[Archived] Rovers Trust

[Ozz]

It was firstly a legal obligation that we carry out an AGM. Secondly, we had a short agenda, which began with a brief introduction to the board that were present (Myself, Wayne and Dan(Who made made the journey over from Sweden just to attend!)). Dan then went through the accounts and gave a fairly detailed run through of the ins, outs etc.

Then Wayne did a presentation on what we have been upto and our achievements this year, followed by my piece on what we see as our main challenges going into 2014 and how we can remain relevant in the ever changing Rovers environment.

There was then a Q&A session, which was very good, with some excellent points being raised by the attendees, which sparked some healthy debate and conversation.

The proceedings closed I think around 8.20 pm ish.

I personally enjoyed it, and wish we could do more of this sort of thing. The most useful and interesting part was of course the open Q&A, which gave us some food for thought and also allowed us to better express our ideas in a less rigid format.

[glen9mullan]

I managed to catch it through video link. , which can I congratulate the trust on as my work commitments made it impossible to attend, I couldn't make out everything which was said as the quality of sound was not great , but I got the main points I think .

The secretary Simon lead the meeting and did a very good job of moving through the meeting systematically and efficiently .

There was a power point presentation but could not see it via the video link , which included the accounts , achievements and goals . May I ask will this power point presentation and accounts be getting sent out to the members ?

I'm not sure how many attended , but there appeared to be some good ideas and questions from the floor , which were answered openly by the top table .

All in all it seemed to go well and was certainly informative to those who don't always read the net , or emails the trust send out every couple of weeks .

[Leonard Venkhater]

It was firstly a legal obligation that we carry out an AGM. Secondly, we had a short agenda, which began with a brief introduction to the board that were present (Myself, Wayne and Dan(Who made made the journey over from Sweden just to attend!)). Dan then went through the accounts and gave a fairly detailed run through of the ins, outs etc.

Then Wayne did a presentation on what we have been upto and our achievements this year, followed by my piece on what we see as our main challenges going into 2014 and how we can remain relevant in the ever changing Rovers environment.

There was then a Q&A session, which was very good, with some excellent points being raised by the attendees, which sparked some healthy debate and conversation.

The proceedings closed I think around 8.20 pm ish.

I personally enjoyed it, and wish we could do more of this sort of thing. The most useful and interesting part was of course the open Q&A, which gave us some food for thought and also allowed us to better express our ideas in a less rigid format.

I thought it was interesting.

I have been musing on the thorny issue of how you keep people engaged and maintain interest, but avoid getting on their nerves with "meaningless" contact. This is not an easy problem.

Clearly, when there is the inevitable,Venky induced, shoot yourself in the foot crisis, there is a corresponding swell of interest, which only dies down again.

I guess you could predict potential crises on the horizon-next accounts, transfer embargo, HMRC investigation?... and have some publicity/events ready to go. There really is no need to put a load of effort into manning market stalls, hoping for a few visitors etc.

However, the key thing that I heard is what you have already achieved. Through all your efforts Rovers fans have a structure and set of legal processes in place for if/when the worst happens. Unlike Rangers, we wouldn't have to start from scratch.

Meanwhile, there will always be those, who don't understand the context and will ask periodically"what have you been doing?" Maybe, you just have to name the fact that you have built the structure and that you are keeping it alive until the appropriate time?

Good luck and thanks.

[Paul]

Thanks Leonard. An excellent summary in my view of where the Trust should be.

[Paul]

Swansea City announced profits rise by £700,000 to £15.3 million

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/swansea-city-announce-153m-profit-6259644

[47er]

Swansea City announced profits rise by £700,000 to £15.3 million

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/swansea-city-announce-153m-profit-6259644[/

Not clear what your message is here Paul. Surely you are not saying that if Swansea can do it, we can do it?

Plenty on here disagree.

[Stuart]

Swansea have Premier League income and a Championship infrastructure.

We have a PL infrastructure and Championship income!

[47er]

Puts patient hat on-------yes but they have reached that position after being at death's door. And they did it without a Jack Walker(or some Indian nutters).

This should be a source of hope for us, all of us.

[Paul]

Swansea City announced profits rise by £700,000 to £15.3 million

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/swansea-city-announce-153m-profit-6259644[/

Not clear what your message is here Paul. Surely you are not saying that if Swansea can do it, we can do it?

Plenty on here disagree.

