Club response to Trust letter

[oafc1955]

There are lots of supporters who don’t frequent this board, are not in the trust, and now we have no Chron anymore it’s not easy to get the message across!

 

[deyres42]

45 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

There are lots of supporters who don’t frequent this board, are not in the trust, and now we have no Chron anymore it’s not easy to get the message across!

 

Keep seeing this stated, reckon it is probably bollocks.

[GlossopLatic]

1 hour ago, oafc1955 said:

There are lots of supporters who don’t frequent this board, are not in the trust, and now we have no Chron anymore it’s not easy to get the message across!

 

 

We live in an age of social media. Id say getting a message across in this day and age has never been easier.

[oafc1955]

Maybe to the younger fans but certainly not the older generation. I know several dinosaurs who wouldn’t have a clue how to access the Internet!!

[GlossopLatic]

39 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Maybe to the younger fans but certainly not the older generation. I know several dinosaurs who wouldn’t have a clue how to access the Internet!!

 

Id say they are a tiny minority these days you look at this message board and you have a very good mix in age groups. Its not just the kids that use the internet these days. Alright you will never get the message to absolutely  everyone. But if the Trust or the club wanted to get a message out these days a story can be broadcast around the world and the majority of the fanbase will know about it within minutes.

 

Certainly alot easier than the old days of waiting a day or 2 for something in the chron or having to remorgage your house calling clubcall.

Edited April 28, 2019 by GlossopLatic

[latics22]

1 hour ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Id say they are a tiny minority these days you look at this message board and you have a very good mix in age groups. Its not just the kids that use the internet these days. Alright you will never get the message to absolutely  everyone. But if the Trust or the club wanted to get a message out these days a story can be broadcast around the world and the majority of the fanbase will know about it within minutes.

 

Certainly alot easier than the old days of waiting a day or 2 for something in the chron or having to remorgage your house calling clubcall.

How many are registered on owtb?

[wiseowl]

1 hour ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Id say they are a tiny minority these days you look at this message board and you have a very good mix in age groups. Its not just the kids that use the internet these days. Alright you will never get the message to absolutely  everyone. But if the Trust or the club wanted to get a message out these days a story can be broadcast around the world and the majority of the fanbase will know about it within minutes.

 

Certainly alot easier than the old days of waiting a day or 2 for something in the chron or having to remorgage your house calling clubcall.

It's all about consistency of message and leadership though isn't it. There's little point (and sorry Trust but I am only using as an example) saying "the new owner is like a breath of fresh air" to then saying "he doesn't engage with us etc." the next. We then had "we endorse a supporters' protest" (i.e. against Tranmere - match postponed) to "we don't endorse or encourage a fans' protest". 

 

That just creates confusion and frustration - and ultimately division or apathy amongst fans i.e. even the most passionate supporter will not get behind something if there are "mixed messages" coming out. 

 

Maybe at the next board meeting of the Trust, they should have a debate and a vote on what a)  their "goal" is in the current climate and b) how they intend to reach that goal. Once fans know what their aim and strategy is in regards to the current issues, then the supporters can decide to join and support them or not. To have any true effect the Trust needs to represent a much larger % of the core fan base. It's been mentioned on another thread that, after a glut of new joiners recently, the membership is up to circa 300. I would say once it reaches circa 1,000 minimum, it can justifiably start to claim to have the "fans' mandate". In these troubled times, if we can't reach those sorts of numbers then it shows that not as many fans as we had hoped are actually that bothered. That, ultimately, may turn out to be the case.

 

I will certainly join and support the Trust once I am in general agreement with their position on a) and b) above.

 

[GlossopLatic]

46 minutes ago, latics22 said:

How many are registered on owtb?

 

One the admin should probably answer that. However this isnt the only social media platform its not only the message board. If you look across different platforms twitter facebook instagram then you are covering a good chunk of the fanbase. 

[GlossopLatic]

42 minutes ago, wiseowl said:

It's all about consistency of message and leadership though isn't it. There's little point (and sorry Trust but I am only using as an example) saying "the new owner is like a breath of fresh air" to then saying "he doesn't engage with us etc." the next. We then had "we endorse a supporters' protest" (i.e. against Tranmere - match postponed) to "we don't endorse or encourage a fans' protest". 

 

That just creates confusion and frustration - and ultimately division or apathy amongst fans i.e. even the most passionate supporter will not get behind something if there are "mixed messages" coming out. 

 

Maybe at the next board meeting of the Trust, they should have a debate and a vote on what a)  their "goal" is in the current climate and b) how they intend to reach that goal. Once fans know what their aim and strategy is in regards to the current issues, then the supporters can decide to join and support them or not. To have any true effect the Trust needs to represent a much larger % of the core fan base. It's been mentioned on another thread that, after a glut of new joiners recently, the membership is up to circa 300. I would say once it reaches circa 1,000 minimum, it can justifiably start to claim to have the "fans' mandate". In these troubled times, if we can't reach those sorts of numbers then it shows that not as many fans as we had hoped are actually that bothered. That, ultimately, may turn out to be the case.

 

I will certainly join and support the Trust once I am in general agreement with their position on a) and b) above.

 

 

Its not confusing at all.

 

The new owner came in said he wanted to engage with the Trust and proceeded to ignore them for 12 months and sit in his ivory tower and make a string of incompetent decisions. So based on those actions took a more formal stance. 

 

Whats so confusing about changing your mind on something based on the circumstances around you? 

 

Id be more concerned if they didn't track if something wasnt working.

Edited April 28, 2019 by GlossopLatic

[singe]

56 minutes ago, latics22 said:

How many are registered on owtb?

It laso depends how many use this board regularly.

For me it's very important, but quite a substantial number are lapsed.

