The events of the past 24 hours in the United States impact on us all to such an extent that it feels inappropriate to discuss any lesser matters without first acknowledging the context in which we do so.
The QPR community stretches across the globe, not least of all to America. To the best of our belief and knowledge those QPR fans we know of who live and work in New York are all safe and well. That is of course the smallest of comforts in the face of a tragedy far above our ordinary comprehension – and all our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
******************
Tracy Stent reports on the recent Supporters Direct Conference, at which she and several members of the interim committee represented QPR…
Last Thursday’s conference was Supporters Direct first. They are now planning on holding them annually and I’m sure they will enjoy many years of success.
I arrived at Birkbeck at around 10.45 and caught the end of the Opening Plenary, which was a session that explained The Supporter Trust Movement and how the Corporate Governance of Football Clubs works.
Chairing was Jonathan Michie, Director of Supporters Direct, and also Chairman of Shareholders United, which is an organisation formed to campaign for all interests (including emotions) that Manchester United supporting shareholders have in the club.
Speakers were:
Brian Lomax – Chairman of Supporters Direct and President of the Northampton Town Supporters Trust.
The Rt.Hon.Richard Caborn MP, Minister for Sport
Nic Coward – Company Secretary, The Football Association
Dr Christine Oughton – Director, football Governance Research Centre, Birkbeck.
I arrived late, and this particular session had been underway for a fair amount of time. I did hear the top table talk briefly about Customer Charters (Where is QPR’s? Despite my dropping hints to the club over a period of time, have they actually written one yet?) and one interesting comment I heard from the FA chap is how a large number of football clubs are heading for financial problems in a big way.
Time for a coffee break, then for the mid-morning workshops. There were four altogether.
1. How to set up a Supporters Trust
Chairing was Dave Boyle, caseworker for Supporters Direct, and also vice-chair of the FSA.
Speakers were:
Norman Beverly – Vice-chairman, Stockport County’s Supporters Trust.
Kevin Jacquiss – Partner, Cobbetts Solicitors
Joff Wild – Chairman, Tottenham Hotspur Suporters’ Trust Steering Committee
2. Strategies for Supporters of PLC Clubs
Chairing was Sean Hamil, Deputy Director, Football Governance Centre, Birkbeck and also from the Celtic Trust.
Speakers were:
Professor Tom Cannon – Everton FC Small Shareholders Association Jeremy Orrell – Partner, Cobbetts Solicitors.
Martyn Ware – Head of Marketing/Fundraising on the Sheffield Wednesday Owls Trust.
3. What can Supporters do when their club is in administration?
Chairing was Lee Shailer, Research Officer, Football Governance Centre, Birkbeck.
Speakers were
Tracy Stent – QPR 1st Supporters Trust.
Phil Tooley – Executive Board Member, Chesterfield Football Supporters’ Society.
Barry Ward – Ward & Co, Insolvency Specialist.
4. Community Initiatives
Chairing was Trevor Watkins, Director, Supporters Direct and Director of AFC Bournemouth.
Speakers were:
Yvonne Fletcher – Director, Luton Town FC and Director, Supporters Direct.
John Hemingham – Chief Executive Officer, the Sheffield Wednesday Owls Trust.
Piara Powar/Ben Tegg – Kick It Out
I sat at the top table along with Barry, Lee and Phil. Surprisingly only around a dozen or so people were in attendance, a fact which someone from Southend United made of point of mentioning, especially after the way in which the FA chap had earlier commented on the amount of clubs facing financial problems. An interesting point, and one which I tend to think highlights the heads-burying-in-sand syndrome which many clubs, and their fans, will take before they are forced to face up to the harsh realities which will more than likely hit them, sooner rather than later.
Barry gave a little talk first, giving an explanation of what administration means and the steps that can be taken regarding the administrative process. I then spoke about the QPR experience, the basic notes of which I have attached, and briefly went into basic detail. There wasn’t really much time for a question and answers session as we were pushed for time. Next Phil spoke about the Chesterfield experience. How they got their Trust up and running at a time of real turmoil at Saltergate; how they purchased the club for £6,000 (the amount they raised from their original meeting); how they then had to call in the administrators to protect their club from all the creditors who were knocking on their door; how they’ve managed to attract friendly loans and funds from many people, including the Council; and how they are now ensuring that they do everything within their power that Chesterfield FC come out of administration to become a creditable and successful club.
