Norwich City Supporters Trust

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,023]

Visit www.ncst.org.uk to see what this organisation is all about. I urge all of you who can afford to join to do so, and pass on the details to your fellow Norwich City Supporters.

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,023]

Just wanted to bump the thread to the top of the message board. I think the more people that join NCST the better, we need to buy as many NCFC shares as we can and get the fans represented on the board of NCFC.....

[Regime Change 0]

Thank''s for posting this.  I hadn''t heard of them, but, I am certainly going to join.

[chicken 0]

Exactly what I have been saying, the people who refuse to go to matches or renew their season tickets as they are upset with the current predicament should pass some of the money they would have spent on to this organisation.

It makes sence to me that if they care so much that they should write a letter with their views to the organisation accompanied by some money for them, that way they are possitively making their voice heard.

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,023]

Just bumping the thread to to the top of the message board again. I have no shame. Whilst I agree with all that Chicken says I perhaps would have put it quite so strongly, however he/she is right, the more members NCST gets the more NCFC shares it can buy and the more likely we are to get real fan representation at board level.....

[Syteanric 1]

that site hasnt been updated in  years it looks like!!! is the trust still running?

jas :)

[chicken 0]

Just for the record and also in an attempt to help Sons get this thread back to the top, I am male, 24 and am moving back to Norwich on Wednesday! I have supported Norwich since the 80''s although in all fairness I can''t remember much from then but I do remember a lot from 1992 onwards at which point I was ten. I remember seeing Cantona getting sent off for fowling Goss, I remember Bryan Gunn coming round to my school (avenue middle school) to raise awairness of his Lukemia Appeal after his daughter fell ill and died. I could go on but I think I would bore you . . .

Other than that I am sorry if it came across strongly but I do believe that some of the people on here just like a good moan and many of them suggest that they are not listened to. All I meant to do was to suggest that here is a prime way of both supporting our club and getting a chance to have your views credited at the club.

I say this because the more shares the trust buys the more money could be injected into the club and also the more shares they have the more strength the trusts voice has in airing your views.

That way you are not just being seen as negative innactive moaners. And by that I don''t mean that I see you as that but it would defenitely strengthen your case against those that do.

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,023]

Jas - I can assure you that the NCST is alive and well, although I have to say that the web site does need some work. The more members NCST has the more volunteers avialble to sort this sort of thing out.....

Chicken - Many thanks, I am a member of the NCST (I am not a committee member and have absolutely nothing to gain by posting this thread) and I joined for the very reasons you state, so if you can afford it and if you have not done so I would urge you to join the NCST and I would ask you to tell as many people as you can about it. 

We need to do all we can to get the fans represented at the NCFC board level.... 

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="chicken"]

Just for the record and also in an attempt to help Sons get this thread back to the top, I am male, 24 and am moving back to Norwich on Wednesday! I have supported Norwich since the 80''s although in all fairness I can''t remember much from then but I do remember a lot from 1992 onwards at which point I was ten. I remember seeing Cantona getting sent off for fowling Goss, I remember Bryan Gunn coming round to my school (avenue middle school) to raise awairness of his Lukemia Appeal after his daughter fell ill and died. I could go on but I think I would bore you . . .

Other than that I am sorry if it came across strongly but I do believe that some of the people on here just like a good moan and many of them suggest that they are not listened to. All I meant to do was to suggest that here is a prime way of both supporting our club and getting a chance to have your views credited at the club.

I say this because the more shares the trust buys the more money could be injected into the club and also the more shares they have the more strength the trusts voice has in airing your views.

That way you are not just being seen as negative innactive moaners. And by that I don''t mean that I see you as that but it would defenitely strengthen your case against those that do.

[/quote]

i was 10 in 1992 and Went to Avenue Middle School... who were ur teachers Chicken???? we might, heaven forbid, have crossed each others path on the knee grazer of a tarmac football pitch they had! remember Mr Wright???

 I never saw gunny there though :( and i cant ever Remember Cantona being sent off agaist us.

jas :)

[Cluck 0]

I''m struggling to cope with seeing this Board manipulating the money I''m handing over now....let alone taking it up a notch. It''s a worthy scheme right enough....but with DS/MWJ as the majority shareholders I can''t see any way a minority voice could ruffle their feathers......and I really don''t fancy sponsoring any more kitchen equipment.......

[Trust Sec 0]

Hi folks

Just to assure everbody that the Trust still exists and is about to relaunch with a new website being designed for us by Internetgeeks (sponsors of Carl Robinson). We continue to recruit and currently have over 550 members and we still purchase approx £5000 worth of shares per year through our fundraising and membership. It remains our long term aim to persuade the Club that there should be a democratically elected fan on the Board.

