BCFC: Supporter Groups Meet

20 Jan 2023 | 20 comments

St Andrews

Blues Trust hosted a meeting of representatives from several Blues supporter groups on Thursday evening, 19 January. The meeting had been called to discuss ongoing concerns about the ownership of the club and its future. And also because the club itself is reluctant to engage with supporters on these important matters.

The meeting was held via zoom conference call and was very well attended. A lively discussion took place with valuable contributions from all present. The notes of the meeting are here

Unsurprisingly, the discussion confirmed the deep frustration felt by all at the lack of interest and investment from the owners. And real concern that the club is unlikely to progress in any meaningful way without a change of direction by those in control. However, there was consensus that supporters should not throw in the towel and simply accept the ongoing decline but, instead, should continue to make their feelings known and challenge for change and improvement. Significantly, there was also broad recognition that only by the different groups working together will there be any chance at all of achieving some degree of success.

It was agreed that a new campaign should be organised as soon as possible to carry the fight to the owners. It was recognised that there is unlikely to be any quick fix though, and that a long-term effort was likely.

It was agreed that work would be undertaken quickly to organise and shape a campaign with input from all sources. The campaign is expected to take many forms but with a common aim. Those unable to attend the meeting are being contacted separately to seek their agreement and support, with a view to mobilising as many Blues fans as possible.

Further information will follow in due course. An announcement about the campaign, including confirmation about its purpose, objectives and opportunities for all supporters to participate if they so wish, will be made shortly.

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20 Comments

  1. Mitchell

    For some time now I have been undecided as to whether my following suggestion would hinder or help our ongoing ‘treading water’ situation. Now however I feel this may be the time to give it a try. Under the heading WASTED YEARS each supporter simply write a short paragraph expressing their own feelings as to how they feel after literally going through the last decade of frustration and nothingness. Hundreds if not thousands would dearly like to write something relating to themselves and their feelings. This would not be a petition but something more personal and given the numbers might arouse and ignite our owners. It might also arouse national press interest. Under a simple heading Wasted Years would be sufficient in my view. Perhaps now is the time.

  2. Peter Bates

    it is good to see the trust and other groups trying to get change at our club in a way that seems constructive rather than destructive,mob mentality won’t work with these owners and the trust may struggle to get through to bshl in a diplomatic way ,but it appears to me they don’t want to sell the club so good luck to all the groups and hopefully the club may change hands ,but I think unless someone with a very big bank balance can convince the owners to sell we could be pissing in the wind good luck to all and kro

  3. Ed Truman

    Really pleased to read this. I think it is the only way to give Blues supporters a chance of influencing the club’s ownership, unless or until the Fan Led Review rides to our rescue of course.

    But it will be tough, even with everyone acting together. With owners who are distant and seemingly completely indifferent to the fortunes of the club, there can be no guarantees. But we have to try.

    Well done to all involved. Get that campaign up and running. And let’s all get involved.

    Good luck to the team today.

  4. Hog

    Surely it’s time to organise a one-match boycott, ideally for one if our future televised games, to generate maximum publicity. Many say a boycott won’t work, but nothing else has worked so far. Maybe a boycott will have very little financial impact, but it’s yhe negative press that will hurt.

  5. Brian Salisbury

    Thank you for informing us of your intention to combine with other supporter groups to organise a campaign to put pressure on the the current owners to sell. Coordinating your action is an important step forward and I would suggest that you should include the local MP and Mayor who in the past have shown support. Our more famous supporters could also play a part. The campaign needs to be dignified and orderly and well publicised.
    In the past the heat seems to have gone out of the desire to have the ownership changed when Blues win a couple of matches; that attitude needs to change: the long term future of the club will only improve once the current owners move on because their record is disgraceful.

  6. Ritchie K

    Count me in, I have helped with the various ones over the years, giving out flyers, joining marches etc. Let me know what I can do.

    Also, if there is funding needed happy to donate

    Best wishes

    Ritchie

  7. Valentine Mark Phillips

    I am afraid the Club has to reach rock bottom before there is any possibility of change and it is not yet there. Relegation to League1is inevitable and then who knows. Blaming anyone other than the owners is pointless so the energies of all supporters should be concentrated on them. Publicity is the most effective weapon – look what it has done at Everton – but it needs to be carefully planned so it attracts empathy from the wider public rather than scorn.

  8. Alan Barnett

    To progress we need to know why BSH own the club.
    One certain thing is that it has nothing to do with the welfare of the fans,the club, the city or a love of football.
    No other Plc responsible to it’s shareholders would abuse it’s portfolio in such a way.
    It is a mystery why investors buy shares in something that has never paid a dividend and never will. This however is symptomatic of the penny share market that gave Paul Suen his nickname of ‘the king’.
    A massive campaign of emails to the HKSE and to SFC it’s regulators questioning their ethics and rationale to trade may whilst not certain to succeed bring maximum embarrassment.
    We have owners with links to many dubious parts of the world in business terms including BVI, Costa Rica and Samoa, this in my opinion says everything.
    My fear is that all this will end in tears in much the way as it did with Carson Yeung but with a louder bang.
    The proposed sale of the club was a total sham with dubious intent that made a laughing stock of the club, as if we needed to add to what already existed.
    We will get nowhere trying to get answers from a puppet board of directors who on the rare occasions that they are allowed to open their mouths are told what to say in advance.
    Only direct prolonged targeted action kept in the public eye including a boycott and peaceful demonstrations will take the campaign to give the club a rebirth forward.
    Sorry if I come over as a vigilante but the time for dialogue with people of questionable character is over if indeed it ever started in the first place.

