lose interest in it because it wasn’t what they signed up for.

People want there to a group of supporters who exist to hold the club to account, but can’t actually be bothered to be a member of it let alone an active member. That says it all. Even if it did exist, all that will happen is that a group of likeminded people will meet up to have a chat and most probably a moan now and then and talk about imaginary scenarios where they need to access legal support to save the club: admin for admins sake. Meanwhile the people who want to make a meaningful contribution i.e. I imagine the current Trust board and club volunteers, get on and do useful, real life stuff.

[Daveangel]

What Matt said!!

[Alex Petheram]

I agree Mr 2.0

And let’s be really blunt now … the trust couldn’t do anything before as they aren’t directors of the club nor are they shareholders.

The club directors are me, Eamonn and Brian. The shares remain a mess … hence why we’ve the buy out happening with Eamonn and Myself ... this will see us clear all our loans to the clubs over building of the ground ... If we where in a bad place, why on earth would we do something so crazily generous!

And being really blunt, as we’re all friends … if the trust tried to challenge me like they maybe did to the club in the past … do people think I’d take to that approach well …

Whether people like me or don’t … I accept my failings … yes I’m driven, yes I’m blunt and yes I do want I feels rights … but I do listen … if I didn’t … why on earth do I waste my time on here chatting away openly … you find me one owner, chairman, director in the land that is as open and with the fans as me …

One of the last trust members to join the trust was my Dad … and even he more then likely hasn’t re-joined this season …

The model isn’t right … we desperately need at the club three things from supporters … Energy and noise game days, fund raising events or ways to helps fund items such as injuries and coaches and physical help … as like Darran says … with crowds now 1,000 … and don’t forget our budget is set on 1,050 as an avg … that’s five times more stewards and five times more everything to manage.

Much love folks and thank you

AP

[Stable Lad]

I've thought about whether to reply to this, it's today a matter for the current Trust and that's not been me for years. But I was one of those who set up the reformed ' we're roaring back' Supporters Club.  I never did understand why the move from Club to Trust would benefit us and it was a move I didn't support despite lots of reading and attending meetings.

So that's where I start on this. Unqualified but with some thoughts!

The very fast growth of the club does imo mean there is a need to look at the current supporters structure and make sure it remains inclusive and represents all parts of the club.  I believe though that the SC or ST should be more than a group to raise funds, helpers and events. It needs to be a conduit to feed comments, concerns and praise back to the football club when there is a need.  Today we are blessed in having AP being available and open on here. We are also blessed with more positivity than we could have dared hope for in the difficult days (which existed before the floods too).  We should embrace and celebrate this

But history shows us things can change and some here have raised the fair point of the need, one day perhaps, to call the club to account.  If that day ever arises in a serious way I believe the supporters group, whatever that is, needs a strong platform to do make representation.  What AP is proposing here is a group that covers the whole club, it therefore would seem to have the capacity to have the clout and influence to raise those issues should the day arise when it is needed. 

More important it seems to create a forum for ongoing dialogue too and it's that sort of conversation that will help prevent big issues and nip them in the bud. 

I think the question on Thursday is ' what is lost by the move to this new model and is that loss of real significance compared to the advantages of bringing together all strands of the club under a single umbrella?'  I am sure there will be some lost benefits as presumably getting access to these is why the SC went down the ST model. But just how many of these are of real value given the unique ownership structure of GCAFC and are they worth more than the advantages of pooling the resources and expertise across all the teams and in so doing really creating a one club, one family structure? I have a feeling what the answer is but am too out of touch to know for sure.

Anyhow that's my thoughts for what they are worth.