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Post by gunner on Oct 17, 2017 12:02:31 GMT
It was a good meeting last night.270 members signed up as of now.An interim board was set up to get business going that needs to be done until January when elections will take place for the board going forward.Mark Brocklehurst gave a talk about the work the foundation does in regards a pathway for youngsters to progress. The under 16 are playing the Midlands on Wednesday night if anyone is interested. Maybe that's one of the ways we can help going forward.What I also took from the meeting is that the new trustees are not coming in as the 6 stoges.Probably someone can had more. What is the actual reason for the trust? Is it to act with the club and be part of the new era? Is it to do something in the communities independent of the club? Is there any coming together of the trust and the club? Can anyone actually tell us what all this is for? For me personally the supporters trust as a number of benefits? 1) Brings fans together crating a forum & a body able to communicate with the club & above all keeps supporters involved. 2) Support the foundation as previous, this was the main focus of Mark Brocklehurst visit, for those who attended there was a real insight into the work going on & the lack of funding available. he explained how withdrawing the under 19s funding had affected the whole club structure. He told us that when lads were reaching 16 they had nowhere to go & were then drifting or being taken to other clubs undoing all the good work being undertaken. I was very impressed by the work going on in the foundation by a very small group of individuals, if I can help in any small way I will, hopefully the group can focus a lot of effort in the area, I know the foundation would love this to happen. I believe we lost a very important forum when the fans forum was disbanded, I know it was not perfect & it will not suit everyone, however I have attended both meetings & I have left wanting to do more, it is also heart warming to listen to the dedication of those working in the foundation, I just hope we can support this area of the club though the supporters forum. In answer to a questions raised I believe the forum as nothing to do with the new structure, & was brought together out of frustration & the lack of communication to fans by the club. I believe the main focus of raising funds will be to help the foundation, although that is my opinion not the one of the forum which as to be elected, however I do believe it will try & support the foundation more which cannot be a bad thing. Finally it does appear there is some progress on the new club structure & the businessmen behind the new structure, we were told it was all happening very quickly & announcements would be made very soon, although make what you will with that broad statement. |
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Post by osrd on Oct 17, 2017 12:07:44 GMT
It's all very well saying they want to help take the club forward but they need to say how and what they're doing to make it happen. Calling for people to join-up and become a member is fine, but the aims, and more importantly, how those aims are to be achieved need to be communicated. They have not done so yet, and it all seems a bit weird until they do so. Carnster after attending both the meetings of the proposed new supporters trust,having a member of Forever Reds also,in my opinion until the the new trust board is formed there is very little extra that anyone can say other than what is being said already. The chap who led both meetings,Dave Campbell had done an excellent job in what are difficult times for the club,its fans and any new supporters trust and both meetings have been very well ran. The section by Mark Brocklehurst was also excellent and even though I had a good idea of what the Foundation are doing,and have been doing for a considerable amount of time,in several areas around Salford and it was clear that some at the meeting had no knowledge of what the Foundation were doing and how it was separate from the club itself although they were now running the under 16 academy. Comments were made over one possibly,two people who will/may be part of the board of trustees and these comments were positive but obviously no names were mentioned and no one asked their names,although I was well away from the people asking the questions so I may have missed the odd one. Off what I heard the links between the club and its supporters will be better than it has been and off what I have seen there appears to be a good mix on the new supporters trust board who can make everything better all round for all concerned. |
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Post by dixon13 on Oct 17, 2017 12:41:56 GMT
It's all very well saying they want to help take the club forward but they need to say how and what they're doing to make it happen. Calling for people to join-up and become a member is fine, but the aims, and more importantly, how those aims are to be achieved need to be communicated. They have not done so yet, and it all seems a bit weird until they do so. Carnster after attending both the meetings of the proposed new supporters trust,having a member of Forever Reds also,in my opinion until the the new trust board is formed there is very little extra that anyone can say other than what is being said already. The chap who led both meetings,Dave Campbell had done an excellent job in what are difficult times for the club,its fans and any new supporters trust and both meetings have been very well ran. The section by Mark Brocklehurst was also excellent and even though I had a good idea of what the Foundation are doing,and have been doing for a considerable amount of time,in several areas around Salford and it was clear that some at the meeting had no knowledge of what the Foundation were doing and how it was separate from the club itself although they were now running the under 16 academy. Comments were made over one possibly,two people who will/may be part of the board of trustees and these comments were positive but obviously no names were mentioned and no one asked their names,although I was well away from the people asking the questions so I may have missed the odd one. Off what I heard the links between the club and its supporters will be better than it has been and off what I have seen there appears to be a good mix on the new supporters trust board who can make everything better all round for all concerned. Thankyou for putting it better than me |
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Post by Carnster on Oct 17, 2017 12:49:50 GMT
It sounds like a re-launch or re-branding of forever reds then?