    • Rob

      I have watching blues since 1969 have seen a lot ups and downs but these owners are the worse I’ve seen I can’t see any future in this club at the moment I’m worried. Birmingham is the second city in England we should be in the premiership not looking towards league 1 or administration.

      • Alan Barnett

        I fully agree but unless the fans stand up and either boycott the ground or protest to the rafters it simply has no future.
        BSH as I have said are not owning the club for their love of the game, one day we will discover why they do but by then it may be too late to save the club. They are an insult to the city.Todays performance was another shambles orchestrated by a out of his depth manager who has clearly lost the dressing room and who was employed as a yes man and a foil for the owners

  9. Alan Barnett

    An alternative way for Blues fans to make their feelings about BSH felt is a MASSIVE campaign of emails to our incompetent friends at the EFL.
    If this could be done in the thousands the EFL who are no great admirers of our owners either may be spurred into action.
    What do we have to lose?
    However if people are prepared to participate and I have countless correspondence questioning the ethics and competence of the EFL who regard me as a nuisance then please DO NOT USE the contact form in their website as your input will go straight to the shredder.
    DO USE the enquiries@efl.com email address available on Google or any other search engine.
    One thing to remember though is that the EFL are totally inefficient and poor at responding so you will have to chase up a response at least once.
    Despite this inconvenience a campaign of continuous bombardment may help the situation.
    As I said earlier what have we got to lose?

    • Mitchell

      Alan. Agree with most of your analysis except the situation regarding John Eustace. I don’t feel he is out of his depth but perhaps the real problems are very similar to those issues that led to Bowyers demise. Hidden agendas and those seeking power. Crowd unrest, jumping in the crowd, keeping mum etc. you see my point. John Eustace is ok but watching his back is the problem.

      • GJB

        I am disappointed not to have known about the “meeting”. Even more disappointed it was a virtual meeting.

      • Alan Barnett

        Hi Mitchell your defence of JE is noted.
        In my opinion the last thing that Blues needed in a crisis was a manager scared to open his mouth and tell it as it is whose only experience as a supremo was at Kidderminster where he failed to achieve promotion to the national league.
        He may be a good coach but a good coach rarely makes a good manager.

  10. susan allen

    Like you backed the protests before ??? People don’t forget

  11. Stan Moye

    Good idea Mitchell. My own sentiments would be “ My love and commitment to the club has been totally abused and taken for granted” l’m now nearing the point of “ l’ve had enough” in general the ground has no atmosphere, the away supporters are more like the home fans, we occasionally get a rousing rendition of KRO, but little else. The team is lacking serious investment, nearly half the team are loan players, who seem to get picked no matter what level of performance they produce, is it a contractual obligation? Our home grown “talent” is restricted normally to the bench. Total lack of communication from the board. No hot water to wash your hands, dryers that don’t dry! And even JE is starting to believe his own hype, for Christ’s sake John tell it to us the way it is. Supporters attacking K2 staff, total frustration, shameful scenes. It’s a total shambles. I’ve got my ticket for Blackburn, but feel like l can’t be asked to travel. Will probably watch the next two home games on tv, even though l’ve a season ticket. Very dark days, League one on the horizon.

  12. Les Littleford

    I wrote last year from Australia as “ A. view from down under”. Having followed the Blues since 1950 I have become used to disappointment , but in the first half of this season I really felt things were looking better. I should have learnt by now . I watched the Preston game ( we get a limited number of Championship games down here – and thought it was a really disappointing performance. Lacking in purpose and seemingly – disappointingly – even in intent.

    I am far enough away to be detached, and it seems abundantly clear that the simple truth is the team is just not good enough. Eustace would appear a decent man, and for a while he got the best he could out of a bunch of honest triers – but they are now so down on confidence that the future looks really grim.

    Ownership is clearly the problem: they are obviously using the club as some kind of tax loophole and have no apparent interest in making them succeed. And who would want to buy a club with such a massive debt. AND YET, such is the potential support they COULD and SHOULD be in the Premiership.

    But unless there is a white knight somewhere with VERY deep pockets and a genuine interest in football, then all I can see from here is doom: relegation, administration, even closure.

    I so hope I am wrong………

    • Alan Barnett

      Can’t disagree in general with your thoughts Les.
      I watched the game on stream and maybe your description of it was a little understated. It was a pants performance, Preston could have had tea and biscuits sat on loungers for 75 minutes without the fear of being hit by a stray football.
      Eustace should never have got the job but most owners like a yes man.
      It is interesting that the so-called debts of the club do not appear on the accounts but there is a buried reference to an outfit in the tax haven of Samoa who may be involved in the fraudulent activities that are clearly taking place.
      You have to wonder if the debts are genuine why BSH were allegedly prepared to accept £34 million including the stadium. Seems a great deal except that it is about £30 million more than it is worth.

  13. Jason Perry

    Really pleased to read about the collaboration it’s about time we all got our heads together to put a strategy and clear ideas for protesting as I believe continuous disruptive (not law breaking) protests will get the media coverage, but there needs a way to let people know what you intend to do without putting it on social media as the club will try and cut it off at the pass.

  14. Sausage n Egg

    Words are pointless..writing letters is pointless…but saying that the coverage we receive from the BM is pretty useless..imagine the coverage that rodent central would receive in similar circumstances?..things need cranking up so it’s impossible to ignore, it needs to be enough to get national coverage..the owners need to be “uncomfortable” and word needs to get back to China and wherever else the faceless overlords skulk around ..they have had an easy ride for too long .Blues was built on a partisan crowd and no one would take libertys back in the day..these days need reviving

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