Excellent move by the Trust. Why not invite our sponsors to this open meeting as they would be concerned if the club they're sponsoring is apparently imploding and they'd probably be our best way of getting KM and RD to the table as its improbable to think that RD could fund the club on his own... We need to add the sponsors' muscle and influence here...
Perhaps we need a thread where those who, for various reasons, will be unable to attend the meeting can digitally sign in to the meeting. That way it will be harder for RD and KM to argue that the fan base is not adequately represented.
Regardless of numbers the club will find excuses or reasons to discredit the supporters if it suits them.
It's been said a number that we have one of the largest trusts out there. That should be enough for the club to take it seriously. Unfortunately, KM just does not understand how these things work and she doesn't seem to want to find out either.
The thing is will roland listen coz standard have tried all sorts and it still doesn't bother him unless someone has a sack full of money I think we will just have to swallow his shit
Let's find out ?
Unfortunately, I think dancafc has just called it dead right. I don't think you will ever reach RD with any protest. He just does not care. He is focused on money and will eventually leave when he feels like it. He is not a football man like the rest of us. I would dearly like to think otherwise but have just read Jimmy Stone's twitter on another thread and invite you to judge for yourself. Normal service will hopefully be resumed after RD's exit. In the meantime everyone should look after their blood pressure.
Excellent move by the Trust. Why not invite our sponsors to this open meeting as they would be concerned if the club they're sponsoring is apparently imploding and they'd probably be our best way of getting KM and RD to the table as its improbable to think that RD could fund the club on his own... We need to add the sponsors' muscle and influence here...
CEO she is, but I do not see her as villain. Without wishing to denigrate her, I wonder if she understands the supposed merits of RD's network any more than we do? I believe that enough attempts for meaningful dialogue with management have been made and it now comes down to this; either we continue to be passive spectators - thus allowing our club to be further eroded, or we assert our own, collective, leadership and see what can be achieved by creative action. Here's hoping that a suitable venue for the proposed meeting may be found and that we can take a collective breath and put something into motion by which we may win back our club.
naturally , there will be fans and those who are interested who are unable to attend- so would it be plausible for a live stream/link for people around the world to tune in to to watch (possibly like the clubs 1905 youtube show) and partake in ?
I'll admit that up until now, I've been unsure of the trust and what it could possibly do to influence the collapse of our club. This for me is a giant leap in the right direction. I am now signing up to the cause and will (if possible) definately be attending this.
How will I be able to recognise other lifers and know who to sit with? I'd quite like to put a face to some names but I'm pretty sure the likes of @ValleyGary doesn't look like a snail and @MrLargo isn't a despicable looking villan I for one don't look anything like Steve Claridge, so if anyone thinks they're going to meet someone with 907,548 clubs and 147 goals then they'll be mightily disappointed.
In all serious well done to the Trust for suggesting and mobilising it. I hope to be there
My ex frequently told me I was a despicable villain or words to that effect!
Anyway, if you meet a bloke who looks like a cross between Dolph Lundgren and Jimmy Somerville then that's probably me, based on what some of my less witty friends tell me.
Are you sure they said Jimmy Somerville?
I hope you're not implying it was another Jimmy?! I ain't that despicable!
Sorry - I don't know when to leave it out sometimes.
I fully support this action and would be there if I was in England.
However, live streams can be troublesome, can interrupt the flow of meetings and often you can't hear what's going on anyway. Much as we faraway fans would be interested it is probably not worth the effort.
As for the venue and sponsors, would it be worth speaking to the University of Greenwich who have meeting and conference facilities? Of course we don't know the terms of their deal, which may make this unfeasible.
Finally those of you who are against this idea should also make an effort to attend as meetings need an opposing point of view occasionally.
Would absolutely love to be apart of this, however sadly I'm on the wrong side of the Atlantic. Props to the trust for getting this going. Truly think it is something that is needed. Really hope you guys can get something done. By the time I finally get to see a match at the Valley, I hope things have gone back to the way we all want them
This is the correct approach. Well done the Supporters Trust.
Hopefully as many supporters as can will attend so that a fair indication of supporters' wishes can be reached. I wish I could attend but being 6000 miles away doesn't help.
Great idea and IMO very, very necessary. I have stayed off here for a week as I really couldn't take looking at the home page, seeing threads about boycotting, post match depression etc. Not because I didn't like or agree with the negativity but because all the negativity is so justified.
Nobody is getting carried away and as I said I feel as supporters we need to do something before it's too late. Hats off to those at the trust organizing this it really is fantastic. I will spread the word to all my CAFC friends that don't post on here. I hope as many attend as possible. Personally I am at University not in London so will be unable to attend. Although I have been torn in two minds as to whether to make the solo trip up to boro this Saturday, but after reading this thread and seeing there are a lot of people willing to go the extra mile for this club and its well being, how can I not?!
