Once again thank you for your help.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Online Club Shop.
This is just a little thank you to all those who have used the online shop, in the brief time we have been using the system we have made close to £300, simply because fans bought what they were looking for through the various retailers linked with Buy At.
Once again thank you for your help.
Once again thank you for your help.
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Minutes from Supporters Trust meeting 18/09/08 con't
Fund Raising Ideas
Andy Waite was thanked for his time and effort by setting up and running a stall at the Car Boot sale, his donation went a long way to heping us last season. Thank you as well to any one who donated items.
Three of our committee also walked the West Highland way raising money for us and youth development. We are planning a alk from Airdrie to Dundee during the easter holidays of 2009 if anyone is interested let us know.
Online club shop (Click Here) is open 24hrs a day and has made us a profit simply because it costs us nothing to set up and fans only buy what they are already looking for. Next special offers coming soon.
Saturday's game
The football club are presenting the Airdrie Youth football teams to the fans on Sat, we run 9's through to U'21s Pro Youth and we have been asked if we want to be a part of the presentation. It was decided that some of us should walk on to the park with a large cheque highlighting our input so far.
Open discussion and way forward
POTY Nght:- We have been asked to make sure that who ever is supplying the bar for the 2008 - 2009 award ceremony, supplies real glasses and draft beer.
Could it be confirmed that the trust will be trying to move the POTY night back to the first bank holiday in May, as the season does not finish until the 9th of May.
Stadium in general:- Could we ask if a variety of food be served on the concourse, other clubs have managed to get hotdogs, home made soup and other items.
Are the club ever going to consider opening the bar for children and serve food?
Disabled viewing:- Would the club/ stadium owners consider developing the home stand so disabled fans were raised from the ground or protected from the elements. It was pointed out we had looked in to this once before but due to the stadium situation it had not gone any further, we will revisit it with the club.
Atmosphere:- Would the club consider moving the away fans in to one of the stands behind the goals, it is thought it would bring more atmosphere to the games.
The meeting was brought to an end at 9:00pm
Andy Waite was thanked for his time and effort by setting up and running a stall at the Car Boot sale, his donation went a long way to heping us last season. Thank you as well to any one who donated items.
Three of our committee also walked the West Highland way raising money for us and youth development. We are planning a alk from Airdrie to Dundee during the easter holidays of 2009 if anyone is interested let us know.
Online club shop (Click Here) is open 24hrs a day and has made us a profit simply because it costs us nothing to set up and fans only buy what they are already looking for. Next special offers coming soon.
Saturday's game
The football club are presenting the Airdrie Youth football teams to the fans on Sat, we run 9's through to U'21s Pro Youth and we have been asked if we want to be a part of the presentation. It was decided that some of us should walk on to the park with a large cheque highlighting our input so far.
Open discussion and way forward
POTY Nght:- We have been asked to make sure that who ever is supplying the bar for the 2008 - 2009 award ceremony, supplies real glasses and draft beer.
Could it be confirmed that the trust will be trying to move the POTY night back to the first bank holiday in May, as the season does not finish until the 9th of May.
Stadium in general:- Could we ask if a variety of food be served on the concourse, other clubs have managed to get hotdogs, home made soup and other items.
Are the club ever going to consider opening the bar for children and serve food?
Disabled viewing:- Would the club/ stadium owners consider developing the home stand so disabled fans were raised from the ground or protected from the elements. It was pointed out we had looked in to this once before but due to the stadium situation it had not gone any further, we will revisit it with the club.
Atmosphere:- Would the club consider moving the away fans in to one of the stands behind the goals, it is thought it would bring more atmosphere to the games.
The meeting was brought to an end at 9:00pm
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Minutes from Supporters Trust meeting 18/09/08
Present:All Committee Members present.
Introductions were made by Bob Reid who took the chair for tonights meeting.
Warm welcome was given to Veronica MacGregor who had attended tonights meeting after what we all know has been a tough year for her and the family.
Thanks were given to everyone who had made the effort to turn up for tonights meeting.
Agenda
Financial Report:
The financial report was handed out to everyone who attended tonights meeting. The report is available for any members who may be interested.
