BartonRaz wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 7:54 am
On a separate point it's really sad to see the fanbase openly being critical of how things are run at the club when on the pitch, the club is at it's highest point. That's not me saying I agree/disagree with any of it and plenty of these comments are really interesting and thought provoking, but at one point in time we were all united in grief having lost our club, united in wanting the club to reform, and over the years the goodwill and good feeling around the club has ebbed away. That's not all on the board, but for a guy like Matt Parker who gave so much to the club to feel the way he does, is damning in my opinion.
There are definitely occasions where conversations like this can become a "bash the board" pile on, and I know I've been guilty of it myself in the past, but on this current thread I'm not so sure that's the case. The work that anybody does voluntarily for our club is commendable, but if we use the fact that it's unpaid as a shield against criticism then we'll never really push on.
I understand that there are restrictions from our landlords regards operating the bar or gaining revenue, but I made a further point around turning the directors bar into a members bar, I think that genuinely holds weight and people would appreciate it, but where's the platform to voice these ideas to the board. There's been some other suggestions amongst this thread that do genuinely hold weight.
Matt Parker's comments around the board eating some humble pie and apologising to the volunteers who have walked away and doing everything we can to get them back involved can't be overlooked.
We've been without a kitchen to provide food and create revenue for far too long, why exactly is that? And why isn't it communicated down to us? Is there anything we can do as volunteers to support this getting up and running again?
There was a time when board members were elected, now they're added on without fan consultation. Members are offered the opportunity to decide which kit we wear, but no say on who our new chairman will be?? That can't be right?? I agree we need young, fresh and new ideas and vision on the board, and although I don't particularly fall into any of those categories, I'm more than willing to get involved and try help out, but the board seems a closed off community these days from the rest of the population, and you end up becoming a volunteer who over the past few years have been treated more like dogsbodies rather than the lifeblood of the club.
We've come so far in such a short time, and while the board have obviously been a massive part of that, it's also been down to every single volunteer who has ever dedicated any amount of their time to the club. There used to be a sense of meaning in the membership, and the title of part owner, but that just isn't there anymore. I'd happily forego discounted coach travel and club shop merchandise if I thought my opinions were genuinely considered or valued in the club, but at the moment it's just a way for the club to raise a quick buck.
I think we are in desperate need of a fans and board face to face meeting.