Love this club and we are not going to let this Belgium waffle destroy it!
Great idea and IMO very, very necessary. I have stayed off here for a week as I really couldn't take looking at the home page, seeing threads about boycotting, post match depression etc. Not because I didn't like or agree with the negativity but because all the negativity is so justified.
Nobody is getting carried away and as I said I feel as supporters we need to do something before it's too late. Hats off to those at the trust organizing this it really is fantastic. I will spread the word to all my CAFC friends that don't post on here. I hope as many attend as possible. Personally I am at University not in London so will be unable to attend. Although I have been torn in two minds as to whether to make the solo trip up to boro this Saturday, but after reading this thread and seeing there are a lot of people willing to go the extra mile for this club and its well being, how can I not?!
Love this club and we are not going to let this Belgium waffle destroy it!
I shall try and attend as I'll be back from my travels on that date.
In a way it's good to see people are sobering up to the facts just a handful of us were brandishing across the site from day one, including a very insightful post from someone who'd seen RD's dealings for a few years, it's uncanny how perfectly he predicted it all.
My last thought, open up an internet based fund raising - stating the intended useage of the money. PayPal or other such method. I'll gladly be first to get the kitty rolling, any money not used to fund this first Trust meeting on the matter, can be used there on after in action taking or other such meetings. The reason on it being internet based is not all fans are confident/able enough or simply willing enough to show face at these type of events to donate in person.
naturally , there will be fans and those who are interested who are unable to attend- so would it be plausible for a live stream/link for people around the world to tune in to to watch (possibly like the clubs 1905 youtube show) and partake in ?
We've tried to stream one of our meetings before (I think it was an AGM) and it wasn't a massive success, mainly down to the WiFi at the venue but we can look in out again, might need help from someone who knows their stuff but there are some other considerations to take into account.
Either way people who are unable to attend will, at the very least be able to contribute before hand via our site.
I fully support this action and would be there if I was in England.
However, live streams can be troublesome, can interrupt the flow of meetings and often you can't hear what's going on anyway. Much as we faraway fans would be interested it is probably not worth the effort.
As for the venue and sponsors, would it be worth speaking to the University of Greenwich who have meeting and conference facilities? Of course we don't know the terms of their deal, which may make this unfeasible.
Finally those of you who are against this idea should also make an effort to attend as meetings need an opposing point of view occasionally.
I don't think UoG is a good venue primarily for the same reasons I gave for the Valley being inappropriate.
Completely agree that people with differing opinions should attend though, that's exactly the idea and provided anyone articulates their opinion respectfully at the meeting they will be respected regardless of that opinion.
How will I be able to recognise other lifers and know who to sit with? I'd quite like to put a face to some names but I'm pretty sure the likes of @ValleyGary doesn't look like a snail and @MrLargo isn't a despicable looking villan I for one don't look anything like Steve Claridge, so if anyone thinks they're going to meet someone with 907,548 clubs and 147 goals then they'll be mightily disappointed.
In all serious well done to the Trust for suggesting and mobilising it. I hope to be there
My ex frequently told me I was a despicable villain or words to that effect!
Anyway, if you meet a bloke who looks like a cross between Dolph Lundgren and Jimmy Somerville then that's probably me, based on what some of my less witty friends tell me.
I must say that 'small town boy' and 'don't leave me this way' are absolute tunes. And, as strange as it may seem Rocky IV is probably my favourite film.
I fully support the need for such a meeting but will be on holiday on the proposed date. Like others before me have stated, I would be happy to contribute towards the cost of the meeting.
Oh dear! I will attend, not to laugh in anyone's face (bed wetters or not) but to try and understand cos I just don't get it. All this "ripping the heart out ...." And "getting our club back" is just nonsense to me. It doesn't make sense as it has no foundation. And all the Belgian hating is bordering on racism (or at best xenophobia). For me it boils down to poor results/performances which has cast disillusionment over us after a solid start to the season. I'm sure some of you will argue otherwise but in your heart of hearts would you really be up in arms if we were still in the top six? I am damn sure a huge percentage wouldn't be.
You will never get it sadly. You just haven't got a clue.
