It all started with an article on the Often Partisan blog, in July last year when there were a lot of rumblings about the financial problems at the club. The article suggested that it would be more constructive to form a supporters’ trust than to shout platitudes while holding placards. Quite a few people liked this idea and got together to discuss the idea of setting up a trust.
The first thing we did was to contact Supporters Direct and ask for help. Their mission is to “promote sustainable spectator sports clubs based on supporters’ involvement & community ownership” and their website gives their history. We would not have got anywhere without their support, encouragement and help.
The first advice they gave us was that we needed to find out if other Blues’ fans would support the idea. So we organised an open meeting at the Phoenix Hall on October 29th to introduce the idea of forming a supporters’ trust for Birmingham City fans. The reaction at that meeting was positive so we went ahead and set up Blues Trust as a community benefit society. We have registered our rules with the Financial Services Authority so we
are now able to sign up members.
One member, one vote is a basic principle on which we are founded. If you pay your £5 and become a member, you will get a vote on who will serve on the first elected board of Blues Trust. If you’re feeling generous and want to give us £100, we will happily accept your donation, but it won’t buy you more than one vote.
We want to arrange an election for board members as soon as possible but we need to have a reasonable number of members before we do this. So our immediate priority is to sign up members. We need some who will help with the work that needs to be done and some who are willing to stand for election as board members. We also want those who are too busy to help but who want to be represented by an organisation that seeks to
improve communication with the club rather than shout insults at them. The more members we have, the greater the chance that our voice will be heard.
Hi Margaret, this seems like a great idea, where do I send money to?
I’ve been saying for ages that what this club needs is an independent supporters group with the ability and experience to hold the club to account.
The people at the top may have the money and the shares and the legal recourse to the club but we, the fans, are it’s spiritual owners.
I’m so excited
Come to the Launch meeting on Saturday (see article on Blues Trust Launch Meeting for details) or click Join Us tab for online membership form.
Will the trust campaign to get rid of the current owners?
We are not a one-issue protest group and we would prefer to work with BCFC and other supporters groups to improve communications. At present, we are concentrating on establishing the trust and signing up members. We don’t have any agenda other than to set up a supporters organisation that can respond to any situation that might arise.
I did not ask you to be or assume you were a one-issue protest group. I was just asking a question about one issue (which you swerved). Is this what it’s gonna be like every time a question gets asked? Swerve it or divert it?
I ask again will the trust campaign against the current owners? Do the trust agree that the current regime are not managing the club effectively? I get it that we need better communication and I blame Pannu for that problem not the fans but communication is only one problem.
On these matters future memebership of the trust (well mine anyways) will weigh. I can’t see you getting many new members without some kind of basic manifesto on where we stand on issues like, ownership, investment, why we haven’t filed our 2010-11 accounts in time which is having a direct impact on improving the team via the transfer embargo, the business plan which only has one basis – promotion – and no plan B. I could go on. I like the idea of the trust but like a political party I need to know your policies before I decide to join.
Going on your answer it seems you aint got anything of substance to say just that you will respond to any situation that might arise?? That sounds like a talking shop to me.
I’ll give you my tuppence worth, mate. I’m not a member of the group trying to get this effort off the ground but I have joined it and will support it.
Blues Trust should campaign for what its paid up members democratically decide it should campaign for, not for what a select few, mammy or bozos on the sidelines demand it should campaign for. If you think there should be a campaign against the owners then join the Trust and persuade the members to vote for it, otherwise your just another wailing willie (don’t know why spellcheck’s underlined that) who’ll achieve nothing.
There is no manifesto Karl, that’s the point. It’s for the members to decide how best to do things that will result in a well run club, with a winning team that is responsive to its supporters.
A talking shop is a small group of people yadayadying about how bad things are and how sad it is they can do nothing about it, sounds just up your street, there’s one over the expressway I can recommend.
There’s strength in numbers, be one of them.
Of course we have concerns on the way the club is being run. See the previous articles on accounts delay and transfer embargo. If you want more details on policy follow the link to the Supporters Direct site and read about what they are doing to create the conditions in which supporters can secure influence and ownership of sports clubs. Our aim is to gain influence in BCFC so if there was ever any opportunity to buy shares, we would try to do that. But first we have to get the trust set up and that’s what we are concentrating on at present. If the opportunity arises we want to be ready.
Thanks for the reply Bertie.
You have now made my mind up as to whether to join.
See you at the launch ;7)