Groundshare Agreed

[Burnham Lad]

I have only logged in today for the first time since Friday so am catching up. I am pleased we are staying at Stag Meadow, if we cannot go back into Slough. I am equally sure that the Trust Board represented fairly what they perceived the interests of the members.

 

So why do I (and obvously others) feel uncomfortable about what has happened?

 

Firstly, having read the quotes from Roy in the Observer, only on Friday, I am somewhat stunned to see that meetings were actually called before those comments were published, which makes it all APPEAR to be a big secret only shared by those in the know. Like many things, it is perception which colours people's thinking and it is not surprising that some will express concerns that they feel left out of the decision by the club, and the Trust in supporting it. Roy must have known when he gave the interview to the Press that the meetings were on, so it makes it look even more that the Trust were only consulted as a PR afterthought and as a result, were caught on the back foot. In addition there has been little consultation about what preferences people may have. A small number of us have posted on the Forum, and some people have expressed views to Chris S and others, but it is only a small percentage, and we do not really know formally what many fans think.

 

There has been a lot of criticism of those who have expressed a contrary view here for not raising it before. Unfortunately all the ways suggested are informal,by talking to the people at the Trust hut or ringing Roy or Bernard - ever tried ringing the club number to do that? Not a serious option!

 

It is not as if the issues have not been known ever since the season ended but there has been no invitation to fans to a meeting, which would have been easy to call after the last match, if only just to let people know what the issues which the club faced or to ask them to send views to Roy. Just think how much of this criticism would have been made unnecessary if that had happened.

 

All the discussion on this has occurred in this forum, and these have been just our individual views, there has been no attempt by the Club, if it is really interested to find out what fans actually think, until the very last minute when it was too late for consultations to take place.

 

At least the message got out to Fans via the Club Website, before the Press were told. Let's hope as Gary says that communications from the club will improve....

 

And for all the Mountain people out there, don't forget that what you are trying to do is ineffectual unless the Valley people believe it and cough up with their money and/or their votes.........

[Guest]

Ok clive ..you can stop that now...trying to be cleaver...you have your opportunity to speak up you have done that , but now your becoming personal ....

 

we have all listerned to you now...and people have listerned to the other side too...

 

But your personal attacks are getting nasty because you clearly did not get you wishes, I have to put my head on chopping block at an AGM however you can just fire bullets when ever you don't get your way... This time your principles were right the club did say it would involve supporters but with everything going on and the club beaing able to get the best deal and get it settled ...and haiving no further time ..what did you want to do..hold a meeting and lose what was on offer and not consulting any supporters....

 

chris sliski

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

What was personal about my comment - I just discribed the relationship between the club and the trust.

[Guest]

Andrew ...

 

your cleaver time clock need to be stopped ! we have a ground next season !

 

and to to pour cold water on your perseption the supporters trust made some good vaild points, that were given in a the meeting and were taken on board...read the threads....

 

As for mountain and valley people ... I beleive as the only supporters representative side to be elected by our members and to be voted by our members.....have an ablity to understand and put forward most concerns we have a common goal in life and have very similar views...maybe except the few that see moral high ground to make a point...

 

for god sake we are supporters too and Andrew you know where the office door is and the supporters corner door... so no more excuses....we are all in this together...

 

chris sliski

[Guest]

you took execption to being called an idiot..and I think we as the trust board take the same distain in your comment...

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Comment removed

[Guest]

thanks......

 

chris s

[Ted]

SR1 and RR---What points would you have made that you do not feel were made by the trust board members?

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

The issue is not with the trust in its communication, it is with the club who only consulted with the trust and not the wider fan base, as was originaly communicated in the clubs statement on the 15th March 2006 on ground shareing.

 

As I was not present at the meetings I do not know what was offered and then discussed, so am still none the wiser of why we are playing at windsor this coming season.

 

All I know is what has been stated on the clubs site but this does not go into any detail.

[Guest]

clive..please see that the club was playing maidenhead and windsor off against each other to see what extra deals could be made, and at the final hour called the only elected supporters organisation to put our views over to the for and against on both grounds...it could only be done at the last moment.. if a full meeting of all had been called we may have missed the deadline...

 

You have to accept the trust is a good cross section of supporters and really do tries our best for our supporters even some of you quite clearly think we don't.... <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

[Ted]

The club is owned by Roy and Bernard. They are the ones who know what was offered, and may well not want others to know precise details.

