The Hotel End

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/cobblers-to-invite-elected-supporter-on-to-the-clubs-board-of-directors-3390380

In time honoured Apprentice fashion...I'd like to put myself forward as project manager.
Hands up...
Settled then!  ;)

I’m sure some quarters will be cynical but a blinding move by the club.

If ever there was a time for the Trust to pick a representative, and let the rest of the fanbase know who they have chosen and why they should be selected to get our support, then this is it.

Great news, let's hope this leads to a positive relationship to work together on "the deal" and getting it over the line with WNC and then getting it constructed.
👏👏👏👏👏👏

It’ll be pretty telling if the Trust choose not to support this opportunity.
Let’s see.
I’m sure some won’t be happy whoever is voted in and I hope the club make it a transparent and democratic process.

The deal and getting it over the line is presumably at the forefront of the club's mind in taking this route forward  Fair play to them for that.
It is now upto those at the Trust and anyone else who has serious misgivings to get their heads together and nominate one candidate to represent that view.
I do wonder about the timescales allowed...Two weeks seems almost deliberately hasty. Not as contrived as the recent elections that have taken place a long way to our east but it doesn't allow much time for anything organised.

Imagine the scenes of the person voted in isn’t one of the trust board…..
Toys
Pram

Imagine if more than one member of the trust board think they’re the right person for the job….

I’ve been very critical of the club for the way they stopped fan representation on the board and it’s been a big part in my choice to boycott the club the last few years.
This is a big step in the right direction if the right candidate is chosen.

This can’t be portrayed as anything but positive news….

Let the bun fight begin ;D

I think this is a good step forward from the club, but as supporters this needs to be someone who can work with the Club board and also the Trust Board. Considering the recent history with the Trust and club I do think someone from outside of this needs to be chosen and someone who can put forward to the fans why they want to do this role and how they believe the club should move forward and also how the supporters trust can move forward with the club.

The seemingly stalemate between the trust and the board must be taken into consideration and someone from outside this mess needs to be chosen, hopefully someone who has a good business head and also a good negotiator because the biggest thing we need as fans is for the board and trust to be as one.

Thank you NTFC for providing some more drama. No obvious candidates come to mind, so no idea how this will play out. First things will the Trust engage with this?

What makes you say that ? the Trust has always been and always will be democratic.

Just wondering if this is anything to do with the ACV (Asset of Community Value) that the Trust holds for the area of the old running track ?

I think this is a positive step in the right direction by NTFC.

It is VERY important the elected representative unites EVERY supporter not just one faction!

Well done KT........now keep the momentum going!

The fact that the trust often make important decisions on behalf of the fan base rather than giving all paid up members a vote on various issues.

I hope the person elected is someone from outside of the trust with no baggage so to speak.

I can’t see the trust being happy if the elected member isn’t from within their clique (hence the toys and pram)
Will they honestly be happy having to garner information from an independent fans rep at the same time as the great unwashed???
I don’t think so.
They would be marginalised and left without a cause so to speak.

I think the fan board representation is great but the cynic in me thinks that maybe the government will soon pass legislation making it compulsory for football clubs to have fan representation at board level…

If so this could be a case of the club winning brownie points when in reality they would soon have no choice but to have fan representation anyway….,

That doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s very good news.

Hope not Freddie as he had an ‘uneasy relationship’ with the Trust. It surfaces from time to time.

I'm in two minds. There's a very big part of me that hopes this goes to someone new from well outside the Trust's clique. I think it needs a fresh perspective, untainted by the sour grapes and general ill feeling between the Trust and the club.

On the other hand, if the Trust are "on the inside" they might stop being so negative and disruptive towards everything the club does. Having said that, they are a paper tiger of an organisation anyway, so I pretty much come back to my first thoughts on the matter!

I second Coolcat, he's in the lead now.

I frankly think it farcical that most of the replies so far have focused on the supporter being independent. What mandate will he have in that respect? Two weeks is not enough time to get his reasons for becoming elected to the board to the great unwashed who will not have a scooby what he stands for.
Whoever gets elected will inevitably be part of an already formed clique, Trust involvement or not.

+1 👍

Someone with a background in construction and business please, we don't need football brains.

I think the candidate who isn’t in the clique so to speak will win comfortably….
What price the winning candidate being immediately invited onto the trust board if they’re not already on it …..
FWIW id be happy to vote for anyone who promised not to be part of the trust and therefore impartial.

The person HAS to come from the Trust otherwise this is another attempt to marginalise and discredit them.

It’s also a thankless position if you side with KT your in the clubs pocket, if you side with the Trust etc etc.

Don't think they need any help with that

And how are you going to decide which of the candidates who have no affiliation to the Trust and who promise never to do so, you are going to vote for? Because that alone an easy criteria for all to fulfill.

How does that make anyone impartial, KT's mate Jim Rosenthal could stand, not part of the Trust, so does that make him impartial  ???

Maybe not but it’s clearly an attempt to say to the council, look we’ve got the fans on board.
THE TRUST IS THE VOICE OF THE FANS……

KT is obviously after a puppet to parade in front of the council.

I predict now that this is going to be a VERY long thread  ;D
They have made the form accessible on the official site, so won't be relying on email databases, i.e. no excuses for anyone interested but a tight turnaround.
It'll be really interesting to see the list of names and I'd be a bit surprised if it isn't someone relatively well known or a local business person who gets the vote.
 
The Trust 'should' be launching a proactive campaign to get Andy Roberts the seat but it's probably the first they have heard of it. If not I'm sure we can expect some grand statement poo pooing the idea of standing for it.
 

Whoever gets the job I wish them luck. It certainly wont be me.

That's part of the problem Manny, they aren't the voice of the fans and haven't been for some time. I don't recognise anything they have done recently as been for the fans, it has been for a small number on the Trust board, or that's how it's seems to come across if you look at various FB groups and on here it seems pretty much that opinion overall is against the way they have been acting. It seems to be a fairly small number of posters on here who support them and very few on FB. Now I don't know how many people that comprises in total but it just doesn't seem as if they enjoy a majority of support.

I’m going for this, genuinely.

Will board meetings be streamed ? if yes how do I vote for Dave Cadden?

The person only needs to be proposed and seconded by 2 existing season ticket holders to enter the ballot.

Surely this is the chance to get JEEMA elected onto the Board of Directors.

It seems a real possibility if it gets momentum!!!

Yes, but you'll have to cut down the fortnightly demand for the manager to get the boot!  ;D

This.

I think that's been demonstrated not to be the case a lot on here and social media.

This is positive but also has a lot of limitations. It sounds like this person is to be the fans representative (and not a business / construction expert as mentioned) but unless they have a large social media etc presence and really get the thoughts of the fan base it will be one persons view. But a great starting point and good luck to anyone who puts themselves forward.

Really interested to see how it works

Boaty Mcboatface.

I‘m not sure why there is so much emotion about this one - if the trust are sensible they will decide on one candidate and providing  that individual is a moderate and not seen to be overtly demonising  KT (although certainly not a puppet) then there is every chance that individual will get the majority of the votes.

But is that the case ?, we have a few on here who would disagree with the Trust if it said next month was October and pretty much the same amount who agree with most of the Trust's post. Don't forget, a lot of people have been driven off here due to the constant abuse they got, I know loads of Trust associates, who used to post regularly on here who don't post anymore due to the abuse.
    

Just remember this is open to anyone who is nominated and seconded by a season ticket holder. The voting is open to all Cobblers supporters with the club monitoring to ensure people are voting only once.

I'm happy to take this role and correct a few issues...

Count me in too - it will be an honour!

No its not . The trust has been hijacked by a few vocal siupporters with their own agenda. It should not be anyone involved with the trust either officially or unofficially.

The more I think about this, the more I'm having doubts. This is Kelvin Thomas who admitted he didn't want any supporter involvement at either Oxford or Torquay and  was 100% against supporters in the boardroom, so much so that he was going to "walk away" from NTFC if the Trust had of insisted on the supporters rep on the board, which was in the NBC deal. At this time relations between KT and the Trust were fine, he was happy that the Trust had brokered a great deal for him to buy the club, but he still said the a supporters rep was a deal breaker, so what's changed ?
   Is it the up and coming Government report from Tracey Crouch that will insist on this or has he had a change of heart, similar to Jeremy Corbyn voting Tory !!

Think about what you've just written, you are attempting to select who can stand despite NTFC saying "“As a club we will not be dictating in anyway who this person is or what type of fan they are, which is why we are not saying they have to be a season ticket holder, member or anything like that".
       I think your bias has you struggling to accept democracy, are you going to set up a group who decides who can stand or can't stand  ???

https://youtu.be/KsVc_-Ndm10

See even at this you cannot help but predict KT is doing it for the wrong reasons and you wonder why people don't want the trust involved!!

Any suspicious season ticket sales today?  ;)

So he's not allowed to change his mind / opinion after several years but its ok for the Trust to change their mind about backing the deal after a few weeks?

Woody,  Kelvin Thomas will only do things that benefit Kelvin Thomas, that clear.

He's not saying anything of the sort. He's saying that, in his opinion, it shouldn't be anyone associated with the Trust. I don't think we really need to preface any comment with "in my opinion" do we? I wouldn't have thought anyone would take any pronouncements on here as official diktats, would they?

For the record, I suspect if a Trust member stood they'd be elected, simply because the majority of fans don't come on here and don't read social media, would see the phrase "Supporters trust board member" and would vote for them as an "official" candidate, neither knowing nor caring about anything the Trust currently stands for. Take my dad for example; I showed him a few recent Trust statements a while back. He hadn't previously seen them anywhere and was both disgusted and disappointed  by them, having always thought fondly of the Trust after being in attendance at the Exeter Rooms all those years ago.

I'm also half expecting the Trust board to refuse to play any part in the process, because they seem intent on being contrary about anything the club suggests.

I might be wrong and KT really has changed his mind, BUT, he was willing to walk way from the deal to buy the club if there was a supporters rep, that is a massive change isn't it ?
   By the way I'm a Trust life member, nothing more nothing less and when I post on here I post MY OPINIONS not the Trusts or anyone else.

That's fair enough. Can you explain why its a bad thing if he's only done it to please the council and or the government?

Thinking some more I guess the glass is half full. Some positives and some negatives. I think the positives just about outweigh the negatives, what ever the reasons for doing it.

His words were "It should not be anyone involved with the trust either officially or unofficially". It was you who added "In his opinion" Either way he saying that the election should only be open to certain people and not others, not very democratic is it ?

That's not what I've just heard  ???

Jake Sharp asked him directly if it was someone from the trust will that be OK, to which he replied it will be fine, or words to that effect. Have you listened to the above interview posted by Deepcut? 

(About 12 mins 45 if you wish to listen).

He's not bloody saying that at all!  Maybe the forum should go back to how Facebook used to be in the early years where it said your name followed by the hardcoded word "is" and then you filled in the rest of the sentence, only instead of "is" we have the hardcoded words "in my opinion" at the start of every post just to pacify the chronically literal and appease the pedantic. I'd have thought that would be implicit, but then I'd have thought it was implicit not to put animals in a microwave to dry out but that sort of thing has to go in the instructions now so I guess we need to cater to the lowest common denominator these days... ::)

The Trust board claim they have the majority of support regarding their actions. Therefore if they put up a candidate and that candidate is successful people will have their doubts regarding this answered. This is potentially an opportunity for the board of the Trust to confirm their claims and give strength to their position.

You are without doubt the most biased person who posts on here. There is plenty of support for the Trust on here, with the exception of one topic, namely fan ownership. Other than that you could draw a line straight down the middle. You left the Trust months ago. When will you actually have a day off from it?

In terms of the board.

Whoever takes on this role absolutely should not be on the Trust board. What possible sense would it make to appoint someone to the board, who is diametrically opposed to the direction in which the club wants to travel. It should of course be someone who holds the supports thoughts close to heart. Someone who is capable of challenging and progressing in a constructive way.

Can someone please tell me what the majority of supporters want from NTFC?  Thanks

is anyone going to give the Trust some credit for "helping" KT to make this decision to expand their board?

No just my personal opinion

It should be anyone who is voted following a fair, transparent and democratic process. I’m sure they’ll use one of the many readily available electoral services. We use them for employee rep purposes all the time.
The no.1 attribute required is probably to have a thick skin….and not read this website or Facebook.

i don’t care if the person is from the Trust or not - people need to be less petty .
Candidates should put themselves forward and we all vote according to credentials .
Simple as that .

The likelihood is that the person will be from the Trust. Whilst the Trust IS NOT representative of the current fan base. It is the only organised body of support who can rely on any sizeable backing. Therefore I believe it’s a fait accompli.

However. They cannot report back to the Trust. And any attempt to do so would soon be detected and strike another nail in the coffin of the Trust. So whilst it might serve to place a member of the Trust on the board. They will effectively be a paper tiger. With no ability to influence either sides strategic position.

i don’t care .
As long as the nominated person represents the supporters and reports back to those that elect him , then so what if he is a member of the trust .
If he doesn’t do those things , then he will soon be found out and i am sure the supporters will voice their opinion .

I'm voting for Doctor Feelgood. He lives locally and he has the club's interest at heart.

How do you know the Trust IS NOT the voice of the fans ?
Have you done a poll?
It’s not black and white some fans may agree with the Trust on some issues but not others.
Are you going to put yourself forward?

Marquis for me - should be interesting! Possibly Deepcuts or even TFAMH

I’ll tell you how I know.

In the last 10 years they haven’t manage to fill more than a handful of seats for any meeting without a guest speaker.

When they invited a guest speaker to KPWMC from the council to talk in an open forum about the stadium. It attracted about 10 non board members. Me being one of them.

When they held a well advertised an open meeting in an hotel to discuss fan ownership. Excluding Trust board members, it probably attracted 100 odd people. With a sizeable percentage who turned up, not supporting the idea.

