niels
City Legend
Posts: 1,741
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Post by niels on Mar 4, 2009 12:22:13 GMT
Worcester News reports today that Worcester University has just purchased Grove Farm (on the Bransford Road, outskirts of St John's) from Tesco, with the intention of having a business, science and SPORT park as part of it's third city campus. A small piece of land adjoining is subject to negotiations between Tesco and Worcs County Council for a park and ride scheme.
So why not go in with UCW and build a stadium and training facilities which can be used both by WCFC and the students.
Pros.
WCFC get a new stadium and do something for the community for the money it's got.
Ready-made resident extra fanbase.
Close links with the University sports department which can only be beneficial for all. Players, Physio's, sport science, statistics etc.
Colin can walk, instead of firing up his eco car, and be even greener.
Cons.
Can't think of any meself
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 4, 2009 12:32:01 GMT
Cons
This plan would not increase the value of land by opening up the corridor along the M5. Anyone owning land along this corridor or representing the interests of landowners would not benefit (as Mr Hallmark so eloquently explained) from the land being upgraded from agricultural land to development land.
No payments would be made to individuals for negotiating contracts with SMD and Careys.
Sounds like a baseless uncosted half-baked proposal just like the Cinderella ground to some on the present board I'm sure.
And finally this looks like some kind of football based proposal and not a land development proposal it is surely therefore a non-starter of a "project"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2009 12:38:37 GMT
Too logical. Too good for community relations and also smacks of potential success. Just look at what's happened at Team Bath who have managed to attract good players to play for a side that receives no support. Just think what would happen if this approach were applied to a side that actually had a fan base!
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Post by wakefield on Mar 4, 2009 18:29:44 GMT
There is no Plan B or C or D.
City lost any remaining 'Fan Base' about 3 years ago.
It's a not even on the radar of most Worcester people.
It's an excellent vehicle for speculative but potentially lucrative property development - I only wish I was in on it - timing is excellent, cheap land deals, banks underwritten by the bail-outs, it's a win-win!! I'm quite envious!
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si1268
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Post by si1268 on Mar 4, 2009 19:16:38 GMT
The trust are too close for me already. I notice there is talk of board membership, we all know how pointless that would be. Should have nothing to do with them. I'm glad I never joined. Too much impartiality for me.
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bj
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Post by bj on Mar 4, 2009 20:05:06 GMT
Niels
Cracking good idea. Unfortunately I think it will have to be after the demise of the current Club. If Plan A fails to happen (and quickly) the bank will pull the plug before any Plan B can be suggested.
But this would be a perfect situation for a new start in the lower leagues.
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 4, 2009 21:18:04 GMT
The trust are too close for me already. I notice there is talk of board membership, we all know how pointless that would be. Should have nothing to do with them. I'm glad I never joined. Too much impartiality for me.
Trust statement following our meeting with the Chairman
It was a very frank, open and honest meeting with all those involved seeking to be constructive and forward thinking without dwelling too much on the recent past- in the light of the current financial situation the need for cohesive action sooner rather than later was apparent. It turned out to be a very positive meeting and after these preliminary discussions we all felt hopeful that there might be some faint light at the end of the tunnel.
The Trust will be holding an open meeting in the Harry Knowles Lounge after the game on December 20th and invite all concerned supporters to attend. The HKL can only hold 50 so it will have to be first come first served. There we hope to have an open forum where everyone can have their say and ask questions of Mr Hampson and also the Trust stance, more of which below.
The main points from Wednesday’s meeting were:
* Whatever the pros and cons of moving to a new ground in the future the current situation at the club is desperate and needs addressing now. This was Mr Hampson’s primary concern.
* We received a very positive response from Anthony Hampson, he was eager and willing to listen to our views and suggestions- and there were many- and saw the benefit of taking them on board
* Confirmation that two Directors had stepped down and that three others would be resigning by the end of January
* We stated that unless there was new blood and fresh faces in the Boardroom as promised many City fans would find it difficult to support him
* Agreed that Trust would have rep on Board as long as the rep was able to participate and contribute- Trust to canvass for nominees to be elected by the membership. Have a Trust presence sitting in attendance at City FC Board meetings until the Trust election process was complete
* It was another priority to get the official website up and running. This would not be easy due to the way the people who had successfully run the site up until recently had been treated. Mr Hampson was appraised of the situation and promised to address this as a priority
* Sue Bentley went through her extensive list of issues the Club has had in failing to work with young people and the Community. Explained the Trust has had success in this area despite reluctance from the Club to co-operate. It may be that the Trust Community Plan can address some of these issues but not if the old guard at the Club stay on and resist progress
* We offered ideas about getting people through the turnstiles such as “kids go free” etc. These ideas have been put forward by many people before but never implemented. This would now change starting with the next home games at the Lane
* Bring back Georgie Dragon! We told the new Chairman about the background issues that had caused one of the Club’s most ardent fans and spirited volunteers to withdraw his services as the Club mascot. Again, we stressed that this should be sorted ASAP to show that there was a positive influence running the Club
* Given that the Social Club has not quite been the success it could be Anthony Hampson asked what could be done to redeem the situation. Rich Widdowson explained that a solution to this had already been put forward but rejected by the old Board. Anthony asked Rich to resubmit his plans. However, promised changes at Board level would have to be made before a recovery plan could be put into place. In the meantime, as an act of goodwill, Rich offered to resurrect the Harry Knowles Lounge so that Sponsors would have a reason to return!