Bob Reid ran through the figures and explained the incomes and out goings for the past year.
A full audited account statement is also availble.
Membership
It was noted that Memberships were down from 2006 - 2007 to 2007 - 2008. This season 2008 - 2009 memberships are already on the increase once again.
Review of last Years Events:
Six events were held last year and Bob Reid reviewed them all and asked for opinion.
Q & A Evening
We had hope for a larger attendance for our annual Q & A session and due to this we had postponed this years until we could inform our members of our schedule.
(No comment from the floor)
Ceilidh
Our first Ceilidh was held at the Airdrie Town Hall and was a great success, 150 tickets were sold. It was noted that maybe only 30 of the 150 were Airdrie fans which suprised us but did not detract from the fact it was a great night.
(No Comment From the Floor)
1995 Cup Reunion Night
Was a great success for us and we hope to have more of these themed nights, we are in discussions at the moment for another such event but no more details are available until things are confirmed.
(No Comment From the Floor)
POTY Night
Attendance was very disappionting and profits on the evening were well down.
Comments from the floor
It was suggested that fans didn't attend because it was held far to early, we still did not know our position in the league and attendances were down at games which was shown again by the attendance at the POTY night.
Airdrie Schools Cup
Again a Success for the Trust and thanks were given to the club and stadium for their support.
(No Comment From the Floor)
Kids Christmas Party
Again a success and turned a small profit thanks to donations from various sources.
Upcoming Events
Casino Evening and Cielidh already announced.
Other events suggested :- Bottle Bingo Evening or Prize Bingo Night, Race Night after the event closed a concert was suggested.
Page 2.
Introductions were made by Bob Reid who took the chair for tonights meeting.
Warm welcome was given to Veronica MacGregor who had attended tonights meeting after what we all know has been a tough year for her and the family.
Thanks were given to everyone who had made the effort to turn up for tonights meeting.
Agenda
Financial Report:
The financial report was handed out to everyone who attended tonights meeting. The report is available for any members who may be interested.
Bob Reid ran through the figures and explained the incomes and out goings for the past year.
A full audited account statement is also availble.
Membership
It was noted that Memberships were down from 2006 - 2007 to 2007 - 2008. This season 2008 - 2009 memberships are already on the increase once again.
Review of last Years Events:
Six events were held last year and Bob Reid reviewed them all and asked for opinion.
Q & A Evening
We had hope for a larger attendance for our annual Q & A session and due to this we had postponed this years until we could inform our members of our schedule.
(No comment from the floor)
Ceilidh
Our first Ceilidh was held at the Airdrie Town Hall and was a great success, 150 tickets were sold. It was noted that maybe only 30 of the 150 were Airdrie fans which suprised us but did not detract from the fact it was a great night.
(No Comment From the Floor)
1995 Cup Reunion Night
Was a great success for us and we hope to have more of these themed nights, we are in discussions at the moment for another such event but no more details are available until things are confirmed.
(No Comment From the Floor)
POTY Night
Attendance was very disappionting and profits on the evening were well down.
Comments from the floor
It was suggested that fans didn't attend because it was held far to early, we still did not know our position in the league and attendances were down at games which was shown again by the attendance at the POTY night.
Airdrie Schools Cup
Again a Success for the Trust and thanks were given to the club and stadium for their support.
(No Comment From the Floor)
Kids Christmas Party
Again a success and turned a small profit thanks to donations from various sources.
Upcoming Events
Casino Evening and Cielidh already announced.
Other events suggested :- Bottle Bingo Evening or Prize Bingo Night, Race Night after the event closed a concert was suggested.
Page 2.
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Supporters Direct Conference 16 October 2008
QEII Centre, London
Full details of this year's annual conference are now live on the SD
site. There have been a few changes from previous years.
Every year, the main thing people tell us that they got most benefit
from is sharing information and experience with each other, so we've
looked at how to minimise the times delegates sit listening, and
increase the time you'll be talking with each other and with us.
We've also changed the pricing structure to make it easier to send more
than one person per trust, as we want this year's conference to the
biggest and best yet.
