The Trust

[oafc1955]

If the club enters administration on Friday the Trust shareholding becomes null & void. What happens to their bank account and the player share fund?

[jorvik_latic]

2 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

If the club enters administration on Friday the Trust shareholding becomes null & void. What happens to their bank account and the player share fund?

 

The company would still exist, they would have to then decide on a way forward including what they do with the funds. 

[Dave_Og]

10 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

If the club enters administration on Friday the Trust shareholding becomes null & void. What happens to their bank account and the player share fund?

Why would there be any link between a shareholding and a bank account? 

[lookersstandandy]

I’ve just canx my SO into Playershare for the time being....

[tGWB]

10 hours ago, oafc1955 said:

If the club enters administration on Friday the Trust shareholding becomes null & void. What happens to their bank account and the player share fund?

 

Trust Oldham is a separate legal entity to the club

 

The 3% shareholding would not be transferable into the new company 'Oldham Athletic 2020 Ltd'

 

Trust Oldham bank accounts and player share would not be affected

 

For me though, they would seriously need to reinvent themselves as a group to be able to attract fans interest, particularly with the excellent supporter engagement from the PtB lads

 

No offence intended but times change, the Trust didn't keep up

 

 

[HarryBosch]

14 hours ago, lookersstandandy said:

I’ve just canx my SO into Playershare for the time being....

 

We really aren't ever going to see Zak Mlls again are we...... 

[HarryBosch]

15 hours ago, oafc1955 said:

If the club enters administration on Friday the Trust shareholding becomes null & void. What happens to their bank account and the player share fund?

 

I think we should have a vote on what to spend it on.....

 

Me going on holiday tends to produce historic FA Cup victories, just saying........

[lookersstandandy]

3 minutes ago, HarryBosch said:

 

We really aren't ever going to see Zak Mlls again are we...... 

 

.....how much do you think i was putting in?

[singe]

1 hour ago, lookersstandandy said:

 

.....how much do you think i was putting in?

Ah, so it's your fault the players didn't gt paid....

[LaticMark]

 

What?

[al_bro]

If The Trust has folded what happens to the shares?

[underdog]

Trust new website launched yesterday and the SOS has gone out for staff, or as I have kind of called it "save our shareholding"....

 

It is weirdly under the membership tab.  on a header called Join us and there are key vacancies they need to fill. Details there about registering an interest

 

 

Events & Fund Raising
Supporter Liaison
Business Development
HR / Legal

 

[underdog]

22 hours ago, al_bro said:

If The Trust has folded what happens to the shares?

unsure, Trust Articles are unclear. 

 

I would hope they took up legal advice before they get to this critical stage. part of the FSA membership is that you can tap into legal advice but it has its limits.

[Dave_Og]

There is nothing on the site to attract new members.  The first thing I want to know is who is running the show and they are just names.  No hint of what experience they have, what motivated them to get involved,  what skills they bring to the party etc.  I don't think the trust ever recovered from Barry going native; massively damaging.

[underdog]

1 hour ago, Dave_Og said:

There is nothing on the site to attract new members.  The first thing I want to know is who is running the show and they are just names.  No hint of what experience they have, what motivated them to get involved,  what skills they bring to the party etc.  I don't think the trust ever recovered from Barry going native; massively damaging.

I get that. it was being looked at what membership discounts you could get with companies when you produce your card, there were some tentative companies contacted about it, but then that director left and its on the to do list..or now the vacancy list. The new site seems to be missing CV's but there are linked in symbols? and I think some are on linked in....I don;t really use it Linked in..Sorry

 

I remember a discussion with Andy B several moons ago now with regards to "personnel", reform and being professional. Our chat included doing what most other business do when there was a vacancy, or a restructure of key people. skills shortage. If there was a role then you advertise it, have a job spec, interview and appoint with a probationary period. I had Drafted a Trust rep job spec that was waiting approval based on the FSA review and key questions they the rep should be asking and reporting back to the Trust on. This was to be signed off on after I left. This job spec could then be published as part of roles

 

Could a robust restructure of the right people in the right role encourage the fan base to engage?  The Trust is due an AGM too. I think the website indicated they would be involving the membership in these discussions.

