Club Response to AFT letter in Social Media

[Andy S]

The trust should meet the club on agreed terms, ask questions and report on the answers. Is there much more to it than that?

They "should" Matt but it all takes so damned long!

A meeting would be held and then it would take a fortnight or more for the "minutes" to be reported on, typed up, agreed with the committee and then eventually posted!

This latest fiasco is a perfect example of how an elected official of the AFT has the complete and utter inability to JUST DO IT!! You were elected to do the job Bob...make an executive decision and just pick up the phone.

I get the distinct feeling that there are EX AFT officials who still have their sticky little fingers in the pie.

 

[dunlop]

It is perhaps a shame that my most recent posting from 7th October was not 'brought to Martyn's attention'. Quote: "Again, on a personal note, I look forward to the resumption of discussions between the club and the elected members of the Argyle Fans’ Trust and was pleased that James Brent left the door open at the recent open fans' forum. There are important issues ranging from the safety of our stadium through to next year’s kit choice that our members could be helping with. We are there, not to tell James Brent what to do, but to act a critical friends should the club so wish". It is time to move on ! The AFT Board will meet again in ten days time and respond more fully then.

"Play it again Bob"

“Play it again, Sam” is of course a misquotation of Rick Blaine’s (played by Humphrey Bogart) exclamation to Sam the pianist from the 1942 film “Casablanca” and is one of many such sayings that were never actually said.
This prompts me to clarify one or two ‘facts’ that are doing the rounds:
· On 28th April James Brent instructed Martyn Starnes to inform me, with John Back as witness, that the club would no longer allow meetings between the AFT Chair and the CEO. This was not only because of our successful application for ACV status, but also because we were seeking to ‘hold the club to account’

Above extract from AFT website.

Martyn Starnes letter to you clearly states this was not true, or is that a misquotation, what are the facts are you going to respond to the letter and if your statement on the AFT is not true issue an opology to the club.

Waiting 10 days to respond is surely not an option.

 

[Kentishgreen]

Good post but time we moved on and let the committee men bore each other rather than bore us, yawn!

 

[jimsing]

This is a very very important time, Kentish, for the supporters of our Club.

If you are not interested then leave it to those that are.

You do not have to add innate comments as you have done. They add nothing to the thread.

 

[Kentishgreen]

Thank you for your constructive comment. Every day is important to OUR club. Why don't those who want to argue about nothing in particular apart from their own self-importance do it somewhere else other than a forum that's supposed to be about football rather than pontificate about who has keys to a lock-up or who said want to whom! Bill Shankly once said that football is more important than life or death. Obviously some people find arguing the toss about everything else other than football more important. I promise I'll eff off now so no need to respond!

 

[IJN]

I agree with most of your points Kentish, the boredom factor I would suffer (and do suffer when I listen to the 'speed' of them) is unexplainable with my limited vocabulary. However, I am always appreciative of decent people that get involved on my behalf and Bob is certainly one of them. He's a proper fan, and he bleeds green but does seem to have the ability to grow a rhino skin and put up with the mind numbing boringness of it all.

He has my vote and I sincerely hopes he takes the good advice on board, and give Martyn a call, and sort it out.

 

[jimsing]

I don't know Bob Foale, I wouldn't know him if I bumped into him, but he is the Chairman of the AFT.

The AFT is not doing its job at the moment, and will not be able to do it while the Club and the Trust do not talk to each other.

The Chairman, being the titular head of the Trust, has to take responsibility for this state of affairs, and it is in his hands as to how to overcome this impasse.

Martyn Starnes has held out an olive branch and it remains to be seen whether Bob, on behalf of the Trust will pick it up and resume consultations with the board.

This little spat was unnecessary, and would appear to be both parties flexing muscles which should have remained covered, or at least spoken to each other in order to get to the bottom of the matter, without making assumptions which turn out to be untrue.

Let us hope that the Trust sees sense in renegotiating their way back to the table.

And let us not forget Brent has allowed us this facility in the first place, let's not waste it.

 

[tonycholwell]

I think the answer is that a few of those 6 or 3 are revelling in the rebellion aspect. Bob knows he won't get backing for a reconciliation from the leadership and needs the safety of the wider electorate

What a sad situation! .

