FST meeting today

[Jonaldiniho 88]

Can't see why this isn't funded by the club. I'm sure there would be more than enough applicants to be apart of this club free of charge just to help. The keeping of knowledge from the fans who haven't got a membership stinks. I've never had a ST and haven't done anything notable to help the cause but I have been a member for a few years and get second dibs on tickets after ST holders. Why should I get preference on information when ST holders clearly provide the club with more than I do.
MJG you strike me as a really nice guy with nothing but the club and it's fans as your motive so I am not aiming any critism at you. Unfortunately positions of information or power lead to a distancing from those who don't have it, which I'm sure isn't a situation you are happy with knowing from your posts that that is the last thing you want. It does strick me that information that loyal supporters are straining to hear is being held back as wrong. I really appreciate your continued answers on this tread as you have stuck your neck out and answered many questions put to you and never hid from any question.
No slight on you but a lot of what your saying is very politician and you are withholding information from people that care. When is that ever right. Having ardent supporters being kept from the truth can only damage IMO. I'm not blaming you for any of this just saying that the system stinks. Oh and a season ticket should mean membership. No extra cost included. That doesn't benefit me but I'm shocked that for £10 a year I get information before a £400 a year odd fan doesn't.
  Thank you for you openess, all be it guarded and let's hope for everyone's sake that we can all hear about our club in a transparent way from here on in. I won't be holding my breath but feel with more people like you in influence it may happen

[SouthfieldWhite]

Can I join as a woman?

No ,women are banned from FST, well to be fair only women who ask stupid questions ;-)

[Jonnoj]

So how long until we can hear about the meeting with the CEO. please?

Good question.......even a summary would be nice?
Thanks in advance

[SouthfieldWhite]

Fair play to MJG , for, as LB says, sticking his head above the parapet .

He's already said he's new to the committee so may not have all the answers .

My take on FST.

I joined the supporters club committee around the time of BTTC.

I got toldBTTC was an umbrella  branch of the supporters club who then broke away and took the supporters clubs members data base.

The BTTC was an important part of our history as they were the main voice for getting us back to the Cottage,although I don't think it was purely down to them why we returned, that's taking nothing away for all their hard work.

The supporters club were a totally different type of group and catered more for the fans, ie with discounted away travel etc

With member numbers dwindling and committee members having very busy work loads in their day jobs, the supporters club basically folded.

I was basically last man standing and carried on for the next few years, just answering fans e mails
Mainly overseas fans.

When Tommy Guthrie joined the club, we had a person inside the club whom fans could e mail and I helpedTommy when he first started with certain things.

The thing that's always put me off FST is the secrecy behind it all.

Maybe if they were a bit more open and active, then I'm sure membership could rise

I do feel we need a fans voice and I have seriously thought about getting the supporters club going again, but its a big job and you'd need a few like minded people to give up their free time to hp.

Sadly I have very little free time so probably couldn't commit to it

[Berserker]

Can I join as a woman?

Do you have a multiple personality disorder? Or just a grammatical one?  :005:

Not sure what you mean

[MJG]

Openness is something we are very keen on promoting.
It's not a club run thing and some people would not want to be part of anything which is not independent of the club... So you can't really win.
A report will come out, but I'm not the one who's publishing it on the site,  so once again please be a little patience.

[Putney]

Fair play to MJG , for, as LB says, sticking his head above the parapet .

He's already said he's new to the committee so may not have all the answers .

My take on FST.

I joined the supporters club committee around the time of BTTC.

I got toldBTTC was an umbrella  branch of the supporters club who then broke away and took the supporters clubs members data base.

The BTTC was an important part of our history as they were the main voice for getting us back to the Cottage,although I don't think it was purely down to them why we returned, that's taking nothing away for all their hard work.

The supporters club were a totally different type of group and catered more for the fans, ie with discounted away travel etc

With member numbers dwindling and committee members having very busy work loads in their day jobs, the supporters club basically folded.

I was basically last man standing and carried on for the next few years, just answering fans e mails
Mainly overseas fans.

When Tommy Guthrie joined the club, we had a person inside the club whom fans could e mail and I helpedTommy when he first started with certain things.

The thing that's always put me off FST is the secrecy behind it all.

Maybe if they were a bit more open and active, then I'm sure membership could rise

I do feel we need a fans voice and I have seriously thought about getting the supporters club going again, but its a big job and you'd need a few like minded people to give up their free time to hp.

Sadly I have very little free time so probably couldn't commit to it

What sort of things did the supporters club do in tandem with the club?

I have personal ties with a certain foreign supporters club so am interested to see what sort of relationship you had with Fulham. I think there's a lot of potential for a revival of a supporters club, what with the current climate of discontent with fan culture and status in the UK.

[MJG]

Fair play to MJG , for, as LB says, sticking his head above the parapet .

He's already said he's new to the committee so may not have all the answers .

My take on FST.

I joined the supporters club committee around the time of BTTC.

I got toldBTTC was an umbrella  branch of the supporters club who then broke away and took the supporters clubs members data base.

The BTTC was an important part of our history as they were the main voice for getting us back to the Cottage,although I don't think it was purely down to them why we returned, that's taking nothing away for all their hard work.