Out of the 1000 plus members they have. I would hazard a guess that 95% of them joined many many years ago. A huge chunk of them are life members, who take absolutely no interest in what the Trust say, and certainly have never attended anything arranged by the Trust, unless it has a guest of interest.

How much more do you want…

Perhaps if that doesn’t convince you. GPC might be able to help. They like their stats the Trust.

Can we have a breakdown of membership sign up as per year?

If it has seen even a 10% increase on its original membership, since KT took charge I will admit that I am impressed.

Over to your side to prove me wrong mate 😁😁😁.

If they are Democratic they should name the attendees from their side when they met the Council recently.The slides introduced the representatives from the Council but made no mention who was representing the Trust.

I thought they had done that. Can we have their names please GPC?

TIA

I've also never had an answer to my repeatedly asked question about how many of the current Trust board were elected to their position and how many were co-opted.

Evening all,
Just a quick observation,  the Chairman needs to appreciate that the Football club of Northampton represents 230,000 not 2500.
 These past 20 years have seen outsider speculators  alienated large swathes of the support base and local businesses in pursuit of personal wealth from the land surrounding Sixfields, so let's give those long time alienated the chance to voice how they want to see their home town club progressing and not just the few that cosy up to these owners.
Just for the record,  I've got 50 plus years clocked up as a cobbler, I will be at Salford on Saturday...but I dont get a vote as I wont buy a season ticket as it could endorse the continuation of the mothballing of our club.

This is totally unacceptable. Come on GPC. Let’s have some answers to these and other reasonable questions posed.

If it is due to the fact that the Trust chooses not to answer via a forum. Can you please identify the appropriate channels and we will use them.

Thanks.

See. I told he wasn’t banned. Now you can lay that bollocks to rest 😁😁 Welcome back mate.

And you’ve come back with a brand new opinion (cough cough) 😜😜

You don't need to be a season ticket holder to vote for your man.

All you need to know Beds if you vote for me. And if you’re with Coolcat on Saturday, we’ll have a chat and put the world to rights  :)

Yes I am on the Trust board but I am not the official Trust spokesman for The Hotel End!!

There is a "contact us" section on here..... https://www.ntfctrust.co.uk/

I know that questions posed by this route are answered, and I know that one person who used this route has been informed who attended this meeting in the name of The Trust.....but as you seem to appreciate, it is not for me to answer every single question on here!!

So basically a member of the Board,let alone a member of the Trust, does not  know who represented the organisation at the meeting

The 'four' Trust Board members who attended the meeting were: Bob Souster (vice chair), Keith Buckby, Derek Krajewski and an independent 'legal advisor' who is not a board member.

Skirting around the question again? Just tell this forum the names

Is that an order? Who are you?

Deepcut - is Keith Buckby the ‘Keith’  who sometimes post on here?  Also the ‘Legal Advisor’ is this a bona Fide Legal person or somebody who is familiar with some Legal Terminology, that is  - not a professional Solicitor/Lawyer?

I think one of the chron reporter's should apply then at least we'd get information from a regular source.

Welcome back old friend. I’m feeling quite emotional.

This is a real opportunity to influence the path of the club into the future and beyond the tenure of the current ownership. Their are a number of elements to this, and 2 are of particular interest to me. What happens when the current owners move on. How can this position be maintained in the long term along with the processes that ensure democratic impartiality? This should be a particular objective in my view.

For me another one has to be the issues around the East Stand and the land. What I would like is someone who has an open mind and is prepared to be involved in an unbiased process of evaluation. My own view is to forget the redevelopment of that stand. If football at our level is to survive and possibly thrive it has to evolve beyond most of the current practices. Key to this is developing revenue streams outside of football. If a few million really is up for grabs then use it to fund an asset that may be part of the regeneration by WNC and developers of the whole area along the riverbank. If this could be achieved then this could be used to secure financing for redevelopment down the line. If we really want a sustainable future then we should be looking at all possibilities and be imaginative, not just follow the same old strategies. If there is a few million to be had then FFS don’t blow it on some white elephant construction that will sit there and possibly solve nothing. Put some cladding up and at least be involved in a process that at the very least considers all of the options that may be available. For that reason I hope we don’t end up with some East Stand obsessed nut case.

Carton Lid, this is my first post on this subject,  yet you mention me in your reply to Teachers pet ?

Personally, I hope the Trust stay well away – can't actually see it working in a meaningful way should a Trust candidate be successful; you can’t have two hats on as was proved last time round. Would prefer the other supporter groups to agree on a joint candidate and let the Trust sit in the background and continue to scrutinise things as it does now (just get a mandate!).
I just hope this latest initiative is indeed well-intentioned and not just another mechanism / drive to enhance their case for the development plans or to divide / distract any opposition to it.

Bit of a dilemma for the Trust Board. If they don’t put up a candidate then they are potentially open to all sorts of criticism. Alternatively if they do put up a candidate and they only obtain a minimal proportion of the vote then where does that leave them? Kind of damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Intentional or not, a brilliant strategy by the club.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/thomas-wants-elected-supporter-to-challenge-the-cobblers-board-3391395

"There was a recent poll (conducted by the Chron) where only six per cent of the fanbase felt the Trust represented their views, so automatically you are almost alienating 94 per cent of the fanbase."

it would be quite useful if The Trust’s points of principle were outlined in summary so that we can decide if it is something we want to support or not . This would subsequently follow through to if we support their candidate or not .
It is no different to any other elected process surely ?
Maybe someone can make this clear on this forum ?

Ahaaa  derek...aka Random right?

Looking fwd to seeing you voted onto the board with your master plan wowing the masses.

To clarify:
I have never met any of these people.
I am not aware, nor able to confirm, if any of the four are 'linked' to any posters on here.
There are profiles and pictures of two of the Board members on The Trust website:

https://www.ntfctrust.co.uk/our-board

When was this poll conducted? How many people answered? Was the poll conducted in the Chron or was it conducted on Jakes Henegans Twitter feed? Was the question ‘loaded’ so that the correct outcome could be achieved? Is the poll truly representative of Cobblers fans views?

I’d need to know the answers to these questions before making an informed judgment….

GPC, my thoughts exactly, I don't remember the 'poll', I wasn't sure if I had missed it?
Has anyone else seen or had the opportunity to contribute to it?  ???

Once on the board, how long is the tenure and will any special conditions apply?

Im guessing it was the one James from the Chron ran on Twitter. https://twitter.com/James_ChronNTFC/status/1408773806781501447?s=20
"as a Cobblers supporter, does the trust, in its current form, represent you and your views?"
6.1% yes, 81.2% no, 12.8% Not sure.
345 votes

Hardly the most robust of polls (dont think it was intended to be)

A Northampton Town supporter, or had you forgotten about us?

One thing (that I'm not sure has been mentioned yet) is that this person will have far more direct access to the fanbase than the Trust currently do.
I am sure they will have full access to the contact database to canvas and communicate with fans, as well as the official website. Could be quite an influential position.

With just 2% of Northampton public engaging with its football club in its present lowly guise, there's plenty to canvas for urgent change and improvements.
But it looks like Thomas and his cohorts doesn't want these involved?
Just those who chat with him at half time perhaps?

Its a very tough dilemma as far as the Trust is concerned. If I was still on the trust board, Id want to stay clear of this. Simply because the primary role (as I see it) of the Trust is to hold the club to account. Much like the opposition are meant to do, in parliament! Of course, its easier said than done. Said individual has to somehow 'get on' with the rest of the NTFC board, and at the point they decide to go lone ranger, they will not be fed what they need to be fed to be able to report back to the rest of the Trust board the information they need, if that makes sense...

So round and round we go...

I would rather this current position be filled by a completely independent, but hard nosed and objective individual who has passion for the club but also is business savvy enough to be able to make an informed judgement on proceedings, as well as being able to suggest new innovative ideals that the club could implement to improve things, all round.

Its an extremely important role, this one. It would be wasted if the winning candidate is someone who will just agree with KT and co on everything they say/do, likewise if their agenda is simply improving the match day experience (better catering, more things to do for kids at  half time etc). At board level its to do with strategy, and making the big calls.

I do fear that the average fan will just 'vote for his or her mate, favourite person who puts themselves forward' and that person might not be up to the challenges they are likely to face, as I think they need to be. I hope that there's a good level of debate when we know who the candidates are, so people will collectively make a more informed decision.

Anyone who puts themselves forward must consider that whilst they need to work constructively and positively with the board, they also may at some point face a significant back lash from fellow supporters if they are seen to fall asleep on watch...

...which really does re-enforce my point that he or she must be a VERY strong person. And not be afraid to be disliked by either fellow board members or a huge chunk of the fanbase alike. That is of course worst case scenario, but that has to be factored in.

Good luck to all those who 'go for it'. I look forward to reading their manifestos and making my own mind up as to which one to vote for!

Finally, a very positive move by the club and one I personally applaud. But ultimately its all about who the winning candidate is, and how they will forge that link from terraces to board room...

You asked me a question which had been answered in the previous post just 8 minutes before you asked. The person who gave the names contacted the Trust and was given the details.

Do you think I’m not a Northampton Town supporter?

Voting isn't restricted to season ticket holders...but I'm sure you know that

Didn’t see the poll either Simon, and all valid points well made.

Apologies, it was Another Pedj not your good self   :)

Reminds me of the famous ‘Do you know who I am’ reference on here a few weeks ago😎

Not quite the info hoped for :)  Thanks WDD - Random seems to have a few controversial views ;D

Most of my views stem from facts which unfortunately paint a very poor picture of the football club and its owners. I understand that it is uncomfortable reading at time and some fans want to defend the club and the owners, come what may, just like they did with Cardoza.

My views have been taken as anti-KT, anti-club, having a hidden agenda etc, this is unfair. Sure many of you know i was voted Supporter of the Year for all my work at the club, I removed myself from helping with Cardoza as I felt something bad was coming. When it did, i jumped back in, I helped the Trust at meetings and shaking buckets at Coventry etc. Then...

When KT took over, I went back volunteering, excited that a new owners with plans and money would move the club forward, i helped with the programme sellers, outside sales, Sold £1000's of merchandise both at the club and on parade day at the market square. But I saw that nothing changed in those 8 months, not one member of staff, no improvements, no plans, nothing, and it's been the same ever since.

My beliefs are that Northampton can and should be supporting a lower championship / high L1 club and anything under that is a failure, the problem is we are so so so far away from that position.

We have owners that talk a very very very good game, constantly talk up their 'achievements', whilst blaming The Trust and the council for any issues and problems.

The Trust is made up of lifetime supporters, anyone can be a member, anyone can be elected to the board. It is NOT a closed club, you do not have to agree with anyone to be there, they have constantly asked for more help, for more members, for more views, they have invited and had zoom meetings with some who are anti-Trust.

The big big difference between KT / NTFC and the Trust is that KT has £6m to spend how he wants, he has PR people, the local media in his pocket, The Trust have none of these things and so it easily forgotten that they are genuine long term supporters of their football club, they are fighting to protect it and get a better long term deal than the £3m east stand and land deal that is proposed by the owners.

That's 400 words mate, you're going to have to trim it a bit  ;D

thats not my manifesto  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

How many words would you like?

A smart move by the club to complete undermine the Trust.

They have been undermining the Trust from the day before they arrived Monkey

KT alienated the Oxford Trust, He alienated the Torquay Trust, He alienated the Northampton Trust.  Anyone see a pattern?

He SOLD NTFC without informing the fans or media - No announcement or video then, yet with have a 20 minute monologue about a supporter joining the board, but doesn't want them in the board room on matchdays!

Is there a salary for this position? What are the roles and responsibilities?  Will they be at ALL board meetings and discussions?  What is their remit?  Who do they answer to? 

I think it’s pretty transparent what he’s trying to do, fortunately the decision makers can see what it is as well.

;D I knew someone would misrepresent that.

Take it easy old chap; the men in suits may get interested in your ‘facts’!

Put yourself up Dave, it's been briefed anyone can go for it.

I was told that the Trust didn't build the 25 questions zoom call with KT because it was unprofessional.
How come zoom is ok to discuss stuff with anti trusters?

#consistency

The Trust declined the zoom invite because for the issues being discussed it was considered the wrong forum, more so as the club wished it to be open to all Trust members and potentially all fans if they wanted to. This would be club led and administered. Not the correct forum or environment.
If the questions had been answered first, then this type of forum may have been appropriate to discuss the questions and answers together.
The Trust Board decided that written answers were required or at least desirable for their written questions. Get things’ on the record’ so to speak.

As for 1-2-1 meetings with other individuals who have raised concerns about Trust statments, actions or the like then this was considered to be appropriate forum. 

So actually nothing to do with ‘unprofessional’…..

OMG really, you are sooooooooooooo desperate. Do you get a towel sale from KT for every anti-Trust post.  >:D >:D

Playing devil's advocate a little bit...

Why would the wider membership and/or fanbase hearing the answers first-hand have been a bad thing? Why does it matter who sets up or chairs the meeting, as long as they're not being obstructive? Would it have been better (and easier to defend) if the Trust took the meeting and just requested written answers/clarifications afterwards, where gaps needed to be plugged?

A Zoom meeting could have been recorded and minuted, to get things on the record.

was it misrepresented though Woody?

He said it, yes he was talking about talking to fans instead but it is an insight into how he really thinks about fans in the boardroom.

He didn't talk about anything in any detail, nothing about what he wants the role to achieve or focus on, not one thing of detail, except, they are still to be a fan, not to act, dress or look like a Director. He was at real pains to get that across.

Without commenting on the sentiment of the rest of the post... these are very fair questions.

I hope the successful candidate feels empowered to turn the role down if they can't 'scope out' a role & remit that is acceptable to them.

Yes it was.
Its clear he wants the fan to remain a fan and not become a 'suit'. How can the representative reflect the terraces if they are quaffing champagne and eating prawn sandwiches.
I also think fans would be very quick to say they had become KT's puppet if they suddenly stop wearing their shirt, scarf etc and having a pie and pint before the game and turned up in a suit with a club tie for a sit down meal

Totally agree.

