I Havant asked for an apology , as you have your oppinion and I respect it, what I would ask tho is you give us a chance, and you have my word that everything Issa does that every fan of wfc is first and foremost in its thoughts,
Issa was not formed as a protest group whatsoever is was set up by fans for the fans, Having said that we will have no problem raising any issue fans bring to us, and will criticise club as and when required, and will equally praise when club seen to be doing good things
Hope you understand why I felt the need to respond to your original comment, as like I said
One thing I can personally guarantee you there are no egos, involved with any one on the Issa comitee Just passionate fans, like yourself and our diehard fanbase
Thanks for the clarification, DH. But more importantly, thanks for asking important questions of the club at the last meeting, because that’s the priority.
In honesty I couldn’t give a toss about discrepancies in the Trust’s membership figures, I want to know what the Board intends to do about the shocking decline of my football club over the past three years and the lack of leadership that has lead to relegation and alienation of the fan base.
Thanks for the explanation. At the moment, from the outside looking in, it looks like a group has been set up after taking the ump with the trust and all it has done to date is snipe back in a very public (and probably necessary) setting. But reading what you have to say here does give me a slightly better impression.
Obviously I don’t hold you or ISSA accountable for what the club does going forward but if you ask those questions, and crucially, don’t get taken in by the same old promises (I don’t care if Mole and Gamble have their hands tied, they take a wage to run this club. Lately they’ve done a pretty poor job of it) then that’s all the fans can ask of you. I’ll take not having to wade through ■■■■ at any point next season as a start to be honest.
A comprehensive list of questions was put to Issa by fans Simon, this was handed to Dan mole at last wpm, He stated a fair few of the questions. Would have answered them selves hopefully within a week or two, I’e managerial appointment etc, and to be fair they have
Dan mole said he would give a response in writing to Issa within three to four weeks max in relation to the remaining questions, When recieved I will post furnished answers up on here
The main issue and question that was put on behalf of Issa was that. As fans, we demanded that mr bonser attended an oppening meeting, not a private one, and adressed the fanbase of Walsall FC publicly. Stating
How he intended to resolve the freehold issue
What his own exit strategy and timescale was
A genuine figure he would be prepared to sell his majority shareholding, for
To explain the continued lack of investment into the playing side of the buisness
To give an explanation of how the money from the last five years, which we considered to be the most afluent period in our history, has been used
If his exit is not imminent to give fans. A five year detailed plan on how exactly the club. Intend on achieving. There said goal of attaining championship football
Also give fans details of who monitors the performance of board members, and to justify wether said members own posistions, should be questioned, as our relegation, can only be seen as abject failure from the very top
Theese where just a few points, that Issa want answering. On behalf of every fan of Walsall fc
I’m not having a go, DH. I read through the Working Party Meeting minutes and was genuinely pleased to see important questions from ISSA asked on behalf of Walsall supporters.
It’s just a shame that the whole thing has been overshadowed by an argument between two supporters groups about membership figures.
Totally agree Simon and if trust had furnished them as every other party who sits at meeting is asked to do. , it would not have come to this
I couldn’t care less if trust had four or five thousand members and wished they did, because that way it would be forced into acting in the best interests of its members
As said Issa has tried to resolve said issues by holding a clear the air meeting in order to ensure fans voices can be heard, but sadly Simon all we have recieved are dates two members of trust can’t attend , with no viable options being put forward by trust to have said meeting, , further working party meetings are in jepordy of not taking place,
And the only ones who suffer for that are fans themselves who are desperate for answers
I think this is a very sad thread. As supporters we should try to speak with one voice regarding the major issues facing the Club. Clearly there will be differences in emphasis and style but these rather petty arguments between various factions will get us nowhere.
Was in the process of writing something similar.
This just goes to show exactly how fragmented the fanbase is, and just why we will never be able to get concerted, or sustained, action going.
As was mentioned elsewhere, it’s like The Judean People’s Front v The People’s Front of Judea.
The previous twelve months, eh? Where were you then? How many club meetings did you go to? Know how many times they were asked? Or is it the case that the club were happy to meet with supporter groups at the working party meetings to advance at least a few non-controversial topics. The DSA appear to enjoy this interaction at least.
Sure they are supposed to, and I’m sure you feel fantastic for having that information atyour fingertips when your mates turn up at a working party meeting with the club, but in real life who actually asks, apart from people with their own agenda?
What I find seriously offensive is that you use a club meeting to stitch up another supporters group. One made up predominantly of fellow fans, however ineptly led. One with a history. One that actually owns shares in the club. You and your pals should be working with these partners, not throwing them under the bus.
Worst for me, you did it to Bob. ■■■■ you for that. He is Walsall through and through. The supporters trust may well be a shadow of what it should be, but your actions are ■■■■■■■■ on it, not helping it.
Fans should work together.
I agree Exile - however… I think the Trust has a large share of the blame for getting to this point.
I can even remember 10 years ago with the active sabotage of the unity protests. They don’t like the fact that other people might have different views - and not just want to be a charity. I have known Bob for a very long time and agree he shouldn’t have been the target for any perceived lynching - and I know he, more than most, wants Bonser out of this club - but my gripe is with the trust as a group.
What’s the point of them? They’re alienating our fans the same way Bonser and co have alienated us… just to a lesser extent.
Can you remind me about how the Trust actively sabotaged the unity protests?
By not engaging with a rare proactive attempt to challenge the club in a meaningful way?
That’s not active… next…
Disagree - being neutral makes it’s own statement and results in active undermining and loss of support.
Just ask the Swiss.
As Exile has stated there is a time and a place to bring up accounts, working party is not it.
No one is obliged to give membership numbers at anything other than an AGM. If DSA have 200 members, ISSA have 210 and Trust have 310 - the same people will be in one or all the groups so it makes no difference on what these numbers are. Unless its a fight for power?
I can understand DSA being a separate entity as a group but to have the trust, ISSA and WSFC is a bit daft considering we have such a small fan base.
All three groups should unite as one.
Precisely this.
My estimate is we have a dwindling core support of roughly 4k. If we break this down; 1.5k are apathetic, losing interest and only attend some games, 1k are well over retirement age and are unlikely to protest, 500 or so probably still think Bonser and his suited yes men are doing just fine after the appointment of Darrell Clarke (maybe more!).
That leaves just 1k to question how this club is run and there are currently 3 organisations set up to do this - periodically sitting down for tea and biscuits with the club. 1k, split into 3 factions - and we wonder why the protests aren’t well supported.
Please do not for one minute think I am criticising anyone that puts their own time and energy into these groups, it is a personal sacrifice that nobody has to give. But the bottom line is none of these groups will achieve anything set up as they are, working independently and constantly knocking each other. We simply do not have the luxury of enough fans left for these groups as they are to have any impact.
See the argument regarding having three active groups, and agree there should be co-operation between them. That said, new groups wouldn’t emerge if non-apathetic supporters were satisfied with the performance of the Trust.
Also reading the minutes, Moles comments that these meetings cannot continue without the Trust - well they continue without the Saddlers Club members so don’t understand that point.
The club are loving this. To be able to turn around when this all fails due to squabbling they can say they offered fans an olive branch and they ■■■■■■ it up themselves.
This - whilst the Trust has its place, in terms of acting as an active challenge to how the club is run (which it is supposed to be) then I’m afraid it’s failing on many levels.
Basically we all need to unite and march on the place and in particular for some of Bonzo’s commercial sporting dinner ventures or similar corporate ■■■■■■■■ - forget what is ‘appropriate’ or not, the time for all these civilised discussions has long gone. But it will never happen.