Out of interest Mark, who did you have in mind?

Looking at the list of the AFT Board they all seem reasonable people to me.

And as a point of principle, Bob is the leadership, it is him that attended meetings with Martyn. Do you really think the current AFT won't back him?

It also seems to me that people are asking for polar opposite actions. On one hand complaining the members are'nt consulted, whilst on the other urging him to take executive actions. From most organisations I am affiliated to, the AGM is the Policy making body as well as electing is Board. They in turn will carry out those policies. In the AFTs case, in line with its stated aims. Most organisations also regularly update and keep the members informed.

If people aren't happy with the actions of the Board, they can vote them off and replace them at the AGM.

But I have seem Bob appeal for more help, several times, but at the point of losing half the Board, its suggested, that appeal has fallen on stony ground it seems.

Perhaps, not for the first time, people have to be careful what they wish for.

And before anyone asks, I am not a member of the Trust but it irks me to see some good people taking a kicking.

 

[memory man]

"Looking at the list of the ATD Board they all seem reasonable people to me." Am I missing something here - or is this a massive Freudian slip? (By the way this is written with a wry smile and not a hint of having a go)

 

[tonycholwell]

"Looking at the list of the ATD Board they all seem reasonable people to me." Am I missing something here - or is this a massive Freudian slip? (By the way this is written with a wry smile and not a hint of having a go)

Haha

No, really, Hahaha

Now corrected (still smiling MM

 

[Mark Pedlar]

Tony, many people seem reasonable on the face of it! Perhaps Bob could explain why he can't just pick up the phone if he's sure everyone is going to back him.

 

[memory man]

"Looking at the list of the ATD Board they all seem reasonable people to me." Am I missing something here - or is this a massive Freudian slip? (By the way this is written with a wry smile and not a hint of having a go)

Haha

No, really, Hahaha

Now corrected (still smiling MM

:thumbup: Only way to be. Not as big as the smile when Smith scored on Saturday though. I had to rely on Jeff Stelling for this game but I will be at the return fixture.

 

[Old Gunner]

I think the answer is that a few of those 6 or 3 are revelling in the rebellion aspect. Bob knows he won't get backing for a reconciliation from the leadership and needs the safety of the wider electorate

What a sad situation! .

Out of interest Mark, who did you have in mind?

Looking at the list of the AFT Board they all seem reasonable people to me.

And as a point of principle, Bob is the leadership, it is him that attended meetings with Martyn. Do you really think the current AFT won't back him?

It also seems to me that people are asking for polar opposite actions. On one hand complaining the members are'nt consulted, whilst on the other urging him to take executive actions. From most organisations I am affiliated to, the AGM is the Policy making body as well as electing is Board. They in turn will carry out those policies. In the AFTs case, in line with its stated aims. Most organisations also regularly update and keep the members informed.

If people aren't happy with the actions of the Board, they can vote them off and replace them at the AGM.

But I have seem Bob appeal for more help, several times, but at the point of losing half the Board, its suggested, that appeal has fallen on stony ground it seems.

Perhaps, not for the first time, people have to be careful what they wish for.

And before anyone asks, I am not a member of the Trust but it irks me to see some good people taking a kicking.

"And as a point of principle, Bob is the leadership, it is him that attended meetings with Martyn. Do you really think the current AFT won't back him?"

I assume they will---and on this very specific issue i.e. picking up the phone and speaking to either Martyn Starnes or the Supporters Rep. to re-establish communication with the club, I can't imagine there will be any objections from his Board Directors. Looking from the outside I feel some frustration--I Chair 2 member organisations, one representing around 25,000 people and another representing around 1,500. I deal with this sort of crap all the time--it can always be solved by a phone call or a face to face meeting.

 

[tonycholwell]

Tony, many people seem reasonable on the face of it! Perhaps Bob could explain why he can't just pick up the phone if he's sure everyone is going to back him.

I have some skills Mark, but Clairvoyance isn't one of them

 

[IJN]

No, but your memory could be better Tony.

Remember the frustrations with the PASB you told me about? Who was behind that then?