Chansiri & The Fan Group Summary

[HirstWhoScoredIt]

I think it’s important that everybody understands the position as best we can.

 

So, for the benefit of everybody (me included) does this about sum it up?

 

- Meeting takes place between Chansiri, his lawyer, Wednesday ‘key staff’ and the representatives from numerous fan groups.

 

- The meeting is reportedly heated and allegations are made that Chansiri tells Ian Bennett to “f*** off” and calls some of the fan representatives racists.

 

- The minutes are produced by Wednesday.

 

- The fan groups can’t all agree that the minutes represent a true and fair reflection of the meeting.

 

- The fan groups therefore agree that they will have a vote and go with the majority. The fan groups further agree that they won’t break ranks I.e. the vote of the majority will be carried and nobody will give info over those that don’t agree.

 

- Wednesday release minutes saying minutes are approved by all fan groups - does this stretch the truth.l?

 

- The Trust release a statement saying they didn’t approve the minutes.

 

- This seems to really annoy the group from The Armed Forces. Who also appear to have voted against the minutes but are annoyed the Trust broke the agreement to not break ranks.

 

- Ian Bennett offers to resign because apparently he didn’t authorise the statement from the Trust.

 

- On the allegations that Ian Bennett is told to “f*** off” by Chansiri - other attendees refute this. Even saying that IB was told this at the meeting and he had got it wrong or misheard. Therefore, on balance, it appears that DC probably didn’t say this.

 

I have an opinion regarding all this which I will make in a separate post so as not to confuse the “facts”.

 

Are these the facts? Is there anything to add that I have missed?

 

Edited April 27 by HirstWhoScoredIt

[HirstWhoScoredIt]

My main point on this is regarding the democratic process and the state of our fan groups.

 

It makes no sense to have numerous fan groups represented equally at these meetings, some of which appear to have hardly any members. 
 

Even the recent Wednesdayite poll got under 200 votes (or that is my understanding) where as the Trust poll got over 6,000 votes and they now have 5,000 members.

 

To me, it seems like a a first past the post voting system in its most extreme sense. 
 

A fan groups with 5,000 members should not be bound by the collective votes of other fan groups that between them probably don’t have more than 1,000 members - it is madness.

 

All of these fan groups should come under the branch of one fan group - which should clearly be the group with thousands of members.

 

The Armed forces should have their own representative on the Trust board, as should London Owls, a group representing disabled fans, a group representing female supporters etc.

 

Then the Trust should elect representatives to attend these meetings that have a complimentary skill set. A lawyer, an accountant, somebody that understands IT, somebody that understands marketing, somebody that understands commerce etc.

 

We shouldn’t have well meaning people that do not have the complimentary skill set to give proper representation for the fans.

 

And we certainly shouldn’t have the Chairman of a fan group that only appears to have a few hundred members having so much influence so as to be able to persuade Chansiri to increase prices for OAP’s and appears to be the main liaison between the fan groups and the Club.

Edited April 27 by HirstWhoScoredIt

[Rogers]

Nothing against The Wednesday week; but why were they invited and no other  “fan” based media persons? 

[hopevalleyowl]

11 minutes ago, HirstWhoScoredIt said:

My main point on this is regarding the democratic process and the state of our fan groups.

 

It makes no sense to have numerous fan groups represented equally at these meetings, some of which appear to have hardly any members. 
 

Even the recent Wednesdayite poll got under 200 votes (or that is my understanding) where as the Trust poll got over 6,000 votes and they now have 5,000 members.

 

To me, it seems like a a first past the post voting system in its most extreme sense. 
 

A fan groups with 5,000 members should not be bound by the collective votes of other fan groups that between them probably don’t have more than 1,000 members - it is madness.

 

All of these fan groups should come under the branch of one fan group - which should clearly be the group with thousands of members.

 

The Armed forces should have their own representative on the Trust board, as should London Owls, a group representing disabled fans, a group representing female supporters etc.

 

Then the Trust should elect representatives to attend these meetings that have a complimentary skill set. A lawyer, an accountant, somebody that understands IT, somebody that understands marketing, somebody that understands commerce etc.

 

We shouldn’t have well meaning people that do not have the complimentary skill set to give proper representation for the fans.

 

And we certainly shouldn’t have the Chairman of a fan group that only appears to have a few hundred members having so much influence so as to be able to persuade Chansiri to increase prices for OAP’s and appears to be the main liaison between the fan groups and the Club.

This 100%
 

Would be far more effective 

[Athelwulf]

7 minutes ago, HirstWhoScoredIt said:

My main point on this is regarding the democratic process and the state of our fan groups.

 

It makes no sense to have numerous fan groups represented equally at these meetings, some of which appear to have hardly any members. 
 

Even the recent Wednesdayite poll got under 200 votes (or that is my understanding) where as the Trust poll got over 6,000 votes and they now have 5,000 members.

 

To me, it seems like a a first past the post voting system in its most extreme sense. 
 

A fan groups with 5,000 members should not be bound by the collective votes of other fan groups that between them probably don’t have more than 1,000 members - it is madness.

 

All of these fan groups should come under the branch of one fan group - which should clearly be the group with thousands of members.