[Trust Sec 0]

Thanks to the "Sons"

The way football is going it was never more important for the fans to hold a substantial shareholding in their football club, who knows what is around the corner, there are rumours of buy outs at our club (remember Giovanni de Stefano all those years back). For all the recent difficulties there is no doubt the current Board are first and foremost City fans but who knows how long they will be willing or able to serve the Club. Trusts from Man Utd and Arsenal through to Cambridge Utd and Northampton are all determined that they should have a say in the future running of their clubs. NCFC Trust is no different.

Hopefully our new website with on line membership facilities through Paypal will assist recruitment but in the meantime all existing members have been asked to recruit at least two new members (£100 Club Shop Voucher is the prize for the raffle for those that do).

 

[Bobert 0]

I think some questions need to be asked of the Trust no matter how high their ideals. How many shares have been bought since its inception? What percentage of subsriptions have been spent on shares since its inception? Who have the shares been bought from? Who will the representative be on the Board if that representation is gained? What control of the repesentative will the Trust have over the representative should he be elected as a Director? Who will pay for the Directors quaification shares (if any).

There are many other questions that flow and it may be far safer for a fan to invest his money by buying shares in his own name than buying them through the Trust. That way the fan will retain an interest in his own money and know that any vote is going the way he wants it to.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Bobert"]

I think some questions need to be asked of the Trust no matter how high their ideals. How many shares have been bought since its inception? What percentage of subsriptions have been spent on shares since its inception? Who have the shares been bought from? Who will the representative be on the Board if that representation is gained? What control of the repesentative will the Trust have over the representative should he be elected as a Director? Who will pay for the Directors quaification shares (if any).

There are many other questions that flow and it may be far safer for a fan to invest his money by buying shares in his own name than buying them through the Trust. That way the fan will retain an interest in his own money and know that any vote is going the way he wants it to.

[/quote]

Boberts questions are very Valid.. is this "trust" a closed Circle?

jas :)

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,023]

Bobert - Good questions and hopefully "The Sec" will keep an eye on this thread and provide a response. I am a shareholder and I am considering transferring my shares to NCST, after all I am just on voice and it may be better to have a "collective" voice.

Cluck - I understand what you are saying, but it has to be a good thing to have somebody who is a fan as an elected member of the NCFC board ?.....

[chicken 0]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"][quote user="chicken"]

Just for the record and also in an attempt to help Sons get this thread back to the top, I am male, 24 and am moving back to Norwich on Wednesday! I have supported Norwich since the 80''s although in all fairness I can''t remember much from then but I do remember a lot from 1992 onwards at which point I was ten. I remember seeing Cantona getting sent off for fowling Goss, I remember Bryan Gunn coming round to my school (avenue middle school) to raise awairness of his Lukemia Appeal after his daughter fell ill and died. I could go on but I think I would bore you . . .

Other than that I am sorry if it came across strongly but I do believe that some of the people on here just like a good moan and many of them suggest that they are not listened to. All I meant to do was to suggest that here is a prime way of both supporting our club and getting a chance to have your views credited at the club.

I say this because the more shares the trust buys the more money could be injected into the club and also the more shares they have the more strength the trusts voice has in airing your views.

That way you are not just being seen as negative innactive moaners. And by that I don''t mean that I see you as that but it would defenitely strengthen your case against those that do.

[/quote]

i was 10 in 1992 and Went to Avenue Middle School... who were ur teachers Chicken???? we might, heaven forbid, have crossed each others path on the knee grazer of a tarmac football pitch they had! remember Mr Wright???

 I never saw gunny there though :( and i cant ever Remember Cantona being sent off agaist us.

jas :)

[/quote]

Flippin eck! well let me see. Classes - Mrs White, cant remember the name of the lady for my seccond year (burley woman who over fed Felix the school cat untill he was the size of a footstall), Mrs Dartnel and Miss Dye. Erm I was known as a bit of a trouble maker some of the time but I do remember the playgrounds all made of concrete!

Mr Wright was awesome! When Norwich played Inter Milan he put on the tele in the class room for all of us City supporters to watch. That guy is a legend! I was very overweight at that age but he still incuraged me to try out for the football team where I "excellently" slide tackled one of the Van der Pump brothers (sorry if I miss spelt that). He was shocked to see me tackle like that and it created my ambition to be able to complete great slide tackles in games!

I hope that helps!