In summary and after listening to Anthony Hampson’s reaction to the Trust views it is the opinion of the Trust Board that Mr Hampson means business and is serious in his desire to try and help the Club. This being the case we offered to set up a partnership agreement with Mr Hampson to see if any common ground exists where the Trust can offer ideas and possible solutions as long as this is in the best interests of the Club and its supporters.
There is going to need to be a monumental sea change within the Club for any of these things to happen and many of the points we have raised in the past several months will need to be addressed; once bitten, twice shy came to mind.
Only then will the fans trust and believe in the leadership at the Club and be prepared to come back and help safeguard the future of Worcester City FC. Bearing in mind the caveats listed above the Trust believes we can work together with the new Chairman so that the City of Worcester is able to benefit from a well-run Football Club with a sustainable future that we can all be proud of.
Please come along to the meeting on the 20th and let us know what you think. That was back in December, what a pile of crap. I got no idea what the Supporters Trust is doing. They certainly arent objecting to whats going on so I can only think that they're either working with the Board, or having a meeting about what they're going to be doing. They've got 25 days. |
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niels
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Post by niels on Mar 4, 2009 21:44:20 GMT
The trust are too close for me already. I notice there is talk of board membership, we all know how pointless that would be. Should have nothing to do with them. I'm glad I never joined. Too much impartiality for me. With all due respect Simon you obviously have no real idea what the Trust is doing or not doing. It is all very well spitting from a distance, and rubbishing everything that people are working to achieve. Many of us are as, if not more, unhappy about what is going on within the club as you, but at least the Trust (and others) are probing and trying to gather the truth about the situation. While you have the odd pop, on this MB, at whoever fails to spout your opinion, there are people working hard to try and change minds, gather hidden facts and attempt to get the club run properly. It may be too late, anyone who believed that Nunnery Way would be ditched when the planning permission had already been submitted must reside in La La land, but the structure is being put in place for the Trust to be in a position to come to the rescue, if needed. There will soon be an election where the membership of the Trust will decide who should represent them on the club's board. Whether the Trust feel able to take up the place will be debated nearer the time. In my opinion it may be better to have someone on the inside rather than outside, but that could change at any time. I saw no point in the Trust joining the old board, and recommended so after meetings with Boddy and Partridge, but I am told, by a reliable source, that things are not as clearcut as is made out. Anyway I have no involvement at Trust board level any more but fully trust that those that do will do what they think is best for the club and it's long suffering supporters. |
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 4, 2009 22:18:13 GMT
So what are they doing? hardly engaging with supporters if people have no idea what they are doing.
Although it sounds good that a structure is being put in place to be in a position to come to the rescue if needed, I'd seriously recomend they take some serious business advice on that one. Do the Supporter Trust really want to take on a £2million liability? Business people like Hallmark and Hampson and Panter don't want to, and they're not idiots.
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niels
City Legend
Posts: 1,741
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Post by niels on Mar 4, 2009 23:05:22 GMT
If it all goes tits up then the Trust is our only hope.
Most of the information that has been reported in the past year has come from Trust efforts. Open forums have come from Trust efforts. Any possitive things that the board have done have only been done because of Trust efforts. Simon has no idea what they are doing because he is 1) not a member and 2) has not been down the Lane for some time.
But hey they could just spend all their energy producing weekly newsletters and consequently let the board have an easy ride.
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Post by Tony is not to despondent now. on Mar 5, 2009 8:14:08 GMT
Perhaps Creaner could tell us of the progress in the election of a member of the Trust to represent it on the Club's board?