Full details of the sessions, transport arrangements etc are on the
website at the following link
www.supporters-direct.org/events/conference2008/
You can also register and pay online on the SD website and you can take
advantage of our early bird rate by booking before Wednesday 1st
October. Please click below for the online booking form
www.supporters-direct.org/events/conference2008/register.asp
AGM
This year, the AGM will be held before the main conference begins, so if
you want to come along to the AGM, you will need to be there for a
9.30am start.
All supporters' trusts are encouraged to attend the AGM, however
remember, you'll only be able to vote and speak if you are a full member
trust. If you want to find out what your membership status is, contact
our Membership Officer, James Mathie to find out.
In addition to receiving the accounts and appointing the auditor for the
current financial year, it will also debate any motions put forward from
members. Any resolution must be supported by two trusts in full
membership of Supporters Direct.
The deadline for receipt of resolutions as laid down in the rules is
Wednesday 25th September at 5pm, and they should be sent to Kevin
Jaquiss, SD Secretary on secretary@supporters-direct.org or by fax or
post to the main SD Office marked for Kevin's attention.
The submission should state the text of the motion and indicate the name
of the two trusts proposing the resolution, and those trusts must
confirm their support by email, fax or in the post.
Should any member(s) wish to propose a resolution but not be able to
make the deadline, they should write to the Secretary with the text of
the resolution and stating why they could not make the deadline; the
chair will make a ruling on whether he considers any resolution so
submitted to be admissible.
The final agenda for the meeting will be sent to all members in early
October and will also be posted on the SD website.
More details about the AGM can be found at the following link
www.supporters-direct.org/electionsagm.htm
Elections
There are three places to be elected this year for the Board of
Supporters Direct. Nominations are today opened for the elections.
Nomination forms and other supporting documentation (including the
election rules) are available at
www.supporters-direct.org/electionsagm.htm
Candidates will need to be nominated by two trusts in full membership,
and also submit a statement in support of their candidacy of between
400-1000 words, and a recent photograph. They should also make
themselves available for the hustings session at the Conference.
The deadline for receipt of nominations is Monday 13th October at 5pm.
Richard Lillicrap award
There's many people who do a lot for their own trust, and then there are
those who do a lot for other trusts too. We want to honour those people
who through their actions embody the idea the more united we are as
fans, the stronger we become, just as Richard Lillicrap did. We're
asking for nominations from trusts for those people who you think
deserve recognition by our movement for their selflessness and
helpfulness.
To nominate someone, email laura.knewstub@supporters-direct.org
detailing who you are, who you're nominating and why you think they
deserve the award. Nominations close on 26 September and the award will
be presented at the National Conference.
And finally...
Don't forget, the SD magazine is out, and in it you'll find plenty of
information about the event. It'll be online on Friday and on your
doormats from the end of this week.
Full details of this year's annual conference are now live on the SD
site. There have been a few changes from previous years.
Every year, the main thing people tell us that they got most benefit
from is sharing information and experience with each other, so we've
looked at how to minimise the times delegates sit listening, and
increase the time you'll be talking with each other and with us.
We've also changed the pricing structure to make it easier to send more
than one person per trust, as we want this year's conference to the
biggest and best yet.
Full details of the sessions, transport arrangements etc are on the
website at the following link
www.supporters-direct.org/events/conference2008/
You can also register and pay online on the SD website and you can take
advantage of our early bird rate by booking before Wednesday 1st
October. Please click below for the online booking form
www.supporters-direct.org/events/conference2008/register.asp
AGM
This year, the AGM will be held before the main conference begins, so if
you want to come along to the AGM, you will need to be there for a
9.30am start.
All supporters' trusts are encouraged to attend the AGM, however
remember, you'll only be able to vote and speak if you are a full member
trust. If you want to find out what your membership status is, contact
our Membership Officer, James Mathie to find out.
In addition to receiving the accounts and appointing the auditor for the
current financial year, it will also debate any motions put forward from
members. Any resolution must be supported by two trusts in full
membership of Supporters Direct.
The deadline for receipt of resolutions as laid down in the rules is
Wednesday 25th September at 5pm, and they should be sent to Kevin
Jaquiss, SD Secretary on secretary@supporters-direct.org or by fax or
post to the main SD Office marked for Kevin's attention.
