The Green Army Supervisory Board.......unfortunate lettering will mean that it will always be known as the........ GAS board. Consisting of seven members. One from the Fans Trust. One from the Green Taverners. One from the Combined Supporters Branches. And four from the Fanbase. The Fan Trust have been given the responsibility of running the elections. This independent body run by the fans will meet four times a year with the PAFC Board...........and it's aim is to give a constructive challenge to what is happening at PAFC. OK that sounds great.........so the Fans Trust will elect a member..........the Green Taverners will elect a member........everything alright up to this point. Then snag number ONE..........one member to be elected from the combined supporter branches...........how does that work,...........are we talking of the supporter branches all over the country............such as for example PASALB...the London branch and all similar branches nationwide ?.............. and does that include internet supporters.......such as PASOTI. ATD, not606 and others. how do you pick one member fairly ? Then snag number TWO..........FOUR members chosen from the Fanbase.........how unearth is that done fairly............so what affiliation will these members be allowed to have...........could they be Green Taverners ,who are running the election !.......... or more likely all PASOTI members, voted on by their large membership base. So the possibility is that you could have FOUR PASOTI members on a Body of SEVEN members.......and it is also likely that the other three could be PASOTI posters as well. QUESTION...........who represents the little fellow who has supported PAFC all their lives, and how do you make sure that the Green Taverners who will have a member, will be able to be seen above suspicion in organizing the election. I can see problems that the election is not being conducted by someone that is not involved in being part of the process of being an elected member. Someone apart from the process. I am sure there will be a lot of double dealings in getting their people on this so called INDEPENDENT BODY I am already cringing at the thought.............the big players will be those with large voting numbers............it's the way of life unfortunately.
The 4 from the fan base will be elected at a nominated home match - presumably like FA Cup tickets used to be when we got beyond the first round - you get a ballot paper with your ticket. So it's up to the "little fellows" to go to that game, with obvious benefits to club income. Yes, it's open to some abuse - and indeed some people may effectively get more than on vote if they are members of the Trust, the Taveners, a Supporters Club and go to the nominated match. But, then, maybe such activists deserve that? If the Trust have any sense at all, they'll pass the administration of the election process over to an independent body - firms of accountants & lawyers do that regularly in addition to specialist pollsters. I wouldn't bet on them doing that! PS I'm just grateful it's not the Trust nominating ALL the representatives - that would be scary. I see they've said they will review Brent's proposal before responding - what's the betting that response suggests more involvement for the Trust in GASB ?
OK the little fellow will get a voting form...........but what good is it to him if............ PASOTI voters vote in block for who they have nominated from within. So the Fans Trust do the honourable thing and look into bringing in an independent body............they will charge a fee for their services.........would the Trust want to pay for that ?
1) Nothing at all - but then, that's no different to political parties is it? 2) I'm sure a friendly local firm - Stapleton's for example - would do the counting at a very reasonable fee. What I worry about is that they'll have other objections to independent scrutiny of the ballot - there are after all public sector union connections.......... [Puts on tin helmet and retires below parapet].
But the little man in politics has a name on a ballot sheet to vote for............the little man at Home Park will be given a voting paper to do what with ...........it is not clear to me how they intend it to work............maybe they will explain in more detail.........they havn't got long to do that..........and spread the word amongst the little men.
I presume it will be like any election - there will be a period in which nominations can be made, with a prescribed number of seconders perhaps, and personal statements from each candidate will come with the ballot paper.... Your worries remain partly justified however - an organised body like the Trust will be able to manage the process for its "preferred" candidates. E.G just like local council & parish elections - you do read all that stuff & vote don't you?
The little man is an individual........one of hundreds of individuals.........they won't know ...Tom,Dick or Harry from the next person sitting near them on match day...........the only winners are big groups who can nominate from within and funnel their votes so that their chosen selection receive mass votes. Yes the four Fan members are open to being not true representatives of the masses............ who are the hundreds of little men and women.......... who go each home game but are not affiliated to a recognized grouping.
"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." Sir Winston Churchill British politician (1874 - 1965)
For your information re the Trust elections..... About all you'll learn is that it's a small circle - half the candidates proposed or seconded by other candidates or members of their family - and that most of the candidates don't give a biography. http://www.argylefanstrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Candidate-Statements-2012.pdf
