Football club ownership model

[dixienormous]

Originally Posted by Quay Red

Sorry to disappoint but your impression appears to be based on a small vociferous minority of fans, very few who seem to be trust members.
Most of the membership appear happy with the way things are run, particularly behind the scenes.
The challenge is to create a product that is successful and hopefully entertaining to enable us to grow the fan base and keep the club sustainable.
Looking at alternative revenue streams for the good of the club is not necessarily out of touch with fans ownership and has proved to work in other clubs.
The trust do have to keep overall control of club affairs to avoid getting into debt. Exeter let control slip and ended up with a bill for £100k which hadn't been approved, on one occasion.
Personally not averse to additional funds from the wider community but it can't always be on their terms.

Well I've been a member of the WST from the start and I've seen my arse. You wouldn't know about it if I didn't post on here.

[Hightown Brymbo Red]

Originally Posted by Quay Red

Sorry to disappoint but your impression appears to be based on a small vociferous minority of fans, very few who seem to be trust members.
Most of the membership appear happy with the way things are run, particularly behind the scenes.
The challenge is to create a product that is successful and hopefully entertaining to enable us to grow the fan base and keep the club sustainable.
Looking at alternative revenue streams for the good of the club is not necessarily out of touch with fans ownership and has proved to work in other clubs.
The trust do have to keep overall control of club affairs to avoid getting into debt. Exeter let control slip and ended up with a bill for £100k which hadn't been approved, on one occasion.
Personally not averse to additional funds from the wider community but it can't always be on their terms.

When you say most of the membership are happy are you talking about the 7% who vote or the 93% who dont vote ?

[Haruki]

Originally Posted by Quay Red

Sorry to disappoint but your impression appears to be based on a small vociferous minority of fans, very few who seem to be trust members.
Most of the membership appear happy with the way things are run, particularly behind the scenes.
The challenge is to create a product that is successful and hopefully entertaining to enable us to grow the fan base and keep the club sustainable.
Looking at alternative revenue streams for the good of the club is not necessarily out of touch with fans ownership and has proved to work in other clubs.
The trust do have to keep overall control of club affairs to avoid getting into debt. Exeter let control slip and ended up with a bill for £100k which hadn't been approved, on one occasion.
Personally not averse to additional funds from the wider community but it can't always be on their terms.

It is more likely that there are four categories of fans
1) Die hard believers in100% supporter ownership, happy with the board and the Trust. Not prepared to even consider compromising their principles. They have supporters direct bedspreads.
2) happy to be supporter owned, not entirely happy with the board and how things are run. Are happy to consider other proposals and a move to duality to raise funds. Would like to see changes in the boardroom and possibly have a say in electing these people.
3) anti supporters ownership or just anti the trust as it stands now. Does not believe the club has progressed and cannot see a return to the football league happening under WST rule. These are the people name checking Spencer Harris when things go wrong. If they are members it is only to get a discount on tickets
4) don't care about any of this, they just turn up at 3 on a Saturday.

Group 1 is by far the smallest group. The current WST board are all in group 1. The club membership is poor (relative to crowds) as the WST board think everyone should be in group 1 and they do not reach out and engage the other three groups. I consider myself to be in group 2 and I don't see anyone on the entire Trust board representing us. If this club us to grow then all groups need to be engaged.

[Quay Red]

Originally Posted by Phils-an-alki

I'm not sure what being a WST member has got to do with being happy or not with the way the club is run. A fan is a fan.

We know after the Stoke FA Cup game most are only members for the discount for tickets, ST etc and that is all. Take that away and I'd bet the membership numbers would drop like a stone to a few hundred die hards.

Unless you've spoken to most of the membership I'm not sure how you've come to your second conclusion either. As the majority don't vote or get involved in any way shape of form you must of just plucked this out of thin air.
Recent polls on here were overwhelming in their displeasure at the ownership after the January debacle that got a lot worse. RP is a general guide as to how fans feel, whether some fans like it or not. Some will disagree with that but this forum is the biggest indication of how fans feel that we have.

