I think you'll probably regret this post !

That's what the internet & social media is for, sounds to me like if we don't join the trust, or even worse, actually attend the meetings we don't get to find out what's going on.

I'll tell you what mate, if you or the TRUST aren't prepared to open up on the fans messageboard and actually post that fact, then i'm not prepared to put anymore spare cash in the trust buckets, raffles etc etc because of that attitude. I won't buy a matchday programme or buy a half time draw ticket either, that's if i actually attend many more games, 'cos if tomorrow's showing is as poor as last season's & what i've heard about last sunday i can find more suitable things to do with my time & money.

I think the sensible thing to do is remove your comment.

Another example by Fax4Life of the petty mentality within some Fax supporters within the clique who really do pee me off, the happy back slippers I call them the trust was set up by supporters for supporters

I can't remember the last time I received any minutes from the meetings either by post or electrically and I've been a member since it was communicated out at the Irish club many years ago

Can I ask does the Fax Trust get free match tickets-dining packages, and if it does why isn't every paying trust member given an opportunity to enjoy the benefits

Keep up the good work but don't dis engage good people with your silo mentality

The logical step is then for people to infer that the silence indicates the discussions at the meeting didn't have a great outcome. Another stick to beat the club with.

It's seriously unimpressive how the club is run at all levels at the moment, on field, marketing, paying its way. We are being left behind. At least the talk of SL has stopped now. The only comment from the club recently has been an inference that we can't afford to compete. It will continue if people continue to walk away and cease supporting the club. Is this what was learnt by the recent jaunt to Sydney Roosters?

Great time to be a Fax fan, we're just proving to the doubters how small time we really are right now

It is a real shame how the Trust has ended up in my opinion. It's one of the reasons I resigned from the board. It does a great job of raising cash but is too close to the club in terms of direction, as the club has a lot of direct influence with the board members. When I started the trust all those years ago with Ady Vaughn and a few others it was the sole intention to help the club but be totally independent from the club to ensure a supporters voice. The way I see it is that it is now developing a "them and us" mentality alienating potential new members and donators, John you really need to rethink your post mate as I think you've totally got it wrong. I find your post totally misguided. Mind you some of the emails I've received from the club this week aren't much better either.....

So you have to be a member of the trust and attend the meetings to know what's happening?

In that case why do I still receive the emails if the minutes of each meeting despite not having been a paid up member for years? I got the auto enrollment for having my name on the shirt last season, which some people had to wait months to get confirmation of. But that wasn't included in this seasons names on shirts thing, and my name isn't on the shirt this year anyway.

I know the trust is run by volunteers giving their time ect. And I don't think you'd find a fax fan who doesn't appreciate it given it goes a significant way towards funding the u20s. But if you want to get more people involved and to the meetings. Surely some openness as to what's happening at them would be a start?

I could have picked any post to quote but picked this one because I thought it were the best summary.

The problem with the club, and its a bit of a historical one for whoever has been in charge, is that post like these will be received with a "oh he/she is always slagging off the club" mentality. What they do not see is that posts like these should be with the view of improving stuff down at the club. They are never taken that way though but the people in charge at the current time always forget that we will still be here long after they have gone.

This topic is probably one of the most interesting ones I have seen on the forum since I have been a member and rings some very loud alarm bells about what is happening behind the scenes at Fax.
The success of any organization is built around its infrastructure, people and communication. Reading these comments makes me wonder if we are not on a united front and are lacking direction and impetus to take the club forward.
Maybe the club should put a questionaire on the social media or hard copy at the game and get the feelings at the coal face level. This would avoid the claim that the Supporters Trust is no longer an independant body from the club etc.
It would also give the BOD a real feeling for what we, as loyal supporters, truly think and perhaps introduce some fresh ideas and perhaps new blood into what appears to be the classic 'lots of work done by a small minority' situation we clearly have at the club.
Just trying to find a solution!

Does it not speak in volumes to anyone that a phone app designed to bring news and information to people, ( new and old fans ) which is developed by our directors company isn't updated and claims the next game is last weeks.

I can't help but feel the club is sinking and fast. Rent arrears, dropping crowds, communication etc. I've not known anytime in the last 4 years that big has been this bad. Some may say I'm all soon and gloom, I'm just saying what I am seeing with my own eyes.

You're not alone. How on earth was Mr Abboott to find the millions needed to buy and improve the shay when the club is struggling so much?

So another season starts 3 games in and we've mustered 1 win and 2 bonus points...
Lets analyse some of things people are talking about.

We could have easily won all 3
Which we could, we didn't though.

We have new signing's, new partnerships need to be struck up.
Agreed, so do other sides though, and why do we keep coming back to this problem.

You don't win any trophies this early.
Yes, but you can certainly lose them.