I'm looking  at this with great interest, looking forward to seeing which  candidates are put forward,  will look at them all and decide from there.

Coincidentally my first 2 questions were who’s doing the catering and is there an extensive wine list. All this talk of pies and pints is putting me off.

If any?

Melly were you affected by the earthquake?

I kept my powder dry for a few pages of the thread but frankly the position is a bit of a joke - one supporter representative, - what does that really mean? - not an awful lot I suspect in terms of any meaningful say in the running of the club. Not taking sides here but KT in all the years of ownership has never taken any real interest in fan involvement (which of course is his right) and to me a very clear and embarrassing unsubtle attempt to outflank the trust. I personally think the whole thing is pathetic and best ignored.

I’ll list a handful of reasons why I’m going to be applying for this.

1. NTFC has been a massive part of my life and I’ve always wanted the opportunity to properly give something back. This is finally that opportunity.
2. I am not one who will simply act as a yes man. I’ll challenge when required / when I believe is needed because I want the best for this football club.
3. The current board need to be pressured positively to ensure that promises are met regarding the East Stand and surrounding areas. I was happy to challenge Kelvin on the day he displayed the plans and will be happy to do that again.
4. This needs to be represented by someone who attends a lot of games.
5. I’m thick skinned and that’s definitely going to be needed.

I’ll not be sad if I’m not voted and expect people to vote for the person who best represents them. Excited about the chance to though.

Fair play Dan - good luck but it’s going to be really tough to be effective.

Are you a member of the Trust Dan and if not would you consider joining if that gives you a better chance of success (not saying that it will)

And so the predicted attempt to ask candidates to join the trust begins….

Il vote for anyone not involved in the trust past or present.

New broom needed imo.

Matters not, the influence the supporter elected to the board will have is so negligible it’s ridiculous.

I am not a member though did attend the save the cobblers meetings in 2015. I wouldn’t join at this stage. I’d want to win based on the quality of the application rather than anything else personally.

In reply to Cobblers watch, I have little doubt that it would be incredibly hard. But I’m very persistent 😂👌🏽

Totally agree CW.

There are certainly a lot more questions than answers. Looking to outflank the Trust with WNC i suspect.

I could go on but you have said it perfectly. Thanks

so Dan, what would the first thing you would ask KT for on behalf of the supporters?

You have me worked out wrong if you think I'm attempting to do anything.
(What is an attempt to ask btw)
Thanks Dan.

Thanks Dale, hope all is ok with you considering the earthquake.....?

A smaller wine list shows confidence from the sommelier.

“Refusal to do a Zoom meeting is because it isn't professional and the Trust that I know try to be and succeed in that aim.
You can record zoom meetings but equally something gets said and later the speaker is challenged about it, they can say "Well, I didn't mean it like that."...and so on and so forth.
Let's face it, would anybody buy a car, a house, or anything of substance on the strength of a supposedly legally binding zoom meeting?
I'd want the legally binding stuff in print,  something I could show a judge.
The club and its environs isn't something we can get from Poundland and chuck away if it breaks.
Things have to be watertight.
For reasons best known to himself, Bower and possibly certain others at NTFC, Thomas will not answer the questions.
Probably for the same reasons as I quoted but in reverse. “

I didn’t say the quote was from the trust.
This was something that came to me.
Wind your neck in

All good mate, I was saying earlier the house properly shook and the kids freaked out a bit. I’ve had worse on holiday in Greece though tbh.

A very important point which has me thinking.

Before I apply I want to know the perks.

Sponsored car?
Free matchday entertainment for family and friends, home and away.
Preferential FA Cup final tickets.
A Florida holiday home with pool enclosure and complimentary tickets to Islands of Adventure.
British Airways Executive club member.

Should start with the basics first.

Trumps available.. :-\

I have been actively involved supporting my County team, The Cobblers, for over 50 years.

I was at the Exeter rooms, I bought shares in the club when asked by Brian Lomax, wrote regular articles in the early fanzine years, done sponsorship, company hospitality, questioned key personnel at the early Open meetings,, basically 'obsessed' for NTFC.

Will I stand as a 'fans representative'..........not a bl**dy chance! .......BUT I will support the person who is elected.

I do not give a monkey's if he or she is a Trust member or other supporter, only if their heart is in the club to expand it in the near future.

How’s the golf Dale?

Not great with the lockdown mate. You still at Harlestone?

👍

I wondered what your pseudonym was, you gave the game away there kid.

This is  a very, very interesting development and if I can put my two penneworth in..

I'm guessing that the supporters representative will become a director rather than just an attendee at board meetings..

This means that the supporters director will have stringent legal responsibilities alongside their "stakeholder" responsibilities to supporters.

I hope that the current owners have thought through this process and understand how difficult the role will be for a supporter who doesn't have some sort of background in legal and financial affairs - on the one hand the supporters director will have legal responsibilities to their role as a director and on the other they have to represent the views of a very wide ranging supporter base to the club in a lawful manner.

Potentially I think it's a great step forward. It's a directorship from hell in many ways, but the right person could play a very important role in bringing the owners and supporters closer together at this very important time.

It can be argued (by me anyway!), that this is one of the most important periods in the club's history - we have to settle the ground issues for the next 20 years at least; we need to find a way for the club to be financially sustainable without perpetual owner capital input and we need to find a relationship between the owners, club and supporters trust that works positively rather than the current unhappiness.

You should post more often.

Will the appointment of James Whiting to the board at the same time as the supporters rep have any knock on effect in terms of policy decisions or strategy?
Does everyone on the board have an equal vote and ie will 4:1 sit better than 3:1 in the case of a split decision?
Asking because I (clearly) have no idea.

Hi

I used to be The Wandering Cobbler who used to post occasionally interesting stuff during the winding up era but I can't log on..


 You should post more often.
[/quote]

Those that I expected to greet this news with their usual cynacism certainly didn't disappoint.

From a totally impartial perspective. I think it is not only a genuine effort by the club to engage the support, but in fact a necessary gesture. At some point, the football league expects all clubs to demonstrate that they have some level of supporter participation at board level. It is easier for the club to move on this now, with them determining what they want, as well as what is good for the support. Rather than have it imposed in a way that they might not like.

It is good to see some people already throwing their names into the hat. It's quite a bold move to make, and it will incur some responsibility. Having said that, we all have to be fully cognisant of the restraints under which the elected individual will be operating. it is not easy being privy to a lot of information, whilst being mindful of the need to keep a balanced perspective. Being able to effect change absolutely requires people to feel they are part of that change. A lesson that has been wasted on some over recent years.

I will be very specific about what I do and who I vote for. And I never vote for anything or anyone normally  ;D

Bearing all this in mind and the potential importance of position, do you think that the timescales for standing and voting are sufficient?
Will they give everyone who is thinking of standing time to get their s*** together and those who are voting time to get to engage those standing and reach a decision as to who they award their vote to?

I would have given it a bit longer. When I emailed the club about their motives and a few other things around the position, that's something that I forgot.

So basically become a progressive, innovative and forward thinking club like nearly all our nearest rivals ..Yes why not, 20 years rotting at  the hands of land speculators has worn very thin.
Absolutely agree,.Time for a major change,

You can't compare us to any other club as apparently that is cherry picking and is anti-club.

Our current owners are anti club.

Thomas did point out one criteria for those standing to represent supporters on the board being not anyone who 'hates' him 😂
I certainly dont hate the man, just the way he bumbles along year after year, chopping and changing his mind without ever actually getting anything worthwhile done..
 If I could stand, it would be on a Thomas out immediately agenda, I would demand a much expanded voting field that includes the Town of Northampton which many can be forgiven for forgotting is actually the place the Cobblers represent so therefore all inhabitants are perfectly entitled to demand a vote on their local clubs future.
Allow them access to the facts and let the voting commences 😂

That's not two minds, it's one mind.

You don't like "the Trust", you think it's a clique (of 748 people!?).  You think everything it ever does is negative and disruptive (how can a paper tiger be disruptive?)

When you talk about everything the club does, what do you mean?  Literally nothing happened to improve the future outlook for the club for six years. Its future currently rests almost entirely with a 75 year old lawyer from Oxford who lives in Dubai, to whom it is in massively in debt.  He also sold your club without telling you.   Yet the Trust are the ones you're suspicious of?  Lifelong supporters?

If the current moves are more than box-ticking to try to get the deal with WNC over the line and head off any imposed regulation following the Tracey Crouch review then it's a really positive move.  But you have to understand that some people won't be dancing in the street after six years of literally nothing and a totally inexplicable 180 degree about turn from KT.  Remember that KT said supporter involvement was a deal-breaker during takeover talks.  He was going to refuse to take over the club if supporters had a say in running it.  And up until a week ago he maintained that view.  What changed? 

A meeting between the Trust and WNC took place 2 weeks before the simply incredible change of philosophy... but of course it's nothing to do with the Trust, it's a paper tiger and never does anything positive!

The Trust Board had several Zoom meetings with KT and once even received a 40 minute lecture from David Bower.   KT is very engaging, you go away and think about what has been said and you realise it's absolutely nothing new.  After this happened for the third or fourth time we realised it wasn't working, enough was enough and it was time to try to obtain some new information in a format which could be easily reviewed and shared.

The lengths that have been gone to in order to avoid answering even one of those questions (actually I think the one about selling the club for a pound was answered on a video) are incredible.  Must have taken much, much longer (trawling Trust members' social media for percieved offensive posts etc) than actually answering the questions would have done, if the club really had the plans it claimed to have for stand completion, increased revenue etc.

"we demand fan representation on the board"
"ok then"
"WOLF"

 ;D

This is certainly a chance for all those with the answers to put themselves forward. The fans who constantly put their ideas forward as being better than anything the Club are doing, how much more progressive their ideas are, how fans should be represented on the board. Now is your chance, put your names forward,  just show us how progressive you are, time to stop hiding behind your keyboards, put you big boy pants on ,  this is your chance to change the Club from within, get the fans behind you, get their ideas to. We see it on here  day after day, week after week, about how crap the board are, nows the time for you to put yourselves forward, let's have three or four of you up there asking for people's votes. There's plenty of season ticket holders who will propose and second you, come on, show us what your made of and it's prove its not all hot air.

Do you really think that KT will take any notice?
Whiting has been put on the board to veto anything you could come up with.

I want to challenge you on a couple of things you have said here.


I see this reported a lot when accusations are made regarding the Trust being a clique of 748 which I assume represnts the membership number.  I always think it's very misleading.  How many are life members?  How many of those 748 are actively engaged with the trust.  i.e. you have GDPR forms for so can contact.  How many of those that you do have GDPR forms for are actively engaged in two way conversations with the trust?

This is important in any discussion because you can't just dismiss accusations of the Trust being a clique by producing numbers that don't represent the full picture.

Regarding the accusation of the Trust being a clique I think it's probably more accurate to describe the Trust Board and it's "special" advisors as a clique.  Bearing in mind my previous point about the lack of two way engagement with membership then You see that the board and it's advisors pretty much are the Trust.

The reason some people view the Trust as a clique is because the board and it's advisors seem to be making ALL the decisions regarding how the Trust approach the matter of ownership, development etc with very little or no active engagement with the wider fan base and their views.  In addition the board and it's advisors are very much like minded in their opinions and new board members that are added seem to fit the mould and viewpoint of the existing board members.  If we only surround ourselves with like minded individuals surely we are only ever going to get the answers we seek and have a very restricted view of what the wider fan base actually want.

So when BOTN gives his opinion...in my view you have three choices.  You could dismiss it out of hand and say it's wrong.  You could agree with it and do something to change the clique like nature.  Or you could question why so many fans seem to hold this opinion and if they truly are wrong how can this perception be changed.

Do you believe the current board and advisors as a whole have a good understanding of the opinions and desires of the wider fanbase and if so how?  I put this question to Grange with no success but who represents BOTN and his view at supporters trust board meetings?  Even if he's completely wrong?      


Regarding this.  Do you not think the membership and wider fanbase have a right to know what was said in these meetings.  Hence why there is a desire to ask the questions and hear the answers themselves.  There seems to be this underlying level of the Trust Board and their "Special" advisors not trusting, pardon the pun, the fans.  It's almost like a "we know best" attitude and we will share info with you when it's appropriate.  I mean this is the very thing everyone seems to hate so much about our current owners.

Are there any minutes or recordings etc. of these meetings and can we see them?

With respect mate what is the point of supporter board representation at all then if this is your view.  What was the point of the Trust having a board rep in the past? 

So why don't you put yourself up to join the board and get your feelings known ?    Oh I forgot, your a keyboard warrior aren't you ?   ;) ::)

Have we reached Godwins yet?

And there we have it in a nutshell.  Couldn't have timed your reply more perfectly and summed up everything that was and is wrong with the attidtude of the board.

Dismissed because I'm not on the board and I'm anti trust.  Not a single comment about the content of what I say.  Not a single thought of maybe the Trust does have a problem.

I haven't stood for the board of the Trust for several very good reasons which I've stated many times previously.  I'm married have two kids and work long hours to provide for them.  I coach and run football teams 4 times a week, my daughter plays for NTFC girls and I watch the Cobblers.  The little free time I have I am studying for my next coaching badge and I'm also currently studying for a Diploma.  I absolutely love my life, love my family and most of all love football.

I feel like I make a real practical difference to people through my own activities and that means something to me.

So with all that even if I had any free time spare, which I don't, what possible encouragement would comments like yours and all the others I get make me want to even spend a minute of my valuable time fighting a losing battle on a trust board that is dead set on a path that I don't agree with and has delivered NOTHING tangible for it's members and the wider support base in the last 5/6 years of KT ownership.

Historically it had teeth, this position is a tick in a couple of boxes, the upcoming government review and the appeasement of WNC.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1004891/TC_letter_to_Oliver_Dowden_Accessible_Format.pdf
I personally would welcome an independent regulator.

I think we are getting close.

It's a fair challenge around membership numbers.