I really enjoyed it and if I have one gripe it was that we needed far more time to talk about administration and the implications of it. So, lunchtime, and we were directed to the Brunei Galleries, just down the road, where a rather nice lunch was laid on for everyone. I had time for a brief chat with some old Spurs friends, and then met up with an old acquaintance from one of the Watford Supporters Clubs. She is rather peeved that Steve Palmer left Watford (he was her favourite player) and we’ve arranged to meet up, with another of her friends one afternoon when they’re not working, and go down to the QPR training ground for a ‘girls afternoon’. Mmmm.
It was time for the afternoon workshops to commence. We decided to split up and go to different sessions which were:
1. Holding Elections
Chairing was Dave Boyle.
Speakers were:
Andy Regan – Special Projects Manager, Electoral Reform Services. Andrew Roberts – Election.com
2. Internal Trust Governance and Finance Procedures
Chairing was Peter Hunt, Company Secretary, Suporters Direct.
Speakers were:
Mervyn Watson – Chief Executive & Principal, The Co-operative College.
Kieran Chauhan – The Co-operative College.
3. Being a Club Director
Chairing was Brian Lomax
Speakers were:
Rob Bradley – Chairman, Lincoln City FC.
Yvonne Fletcher – Director, Luton Town FC.
4. Effective use of the Media – Practical Exercises
Chairing was Jim White, Columnist at the Guardian.
Speakers were:
Phil Tooley – Executive Board member, Chesterfield Supporters Society.
Andy Walsh – Independent Manchester United Supporters Association.
Other QPR 1st bods went to the finance procedures session and the club director one, and I took myself off to the media session. I have to say it was highly enjoyable. Jim White obviously knows his stuff, and Andy is a very assured talker. At the back of the room was a News of the World sports journo and he was asked to join the rest of the top table a little later on once the practical exercise had been established. Firstly, Jim, Andy and Phil all gave little tips about effective use of the media: utilising local press/media; seek opinions; maximising potential media skills; release lots of press releases, etc.
Anyway the practical exercise involved us getting into around groups of eight, and preparing a press release with the info we had been supplied with. Tolpuddle FC: current chairman wants to sell the ground, build a hotel complex and merge them with another club 10 miles away. (Sound familiar?) We had to prepare a press release announcing our intentions to hold a meeting announcing our decision to set up supporters trust to buy a stake in the club.
We had 20 minutes in which to prepare it. Our group consisted of fans from Enfield Town, Bedford Town, Chesterfield, and QPR. By the time we got around to talking about how we were going to prepare it our time was nearly up! A quick hash of a job “Toldpuddle is associated with resisting the march of history. The Tolpuddle Trust is committed to keeping the history and community within the local area,” blah blah blah.
We all then had to nominate someone from our groups to be the spokesperson, as they then had to speak on the microphone at the front of the stage, and guess who was nominated from our little group?
It was all highly enjoyable and at the end, the journo said how he used to work for the Evening Standard and gave a little example of how the Standard, as a local paper, didn’t want emotional rants, etc. Also giving ‘good quotes’ as an example of how releases can hit the local papers. (Huh, yeah right!).
Time flew by and before we knew it, it was time for late afternoon coffee break, the we mad our way to the main room for the closing plenary:
The Impact and Future of Supporters Trusts
Chairing was Brian Lomax
Speakers were:
David Buchler – Vice Chairman, Tottenham Hotspur FC
Philip French – Chief Spokesman, FA Premier League
John Hemmingham – Chief Executive Officer, Sheff Weds Owls Trust John Nagle – Press Officer, Football League
Brian opened the closing session with an introduction of the chaps on the top table and then David Buchler spoke first. He gave a perspective regarding his own position as Vice-chairman at Spurs. He spoke of the change of ownership after Alan Sugar departed and mentioned how the new owners ENIC asked him to come on board because Spurs was a club divided in all aspects. He decided to look into five key areas – Football, Communication, Marketing, Finance and Operations. He said that when he initially looked at the communications aspect between the club and its fans, he believed he could see how that particular club had failed quite spectacularly in that area over the years. David then went on to say how since the formation of the Spurs Trust, thus meaning a uniting of Spurs fans across the various supporter groups, communications between the club and its fans have improved immensely. He ended by saying how the club is always bigger than any individual and how important it is for other clubs to start realising the importance of the fan voices. David received a warm ovation once he’d finished speaking.
