Blues Trust recently launched a survey to measure the extent of your appetite for change at Birmingham City. In particular, we are actively looking into the prospect of community shares. Through the survey, we wish to assess the amount of collective monetary support that could be accumulated, in the form of pledges.
We’re pleased to be able to provide you an update on some of the feedback from the survey, including how much collective monetary support Blues fans may be willing to pledge.
Since its launch, we’ve received nearly 500 responses to the community shares survey. The survey asked each individual to specify how much they would be willing to pledge now and if they had six months to save. The current totals are as follows:
- Total willing to pledge now: £348,156
- Total willing to pledge in six months: £432,812
For a full breakdown of the current survey data, click here.
We still need as many Blues fans as possible to complete the survey. As well as the support from individual fans, we are also continuing to target local business leaders for additional financial support. The survey will continue to run in line with other initiatives.
If you haven’t already, please complete the survey by clicking here. Feel free to share the link with anyone you know who may be interested! For more information on community shares, please click here.
A very disappointing response IMH. Does the trust not think that as well Kro4ever
I have to admit I thought the figures would be much higher. Very disappointed is an understatement.
All the rants about change on various web sites, blogs and forums, bragging this, that or the other that the trust or businesses should be doing are just that…. TALK.
If Blues fans want change and want a say in that change then they have to stand up to be counted.
What signals do these figures send out to our owners, board members or more importantly, potential buyers… Plain and simple reason is APATHY.
We see it week in week out at St Andrews and that apathy is now filtering onto the pitch.
The away supporters who spend money, hard earned money, sing, shout and generate an atmosphere, whether it has been a few hundred like Ipswich or a couple of thousand (Blackpool), WE have made ourselves heard.
Saturday sees me driving from Swansea to Doncaster and back, a round journey of 500 miles and 8 hours driving, leaving about 9:00 am returning by, hopefully, 10:00 pm, without stops or hold ups. However, this is a one off as I actually live in Nottingham, but I am prepared to go to these lengths in my support for Birmingham City FC, I know others who travel 100 to 200 miles for just a home game.
All it takes is 10,000, which is the average gate of very loyal supporters to pledge £500, not now but say in 6 months at a saving of £83 per month or £20 per week would net £5m approx.
That would make people take notice that Birmingham City Supporters CARE about THEIR club.
KRO+DNM
As a season ticket holder for quite a number of years, I pay my money up front every season to support and help finance the club. The main reason I and many other bluenoses will not pledge any more money to the club, is because the present owners, have no intention of financing the club, in fact quite the opposite. The apathy at the club, is the total responsibility of the owners, who have shown nothing but contempt for the supporters and indeed the club. The apathy, will NOT stop any prospective buyers making enquires about the club. It is the stupidity of the owners, quoting an asking price of probably twice as much as the club is worth, that is stopping this club of ours, from progressing.
As a season ticket holder, you admit to paying money up front, this is exactly what the owners rely on.
Why not, 2014/15 season, pay that money or half into the trust and pay per game? It is simple now on-line, print your own ticket, and watch games you want.
It is not exactly a boycott in the sense of the word but it will go towards forcing the sale by the owners as they depend on season ticket, merchandise and sponsorship sales up front.
Even if you pay half to the trust and then get a half year season ticket as hopefully we will get new owners sooner rather than later.
Every little helps, my 5-year-old grandson offered 50p a week from his pocket money.
Those moaners who do nothing are partially responsible for the apathy. Too many expect everyone else to do the work and put in the effort, while he or she sit back and then take the glory.
For me it is time for supporters to back the Supporters Trust and help buy into our club before we become another Coventry, Portsmouth or worse a modern day Accrington Stanley. Don’t sit on your high horse and say “it won’t happen to us, we are a big club”, wake up and smell the coffee. It is happening to us and it will continue to happen if we, the supporters do not do something or at least try.
I cannot afford to lose £1000 but I am willing to invest it into the club I have followed since 1961. I remember the Roma game, the night we beat our neighbours to win the league Cup, the highs I have enjoyed at Wembley and the Lows we have endured. I remember the passion we had on the terraces that put fear into any visitor to St Andrews, where is that passion now.
KRO+DNM
Chris W
As I said I am a season ticket holder of long standing, but if any of the present board are still in control of the club next season, I, like many others, will not renew. That will be a major protest. I will not be associated with people I do not trust.
Any prospective new owners, will know the reason for this protest, is because we all, desperately, want and need,for the sake of the future of club, new owners. Any new owners will welcomed with open arms. KRO
Chris W I have a question for you. Just because i dont want to pledge my money into my football club does that mean that i dont care about what is going on?? Trust me the birmingham supporters would pledge if they thought anything was going to change. Your missing the point the fans do care by buying season tickets which is going into the club. So what would the £5million do? What would it prove and who would really care that we raised £5million.. Nobody. There is nothing we as fans can do apart from sit here and watch it all spiral out of control. Until a millionaire business man comes along and buys the club out not the average working man who likes to support his local team.
I do get your point, but by buying season tickets you are giving the current owners a reason not to sell.
I have lived the dream up and down the country since I can remember, Maybe not every supporter can afford to put a lot of money in but to say we, as supporters can’t change anything only have to look at Swansea City or Wimbledon FC, we don’t have to wait until we face oblivion we can do something now.
Every one has their own opinion and motive, but the Apathy that is generated in the stands this season is demoralising the team and, in my opinion, a reason the crowds are dwindling.
KRO+DNM
Whilst you may consider this disappointing I believe there are a number of reasons to explain this rather than disheartened fans
Firstly, the survey (to my knowledge) was only carried out online and I only saw it advertised via the blog: Ofter Partisan. There is narrow audience for the survey. I know of many fans who don’t have time to read blogs or visit the site yet are season ticket holders and or never miss away games.
Some of the questions are very objective and some people may not have been able to make a selection, for example the queston regarding concerns over future ownership structure, some fans may have wanted to select that they would be happy with an individual owning the club out right which was not an option.
I personally did complete the survey but then didn’t submit it as I felt that I may be called upon to donate money that I suggested I would e process and whether the shares would be brought in trust or individually and who would control them etc.
I think if you want a true representation then the trust needs to queston fans at the gates at home games for a number of weeks keeping tallys of answers and keeping records annonomous, then taking averages and scaling the averages to reflect attendances.
I would be happy to help if a survey was to be carrier out on match days.
I read the first survey as a tentative tester to see what response was out there. Maybe I read it wrong and I do think that before any monies is paid in we would need a definite structure and proper legal guidelines as to who, how and where the monies is controlled. I also filled my questionnaire via the OP web site but was also given a printed one at a home game which could have been posted.
I do feel that the Supporters Trust are not as high profile in pushing the points across and maybe need a well known figurehead to give it some impetus.
KRO+DNM
I’ve only managed one match in the last 4 home games due to other commitments so wasn’t aware that people had the opportunity to complete these on a match day.
The surveyey could be conducted by individuals collecting the data simply keeping a tally for each question, this would reduce time taken by fans who wouldn’t want to take the time to read an a4 peice of paper after dashing up the Coventry Rd. Just a thought.
As I say, I’d happily take a clip board along and stand on the Cov Road; that said I think you’d need a crowd to get people involved rather than just one chap.
I actually find the figure encouraging. The problem we have here is the same one we have had throughout the Trusts time, lack of numbers. Until the Trust get serious about getting people on board and find ways of doing so we will not progress. If we had ten times as much support for the Trust then you could imagine getting to a figure that would start to make significant opportunities. Membership has to be, not only the top priority, but now has to be THE ONLY priority if this is ever going to work.