Then give me an answer as to how a multi millionaire investor who believes in bringing through home grown players has "ripped out the heart if the club "
- interfered in player selection - sacked Chris Powell for standing up for his right to pick the side - sold our top scorer when we were desperate for goals - failed to show loyalty to the man he brought in to keep us up, very probably because he picked Powell's side to get us out of trouble against Mein Fuhrer's wishes - promised supporter dialogue in the close season but fail to engage - failed to back Bob Peeters need for midfield and striking support to help us maintain early season momentum. - sacked Peeters and then appoints his out-of-work Coach hours after getting his CE-Ho to laughably tell us about twenty applicants, interviews and an exhaustive search etc a Coach who has history with at least several of our team. - gets the CE-Ho to tell us we "need to accept" that it's Roland's Way. - fails to take impending relegation battle seriously by not investing in the January window - reappoints Riga at SL, a man deemed not good enough to continue at Charlton - a man still refusing to expand on his Network ideas which make increasingly less sense in practice and which holed below-the waterline without a fully functioning FFP - on top of this, we have increasingly less player continuity and four managers in 12 months - it's all temporary tinkering, not a strategy or a plan - all of the above which has fans threatening not to renew season tickets in droves and the biggest lack of interest since the late 7O's
Thanks for taking the time but ...... >the large majority of that is player performance & manager recruitment related. >a large part is hearsay >communication?? Could be better but do you think many of the other 91 league clubs do better on this? >fans apathy is a worry re future attendance but that is in our hands not RDs and I say again, better results would take care of that
Nothing there that tells me RD is killing our club. Investment in the club has been made, youth is encouraged, players/managers have been changed in an effort to find a winning formula. All things that should be applauded in my view.
I sincerely worry that all this hysteria could become the very thing that does rip the heart out of the club and the true basis of that hysteria is because of poor results.
Oh dear! I will attend, not to laugh in anyone's face (bed wetters or not) but to try and understand cos I just don't get it. All this "ripping the heart out ...." And "getting our club back" is just nonsense to me. It doesn't make sense as it has no foundation. And all the Belgian hating is bordering on racism (or at best xenophobia). For me it boils down to poor results/performances which has cast disillusionment over us after a solid start to the season. I'm sure some of you will argue otherwise but in your heart of hearts would you really be up in arms if we were still in the top six? I am damn sure a huge percentage wouldn't be.
You will never get it sadly. You just haven't got a clue.
Then give me an answer as to how a multi millionaire investor who believes in bringing through home grown players has "ripped out the heart if the club "
- gets the CE-Ho to tell us we "need to accept" that it's Roland's Way.
Really is that the level you are going to, playground name calling?
- I think Katrien Meire is also part of the problem. Her recent performance has shown very clearly that she is a bag-carrier and an apologist for the Chairman. It's an insult to our club that we have had someone like her foisted on us, and her handling of Liargate and even the Trust request for further dialogue on the strategy for the club (which is her primary role) is laughable. We must remember we are paying Customers in this business and if we need to respect the officers running the business, then they need to respect us too. Sorry if you were offended though.
If it does take place on the 18th we'd have had 3 fixtures by then. They're all against tough opposition as well so it will be interesting to see if we've picked up any points from them.
Not that the results will determine what people's feelings are, that's pretty clear to see. But if we've lost all 3 then I can certainly see it adding argument to the mess of the last month in the window.
How will I be able to recognise other lifers and know who to sit with? I'd quite like to put a face to some names but I'm pretty sure the likes of @ValleyGary doesn't look like a snail and @MrLargo isn't a despicable looking villan I for one don't look anything like Steve Claridge, so if anyone thinks they're going to meet someone with 907,548 clubs and 147 goals then they'll be mightily disappointed.
In all serious well done to the Trust for suggesting and mobilising it. I hope to be there
Ive changed my profile pic so you know what i look like.
How will I be able to recognise other lifers and know who to sit with? I'd quite like to put a face to some names but I'm pretty sure the likes of @ValleyGary doesn't look like a snail and @MrLargo isn't a despicable looking villan I for one don't look anything like Steve Claridge, so if anyone thinks they're going to meet someone with 907,548 clubs and 147 goals then they'll be mightily disappointed.
In all serious well done to the Trust for suggesting and mobilising it. I hope to be there
Ive changed my profile pic so you know what i look like.
It highlights how crazy the club has become that it doesn't have any control over what is booked at The Valley, and I'm sure they would not want to damage goodwill even further by blocking an attempt by supporters to discuss how they can organise themselves further to help improve the fortunes and identity of the Club they run at the venue of what the supporters helped make such a special home.
AFKA , who is crazy? If RD believed his model would possibly alienate fans then by franchising he risks nothing? 10 fans or 10,000 fans RD still collects the same money?
We have received a disappointing response. Whilst Ms Meire has suggested that we meet with a colleague to discuss what the club needs to do to maintain and grow the fanbase, she declined any dialogue on the vital matter of where the club is heading.