You can see certain fugres, in the last 30 minutes, 35 differnt users are logged in. but quite a few guests too. Guests could be from other clubs of course.

[wiseowl]

41 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

Its not confusing at all.

Well.... I certainly got confused, Glossop. I was all ready to support the (Trust endorsed) peaceful fans' protest against Tranmere. With the match being postponed, many people I spoke to saw the TV game as the ideal platform for that to be resurrected. It wasn't and the stance has changed - and the season will be over - and issues will peter out.

 

To be honest, I`m also getting past caring any more (and never thought I`d say that). The Trust, undoubtedly, has some committed individuals and I can't knock them. I just feel it needs to re-invent itself and communicate better, so we know what it stands for. If you think, after a recent surge in recruitment, that circa 300 members represents success; that's fine. I don't and it gives the owner carte blanche i.e. at present, he can legitimately say that the Trust does not represent the fans because of its low membership.

 

Someone else commented on here recently that it seems like "our way or the highway" - that's sometimes true - the Trust can come across as defensive and resistant/dismissive to suggestions/ideas from fans outside of it.

 

Good luck - I`m logging off now - and won't be on again until next season. 

 

Think I`ll attend the last home game and maybe do a lone protest for maximum effect lol! (you can come and throw bad eggs at me) 

 

No hard feelings to anyone - we just remain hopelessly divided as fans.

 

 

[Andy b]

22 minutes ago, wiseowl said:

Well.... I certainly got confused, Glossop. I was all ready to support the (Trust endorsed) peaceful fans' protest against Tranmere. With the match being postponed, many people I spoke to saw the TV game as the ideal platform for that to be resurrected. It wasn't and the stance has changed - and the season will be over - and issues will peter out.

 

To be honest, I`m also getting past caring any more (and never thought I`d say that). The Trust, undoubtedly, has some committed individuals and I can't knock them. I just feel it needs to re-invent itself and communicate better, so we know what it stands for. If you think, after a recent surge in recruitment, that circa 300 members represents success; that's fine. I don't and it gives the owner carte blanche i.e. at present, he can legitimately say that the Trust does not represent the fans because of its low membership.

 

Someone else commented on here recently that it seems like "our way or the highway" - that's sometimes true - the Trust can come across as defensive and resistant/dismissive to suggestions/ideas from fans outside of it.

 

Good luck - I`m logging off now - and won't be on again until next season. 

 

Think I`ll attend the last home game and maybe do a lone protest for maximum effect lol! (you can come and throw bad eggs at me) 

 

No hard feelings to anyone - we just remain hopelessly divided as fans.

 

 

For the benefit of others, wiseowl and I met about two weeks ago and I have urged him to get involved in the trust, drive the changes he wishes to see and put his energies and ideas to good use. The trust is a group of people. Those people and the trust’s approach can change if you want it to. You need to get involved though. Shouting from the sidelines won’t really cut it.

 

i haven’t yet heard back.

 

i won’t be logging off over the summer nor will the rest of the trust board. We have work to do. 

[oafc1955]

The Tranmere postponement and the upturn in performances prior to the Mansfield game hasn’t helped. 

 

I would have found it difficult to protest and possibly hinder the players efforts when there was a genuine chance of promotion.

 

Now that is finished with I would be all for a protest of sorts during or after the Northampton game but it has to be structured and I’m not sure there is enough time to organise it properly. 

 

The problem would then be be how to execute a close season protest that would sufficiently highlight the concerns of the fan base and have the necessary effect on the owner of the club. 

 

I’m hoping as promised AL engages with the trust very soon, perhaps after that the position will be a little clearer and help determine what, if any , the next step will be.

 

 

 

[latics22]

1 hour ago, oafc1955 said:

The Tranmere postponement and the upturn in performances prior to the Mansfield game hasn’t helped. 

 

I would have found it difficult to protest and possibly hinder the players efforts when there was a genuine chance of promotion.

 

Now that is finished with I would be all for a protest of sorts during or after the Northampton game but it has to be structured and I’m not sure there is enough time to organise it properly. 

 

The problem would then be be how to execute a close season protest that would sufficiently highlight the concerns of the fan base and have the necessary effect on the owner of the club. 

 

I’m hoping as promised AL engages with the trust very soon, perhaps after that the position will be a little clearer and help determine what, if any , the next step will be.

 

 

 

Pretty pointless protesting last game of the season, see what happens over the summer?

[maddog]

1 hour ago, latics22 said:

Pretty pointless protesting last game of the season, see what happens over the summer?

 

And then when fuck-all, and fuckwittery happens, there’s no outlet for a protest until the season starts and it’s too late?

Edited April 28, 2019 by maddog

[Ryan]

I don’t buy that not enough supporters would be made aware of the protest due to lack of online presence, lame excuse. There was plenty of time to get the word out and get something planned as we knew well in advance that Latics would be on Sky for the Mansfield game.

 

To be honest this is a problem with English fans in general and definitely not unique to Latics. We’re just terrible at collective action, prime example being United fans ditching the anti-Glazer green/gold scarves protests just as it was gathering serious momentum solely because they won the 2010-11 title and made the CL final. Parasites.

 

The most successful attempt by (English) fans at mobilising against their own club that I can think of in recent years was when Liverpool fans walked out on 77 minutes against Sunderland a few years ago. The supporters stuck to their principles in droves and LFC reversed the decision to hike ticket prices.

Edited April 28, 2019 by Ryan

[Latics and England]

4 hours ago, maddog said:

 

And then when fuck-all, and fuckwittery happens, there’s no outlet for a protest until the season starts and it’s too late?

We'll go into pre-season with half a squad as usual, loads of our fans will decree that we'll walk the lead when we turn over Chadderton 3-0 and anyone who questions the situation will be hounded for being negative.