Sorry if I wasn't clear - yes simply my message would be if Swansea can do it so can Rovers. BUT we have a much bigger problem in firstly the game has moved on enormously since the period when Swansea suffered so badly and Rovers debts are in the £55-65m region while Swansea had debts in the hundreds of thousands. Despite this Swansea prove a small city/town club part owned by the supporters and part by local business can survive and thrive in the PL.

Personally I don't believe all is lost for Rovers but I do believe nothing at all can happen until the Raos leave. We are broke and the only solution is to start again under a new form of ownership.

As for plenty disagreeing on here? Well plenty disagreed with the very few of us who warned against Venkys and the Raos from day one. This was never going to work and it hasn't. That isn't an "I told you so" remark my point is holding a differing view from the majority doesn't necessarily make one right or wrong. It's just a different opinion.

Earlier this week I posted this in another thread regarding a Swansea/Rovers comparison:

It can though be a case of finding the positives and advantages Rovers have in what is quite a similar situation. Swansea had a period of disastrous ownership in the late '90s/ early '00s followed by the club only avoiding relegation to the Conference on the last day of the 2001/02 season. From that point it took the club 9 years to gain promotion to the PL. In that time the club, facilities, ground etc have been rebuilt virtually from scratch. I don't know what the initial debt was but it was certainly very, very much lower than Rovers - probably only in the hundreds of thousands. The Swansea Trust was able to persuade, I think, five local businessmen to get involved in rebuilding the club for the benefit of the city and therefore local business etc.

On the upside for Rovers we already have all the facilities a club needs to gain promotion and survive in the PL, we've proved this over 20+ years. What we lack is decent ownership, a local focus and a winning team. One good season, not this one I imagine, could put us back where we belong. It took Swansea 9 years it needn't take Rovers that long IF local people can be found to own and manage the club in the fashion we all know works.

[Stuart]

Sounds as though no-one wants to save the club in it's current guise and would rather are resigned to us going into admin and picking up the pieces of a lower league, maybe non-league, club.

Sad.

RIP Blackburn Rovers FC 1875 - 2014.

Blackburn Rovers AFC 2014 - ?

(Going to be strange ground-sharing at Darwen FC - do we get to keep the history/trophy cabinet? ).

[Stuart]

On the upside for Rovers we already have all the facilities a club needs to gain promotion and survive in the PL, we've proved this over 20+ years.

You don't think that these facilities will be sold off to pay creditors??

The Trust will be busy making Tal-haim-esque deals with the likes of Etuhu to keep us afloat, while the fans are in the town centre with buckets.

[Paul]

I'm remarking personally Stuart - don't know who this Tal-Haim guy is but I agree it's hard to see how anyone would be interested at this point. The Venkys will only sell to someone prepared to give them their money back. The Trust is preparing itself for any opportunity which arises but who knows when or what this will be?

Me? I think it will go bump first unless Venkys give it away. Simply why take on £54m of debt when that can be wiped out through administration or liquidation?

[Stuart]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19192252

Ben Tal-haim

I'm remarking personally Stuart - don't know who this Tal-Haim guy is but I agree it's hard to see how anyone would be interested at this point. The Venkys will only sell to someone prepared to give them their money back. The Trust is preparing itself for any opportunity which arises but who knows when or what this will be?

Me? I think it will go bump first unless Venkys give it away. Simply why take on £54m of debt when that can be wiped out through administration or liquidation?

So by close you mean admin. Fair enough mate, I agree.

[Paul]

Rovers Accounts June 2013 and Annual Return are below for those who want a copy - both available at Companies House for £1.

Rovers Return 2013 10 19.pdf

Rovers Accounts YE June 2013.pdf

[because of boxing day]

Looks like one of many major stumbling blocks to financial survival will be the calls of other clubs within the next 12 months for the settlement of £9.6m "never never" transfer fees......

[Paul]

You don't think that these facilities will be sold off to pay creditors??

I missed that line before Stuart. The Asset of Community Value status means at least one major asset cannot be sold off without the community, via the Trust, getting the chance to bid for the ground.

[Paul]

Dan Grabko will be on Radio Lancashire around 7.50am tomorrow, Monday, morning

[Stuart]

I missed that line before Stuart. The Asset of Community Value status means at least one major asset cannot be sold off without the community, via the Trust, getting the chance to bid for the ground.

Doesn't mean they won't sell it anyway.

[Paul]

I know.