For the first time since the WST took control this season has seen real anger towards the board and much of that is their own fault. When you start becoming secretive, sneaky, using 'good news' to win favour with fans and with holding information for the sole purpose of self preservation its quite clear you are in trouble and the clock is ticking. Nothing lasts forever.

Phil. You've said it yourself. The membership is generally apathetic.
Members will only get motivated to change things when they see an urgent need to.
There will be fans at the more extreme ends of the scale, One set saying everything is rosy and won't want to change anything and at the other end fans who despise the model and want change at any price.
The majority at present will preserve the status quo.
To an extent I agree with your last para. The saga over the managerial appointments did no one any favours and could have been handled better.

[Quay Red]

Originally Posted by Hightown Brymbo Red

When you say most of the membership are happy are you talking about the 7% who vote or the 93% who dont vote ?

Couldn't it just be that 7% ate more actively involved and the other 93% are happy with the way things are or don't mind as long as there's a team to support. (Tired argument but probably true)

[Foxy]

Originally Posted by Quay Red

Sorry to disappoint but your impression appears to be based on a small vociferous minority of fans, very few who seem to be trust members.
Most of the membership appear happy with the way things are run, particularly behind the scenes.
The challenge is to create a product that is successful and hopefully entertaining to enable us to grow the fan base and keep the club sustainable.
Looking at alternative revenue streams for the good of the club is not necessarily out of touch with fans ownership and has proved to work in other clubs.
The trust do have to keep overall control of club affairs to avoid getting into debt. Exeter let control slip and ended up with a bill for £100k which hadn't been approved, on one occasion.
Personally not averse to additional funds from the wider community but it can't always be on their terms.

“Most of the membership appear happy” ?

What is your evidence please ? If you mean the 25 or so Nodding Dogs who sat in the front rows of the last “meet the manager evening “ ( not sure of the date as there have been so many) that is not evidence of most of the membership. Let alone evidence of a majority of Wrexham fans . I know of very very few fans who are happy.

[Foxy]

Originally Posted by Quay Red

Couldn't it just be that 7% ate more actively involved and the other 93% are happy with the way things are or don't mind as long as there's a team to support. (Tired argument but probably true)

We all know that activists , whether it be Tory , Labour or WST, are usually stark raving bonkers and not fully signed up members of the human race,

[Quay Red]

Originally Posted by Haruki

It is more likely that there are four categories of fans
1) Die hard believers in100% supporter ownership, happy with the board and the Trust. Not prepared to even consider compromising their principles. They have supporters direct bedspreads.
2) happy to be supporter owned, not entirely happy with the board and how things are run. Are happy to consider other proposals and a move to duality to raise funds. Would like to see changes in the boardroom and possibly have a say in electing these people.
3) anti supporters ownership or just anti the trust as it stands now. Does not believe the club has progressed and cannot see a return to the football league happening under WST rule. These are the people name checking Spencer Harris when things go wrong. If they are members it is only to get a discount on tickets
4) don't care about any of this, they just turn up at 3 on a Saturday.

Group 1 is by far the smallest group. The current WST board are all in group 1. The club membership is poor (relative to crowds) as the WST board think everyone should be in group 1 and they do not reach out and engage the other three groups. I consider myself to be in group 2 and I don't see anyone on the entire Trust board representing us. If this club us to grow then all groups need to be engaged.

Not a bad summation. Would switch 3 and 4 if they were supposed to be in some order.
Furthermore, I don't believe the WST board is as closed a shop as you see it.
Currently, I agree, the majority do fall into category 1.

[Quay Red]

Originally Posted by Foxy

We all know that activists , whether it be Tory , Labour or WST, are usually stark raving bonkers and not fully signed up members of the human race,

They banned Foxy hunting though.