 

Being consulted is not the same as deciding. Roy and Bernard will have decided which offer they prefered, and then consulted the trust to make sure they weren't making a bad decision. I strongly doubt that Roy/Bernard ever intended the trust to have anything like a casting vote, but more probably wanted to hear views before making a final decision. That is consultation.

[Burnham Lad]

Chris,

 

You really are getting overly defensive.

 

Please read again what I said; nowhere did I criticise the Trust Board, or the Trust and in fact said I am sure that you all represented the fan's views fairly and am pleased with the result. I am sure that you all did the job you were elected to do, and say so without equivocation.

 

What I was trying to say, was that the club in inviting you, apparently at the last minute, and not mentioning the fact to the Press that meetings had been arranged, was being secretive. They could have held meetings well before to sound out the fan's views thus giving some of those who are not trust members (and some who are)less opportunity to feel left out. I was also saying that the consultation processes or the methods of letting the club know what we think are certainly NOT easy to use.

 

These things are NOT having a go at the Trust, of which I am a member and will continue to support.

 

And as far as Moutain and Valley people are concerned, even the Valley people are needed by the Club, if only for their gate money.

[Guest]

Just as an aside, it is to be hoped that Windsor do make significant improvements in the pitch. Popped in to SYCOB today and peered over the fence and their surface already looks 10 times better than Windsor's at its best. If it stays that way I am sure Eddie will be grimacing come the friendly fixture up there!

[Guest]

andrew 94 threads to this...people having pot shots at the trust ...! maybe not you...but IMO the club played this to good deal...getting a better result for the benifit of all...

 

even those people !

 

and thank you for stopping the clock !

 

result acheived... be happy...

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Wow- i dont log on for 48 hours and it all gets interesting!

 

Whats the issue? We are at windsor for less money, a good result in my opinion, as as people have said we have not got the 3 months wait to see if we've actually got a ground to play at next season! Surely this shows that Bernard, Roy and co have done a great job negotiating. I cant understand the animosity; at the end of the day they run the club, they have done a good deal and more importantly sorted it early.

 

 

Now put the hand bags away..

[Roger Rebel]

That is exactly how I feel, I just wish i could have put it as eloquently as Andrew.

[Roger Rebel]

Andrew anyone who takes a different few to the trust is attacking then.And about having no time werent we all told that May 28th was the deadline.

[Guest]

ROGER !

 

they you go mentioning the trust again......

 

tut tut...so you are having a go then !

[Guest]

Like all things someone has to make a decision and at the end of the day its not where we play but the fact that we are playing and keeping the club going thats important. Well done to everyone involved at least we have next season to look forward to.

 

 

Sue and Aidan

[Martin]

Staines Rebel is clearly right. Every individual supporter should be consulted by the club before any decision is made. That way we can be certain that every conceivable view is put forward and considered before a decision is made. It is a ridiculous and illogical argument that strangely enough has not been adopted by Man Utd, Barca, AFC or Windsor. No club on the planet is run by referendums.

 

The whole point of supporters groups is to endeavour to represent the collective will of the supporters. That is one of the specified aims of the trust. From standing on the terraces and discussing the issue of the football club with fellow supporters I am very much aware of the differences of opinion that there are. I try and express all those opinions at the Trust Board meetings and then when a vote is called I vote with my conscience.

 

At the meeting at the weekend we had no vote but we expressed our opinions to the club and asked questions of Windsor and Maidenhead. The club then took its decision.

 

I think the club is quite right to have consulted with the Trust as the representatives of the supporters. Clearly next time I asked to give up four hours of my personal time to represent the supporters I will decline as I cannot satisfy all of the people and therefore my role is pointless.

 

Those supporters who do not believe that the trust board adequately reflects their views should firstly become or remain members of the Trust and then seek election to the board or have their own preferred candidate elected.

 

To cancel your membership of the Trust or to refuse to join is in my view ludicrous. It is like saying the Government does not represent me or my views but I am not going to vote in the General Election. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the best way of expressing it in a free democratic society is by having a vote.

 

The Trust is not an old boys club it is an elected body and can be changed as such.

 

However, as a Trust Board member I am becoming increasingly disillusioned that every time a the Trust do something they are slated yet no other person wants to be involved with the board.

 

It is hard to believe that we all want the same thing - to support our football club but easy to understand why we have the reputation amongst other clubs as a bunch of moaning gits.