Supporters' Direct facing immediate closure

[malcolms]

Supporters Direct have helped 180 supporter's trusts. A number of clubs would no longer exist if that help hadn't been provided. The work is beneficial at many levels of football in acting as a lobbyists, a centre of expertise and practical help.

Just how obviously is the organisation flawed?

It allowed itself to be drawn down the route of over politicising the organisation, which is ok if you have funding from independent resources but suicidal when you have already sold your soul to the very people you are lobbying against. Let's be kind and call it naive.

 

[Jason H]

It allowed itself to be drawn down the route of over politicising the organisation, which is ok if you have funding from independent resources but suicidal when you have already sold your soul to the very people you are lobbying against. Let's be kind and call it naive.

Yeah, pretty much how I see it. Very definitely a worthy organisation but should look at the way it operates.

 

[STURTZ]

The flaw being that it was dependent on hand-outs from the Premier League & Government. The governance was "weak-ass" not to spot & rectify this glaring problem.

SD could have really been something. Supporters are disaffected whether you support the behemoth that is Man Utd or lowly Argyle. There was a constitutency that wanted to be truly represented and this organisation should have made supporter membership its number one goal to make it self-sustaining. On this it failed, that is why it finds itself in the position it is today, not some abusive tweetery.

Despite the good intentions & the good work in helping clubs like City, it was far too parochial and nothing but a fly on the arse of the Premier League. Let see if someone comes up with a new supporters organisation with a better business model that represents all. There is definitely a need for it and a whole country of cows is ready to be milked.

The Premier league's arse should be covered in gnarley, blood sucking flies, events down the road highlight the problems of the financial elitism of The Premiership and the struggle so many supporters must be feeling in the pursuit of supporting their local club. We shouldn't have to compete with the silly money at the top, every club should be run sustainably and just let those Premiership fat cats disappear up their own arses.

SD have made their point, done some good work and it's good that they were there but you're right that perhaps a new independant body should be created, just for the sake of football in this country.

Perhaps as the leagues oldest trust run club we should be taking a major role in setting up and overseeing this body. Chairman ******** perhaps?

 

[Hants_red]

SD could have really been something. Supporters are disaffected whether you support the behemoth that is Man Utd or lowly Argyle. There was a constitutency that wanted to be truly represented and this organisation should have made supporter membership its number one goal to make it self-sustaining. On this it failed, that is why it finds itself in the position it is today, not some abusive tweetery.

Isn't that what FSF is all about? Different organisations dealing with different issues.

 

[Mackster]

Isn't that what FSF is all about? Different organisations dealing with different issues.

I thought FSF was the Free Software Foundation.

Sounds like another organisation with good intentions but lacking in teeth to actually do anything. Could they be another quango under threat of government closure?

No organisation has grabbed the bull by the horns and motivated the supporters in this country to challenge the might of Murdoch & Scudamore and it will never happen with just a bunch of good-hearted woolly liberals running the show.

 

[malcolms]

I thought FSF was the Free Software Foundation.

Sounds like another organisation with good intentions but lacking in teeth to actually do anything. Could they be another quango under threat of government closure?

No organisation has grabbed the bull by the horns and motivated the supporters in this country to challenge the might of Murdoch & Scudamore and it will never happen with just a bunch of good-hearted woolly liberals running the show.

I think you'll find that Mr Boyle was a few miles left of a woolly liberal

 

[Beninho]

As I just posted on today's Guardian blog on this topic, I think ECFC should boycott the Premier League in protest...

 

[STURTZ]

Just as an aside, I may be a trifle immature but I did find David Boyles tweet funny and an understandable reaction by a real football supporter. Dare I say that it's the sort of thing I'd do in victory (few drinks taken) only I would probably direct those comments at Russell and Lewis.

The real obscenity was perpetrated by those, impecably behaved businessmen, that acted with honesty and civility in stealing a football club from it's fans and moving it 56 miles away, to Milton Keynes, (imagine City be moved to somewhere near Bristol, how would you react?)

Carry on.....

 

[malcolms]

Just as an aside, I may be a trifle immature but I did find David Boyles tweet funny and an understandable reaction by a real football supporter. Dare I say that it's the sort of thing I'd do in victory (few drinks taken) only I would probably direct those comments at Russell and Lewis.

The real obscenity was perpetrated by those, impecably behaved businessmen, that acted with honesty and civility in stealing a football club from it's fans and moving it 56 miles away, to Milton Keynes, (imagine City be moved to somewhere near Bristol, how would you react?)

Carry on.....

Its much more complicated than that...Merton Council had every opportunity to find a place for Wimbledon both during their last days at Plough Lane and the years that followed. Whilst I have very little sympathy for Pete W and his band of badly dressed mates he doesn't and shouldn't shoulder all the blame.

 

[Hants_red]

I think you'll find that Mr Boyle was a few miles left of a woolly liberal

You keep mentioning his politics, but haven't seen why you think it's significant.