[Bobert 0]

You could consider joining the Norwich City Football Club Shareholders Association Sons of Boadicea. They have over 300 members and conrol thousands of shares.

Their AGM is tonight (Tues) in the Ambassadors Room at Carrow 7.00 pm. I think their object is roughly the same as the Trust. The subscription is £10 pa and each year they donate surplus funds to NCFC projects.

I seem to remember they were instrumental in making a donation to the Trust to help with the original printing costs.

[mbncfc 1]

[quote user="Bobert"]

You could consider joining the Norwich City Football Club Shareholders Association Sons of Boadicea. They have over 300 members and conrol thousands of shares.

Their AGM is tonight (Tues) in the Ambassadors Room at Carrow 7.00 pm. I think their object is roughly the same as the Trust. The subscription is £10 pa and each year they donate surplus funds to NCFC projects.

I seem to remember they were instrumental in making a donation to the Trust to help with the original printing costs.

[/quote]

Unless these two organisations have completely separate agendas, would it not make sense to amalgamate these into one trust which collectively holds more shares?

[Syteanric 1]

if it was tim Van Der Pump u should of aimed that bit higher than the ball!

jas :)

[my other team is england 0]

Who is NCST trying to kid ? 550 current fully paid up members my foot.Over the course of 5 years that it has been formed ( 5th AGM to be held on 25th Jan i believe) maybe 550 have been members at some stage but if you have not renewed surely you cannot be classed as a member.I do not believe that 5 grand is spent on shares every year.I believe NCST has amassed ten grands worth over 5 years.That does not work out at to 5000 quid a year. I know several fans who joined initially on day one but have not paid a penny since yet still receive correspondence and invites to AGMs which cannot be right. TELL THE TRUE FACTS AS THEY CURRENTLY ARE BECAUSE THE SHAREHOLDERS LIST WILL FIND YOU OUT NCST

[Trust Sec 0]

Some quick answers to "Bobert"      

The Trust has purchased £15000 shares from inception plus has received £300 of donated shares. We have enough for a further significant purchase but are delaying until the cost of the new website is known. We als have access to a large number of Trust members shares that can be proxied.

It is impossible to state a percentage of income but at present everything other than the costs of an annual mailing of AGM papers (a legal necessity) and a one off print run of membership forms is used for share purchase. At present our income is from subscriptions and fund raising at the NCFC Open Day and the Norfolk Show. 

The shares are bought from the Club, we have sole access to those shares remaining after the last two issues. We do not purchase shares from individual shareholders (despite offers) as this would be contrary to our aim of raising funds for the club in return for a legal stakeholding.

The representative would have to be democratically elected by the membership and as such answerable to those who put he or she there.The Trusts shareholding, I think, would suffice.

It is important to note that the shares have little or no value other than as a stakeholding in the club and an influence if disaster strikes (unlikely but not impossible). If the moneys collected and donated to the club in previous crises had been exchanged for shares the fans would have amasses an enormous stakeholding in our club. 

[Trust Sec 0]

I hope I am not trying to "kid" anybody

The Trust is an Industrial and Provident Society and as such is subject to the rules governing such societies. We are overseen by Supporters Direct.

Each person who joins the Trust has purchased a share in the Trust and as such remains a member of the Trust and under law has to be notified and invited to the AGM of the Trust. This is true of all supporters trusts. What is also true is that just over half of those Trust shareholders renew their membership on an annual basis thus enabling us to continue to purchase shares. I am not the Treasurer but I am sure that the figure of £15000 + £300 of donated is the correct figure.

I am sorry if you feel the Trust is operating under false pretences but there are many football supporters up and down the country who believe the fans should be involved with, if not in some cases, rescuing their clubs from extinction.e.g Cambridge Utd

[my other team is england 0]

 15000 pounds worth of shares in five years means you have grossly under achieved the 5000 pounds a year you claimed in your previous post.How many fully paid up active members did you have in 2006 ? I suspect nowhere near the 550 you claim. Surely subscriptions will show in the accounts at the AGM on 25th.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      15000 pounds worth of shares equals 600 shares by my calculations.NCST please take a reality check ! Another 50000 shares and you may just hold some sway in the boardroom.                                                                                                                                       .                                                                                                                                  

[chicken 0]

Just as a matter of interest - does the trust look in detail into the accounts of the club etc and remain some sort of rapor with the club on various different issues raised by the trustees?

I understand why the trust does not buy shares from other shareholders but would they do so if a situation arose where it would be beneficial to the club?