The supporters club were a totally different type of group and catered more for the fans, ie with discounted away travel etc

With member numbers dwindling and committee members having very busy work loads in their day jobs, the supporters club basically folded.

I was basically last man standing and carried on for the next few years, just answering fans e mails
Mainly overseas fans.

When Tommy Guthrie joined the club, we had a person inside the club whom fans could e mail and I helpedTommy when he first started with certain things.

The thing that's always put me off FST is the secrecy behind it all.

Maybe if they were a bit more open and active, then I'm sure membership could rise

I do feel we need a fans voice and I have seriously thought about getting the supporters club going again, but its a big job and you'd need a few like minded people to give up their free time to hp.

Sadly I have very little free time so probably couldn't commit to it

What sort of things did the supporters club do in tandem with the club?

I have personal ties with a certain foreign supporters club so am interested to see what sort of relationship you had with Fulham. I think there's a lot of potential for a revival of a supporters club, what with the current climate of discontent with fan culture and status in the UK.

one of the things FST do is that they belong to the two major supporters organisations.. Supporters direct and the football supporters federation.
Subject such as safe standing,  price of tickets,  club compliance, fans on boards, keeping a clubs traditional name and colours is a hot topic. 
Lots of things that relate to fans and clubs and how it affects us today and tomorrow are being looked at.

Be it a supporters club,  a trust or a special interest group,  they can do many things. When I was part of the FFC supporters club we had strong communication ties with the board . we worked on organising travel,  Quite nights etc. The one thing I can tell you and SW covered,  it takes a lot of time and effort to organise and run.

[SP]

So how long until we can hear about the meeting with the CEO. please?

I'm hoping for another jumbo sized flag - it worked a treat last season.

[Burt]

Can I join as a woman?

Do you have a multiple personality disorder? Or just a grammatical one?  :005:

Not sure what you mean

Nothing sinister Mrs B, on your original reply you said "can I join as a women" (plural!!) :)

[Berserker]

The Jumbo flag was on top of my seat the whole of the Doncaster game

[Riversider]

Bit pissed off with the FST tonight, been out all day today at a wedding, get home check my e-mail's nothing from the FST (of which im a member) log on to this thread, hoping for news of the meeting, again nothing !
Were'nt we promised something today ! So what happened ?
Same thing happened after the last meeting !
Sorry guys but the passing on of news must be improved, the supporters trust, sadly is as shambolic as every other aspect of our club at the moment,
Somebody sort it out ! :046:

[b+w geezer]

Well done to MJG for his responses and the attitude he shows.  It would be good to make Fulham Supporters Trust more visible and communicative to supporters at large.

I am one of those who has retained my £10 membership standing order since BTTC days, since that seems a price worth paying for retaining a body that's  plugged into the national network of Supporters' Trusts -- some of which are really substantial organisations. If nothing else, it's an insurance policy -- that if crisis times did recur (think mid-80s to mid-90s) then there would be an existing setup that could form the basis of a rearguard action, drawing on connections with the wider football world.

So that motive suffices for me to maintain a membership that began when the movement was formed (reacting to news of the ground's sale to a property developer). Without that background, would I have been attracted to join in the years after return to Craven Cottage? Probably not. It would have needed more visible action, additional reasons. If more can now be expected, then great. I see absolutely no downside and good luck to everyone prepared to put in the time.

[Riversider]

Dan Crawford has just published the details of the meeting on Twitter, I have no idea which part of it is the good news that MJG alluded to that were all supposed to be happy with, maybe he can clarify his comments on saturday .

[Scrumpy]

I can't quite fathom why so many have a 'downer' on the FST. They don't claim to represent Fulham fans as a whole, just their members. The same as a previous poster, I have maintained my membership as habit, and simply as an insurance policy for when things with this great Club of ours invariably go tits up!

By popular request, here is a copy of earlier tweet..

A delegation from the Fulham Supporters' Trust Board – compromising of Mike Gregg, Dan Crawford, Lorcan O'Connor and Neil Springate – met with Fulham Football Club's chief executive officer Alistair Mackintosh and director of communications and marketing Sarah Brookes at Motspur Park on Thursday morning.

Prior to the Trust delegation posing a series of questions to the Club, Mr. Mackintosh suggested that a regular monthly meeting be held between the Club and Trust. This was agreed and the Trust looks forward to continuing our excellent working relationship with the Club.

Ground redevelopment

The Club are committed to continuing with the plans to increase the capacity of Craven Cottage.

A River Works Licence was obtained earlier in the year. Port of London Authority (PLA) consulted extensively with river users and other interested parties and received a range of expert advice. The PLA is preparing detailed river works licence conditions.

Youth Team set-up

Alastair Mackintosh said the post-relegation cost-cutting has not significantly affected the Club's youth team set-up. He said that the only change is a greater focus on selecting and developing youth talent from the London area, although this does not mean that the Club will cease to try and attract leading talent from overseas. Owner Shahid Khan is very keen to promote the youth academy. The youth set-up was integral to the team's long-term development and the Club is continuing to try and tie down the cream of our young talent to new or extended contracts.