 

I posted a couple of FSA updates yesterday. One was by The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This is the department who reviewed what happened at Bury and flagged us too as another potential

 

It is a proposed model Post covid of financial support for clubs via  FFA and how they envisage a "supporter trust role"  at club board level and how it would feedback I presume to FFA, FSA and EFL. I will presume as well, The FFA would have a job spec for that Supporter rep role and Key knowledge/experience they would expect. I  have posted the link below. I think it s a viable option that needs looking into before all clubs/trust do.

 

https://thefsa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Damian_Collins_Letter_To_SoS_Co-signed_MPs_May_2020.pdf

 

I always remember the CAST (charlton athletic supporters trust), persons words with regards to how envious they were of what our shareholding was and its additional entitlement. Same from the FSA when they looked over the Trust articles and how the team at the time...got additional stuff added to the articles like the right to appoint a board member and remove them, equal parity voting at club board level and the right to be consulted and voted on, if the business of OAFC is discountinued. Stuff not all supporters have. its how its uses its entitlement  to effectively hold the club to account - the right people in the right roles, rather than needs must. I include myself in the needs must bit and hold my hands up.

 

When I left I drafted a Memorandum of Understand between Trust and club. It is based on a FSA good guidance template that is in place in several other clubs. It set the foundation of what both parties expect, the information, the frequency of information between the parties and how it roles out to the fans....its the open-ness and transparency fans asked for in April 2019 and quashes NDO's. The club MD was open to this and it looks from the Trust update that this could be approved by both parties soon - again going on the website of how the relationship works on both sides.

 

Do we let those early custodians who started the Trust and the hard work go? I did speak to one of those early people and they did say maybe it has served its purpose. This should be open for discussion too

 

As the Frozen song says..."let it go......." it is an option

 

 

 

 

[disjointed]

I don't think anyone underestimates all the hard work you put in Tracy, Dave Og has hit the nail on the head everything the trust was supposed to be about seemed to get left behind when Barry went "native". 

People started to lose confidence and every new appointment was met with suspicion, rightly or wrongly that was the state of play. The close connection to the club has tied the trusts hands, hopefully the right people with the right ideas and qualifications will step in and revive it. I take my hat off to those that have tried over the recent years it was never going to be easy post Owen. 

[underdog]

15 hours ago, disjointed said:

I don't think anyone underestimates all the hard work you put in Tracy, Dave Og has hit the nail on the head everything the trust was supposed to be about seemed to get left behind when Barry went "native". 

People started to lose confidence and every new appointment was met with suspicion, rightly or wrongly that was the state of play. The close connection to the club has tied the trusts hands, hopefully the right people with the right ideas and qualifications will step in and revive it. I take my hat off to those that have tried over the recent years it was never going to be easy post Owen. 

Cheers. It is not easy stepping up. You are never going to please all fans and that is why I am happy PTB offer another option/outlet for the fanbase.

 

What I want to get over and I do waffle, is forget the people and personalities that have been involved/currently involved and look at what the Trust is. 

 

A company that has a shareholding in a larger company with a legal shareholding entitlement. A responsibility to ensure that bigger company is being run in a fit and proper manner with good governance. Strong enough to hold that bigger company to account and openly come out and say to its membership and wider fan base..."look we are not happy", or even better..."yes we are happy.".....wow, I can't remember the last statement when we said "yes we are happy with, yes we support club/owner..." 

 

Its a seat at the table, but maybe one of the questions should be is how effective has it been. Well there should be an AGM soon,  subject to COVID. I hope the membership and fan base are canvassed.  There should be regular surveys on this..."Rate your Trust, Rate your rep, value for money on your membership...customer service stuff over the last 12 month from one AGM to another. I was hoping to discuss these and get them set up before I left. However, I did do an handover/timetable/calendar of stuff that of what we should do and when we did it and they were on it as an idea

 

We know there are other supporter Trusts that work well with their club. Grimbsy being one. The feedback from their club on their Trust was positive and vice versa from their supporter rep and I do wonder why it is a bloody struggle at our club?