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Post by creaner on Mar 5, 2009 9:15:54 GMT
Perhaps Creaner could tell us of the progress in the election of a member of the Trust to represent it on the Club's board? The Election Supervisory Group has been created, all the ballot nomination forms have been written to align with the SD election rules and the Trust articles. The Code of Conduct for Supporter Directors has been sorted. All that's left to do is print it all out 100x, put into 100 envelopes, send out to all Trust Members who are eligible to apply. We're also arranging a PO Box for the Trust correspondence so that it no longer all come directly to my home postbox. Apologies for the delay, I can only blame it on the piles of crap that I have contributing to. |
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 5, 2009 9:27:13 GMT
If it all goes tits up then the Trust is our only hope. Most of the information that has been reported in the past year has come from Trust efforts. Open forums have come from Trust efforts. Any possitive things that the board have done have only been done because of Trust efforts. Simon has no idea what they are doing because he is 1) not a member and 2) has not been down the Lane for some time. But hey they could just spend all their energy producing weekly newsletters and consequently let the board have an easy ride. Really? I havent seen any information from the Supporters Trsut regarding the issues of conflict of iinterest or personal benefit to Directors over land deals surrounding the Nunnery Way proposal. I don't even know what the Supporters Trust view is on support of objection to the proposal. Did the Trust lodge an objection to the proposal with the city council? What is the position of the Supporters Trust with regard to the breaches of CLT32? Does the Supporters Trust support the Board of Directors business plan? Isn't it obvious that the Board will meet with anyone and pay lip service to anyone in order to run down the clock on the Nunnery Way proposal? I think most of the reporting of information has been done by a few renegade shareholders who might be involved in the Supporters Trust but its not been official Trust news. Maybe it would help non-Trust supporters to understand the Trusts position and you never know, people like si1268 might buy into it. Surely the Supporters Trust arent operating for the benefit of Supporters Trust members only. That sounds very cliquey. If the club does go tits up I think its future is in the hands of those who oppose the present board and not those wh osit on the fence. |
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 5, 2009 9:29:39 GMT
Perhaps Creaner could tell us of the progress in the election of a member of the Trust to represent it on the Club's board? The Election Supervisory Group has been created, all the ballot nomination forms have been written to align with the SD election rules and the Trust articles. The Code of Conduct for Supporter Directors has been sorted. All that's left to do is print it all out 100x, put into 100 envelopes, send out to all Trust Members who are eligible to apply. We're also arranging a PO Box for the Trust correspondence so that it no longer all come directly to my home postbox. Apologies for the delay, I can only blame it on the piles of crap that I have contributing to. Creaner sorry its not your pile of crap. Its the pile of crap coming from the mouth of Hampson. Read through what he said he'd do, what he said he'd take on board. He even agreed that something had to be done about Boddy. Lip service all lip service. Buys time for the Board. Thats the pile of crap Creaner. No criticism of what you do. |
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 5, 2009 9:35:37 GMT
Perhaps Creaner could tell us of the progress in the election of a member of the Trust to represent it on the Club's board? The Election Supervisory Group has been created, all the ballot nomination forms have been written to align with the SD election rules and the Trust articles. The Code of Conduct for Supporter Directors has been sorted. All that's left to do is print it all out 100x, put into 100 envelopes, send out to all Trust Members who are eligible to apply. We're also arranging a PO Box for the Trust correspondence so that it no longer all come directly to my home postbox. Apologies for the delay, I can only blame it on the piles of crap that I have contributing to. Creaner can you just outline the position of the Supporters Trust regarding. 1. the move to Nunnery Way 2. the planning apllication in particular CLT32 3. the supporting business plan ( proposed debt of £750,000) 4. the view of the Board if the planning is rejected (no plan B approach) 5. Hallmarks comments in the Worcester News That might help non-members understand where the Trust stands |
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 5, 2009 9:39:44 GMT
Creaner remember back to your hippy days. There was a T-shirt back then with two vultures on it. And one was saying to the other "Patience my a**e, I'm off to kill something"
In 25 days the club will change forever.
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Post by prestonwcfc on Mar 5, 2009 10:43:46 GMT
Jem That has to be a record even by your standards 4 posts in a row and no reply !!!  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2009 11:03:36 GMT
I don't think Big Steve is Jem.
Also I'd just like to add that everyone who has contributed to this thread so far has the long-term interest of the club at heart. We are on the same side. It's vital we debate the issues raised (something the board have failed to do), but it will be music to Hallmark and co's ears if we start falling out. There's a lot of good people fighting for the survival of a football club in Worcester. After the disaster of the Boddy years that's good news.