 

The Armed forces should have their own representative on the Trust board, as should London Owls, a group representing disabled fans, a group representing female supporters etc.

 

Then the Trust should elect representatives to attend these meetings that have a complimentary skill set. A lawyer, an accountant, somebody that understands IT, somebody that understands marketing, somebody that understands commerce etc.

 

We shouldn’t have well meaning people that do not have the complimentary skill set to give proper representation for the fans.

 

And we certainly shouldn’t have the Chairman of a fan group that only appears to have a few hundred members having so much influence so as to be able to persuade Chansiri to increase prices for OAP’s and appears to be the main liaison between the fan groups and the Club.

 

I agree with what you say, but in the final analysis whatever the composition of the fan group(s) may be, and no matter how it/they are organized, ultimately the situation is futile.

 

This latest meeting could have been wrapped up in several minutes.

 

Group(s): "Mr. Chansiri, do you intend to sell the club?"

 

Channers: "No".

 

With that reply, all else is extraneous.

 

Frankly, unless the fans decide that they are goijng to withhold funds, then we are saddled with Chansiri for years to come.

[Worthing_owl]

How does  the trust have 5000 members and poll 6000 votes?

 

[royalowlisback]

3 minutes ago, Worthing_owl said:

How does  the trust have 5000 members and poll 6000 votes?

 

You didn't need to be a member to vote. 

[Baldrick]

2 minutes ago, Worthing_owl said:

How does  the trust have 5000 members and poll 6000 votes?

 

 

[frastheowl]

 

The variety of these niche, minor supporters groups that have a disproportional voice to the rest of the fan base is a real issue.

 

I completely understand the purpose of these fan groups (Rainbow Owls, Womens Supporters Group, Armed Forces etc.), but IMO they shouldn't be automatically granted a seat at the Engagement Panel.

 

There should be one official supporters group, whereby all fans that want a voice are members, and then there can be a democratic process within that group to allocate seats at the engagement panel.

 

One group, one voice, far more power. 

 

All of these groups, I'm sure have the right intentions towards the club, but there will all have their own individual agendas, and it isn't conducive to a proper, functional, effective supporters group. Given our fanbase, there really should be no issue with creating a juggernaut of a group that can (and should) help direct the club in the right direction.  

[frastheowl]

1 minute ago, frastheowl said:

 

The variety of these niche, minor supporters groups that have a disproportional voice to the rest of the fan base is a real issue.

 

I completely understand the purpose of these fan groups (Rainbow Owls, Womens Supporters Group, Armed Forces etc.), but IMO they shouldn't be automatically granted a seat at the Engagement Panel.

 

There should be one official supporters group, whereby all fans that want a voice are members, and then there can be a democratic process within that group to allocate seats at the engagement panel.

 

One group, one voice, far more power. 

 

All of these groups, I'm sure have the right intentions towards the club, but there will all have their own individual agendas, and it isn't conducive to a proper, functional, effective supporters group. Given our fanbase, there really should be no issue with creating a juggernaut of a group that can (and should) help direct the club in the right direction.  

 

Apologies, just read the 2nd post and this pretty much mirrors that view.

[HirstWhoScoredIt]

10 minutes ago, Worthing_owl said:

How does  the trust have 5000 members and poll 6000 votes?

 

Because you didn’t need to be a member to vote in their poll.

[Nannan]

And if those smaller groups really did have the clubs beat interest at heart (and not their own) they'd be suggesting exactly this to the Trust and EP

[disgruntled]

So Chancer swore at someone. Nothing is reported in the minutes about it. Had the customer disrespected the owner they would no doubt have been ejected from the meeting. 2 tier Chancer.

[HirstWhoScoredIt]

1 minute ago, disgruntled said:

So Chancer swore at someone. Nothing is reported in the minutes about it. Had the customer disrespected the owner they would no doubt have been ejected from the meeting. 2 tier Chancer.

To be fair, other attendees say it didn’t happen.

[Sham67]

34 minutes ago, HirstWhoScoredIt said:

My main point on this is regarding the democratic process and the state of our fan groups.

 

It makes no sense to have numerous fan groups represented equally at these meetings, some of which appear to have hardly any members. 
 

Even the recent Wednesdayite poll got under 200 votes (or that is my understanding) where as the Trust poll got over 6,000 votes and they now have 5,000 members.

 

To me, it seems like a a first past the post voting system in its most extreme sense. 
 

A fan groups with 5,000 members should not be bound by the collective votes of other fan groups that between them probably don’t have more than 1,000 members - it is madness.

 

All of these fan groups should come under the branch of one fan group - which should clearly be the group with thousands of members.

 

The Armed forces should have their own representative on the Trust board, as should London Owls, a group representing disabled fans, a group representing female supporters etc.

 

Then the Trust should elect representatives to attend these meetings that have a complimentary skill set. A lawyer, an accountant, somebody that understands IT, somebody that understands marketing, somebody that understands commerce etc.

 

We shouldn’t have well meaning people that do not have the complimentary skill set to give proper representation for the fans.

 

And we certainly shouldn’t have the Chairman of a fan group that only appears to have a few hundred members having so much influence so as to be able to persuade Chansiri to increase prices for OAP’s and appears to be the main liaison between the fan groups and the Club.

What about having someone who understands Football on the panel.