MyFC Members - motivation for joining

[American FLEET FAN No1]

If you mean the trust question, well as there is confusion(amongst the MyfcLtd hierarchy, no less)as to whether it is a trust or not.

Uncle Urchin is better placed to answer those questions.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted By: Uncle Urchin

oh yes you are because your 'trust' is in fact not a 'trust' but a limited company....

goodinnit....

Not quite the Trust is actually a Industrial & Provident Society same as the Seadog trust.


from http://www.seadogtrust.com/

"Seadog Trust is a Supporters' Trust that was formed for Scarborough FC fans. It was officially registered as an Industrial & Provident Society with the FSA in September 2006 with the assistance of Supporters Direct. "

[StaffordRangers4Life]

The reason I joined is that as a non league club supporter, I have read about how many non league clubs have been taken into administration, relegation and liquidation by businessmen who pump the money in, fall short of their goal for the club, and take their money out againm leaving clubs to crumble.

 

I believe MyFC offers a better ownership model than this, and I like the idea of a club run by the fans (and I mean fans of football and over a period of time, fans of the club) for the fans (fans of the club).

 

I truly believe this will work, but if it doesn't, then if we do ever pull out, we're not going to leave the club with massive debts as we are only going to spend within our means.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

I believe MyFC offers a better ownership model than this, and I like the idea of a club run by the fans (and I mean fans of football and over a period of time, fans of the club) for the fans (fans of the club).

 

 

I don't mean to be picky! But doesn't that contradict your moniker?

[Uncle Urchin]

Originally Posted By: JohnB

Originally Posted By: Uncle Urchin

oh yes you are because your 'trust' is in fact not a 'trust' but a limited company....

goodinnit....

Not quite the Trust is actually a Industrial & Provident Society same as the Seadog trust.

no mate...your trust is a company limited in its liability and carrying the name of a trust.....misrepresentation by your moonies on here (charitable trust/trust/trustworthy trust)is actually illegal as you are also canvassing for subscriptions under false pretences but of course it wasn't deliberate so we'll forgive them....

[Hirsty]

Apologies if this has been stated before but I may have missed a few postings in the load that have appeared since Tuesday.

 

So you are a Stafford fan ? fair enough.

But you want to be involved with Ebbsfleet ?

One assumes that you want Stafford to beat Ebbsfleet next Saturday ? or are you hoping for a 0-0 ?

A conflict of interests here surely ?

 

This is one of the many things about this situation that I cannot fathom out !

[rvr]

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

If you mean the trust question, well as there is confusion(amongst the MyfcLtd hierarchy, no less)as to whether it is a trust or not.
Uncle Urchin is better placed to answer those questions.

No, I meant the Fleet Trust (which I am combining all of the other shareholders' 20 percent into just for the sake of the argument). I'm referring to MyFC as the 80 percent holder, not its organization.

Of course, the 80/20 is what has been bunted around here, so I used those numbers.

In other words, if the 20 percent block (the Fleet Trust, which doesn't have to join MyFC at any time) were kept and not bought out and given the same voice/sat as those members in MyFC's 80 percent on the board (i.e. one shareholder, one vote, same questions posed to the members given to them and, realistically, a few others that they don't get to vote on), would that be acceptable?

That's what I'm trying (key word) to ask.

rvr

[rvr]

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

I'm sitting in snowy NorthEast US, and I will never capitulate and call it soccer!
I'll scroll back and see if I can help you!

No problem, didn't expect you to capitulate on that.

I tried to clarify my question, in case you missed it.

rvr

[American FLEET FAN No1]

I have no understanding of these things. You should address your question to Jessica, she is the Chairperson, or was before this erupted, or maybe David Holden. You can use the PM facility to contact them.

[StaffordRangers4Life]

Originally Posted By: Hirsty

Apologies if this has been stated before but I may have missed a few postings in the load that have appeared since Tuesday.

So you are a Stafford fan ? fair enough.
But you want to be involved with Ebbsfleet ?
One assumes that you want Stafford to beat Ebbsfleet next Saturday ? or are you hoping for a 0-0 ?
A conflict of interests here surely ?

This is one of the many things about this situation that I cannot fathom out !

As a Stafford Rangers fan of 21 years, I'm not going to lie to you, of course I want Stafford to win when we play Ebbsfleet - look at the table - god knows we need the points!