Next up to speak was Philip French. He gave an explanation of how he originally was speaker for the Football Trust, before moving onto the FA. He began by speaking very highly of Supporters Direct and the concept of trusts. He then went on to give an explanation of the current measures the FA is taking as regards club improvements around the country. Customer Charters are basic consultation processes that now have lots of foundations. The concept of them encourages clubs on how to make improvements in a variety of aspects that matter to fans. 600 new measures are to be implemented including family measures, customer complaint points, appeals procedure, kits policy (in which there is now a policy which says that clubs must keep their kit for a minimum of two years) and a whole host of other measures. There will be reports and all clubs are to publish next month.
He mentioned how the FA is monitoring what is going on with clubs and improvements and implementations are taking place on a regular basis. Some examples of improvements and initiatives he mentioned were: community schemes (such as the one at Leyton Orient); the Prince’s Trust, which encourages personal development; and how seven clubs have frozen their season ticket prices for this season.
Next up was John Hemmingham. Now as well as having an important role on the Owls Trust, John is also a member of the Sheffield Wednesday band who take their instruments all over the Country when following the Owls (and abroad for England) and the first thing that John did when it was time for him to speak was to launch into a rousing tune courtesy of his trumpet. A very large warm round of applause broke out afterwards and John explained that football and Supporters Trusts are about fun and enjoyment – which is why he’d decided to play a tune for everyone in that room – a kind of rallying call and to remind everyone that the game is all about fun and enjoyment. He briefly mentioned their own trust and how to a certain extent they have acted as a watchdog. He advised folk to identify the doers within their groups and to make use of them. And then the best sentence of the entire day from John with which he closed his speech. “The only fan who will not join the trust is one who does not understand it. Make them understand.”
John’s talk had been short and sweet but the essence of the man and the way he spoke from his heart endeared him to each and every person in that room as he received a rapturous ovation.
Final speaker was John Nagle from the Football League. John also kept his talk brief but he did mention how the effect of football at the top of the ladder spiralling out of control was having a diverse effect at the other end of the scale. But then he mentioned how clubs such as Lincoln and Chesterfield have survived against the odds thanks to the sheer will and spirit of the local communities and the fans of those clubs. He said how he believes that financial divide does mean a significant amount of clubs will have to go back to basics and be run as community not-for-profit clubs.
Brian Lomax then invited one of the chaps from the FSA to give a little explanation about an event that is taking place in November. It’s called Fans 2001 and is being organised by NATFED (National Federation of Supporters Clubs) and the FSA (Football Supporters Association) at Coventry City’s Highfield Road Ground on Sunday 18 November. All organisations, fanzines, supporters with internet sites and individual fans are being invited to attend. A whole host of issues are intended to be discussed on the day. More info will be available on the FSA’s website which is www.fsa.org.
Put the date in your diaries folks, though with it being FA Cup first round weekend (and we have to take part in it sob) we could be faced with a Sunday game that particular weekend.
A questions and answers session followed in which a number of issues were discussed including: live television games; the anti-racism Kick It Out week, which takes place next month; and Supporters Trusts to have an inclusive policy regarding away fans i.e. to encourage consideration for away fans (a top idea). Then it was time for Brian to bring the Conference to a close.
We were all invited over to the Birkbeck bar where your committee enjoyed an evening in the company of various of other fans from clubs such as Brentford, West Brom, Swansea, Port Vale and West Ham. One of the guys from Port Vale, who had earlier on that morning attended the administration session, was most interested in what I had to say about the QPR 1st experience and has asked me if I would think about attending the Vale launch next month and say a few words for them.