Like many organisations, particularly gyms & health clubs, a lot of people are happy to join but are then not active members.  Some will be moved to get involved if they agree or disagree violently with what is going on.

We do have a high proportion of life members, but if they really feel that the Trust doesn't represent them they can still resign their membership if they want to.  In honesty we have had one or two of those, but that's about it.

With regard to even the board being clique, I'm new on here (this time around) but have said on Twitter several times that I didn't know a single member of the board before I stood to join it a couple of years ago.  I'd heard of Andy Roberts by reading his name when he wrote for the Chron and I recognised a couple of faces from 30+ years of going to games.  But that was it.  We almost never agree 100% on anything and don't socialise to any extent.

So if a group of people who didn't know each other, aren't friends, don't socialise, argue frequently, do different jobs, have very different political views etc. agree on a few points you can either dismiss them as a clique or you can think a bit deeper about how it has happened.  Perhaps the facts are so powerful that it is not possible for views to vary very widely if you have a certain remit and responsibility towards the club.

I think we could definitely do better in ascertaining and trying to represent the views of others.  To that end we have arranged meetings with some members who have contacted us to say they disagree with our approach and views, and any member is welcome to attend any board meeting - we had one attend our last board meeting.  It's difficult when people go onto forums and trot out the usual stuff but when offered interactive engagement refuse it, and to be honest I have absolutely no time for stirrers or hot air merchants like that.

We need members to complete GDPR forms before we can email them.  I have seen a few comments that people joined the trust and then never heard anything.  They probably didn't complete the form. The form can be emailed, so any trust members who want one please use the Trust website to request one.  

We are looking at membership software which will take a lot of the manual labour out of communications and enable us to get comms out and gain opinions quickly.  Quite often we have a very limited time within which to respond to something which has come up and we are simply unable to consult with all members within that timeframe.

So I 100% agree we should canvass wider opinion more often, and we are working to do so.

But I couldn't disagree more with the "clique" label.  The more the merrier in the fight to get NTFC to where it deserves to be - and that isn't in League 2 surrounded by warehouses with no money!  Hopefully at least we can all agree on that?

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me.  Have a good day.

There will be board vacancies at the upcoming AGM, as there usually are - it's a million miles from a closed shop.  

Cheers MC, saved me a lengthy response there (good following post too)

It all knocks on nicely into repeating my oft asked question about how many of the current Trust board were actually elected and how many were co-opted. The longer this question goes unanswered, the more I start to think the answer will reveal exactly why everyone thinks the board is a clique!!!

Its a good question, and if stories are true then board meetings were very few and far between (Cardoza era), a lot was said in individual meetings between other members and drip fed to the Trust member as and when appropriate...... you could argue that the point of having a Trust member was to sign some documents when asked to do so by the Chairman....but that's a totally separate matter!

Now I think of Board meetings, and the sheer logistics! Yes we are in "Zoom times" but even then, the owner spends most of his time in Dubai (GMT+4) and the Chairman spends a lot of time in Florida (GMT-5).

I am still struggling to get my head around how an "independent fan" can dedicate the time and resources to this role, and how do they reach out to and be contacted by the fanbase. They also need to have some financial acumen, and also pass the EFL fit and proper directors test.....and finally understand just what the responsibilities of a full director are. Joining the board of a company which is around £7m in debt is not a decision to be taken lightly!

The devil is in the detail of course, but as so often is the case the detail is missing.

Nice one Keith and welcome to THE. That's the most reasoned and engaging post I've seen related to the current Trust.

The current make up of the Trust Board is 11 members, 8 of whom were elected and three co-opted. Those three will have the chance to stand for election at the next AGM. People have joined the Board as co-opts following our repeated requests for more people to do so.

GPC, can you name the eleven, with those elected and those co-opted, because they are not all listed on The Trust website? Thanks...

Kelvin Thomas guest on the Cobblers Show 6pm Radio Northampton this evening...text/tweet & call in with all your questions for him...

Trust statement on this subject.....

https://www.ntfctrust.co.uk/news/article/trust-welcomes-fan-director-election

Great response from the Trust

Agreed. That's the perfect response.

Like them you should have given yourself a little longer, before hitting the send button?

Very good. Looking forward to seeing if anyone stands who is also one of the more prominent members of the Trust.

Hilarious KT losing his shît on the radio, stitched up like a kipper.

Missed it.
How can I listen retrospectively?

BBC Sounds. Go to BBC Northampton and schedule you can listen.  You will be disappointed if you are expecting to hear KT losing his s***.

£100 to charity 😂

Thanks.

https://www.burges-salmon.com/news-and-insight/publications/the-responsibilities-and-duties-of-a-company-director

My advice is that candidates should seek independent legal advice to clearly understand what their obligations and liabilities are. I would pay particular attention to the availability of insurance policies to indemnify themselves as necessary.

Thank you, GPC, that is a more palatable breakdown than I'd expected. I also welcome the statement from the Trust on the new board member. Let's hope this signals a more open and inclusive era between the club and the Trust and that we can all accept a level of compromise that allows us to move forward together as a stronger, unified entity.

Jeez, Kelvin sounded well pissed off with everything on that interview!
He obviously reads this Forum! Or it may just have been every single question put to him from the “fans”was either suspicious or downright aggressive.
I’m not sure he deserves the lack of respect he gets but you can tell it’s starting to get right on his t*ts!

If a non trust member is elected to the NTFC board, do they then have to attend trust meetings as a liaison officer?
Or can they decline to be involved with the trust?

Just heard the interview, reckon Beds has donated $100 to children in need so well done. Don’t think he got value for money with that question though?

What got to Kelvin was the news that two WNC councillors  will sit on the trust board, one Conservative and one Labour, if we are doing Top Trumps of news that one beats KT fan on the board all day long.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Brilliant response.

They must have edited listen again as he didnt say a word about it!
He does certainly sound frustrated with some of the questions, and I don't blame him

Thanks for taking the time, Keith. I don't feel you've answered any of the questions in my OP but to be honest that's fairly standard on here (whether the poster is aligned to the Trust or not).

The bit around KT essentially being the snake in Jungle Book or Obi Wan Kenobi... again playing devil's advocate, in my experience that only happens if the person/people asking the questions let someone get away with it.

Honestly, I don’t think they are going to like that one bit. On a separate note I thought the question from that John on Twitter was the more challenging of the listeners comments.

That seems a fair and reasoned response Keith. The vast majority of I wouldn’t disagree with. When I was on the board, I would say there were a few people who we’re definitely involved in things more than the whole board. But I didn’t see this as impermeable, more a case of their involvement with each other outside of the Trust.

The only area where I disagree entirely is with the Trust purporting to being representative of the support. In no way do I mean this contentiously, purely from a fair and factual perspective. The main body of the Trust membership derived from times when the club was perceived to be, or was indeed in crisis. Out of the 700+ members, I would be surprised if 90% of them have had any active involvement in anything to do with the Trust for many years now. I know from my own personal experience on the board, many years ago, new memberships were rare to say the least. I would hazard a guess, so feel free to correct me, that over recent years there has not been hardly any new sign ups. I would also add, to substantiate my claim that it is not representative, the poultry attendance at Trust led meetings. In the instances where the Trust has held forums without a special guest, the turn out with the exclusion of Trust board members, has been almost in single figures. I openly challenge you and the board to hold an open forum regarding fan ownership, and the stadium redevelopment, without an invited guest. I will happily publicly apologise if you get more than 2% of our average home gate attend.

For a bit of balance. I don’t like for one minute like what is going on with the ground, and several other aspects around the development. I am realistic about how these things go, having been until recently, part of an acquisitions team for a substantial development company. So I am fully aware of the chicanery that goes on. I think that KT made a huge mistake in not honouring his initial promise to finish the East stand. I also have reservations around the maintenance and upkeep of the existing parts of the ground separate to the East stand. It’s looks like it's tired and could do with some attention. I also feel that there is a lack of feedback from the club. Some clubs are a bit OTT in this area, but there is a balance to be struck, one that NTFC falls short of. On a personal level, I am not motivated significantly to stray into any of the arguing.

In a nutshell. I think the members of the Trust board have every right to challenge what they see fit. But personally, I cannot see how anyone outside of the Trust board and a few like minded people, believe that they are in anyway, shape, or form, representatives of the wider support. From a club perspective, they need to stop “kicking the can”. They can only take so much of the accusations and inference that they do not have the clubs interests at heart. Then sooner or later something will shift in the supports views. That stand needs finishing, we need to restore some pride in the club. From that perspective, mine and any right minded persons attention, falls on the owners to start shifting bricks, not the blame.

Having two councilors on the board of the Trust / as liaisons I think is going to be great for all parties but is also surely going to shift the dynamic somewhat, in what I think is a good way.
I have been critical about the tone of some of the statements from the Trust and also whilst well intentioned and passionate fans, maybe not always conducting themselves (as a collective) in the best way.

Having two councilors who can maybe bring more order and structure is a positive thing and will also be used to writing statements in a much more 'political' way. I cant imagine that two sitting councilors would allow their names, albeit indirectly, to be associated to some of the statements or more accusational (apparently not a real word, it should be) points made.

I look forward to seeing how it has an impact and hopefully will bring all three parties (Trust, Council, Club) closer together which can only be a benefit for us all.

Hammy, so how will this Supporter Director be representative of the support?  How many votes do you expect them to get?

Considering they say they have been thinking and discussing this for months, the delivery of this has been haphazard at best.

Having 2 weeks to be appointed is ridiculous, let alone the very little detail. They don't even know how long the appointment is for FFS.



 

The lack of thought and clarity either demonstrated utter contempt (ok a bit strong but you know what I mean) for the position or they are total inept and clueless.

Which one is it?

There are so many questions and unknowns. KT said on the radio they would be liable  ???  But for what and how? How long is it for?  What are the perks? What are the hours, liabilities, roles and responsibilities? What resources given? How many board meetings? etc etc etc

Most votes win in 2 weeks is a joke, what if the perfect person is currently on holiday or ill or working away etc.?

Should have been a more drawn out process like you have to come in the top 3 first and then another vote with just those 3 ?  Thats how many elections are run isn't it? 

In the main, I agree.

Thanks Melly, so it is contempt or ineptness?  :) :)

Agree it seems rushed. I dont know why they couldnt announce the idea and say 'more to follow'.
As KT said on the radio he wants people to seriously think about it, but there isnt anything to think about or making reasonable decisions.

I would expect and hope that once they agree the structure they will extend the timeline. I would be nervous about someone on the board who went into it completely blind

I prefer the benefit of the doubt and say ill conceived. I don’t think it’s feasible to ask someone to accept a position without understanding the circumstances under which they are potentially making themselves legally liable for. It could be argued that they may feel more obliged or coerced into accepting the responsibilities once they have been elected. Like I said, my advice to anyone is if elected get some independent legal advice before you formally accept the position. In fairness the club would most likely insist on this anyway as a condition of acceptance.

I would think that the liabilities will be limited, more a case of not getting tied up in anything illegal (which I don't think for a minute would happen)

Supposedly you have to act in the best interests of the Ltd company but it's almost meaningless, i mean, you can charge £2m consulting fee, lose £10m of loan money and it's all fine.

Who is going to pay the £300+ bill for legal advice?

More importantly how is one fan, acting alone in and out of the boardroom, going to make a difference. Especially when KT's excuse before was that they are always talking to fans, directly, via social media and email.

In his rush to appease the council (which is what I believe this is all about) he has underlined his failings and mismanagement.

Personally the £6.68m Chinese money not reported, the thinking that a basic £3m East stand development with just 202 more seats, the enclosing of the East stand by warehouses over the running track, the £7m debt with no increase in assets, the 2 gifted promotions utterly wasted with 2 toothless relegations are bigger and clearer failings to me.

I think you worry too much, would be my first observation.

In terms of the timescale for the appointment, I have said elsewhere that it does seem a bit short. However, there might be a reason for that.

You seem to be viewing this from an employee perspective, rather than that of a elected board member. In short, I doubt much past possible free admission and some minor incurred expenses, that you would get anything.

Can't wait to see the candidate list. Guaranteed to keep this at the top of the page regardless of what's going on with the football!
Outside of this limited forum it probably won't cause much of a stir.
It'll be a scarf waving figurehead role for the fans to have a whinge at on a matchday or on email, a bit like a 'KT junk folder'.
Sadly it could well be someone who thinks that they are going to have a huge impact and change the world, only to realise someone is operating them from behind and they are not involved in the whispered conversations.

I'm sure they'll get a free ticket with unlimited tea and biscuits, which won't make much material difference as it will be someone like Tony Ancell.

Having said that, hats off for anyone with the time, energy and inclination to throw their hat in the ring.

Can I correct you?
The two week period is for nominations to be submitted, not for the appointment to be confirmed.
That will happen after the nominations have been put out to the vote. ;)

Good statement from The Trust Board.  8)

Being between jobs at the mo, I recently went for an interview. The basics took about five minutes, and then onto the perks. They were, free parking, (loads of room on the road outside,) and free use of the canteen, but I would still have to pay for the food.
At that point I said that if they had not heard from me within 14 days, then their application to employ me was unsuccesful.
I have always wanted to do that.  ;D
I would also add that whoever chucks their name in, is walking into a vipers nest. Best of luck.

Why would anyone in their right mind take up a position that is so undefined ?

Frankly Random to me at least you don’t sound to be on the same Hymn sheet as the Trust ref Today’s statement. Judging by your last two messages today not sure if they are misleading viewers.

What if there are several candidates who are equal in votes and cannot be separated?

FA Cup style draw live on iFollow, balls to be drawn by minor celebrities or kick the ball in the skip?

Electioneering? ;D

I’d hardly call it electioneering as has been discussed before on here this forum only represents a tiny proportion of cobblers supporters as the vast majority don’t use it.

Here are the runners and riders, Tels at the front  ;D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVYA3oTG8fg

I wouldn’t be too sure about the meaningless part. I personally know of an individual who was brought to their knees for rather controversially breaching their conditions. A walking advert against making decisions based on faith.