If we lose (which this season is the more likely outcome) it will be a consolation that Ebbsfleet got the points towards their promotion push.

Everytime Rangers play Ebbsfleet, I will cheer for Rangers. I am as passionate about Rangers as many of you are about Ebbsfleet.

On every other game Ebbsfleet play, I will be hoping Ebbsfleet win and on the games I can get to I will be cheering them on.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Excuse me!!!!!......Your name wouldn't be Benedict Arnold..................By any chance?

[JohnB]

Originally Posted By: Uncle Urchin

no mate...your trust is a company limited in its liability and carrying the name of a trust.....misrepresentation by your moonies on here (charitable trust/trust/trustworthy trust)is actually illegal as you are also canvassing for subscriptions under false pretences but of course it wasn't deliberate so we'll forgive them....

Bluntly - You are wrong. I realise you have been misinformed, although some of the Ebbfleet posters on here have been better informed, therefore I forgive you too Perhaps if you see anyone else spreading that particular bit of mis-information again - you could correct them? then I suspect we would all get on a bit better

There are two different organisations.

The MFC Trust is a Provident Society. It is set up under exactly the same regulations as the Seadog Trust. That is the organisation that will own the Ebbsfleet shares and it is the organisation I paid my money to.

MFC Ltd is a separate organisation that is a limited company. I do not own any part of that, and it would really screw up my tax accounts if I did. My accountant would go spare

MFC Trust has a contract with MFC Ltd to provide website and other services.

I have seen some legitimate concerns on here about how much of _MY_ contribution is going to MFC Ltd. But that's _MY_ problem 'cos its _MY_ money that's being paid to them.

MFC Ltd will not have control of any shares in a football club.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Like a circle in a circle...........

[toddybad]

I am a Leicester fan and I've always lived in Leicestershire apart from 4 years in Canterbury which ended in 2002.

 

I joined MyFC for all of the reaons you described if I'm honest.

 

Initially I joined as I have become disinfranchised from the game I love at the top level. I'm only 27 but already I can see that football at the highest level's of the English game is far removed from what I watched as a boy. Financial clout has always had a deep impact on the game but not to the degree it now does. Couple this with the influx of foreign talent which, as well as bringing skills and flair to our shores, has taken National pride out of the league fixtures.

 

Why football ever allowed transfer is beyond me. I think the game would be so much better if players had to play for the team most local to them but obvioiusly this is now impossible. Should have done this from the start.

 

In the summer I watched a friendly - Leicester vs Quorn at Quorn. It's a team a few levels below your own and they have maybe 500 seats. It was a totally diferent experience to any of the much bigger games I've seen the Foxes play in before and being so close to the action, and part of a smallish crowd (they still got 3,000 with it being City I admit)was a revelation.

 

I was always aware that MyFC would be purchasing a much smaller club (in many ways a good thing as we can have a bigger impact) and looked forward to the challenge of helping guide them up the leagues.

 

I am also going to admit something which you wont like but I believe reastically must be the case for a lot of members - yes I wanted to pick the team too!! I can understand, and in some ways agree with, the notion that the team selection will be brave and bold and extremely dangerous. I also believe though that the majority of MyFC members are true football fans and between us we are not stupid enough to make any obvious errors. It will be interesting to see how this aspect works and I have a feeling it may need to be diluted down (as much as anything due to the difficulty of programming software that can decide what we've chosen and the formation whilst realising that we haven tpurposly voted for square pegs in round holes if you understand what I'm getting at).

 

I think my heart is in the right place with this project and I think we'll prove the doubters wrong by at least consolidating Ebbsfleeet's position. My main hope now is that MyFC and Ebbsfleet fans can begin to discuss things openly on these forums even if some of you (or even all of you) don't want to actually become MyFC members.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Like a circle in a circle........

 

 

Is this a standard response from your website?

[Dewsbury SAFC]

Originally Posted By: JohnB

The MFC Trust is a Provident Society. It is set up under exactly the same regulations as the Seadog Trust. That is the organisation that will own the Ebbsfleet shares and it is the organisation I paid my money to.

And those regulations are administered by the Financial Services Authority, and also apply to G&N/Ebbs very own Fleet Trust.