As Graham mentioned a couple of days ago, it was interesting how a fair number of the fans from other clubs approached us to ask for advice. Not bad for a group of people, who according to some of our own fans, are just a bunch of self-grasping, egotistical elitists.
Rather less telling (or maybe more, depending on which way you look at it) was how the last bunch of piss artists to leave were the QPR and West Ham fans. Two of them, Gary and Justin, are just in the early stages of starting up the West Ham Supporters Trust.
I read through the September edition of the Supporter Direct Newsletter on the way back home on the tube. Dave Price’s article about QPR 1st has been published in it. It reads:
QPR 1st: Winning our club back
By the time this goes to press we at QPR 1st will have gained trust status and our committee elections will have almost been completed. Not bad for a group that came together only last April, amidst crisis at the club we support, and certainly a long way further than those few of us that originally explored the supporters trust concept ever dreamed we could go.
Our ambitions weren’t particularly grand when we started looking at supporters trusts late last year. Were we fired by any lofty principles? Probably not. Ours was a reaction to the impotence of fans when faced with a club which was heading for big trouble, but which appeared to have no strategy to face this beyond hanging on like grim death. We wanted to find a way of helping.
By about March this year, with the manager on his way and relegation threatening, two of QPR 1st’s current interim committee members – Julia Hill and Tracy Stent – set up a meeting at the Uxbridge Arms in Notting Hill Gate, West London. The speaker was to be Sean Hamil from Supporters Direct, and no more than 18 people were expected. However, two days before our meeting, QPR’s owners went into administrative receivership. With no information coming from the club and with fans seeking any sign that QPR had a future, word went round quickly about the Uxbridge Arms meeting and Hamil found himself addressing a room full of people.
Things developed at a huge speed from that night on. A committee was formed there and then, which included ordinary fans, small shareholders, season ticket holders and the leading fanzine editor. Within weeks, we arranged QPR 1st’s initial public meeting at Hammersmith Town Hall. As Rangers spiralled towards division two, 1,000 people gathered and, in a tremendous atmosphere of reborn optimism and purpose, they decided to form a supporters trust. What a feeling that was for those of us that had taken things that far, to be on the podium as such a big number of fellow-supporters cheered both us and themselves.
So we had a mandate, now we had to become a trust. The first things we did were to leaflet at the ground at the next home match and to develop our website (www.qpr1st.co.uk). Meanwhile we divided the tasks we faced amongst ourselves. We soon learned that there were areas where we were out of our depth, particularly the financial world, so we co-opted representatives of the banking industry from our membership.
Starting out, we faced unusual problems. We were dealing with a PLC that was in administration, so we had no way of knowing if our collection of share voting rights would be worth anything. We were not a legal entity, but we swiftly collected 1,800 members who clearly expected us to act on their behalf. Yet even now, with trust status imminent, we find it difficult to assume that we have the mandate, on many issues, that democratic elections will give us. In the end, we have relied on gut instinct plus straw polls to guide our policy decisions.
Our situation was further confused by the sale process that was going on in the background. While we soldiered away turning ourselves into a trust, a procession of club sale proposals came and went, ranging from the clearly barking Wimbledon merger or Milton Keynes move, to serious offers to take the club over and run it as a business. With the club saying nothing, and tying bidders to confidentiality agreements, our members expected us to find out what was going on for them And to express their feelings. So, as well as working on setting up the trust, holding down jobs and keeping families on-side, we were effectively interviewing the bidders. And we still are.
Now we are nearly there. The sense of achievement is almost overwhelming, but equally so is the realisation that we still have loads to do.
In the coming months we have to canvass our members for their views on any number of issues – should the club stay at Loftus Road, are its efforts to be a part of the local community adequate, what should we be doing to help the club progress – so that we can represent those views to the club. But what will our relationship with the club be? It could be a PLC or a limited company, which would have different implications for shareholding, and it is clear that at least two of the potential owners see us as little more that a club fund-raising scheme. They are in for a shock.
We still have a long way to go, but the mood has changed. Supporters are more positive, not just because of some good pre-season results but because they feel they are at last contributing. The club itself is responding. For all the lack of cash, the effort to satisfy customers’ needs has improved by light years.
Already we feel we have made a difference and that’s what we intend to carry on doing.