I fcuking hate Monty Python, and this sort of thing is one of the reasons why. Unless you have been smoking something funny at the Reggae bar.

It is, of course, a nonsense. What is a lone droog gonna do on a board of a greyed-out private company? Nowt, my lover, nowt.

In a nutshell this, I’d go as far as to say the whole thing is bizarre.

Have to agree. However, the lack of clarity could be viewed as an opportunity.

Winning the vote wouldn't lock you into taking the seat. So, win the vote, have proper, formal conversations about role & remit and then decide.

What happens if no-one stands?

They’d all be sitting?

Absolutely, you won’t hear anything claiming that from those of us who operate it. Hence our dismay at the Trust boards suggestion that it currently represents anything other than the boards views. After all, we don’t allege anything, yet we have four times the Trust membership. And they couldn’t even try to compete with how many people who read and contribute on here.

Perhaps we (collectively) and other social media platforms are what is truly representative of the support… After all. The Trust have a forum. They also have a redevelopment thread. But it’s a tad different. It was started in Feb 2020 by the Trust. It has managed TWO responses in 18 months. Both answering itself.  ;D ;D So yes, we don’t claim to represent anything. But some people might, based on no support at all..

Time to put the rod & Line away.

Ok, ok I obviously cannot continue ignoring the requests and pleas that have been arriving in my inbox and through the post. It is a hell of a responsibility but we had a long hard chat as a family and I have bowed to pressure. I will stand. I shall be represented by the Cuban banner and will walk tall and proud as a Corinthian would. The future has gone and I will make sure the present takes us back to a new path of glory. It is spoken.

Aint that the truth.

Just when his last few posts had struck a more balanced viewpoint, along comes this crap!!

Administrator my ar5e…..

I think there would be a majority of cobblers fans who’ve never visited this forum or the trust site.
Those are the fans who will probably decide the vote.
I’d guess the winner will be the candidate who stands at the bottom of the steps at sixfields handing out flyers explaining their manifesto.
Candidates relying on the hotel end or the trust website to put their message across are imo pissing in the wind.

Stop shît stirring TFAMH it makes you look bitter and twisted.

Anybody that takes a job with no job description and clearly no thought as to the role and responsibilities BUT that can have potential legal ramifications must be nuts.

UTC.

100% agree - I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion it’s nonsense and having read several pages of the thread maintain it’s nonsense and little more than a PR stunt from the current owner.

Depends who you vote for but def not a waste of time. Hope for some good may come of it.

Evers - the principle is sound but look at two aspect -

Firstly KT has shown no interest in true fan representation here, Oxford or Torquay and this has only happened coincidentally at the time of the spat with the Trust.
Secondly - roles and responsibilities of this position are very poorly defined and taking on a role legally defined as a director has a number of serious responsibilities. Additionally (and sadly) do you really think an individual albeit the fan’s choice is going to have as much clout as one with either deep pockets or in the current scenario one who can influence WNC decision making.

Absolutely spot on mate, this is the utter contempt that Thomas holds the supporters of our great club with, it’s just a PR stunt, two weeks to elect someone, it’s just ridiculous.
Thomas has clearly had enough, the interviews get more and more painful for him, life is too short Kelvin cut your loses, sell the club and go and do something else that will make you happy.

I'm not sure it's not Mr Bower that hasn't had enough and KT is on the receiving end of his frustrations over not seeing any prospect of a return on his investment.
Wasn't he over and in town recently?

He was and the fact he has transferred shares to his wife would lead to come to the conclusion he’s trying to sell.

Just like buses these Trusty types..  ;D ;D  Are you round each other’s for a sleepover 😀😜😜

What’s it like to have no fans… What’s it like to have no fans… 🎶

How did Chelsea get on today ?   ;)

Don’t know mate. I was at Salford. I’d imagine you was as well???

Did you pop up on the COVID bus 😜😜

A bit low, even by your standards   :o  :(

This is getting ugly!

Finally the thread becomes interesting.

Why all the excitement over who will be in charge of choosing the biscuits for meetings anyway? Custard Creams or Rich Tea, maybe a Peak Freans Family assortment to please the crowd! woah.  :o

In the unlikely event I decide to run that decision has already been made.

https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/food-wine-food-biscuits-cakes

Afternoon Melly. A true directors choice.

Any more decisions like that and you'll find yourself elected.

Albeit rather tongue in cheek on my behalf. There are some valid points raised. How about rather than doing the usual Trust attitude of focusing on anything but yourselves, put up a reasoned response. Rise to the challenge old chap. Take me and the doubters on head first. Surely the think tank, the keepers of the facts wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to refute any suggestion that they are not representative of the support.

How about wiping the floor with me, by popping up with some tasty figures. Imagine the pure unconditional apology I would have to provide, once you hit me with the last five years new membership figures. Imaging my embarrassment when you show how the Trusts forum is not reflective of the apathy that resides within your membership, and you provide clear evidence of the wholesale engagement you have with your members. Hold a members only forum, you can come back on here the next next day with a genuine mandate, knowing that I and many others have misjudged the whole thing.

Look at all of the options open to the Trust board. Let’s see just one, just for affirmation of the stance taken. Surely that’s democratic and fair. I’m more than happy to be wrong. In fact it would inspire a confidence that would definitely galvanise the support. Let’s hear something actually from the support. Not just the few that meet in a club. Go on. Give it a go, rather than just sneering at us….

Perhaps they don’t think your that important Tel?

In fairness to the trust they don’t need to get involved in spats on football forums.
They, just like the board of the football club should be above such things.

Oh come on, if you take that away from Tel all he would have left is to sit in the corner of a room sticking pins into an Andy Roberts doll.

did you take him up on the offer of a job?Ironic really, I click on biscuits and cakes, and then get hit with requests to use Cookies.

I offered to help him find someone to do the job, but he didn't get back to me ! No one has enough money to tempt me back to work  ;D

 ;D

Accepting all the cookies is why our "Merkin" friends are all fat. We should have biscuits on all British websites.

As a footnote please do listen to our friends from across the pond when they declare themselves, "Proud to be a Merkin." When you know what one is and how they came about, it will make you smile every time. Yee Ha.

I’d hope not. I’d hate to be considered anymore than any other person. But it is strange that the very few that insist on answers and integrity, appear as elusive as the ones they criticise.

As I said all along. It’s a race to the bottom between the Trust and the club.

I haven’t used any pins. I’ve been feeding it chips 😜😁.

You call your manhood chips?

It’s fondly referred to as either the ambassador, or Excalibur. In the spirit of sharing, do tell what you call your vagina.  :-* :P

As long as you don’t name it for him, apparently that’s illegal.

https://youtu.be/YstBl9xzz34

Nigel.

Less than a week to get your 250 words in and have your ego shattered.
Reads as though the club could be counting the votes, which I’m sure will raise a few eyebrows.

Looking forward to seeing the runners and riders.  8)

;D  ;D

I have one word to say on the matter…….FIASCO.

KT is borrowing one of the dominion machines.

That means we will have “sleepy” Joe Biden on the board???

Will the Russians be involved?  8)

I'm sure there will be some on here that will find something wrong with the appointment!
If anyone decides to storm Sixfields, can you do it on a matchday, pay for your ticket and 'storm' orderly through the turnstiles, could do with increased attendances  ;D

Is the Pope Catholic?  :P

He may be 'a' Catholic but certainly not catholic.

That’s nice. I’m not sure you would have said that if you knew the word it blanked…  😀

Is religion silly?

Apparently not. The head of the Catholic Church doesn't have the title The Pope.
The Pope is Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

Thanks QI

Not sure about silly but definitely deluded.

You need to lighten up a bit Woody, try a bit of Yoga maybe some mindfulness?

I thought that was quite a light hearted anecdote. I certainly found it Quite Interesting.
Think you need to take your own advise. Although I heard Yoga is just full of old people squeezing out trapped wind.

Looking forward to seeing the candidates for this next week. Tony Clarke, never afraid of losing an election. Maybe Tony Ancell and the return of boiled burgers.
I'm sure there'll be some well known local faces pitching for full funded tea and biscuits.

I'm not sure old people need yoga to enable that?  ;D

You’ll be pleased to know Woody that I have no trouble in releasing trapped wind, in fact a few West stand regulars can vouch for me on this.
I have taken to eating a little blue cheese and eggs for lunch on a match day just to give the atmosphere that Je ne sais quoi.

I still like you Tel.

I saw that episode, I was waiting for an opportunity to use it...I'll wait a little longer... ;)

That's given me a fuzzy glow..  :-* ;D

Not around these parts Woody.

Think 19-30 year olds in spandex, instagram starlets, super bodies, slightly perspiring, stretching in all unfathomable positions in the sunshine, (and that's just the men) I have to be inclusive, which of course it is here :P

I kept it to like, didn’t want to go too OTT.

Don't think I've ever laughed and nearly been sick at the same time before just from reading a post   ;D

Anyone know if anyone has actually applied for this yet?

Tom cliffe is tweeting that he has.

Me 👍🏽

I like Tom, he's a good lad and does a lot of good work with Cafe Track. I don't really know him personally but I'll always remember sitting behind him at Anfield. We chatted a bit during the match and he got a bit emotional at the end and threw his arms around me! It's one of those rare moments of genuine comeraderìe that you get from following football that stick with you.

His heart is absolutely in the right place but... doesn't he work with/for the club on the hospitality side of things? I'd worry he might be opening himself up for criticism and accusations of being an "inside man".

Matchday host for the past thirteen years? That Tom??

Unless I'm mistaken, yes.

Sweet Jesus.

I'm under no illusions that I have zero chance but nice to have got through stage one  :D Doubt I'll ever get a chance to apply to join the board again so pretty novel.

Can’t fault his passion.
I’m sure he’ll pick up a fair few votes.

Don't put yourself down. I imagine you'll pick up plenty of votes. So long as you've recckied the position and know what you might be letting yourself in for.
👍

absolutely no offence to Tom, but how can he be an independent supporter when he has 'worked' in the very inside of the club?

He and his family are 1000% cobblers and through his hard work and devotion has a very good / fun 'role'.

Not sure if it makes him an ideal candidate or not? conflict of interest for a start, so is he giving up the day job, he would have to surely.



 

Strange how people who weren't brave enough to put their names forward, are now  critical of people who have, as the Trust members so often put it, if you think you can do a better job put your name forward 😁

Well done for putting your head above the parapet, Good luck Dan.  8)

Just to clarify, I hope my comment about Tom wasn't interpreted as criticism of him as it certainly wasn't intended to be.

I actually think he'd do a great job, I just genuinely worry with his existing connections to the club that he'd be putting himself in the firing line.

I’ll be surprised if someone who isn’t ‘known’ gets the role. I guess you mean his other Cobblers role rather than his actual day job. I don’t think many people would have the luxury of not working, unless they are retired!

Dont forget its us fans who vote, not the owners etc. Unless we go down the dominion / moon landing route, which I am sure some will.
I agree he is close to the club, although think he would be great in the role. I'm also 90% sure that he is a volunteer and doesn't get paid for matchday hosting, although guessing he gets a season ticket for free or perks like that. Happy to be corrected though.

The moon landings were a figment of Stanley Kubrick’s imagination.

Some say he/she would do a good job or aren't sure but please can someone clarify what his/her role is/would be? They would almost certainly have to sign something to say they wouldn't reveal what went on in the board room so how could they be judged and what is the mechanism to remove them if the voters weren't happy? That is after accepting that decisions don't have to be made in the boardroom...

Pretty sure this is all going to be a damp squib

Have the club bothered to post any further details - NO.  You would have though they could have least put up a job description

2 hours to go to get your application in.

Good Luck to all those that apply. Can't wait to read them

As one of those that have been put in to the KT cheerleader bucket by some this process is ridiculous.
Fair enough when they launched the idea they hadn't determined the details but surely now that nothing has been further communicated the deadline needs extending. If not there will surely be a cloud over the position and create noise that isn't needed. It needs to be a clear and open position so people who apply know what they are applying for and those that vote not what we are voting for.

Agreed Woody, for me it's just another example of "not fit for purpose"

TBF the lack of publicity, advertising and info since that original news has been pretty telling. You would have thought the club would have been really pushing something like this.
I think it’s more of a ‘Lord Mayor of NTFC’ position.
Maybe the club have given more info to anyone who has applied.

You may well be right, but if so you have just ruined my childhood memories :'(

Still, at least I now know who Stanley Kubrick was :)

Times up, applications are now closed

How many do we think applied?

I'm assuming that those who have expressed an interest and got through the first filter would have been provided with more information regarding the role?  If not, they should have by the time it gets any further?
It might be a case of the applicant providing their own ideas about what they expect or intend to be doing within the limitations placed on them as a non-financial board member?  
For a new appointment like this, there is probably some fluidity regarding the Job Spec?

Less the better. Vote for Pearce.

Agree with this. But... would have expected there to have been the basics of the roll and then a statement to say the club, shareholders and new appointee will agree the details before making it formal / legal.

Agree, but I was only putting forward a suggestion. It maybe way off the mark.
Dan might be able to provide additional information?

Trawling through the official club website, I think the club also thought the "less the better"!
Unless you were a visitor to this website, or happened to see the news on the day, I doubt you'd have seen the position advertised.
Let's see who is in the frame.

Good luck Dan.

https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2021/october/supporters_representatives/

Sh*t's just got real Dan.
Why did you have to be in recruitment?!!  ;D ;D

Good luck Dan,  any decent players at the recruitment firm you’ve started at

Well done Dan. Its a wrap .

Campaign song, John Lennon & Yoko Ono "Give Pearce a chance"   ;D

Well done both for putting yourselves forward for election, both look very good candidates.

"I don’t think I have ever struggled so much to narrow down my thoughts into 250 words"

You didn't struggle Tom, you failed.  ;D

First question...can neither of our representatives, or anyone at the club use the word count function?  ;D

Good luck to both guys.