Her explanation - that she had nothing more to tell supporters regarding the direction of the club - reminds us of her words in the London Evening Standard, when she insisted that fans would just “need to accept” the owner’s way. We respectfully but strongly disagree with her. We continue to hear daily from supporters of a growing discontent at the inconsistency between the club’s words and actions, and a frustration with a lack of true engagement.
Interesting that she has turned down the offer, when she has agreed to attend "Bromley Addicks" on the 12th March. Does she expect it to be any different in Bromley then? The same set of questions are going to get asked, just like they did on the recent train trips she has had.
Nothing has changed, so why should the type of questions be any different. If there is a five year season ticket meeting, will she turn up for that?
Fair play to the trust for getting something in place and hopefully it will be a constructive meeting in a couple of weeks time. Work permitting, I will be there.
It highlights how crazy the club has become that it doesn't have any control over what is booked at The Valley, and I'm sure they would not want to damage goodwill even further by blocking an attempt by supporters to discuss how they can organise themselves further to help improve the fortunes and identity of the Club they run at the venue of what the supporters helped make such a special home.
AFKA , who is crazy? If RD believed his model would possibly alienate fans then by franchising he risks nothing? 10 fans or 10,000 fans RD still collects the same money?
I doubt if the contract works quite like that. The shop one doesn't.
Comments
It's been said a number that we have one of the largest trusts out there. That should be enough for the club to take it seriously. Unfortunately, KM just does not understand how these things work and she doesn't seem to want to find out either.
I believe that enough attempts for meaningful dialogue with management have been made and it now comes down to this; either we continue to be passive spectators - thus allowing our club to be further eroded, or we assert our own, collective, leadership and see what can be achieved by creative action. Here's hoping that a suitable venue for the proposed meeting may be found and that we can take a collective breath and put something into motion by which we may win back our club.
Can I bring my own pitch-fork?...............
However, live streams can be troublesome, can interrupt the flow of meetings and often you can't hear what's going on anyway. Much as we faraway fans would be interested it is probably not worth the effort.
As for the venue and sponsors, would it be worth speaking to the University of Greenwich who have meeting and conference facilities? Of course we don't know the terms of their deal, which may make this unfeasible.
Finally those of you who are against this idea should also make an effort to attend as meetings need an opposing point of view occasionally.
Hopefully as many supporters as can will attend so that a fair indication of supporters' wishes can be reached. I wish I could attend but being 6000 miles away doesn't help.
Nobody is getting carried away and as I said I feel as supporters we need to do something before it's too late. Hats off to those at the trust organizing this it really is fantastic. I will spread the word to all my CAFC friends that don't post on here. I hope as many attend as possible. Personally I am at University not in London so will be unable to attend. Although I have been torn in two minds as to whether to make the solo trip up to boro this Saturday, but after reading this thread and seeing there are a lot of people willing to go the extra mile for this club and its well being, how can I not?!
Love this club and we are not going to let this Belgium waffle destroy it!
In a way it's good to see people are sobering up to the facts just a handful of us were brandishing across the site from day one, including a very insightful post from someone who'd seen RD's dealings for a few years, it's uncanny how perfectly he predicted it all.
My last thought, open up an internet based fund raising - stating the intended useage of the money. PayPal or other such method. I'll gladly be first to get the kitty rolling, any money not used to fund this first Trust meeting on the matter, can be used there on after in action taking or other such meetings. The reason on it being internet based is not all fans are confident/able enough or simply willing enough to show face at these type of events to donate in person.
Either way people who are unable to attend will, at the very least be able to contribute before hand via our site.
Completely agree that people with differing opinions should attend though, that's exactly the idea and provided anyone articulates their opinion respectfully at the meeting they will be respected regardless of that opinion.
"If he dies, he dies"
Soooo... what's the date?
if already set, suggest changing title
Not that the results will determine what people's feelings are, that's pretty clear to see. But if we've lost all 3 then I can certainly see it adding argument to the mess of the last month in the window.
Her explanation - that she had nothing more to tell supporters regarding the direction of the club - reminds us of her words in the London Evening Standard, when she insisted that fans would just “need to accept” the owner’s way. We respectfully but strongly disagree with her. We continue to hear daily from supporters of a growing discontent at the inconsistency between the club’s words and actions, and a frustration with a lack of true engagement.
Interesting that she has turned down the offer, when she has agreed to attend "Bromley Addicks" on the 12th March. Does she expect it to be any different in Bromley then? The same set of questions are going to get asked, just like they did on the recent train trips she has had.
Nothing has changed, so why should the type of questions be any different. If there is a five year season ticket meeting, will she turn up for that?
Fair play to the trust for getting something in place and hopefully it will be a constructive meeting in a couple of weeks time. Work permitting, I will be there.