[chicken 0]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"]

if it was tim Van Der Pump u should of aimed that bit higher than the ball!

jas :)

[/quote]

Oh, when I say slide tackle I mean a crunching slide tackle! I think that is why Mr Wright was impressed! So far as I can remember it was Tim - he was bloody good which is why I remember it quite clearly!

Me mam used to teach at Avenue first. I was in the same class as Ben Thorpe, Patrick Scarle, Matthew Schindler amoungst others such as my middleschool crush Sally Thompson!

I was in the percussion section of the Orchestra and wind band, I say in because Wortlebottam used to get first shot on the timpany and David Smith was far too good to be ousted off the kit so it was bongos, woodblock, tambarine or triangle for me unfortunately if I was really lucky at christmas I would get to play the glockenspiel for winterwonderland.

I am seriously considering taking my snaire drum to a match! 

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,023]

Bobert - Thanks for the info, I have never heard of them, it seems strange to have two organisations doing what would appear to be the same thing. Too late to go to the AGM as I have only just read your mesage!!.

The Sec - I apologise if I have opened up a "can of worms", I would be interested in your response to the comments made by "My other Team is England"

[Bobert 0]

The problem I have with the Trust is that Directors are elected by shareholders and are answerable to the shareholders. The Directors have a duty to act in the best interests of the company and not in the interests of a particular fraction. The Trust cannot determine who will be a director of NCFC only the shareholders can decide that.

It is my belief that both the Trust and the Shareholders Association were originally set up by men who had asperations to become Directors of the Club but did not have the financial clout to make it on their own. The current chairmen of both organisations may see their role differently (i.e.as guardians of the future of the club) but I would be surprised if both did not have a sneaking desire to use the "Directors Entrance".

I think that anyone laying out a "bob or two"  to join either organisation should think carefully about who is going to benefit from the joining. The Association has three "associate directors" on it committee and over 300 members regularly paying £10 p.a. It acts as a conduit for the owners of far, far more shares than does the Trust and carries far more financial clout. Rarely, if ever, does a senior member of the staff of NCFC or a Director not attend their meetings.

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="chicken"][quote user="jas the barclay king"]

if it was tim Van Der Pump u should of aimed that bit higher than the ball!

jas :)

[/quote]

Oh, when I say slide tackle I mean a crunching slide tackle! I think that is why Mr Wright was impressed! So far as I can remember it was Tim - he was bloody good which is why I remember it quite clearly!

Me mam used to teach at Avenue first. I was in the same class as Ben Thorpe, Patrick Scarle, Matthew Schindler amoungst others such as my middleschool crush Sally Thompson!

I was in the percussion section of the Orchestra and wind band, I say in because Wortlebottam used to get first shot on the timpany and David Smith was far too good to be ousted off the kit so it was bongos, woodblock, tambarine or triangle for me unfortunately if I was really lucky at christmas I would get to play the glockenspiel for winterwonderland.

I am seriously considering taking my snaire drum to a match! 

[/quote]

you must of been in the same year as me! I was in the same class as Matt Dungey, Ben Lemmon, Mike Taylor, and the very spoilt Katy Bentham!

jas :)

[Trust Sec 0]

Bobert

I don''t know anything of individuals ambitions viv a vis using the "Directors Entrance".

As well as Trust Secretary I am a member of the Shareholders Association as I own shares in my own right and it seemed the correct thing to do however the Association is different from the Trust although at the outset the Association took one of the co-opted seats on the Board of the Trust.

One of the reasons (other than a commitment to the whole concept of the Trust movement and a fear that G di Steffano was interested in taking over the Club) I was involved in setting up the Trust was because it was a means for all those fans who could not afford the minimum share purchase amount to become a shareholder in a democratic NCFC shareholding organisation that is run as an Industrial and Providence Society (similar to the co-operative movement).

I recognise that the Trust will never have the financial clout of the Association (after all Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones could become Association members) but what it does provide is a democratic and legal structure whereby a fans representative could be elected to NCFC Board were they to sanction such a position. This has happened at a number of Football League Clubs. It could also, as has happened at a number of clubs from Man Utd through to Cambridge Utd provide a focal point for fans in times of crisis.

 

[my other team is england 0]

You have a short memory Mr Secretary because i recall your former Chairman Roger DURRANT dribbling at the prospect of Mr Di STEFFANO taking a major stake in NCFC and in fact trying to organise a NCST meeting with him.May i also point that your statement that every member remains a member whether thier subscriptions are up to date or not means that over 5 years each of your members has amassed the grand total of ONE share.NCST has also called for fans to donate their shares to NCST;Have you handed your individual shareholding yet ? No thought not.