Maybe it's time people let the role exist for a period of time before deciding whether it's pointless.  We currently have zero fans representation in the board room so surely this is a step forward even if just a small one.

I can understand the fear some have regarding the lack of job description but surely it's an opportunity for the right person to make the role what it needs to be. 

In my opinion Tom is too close to the club whereas Dan is a supporter like us. Dan also mentioned the East stand, unfortunately Tom didn't.

Good luck though to both candidates.

Unfortunately I have to agree, Tom is a really good guy and 100% Cobblers, BUT he has "worked" for the club for 13 years and , unfortunately that must be a "Conflict of interests" , even if Tom does manage to stay "Independent" there will be people who won't belief that it would be possible.

;D
Speaking of that song...surely the first s***e song in the history of terrace chants in the eighties...
'All we are saying, is give us a goal' in a lethargic, monotone mumble!

As Cobblers fans we may not be singing that but we are certainly thinking it ;D

In our defence 😂, they sent us both a few questions and there was no word limit per question. I did have it sort of in the back of my mind but at the same time, when you’re in a flow, you don’t worry.

Had a chat with Kelvin earlier, been a strange old day. Appreciate the kind words and have spoken with Tom already too. Let’s see what happens.

Good luck to both candidates and kudos for going for it.
I know who my money's on.

Were you surprised that only two applied or got through Kelvins twat filter?

Well done to both candidates. I wish them the best.

Not surprised that the Trust fanboys are on the critical march again. These are the very same trolls who constantly state that if you want to change something you should join and do it from within. Apparently not then, unless it’s on their side  ::) ::)

I don’t know Dan, but I do know Tom. I’m surprised he never listed his exquisite volley at St George’s park in his submission. Probably the finest goal I ever witnessed.. Jammy fcuker 😀😀

Has the Trust put someone forward?
It'll be great to see the views from inside and outside the Trust for a balanced competition.
I bet there's a real anticipation of getting that seat at long last to represent the fans.....
Will this be announced later?
P.S Im delighted for the two non trust fans who've put themselves fwd.
Both great lads who I wish all the best to, whoever  or whatever they come up against in their new role.

Very surprised CJ. Thought there would be 5-10 up for it.

Here's a few you might have missed  ;)
https://youtu.be/Ipwo8TuGmxE

so was I. Kudos for standing.

Quite suprised a few more didn't put themselves forward. They've usually a lot to say for themselves on here. Might have been useful if they were to say it to the people that matter.

I’m not taking the piss but I’m amazed you didn’t put yourself forward.

FFS! 😁

Dan...orchestra conductor, lover of whisky, passionate to the core. Only the owner of Watford FC would go through more managers per season!

Tom...well having to be in the same carriage as utter c**t Villa fans on the way back from Manchester a week or so ago might toughen resolve!

I wouldn't have the spare time. Also, I'm not sure I currently care enough :-\

Random et al….
Genuinely shocked that after all that’s gone on there’s nobody from the Trust standing…. Beds Cobbler included.
All the ideas and statements as to what needs to be done and then nobody wants to represent the fans.
The fans voice will now be Tom or Dan in my view.

OK, I will bite.

LOL so suddenly Tom or Dan will be representing the fans on the back of sending a one page document yet the Trust, who have helped save the club twice in their 30 years don't.

As the Trust stated, KT did not want the Trust involved, as he hasn't from day 1, so why would the Trust board put themselves in that position.

Good Luck guys All the best

I'm genuinely astounded the Trust haven't put someone forward.

Well done to Dan and Tom for putting themselves up for it.

Whoever wins I hope you make a success of it and drive some change and unity somehow.

https://www.ntfctrust.co.uk/news/article/trust-welcomes-fan-director-election

Keep up Glen, posted on 23rd September

i think being a club employee is certainly a compromising position.
It is unlikely you will speak out against your employers however strong you are .
Good luck to both lads though

Isn't Tom a volunteer, not an employee?

Assume he would have to relinquish his volunteer position?

As the club made a massive point of it being an independent fan he would have to.

Even then I still think he is compromised.

No one can really claim to represent the fans.Whoever is elected will only represent themselves and the people who's view they agree with, or influenced by.

He clearly states he wouldn't.

I'm surprised there wasn't more candidates but it wasn't advertised very well.

I hope either successful candidate steer clear of online criticism and rock throwing.
It's a responsible position to volunteer for and whoever they represent/don't represent, they will have the most direct line into the club, regardless of how much influence it ultimately carries.

I do think people are getting a bit carried away with all of this.

It will be a requirement for all clubs to have a supporter promoted person on the board in the near future. Some already have this. They are just doing what is expected of them. As the police would say... "Move on, there's nothing see here".

It’s a box ticking exercise, nothing more.
Surely the amount of effort and time put into this speaks volumes.

It's a bit like the old adage about voting mate. "If it changed anything, they wouldn't't let us do it".

It concerns me that neither candidate is BAME, LGBTQ+ or both!
Indicative of the fascist, nazi world we live in!  ;)

In all fairness. Tom is ginger..

;D

Above must be the best ever run of 6 posts

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I think you'll find KT said anyone could stand, the Trust has chosen not to.
Therefore, the fans are now represented by the winner of this vote.
As I said.... I'm shocked.

I missed that.... Still, my shock remains.
The point about " happy to meet with the rep to discuss our members views"....
It just adds complexity doesn't it?
I hope all future views are measured with a broader canvass .

No it makes it far less complex, can you imagine if someone from the trust sat on the NTFC board, hardly impartial fans they KT wants.

LOL Nice try

again so filling in a one page application, with 2 weeks notice and 2 weeks "voting" trumps 700 members, 11 board members, established 30 years, saved the club twice, raised 10000's for the club's benefit, 1000000 of hours of volunteer work

I'm shocked that you didn't put your name forward, but then KT said he wanted an independent FAN, so you obviously didn't qualify

It possibly does trump how many of those Trust members who joined in the last ten years 😀😀😀. Have you ever attended a Trust forum without a guest speaker? They were COVID friendly, before we’d even heard of COVID. You need to get that AGM in, before all the phone boxes are gone 😜😜

Here’s some tumbleweed for ya…

https://ntfctrust.createaforum.com/

You’re getting as fanciful as KT's closet videos…

Kodak made great cameras and Nokia made great phones

They did, but one person is hardly Apple

There’s probably still a Nokia in the broom cupboard that DC used for his video’s

Someone needs to pull the pineapple out of KT’s arše when he’s making his sporadic interviews, you never know he might even smile.
Although it’s more likely to be wind.

I was never even thinking about it, I live too far away and I understand zoom calls are not an option right?

Now now...... you don't live too far away! The directors of the club include an owner who lives in Dubai and a Chairman who lives in Florida.....so you hardly live too far away!!

As for Zoom calls not being an option....in certain cases they are not, and in other cases they are. The Trust Board have held many a zoom call with the owners over the years, even in the pre-covid era. They have also recently held a Zoom call with the leader of the Council and other elected representatives. I'm sure too that the club directors/secretary/CEO hold Zoom calls between themselves, unless the only time anything gets done is when KT or DB happen to show up at Sixfields.

To be fair, the new Nokia X20 is good, very good!

When is a zoom call not a zoom call…..

When the trust don’t fancy engaging in one by the sounds of things ;D

Petty.....reported as spam!  ;D

Ah Spam.. the forgotten Sunday roast of the poor..

It doesn't need to be....its £2.75 for a decent size tin......Tesco's sell whole chickens for that price......Spam or Chicken?? Its a tough one! ;D

Yeah I do.... And the more this saga continues the less bothered I am about the whole thing.
Family, health, friends, sport.... That's now priority.
Sick of all the bitching to be honest.

It’s funny that people believe the trust saved the club, at the end of the Cardoza era.  They didn’t, Kelvin Thomas and co. Did! Yes the acted as collective to raise money for the club, some was used to pay wages, the remainder wouldn’t have touch the sides of the giant hole we were in, and subsequently after the club had been rescued they kept the balance for themselves, sorry ‘to look after’!   

The Trust, in my opinion is outdated and does not represent the fans of our club. Members alone (if 700 is correct) wouldn’t even fill 10% of our ground.  A ground that according to the Trusts latest endeavour is far too small!   Out of interesting, if anyone from the trust is reading this, how do you finance the reports etc. That you produce, corporate match sponsorships days you attend etc.?

The club is doing a great thing by offering a fan, any fan, a place on the board.  Making this a democratic vote by the fans and not an appointment by the club, literally anyone could have put themselves forward and be voted in by the Fans and the club decided to have no control over who this will be.  It is strange that one of the 11 trust board members, along with their 700 strong support didn’t put themselves forward as this was a perfect opportunity for them to get what they’ve been asking for…transparently.  If I was a trust member and supporter I’d be very disappointed.  Maybe this role is beneath them, and it’s full control they want, as from a public view it does seems the Trust just like to make a lot of negative noise, have their own agenda of somehow taking over the club, and have no interesting in working with the current owners.

Good Luck to Tom and Dan, and thank you both for offering yourselves to represent the fans.

The club have once again shown how amateur it is by the truly shocking process in selecting a fan for a “board position”, little to no information on the role, two weeks to apply, no wonder only a couple of people applied both proper supporters.
Before posting utter nonsense go and read the trust’s statement on why they didn’t put someone forward.
It must really hurt that the council have put two members into the Trust board, good luck with the land deal as it stands.

I can see the council meeting now...

"Right, there are blue straws and red straws. All Conservative councillors pick a blue straw and all Labour councillors take a red straw."
"What about Lib Dem councillors?"
"Shut it, Dennis."
"OK."
"Now, where was I? Oh yes, in amongst these straws there's one short red straw and one short blue straw...."
"If I get a short straw I'm calling this decision in."
"For f***'s sake, Danielle...."

Just a short engagement from me on this, I intend to carry on steering clear of any of the politics on social media platforms.

Just to say, the Trust are absolutely right by not putting a candidate forward. Their statement relating to this was excellent and totally justified it. Also, when the Trusts last director resigned from the board, again it was the correct decision in my view, based on the fact that no one with a clean history on companies house would want to have potentially tarnished themselves at the time with a company that was on the verge of going bankrupt/being invested for fraud etc. Regardless of the role itself and the level of importance attached to it! Its crazy to criticise the trust for those decisions, by all means debate the current stuff etc but some of the posts relating to the past are ignorant and very badly informed!

Good luck to both Dan and Tom. Two terrific guys and both of whom are totally committed and passionate supporters.

I have my own opinions about why they have done it but that's not for now.
I still haven't seen an answer to a question I have asked a few times now. Is the Trusts position with the council that they want them to reject the proposals in their current format?

Looking forward to the appointment being made - least that is one development that might come to fruition during the current owners stewardship!

LOL Hi Kelvin. Assume you wrote this before you went off to bed in Florida (11.30pm Florida time)

Unbelievable, why not drive 80 miles East and visit some businesses that can you give you World class lesson in business, customer service, product delivery and innovation for a start.

And by the way, The Trust would be very interested in working with you. Why not share some actual information and details on how you want NTFC to be develop in the next 5 years.

The Trust and you need to share some common ground, I'm afraid at the moment there is none. The Trust want a vibrant, sustainable NTFC, you want to minimise any capital investment and profit from a land grab.

If you were to act more like the owners of Plymouth, Brentford or Accrington for example, I would be there like a shot, helping you in any way you wanted. You know my number, give me a call

Other parties stepped back based on the still unfulfilled promise of £4m ring-fenced to complete the East Stand.  This is also why the Trust agreed to not having representation on the board.  So decisions were made based on untruthful statements by those who took over.

Why would there need to be a fan on the board of the club in order to achieve transparency?  The club has a very effective internal media machine, and highly obedient local media too.  Instead of a constant stream of puff-pieces and repeating the owners' flannel, these could be used to share honestly the challenges we face, the situation we're in, where we want to get to and by when.  Or even to answer the Trust's questions - even a few of them.
 There is a huge amount of willingness on the part of everyone to get behind something.  This is shown by the number of people jumping to the defence of owners who have delivered nothing.  I was one of those people until I saw the facts.  KT can be very engaging - imagine if he communicated a vision and a plan for us all to pitch in with.  What is stopping you if you are a football person determined to leave the club in a better state than when you arrived?  Tell us what that looks like, don't be afraid to share ideas.  I would contribute to an infrastructure foundation every month to help achieve that vision, if there were guarantees that the club would benefit long term.

It's interesting that you think the Trust has to pay for the things it produces - we are all volunteers and we don't pay anyone.  I understand that in light of the quality of any forward-thinking coming from the club you'd think it was really difficult, but it isn't that hard if you want the best for NTFC and are willing to think about anything other than that bloody 22 acres which has paralysed the club for over a third of the time we have been at Sixfields.  It also made me smile.  One minute the Trust's documents are amateurish and ridiculous (everything in them has been done successfully at other clubs), the next minute they're so good we must be paying for someone to produce them.  Well which is it?? 

Whilst others might be willing to share blind hope based on absolutely nothing (and I do sort of understand that, we all want to believe), I'm going to keep trying to tell you that the Emperor is in fact stark bollock naked.

Yes, good luck to the two candidates, they seem like great people.  Let's hope that the board holds meetings for them to attend and gives them the "transparency" we've all been crying out for without them having to submit FOI requests like the Trust had to.

Are you an adult or school boy ?3

I think it’s fairly obvious that the board will treat the fans rep well showing transparency that the trust were not entitled too thus needing FOI in order to find information.

By treating the fans rep with the respect it will also highlight the fact that the trust weren’t (in their opinion) treated well which in turn will lead to the trust being further marginalised and the club proving a point so to speak
I doubt this was the clubs intention as trust members could have stood for election (I bet KT couldn’t believe it when they decided not too)

Even so it’s worked in the clubs favour and the trust have been outmanoeuvred again.

You can bet the club will be pushing that the fan rep is the new/only way for fans to be kept informed (and why wouldn’t they)
It wouldn’t surprise me if the club state they’ll only engage with the fans rep from now on as that is the official channel.

