The first of these is the Supporters Trust AGM and Fans Forum that takes place tonight (Thursday) in the Centenary suite. Most of the evening will be devoted to a Q&A session with the manager and captain but the earlier proceedings will help to set the course for the Trust in the next year. Given the change in ownership on which the club is about to embark, the position that the Trust should take needs to be debated.
The second meeting has been called by the club (Monday 7pm , the Alona Hotel) in the first part of a consultation on the board’s proposals for the new ownership structure. The salient section in a letter sent to shareholders is
“After 13 years of service, John Boyle has decided to stand down and leave the club. He has generously agreed to gift his shares to an independent trust which will be administered by trustees, who are directors of the Club’s board. In addition to this, a society which allows fans to participate in the ownership of the club will be established; “The Well Society”.
There will be a variety of memberships available which will allow fans to elect members of the Well Society to the board of Motherwell F.C. providing fans with a means of voicing their opinions at board level. The Board has said on a number of occasions that ultimately we wish to be owned by the community and this proposed new structure is a huge step towards setting out to achieve this goal.”
More details are promised at the meeting but it is clear that the initial plan falls way short of community ownership. This bears little relation to the European model of a democratic fan based club.
The letter talks of an independent Trust but suggests that it will be run by members of the club’s board. The yet to be established Well Society will be granted a voice at the club board yet that was the position John Boyle believed existed when he appointed Martin Rose as a director. (His appointment was in a personal capacity but the owner made the offer knowing that he was chair of the Trust).
The inclusion of fan representation is always welcome but that is far removed from fan/community ownership. It will be interesting to discover the board’s plan to achieve that goal..
If supporters want a bigger say in the running of the game it is important that they take some steps to get involved. The next chance is at tonight’s Trust AGM.