Fulham Football Club Board of Directors and Planning

The Club was considered to deficient at Board level of those sufficiently acquainted with Fulham FC's history, in particular after the departure of Mark Collins and the sad death of Dennis Turner, both of whom were keen fans. Would this 'fan representation' be restored? Alistair Mackintosh said that the composition of the Board was to be examined by Shahid Khan.

Nothing had changed with regard to long-term planning and Shahid Khan intended to remain in charge for a long period. His investment thus far has not placed any debt on the Club. A return to the Premier League is intended and as soon as possible, but this could take longer than was envisaged. Shahid Khan wishes to invest in the infrastructure of the Club and would support the incoming manager with resources. In terms of marketing, the 'synergy' between Fulham Football Club and the Jacksonville Jaguars would continue and this would also include mutual sponsorship and links within sports science.

The fans' concerns with the possible linking of the Club with any permitted UK franchise team from the NFL were raised. Alastair Mackintosh said he was unaware of any intentions of Shahid Khan in this regard.

Manager's position

As has been reiterated in the press reports since Magath's sacking, the Club are not in a rush to replace Felix Magath and this may give Kit Symons a chance to prove his capabilities. In turn, Symons would be one of the names considered prior to the appointment of a permanent manager. In response to a question from the Trust, Alastair Mackintosh indicated that the use of a director of football was a possibility.

Alastair Mackintosh said that there be a review of what has happened following the appointment and subsequent sacking of Magath.

Away travel

Unlike the previous season, where the Premier League had demanded of clubs that monies be spent promoting the interests of travelling fans, no such recommendations or demands were made by the Football League. Sarah Brookes agreed to examine the possibilities of assistance for travelling fans for certain mid-week away fixtures where long distance trips were needed.

(As an aside, the 20.00 kick off for the match versus Doncaster Rovers on 23 September 2014 was the Club's decision in conjunction with the police.)

The Fulham Foundation

The Trust felt that more coverage of the excellent work of the Fulham Foundation was needed. Exposure for the Foundation's efforts had proved difficult, even more so now that the Club had been relegated. Its promotion required great effort by Club staff to place stories about the Foundation in the local papers. The Club's younger players were particularly supportive of the Foundation's projects and participated readily.

Ticketing

The Trust reported that there had been many complaints about on-line ticket purchases, in particular the slowness of the electronic booking system. Sarah Brookes said that the ticket provider, C360, was a 'stand alone' organisation and, whilst the Club's systems could handle heavy usage during ticket purchase, that of C360 could crash. Ticket office staff are looking at the best way to work with this system and the Club's representatives recognised the likelihood of further problems ahead of popular away fixtures, such as Brighton, in the future.

[Holders]

Good news on the academy, given the recent rumour that it had been heavily cut.

[MJG]

 A slightly more comprehensive version of the public report is being emailed to Trust members.

If some people don't think that news on the stand,  youth setup,  Khan's commitment and  the managerial setup is good news then I'm not sure what will please some people. None of its earth shattering but as I said all along we would get it on the site and sent out.

By the way people who are volunteers for any organisation do have to work,  so I don't think generating a report we are all happy with,  putting it on the Web and sending out to members within 36 hours is too bad. But then that's just me view on things.

[spoonffc]

look, i feel that everyone that is passionate enough to write on this forum about fulham the team that they love, are showing the desired passion to consitute enough to make themselves members of this group without paying the £10, by creating this air of mystery which is only avliable to those that pay the fee is creating an etlist group which is bullocks, we take the time and the space to document the emotion drain that supporting a club entails we're all on a level, let us know what was said in the interview, we deserve to know. money is no object, its very unfulhamish to create a class that is more deserving. the baring of the club has a direct impact on how i feel, and how alot of people feel, thats what matters.

[dannyboi-ffc]

A slightly more comprehensive version of the public report is being emailed to Trust members.

If some people don't think that news on the stand,  youth setup,  Khan's commitment and  the managerial setup is good news then I'm not sure what will please some people. None of its earth shattering but as I said all along we would get it on the site and sent out.

By the way people who are volunteers for any organisation do have to work,  so I don't think generating a report we are all happy with,  putting it on the Web and sending out to members within 36 hours is too bad. But then that's just me view on things.

Thanks for putting the basic details of the meeting on here, it seems the club is trying to pull in the right direction. Did they give a date they expect the work to start on the riverside?

I still dont understand the membership etc and id need more information before signing up, you have just told me basically what was said so whats the point of receiving a more detailed version via email? I read what I needed to anyway without being a member. That doesnt take anything away from the fact you've taking over from bttc but were back at the cottage now so I still find it confusing.

Considering you all have jobs outside of the organisation, the fact you do this voluntary and im assuming have families too, means I think you made a good effort getting a report out so quickly. So well done to all involved, im grateful even if im still a bit ignorant to it all.

Before meetings would it be possible to PM yourself to suggest a question im concerned with or do I need to be a member to do that?

[e4b]

Its the way of the world today,we want everything yesterday and for free!Thanks should go to everyone who has given up their time for free just their love and concern for our great club