This is what the Trust actually said... Trust welcomes rethink of Hull City’s membership scheme The Hull City Supporters’ Trust board welcomes today’s announcement by Hull City AFC that the initial “Earn Your Stripes” membership scheme proposals recently issued will now be delayed and the subject of a review. This fully reflects the views expressed to the club by the Trust’s representatives, who recently heard some of the scheme’s details at the Fans’ Working Group meeting. It is clear that full and frank engagement with all supporters and all of their representative bodies and groups, on matters of detail as well as headlines, is now required in order that the damage done by the initial announcement can be reversed. The Trust’s Board, led by our new chairman Geoff Bielby who is also our representative on the Fans’ Working Group, stands ready to work alongside all other supporters’ groups and contribute positively to this review. In the meantime, the Trust’s Board is intending to work up some alternative proposals, based both on adjustments to the current season card scheme and proposals for an improved form of membership scheme, that could be delivered in a more equitable manner and still achieve the financial and loyalty outcomes that the club is seeking. We will share these proposals with the club in due course.
Has the Trust shared their proposals with the club? Or is it waiting until the revised scheme is announced?
Did the OSC statement refer to the initial concept, or with the hindisght of the announcement for revisions after individual fans made their feelings known, which is what the Trust statement is. I actually mentioned comments from those in the trust, rather than the trust, but in any event, there's very little difference between the protest groups comments and the OSC.
It'll be interesting to see what input supporters have had to any revisions, be they from the club, or suggested elsewhere.
Our only information regarding the scheme was what was in the public domain at the time of making that statement. We have no choice but to work with the club, it is the very essence of being an "Official" supporters club. HCOSC is a Limited Company. At the AGM nominations for places on the board are made. If you want any or all Directors to resign, fine, If you PM me your details I will send you a copy of the constitution and you can take whatever steps you need to bring this about. I was invited to the board last year. I do not have to be "re-elected" as such for another 2 years and I will not be resigning, maybe I should for the language I used in posts yesterday, but it will be my choice not others. However if there was a vote against me, I would not feel comfortable staying around. In my honest opinion, I think you will be surprised at the actual way that it operates. I was! I want the OSC to get back to doing what it does best and that is providing events for Hull City supporters and raising money for charity. It may change, this year I will propose changes to its constitution. The OSC is evolving, it has new board members and officers, it has new events and it is developing new opportunities. We recently introduced a live twitter service. It got a few comments on this forum, but I do not think everyone understands just what was "given" to us by the club. I want to make this clear, the only conditions for this is that a supporter sends twitter messages out throughout the game and that they are only about the game. Attending the pre match press conference Access to the press and commentary area Attending the post match interviews This is a very big opportunity for supporters and it should not be under estimated. So with that in mind, what form of action should we be taking and what should we be saying about a scheme that was not and is not fully published? The club said it was reviewing the scheme, I personally do not see any real difference in what HCST have said. When we have had an opportunity to discuss the scheme with the club we have and will continue to be prepared to express the views and concerns of our membership and the general supporter base. What more do you actually expect us to do? If you want change, do something about it, put yourself forward, give up your time and energy to the OSC. Believe it or not it is as rewarding as it is frustrating. Come along to the Arena Bar and introduce yourself.
Personally I think it would be weird if the OSC and the Trust were putting out identical statements They are two totally different organisations, set up for different reasons I do think that either group should pass on concerns their members make to them if there is a groundswell on a particular issue, but other than that I expect them to be different In fact members of both would feel a bit shortchanged if they weren't different!
Would I have met you when I was over? When I finally got the chance to catch up with James Mooney I think he took me to that Bar and introduced me to some of the OSC members, and I signed up on the spot.
That explains it. Met a few lovely folk from the OSC though that day. I believe it was the Chelsea 2-0 game.
Purely as an OSC member, I don't think they should comment on things like this if they're limited to just praising everything the club does for fear of a backlash. The way the club operates with these threats is regrettable, but silence would be better than pandering. At a time when everyone was learning how much more they'd be paying next season, the OSC giddily welcomed it. I think the role of the OSC lies in the events and charity work, as TOM has suggested. The club's autocratic style prevents them from saying anything worthwhile or anywhere close to what the fans are thinking.
I think that's spot on as the OSC remit - I recall the OSC chairmans cringeworthy response to his own members NO vote re. the name change, he really couldn't say otherwise but it came across as retchingly sycophantic. The OSC and The Trust can obviously have some areas of overlap but ''political issues'' obviously can't be one of them.
I agree with this, they are better off saying nothing rather than promoting the club's idiotic schemes by saying things that are simply untrue just to save grace with the club. The charity work they have recently publicised is commendable, they should stick with that.
If the OSC is indeed limited to praising and/or supporting only what the club puts out, then it is seriously not independent and as such in the current climate don't see how they can represent the members effectively, as such a trust with 'seriously clipped wings' is a HCFC supporters trust in name only? Given the intention within football in general is for supporters groups and trusts to work closely with their respective clubs on all matters football facing, ourselves and Blackpool unfortunately have supporter groups that have little or no relevance in the eyes of the clubs they are supposed to represent! Very disappointing situation.
I totally agree. I was very critical of the OSC over a number of issues, but Bernard and others took a the time to contact me several times to explain the situation, and the bulk of my gripe was down to my lack of understanding on what they were. I still didn't join, because it wasn't for me, but that's a personal choice rather than a criticism. It seems I'm not alone in that, and the message needs reinforcing.
Here is what the Not 606 FWG rep posted compared to the HCOSC statement. I am not having a go at OLM, he is posting as he saw the scheme working, what have we said that is different to him. He attended the FWG meeting and came to virtually the same conclusions as we did. Things moved on from the OSC statement and from what OLM posted. I produced and published on here a spreadsheet outlining every price structure for every zone. The fully details have never been released. "The Hull City Official Supporters Club welcomes the concept of the Earn Your Stripes membership scheme" "its intention to make the overall cost of supporting our team fairer to the majority of fans and to create an improved atmosphere at the KC". "A child doesn't go on his own, he goes with an adult, who'll now also be paying £252, so together they'll still be paying less. Obviously, if one adult takes ten kids, then he's screwed, but the club reckon the vast majority will be better off." OLM 16/03/2016 We absolutely appreciate some fans will be affected by the prices and / or by having to move seats "I can understand people not wanting to move seats, but there are potentially decent savings for those who are prepared to." OLM 01/04/2016 we hope the scheme will bring benefits to all fans and improve the match day experience in the long term One of the major advantages to the scheme is that it should make the cost of a match day more affordable to families. "If someone is currently paying £531 for themselves and £95 for their kid, they'd have to be a bit bonkers to then object to paying £504 for both. OLM 01/04/2016
Who in the OSC communication department came up with this mistruth? "One of the major advantages to the scheme is that it should make the cost of a match day more affordable to families."
Nice try, but you've just cherry picked bits of my posts in a sad attempt to try and suggest I said the same things as the OSC. Most of those quoted aren't even my opinion, they're just clarifying what the club said at the meeting. I'm obviously awaiting the revised version like everyone else, but I don't expect it will go anywhere near far enough and unlike the OSC, I'll say so.