I don't doubt people's drive and commitment, but can't help feel a little disappointed that it's basically just a fan driven trust to help support what the club should be doing in the first place. I suppose there's no harm in fans trying to do something. I just wish the club would buy into these kinds of things, after all, we're all supposed to be singing from the same hymn sheet. To me, the down side is that the club will see it as a cheap way for things such as the foundation to be kept going where they can reap the rewards for very little input, especially financially. Maybe I'm overly cynical but what worries me more, at this point, is not knowing which direction the club is going. The pitiful excuse of a communication department means nobody really knows anything. this stuff should have been sorted in time to capitalise on the good work done this year and provide a springboard for season tickets. As it stands, the club is floundering around at a time where it should be heading forward with recruitment and positively pushing season tickets.
As it stands, hopefully we'll have a side come the start of the season to have a supporters trust for, because I'm not really seeing any progress at all. I'll wait until I find out whether the club is going to be worth my time and money before committing to anything...
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Post by Chico on Oct 17, 2017 13:42:25 GMT
I’ll add my own understanding of where these guys are at. Just to mention: I was on the Forever Reds board for a period of time and attended the first meeting a fortnight ago, however, I missed last night’s meeting and have no intention of applying for the board under its new guise. I have also paid £10 to be a member.
BackgroundSo, Dave Campbell and a few other supporters have met with Ian Blease on a number of occasions this year to help establish a better dialogue between the clubs and its fans. At some point, they thought it best to formalise as an independent fans group. At this point they were made aware that Salford already had a registered supporters trust, namely Forever Reds, which was pretty much dormant for three or four years or so. Dave contacted Shirley Bradshaw, the previously elected chair of Forever Reds, and both set the ball rolling as to revive the supporters trust under a new guise. Why is it important to be a supporters trust?Fans are free to form a group as they wish. However, as has been shown on here and other forums, you need to be able to trust the people involved, particularly where money and influence are concerned. Supporters trusts are registered legal entities, IPSs – a co-operative company. Like limited companies, IPSs are required to submit company accounts and appoint people to positions who are responsible, and ultimately liable, for the running of the trust. But everyone who is a member owns an equal share of the trust. So, by formalising a supporters group as a trust, an IPS, no-one can buy other people’s shares to have a greater influence in the trust, nor is it likely that anybody is going to run away with the coffers. Current positionTo save time, rather than windup Forever Reds Limited and then start afresh with a new company, the guys decided to review and amend Forever Reds Limited. With the guidance of Supporters Direct, Dave and co are working to the next steps in this document: docs.google.com/document/d/1Ei3dn1PlDGVoGNS8IxaNAjEONyqRwriV9gR6dOGnDDQ. Aims & ObjectivesAs there is a legal process for this, for now, Salford RLFC Supporters Trust have adopted Forever Reds’ objectives as set out in its rules. These are: - To strengthen the bonds between Club and the community which is serves and to represent the interest of the community in the running of the Club.
- To further the development of the game of rugby league nationally and internationally and the upholding of its rules.
- To benefit present and future members of the community served by the Club by promoting encouraging and furthering the game of rugby league as a recreational facility, sporting activity and focus for community involvement.
- To encourage the Club to take proper account of the interests of its supporters and of the community it serves in its decisions.
- To encourage and promote the principle of supporter representation on the board of any company owning or controlling the Club and ultimately to be the vehicle for democratic elections to the board.
- To promote, develop and respect the rights of members of the community served by the Club and people dealing with the trust as set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, having regard in particular to the need to provide information to members and conduct the affairs of the trust in accessible and appropriate ways.
- To provide a means of significantly supporting Salford RLFC via fundraising.
- To work for the sporting and financial success of the club, and to uphold and preserve the tradition and heritage of Salford RLFC.
Does Salford RLFC Supporters Trust have a website?Yes, it’s at salfordrlfcst.wordpress.com.
Does this have anything to do with Marwan’s board of trustees?No. The announcement of both at a similar time was coincidental.
So, talking about the aims of the group, they are quite broad and ambitious. Now, the trust can focus on one or two of those points, which I’m sure they will do when they put it out to the members. You could either join now to be able to have an influence on that, or wait until they have got round to it. I understand that is frustrating and there is a particular route I would like to see the trust go down, but I just decided to join to keep the momentum going. I imagine Dave, who I have never met and only texted after the first meeting, has been bombarded with a lot of information in a short space of time and is doing this in his spare time alongside work and family commitments. So, even if it appears as if they are running before they can walk, I’m willing to cut them some slack while they form the new board and really get into it. |
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Post by bonitared on Oct 17, 2017 13:55:38 GMT
This has to be a good news story.
If the wheels truly come off then there is an organised group as a focal point.
If the team continues to be successful then this group can also contribute by making sure the Mark Brocklehurst efforts at the Foundation are supported more.
There’s only upside.