Crowds are flat, atmosphere isn't what it was even a few years ago.
It isn't what is was, we're all part of that, the Rugby is poor, we've gone from one extreme to the other.

The Coach is lambasting players in public for mistakes
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, players need confidence and the freedom to play, people will run through brick walls for the right coach/captain. No class from Karl here, his own shoulders are big enough.

Michael Steele thinks we all need to bring an extra person to the games
Ok Michael, do you want me to lose my friends, if they came and watched the tripe we are being served i'd be embarrassed. I'm gonna do damage to my own credibility if i start telling people the dross we get served is the most entertaining way to spend a Sunday Afternoon.

Rent Issue
Embarrassing, just embarrassing, in the right, in the wrong, doesn't matter, we handled it poorly, luckily it was money owed to the council, and they are also up to their necks in the Shay shenanigans.

General impressions of the place
The players don't look fit, the dugout looks like a Post Office queue on a Monday morning, 6 kit men, even the Dallas Cowboys wont have that many? a TV Manager? 3 people choosing who presses play to an AC/DC track or Your Fax are on Fire, The Harveys Suite still looks like million miles from the normal Fan experience, the home shirt is dreadful. On paper everything looks fine though, doesn't it?

In Short
The usual bluster coming out of the club about what a big year it is, and how things are developing on and off the field. The bottom line is though, and people need to really focus on this, the Rugby is poor and the crowds are dwindling. For heavens sake, don't any of you dare criticise anyone at the Club! you're only part of a dwindling pool of consumers, why should they listen to you! They need a win tomorrow or I fear the worst. this years positives, Ben Johnstone and Ross Divorty.

One final word.
Didn't anyone question last week when we had a penalty and set of 6 on the Batley line, we took off Tony Tonks, our most damaging player, the one most likely to crash over the line, he wasn't tired, he was playing well, he didn't want to go off, his look and gesture said it all. If the plan was to take Tony off at a precise time regardless of the match situation, well done, a great success Karl, Lee and co, well done....

Pretty much agree withe above.
Will wait until after tomorrow's match to make further comment, hopefully I will be in a position to make wonderful positive comments on the great win and the style in which we achieved it.

Chris, for you to say that you left the Trust because the trust was too close to the club. In defence of the trust board I can say you are absolutely wrong, in fact you are way off the mark. The trust is proud of the fact that they are independent of the club, and always have been, and always will be. When you set up the Trust, where were you for the first seven years that I was the Chairman?
The money raised by the trust in support of the junior teams is fantastic, over the past few years they have contributed well over £100.000.

Message to the trust board. If you are going to make statements on social media, make sure the content is passed before going into print

What the trust do is great. No one can knock that. However it's all secrets now unless you attend or join, not everyone cares that much to be perfectly frank and those that do are starting to care less.

The club is going backwards at a alarming rate IMO, nothing positive has come out since the fantastic support shown at the World Cup. Another wasted opportunity and I have to say the board are just too old and set in their ways. Leigh have a fantastic new board and are absolutely soaring both on and off the field and all that has come from some terrible few years, that shows what an be achieved with desire and ambition, we have already started making excuses only 3 games in that we can't compete.

Malcolm and Chris's little discussion above is quite telling.
I particularly like the comment about them and us...
There is a [ithem and us [/i in my opinion, but, then there is the fan who's not got a job on the inside, who isn't a member of a trust, they are just the people that turn up and pay full whack, buy a golden gamble, a programme, a shirt from the club shop, a couple of drinks, a bite to eat, chuck money in whatever bucket collection is going round, for gods sake don't listen to them, they are only your customers



Lets stop treating the club like the property of the [i1986 I was in the bootroom reunion club[/i.

Well never have another 1986 without wholesale changes, its gone.. it was a one off.

Time for the Board to get a hold of the situation and start pushing forward with fresh ideas, I don't want see how far the Board, Trusts and Club gets without punters, because its not very far at all, It can take years to win a Customer, but only seconds to lose one. Oh and please don't be afraid to get rid of people that have been down their for decades, freshen the god dam place up for before its too late, and while im on it, Rhino! kindly move upstairs and let a hungrier coach have a shot, your mojos gone, you've got the lads scared to play attacking Rugby, they are in straight jackets every Sunday and its woeful viewing.

Theres a whiff of decay down there.