Perhaps we could buy it......more fight. .

[Stuart]

I hope that you do buy it and can afford to keep it! At least it would be in the good hands of Rovers supporters.

[Paul]

Brighton fans can share in club ownership:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/nov/13/dick-knight-brighton-fans-shares

[Paul]

I feel this is an appropriate piece of news to put here although it clearly doesn't have a direct connection to Rovers. Some great images on the Facebook page

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

Since 2007, Supporters Direct Europe has met and worked with supporters’ groups in over 20 countries. Each of these has its own distinctive fan culture, but our shared values and belief in supporter ownership makes this a truly European movement.

If you are a member of a supporters’ trust or a supporter owned club, you can make a difference. There is no other ‘model’ that guarantees the rights of supporters to not only hold a stake in the club itself, but to actively participate in its day-to-day existence.

In countries such as Germany, clubs have traditionally been structured as multi-sport democratic members’ associations (e.Vs). Even in 1998, when the DFL statutes were altered to allow clubs to convert professional football sections into limited companies, a clause that has become known as the ‘50+1 rule’ stipulated that the parent members’ association must retain a majority of votes in the limited company.

Fast forward fifteen years, and the ‘German model’ is rightly praised as a best practice example for good governance, financial health, and supporter involvement. However, the rule has also created tensions between the collective interests of club members, and the interests of those who would still see the game take a more privatised approach.

These tensions have been particularly acute at Hamburger Sport-Verein, one of six clubs competing in the Bundesliga this season that remains an e.V, 100% member-owned. There is a feeling, encouraged and stoked up by certain wealthy, influential supporters and sponsors, that the recent lack of on-pitch success would be addressed (some would argue solved) by allowing private ‘investment’ into the club, and diluting the influence of members.

When you take the wider view, a clear picture emerges: whilst some German clubs have opened themselves up to individual investors, very few have managed to actually attract them – as fans from many countries could tell you, football benefactors aren’t in it for minority shareholdings.

Members of the HSV Supporters Club believe this argument is wrong, misleading, and a threat to the club itself. Formed in 1993, the Supporters Club is a department of the club itself, aimed at participating in the club’s activities and shaping club policy for the good of fans and members. Members of the Supporters Club must be members of the club, with the two splitting the annual membership fee. The Supporters Club coordinates a raft of activities: organising away travel, distributing tickets, merchandising, supporting the club’s amateur departments, and much more. No fan-related decision is taken by the club board without the Supporters Club being consulted first.

The success of the HSV Supporters Club shows that football is about so much more than mere success on the pitch. More than 90% of football clubs never win anything, yet the world’s population does not simply coalesce around, say, the four Champions League semi-finalists. The Bundesliga is Europe’s best-attended league, and has been for the past nine seasons. German football supporters not only enjoy the advantage of low ticket prices, safe standing areas and the rest, but – more importantly – they are able to have a say in how their clubs are run, with the knowledge that unless they and their fellow members vote otherwise, the club will belong to them, and future generations. This is a right denied to the vast majority of football supporters in other countries, and should not be given up lightly. HSV are undoubtedly experiencing a difficult time, on and off the pitch, but diluting the influence of the members in favour of a sugar daddy and promises of trophies is simply not the solution.

That’s why we are supporting the HSV Not For Sale campaign, which ahead of the AGM in early 2014 is aiming to build momentum amongst the membership for change – but of a positive kind, that ensures the club remains 100% controlled by its members. Supporters’ groups across Europe have already demonstrated their backing for the campaign, with banners appearing in stadiums across the continent. You can lend your support by liking the HSV Not For Sale page on Facebook, and visiting their website.

If you would like the HSV Supporters Club to send you a home-made banner to display at your club’s match, please contact us

[Ozz]

I am delighted to say that the Rovers Trust is now the official club sponsor of Rudy Gestede.

[PAFELL]

Brighton fans can share in club ownership:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/nov/13/dick-knight-brighton-fans-shares

This should be the model of all clubs. fans should be able to buy shares and have a say in how the club is run.

[Dan]

This should be the model of all clubs. fans should be able to buy shares and have a say in how the club is run.

I can imagine the fans having a say would be fun, everyone has different opinions, see the Rhodes debate for example!

Though in the general running, get John Williams back at any cost and let him run the show would be my say. I'm not sure anyone would disagree with me on that? Whether or not it would ever be possible is another matter!!