The decisions the club need to make are not rocket science. They are not complicated. First we have to see the rehabilitation of the name Hull City. Facebook and the club website are where the change would initially be most obvious. Followed by adverts for games, the programme and the use of the club name generally. Yes the club may need guidelines for its use but that is a secondary issue. What the Allams say goes. The other issue is concessions. Yes some changes to ticket prices could be made this season but, at least for me, the crunch comes in time for next season. Once the club accepts that concessions will be re-introduced its then a simple question of mathematics. How much does the club want in match day income, how many tickets/memberships does it expect to sell and voila a rough set of prices. Which can be discussed and hopefully agreed. Assem and Ehab are attending tonight so I expect some movement towards the supporters. How much I don't know, but I expect there to be some.
I agree Obi, I have my reservations on how much movement there will be. On the subject of concessions, I expect there will be NDA's in place if any financial details are released to the committee.
I don't think you can say it's finished without commitment tonight. I assume by that you mean the Trust will pull out? The Trust are just one voice in a table full of voices. I presume if they have come up with suggestions they have circulated them to all committee members and the club beforehand? If not, you can't expect a firm commitment from the club or agreement from the other committee members without time for consideration. Any pulling out of meetings in that situation would seem very uncooperative.
What the Trust do, or don't do, is entirely up to them, it's not my decision. The club know full well what the fans want to see happen, it's up to them to now either commit to doing something about making them happen, or have their Supporters Committee written off as a waste of time. I suspect the Allams only agreed to attend these meetings as they already planned to do something, hence why I think they will commit to doing something tonight.
I am sure they will come back with something, but like the last attempt to say they are bring back concessions, and then offer a deal which gives with one hand and takes it away with the other certainly puts a big doubt in my mind that they will come up with anything acceptable.
The concessions are far more problematic to sort, as not only is it more complicated, but it involves a significant climb-down, which we know they're not good at. The branding issue is far easier to sort, it's simply common sense to change it and they always (ridiculously) claimed it wasn't happening in the first place, so I'd expect this to be the issue they move on.
Just another example of the Allams saying something and not doing it - the problem is whatever they say or agree because of their poor record I wouldn't hold my breath that they will actually deliver - 'Have I ever said anything and went back on it?' - yes all the time actually
Well I guess we will see, having just taken down the signage which had City on it, it obvious the wrangle with the council is still fresh in their minds. However I would like to think that Nigel's use of the words Hull City in his pressers have come at the Allam behest, if not then they will probable come back with say we will add THE to Tigers in future.
Good luck for them at the meeting tonight. Look on the bright side, at least it will give us something to whinge about tomorrow
The 3 supporter organisations have elected representatives though ? Anyway, let's face it. Geoff Bielby is the de facto leader of the supporters on the committee
I think the most interesting thing that may happen tonight will be Assem letting slip about his plans for retribution. Much more significant than empty words on collaboration, as these would be acted upon.
You miss the point completely. The committee does not elect its chair. The attendees are selected by the club. The agenda is set by the club. Geoff Bielby can only be representative of himself, if he wishes to believe that he is there as a representative of the supporters that is up to him, but the reality is that he has not been invited as such and his status is the same as every other attendee. The Trust has one vote and has no greater a role on the committee than any other supporter group or supporter. This meeting is simply that a meeting with supporters and supporters groups. What would Geoff do if the rest of the members of the committee refuse to listen to any of his proposals? He isn’t the leader of anything he is simply the supporter the Trust has put forward to attend the meeting. If this was a formal structured meeting, the whole construct would be different and in that case Geoff may state as an example, that he represents the Trusts membership. He certainly is not the Leader of the supporters.
A few things... It's the club's meeting, so they type up the agenda, but it's the fans who've determined what that agenda is. If was made clear to the club, that in the short term there were two main issues that needed to be addressed and they're the only two things on the agenda tonight (there were five agenda items for the first meeting and if it were just down to the Allams, I doubt concessions would have been on either agenda). Geoff is there representing the Trust and therefore the membership of that Trust, he's not claiming to represent the supporters as a whole, though I suspect that most supporters see him as the person most likely to actually get anything done. The Supporters Committe will make their case (or more likely, Geoff will), then the Allams will decide if they're going to do anything about it. It won't go to a vote, it's not that sort of committee.
In Geoff we trust. If he thinks they're taking the piss, he will react accordingly. He has to play this game for the moment, but be under no illusions, he's no ones fool.
Someone should tell them. Will Ģeoff refuse to use Ehab's name and refer to him as 'that four letter word'? I am amazed he is included in the meeting after that very public insult.