What exactly the trust are hoping to achieve whilst being bypassed is beyond me as a fan and the club must be happy that they can now ‘officially’ sideline them.

You think its obvious?? Really? What do you base that on? What has worked in the clubs favour? How have the Trust been outmanoeuvred? Why would "The club" be happy now that they can officially side line them?

Meanwhile, in other news the Trust held a meeting with councillors, including the Leader of the Council, and the Council approached the Trust to ask if they could put two councillors in as liaison officers. One of the chosen two is Phil Bignell, a Cobblers fan for many years and a season ticket holder for over 20 of them. He is also the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee at West Northants Council.

You carry on thinking the Trust has been "outmanoeuvred" if you like.... I would suggest the real picture is somewhat different.

Just watched Paul Whitehouse & Bob Mortimore, the special guest was Shoemaker  ;)

The chances of anyone dismissing the Trust as professional outfit, are so much better with you on social media. 😀😀. I'm surprised the Trusts puppet master hasn’t pulled you up yet 😀.

While a few try to de-rail this, voting has opened and any votes my way are gratefully received 🥰👍🏽

You've got my vote Dan - Good luck.

Is he friends with Bob Mortimer?
Has he bothered joining the trust?

Good luck Dan…

;D ;D ;D

This is reminiscent of Custer’s last stand !!!

Serious question
Does anyone actually think the trust will be relevant in a couple of weeks time??

The club will be co ordinating with the fans rep.

If I was a trust board member I’d spend the time remaining trying to negotiate the return of 10k that included members hard earned money that you claim is owed……..I assume everything was in writing and you didn’t just up with a sack of used banknotes and a verbal agreement  ;D

We come from different angles Shoey. My only issues with the Trust board is their complete and utter lack of a mandate from the supporters. I also don’t see any need for them to be involved in the club, especially in a crises. The club has all the skills it needs in place, even without KT or DB. In no way do I mean this as an offensive thing to the Trust board. They just wouldn’t be needed. A decent administrator would more than likely appoint an appropriate individual or body to see the club through whichever direction it went.

Of course. My opinion on all of that, would change if they followed a clear democratic process, as I perceive it. Or if I saw some genuine interest in them from anything past their own board.

Having said that. I’m pretty sure they just do what they are told these days. 😁😁

I can't read this. It is too blue.

While you raise some interesting points I just can’t grasp why the trust seem to think that the football club need their blessing?

Surely the club will reiterate that the trust didn’t want a place on the board and so their viewpoint is irrelevant.

It does seem that only the trust board fail to see this.

Come on guys sort it out, who's fishing in who's spot, and away ::)

 This is what I posted on the re-dev thread yesterday and only just over 24 hours later there is two of the proving how right I was. :)  ::)

"Believe it or not, there are some people on here who only post to get a reaction and what's even more astounding is that these people are NOT teenagers, they are middle aged men who haven't yet grown up, sad isn't it ?"

 

We've got a podcast episode coming out tomorrow morning with both candidates, who explain their backgrounds and reasons for standing for the elected supporters representative position.

Check out cobblerstome.com (https://cobblerstome.com) or search for It's All Cobblers To Me in your podcast app of choice.

One thing that worries me is that Pearce claims he gets the north stand singing, where so far this season they’ve been silent all game. He’s clearly a duplicitous liar and is not fit for office.

I’d have expected a comment like that from Coolcat, but not from you 💔

MEET THE SUPPORTERS REP CANDIDATES

Dan Pearce and Tom Cliffe are the two candidates standing to be elected as your supporters representative on the Northampton Town Football Club board.

In this special edition of the It's All Cobblers To Me podcast, our Danny speaks to both about their love for the Cobblers and why they’re standing for election.

🎧 Listen at 👉 cobblerstome.com (https://cobblerstome.com) or your podcast app. (https://cobblerstome.captivate.fm/listen)

You can support the podcast by joining the It's All Cobblers To Me Fan Club from just £2 a month. In return you'll receive extra content and an invite to our community Slack channel 👉 patreon.com/cobblerstome (https://patreon.com/cobblerstome)

Links to listen on the most popular podcast platforms:
Apple Podcasts (and please leave us a review) (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/its-all-cobblers-to-me/id1436309214?ls=1)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/7b4wR8HR4zns2ocZguzl9f)
Google Podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vY29iYmxlcnN0b21lLw%3D%3D&hl=en-GB)
Amazon Music (https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/dfdffdf9-55a9-4cfb-ae2c-e2fc5ba2c65c/Its-All-Cobblers-To-Me)

I have to say, I think Tom both speaks very well and comes across very well (sorry Dan!).

You can count on the Horham Mafia.

Two different candidates. Tom’s Twitter followers and connections could make the difference. I’m sure either have the required passion for the club to try their very best to make it a role of value.
Good luck chaps.

Ooooh. Was it the smiley's that conjured your detective like skills 🙄🙄

Or.. Did you come to your conclusion regardless of the FCUKING HUGE clues. 😀😀😜😜

They are there for a reason, to convey a though or sometimes just plain old mischief. You could make it up. You imagining that you have unearthed some secret agenda, whilst missing the obvious but sometimes accurate inference.

Are you still doing as you are told? 😜🤪😜🤪

Big enough for you Rog…

And he's still trying  ;)

Jesus almighty give it a rest.

Listened to the podcast last night and thought both guys came across really well.  Clearly both passionate supporters and good reasons for people to vote for either.

Helped make my mind up and vote has been placed.

Good luck to both and well done for stepping up.

I'm gonna have to agree with the first part to be fair, the North Stand is woefully silent most games from the South part of the stadium.

However, would never call you a liar...and attempt to spell your surname correctly, which is a weakness of mine...just try Cincinnati without spell check. I'll be Bengaled if I know!  ;)

Appreciate the response Keith, and also the way you reply to all on here.
I agree with you that in theory the best use of that land is for long term let or for enhancing the match day experience etc. I say in theory as sometimes the sale price is better than a loan value, and you can also agree profit shares on future land deals etc, but that's all in the detail.
I'd got the impression that the proposal was finished and it was in for approval but sounds like a lot more dialogue is needed between the club and the council, with some input from the Trust.
As I, and many have been calling for, is more positive, proactive engagements which the tone of your email reads like. I think the state of the relationship between the Trust and the Owners is clear but that doesn't need to mean that all dialogue ends or is point scoring in public.
However, the tone of the recent statements, and in particular that presentation the Trust made to the council don't have the same articulated feel that your description did above and instead read of the Trust just critisising the owners at every opportunity.
Hopefully with the inclusion of the council members on the board, the replies from you and one other Trust member on here (really struggling to remember user name after the weekend) the relationships can be rebuilt and we can all move on or a least make positive progress

If that's what we seem to think, it's certainly not what we do think.  We have no power in that sense.

But we are a group of supporters with concerns about the current and potentially future situation at the club.  And we have other ideas as to how we could move forward without a completed East Stand, which is more than the owners have shown beyond a bar under the North Stand where it's hard to get served and a marquee that never materialised.

The current NTFC board have shown they don't like being challenged.  Instead of transparency and answers we get leaked private correspondence, constant disparagement and a trawl (which must have been very time-consuming for someone at the club) of Trust members' social media comments to try to create a narrative that we are anti-club.  Our FOI request also show attempts to create a similar narrative about the Trust with the council in pursuit of the land deal.  Through their request for liaison councillors to join Trust board meetings, the council have shown they are not as naive as perhaps some at the club thought.

The supporter representative is supposed to be independent.  We represent the Trust so we are not independent and that is why we didn't think it appropriate to stand.  We will be very happy to work with whichever of the two very credible-looking candidates ends up in the boardroom (or not, I couldn't understand what KT was saying about that during his Cobblers Show interview).

We have had plenty of time with KT in various meetings, and via exchanges of emails etc. to have reached the opinion that our views are currently at stalemate.  The Trust cannot back a proposed deal which lacks any significant detail.

Does the club need our blessing?  Of course not.  But a lot of effort has been made to diminish us.

But someone clearly thinks that the owners need to be seen to be involving supporters, or they wouldn't have moved from "over our dead bodies" to "we've been thinking about this for a while" so suddenly. 

The Trust will be no more and no less relevant following the election of the fan representative to the board.  We will continue to try to highlight concerns and to work on alternatives to the at best bog standard future which looms for NTFC, with our independence uncompromised.  We're fans, but we're not a fan club. 

I still think the club will now see you as an irrelevant bunch of trouble makers rather than a supporters trust for the reasons I’ve already mentioned.
That’s just my opinion but it’ll be interesting to see how much time the club are willing to interact with a supporters trust who didn’t want a place on the board.
They may even make it clear to the fans rep that they are not to interact with the trust once they start their new position.

My opinions don’t matter it’s the clubs that do and it’s up to them how they perceive the trust nowadays.
The trust have no control over that.

The club have all the power in the future relationship if there is to be one.

I think you've described exactly how "the club" (not the club, but the owners) would like the Trust to be perceived.  Why might that be?

If the owners give the "fans rep" any instructions, the role will not be what was publicised because Kelvin Thomas said he wanted them to be independent and challenge the board.  You clearly think the owners could try to exert control in that way, so why on Earth do you think the Trust should have put forward a candidate?  We won't have our independence compromised and we won't be told by anyone who we should and shouldn't interact with. 

The Trust could easily improve how it is perceived by the owners, by becoming a fan club.  KT has pretty much asked for this previously.  He apparently didn't understand that's not what we're here for.  But he may have a short memory because he has history with supporters' groups elsewhere.  Google it.

Owners always have "all the power" in the current model of football in this country, unless they voluntarily relinquish some or all of it.  I disagree with you that adding a supporters' elected representative director to a board comprising KT, DB, MW and JW will make the Trust irrelevant.  Try driving your car with 20% of its wheels.

We won't go away.  If the owners clearly show that they are acting in the best interests of NTFC and its supporters, we will work with them.  If they don't, we can't.  They might not want the Trust, but if they're investing huge amounts of time and energy to try to sideline us, we can't be that irrelevant.

Keith
Maybe I am reading too much into one small sentence, but the highlighted bit at the end if the one that troubles me and I think is symbolic of how I see the relationship and aligned to what I have said many times.

Working with owners who are acting in the best interests of NTFC as you put it is the easy and fun bit. Working with owners who dont is where the Trust is needed to be on its A game. Thats when you really have to start working with the club, really engaging with them, to educate, persuade, cajole, whatever it is to change their path. You might not reach Utopia but bring them closer to your vision, and theoretically closer to what the fans want. The perception as the moment is that you don't like what they are doing so you are not engaging, except through statements and snipes (from both sides).
One way or another all 3 parties need to get together, air their differences and find ways to move past them. Somethings you wont be able to but at least you will know what they are and put your effort into things that can be influenced.

Some good points.

I think after 6 years of trying, when our questions result in a major campaign by the owners to undermine and discredit the Trust, we have at least temporarily reached the end of that particular road.

I think your last point is a really important one.  I wonder if that is why the council decided to work with the Trust.

I am disappointed about how the club have also replied but would suggest revisiting the list of questions and asking yourself if they are all relevant and all worded in the best way. Maybe with the support of the councilors.
Hopefully them joining as liaison can help draw this stand off to an end.

Good idea Woody put the ball back in the owners court.

https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2021/october/supporters_election_results/

Well done Tom for being the elected one.  The hard work starts now. ;)
Well done Dan for putting yourself up in the first place.  8)

Decent turn out. Well done Tom...and to Dan for putting yourself forward.

Congrats Tom, and Dan.
Look forward to seeing the role develop and what it means in reality.

Nice one Tom.
Well done to both for standing up for the  role!!

Congrats Tom!

Well done to both for applying in the first place

Has the winner been democratically elected to the trust board yet ??? ::) ;D

1300 votes..
Apathy..

Congratulations to Tom, I have a great deal of respect for both gentlemen and was most impressed with the way they conducted themselves during this process.

There is a lot of frustration and emotion expressed on this forum. To have only around 30% of the average home gate vote is very disappointing. This suggests to me that the majority of the support base are not that bothered about the non football related topics we engage in on here. It seems they only really care about events on the pitch. Is this a true reflection or because they believe it is a pointless exercise that will achieve little. Probably a bit of both to varying degrees, but I would be really interested to hear the views of people who didn’t vote and the reasons why? Does this suggest that most supporters are perfectly content with exactly how things are at the moment? The lack of motivation may suggest that some of the initiatives around the ground, fan ownership, the wider ownership models and financial related issues in lower league football generally would be perhaps a greater challenge than envisaged. It just seems to me that the views often expressed on here are nowhere near as important to people as imagined.

Thats a good post Melly and one which needs a bit of reflection. There are (i'm told) around 30000 names on the Cobblers database, so to have just 1300 total votes does strike me as disappointing.

Does it say something about the process itself? There was quite a bit of fanfare, then silence, then the result.

As you say and I think you are right....most supporters only care about what happens on the pitch, and most of them only care about the home games too. Perhaps that's just how it should be, because for all the shouting and bickering that goes on on here, on other forums etc, it really doesn't matter a jot.

Still...we are where we are I guess.....I wonder what the catalyst will be for any meaningful engagement.....like you say the other models look a bit further away than before if this vote is anything to go by. If thats acceptable to the majority then that's fair enough too.

It did make me smile that there were only 7 voting forms handed in. That must have taken a while to count! With the rest of the votes being cast online, it probably tells you a bit about the demographic that bothered to vote.

Regardless of that, well done Tom!

According to Thomas he thought it was a great turnout with 1200 people voting, anyway he’s got the guy who’s been working for him for a season ticket!
Yes Kelvin, Yes Kelvin, Yes Kelvin…………now what was the question?