The submission should state the text of the motion and indicate the name
of the two trusts proposing the resolution, and those trusts must
confirm their support by email, fax or in the post.
Should any member(s) wish to propose a resolution but not be able to
make the deadline, they should write to the Secretary with the text of
the resolution and stating why they could not make the deadline; the
chair will make a ruling on whether he considers any resolution so
submitted to be admissible.
The final agenda for the meeting will be sent to all members in early
October and will also be posted on the SD website.
More details about the AGM can be found at the following link
www.supporters-direct.org/electionsagm.htm
Elections
There are three places to be elected this year for the Board of
Supporters Direct. Nominations are today opened for the elections.
Nomination forms and other supporting documentation (including the
election rules) are available at
www.supporters-direct.org/electionsagm.htm
Candidates will need to be nominated by two trusts in full membership,
and also submit a statement in support of their candidacy of between
400-1000 words, and a recent photograph. They should also make
themselves available for the hustings session at the Conference.
The deadline for receipt of nominations is Monday 13th October at 5pm.
Richard Lillicrap award
There's many people who do a lot for their own trust, and then there are
those who do a lot for other trusts too. We want to honour those people
who through their actions embody the idea the more united we are as
fans, the stronger we become, just as Richard Lillicrap did. We're
asking for nominations from trusts for those people who you think
deserve recognition by our movement for their selflessness and
helpfulness.
To nominate someone, email laura.knewstub@supporters-direct.org
detailing who you are, who you're nominating and why you think they
deserve the award. Nominations close on 26 September and the award will
be presented at the National Conference.
And finally...
Don't forget, the SD magazine is out, and in it you'll find plenty of
information about the event. It'll be online on Friday and on your
doormats from the end of this week.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Online Shop special offers
New merchants now working with Airdrie United Supporters Trust
Click Here
Get the best offers from big brands and Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive a donation every time you make a purchase.
Next With over 14,000 products covering mens, womens and kids clothing, lingerie, homeware, electricals and gifts you’ll find what you’re looking for at Next.
2% commission and £6 when you register for a diretcory and it is sent with your first order.
RSPCA Pet Insurance The RSPCA offer extensive pet insurance for cats and dogs at great value prices extensively designed to help in times of greatest need. Low cost monthly premiums start at only £2.92 for cats and £5.41 for dogs.
£15 will be donated to Airdrie United Supporters Trust for each policy purchased.
Madasafish Brought to you by BT, Madasafish offers flexible and sensibly-priced internet and phone deals, with the added security of being part of the BT Group.
Every subscription made will result in a donation of £22 to Airdrie United Supporters Trust.
ASDA Groceries Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive £5 every time a new customer registers and makes a groceries purchase within 30 days.
Don’t forget there’s also 2.5% on mobile phones, contact lenses, entertainment, electricals, flowers, gifts and pharmacy too.
BT Total Broadband Wireless, fast and reliable broadband from BT. Options from just £8.95 for the first 6 months (£17.99 thereafter) and offers the speed and reliability you would expect from BT.
Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive £30 for every broadband subscription.
Expedia Book city breaks, car hire, hotels, beach holidays and last minute deals at Expedia. They’ll also recommend a destination perfectly suited to your needs.
Up to 6% of what you spend at Expedia will be given to Airdrie United Supporters Trust.
LOVEFiLM There’s nothing complicated about LOVEFiLM, rent DVDs, pay absolutely no late fees, return your DVD in a prepaid envelope and choose your next rental – simple.
£7.50 will be donated when you register for a FREE 21 day trial.
Secret Sales Secret Sales includes clothes and accessories from brands such as Diesel and Dolce & Gabbana; you’ll also find electronics as well as many other products.
4% of what you spend will given to Airdrie United Supporters Trust, there’s also 25p for every registration completed.
Glasses Direct Prescription eyewear that significantly undercuts high street prices, selling a range of eyewear with basic frames and lenses starting at just £15.00.
12% of what you spend will be given to Airdrie United Supporters Trust.
Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company LTD High quality insurance cover at a competitive price. Both motor and home insurance is available.
Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive £70 for motor insurance policies and £60 for every home insurance policy completed.
Click Here
Click Here
Get the best offers from big brands and Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive a donation every time you make a purchase.
Next With over 14,000 products covering mens, womens and kids clothing, lingerie, homeware, electricals and gifts you’ll find what you’re looking for at Next.
2% commission and £6 when you register for a diretcory and it is sent with your first order.
RSPCA Pet Insurance The RSPCA offer extensive pet insurance for cats and dogs at great value prices extensively designed to help in times of greatest need. Low cost monthly premiums start at only £2.92 for cats and £5.41 for dogs.
£15 will be donated to Airdrie United Supporters Trust for each policy purchased.
Madasafish Brought to you by BT, Madasafish offers flexible and sensibly-priced internet and phone deals, with the added security of being part of the BT Group.
Every subscription made will result in a donation of £22 to Airdrie United Supporters Trust.
ASDA Groceries Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive £5 every time a new customer registers and makes a groceries purchase within 30 days.
Don’t forget there’s also 2.5% on mobile phones, contact lenses, entertainment, electricals, flowers, gifts and pharmacy too.
BT Total Broadband Wireless, fast and reliable broadband from BT. Options from just £8.95 for the first 6 months (£17.99 thereafter) and offers the speed and reliability you would expect from BT.
Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive £30 for every broadband subscription.
Expedia Book city breaks, car hire, hotels, beach holidays and last minute deals at Expedia. They’ll also recommend a destination perfectly suited to your needs.
Up to 6% of what you spend at Expedia will be given to Airdrie United Supporters Trust.
LOVEFiLM There’s nothing complicated about LOVEFiLM, rent DVDs, pay absolutely no late fees, return your DVD in a prepaid envelope and choose your next rental – simple.
£7.50 will be donated when you register for a FREE 21 day trial.
Secret Sales Secret Sales includes clothes and accessories from brands such as Diesel and Dolce & Gabbana; you’ll also find electronics as well as many other products.
4% of what you spend will given to Airdrie United Supporters Trust, there’s also 25p for every registration completed.
Glasses Direct Prescription eyewear that significantly undercuts high street prices, selling a range of eyewear with basic frames and lenses starting at just £15.00.
12% of what you spend will be given to Airdrie United Supporters Trust.
Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company LTD High quality insurance cover at a competitive price. Both motor and home insurance is available.
Airdrie United Supporters Trust will receive £70 for motor insurance policies and £60 for every home insurance policy completed.
Click Here
Saturday, 6 September 2008
The Road and the Miles tae Dundee!
A number of Airdrie Supporters are thinking about undertaking a sponsored walk during the school holidays in April next year. The walk would be from the stadium to Dens Park, Dundee and we would be aiming to finish it in time to attend the game against Dundee on Saturday, April 11th.
Given our sponsorship deal with St. Andrews Hospice we propose to share any money raised between the Hospice and Youth Development at the club. A meeting will be organised soon to iron out the details.
Anyone interested in taking part or finding out more about the walk, please contact Chris on 07737287118 or Willie on 07736255472.
Given our sponsorship deal with St. Andrews Hospice we propose to share any money raised between the Hospice and Youth Development at the club. A meeting will be organised soon to iron out the details.
Anyone interested in taking part or finding out more about the walk, please contact Chris on 07737287118 or Willie on 07736255472.
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Casino Evening 10th October 2008
Airdrie Supporters Trust are hosting our first ever fun casino night, prizes will be announced later but we are hoping to have a price for the first and last spin of the Roulette wheel and a cash prize for the biggest winner during the evening.
If you think you can sell numbers or have experience as a croupier and would like to offer your services for the night please get in contact with us, by leaving a message here, via the Stomp or e-mail Chris MacMillan.
Open Meeting on 18th Sept 2008
The Supporters Trust are hosting an open meeting in Airdrie Workmans Club at 7:30pm, all interested parties are welcome.
Last Tram Tae Auchenshuggle
Last year for the first time we held a Ceilidh and because it such a fantastic night we are bringing the "Last Tram to Auchenshuggle" back to Airdrie town Hall on the 24th of October 2008.