Unity is strength.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2009 12:01:59 GMT
Well I really hate to disappoint you Preston, However!!!! I think I know who he might be though, and if he is who I think, then he's put more money into the club than I could ever afford and still goes to games home and away. He's a friend of Sixways too!!  Unfortunately Ealing is right, and so is Big Steve!!, the board realise that the chattering classes will all fall out with no clear plan - FUD as its known in management circles - Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt! Throw that in the mix and leave the various factions to fight between each other, whilst you carry on doing what you want to do - simple and clever!! Anyway, my only interest in the present WCFC is Big Match 7. Am I finally going to be part of a winning team this year? Bring it on!!!! |
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 5, 2009 12:03:56 GMT
stick to the point, where do the Supporters Trust stand?
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niels
City Legend
Posts: 1,741
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Post by niels on Mar 5, 2009 12:20:27 GMT
Yes lets stick to the point.
Plan B, is this a viable way forward?
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Post by bigsteve on Mar 5, 2009 12:29:16 GMT
no its not. unless the Supporters Trust have been in discussions with UCW. And if they havent then maybe they should. Then they could say they are the new hope for the club and that there is a plan B. Then supporters could get behind something positive instead of only being able to oppose whats presently on offer. Make sense?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2009 12:52:01 GMT
Yes.
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Post by DazaB on Mar 5, 2009 13:43:37 GMT
Anyway, my only interest in the present WCFC is Big Match 7. Am I finally going to be part of a winning team this year? You need to teach your 'keeper how to kick and catch first! |
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cogg
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Post by cogg on Mar 5, 2009 13:56:34 GMT
And don't take any penalties... ;-)
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si1268
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Post by si1268 on Mar 5, 2009 14:13:33 GMT
I realise its a bit annoying when someone like myself has a pop at the trust for those like Niels who obviously put alot into getting it set up again. I also realise that the trust will be needed to pick up the pieces when it all goes TU and I'm glad it's there for that reason. I will join at that point.
Until then, don't talk to them! This boards no different from the last except for better PR. I don't know why anyone thought it would be when it was so completely rigged. Surely by now it's a black and white situation. Total Opposition!!!
PS Just my opinion, not meant to cause offence.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2009 14:41:24 GMT
I agree entirely si1268. I can't believe the agm wasn't a total stitch up. Stalin would have been proud. It's just the same dictator with different underlings. I'm afraid the only way forward looks like a new start. And I think bigsteve is right, we all - including the Trust, the SC and every individual with an interest in football in Worcester - have to start looking for alternatives and voice our objections to NW etc.
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cogg
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Post by cogg on Mar 6, 2009 12:59:06 GMT
I agree. I think the Trust should oppose NW and the current Board in any way possible.
If it does this, I will join and offer help again, but not before that point. Sometimes working from within is just not an option. I think the sooner the club is sent into administration the better in the long term for us all. This may sound crazy but I think this is the only way to get out of the clutches of people who have no interest in football and get the club restarted, maybe on a park pitch at a much lower level, but at least with a correct set of values and achievable short term goals...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2009 14:41:29 GMT
Anyway, my only interest in the present WCFC is Big Match 7. Am I finally going to be part of a winning team this year? You need to teach your 'keeper how to kick and catch first! My tactics involve defending much further up the field. I will employ the tactics that have served Worcester 6th Form academy and Perrywood very well this season (although for that matter Perrywood have got probably the best goalkeeper in Worcestershire playing for them, who I think will be at Evesham next season - and City don't even know he exists!!) which is win ball in midfield and get the ball forward early into the strikers feet. Darrell, you'll have time for a picnic!! |
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Post by rushwickdon on Mar 6, 2009 17:27:13 GMT
As someone who had to go through all this with Wimbledon FC, and now a Worcestershire resident, one thing is glaringly obvious to me.....that joining the Supporters Trust is an absolute must, for those who care about Worcester City FC, or whatever they are to be if/when everything goes the shape of a pear.
It is so easy to point accusing fingers, say things are not being done, say that the Trust is 'cliquey'. The one way to banish those feelings is to JOIN, so as to put your own ideas forward and to find the way forward. The board itself is perhaps 'cliquey' too, yet the ST are putting forward plans to diminish those thoughts. The ST are doing what they can, but do remember that they, like yourselves, have never undergone an experience like this before- nor had the Dons Trust, but things are going well right now.
Scoring petty points on this MB may make someone feel good for five minutes, yet I think we all need to look at the bigger picture here.
As has been alluded to above, it may be too late for WCFC in its current guise, but the ST are working to ensure that there will be a senior club in the County town for many years to come. It is up to the individual whether he/she wants to be there and help drive it forward, or bleat quietly from the sidelines.
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