Why is the Supporters Trust Silent?

[Dannyred]

I’m pretty much the same, I turn up 10 mins before the start but I normally go else where for a pint before hand. there is nothing remotely tempting me to pay for the beer in the centre spot. Now say if once in a while ST holders or “long term supporters” got a deal of a pint and a pie or what ever I could see myself getting into the habit of going there week in week out.

as Lego has said once in while would be more then enough for the club to even show a small amount of appreciation, after all it was quick enough to do it for Flybe staff which was of course the right thing to do.

the RL was treated so poorly by the Club that it was boarding on a **** take. I now wish I hadn’t of bothered being part of it to be honest or giving it as much energy as I did.

that though has nothing to do with what I’m saying above as the club will need to find new ways to look after long term fans so they don’t go else where if money is tight and for the club to keep its head above water.

I use to buy two kits a season plus a lot of other things in the club shop, Not anymore as someone who spends £2 a month trust fees are more thought of by the club than someone who spends several hundred.

 

[Edward]

I spent a little time posting on Exeweb a few years ago when it was fairly evident that the club was being run poorly and the Trust was doing very little to improve matters. Dim people were making poor decisions and appointing inadequate senior staff with the inevitable results. Being insolvent can’t have been far away. My view was that much more was possible, on and off the field, if the culture could change and there was a new regime.

Since then, there has been change and I have no idea whether the postings on Exeweb had any influence at all. Often, a crisis will trigger change on its own. Either way, it would appear that things are much better now, in part because some player sales brought in some cash, but also because there is a better set-up involving far more experienced business people (who seemingly adopt a more sophisticated approach than closing their eyes when the financial position gets a bit tricky).

Mind you, there is always room for improvement but the motivation for those improvements must come from the employees who are paid to work each and every week: their skills are far more important that those who volunteer on the Trust Board. Most businesses provide some means to compensate senior staff to deliver better performance and I would have hoped that the club would have made some progress in this area. Paying somebody a lot of money is no bad thing if they generate more.

Of course, there might still be issues so the Trust, as majority shareholder, must have an ability to hold the senior club management to account or, at the very least, represent the possibility that the club executives cannot do whatever they please. The 4/4 board split probably achieves this whilst a shareholder vote provides the ultimate sanction. In my view, berating the Trust board for not being sufficiently commercial is a little harsh and aiming at the wrong target. By all means expect the Trust board to expect more of the club’s management but only if you can identify real issues that are worthy of change. Just saying something isn’t good enough isn’t likely to achieve very much.

The Trust board might be able to do more to raise membership and Trust income - surely their primary task? - but that is quite different from asking them to do more to run the club.

 

[iscalad]

I use to buy two kits a season plus a lot of other things in the club shop, Not anymore as someone who spends £2 a month trust fees are more thought of by the club than someone who spends several hundred.

I didn't realise that Trust members never spent any money in the club shop.

 

[ramone]

Just as a matter of interest roughly how many people who are able to use a discount card actually use it ?
In the time I was a Trust member and S/T holder I cant honestly remember asking for any discount on stuff in the shop.
4 at a time could have been almost buy 3 get 1 free

 

[iscalad]

I've used Trust discount in the shop and in the bar.

 

[Dannyred]

I didn't realise that Trust members never spent any money in the club shop.

It’s only trust members that are important to the club.

 

[geoffwp]

It’s only trust members that are important to the club.

Oh good. Nice to know at least I'm sorted.

 

[Legohead]

It’s only trust members that are important to the club.

I felt important to the club for a few years before I joined the trust. Having joined the trust last year, I don't now feel even more important oddly enough.

 

[ex_user1234]

It’s only trust members that are important to the club.

Pretty much. The legitimacy of the Trust, after all, is based on the number of Trust members. Completely self-serving, but from a realpolitik point of view it makes sense. If you're the Trust.

 

[SEA Grecian]

I spent a little time posting on Exeweb a few years ago when it was fairly evident that the club was being run poorly and the Trust was doing very little to improve matters. Dim people were making poor decisions and appointing inadequate senior staff with the inevitable results. Being insolvent can’t have been far away. My view was that much more was possible, on and off the field, if the culture could change and there was a new regime.

Since then, there has been change and I have no idea whether the postings on Exeweb had any influence at all. Often, a crisis will trigger change on its own. Either way, it would appear that things are much better now, in part because some player sales brought in some cash, but also because there is a better set-up involving far more experienced business people (who seemingly adopt a more sophisticated approach than closing their eyes when the financial position gets a bit tricky).

Mind you, there is always room for improvement but the motivation for those improvements must come from the employees who are paid to work each and every week: their skills are far more important that those who volunteer on the Trust Board. Most businesses provide some means to compensate senior staff to deliver better performance and I would have hoped that the club would have made some progress in this area. Paying somebody a lot of money is no bad thing if they generate more.

Of course, there might still be issues so the Trust, as majority shareholder, must have an ability to hold the senior club management to account or, at the very least, represent the possibility that the club executives cannot do whatever they please. The 4/4 board split probably achieves this whilst a shareholder vote provides the ultimate sanction. In my view, berating the Trust board for not being sufficiently commercial is a little harsh and aiming at the wrong target. By all means expect the Trust board to expect more of the club’s management but only if you can identify real issues that are worthy of change. Just saying something isn’t good enough isn’t likely to achieve very much.

The Trust board might be able to do more to raise membership and Trust income - surely their primary task? - but that is quite different from asking them to do more to run the club.

Hi Edward, great to see you on here again. I didn't agree with everything you wrote back in the day but it's clear there was a lot of uncomfortable truth in what you wrote. Therefore, it's good to hear you think the club is better run now.