Where Seadog Trust & Fleet Trust differ from My Football Club Society Ltd though - and in fact how My FC Soc Ltd differs from every Supporters Trust in this country - is in the society rules. I know it's boring stuff, and nowhere near as exciting as clicking on which players to buy in January (and immediately alerting all your BSP rivals who you are targetting, but that's another debate topic...), but you should brush up on the finer details of the society rules of the MyFC IPS. They're up on their website if you fancy a read:
http://members.myfootballclub.co.uk/images/rules.pdf

There are some interesting differences between the MyFC IPS rules, and those used by the majority of Supporters Trusts in the UK, which are usually based on a model set of rules drawn up by Supporters Direct's solicitors specifically for Supporters Trusts. I'll leave you guys to have a read through, but for me the big thing that jumps out at me is how the interaction with the 'Operator' is written into the rules of the Society itself. This is fundamentally different to the Society just entering into a contract with the Operator. If the Society wished to part company with the Operator, it would have to amend each and every part of the Society rules wherever the Operator is mentioned - and get full approval of the changes at a Society General Meeting. Oh, and get the full approval of the FSA as well.

Many of the MyFC posters on here seem quite "vote happy" - the answer for many queries is: don't worry, if it's a problem, we'll vote on it. I think some of you need to start thinking about the mechanisms of these votes. Not everything is as simple and straightforward as MyFC would have you believe.

[pling]

It's really not about picking the team for me, i just thought it seemed like a new, and interresting idea. It's more along the lines of contributing to the (hopefully) rise of this footballclub(as it turned out, i've been a member for a while, so obviously didn't know witch club it would be, but i think we chose well). Off course getting an insight into how a club is getting run also fascinates me.

I'm norwegian, but the only team i support is English. And i was only happy to contribute my £35 to this club, i fully intend to become a serious fan.

I didn't know too much about Ebbsfleet, just that you used to be Gravesend and Northfleet. Since i live abroad, naturally i can't make it to all the games, i'm hoping a few though.

Am coming over for the game on New Year's Day, if the takeover is completed. I can fully understand some of the negative views on here, but i've lived with a horrible chairman at my club for some time now, and i honestly think this is better than the asset-stripping, profit-seeking chairmen we see almost everywhere.

And if we go along with what Liam Daish says, team selection-wise, it won't be much different i think.

To finish off i'd just like to say this is my first post here, thought i'd let it cool off a bit first. And to appologise for any poor language in this text and for many of the ill-behaved MyFC members lurking around here, pissing people off these past few days.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted By: Dewsbury SAFC

Originally Posted By: JohnB

The MFC Trust is a Provident Society. It is set up under exactly the same regulations as the Seadog Trust. That is the organisation that will own the Ebbsfleet shares and it is the organisation I paid my money to.

And those regulations are administered by the Financial Services Authority, and also apply to G&N/Ebbs very own Fleet Trust.

Where Seadog Trust & Fleet Trust differ from My Football Club Society Ltd though - and in fact how My FC Soc Ltd differs from every Supporters Trust in this country - is in the society rules. I know it's boring stuff, and nowhere near as exciting as clicking on which players to buy in January

Yes - I understand there are differences in internal rules. I have been responding to mis-information that saying that MFC was a limited company. And as you say - MFC Trust falls under the same external regulations a Seadog trust and Fleet Trust.

MFC Ltd is a different organisation that falls under the regulations that Control Limited companies.

I have some familiarity with both sets of regulations - I own a limited Company and have been a member of a charitable provident Society for 25 years.

Yes, the internal rules of the Trust are different.

personally, I expect MyFC members to get a lot less say in what goes on than many of the members on here do. Personally, I don't expect to voting on precise team structure and tactics - although I do expect to have some input into squad selection and general tactics.

Nor do I expect to research or suggest players to buy in the transfer window. I suspect decisions and negotiations will be like this one, with Ebbsfleet. I only knew the name of the club at the same time as all the other members, about 2 minutes before the public announcement. I will get to vote on whether the purchase is completed AFTER the due diligence and negotiations have taken place.

The staff go out and do the work (that included the Head Coach, directors, other coaches etc) and make a suggestion - then members vote for it or against it.

In terms of January transfers I expect a way of saying (for example) we need a Big Striker, then I would expect the scouting team to find one - and I would expect the coach to choose one and I would expect the chairman to negotiate. then I would expect to have that decision put to me as a vote.

I expect to acting more like an owner than a manager Why employ staff and not make them do their jobs? I suspect you will see a lot less radical structural changes than you expect.