So what happened at this Supporters Club meeting last night?

Probably the usual rants about why we're in this position.

lol, nice stirring Risky !

I'll try and get a few points together later when i get a bit more time.

Exactly ...

[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]I couldnt make it unfortunately. So any update?

Nobody else could make it unfortunately.

;o)

So I was right then, unfortunately.

Nobody else could make it....?

;o)

That's a good start.
Might as well live up to our label of Anoraks and trainspotters.

If March 51 was there, he used to go the The Valley by tram.
Category all of it's own ... ?

;o)

Have the pot-holes been filled in yet?

This is my personal take on it although others may have seen it differently.

It was a discussion rather a formal meeting so there weren't agreed actions or decisions although on a number of points there was broad agreement.

Ian Cartwright was taking minutes so they may give more detail but that will be up to the Greenwich and Bexley branch to circulate..

Greenwich and Bexley Branch called the meeting and had produced a discussion paper which was considered. I haven't got an electronic version to share.

All the UK based Fans Forum members were there bar one. City Addicks, Maidstone, NW Kent, West Country, West Sussex, CASDA, Bromley Addicks and Charlton Life all had people there. Steves Waggott and Kavanagh as well as Rick Everitt were there from the Football Club. A Canterbury area group may well be launched soon with help from other groups and Waggott said he'd go to a meeting in Tauton.

It was suggested by the Greewich and Bexley branch that the Football Club (FC) only talk to one body ie CASC

They also suggested that only branches subscribing to this "edict" be afforded players and officials for Q & A sessions. The consensus appeared to be against both these ideas.

It was felt by many that the way forward was for the Fans Forum to be the main body for coordinating communicating to and from the club. The idea floated was that each member of the FF should "adopt" a supporters group or two to liaise with. Fans can and will still be able to speak to the FC freely and this was not to force just one avenue of communication.

The various branches and groups will continue in whichever form they wish. Sue Townsend made a number of good points IMHO particularly that the aim of the branches/groups should be to encourage support at this difficult time.

The club will work with the FF, as they already are, to re-build the overseas branches and support.

The Greenwich and Bexley branch suggested a £1 level on all season tickets to be given to CASC. This wasn't seen as viable by the FC in the current financial situation. It was also pointed out the not all fans would wish to pay a levy. The FC said they would be happy to offer other forms of support such as email shots to targeted supporters around meetings in their area.

The suggestion from Greenwich and Bexley that only fully paid up members of CASC be allowed to attend events such as Q & As and pre-season open days was seen as being not inclusive or encouraging new members or support.

The G & B branch was urged to be more proactive in arranging fans events such as Q & As away from the Valley in pubs/clubs in Bexley and/or G'wich. The suggestion was that these events should to free and open to non-members to re-engage with fans. 66% of ST holders live within the M25 according to club data so there should enough people to fill suitable venues and the centenary events at Hall Place confirmed this. It was felt that G & B could make better use of Charlton Life and other sites to publicise events.

The suggestion from G & B for a new Junior Reds was discussed at length. Rick Everitt said that there were already proposals on the table from the Target 40k committee news of which soon. A new junior group with activities and events was seen as important.

It was explained that the Player of the Year event makes little or no profit as it is aimed to be a break even event. The offer from the FC of selling tickets via the commercial centre was declined after it was pointed out that this would mean that G & B CASC would have no active input to the event. G & B are still trying to confirm a date for the event.

Ideas and support for celebrating the 20th Anniversery of 5/12/92 were sort. The Former Players Assoc is already involved. General view was that is should be more than a one off dinner.

Overall there was an open debate with lots of views, the groups will keep their independence but the FF will provide an avenue for co-ordinating communication.

The important role of female supporters was emphasised and it was suggested that there could be a female member of the FF.

Nothing much about club or team matters as that wasn't the purpose of the meeting.

I met StillAddickted and Tel-in-OZ for the first time. Good to meet you both

My personal take is that the content of the meeting was as Henry has stated. I just felt that the historical conflicts haven't gone away and that competing egos remain an obstacle to the idea of unification of CASC branches, even if this is a desirable aim. I just felt it was a game of power struggles and as such found the whole meeting to be counter productive and a huge turn off TBH. If it was livelier than Henry has stated, then I missed that bit. For me, the most important point was made by Sue Townsend and that was how can we get everyone to pull together to get bums on seats next season? It was good however to have faces to put to names but I was very disappointed that Henry Irving wasn't a closet theatre fanatic. Guess I'll have to carry on being the only fan to support performances on both pitch and stage. I thought that both Steves seemed a bit bemused, and Steve Waggott asked three times what can the club could do to help the supporters. No-one seemed able to give him an answer. A muddled and ineffective meeting is my personal conclusion.

So basically no change from the way the supporters groups were run 15 years ago - with the usual 'faces' trying to tell people how they should run their own local group?

Meglomanics the lot of 'em. ;-)

G and B CASC just needs a change of people running it

[cite]Posted By: BDL[/cite]Dare I say that it would make sense for all supporters groups to have an identified person at the club as a point of contact? Therefore requests for player/officials appearances could be co-ordinated.

Too many ego's and personal issues cloud the water. Having been there in the 90's I know it's going to take a miracle to get everyone singing from the same sheet

I think it depends what they need to contact the club for. for appearances, it should always have been the press officer, but because people in the groups know other people, they go down different routes and the people who need to know who can help get bypassed.

I didn't think the meeting was that negative, a few suggestions were made that should be very helpful to everyone in some capacity. Sue Townsend spoke the most sense that evening which was the job of the supporters clubs was to assist the club in getting bums on seats on match days. this used to be done through running the supporters buses, but now this is run by the club (she added better than the supporters club could do) but that anything the supporters clubs do organise should be done with the benefit of the club in mind, be it money, new fans etc etc.

[cite]Posted By: Rothko[/cite]G and B CASC just needs a change of people running it

Why?