TanyaT
6th November 2004, 17:08
Fans Forum Report
In context of recent events what follows may seem insignificant but at the time it didn’t and in time I suspect it won’t. I’m referring to the first Fans Forum of the season held on the 30th September. It was the Thursday prior to the Boro game and a couple of days therefore before Mr Glazer made his move. The main item on the agenda was to decide on the key issues the Forum would debate over the next three meetings.
Nick Humby kicked off with a presentation on the recently published financial report. He spoke of disappointment at the media’s myopic tendency to look at only the drop in earnings, essentially due to diminishing media monies and insisted that there was a positive future and the club were confident that these were a robust set of figures.
He spoke of the clubs plan to move away from the reliance of Matchday revenue and grow the marketing generated revenue but this was not a targeted figure. With our persistent demands for anti inflationary pressure on Ticket prices this must be welcomed. The guy responsible for achieving this, Andy Anson the new Commercial Director was present. He appears a genuine down to earth Rochdale Red and was relishing his new post but was struggling to get to grips with his Boardroom status, having just had a mauling from one of the Fanzines for outlining his plans to tap the Asian market.
I congratulated the Club on the openness and declaration of figures with regard to their dealings with Player agents. I asked however if the club were comfortable with the amounts spent and if it was looking to reduce these in the future. This provoked David Gill to react like an Arsenal player in a tunnel, launching a fusillade of rhetoric about how he was sick of having to defend agents, what a positive service they provide and over the length of a players contract how they ultimately give value for money. I stressed that it was a confusing response given the Clubs previously stated concerns. In a more councilatory tone he said what the club would be looking for was a balance in future dealings and openness throughout the game not just from MUFC PLC.
And so to finalise the topics for future meetings. Ticketing and all its nuances was there as was Safe standing. The Club themselves were keen to improve communication with fans and were interested in exploring that but the most important move came with the proposal from IMUSA that in many ways encompasses all of the above. With the planned expansion of Old Trafford the Club, IMUSA and many Forum members argued, had a once in a lifetime opportunity to genuinely consult fans and creatively solve some of the issues that keep causing fan friction and dissatisfaction. The Club should embark on a large scale consultation far beyond the Fans Forum about how the ground will be reconfigured. At the meeting the club could not commit to a formal review and were keen stress some key points; Safe Standing would not be part of the plans and with the high cost of £39 million, revenue generation would have to be considered. Encouragingly though and for the first time potentially the club would take an holistic, long term look at ticketing, ground configuration and atmosphere.
It was agreed that Nick Humby would bring a paper to the next meeting as to how the consultation may work and what form it would take. In the mean time Forum Members would submit to the club their ideas related to the expansion.
There were other important items dealt with at the meeting, Phil Townsend had done excellent work perusing the outrageous treatment of United Fans in Lyon, taking the issue to Ministerial level and engaging debate with embassies overseas. The ever present, ever harased Karl Evans was also on hand to report on improvements around the ground and act upon Members suggestions on a range of matchday issues.
The shockwaves and tremors caused by Mr Glazer may have subsequently taken our focus but if the club as a result of this meeting genuinely engages with fans in order solve some longterm OT issues then the outcome of this Fans Forum could be just as seismic.
Gary Hirst Oct 2004.
In context of recent events what follows may seem insignificant but at the time it didn’t and in time I suspect it won’t. I’m referring to the first Fans Forum of the season held on the 30th September. It was the Thursday prior to the Boro game and a couple of days therefore before Mr Glazer made his move. The main item on the agenda was to decide on the key issues the Forum would debate over the next three meetings.
Nick Humby kicked off with a presentation on the recently published financial report. He spoke of disappointment at the media’s myopic tendency to look at only the drop in earnings, essentially due to diminishing media monies and insisted that there was a positive future and the club were confident that these were a robust set of figures.
He spoke of the clubs plan to move away from the reliance of Matchday revenue and grow the marketing generated revenue but this was not a targeted figure. With our persistent demands for anti inflationary pressure on Ticket prices this must be welcomed. The guy responsible for achieving this, Andy Anson the new Commercial Director was present. He appears a genuine down to earth Rochdale Red and was relishing his new post but was struggling to get to grips with his Boardroom status, having just had a mauling from one of the Fanzines for outlining his plans to tap the Asian market.
I congratulated the Club on the openness and declaration of figures with regard to their dealings with Player agents. I asked however if the club were comfortable with the amounts spent and if it was looking to reduce these in the future. This provoked David Gill to react like an Arsenal player in a tunnel, launching a fusillade of rhetoric about how he was sick of having to defend agents, what a positive service they provide and over the length of a players contract how they ultimately give value for money. I stressed that it was a confusing response given the Clubs previously stated concerns. In a more councilatory tone he said what the club would be looking for was a balance in future dealings and openness throughout the game not just from MUFC PLC.
And so to finalise the topics for future meetings. Ticketing and all its nuances was there as was Safe standing. The Club themselves were keen to improve communication with fans and were interested in exploring that but the most important move came with the proposal from IMUSA that in many ways encompasses all of the above. With the planned expansion of Old Trafford the Club, IMUSA and many Forum members argued, had a once in a lifetime opportunity to genuinely consult fans and creatively solve some of the issues that keep causing fan friction and dissatisfaction. The Club should embark on a large scale consultation far beyond the Fans Forum about how the ground will be reconfigured. At the meeting the club could not commit to a formal review and were keen stress some key points; Safe Standing would not be part of the plans and with the high cost of £39 million, revenue generation would have to be considered. Encouragingly though and for the first time potentially the club would take an holistic, long term look at ticketing, ground configuration and atmosphere.
It was agreed that Nick Humby would bring a paper to the next meeting as to how the consultation may work and what form it would take. In the mean time Forum Members would submit to the club their ideas related to the expansion.
There were other important items dealt with at the meeting, Phil Townsend had done excellent work perusing the outrageous treatment of United Fans in Lyon, taking the issue to Ministerial level and engaging debate with embassies overseas. The ever present, ever harased Karl Evans was also on hand to report on improvements around the ground and act upon Members suggestions on a range of matchday issues.
The shockwaves and tremors caused by Mr Glazer may have subsequently taken our focus but if the club as a result of this meeting genuinely engages with fans in order solve some longterm OT issues then the outcome of this Fans Forum could be just as seismic.
Gary Hirst Oct 2004.