Monday, 16 June 2008
6th Annual Supporters Direct – Supporters Trust Conference
Stirling University – Saturday 7th June.
Two members of the Supporters Trust committee recently attended the annual Supporters Trust conference at Stirling University organised by Supporters Direct. This is a gathering of representatives of Supporters’ Trusts from all over Scotland and provides the opportunity to get together, hear about how other Trusts are faring, how they operate and exchange ideas. There were about 80 members present, representing the “Trusts”, of 27 clubs.
The agenda of the conference was: -
• Introduction from James Proctor, Supporters Direct
• Presentations by: -
o Mel Young, CEO of The Big Issue & the Homeless World Cup.
o Alan Findlay, Sons Trust Committee member
o Kenneth Elder, Arab Trust Committee member
• Sessions on: -
o Ownership
o Community
o League Structure
o Regulation
1. Mel Young’s presentation focussed on the homeless, sharing with us some stats about the numbers on the streets of the UK, Europe & Worldwide and the economic costs to the governments, etc. Given his role with the Big Issue and the universality of football, he then explained about the idea of using football as a conduit to changing the life of the homeless for the better.
This led to the creation of the Homeless World Cup in 2003 where 17 countries were represented in Graz, Austria. It was such a huge success that it led to an annual event, and, in the last tournament in Copenhagen, 48 countries were represented. Scotland are the current holders of the Homeless World Cup.
The main point behind Mel’s presentation, however, was that out of all those involved in the tournament, an independent poll taken afterwards found that 71% made significant improvements to their lives.
For further information on the Homeless World Cup please access the link below.
http://www.homelessworldcup.org/
2. Alan Findlay’s presentation focussed on the work which the Trust have done at Dumbarton, ranging from input into the programme & website, commercial activities within the club, the organisation of social events, community work and youth football. He also talked about their links with the directors of the football club.
The “Sons”, membership currently lies between 300 & 400.
3. Kenneth Elder’s presentation followed along similar lines to the “Sons”, activities where, at Dundee United, they also place great store in getting involved in youth development, by sponsoring kit, communication, through the programme and website and the organisation of social events. The “Arab”, Trust also had the ability to raise funds through merchandising. This, those present heard, was a major source of fundraising for both the Trust and ultimately, the club.
The “Arabs”, membership currently lies at approximately 500, with a £15 annual joining fee.
There were morning and afternoon sessions on each of the aforementioned topics and individuals were committed to select one and attend both sittings. Community, which looked at the reasons football clubs get involved in their local community, was the topic which I attended.
The morning session was led by Dave Embury, chairman of Telford United Supporters Trust and he outlined the work which they did to promote both the football club and the trust in Telford. (the “Trust”, own Telford United) This included: -
• Joint work with the local council
• Sponsor youth teams kit
• Employ a Community Liaison Officer (the club captain, who is the only full time employee at the football club)
• “Kids for a Quid”, scheme, if accompanied by an adult
• Social events
• Involving local schools within the club
• Schools football tournament
• Business club – encouraging local business to use premises
• Best fan competition
• Kids club
Those present at this session heard that Telford Uniteds’ average attendance during the time that they went out of business to the present day has risen from 800 to over 2000, despite having to start again in the lower conference league. Dave put much of this down to the work which the Club, the Trust and supporters had done, working together in the community, over this period.
The afternoon session was led by Alasdair Galloway, Clydebank Community Sports Trust, who focussed on their efforts to build their own football ground as part of a bigger sports complex in Clydebank. This role was slightly different from the previous one in terms of focus.
The Clydebank Trust has one immediate aim and that is to get their own ground and be able to bring a football club back into the community. This led to the following conclusions:-
• Identify trust member strengths and utilise to the best effect
• Create a positive line of communication between all parties (in this case the Trust, Council, supporters & local community)
• Engage club & trust members
• Encourage supporters to engage with trust
• Identify a prime focus and aim for it
The conference concluded with a get together and a reporting back from all sessions.
Two members of the Supporters Trust committee recently attended the annual Supporters Trust conference at Stirling University organised by Supporters Direct. This is a gathering of representatives of Supporters’ Trusts from all over Scotland and provides the opportunity to get together, hear about how other Trusts are faring, how they operate and exchange ideas. There were about 80 members present, representing the “Trusts”, of 27 clubs.
