Yep, make you right on that. We do need to be sure we are representing the true supporters' voice, which is why we're having the meeting. My personal view is very much yours re the RD out stuff, as an aside. But it wouldn't be right for us to jump the gun and imagine we have all the answers before the meeting. It's such a fine line, as we can see from this thread. Thanks for digging that post out. I think again it's a little ambiguous, in that I believe the nothing more nothing less is referring to "the long term future" bit rather than the previous bit, but even if he wasn't id have to say that getting an understanding of what RD us trying to achieve will always be a key element, especially if RD out is unworkable. But here's the real point. If we took any position now, and I'm sure we'll present one at the meeting, it's just one voice. If we're not speaking to what the meeting wants they will let us know and we'll prize what unites us all as supporters ahead of what us few might feel.
Well no-one else is doing this today, but it's captured the mood to the extent we've had to seek a larger venue. The g21 was unwelcome. You are free to decide if to support it. I can say that as far as I am aware Paul had not been asked to speak when he posted that. Certainly the format hasn't been finalised yet and I'm not sure there will even be a top table. But I don't believe he said he'd been asked.
Rich, I think the Trust need to be very careful about not turning this meeting into a recruitment exercise, to such an extent that ALL 'members of the trust' should be banned from suggesting that the best course of action would be for everybody to join the Trust. I fully understand that this will be especially difficult for Barnie (his Raison d'être seems to be to increase Trust membership at all costs) but I feel that this would be an important step in gaining the attendees confidence that this meeting is about the Club's future and NOT about the ST's future. I hope to attend but if I see the meeting turning into a recruitment exercise.... I will leave! I know I should never assume but.... we have to assume that there will be a 'top table' otherwise a general meeting becomes a rabble and in this case it would become a Barnie Rabble! So who should be on this top table.... well Barnie as the organiser, a meeting secretary to take minutes and an independent Chairperson. Now as it happens I do know the perfect person (not me by the way and NOT a member of any fans forum) but someone who is well know to the Club and a person who supporters would trust. Rich, if you PM me I will give you his name to suggest to your colleagues, he was asked to join the G21 group but refused because he was not sure of their motives.
Well said, AHLL. What unites us that we're all fans/customers being asked to accept an inferior product/watch dire football. Football may be the only line of business where customers continue to buy a faulty product even when they know it's faulty. This may explain why Douchebag and his mouthpiece feel they can take us for fools. It seems totally wrong to focus on business issues, it's a football club and Le Douche's football decisions are killing Charlton, mainly his hiring and firing of managers and players. You're not going to revitalise the Valley by talking about a business plan and I really hope that the focus is on football, where I am sure there will be plenty of common ground. We may be in luck this season, if the teams below us keep losing, but either way it's hard to look at next season with any optimism. For instance all our CB's will be gone, and Joe Gomez, our best prospect for years, has not played at all in his best position. Just one example. And so I feel that the first step should be to try to get the message across to Monsieur Le Douche that his football plan isn't working, and WILL drive away fans in ever increasing numbers. If, as is most likely, he turns a deaf ear,then we think about the second step.
It is driving fans away in large numbers now. Football decisions affect business performance as much as business ones do - it is a reality than RD's focus is making money so at the very least we need to show him the relationship between the decisions he makes and the success of his business. Re recruitment drives, the Supporters' Trust could have handled the meeting very differently, members only, join on the night. But whilst I recognise it's fun to look for hidden agendas and pore over every word typed or syllable uttered, there really isn't one to find. I will say this though - one of the reasons KM has indicated she won't get.round the table with us is that we're just one of a number of groups. Fair comment, really, even though our stated objectives set us apart somewhat. It is a reality that the bigger the membership the less she can pretend the Trust isn't representative. But that she won't meet is why this meeting is called - let us join together as one voice, Trust members or not, to agree a way forward - it's harder to ignore it when all groups are singing from the same hymn sheet.
This meeting is a farce. Nothing more than sabre rattling by a few badly dressed plastic revolutionaries lookin for a chance to take a few selfies. Already, they have assembled a 'Bovril Circle' that want to look at the books. As if Roly is gonna let that lot near him. It's like going into Harrods and demanding to see Mo Al Fayed because your tin of bins were dented.
Sounds like it's not for you then, because you clearly have no intention of thinking in a joined up way with groups you might not naturally warm to. We're taking that risk because we feel uniting is the most effective thing for us Charlton fans to do, but I'll waste no more or your or my time trying to persuade you. Your prejudices make that a fruitless task. One thing though. Dunno why you keep mentioning Bovril - that was the Fans Forum, and exactly the reason why letting the club think that's enough engagement thank you is not an option.
