Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee

Communication:
The art of it, the lack of it and the need for it - discuss.

Now wouldn't that be an interesting topic for an English class after the Easter Break based on the present situation at the club, the Trust, and amongst the fans (on the internet at least).

Communication needs to be pertinent, accurate and timely. Is that too much to ask from anyone?

We have a situation developing at the moment where the gulf between the fans, the club and the Trust is growing at such a rate and to such an extent that restoring the relationships to anything resembling a good platform seems almost beyond hope.

It is hard to believe that it has reached this state so soon after the relief and anticipation that followed the January take-over. So what has been the problem, why is it getting worse? Was this situation avoidable? Certainly.

So what have we seen? The consortium took over, names were made public, and names were kept in the background. That was not a start that pleased everybody. Fine if someone wants to remain anonymous, but the promises of openness that had been made, and the final burial of the previous cloak and dagger regimes, which so many fans had anticipated with some pleasure, were already looking fragile.

The early announcement that the consortium were more than happy to stand aside if there were other parties interested in taking over, caused some concerns on the back of previous reports that the club was back in local and safe hands and would stay so.

Various rumours of potential investors having been ignored began to irk certain fans. No responses from the club started to fuel suspicion as to the consortium's motives. Continued silence saw the suspicions increase.

As we rumbled on, the removal of Addison, Nicholas and Compton, brought criticism of the club regarding the reasoning behind the decision, and of the Trust in not issuing proactive statements with its own views to offer the fans' perspective on events. This is an argument that continues to roll.

Moving on through, we have witnessed the CVA, the appointment of Cusack and Freestone, the 'faxed' messages of interest from Connolly, the draw for the FAW final venue, Britt and Bo and most recently the Flynn saga. There are no doubt many more events that I have not thought of (it's late) or have forgotten about altogether in the whirlpool of rumour and suspicion in which we appear to exist these days.

All these episodes have been handled in a way that has left the club open to criticism, the Trust open to criticism, and with the fans now seemingly not prepared to listen to any story without believing that they have been duped along the way, life is getting very difficult and at times depressing. It is spiralling out of control, and it is a little sad to see so many fans almost enjoying the ride. Now before anyone accuses me of being one of those 'sad idiots' that were referred to tonight, if anyone would like me to list the criticisms that I have of the Consortium or The Trust, most points of which have been raised with people, although not necessarily on the mailing list, then let me know and I will. Those two bodies have a lot of work to do.

It's only words, and words are all I want (oh….and some actions as well of course)

This situation has to be turned around somehow for the good of the club, and the future of football at the Vetch. We cannot have a position where nothing is accepted by the fans, we cannot have a situation where the club holds back important facts, and we cannot have a situation where the Trust is seen as divorced from the fan base.

The fans have a part to play in this. We can all criticise everything that happens, easy, but what will it achieve? The Management Committee has a huge part to play in this, in making sure that the fans are kept advised of developments within the club. The Trust also has a huge part to play. Critics of the Trust are many and widespread, and much of the criticism can be justified. I am no longer secretary of the Trust, my short-term appointment being curtailed for personal reasons, and speak simply as a member along with the other 1463 people who have joined.

The Trust must be there to represent the fans, and even though we must all accept that the fans cannot be party to every decision that is taken at Club board level, statements from the Trust must be issued at every opportunity expressing its views on decisions that have been taken in the boardroom, seeking the views of the members, and also letting members know what issues have been taken up at board level on behalf of the fans.

The Trust has to work with the club, but does not always have to agree with decisions made. It doesn't have to be continuous conflict or confrontation, but if it represents the fans, then it must report back to the fans accurately and honestly. It is now an integral part of the club set up, and it is vital that it works. There is a lot of hard work to be done, and many changes may have to be made. The success of the club should be everyone's aim, and working together should be the way it is achieved. All three parties have a part to play, and communication between the three is going to be the most critical aspect of it all over the coming weeks. If it is not put right, then I fear for the future here. Communication issues on the part of the Trust are being addressed; time alone will tell whether this will bring the support and success that is so needed.

We fought long and hard to get this club back into local hands. The question of whether outside investment is required immediately or longer term could and maybe should be addressed by a simple statement from the consortium. If finance is needed, then talks should go ahead with interested parties, and without breaking confidentiality, confirmation or denial of talks taking place could be issued. If large scale finance from other parties not needed, then maybe this could be stated, and at least one contentious issue put to bed for a while. We all know that many 'interested' parties are focused on the Morfa alone, or even the development plans over the next few years for the City itself. We only need people who will take this club forward, not those who will use it only as an entry ticket to some other venture.

If anyone has any feedback to give me, I'd love to hear from you at pauly@scfc.co.uk