 

New owner, new start, or so we thought in January 2018 and heard the owners words on this too.  Wow there is only one director left from that meeting. That's a scary amount of knowledge to be lost and turnaround too of Trust personnel. Think there was 10 of us then.

 

Literally, do the members and fan base want to give it up because of personalities? Maybe.

Was being one of the early supporter Trust in the country with a shareholding be its downfall? Could be that tieing itself with the entitlement has been its noose to some fans and PTB are less shackled because of this

 

But understanding what it is, what it could be, what fans would be giving up, needs a full debate discussion on and should be on a regular basis.

 

if it gets to that stage where it could cease and there are a number of scenarios why,  I would hope that the FSA would be involved in the discussion too. An outside, impartial organisation that could advise on options open.

 

Time to stop the old waffle now. Trust meeting and update I hope, next week with who the new director is

 

 

 

[mcfluff1985]

When you see the stuff PTB have put together and how quickly they produce info about meetings they have had, you realise how pointless the trust is 

[tGWB]

Started this topic on the 29th August under 'a plea to the Trust'

 

To our Trust Directors

 

The demise of Bury FC should be turned into a positive for Oldham Athletic AFC

 

Now is the time for the Trust to reach out for a 'Blue & Tangerine Army' of volunteers

 

The Trust Committee should urgently list all the 'volunteer skills' they need to 'staff up' for the fight for our very future and get them posted on the Fans Forums and Twitter.

 

You will hopefully get plenty of skilled volunteers or absolutely confirm our fan base is content to 'twiddle their thumbs'

 

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

7th June 2020

 

9 months later, the Trust still cant even produce meeting minutes in a timely manner.

 

 They seem to stumble from one blunder to another, with the meeting a few weeks ago with Natalie being an example were days after, the rumoured non payment of wages to players and staff raised its ugly head again. The Trust comment was virtually "we will have to ask for an update" yet they had been sat with the clubs MD  a few days earlier !

 

The Trust have stood still, in reality they have gone backwards and the PtB Lads have not only taken up the supporter space which was once held by the Trust, they have grabbed more supporter space and fans goodwill.

 

PtB is so far in front of the Trust that I would be amazed if they can even see them in their rear view mirror anymore

 

[underdog]

5 hours ago, tGWB said:

Started this topic on the 29th August under 'a plea to the Trust'

 

To our Trust Directors

 

The demise of Bury FC should be turned into a positive for Oldham Athletic AFC

 

Now is the time for the Trust to reach out for a 'Blue & Tangerine Army' of volunteers

 

The Trust Committee should urgently list all the 'volunteer skills' they need to 'staff up' for the fight for our very future and get them posted on the Fans Forums and Twitter.

 

You will hopefully get plenty of skilled volunteers or absolutely confirm our fan base is content to 'twiddle their thumbs'

 

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

7th June 2020

 

9 months later, the Trust still cant even produce meeting minutes in a timely manner.

 

 They seem to stumble from one blunder to another, with the meeting a few weeks ago with Natalie being an example were days after, the rumoured non payment of wages to players and staff raised its ugly head again. The Trust comment was virtually "we will have to ask for an update" yet they had been sat with the clubs MD  a few days earlier !

 

The Trust have stood still, in reality they have gone backwards and the PtB Lads have not only taken up the supporter space which was once held by the Trust, they have grabbed more supporter space and fans goodwill.

 

PtB is so far in front of the Trust that I would be amazed if they can even see them in their rear view mirror anymore

 

Can't argue with that, but we decided to get the FSA (Sept)  in first to review the Trust and shareholding to identify any key skills/gaps. Then it was decided that we should escalate our concerns to the EFL (Nov), with regards to the Landlord/club situation, shareholding entitlement (accounts) and other stuff. There is not much you can do meeting once a month for two hours...bearing in mind we did not have a home then too. Trying to keep the company running and keep an eye out on the bigger company you are holding to account.

 

in March time (I think) and on advice from Andy B, they met with PTB to discuss and get input and get input from PTB.