Mal in all due respect don't post about things you clearly have no idea about. You also were not involved in the trust in my latter 2 years involvement. I seem to remember (although I could be wrong) that you resigned over wranglings within the Trust over the club repeatedly coming to the Trust to purchase things for the club such as a t-shirt printer or laminator and a host of other things and certain trust board members not bring happy. Or should I say the club approached you and not the trust which should have been the proper channel. It's still the same now with yourself and Hilda involved in the club as you are/were it's very tough to have an independent stance as the club has a hold over you. It was these continued issues and disagreements plus my continued work commitments and 4 kids etc that stopped my involvement as my time just wasn't there.
Finally when I was one of the original founders of the Trust way back then we met in the Barum Top pub and laid the foundations which is now the trust.....long before you got involved!! We set up all the legal stuff and got everything in place and I was proud to be involved ..... So again please wind your neck in about stuff you had zero involvement in or know nothing about. Again as someone back then who was in my twentys, setting up the Trust which was extremely time consuming my time started to be quickly taken up with my job etc but I don't really see why I should explain myself. I've stated to many people that the Trust is too close to the club to be truly Independant. The club pulls the strings with people like yourself and Hilda who sit in the Trust board. They use you to influence the Trust from inside the club, which I saw first hand so please tell me how it's changed..... If indeed anything has...??

Last post about the trust board being in the clubs pocket is spot on in my opinion

Does anyone older than three know what was said then?

I was not aware that some of the fans thought the club directors pulled my strings, to the point that I would influence the Trust board in favour of the club.
I have nothing to do with the Trust, not on the board, not a member.
If I've upset you I'm sorry, not my way of working.
If the fans think the Trust is in the pocket of the club they should join the Trust to make a difference.
This is my last year as a volunteer at the club.
I'm already looking forward to next year, being a fan and not worrying about the club or it's future.
Chris, keep doing what you do, keep the club on its toes.
Remember the future's bright it's Blue and White.


have a nice day all, and let's have a great game tomorrow.

Malcolm, next year will be interesting for you then, you can become a member of the disgruntled terraces, and be taken for granted, expected to turn up, told to bring friends, expected to buy shirts, hand over money, and be completely sidelined and ignored by people on boards and trusts that have been doing the same things they have for decades, you can bow to Queen Hilda, and chuckle for the 14th time as Dave Fleming recounts a story he hasn't aired for a season and a half. You better get your throat cleared though because despite the Rugby being poor, you'll be expected to cheer the house down and sing your little heart out. Don't forget to turn up next week too, they need your cash. Oh and don't forget to be really excited when our huge announcements are raffles and journeymen second rowers.

Ya just put a big cheesy grin on this old man's face. Don't know if I'll be tough enough to do what needs to be done, one thing, I aint crossing my old mate Hilda Hardy, she's too tough for me.

It's a shame this thread has developed into a fall out,
The question I posed (Can someone let us know what went on) resulted in the following retort



Perhaps that was an ill conceived response, but despite all the pages that have followed we still do not know the content of the meeting.

So for the benefit of all of us, some of us are members, but could not attend.
WHAT THE """" WAS DISCUSSED.

Sad to see that this is Malcolm's last year, I will not get involved in the fall out that seems to have developed on this thread, but I will say that people like Malcolm will be difficult to replace.
From me Malcolm a promise, for all you have done, I will buy your season ticket for 2015. East Stand Concession.
From what it looks like, there will only be me and thee there.

HJ I actually don't think this thread is that bad. In my opinion it's great feedback For the Trust and gives them something to discuss. It's a captive audience and they should be aiming to get as many people as possible to join. It's a thankless job and I've said it before, lots on here have an opinion on how things should be done.... Well give your time to the Trust, new ideas are welcome. It's not that easy to commit your time each week though as I found out sadly and I'd still love to help if I could as I'm pretty passionate about The Trust. Sadly I just can't due to work, hence why the majority who sit on the Trust board are retired and have a bit more time to spare. I have nothing against any of the Trust board either as they are all lovely, great people and we all want the same thing..... However I do think the Trust board needs refreshing with some new young blood who can have an influence and look at fundraising through a new pair of specs.... I also believe the trust should continue to help the club but make greater strides to seperare itself and deal with the club on its own terms and not the other way round. Stephen Pearson openly told us when he took over he wanted little to do with any sort of Trust as it would get in the way..... I think until any sporting trust has a strong voice (lots of members) giving it financial clout it will always be the clubs patsy..... Just think 1000 members paying 10 quid each to be a member every year plus all the fundraising on top could do....! That was my vision for the trust and still should be but it needs to be trusted and not be seen as a closed shop by fans either......

By the way I also think Mal is a top bloke and have all the time in the world for him! But I have my opinion on stuff and will always give it straight.... I don't profess to be right either but I'm sad the club brings the shutters down at the first sign of negative feedback. This in my opinion is gold dust in terms of info and should be the springboard to go to the next level. Sadly our club doesn't do negative feedback which is a real shame as people are turning away in their droves....

No further comment from me, Dads Army is on BBC2 now

I thought I had some salient comment to make after Dads Army had finished, but no, Morecambe and Wise are on.
Will be in touch tomorrow.