Let's get this right. The trust want to be the single voice so they can meet KM - right? Barbie met her recently with the fans forum and discussed Bovril and hand dryers? The Trust have 1100 members paid up??? About a generous 10% of the fan base What about the rest?. What do they want? You're already setting out your mission statement through Richard Hunt so you've essentially decided to go ahead without the majority. You've set up a dream already consisting of the same old faces that trot out the same old crap with one exception, you've invited reams who has all the charm and sophistication of a public beheading. You might pander to his vanity but the majority of Cafc fans want a better cafc not a better supporters trust. SL fans have met Roly and he told them to feck off. So your starter for 10 is what can you do that makes a difference?
Good luck with your trust and fans forum is bollocks. Always remember that wherever there is a scheme there is a schemer, football is littered with Dudley do rights. Who say they want to speak for the ordinary fan when what they mean is they want power and influence, sometimes a seat on the board and they want others to pay for it. Really pleased that once our trust chair gary cooper was unmasked for over promoting the trust and his own influence he has now disappeared. You want a say in running the club then buy it....simples....
It might be, but not yet! At least they tried though. I'd be amazed if he even bothered to reply to us, such is his contempt. Chippy is right, you want influence, you buy it. If this was the Trust's aim, to get a business consortium together with the fans buying a share, that's when I'd look at joining, although you'd be looking at paying more than a fiver.
It's win win tho for the trust. They can't make any difference because they are hopelessly divided, inefficient, limp and pathetic but they get more air time which means Raz gets to do his Delia Smith routine, Rick gets to promote his book and reams thinks he is liked. It's all the usual noise played by the same morons.
Rick, So the meeting IS a recruitment drive for the ST and not a meeting regarding the future of the football club! The ST want everybody at the meeting to sign up to the Supporters Trust and then you want the ST to have exclusive discussions with the Club because you KNOW what is in the best interests of the Club and its supporters..... well here's a strange thing..... I started going to the Valley in the early 70's and was a season ticket holder for a lot of the years since....... and the Supporters Trust doesn't represent MY views and I find it hard to believe that Mr Razzle will ever represent my views! I always understood an 'open meeting' to be just that .. OPEN .. but this one seems to be just a recruitment exercise for the CAST Party..... I'll pass..
You know what, I've put my head above the parapet on here to explain what's happening and keep you all informed. The last two posts have ignored the entirety of what I've said and focused on your own preconceptions. For the last time, as far as I am aware no invitations have gone out to anyone yet in terms of speakers. I couldn't have been more clear when stating this is not a recruitment drive for the Supporters' Trust but you guys just ignore the bits that don't suit what you already think. You can lead a horse to water and all that. I didn't need to come on here, but we're trying to get the spectrum of support involved. Believe what you want regarding my motives, I'm bored saying the same thing over and over. If you want to keep in touch with arrangements for the open meeting, they'll be on our website among other ways.
Allhell, I think you might have misread what I said by the way. I said if we wanted to make it a recruitment drive we would have made it members only etc, not that it was that. It isn't.
Well, we had 20 years of direct supporter involvement with our club and it coincides with the most successful years in our history. And at the core of it was the very individuals that so many here want to crucify for trying to restore that balance. But you are of course entitled to your view. I respectfully disagree.
Rick, I think you misread my original post, I said in it that the Trust should be careful NOT to make the meeting a recruitment drive which was just a message I hoped you would pass on to Barnie, you then answered this post as if I had accused the Trust of organising a recruitment drive..... which I hadn't. I have been in business long enough to know that when a person answers you, with the answer to a totally different question, then the fact is that they do not want to answer the original question. You may have just misread my original post however.
Nice one rik, you and your type are all the same. Want the influence, but don't want to listen, run away when scrutiny starts. RD must be ****ting himself (not), At least you made it clear pretty early.... I am an observer that considers charlton a decent club with decent fans, I hope they wake up to the St scam quicker than we did. They should chase you and yours as far away from the valley as they can.
I wa responding to point out that by calling an open meeting we were trying to avoid making it that and avoid that perception. Sorry, I presumed you'd infer from that we'd already concluded the same as you in that regard. I've said often enough it is about a consensus, not about the Trust.
I've also been around the block enough to spot a battle that can't be won, and I'm flogging a dead horse here because the sheer amount of prejeduce flying about makes it impossible to have an objective discussion. . I've said my piece, up to you guys whether you want to believe me or not. I'll leave you to your thoughts.