Oh dear, this was always a concern. I have absolutely no reason to question Toms integrity, he spoke exceptionally well and generally came across as an outstanding candidate. However, due to his role I wondered how long it would be before his position became potentially compromised in some quarters by suspicions of a conflict of interest being raised. This is genuinely not a criticism of Tom or anyone else just an observation, but rather predictably it turns out the timescales are before his feet were under the table. For this reason I am not convinced this is going to go as well as we’d hoped.

That's massively unfair. He may not have been your choice but give the guy a chance before you start questioning his integrity.

It’s not unfair at all, I am just stating the facts, he is working for the club, I’m sure he is a nice guy and came across well in the interview, impartiality never.

Welcome to the board cousin Greg  ;)

How was the online voting done? I never received anything about it.

Pathetic comment!

Some people do, some people only comment!

Tom, is a genuine guy and stands for no cr4p.
The challenges he's faced during lockdown as the stupid council put a covid test centre 20ft from his outdoor cafe area proved his metal.
I know Tom well, he'll deliver reasoned challenge to KT based on well researched opinion on the wider fan base.
I'm sure Dan would have too.... But Tom got the gig.
Give the guy a chance eh?

I would say that 1200 is a reasonably good turn out, not great but compared to only 2 who put themselves forward its a huge number.
Tom will know that some will have doubts and I'm sure he'll use that to prove people wrong. Part of the role would be to build a relationship with the other directors and Tom will already have that so can hit the ground running.
I can only assume those who disagree with Tom's appointment will put themselves forward when the position is refreshed in 2-3 years to ensure it doesn't happen again.

 Firstly full congratulations to Tom. I knew it was a losing fight, but I don’t regret going or it. He’s a really good guy and I hope that he makes it a success and is able to influence positively.

Regardless of the outcome, I gave it a try and will never regret that. Thank you to all who did vote for me ☺️

Dan put up a great fight, but It wasn't a surprise to see Tom win so good luck to him.
Tom is Northampton lad who knows our club have been treated awfully these past 20 years, cheated out of a great chance to improve its infrastructure what would've subsequently progressed the club to the next level.
So Tom will know better than most the importance of ntfc getting it's full and fair share from any future land carve up. This meaning the club will be get the opportunity to have the ability to invite 3000 extra fans to the several bigger L1 games we always have to shut out, and most importantly a finished east stand that contains a dozen boxes bars and a large bar/ restaurant that can be utilised on non matchday.
Tom will know the meagre insulting offer shown in the clubs recent a4 offerings of what they really think of our club should be rejected out of sight.
Good luck Tom, no pressure.

Of course it’s acceptable to the majority. You represent a body of people, who if you held a meeting without a special guest, you could hold your meetings in a phone box. That’s not a dig, it’s a fact. As it is for NTFC.

I think some people lose all sense of perspective when they talk on here, and often in general around sport. It’s easy to think anyone gives a shyte about what you say. And even easier  to believe in your own self importance. People shouldn’t and on the whole don’t go to football to encounter more strife. They go as a release or a distraction from the real issues they face. It’s almost an embarrassment to read into like some do. Do some people really believe that supporters give a flying fcuk about the morale compass of their club 😀😀. If a consortium of Hitler,, Shipman and Saville promised our support premiership football, you’d be hard pushed to put the vast majority of our support off of them.

In all honesty, I’m surprised the turnout for the supporters board member was that good. I never heard a mutter about it at all. Tom shouldn’t have a tough job on his hands at all. If he uses tact, diplomacy and common sense, skills that he possesses in abundance, he’ll be fine. You’ll never effect change, unless you involve those who it impacts on most. If Tom engages with the support, encourages and demonstrates inclusiveness, he’ll be fine. If he tells us what we want, he’ll face the same fate of the others who have made that mistake. Trust and club included. I like the guy. I know, and have personally witnessed his ability to inspire and get people on track.

I'd say it was a healthy turn out considering the relative silence around advertising and then promoting it, i.e. very little. From the fact that there were only two candidates, I'd say with over a thousand finding and then having the inclination to vote is pretty good. I certainly never received a prompt from the club to do so.
 
For a general election you'll only get 60 odd percent, with campaigning for weeks on end, polling stations everywhere and having it rammed down your throat constantly.

I must admit I didn't get anything from the club, even though I'm on their mailing list. My dad did, but he just deleted the email...

Why would people who disagree with Tom’s appointment have to put themselves forward?
I don’t actually mind Tom being appointed, all I am saying is he won’t be impartial because of his affiliation with the club, it’s called unconscious bias.

Or more than likely, just your opinion...

How do you know he wont be impartial? Your unconscious bias maybe?

I stated the reason, as I said I’ve absolutely no problem with Tom being appointed, good luck to him.

You hate him already. Admit it man... Just admit it.  8)

OK, OK  I Fuçking hate the ginger bellend.

Not really Tom, you sound like a top bloke TBH, just prove me wrong with holding the owners feet to the fire.
You could start with something like, “when you acquired the club for a pound you did so on the fact you had ring fenced £4m for the completion of the east stand, why haven’t you done what you promised? “

You could. But he has answered that quite a lot of times.. If I was the board representative. The first thing I would ask is: If get them to stop asking about the 4 million, will you give me a grand or two..

Now I see where your coming from I can’t believe you didn’t apply?

I must have missed that gem, what did KT say was his mitigation? He had his fingers crossed?

It was pointed out to me today, that more people voted in this election,  than there are members of the entire Trust !! Is that correct ? If so maybe this is the way forward.

why didnt you stand

He said that the whole thing was bigger and more complicated than they originally envisaged.

I won’t have anyone suggesting it’s the end of the Trust. That happened hundreds of years ago, when Tony Clarke abandoned the Trust to pick up the CEO post at the club  ;D

The supporters rep, is absolutely the appropriate channel for any questions or concerns…. Or there’s that guy that some people think runs the Trust board, who’s not on the board…… Ermmmm… What’s his name??????  ;D ;D

It is true I believe but what on earth has that got to do with anything?
It's quite possible that in the main, the only ones who could be arsed to vote for either candidate are the same few who can be arsed to join the Trust.
1200 votes amongst a data base of how many thousand?

30,000 about 4%.

Probably the same reason as you.

So to be ahead of the curve, more than 4% of the current Trust membership will also have needed to have voted.
I'll put my hand up and say I voted, so we're looking for at least another 31.
Could probably get there by the weekend?

combination of 5 month old baby and diminishing interest in NTFC?

Believe me you will reverse that excuse to get out of the house when said baby is about 6 yrs. Is said baby boy or girl as girls are great fun until they reach 12yrs! No prejudice and belated congratulations to the Marquess also ;D

Thank you. It's a he. And yes, he'll have no choice in who he supports no matter what social services say

No probs !

https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2021/november/tom_cliffe_appointed/

My favourite part of that propaganda is “the club has always been in tune with the fans”……..

Good on him. I've heard good things already.

So how do the needy get hold of our Tom?

Interview with Tom here incase anyone's missed it...

https://youtu.be/wKGluEBLKPU

Honest
Humble
Engaged.
Fair play Tom.

+1

It’s a shame we didn’t have anyone applying how had a little more experience in terms of c level engagement.
The lad looks like a rabbit in the headlights, I agree and I’m sure Tom is an honest, engaging person, unfortunately he’s being played like a second hand fiddle by Thomas to try and undermine the voice of the Trust.
This started with a binary survey for the hard of thinking, to wave in front of the council.
Tom you say in your interview that you speak to many people who no longer attend, why don’t they?
You say you read this forum, then reach out and let’s have a constructive chat.

Constructive chats go both ways. As does respect.

Might need a little brushing up on your own engagement skills there fella.

Do a tiny bit of the leg work yourself....

cliffetom@hotmail.com - email
@tjc1981 - twitter

You're welcome.

Tom, can I suggest you continue with the interviews with Gareth like the one posted above and turn them into a regular thing maybe on a monthly basis, only instead of having the questions come from the club, in future have Gareth ask questions that have been forwarded to him from fans.
The official site will still be the one most read by fans I imagine? You'll get the biggest exposure this way and be able to reach out to the largest audience.

I'd change this subtly. I agree with the answering fans questions but ones that are sent to him directly, reason being some will accuse the club of filtering the questions. Still released on the clubs youtube channel but have the questions appear in text on the screen that he is answering, or something like that.

Whoever filled this role was onto a hiding to nothing from certain quarters. Tom seems ideal for the role.
Did anyone expect someone to enter the boardroom with grenades and start being critical of the owners? It was never going to happen.

He seems professional, personable and approachable. It also sounds as though he'll put the hours in, which seems to be the 'excuse' of others not getting involved more.
Hats off to him and I am sure his lifestyle has just become a whole lot busier. He is also clearly very emotionally attached to the club, which cannot be a negative in any context.

It'll soon come around if someone else wants a shot.

Much of the credibility will come from what he is and is not allowed to answer questions on .
There is no doubt certain topics are off the agenda by way of instruction with other staff members .
Playing budget is one of them .

It is inevitable in any senior position or boardroom role that you will be privy to certain information that you cannot share. That’s taking into account that he is the supporter rep. Confidentiality has to be maintained. As some have already said, he is on an hiding to nothing, especially with a exceptionally small section of the support.

Tom is a genuinely nice guy, who I have encountered socially, and through his job. He is respected for his honest, candid and insightful perspective on anything he turns his hand to. He has a proven record both professionally and in terms of ventures he has been instrumental in. Any suggestions that he is being used or manoeuvred by the club is a weak and futile attempt to undermine what is one of only two democratic processes undertaken. Both of which were initiated by the club.

I have every faith, that should he find his role is being undermined by the club, he will absolutely address it.

Unfortunately Tel he could be Nelson Mandela, but because of his historical role at the club a section of the fan base have him right in the cross hairs and he will need the manoeuvrability of a house fly to dodge the bullets. Such a shame, but that role will get raised at every opportunity if some don’t like the way things go.

I don’t really care if he’s mother Theresa, he needs to stop cheerleading KT’s business dealings for a start.
Secondly he needs to ask the difficult questions on behalf of the fans, actions speak louder than words.
I agree he’s put himself in a very difficult position, but again he knew that when he applied.

Poor bloke! He doesn't deserve to be compared to that awful woman!

;D

He was democratically voted for by the support. Those that criticise him were not. We’ve seen it with Brexit, Scottish devolution. The big mouths and bullies don’t like it if it doesn’t go their way. Personally… I fcuking love it. 😁😁

Have you sent him some questions manwork? Has he replied?

That’s why I have put the poll up to gage opinion, if enough supporters ask for it then Tom can ask on behalf of the fan(s).

Your idea of democracy is pretty fûcked up if you think democracy means two candidates with two weeks notice out of a fan base of 10000 +

Does Tel even believe in democracy. I thought he is proud never to have voted?

Tel and his motley crew only believe in what Kelvin tells them too.

10,000 supporter base ? That's a good  number, over 20% voted for a fellow supporter  to become a director on their behalf. A few more voted for somebody else. All this done in a short time frame, more could have put themselves forward, but didn't seem brave enough.
The Trust has been going nearly 30 years and has less that 10% of that 10,000 as members ? Voice of the fans ? You make me laugh.

The irony is they are the voice of the fans wether half a dozen on here like it or not.
p.s. you missed off the + from the 10k.

How many votes would have been cast in the election if you had to pay to do it, like you do to be a Trust member ?

???

1260 total votes were cast and Tom received 73.17% of them.  (922 to 338) so to correct your statement above, even using the 10000 number, less than 10% voted for him

2489 total votes were cast in the kit vote however..... of which kit 3 gained 1372 votes......

So actually more Cobblers fans voted for one kit from a range of four options than Cobblers fans actually voted in the Supporters rep vote.

Damned statistics.......

Voice of the fans?? Only if he's wearing next years shirt!!  ;D

Nice one GPC, Stand corrected, so more people are interested in a shirt than poor old Tom and the Trust  ;D

It would appear that way yes!  :o

8)

The level just got lower, is this where it's got to?
Why didn't the Trust put someone up for the free of charge vote if this is how representation is being dissected?
Sorry Roger, I like you as a person but really, alluding to cost of membership being a reason to discredit the vote is frankly cheaper than the cost of the membership.

Glen you've got the wrong end of the stick, the Trust did explain why they didn't put anyone up for the job.
           Tcobb said that Tom got more votes than the Trust has members  and I was pointing out that it was very easy and free to press a button on your laptop to vote, where as to be a Trust member you have to pay a subscription, so you can't compare these numbers
        I'm not in the slightest trying to discredit the vote, I've know Tom for a long, long time, he's a top bloke, and I've already sent him some questions.

I’ve got a feeling Tom is sitting at home thinking what the fûck have I done!

Ok Roger, please accept my apologies.
I read that very differently.
He is indeed a top bloke.... That breathes NTFC every day..... Breathes NTFC not Kelvin Thomas before someone jumps on that.

You appear to be a very political person - but isn’t that a slightly contradictory observation?
8)

Do you have an example where he has challenged KT on any subject? All him seems to do is regurgitate the Wiltshire propaganda.

Do you have an example of where someone has asked his to challenge KT on any subject?

;D He reads this forum by his own omission, he could take the initiative, I think there is a poll on here with 19 supporters who would like an answer to a pertinent question.

Thought so

There’s a poll on here where you ask if people want the question answered. Last time I looked… No was winning.  ;D

So I should ignore the 21 others?

I’ve been with him tonight and he’s certainly seen your question. Sounded like he’s spoke to Kelvin about it already 👍🏽

Interesting.....!

No… You should do what you and you’re cronies do. Ignore any democratic process, because it doesn’t suit you’re agenda.

Why have a poll if you are going to ignore the result?

Thanks Dan, Tom actually sounds like a person that does things, that’s admirable.
I look forward to the answer.

I think KT and the club are two different entities.
So no, not contradictory.

Wilshier  ;)
He's been in the role a month.
Give the bloke a chance.

Admission  ;)

*Wilshere.

*Willsher.  ;D

You always know when an argument is lost as it turns to a spellcheck 😂

Spell check is 2 words.

😂

Hardly.... Admission and ommission are completely different comments.

*omission  ;D