The agenda of the conference was: -
• Introduction from James Proctor, Supporters Direct
• Presentations by: -
o Mel Young, CEO of The Big Issue & the Homeless World Cup.
o Alan Findlay, Sons Trust Committee member
o Kenneth Elder, Arab Trust Committee member
• Sessions on: -
o Ownership
o Community
o League Structure
o Regulation
1. Mel Young’s presentation focussed on the homeless, sharing with us some stats about the numbers on the streets of the UK, Europe & Worldwide and the economic costs to the governments, etc. Given his role with the Big Issue and the universality of football, he then explained about the idea of using football as a conduit to changing the life of the homeless for the better.
This led to the creation of the Homeless World Cup in 2003 where 17 countries were represented in Graz, Austria. It was such a huge success that it led to an annual event, and, in the last tournament in Copenhagen, 48 countries were represented. Scotland are the current holders of the Homeless World Cup.
The main point behind Mel’s presentation, however, was that out of all those involved in the tournament, an independent poll taken afterwards found that 71% made significant improvements to their lives.
For further information on the Homeless World Cup please access the link below.
http://www.homelessworldcup.org/
2. Alan Findlay’s presentation focussed on the work which the Trust have done at Dumbarton, ranging from input into the programme & website, commercial activities within the club, the organisation of social events, community work and youth football. He also talked about their links with the directors of the football club.
The “Sons”, membership currently lies between 300 & 400.
3. Kenneth Elder’s presentation followed along similar lines to the “Sons”, activities where, at Dundee United, they also place great store in getting involved in youth development, by sponsoring kit, communication, through the programme and website and the organisation of social events. The “Arab”, Trust also had the ability to raise funds through merchandising. This, those present heard, was a major source of fundraising for both the Trust and ultimately, the club.
The “Arabs”, membership currently lies at approximately 500, with a £15 annual joining fee.
There were morning and afternoon sessions on each of the aforementioned topics and individuals were committed to select one and attend both sittings. Community, which looked at the reasons football clubs get involved in their local community, was the topic which I attended.
The morning session was led by Dave Embury, chairman of Telford United Supporters Trust and he outlined the work which they did to promote both the football club and the trust in Telford. (the “Trust”, own Telford United) This included: -
• Joint work with the local council
• Sponsor youth teams kit
• Employ a Community Liaison Officer (the club captain, who is the only full time employee at the football club)
• “Kids for a Quid”, scheme, if accompanied by an adult
• Social events
• Involving local schools within the club
• Schools football tournament
• Business club – encouraging local business to use premises
• Best fan competition
• Kids club
Those present at this session heard that Telford Uniteds’ average attendance during the time that they went out of business to the present day has risen from 800 to over 2000, despite having to start again in the lower conference league. Dave put much of this down to the work which the Club, the Trust and supporters had done, working together in the community, over this period.
The afternoon session was led by Alasdair Galloway, Clydebank Community Sports Trust, who focussed on their efforts to build their own football ground as part of a bigger sports complex in Clydebank. This role was slightly different from the previous one in terms of focus.
The Clydebank Trust has one immediate aim and that is to get their own ground and be able to bring a football club back into the community. This led to the following conclusions:-
• Identify trust member strengths and utilise to the best effect
• Create a positive line of communication between all parties (in this case the Trust, Council, supporters & local community)
• Engage club & trust members
• Encourage supporters to engage with trust
• Identify a prime focus and aim for it
The conference concluded with a get together and a reporting back from all sessions.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Football Without Borders: New Thinking from Scotland and Beyond
Saturday 7 June - 10.30am to 5pm
Management Centre, Stirling University
With a little under three weeks until the 6th annual Scottish
Conference we are happy to make the draft timetable available to download.
Over the next week we will go into a little more detail about each of the session topics but first we'll give you an overview of the conference and how it's different from previous years.