 

They meet tomorrow and PTB have asked for an update by Wednesday. Be an interesting week all round me thinks. Looks like they are moving from monthly meeting 2hrs to fortnightly, so maybe the pace could pick up. 

 

If it cease, it ceases.....I will be sad, but it is what it is.

 

[tGWB]

1 hour ago, underdog said:

Can't argue with that, but we decided to get the FSA (Sept)  in first to review the Trust and shareholding to identify any key skills/gaps. Then it was decided that we should escalate our concerns to the EFL (Nov), with regards to the Landlord/club situation, shareholding entitlement (accounts) and other stuff. There is not much you can do meeting once a month for two hours...bearing in mind we did not have a home then too. Trying to keep the company running and keep an eye out on the bigger company you are holding to account.

in March time (I think) and on advice from Andy B, they met with PTB to discuss and get input and get input from PTB.

They meet tomorrow and PTB have asked for an update by Wednesday. Be an interesting week all round me thinks. Looks like they are moving from monthly meeting 2hrs to fortnightly, so maybe the pace could pick up. 

 

If it cease, it ceases.....I will be sad, but it is what it is.

 

Its inevitable, that an organisation with too few people, with too much to do will fail

 

The only real leverage a Trust can have with a ‘challenging’ owner would be the number of supporters that the Trust has stood alongside it, evidenced by the membership numbers

 

Trust Oldham will have a decreasing number of memberships and with that dwindling funds. My guess would be below 250 currently
 

i did think the appointment of a ‘big hitter’ becoming a Director, the MD from JP Morgan would see significant change but from the outside looking in, nothing seems to have improved

 

I would suggest, it would be an almost impossible task for the Trust to get any renewed positive traction from our fan base, even if it made a concerted effort to do so. 
 

An organisation cannot treat its customers with indifference for years and expect a sudden upturn in goodwill when it realises it needs to up its game to survive

 

Our owner and our Board have yet to learn this lesson

 

No offence intended underdog, most fans know you did more than your fair share to help our club survive to this point

[BP1960]

17 hours ago, tGWB said:

Its inevitable, that an organisation with too few people, with too much to do will fail

 

The only real leverage a Trust can have with a ‘challenging’ owner would be the number of supporters that the Trust has stood alongside it, evidenced by the membership numbers

 

Trust Oldham will have a decreasing number of memberships and with that dwindling funds. My guess would be below 250 currently
 

i did think the appointment of a ‘big hitter’ becoming a Director, the MD from JP Morgan would see significant change but from the outside looking in, nothing seems to have improved

 

I would suggest, it would be an almost impossible task for the Trust to get any renewed positive traction from our fan base, even if it made a concerted effort to do so. 
 

An organisation cannot treat its customers with indifference for years and expect a sudden upturn in goodwill when it realises it needs to up its game to survive

 

Our owner and our Board have yet to learn this lesson

 

No offence intended underdog, most fans know you did more than your fair share to help our club survive to this point

 

Whatever happened to  Playershare?

[tGWB]

8 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

 

Whatever happened to  Playershare?

that was a question on twitter from a chris nuttall

 

will quote you word for word response but you’ll know it already me thinks 

 

Trust Oldham:

There has been a conversation with Rick at PlayerShare, Kenny and Paul Murray about some ideas.   It's taken a bit of a back seat because of Coronavirus, but we will get this on the agenda for the next meeting, thanks Chris.

[underdog]

2 hours ago, BP1960 said:

 

Whatever happened to  Playershare?

TGWB has a given the up to date view.

 

It is still exists and being run seperatley by non Trust people. Primarily, by Rick Attwood.

 

As it was not being used, or tapped into by a manager for several seasons,  the Trust discussed about Xmas time about other options for its future. A possibility was too look at supporting the Academy team via Paul Murray instead. Think it is the meeting notes yet to be published

 

I am sure the subscribers and the membership will be canvassed on the options/future of it.

 

It would be nice to keep it going somehow, in memory of Dave Stringer (Opinions) who set up the online shopping kick back for it called Easyfundraising...which is still going by the way.

 

So, hopefully we will get an update soon

[tGWB]

Thoughts anyone