Of course,MK will probably only tolerate the organisation but that would be his loss.
For the record,these organisations aren’t my thing so I won’t be joining but there are many people putting in lots of effort so it will succeed,once it’s aims have been fleshed out.
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Post by gunner on Oct 17, 2017 13:56:48 GMT
It sounds like a re-launch or re-branding of forever reds then? I don't doubt people's drive and commitment, but can't help feel a little disappointed that it's basically just a fan driven trust to help support what the club should be doing in the first place. I suppose there's no harm in fans trying to do something. I just wish the club would buy into these kinds of things, after all, we're all supposed to be singing from the same hymn sheet. To me, the down side is that the club will see it as a cheap way for things such as the foundation to be kept going where they can reap the rewards for very little input, especially financially. Maybe I'm overly cynical but what worries me more, at this point, is not knowing which direction the club is going. The pitiful excuse of a communication department means nobody really knows anything. this stuff should have been sorted in time to capitalise on the good work done this year and provide a springboard for season tickets. As it stands, the club is floundering around at a time where it should be heading forward with recruitment and positively pushing season tickets. As it stands, hopefully we'll have a side come the start of the season to have a supporters trust for, because I'm not really seeing any progress at all. I'll wait until I find out whether the club is going to be worth my time and money before committing to anything... Yes I find your comments are a little cynical, I know all the supporters attending & joining do not know the direction of the club & are extremely worried about where the club is going, however putting a strong supporters forum together will help mobilize fans to be proactive. The fans forum is bound to be compared to the disbanded forever reds, I am sure there will be committee members elected from the previous board, although this all depends on the new members & the direction they want to take the trust. For me a supporters body has been long overdue, & like was said in a previous message Dave Campbell deserves all the credit he getting for getting off his back side & doing something positive which gives the fans a voice, only if to express the concerns among other like minded supporters. I understand there are no guarantees, I believe forever reds was disbanded partly due to MK indicating he did not need the support either by funding or in the way he communicated with fans, clearly for me this was a mistake to disband a real fans voice. I am not on the committee or wish to be on the committee, however I do think fans should get behind the fans forum, the more joined up the fans are the more the club I believe will listen to the fans. |
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Post by scoot on Oct 17, 2017 14:35:20 GMT
It sounds like a re-launch or re-branding of forever reds then? I don't doubt people's drive and commitment, but can't help feel a little disappointed that it's basically just a fan driven trust to help support what the club should be doing in the first place. I suppose there's no harm in fans trying to do something. I just wish the club would buy into these kinds of things, after all, we're all supposed to be singing from the same hymn sheet. To me, the down side is that the club will see it as a cheap way for things such as the foundation to be kept going where they can reap the rewards for very little input, especially financially. Maybe I'm overly cynical but what worries me more, at this point, is not knowing which direction the club is going. The pitiful excuse of a communication department means nobody really knows anything. this stuff should have been sorted in time to capitalise on the good work done this year and provide a springboard for season tickets. As it stands, the club is floundering around at a time where it should be heading forward with recruitment and positively pushing season tickets. As it stands, hopefully we'll have a side come the start of the season to have a supporters trust for, because I'm not really seeing any progress at all. I'll wait until I find out whether the club is going to be worth my time and money before committing to anything... It's the first positive thing that's happened for ages |
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Post by Carnster on Oct 17, 2017 14:38:30 GMT
It sounds like a re-launch or re-branding of forever reds then? I don't doubt people's drive and commitment, but can't help feel a little disappointed that it's basically just a fan driven trust to help support what the club should be doing in the first place. I suppose there's no harm in fans trying to do something. I just wish the club would buy into these kinds of things, after all, we're all supposed to be singing from the same hymn sheet. To me, the down side is that the club will see it as a cheap way for things such as the foundation to be kept going where they can reap the rewards for very little input, especially financially. Maybe I'm overly cynical but what worries me more, at this point, is not knowing which direction the club is going. The pitiful excuse of a communication department means nobody really knows anything. this stuff should have been sorted in time to capitalise on the good work done this year and provide a springboard for season tickets. As it stands, the club is floundering around at a time where it should be heading forward with recruitment and positively pushing season tickets. As it stands, hopefully we'll have a side come the start of the season to have a supporters trust for, because I'm not really seeing any progress at all. I'll wait until I find out whether the club is going to be worth my time and money before committing to anything... It's the first positive thing that's happened for ages That's what I find worrying. |
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Post by bonitared on Oct 17, 2017 15:45:31 GMT
Cheer up Carnster !
Glass half full. We have a club,in Superleague.
A few weeks ago I was doubting this .
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Post by dixon13 on Oct 17, 2017 15:50:52 GMT
It's the first positive thing that's happened for ages That's what I find worrying. I could be wrong probably I am but I think when it all comes out Koucash will not be with us.Side ways back ways or any other way. |
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