Four Topics
The biggest change is that instead of having eight separate sessions to choose from, delegates will pick one of four topics (Ownership,Community, League Structure and Regulation) which they will follow for the day. Each topic has two sessions with a guest speaker and a final session for discussion and debate amongst the delegates. The topics will be facilitated by someone from Supporters Direct and there will
also be someone on hand to take notes of each session throughout the day, thereby creating a record of the discussions.
This probably makes it sound a little more complicated than it actually is!
As a delegate you will simply attend three sessions all on the same topic and come to some joint conclusions with your fellow delegates in the final session. Your facilitator will then report back to the closing plenary session of the conference so that everyone can hear the lessons that have been learned throughout the day.
Interactive
By designing the conference in this way we hope that it will allow delegates to interact much more easily with the speakers and their fellow delegates and that this will make it a more interesting experience. The success of this type of event relies on delegates coming armed with a few questions and being willing to discuss the
topics in an open and positive manner - more than ever delegates will get out as much as they put in to the event. But we feel sure that those attending the conference will be more than willing to accept this challenge and help it to be a great success.
Conference Report
We hope to collect the day's discussions and publish them over Summer in a conference report, which will be made freely available to all delegates. This report will allow Supporters Direct in Scotland to build on the main lessons from the conference and use these as a way to confidently represent the views of supporters across the country. Therefore it is vital that all supporters' trusts take the oppotunity to contribute to the discussions at the 2008 conference.
Remember you can Register and Pay Online or Download a Booking Form to reserve your place at this once-a-year event.
As ever if you have any questions or want to know more please get in touch.
Cheers,
JP
Management Centre, Stirling University
With a little under three weeks until the 6th annual Scottish
Conference we are happy to make the draft timetable available to download.
Over the next week we will go into a little more detail about each of the session topics but first we'll give you an overview of the conference and how it's different from previous years.
Four Topics
The biggest change is that instead of having eight separate sessions to choose from, delegates will pick one of four topics (Ownership,Community, League Structure and Regulation) which they will follow for the day. Each topic has two sessions with a guest speaker and a final session for discussion and debate amongst the delegates. The topics will be facilitated by someone from Supporters Direct and there will
also be someone on hand to take notes of each session throughout the day, thereby creating a record of the discussions.
This probably makes it sound a little more complicated than it actually is!
As a delegate you will simply attend three sessions all on the same topic and come to some joint conclusions with your fellow delegates in the final session. Your facilitator will then report back to the closing plenary session of the conference so that everyone can hear the lessons that have been learned throughout the day.
Interactive
By designing the conference in this way we hope that it will allow delegates to interact much more easily with the speakers and their fellow delegates and that this will make it a more interesting experience. The success of this type of event relies on delegates coming armed with a few questions and being willing to discuss the
topics in an open and positive manner - more than ever delegates will get out as much as they put in to the event. But we feel sure that those attending the conference will be more than willing to accept this challenge and help it to be a great success.
Conference Report
We hope to collect the day's discussions and publish them over Summer in a conference report, which will be made freely available to all delegates. This report will allow Supporters Direct in Scotland to build on the main lessons from the conference and use these as a way to confidently represent the views of supporters across the country. Therefore it is vital that all supporters' trusts take the oppotunity to contribute to the discussions at the 2008 conference.
Remember you can Register and Pay Online or Download a Booking Form to reserve your place at this once-a-year event.
As ever if you have any questions or want to know more please get in touch.
Cheers,
JP
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Trust Membership
The Airdrie Supporters Trust yearly membership costs £10 for Adults and £5 for Under 16's and Oap's.
You can now sign up for Trust membership online.
Click Here
You can now sign up for Trust membership online.
Click Here
Online Trust Shop
Many of you will know about the online trust shop, for those who don't here's a quick update.
The Supporters Trust hold an acount with a company called Buy.At and we are paid commision every time someone buys something through it.
You can buy everything from computer games to facilities to change your car insurance. We are not asking anyone to buy anything they don't plan on buying any way, only that you have a look at the offers and buy through the link.
The Supporters Trust hold an acount with a company called Buy.At and we are paid commision every time someone buys something through it.
You can buy everything from computer games to facilities to change your car insurance. We are not asking anyone to buy anything they don't plan on buying any way, only that you have a look at the offers and buy through the link.
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