FAO Norwich City Supporters Trust

[canary cherub 1]

I know The Trust generally makes a point of not commenting publicly on club affairs, but is there anything you''d like to contribute to the debate on the Peter Cullum situation?

 

[TIL 1010 5,246]

They had a letter in the EDP the other day penned by the secretary Mike REYNOLDS.

[canary cherub 1]

Thanks Mr T.  I didn''t see it - perhaps Mike wouldn''t mind reproducing it on here . . .

 

[ca 1]

There was also a letter in last nights EEN from Mike of the NCST.

[Mike Reynolds Trust Secretary 0]

The following letters in the name of the Trust have been published

 

1 -

Your "stirring" article and editorial (EDP 30 June) regarding potential changes in the make-up of the Board of Norwich City linked to an investment of £20M highlights the fact that, whilst discussions may have taken place, the fans are unaware of the details of the discussions. For this reason Norwich City Supporters Trust welcomes any reference by potential investors to having a member of a supporters club on the Board.

 Norwich City Supporters Trust is democratically operated as an Industrial Provident Society (equivalent of a Mutual Building Society) and has over 560 members each having a share in the Trust which in turn invests all it’s fund raising into the Club in return for shares. We currently have over 550 members and since our creation in 2002 have purchased over £23,000 worth of City shares. It is a long held view of supporters trusts across the country that all clubs should have an elected fan on the Board of their club and this is something we have been seeking over the past five years.

 In the light of what has happened elsewhere with new owners more interested in the “real estate” than in the social benefits of a thriving local resource, Norwich City Supporters Trust has welcomed the current Board’s criteria for investment in the football club however the current Board have not seen the necessity to involve fans further than through the welcome, but undemocratic, machinery of the Supporters Consultative Group.

 We need to know more details of what is going on, but preliminary statements credited to Mr Cullum are promising.

2 -

The tone of the articles and random fan comments surrounding the potential take-over of Norwich City Football Club appear to have created a new hero in the form of Mr Cullum and new villians in the form of Ms Smith and Mr Wynn Jones aided and abetted by the Chief Executive.

 

As I understood it Mr Cullum was intending to work alongside the current majority shareholders recognising the attributes both they and co-board members have brought to the club. One assumes that any sucessful business man would recognise that the "brand-name" of Delia Smith brings in around three quarters of a million pounds annually through Delia''s Canary Catering and the unestimable uncosted benefits the "brand" brings to the Club.

 

Norwich City Supporters Trust has never got involved in debates over the ability or otherwise of our recent string of managers, that is left to independent supporters clubs, we do however get involved in issues that affect the governance of our football club.

 

We believe that to create a polarisation of the fans either pro or anti the existing majority shareholders will be so damaging that it could tear the heart out of the Club and return it to position it was in during the latter years of the Robert Chase regime. There is a need for the Club to progress but this is best done through evolution not revolution.

 

Unfortunately evolution is not journalistically "sexy", revolution certainly is. Ask any politician!

 

Sorry for delay but rarely visit this site

[canary cherub 1]

Many thanks for that.

"Rarely visit this site" - my respect for you grows by the minute . . . [:D]